Reading 1

READING SKILLS AND

STRATEGIES

Understand the process of reading

Learn to use different strategies based on the needs

Read intensively and make meaning

Objectives

According to the Cambridge dictionary, ‘Reading’ is the skill or activity of getting information from books.(Other sources could include newspapers, magazines or webzines, web pages etc.).

Reading is a complex process of understanding words and sentences in order to arrive at the meaning.

What is reading?

Reading is shaped largely by the reader’s prior- knowledge experiences attitude language community

Reading requires - continuous practice development concentration discipline

What influences reading

Make sure you think about what you want to achieve and keep the purpose in mind as you read. Is it for an assignment? If so, have the assignment question(s) in hand. Is it for an exam? If so, have you mapped out which areas of the curriculum you will focus on? If you are simply working your way through your study materials, check your module guide to see if there are any guiding questions or statements for that particular piece of reading. You may also check the learning outcomes you are expected to achieve.

Know why you are reading

SkimmingScanningIntensiveExtensive

Read in different ways depending on your purpose.

Skim the text quickly to get an indication of the scope and content of the text.Read the first and last paragraphs to get the main points.Look at the first sentence of each paragraph to see where the content of the paragraph leads.Note the key points in the summaries.

Skimming the text to get an overview

19.00 The One ShowThe One Show team bring

viewers the stories that matter from across the country.

19.00 Escape to the countryA couple from Wimbledon want to

escape the suburbs for countryside living in East Sussex.

19.00 Top GearThe team sets out to end the chaos that snowfall brings to

Britain every year.

19.00 World News TodayThe latest news, exploring the

day’s events from a global perspective.

19.30 Waterloo RoadSambuca enlists Lauren and Finn’s help to track her father

down in Blackpool.

19.30 SpringwatchIolo Williams takes to the water to reveal puffins at their best - diving

for fish.

19.30 Born to be WildWe meet the amateur naturalist

who has turned his garden into a lizard empire.

20.27 BBC News and Regional News

The latest national and international news stories from the

BBC, followed by the weather.

20.00 Great Movie MistakesRobert Webb uncovers the

clangers and gaffes in Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.

20.00 Explosions: How We Shook the World

Engineer Jem Stansfield investigates the science of

explosions.

20.30 In with the FlynnsLiam and Caroline work extra

shifts, but who is looking after the kids?

20.30 Springwatch UnsprungKate Humble, Chris Packham and

Iolo Williams answer audience questions.

21.00 The ApprenticeLord Sugar instructs the teams to build junk collection businesses.

21.00 WonderlandFilm that climbs aboard with four families as they take to the road.

21.00 Cannabis: What’s the Harm?

Exploring the world of organised crime linked to the supply of

cannabis in the UK.

21.00 Hidcote: A Garden for All Seasons

The story behind Hidcote, the most influential English garden of

the 20th century.

22.00 BBC News at TenLatest national and international

news, with reports from BBC correspondents worldwide.

22.00 The Apprentice: You’re Fired

This week’s task of making money from rubbish ended with someone

being dumped.

22.00 Kill Bill: Vol 2The assassin, The Bride,

concludes her ruthless quest for revenge against her nemesis.

22.00 Nurse JackieAfter breaking up with Eddie,

Jackie tries to reconnect with her family.

1. What times does this extract from the programme guide cover?

2. Can you watch the news on all channels?3. If you enjoy watching documentaries,

which channel might be best for you? 4. Are there any comedy programmes to

watch this evening?

Read the text quickly and answer the following questions.






Britain every year.




down in Blackpool.


for fish.










explosions.









cannabis in the UK.



the 20th century.





being dumped.





1. This programme guide extract covers 19.00 until 22.00.

2. No, you can catch the news on BBC1 and BBC4 but not on BBC2 and BBC3.

3. If you enjoy watching documentaries, the best channel for you might be BBC4. There are three documentaries on that evening.

4. There are no comedy programmes listed this evening, but Great Movie Mistakes at 20.00 on BBC3 sounds as if it might be amusing.

Answers

Before reading in any detail, scan through the materials quickly, simply to get a general impression of it. The aim at this stage is not to get to grips with its detailed arguments, but to understand how many sections it has, which of them require(s) careful reading and which you can read through quickly, etc. Keep in mind what your purpose is. Run your eye quickly over the text to locate specific words or phrases that are of interest to you. You can scan - headings, subheadings and summaries; images and tables; the contents page; the index, etc.

Scanning for specific details






Britain every year.




down in Blackpool.


for fish.










explosions.









cannabis in the UK.



the 20th century.





being dumped.





1. If you miss the news at 19.00, when can you next catch the news?

2. If you are interested in gardening, what programme might you look out for?

3. What time, and on which channel, would you catch The Apprentice?

4. When, and on which channel, can you see the weather forecast?

5. At what time, and on which channel, can you settle down to watch a film?

Quickly scan the reading text and answer the following questions.






