When we think about reading aloud in writing center sessions, the conversation often centers on who should do the reading: the writer or the tutor. This seemingly straightforward choice has long been informed by writing center lore, with many professionals advocating for writer-read methods to promote engagement and ownership. However, Rebecca Block’s article, Disruptive Design: An Empirical Study of Reading Aloud in the Writing Center, invites us to think beyond the “who” and consider the “how.” Through her exploration of the point-predict method, Block offers a fresh perspective on how structured reading strategies can reshape our sessions.
How I Came Across This Article
I first learned about this article during our last writing center retreat, where our director highlighted it as an example of innovative tutoring practices. I was immediately intrigued, as I had never encountered the point-predict method before. It felt like a fresh way to approach reading aloud, moving beyond the familiar debates about who should read to explore how the act of reading can be transformed into a dynamic, collaborative process.
Introducing the Point-Predict Method
The point-predict method, adapted from Barbara Sitko’s peer review framework, uniquely structures the reading process. As the tutor reads aloud, they pause to summarize the main point of each section and predict what might come next. This strategy turns reading into an interactive, analytical process that highlights gaps, ambiguities, and organizational challenges in the text. Meanwhile, the writer takes notes, reflecting on how well their intentions align with the tutor’s interpretations and predictions.
The Research: Key Findings
Block’s study compared three reading methods: writer-read, tutor-read, and point-predict. The results were compelling:
- Point-predict sessions focused heavily on global concerns like content, organization, and signposting, while minimizing attention to sentence-level issues.
- Writer-read sessions struck a balance between global and local concerns but lacked the interactive depth of point-predict.
- Tutor-read sessions often centered on sentence-level corrections, reinforcing the idea that unstructured reading by tutors might lead to a “fix-it shop” dynamic.
Interestingly, the point-predict method also encouraged writers to initiate more discussions about global issues. By hearing how their work was interpreted in real-time, writers were prompted to rethink their structure and content—a level of engagement not typically observed in the other methods.
Applying the Point-Predict Method: A Tutor’s Experience
I recently experimented with the point-predict method in a series of tutoring sessions, and the results were alarming. Here’s how it played out:
- Session 1: A Prospective Medical School Student
- The Situation: The writer brought in a draft of a personal statement for medical school, highlighting unique childhood memories and relevant work experience. As we began, I used the point-predict method, summarizing the introduction and predicting that the first body paragraph would describe the writer’s first instance of relevant work experience.
- What Happened: My prediction was incorrect, as the next paragraph described another unique childhood memory. This led to a discussion of combining like-ideas for clarity. The writer realized their transition could have been better used elsewhere, and we combined the introduction and first body paragraph before moving the transition elsewhere.
- The Result: By the end of the session, the writer had a plan to reorganize their personal statement and strengthen transitions between sections. They commented on how the writing felt disjointed before creating a new organizational structure.
- Session 2: A Communication Student’s Speech Analysis
- The Situation: A Communications student was analyzing the physical elements of various Martin Luther King Jr. speeches, watching them muted to focus on his body language. Based on the thesis, I predicted the order of the main points discussed in the essay.
- What Happened: My predictions often didn’t align with the writer’s organization. For example, one section was introduced second in the thesis but came third in the paper. This prompted a discussion on thesis development and organization.
- The Result: The writer revised their paragraphs to align with their organizational logic. They commented on how much better the essay flowed after switching certain paragraphs.
- Session 3: A Philosophy Student’s Discussion Post
- The Situation: The writer’s discussion post had many strong arguments with various examples, but the ideas and examples felt disjointed. Using the point-predict method, I summarized each paragraph and predicted the next argument in the post.
- What Happened: My predictions highlighted inconsistencies in the relationship between certain arguments and examples. For instance, I expected a paragraph to explain the example provided by the writer, but it quickly jumped to a new example for a new argument. This led the writer to notice the inconsistencies in organization and analysis throughout the discussion post.
- The Result: The writer left with a revised discussion post that better organized their arguments, ensuring each one had an example and each example was thoroughly explained.
Reflections on the Results
These sessions reinforced the potential of the point-predict method to enhance writer engagement and focus on global concerns. Writers often commented on how hearing predictions helped them see their work from a reader’s perspective. Moreover, the structured nature of the method seemed to foster a collaborative atmosphere, where both tutor and writer worked together to refine the text’s purpose and clarity.
While sentence-level issues were still addressed when necessary, they no longer dominated the sessions. This balance allowed for a more holistic approach to revision, ensuring that writers left with actionable strategies for both global and local improvements.
Conclusion
Block’s research reminds us that even small changes to our methods can yield significant insights. The point-predict method challenges the notion that who reads matters most, showing instead that how we structure reading can shape the focus and outcomes of a session. By incorporating structured strategies like point-predict, we can foster deeper engagement with global issues while empowering writers to take ownership of their work.
As writing center professionals, we thrive on innovation and reflection. Why not experiment with point-predict in your next session? Whether it transforms your practice or sparks new questions, one thing is certain: disruption is the first step toward growth.
References
Block, R. (2016). Disruptive design: An empirical study of reading aloud in the writing center. The Writing Center Journal, 35(2), 33–59. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43824056
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