Deriving word meaning from written context: a process analysis

The paper reports on a study among primary-school students of the process of deriving word meaning from written context in a first language. A sequential analysis of think-aloud protocols revealed that the students inferred one or more meanings, checked their inferences and then rejected or accepted them. These activities were performed in a highly flexible manner and their order varied. Four major sequences, which were not equally effective, showed up in a cluster analysis. The paper concludes by discussing implications for instruction and think-aloud research.