English vocabulary: cloze procedures Cloze procedures are great for developing vocabulary. A cloze procedure, or exercise, is a piece of writing where children have to fill in the missing words so that the sentences make sense. Sometimes there is a collection of words that can be used to fill the gaps, sometimes it is an entirely free choice. In the latter case there could be a large number of possible answers. Cloze procedures not only develop vocabulary, they are also a test of reading skills and mastery of grammar. When carrying out a cloze procedure it is always a good idea to try and read the whole passage before deciding on what to put in the gaps. In this way children can gain a sense of what the passage is all about. From there it is often easier to complete the most obvious missing words first, leaving the more awkward words until there are fewer to select from. Children need also to decide what kind of word is missing. Is it a noun, adjective, verb etc? Finally, the passage should be re-read to make sure that it all makes sense. There are plenty of cloze procedures to try out, from very simple where all the missing words are given, to more tricky texts. They are graded as easier, medium and hard. Go to Cloze Procedures