As my future certification is in ELA I will be talking about the use of affective evaluation for literary interpretation. Interpreting literature is an important skill to ELA students, this is a skill where students are able to conceptualize themes or pull out important details and form a deeper meaning or understanding. Levin states experienced readers are more likely to identify aspects of text that are important to literary interpretation and more likely to construct thematic inferences and figurative meanings than novice readers. However, this does not mean novice readers cannot be supported by using everyday interpretive practices to their readings.
In this study draws on three assumptions in general areas of research and theory. The first of these being that affective evaluation is an everyday interpretive practice, this suggests affective evaluation acts as an “everyday control structure with which to make sense of the world” (Levin). Individuals may have different views or draw on various personal beliefs, or influences from culture when interpreting things. An example given of this in the study includes a white southerner senator and an African American interpreting the meaning of the controversial confederate flag.
The second assumption looks at how students are able to interpret language and how students make positive or negative appraisals of characters based on their real-world values or expectations. This study talks about how students are able to use context as well as their personal knowledge to evaluate fictional characters, drawing deeper meanings and character goals.
The third assumption brings forth another method that can engineer their success. This method includes novice readers engaging in familiar texts to gain a meta-level knowledge of their everyday interpretive practices. The goal is to apply these interpretations from basic, familiar readings to more formal readings. One intervention showed this by looking at ways they already interpreted music, such as symbolism in popular songs. The intervention went on to apply this to more extensive readings, short stories and novels.
Using think-aloud to promote critical thinking and interpretations, we are able to provide support for novice readers. Engaging and examining the ways students look at language is important, if we are able to support novice ELA students or students who are struggling in interpretation and breaking down literature we must. We have to use a variety of strategies that allow students to pull what they know and apply it to ELA.
Levine, S. (2014). Making interpretation visible with an affect‐based strategy. Reading Research Quarterly, 49(3), 283-303.
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