Top-Down Reading Model Theory

:Amy Pearson
Top-down reading models teach students to
read by introducing them to literature as a
whole. Instead of teaching students to read by
sounding out each word in a sentence, teachers
read whole passages of a text. Students begin
to use context clues to decipher unfamiliar
words.
The National Capital Language
Research Center reports top-down
reading models are helpful to those
learning a second language because
they help students concentrate on
the whole meaning of a passage.
The theory also works with
those just learning to read, as
readers rely on their previous
knowledge to decipher text or
unfamiliar words.
 Look for Whole Meaning
-The top-down reading model theory
encourages students to focus more on
understanding the main ideas of a
passage than understanding every
word. Even if students do not
understand each word, they are likely
to grasp the meaning of a text as a
whole.
Babies learn to speak much the
same way. Instead of teaching
words one at a time, parents use
conversation to teach language to
their children.
Apply What Is Already Known
-The top-down reading model
encourages students to rely on
their own knowledge and use
context clues to understand new
concepts or words..
The report by Hirakata Nagao,
“Using Top-Down Skills to
Increase Reading Comprehension,”
states readers use their knowledge
of the content matter instead of
their knowledge of the vocabulary
used in a particular piece of text.
 Students could also use context clues to
determine the meaning of words that have
more than one use.

For instance, the word “read” is pronounced

differently depending on the context in which
it is used. Students using the top-down
reading theory could rely on context clues to
help them determine which pronunciation
was correct in a particular text.
Encourage Active Involvement
-The teaching model allows
students choose books to read
based on their own interests.
Teachers urge students to select
materials of personal interest so
they are more likely to be
motivated to read it.
Instead of assigning one book for an
entire class to read together, the teacher
might take the entire class to the library
and allow them to choose their own
books. New readers will begin to
understand new vocabulary and increase
reading fluency as they read engaging
and interesting books.
Encourage Perseverance
-In the top-down model, teachers
encourage readers to develop speaking and
listening skills by having them read aloud
to the class or to a smaller group of
students. Instead of stopping students to
correct a pronunciation mistake, the
teachers urge the reader to continue
reading, even if struggling with a particular
passage.
Teachers might not correct spelling errors
during creative-writing exercises but
instead encourage students to take risks
and attempt to spell new and more
difficult vocabulary words. Repetition of
important or meaningful passages is often
used to help students understand and
sometimes memorize the reading
material, resulting in a deeper
understanding.
 References
PBS: History of the Reading Wars
The National Capital Language Research Center
: Strategies for Developing Reading Skills
Education.com: The Relationship of Top-Dow
n Reading Theories to Whole-Word Reading I
nstruction
Hirotaka
Nagao: Using Top-Down Skills to Increase R
eading Comprehension
 Resources
System for Adult Basic Education Support: S
killed Reading: Top-Down, Bottom-Up
U.S. Department of Education: Coordinating
Top-Down and Bottom-Up Strategies for Educa
 About the Author
-Amy Pearson earned dual bachelor's
degrees in management and
horticulture. She is a licensed elementary
teacher for kindergarten through sixth
grades. Pearson specializes in flower and
vegetable gardening, landscape design,
education, early childhood and child
development.