Pausa protocolada na leitura: ensinando a fazer inferências

Abstract

This work is the result of the first class of Profletras, which is a pedagogical intervention that we developed in E.E Levi Durães Peres, located in Montes Claros / MG. We acted in teaching Portuguese for students of the 7th year of elementary school, and our main objective was to help them develop the ability to make inferences in order to become more aware of cognitive, metacognitive and semantics involved in the interactional process of text meaning building. More specifically, using a reading strategy of inference called „pausa protocolada‟ and we aimed to determine the extent this strategy could help them in the development of reading. Indeed, results of various evaluations ranging from the international nature to those of daily school life show the difficulty Brazilian students in general and also the subjects of this study have in understanding the written text, and also the lack of ability to make inferences, a characteristic of the proficient reader. Thus, after the theoretical reference about reading with the focus of a sociointeractionist proposal to convey meaning to the text; on inferential activity and its role in the process of reading comprehension; and about the strategy of inference (pausa protocolada) in reading, we developed with the group of all 36 students in the class actions that consisted of: i) approach and development of text concepts, reading, reading comprehension and inference; ii) application of the written tests from the genre short story with predominantly inferential questions; iii) inference strategy sessions in reading, which for various needs were merged with the shared reading strategy, all with tales and chronic genres; iv) at the end, new test application similar to the first in order to examine whether there had been progress in the level of reading comprehension from the written text, for the production of inferences made by the students and if so, to what extent the pedagogical intervention and more particularly, if the inference reading strategy contributed to this. The whole process, carefully described and analyzed, has demonstrated progress and change in student attitude towards the text; It has showed, too, that positive results even more significant may occur with the development of „pausas protocoladas‟ in reading over the years / over the year and, in relation to students with the greatest difficulties, individually or in small groups. It has also shown that the change in the students´ posture about the text presupposes a respectful teacher's view on them as individuals, whose roles in building text's meaning must be repeatedly reaffirmed: without this, very little the teacher can do in relation to the comprehensive reading instruction, and therefore the inference process in the classroom.