Britain every year.




down in Blackpool.


for fish.










explosions.









cannabis in the UK.



the 20th century.





being dumped.





1. If you miss the news at 19.00, you can catch the news at 20.27 on BBC1.

2. If you’re interested in gardening, you might want to watch Hidcote: A garden for All Seasons at 21.00 on BBC4.

3. You can catch The Apprentice at 21.00 on BBC1. 4. You can see the Weather Forecast after the News

at 20.27on BBC1.5. There is a film called Wonderland on BBC2 at

21.00. Kill Bill: Vol 2 at 22.00 on BBC3 is also a film, although it doesn’t say this in the programme guide.

Answers

Once you have an idea of what you are trying to achieve and a general overview of the material, read it in more detail.Underline or highlight key words and phrases as you read. When you return to it later on, you can easily see which points you identified as important. Be selective - too much highlighting won't help.Make annotations in the margin to summarise points, raise questions, challenge what you've read, jot down examples and so on. You can do this in printed books or e-texts. (Use sticky notes if you don't want to mark the text.)

Intensive reading

Read critically by asking questions about the text. Who wrote it? When? Who is the intended audience? Does it link with other material you've studied in the module? Why do you think it was written? Is it an excerpt from a longer piece of text? Do you agree with it?Pay attention to the structure of a text to help you to understand the writer's purpose and argument. Take notice of headings and sub-headings, of opening and

closing paragraphs and of other signposts phrases like 'most importantly', 'in contrast', 'on the other hand‘ the writer has provided.

Try to understand what you are reading, rather than simply memorising what you have read. Test yourself by reading for half an hour, putting the text away and jotting down the key points from memory. Go back to the text to fill in gaps.Explain what you've read to someone else.

A few years ago, I saw my wife crying incessantly one day, as she opened the letter received from our only son studying abroad. She was upset because the boy had commenced the letter with the words, “My dear appa and amma.” She phoned him up and accused him that the reversal of the order was a clear sign of the deterioration of his love towards her, as his usual order was: “My dear amma and appa.” My boy finally had to come out with an apology to her saying that it was an unintentional error and that such mistakes would not happen again!

Let’s read the article.

It is an open secret that mothers whether working or otherwise, literate or not, enjoy a soft corner with all their children, and vice versa. This is an area where no dad can compete with the mom.

Dads are normally strict with their children and that is probably their main weakness. This strictness is often misconceived as lack of love by children until they themselves become responsible fathers/mothers.

The duties that the dads face additionally leave them with no or negligible free time to spend with the children. The moms, despite their busy schedule, spend quality time with their children. This is an area where the dads fail. I have seen the dads taking major decisions on the career of the children. They give guidance, arrange finance and follow up the progress of their wards. Yet, it is a pity that these dads who are full of hopes and ambition fail to win the hearts of their children as the moms do.

What do you think is the purpose of the author?

How is the text organized? How does the author achieve his purpose?

Reading very easy, enjoyable books to build reading speed and reading skillsThe aim is to become better at the skill of reading rather than reading to study the language itself.Extensive reading is sometimes known as Graded reading or Sustained silent reading.

Extensive reading

Selecting the right book: Selecting appropriate reading materials can help build reading confidence, reading ability and build a life-long love of reading in English. Conversely, selecting inappropriate materials can lead to a vicious circle of poor reading.

It’s therefore essential to choose something in ‘comfort zone’-one in which a person can read smoothly, quickly, enjoyably and with very high levels of comprehension. Because only the readers know what they can and cannot cope with, selecting the right book is the reader’s decision.

There is a difference between ‘learning to read’ and ‘reading to learn’. ‘Read to learn’ (Intensive Reading): reading a text to learn something about the language itself – maybe a new word, some grammar and so on. We could call it ‘study reading’. This is the typical reading many students do in their textbooks. The passages are short and often have a lot of language the students do not know. There are typically pre- and post-reading activities and comprehension questions as well. The aim of this reading is to help teach the language or a reading skill such as guessing the topic of an article from its title, or to give examples of say, the past tense which the students will then study intensively.

‘Learn to read’ (Extensive Reading): practicing the skill of reading by reading for information – reading a story book, for example, with the aim of enjoying the reading. The aim is to build reading fluency - not necessarily to learn new things (although readers may learn some), and to deepen their knowledge of already met language items and to get a better sense of how these fit together communicatively. This allows them to process language faster and improves comprehension and enjoyment. Readers can also ‘learn to read’ by building their set of skills and strategies and by doing speed reading activities designed to improve comprehension speed and overall fluency.

SKIM through the text quickly to get an overall impression.QUESTION. If you are reading it for a particular purpose (for example, to answer an assignment), ask yourself how it helps. Also ask questions of the text: Who? What? Where? When? How?READ. Read the text in a focused, and fairly speedy way.REMEMBER. Test your memory - but don't worry if you can't remember much.REVIEW. Read the text in more detail, making notes. Use your own words.

Process of reading - summarized

Documents

Reading 1