n-line
Teaching
Strategies

Cloze Procedure

Cloze procedure originated as a diagnostic reading assessment technique. In a cloze procedure, every nth word is deleted from a selected reading. Students are then asked to read the passage, inserting a word into each blank to create a meaningful reading.

The procedure and how to score and interpret results is described at the Cloze Procedure Web site (http://www.cwu.edu/~biology/mandt/cloze.htm). Another informative site, Using a Cloze Procedure (http://watt.enc.org/online/ENC2432/2432_CH5.html), offers links to pages that describe how to use cloze procedure to develop reading and writing skills. Cloze Procedure Samples (http://humanities.byu.edu/ELC/teacher/Appendix/clozeSample) shows a beginner level and an intermediate level cloze sheet.

Because cloze procedure encourages the reader to be actively involved with the reading of the material and to link the new information being learned with information previously learned, cloze procedure may be used effectively in the classroom for purposes other than reading assessment. Cloze sheets may be used to ensure that students thoroughly read assigned work instead of merely skimming, as a way for a teacher to indicate to students which terms and concepts are key to understanding the passage, to provide students with reading study guides.


On-line Applications

Web Pages:
  Post a teacher-created cloze sheet to your Web site (see cloze procedure example created with Dreamweaver). Students may print and complete the sheets or copy and paste the text into a word processor to complete the sheets on the computer.
  As an enrichment activity for stronger students, have students create cloze sheets, with answer keys, on a word processor for selected readings. This requires students to determine which words and phrases are critically important to understanding the concepts in the passage. Students' computer skills are enhanced as they create the sheets, create PDF documents or put them in an html editor to create Web pages, and learn to post them to a Web site. Sheets may then be used by other classmates.

E-mail:
 

E-mail cloze sheets to students as the body of the e-mail. Students use the reply function, complete the sheets and e-mail them back to the teacher.


On-line Resources

Cloze Procedure (http://www.cwu.edu/~biology/mandt/cloze.htm)

Using a Cloze Procedure (http://watt.enc.org/online/ENC2432/2432_CH5.html)

Cloze Procedure Samples (http://humanities.byu.edu/ELC/teacher/Appendix/clozeSample)