What is a simple definition of reading?
A process whereby one looks at and understands what has been written.
Is understanding in reading an all-or-nothing process?
No, understanding is not an ‘all or nothing’ process.
What are the sub-skills involved in reading?
- Literal comprehension
- Inferential comprehension
- Interpretation
- Evaluation
- Critical appreciation
What are the characteristics of the reading process?
- Physical and mental activity
- Requires attention and thought
- Involves emotional and intellectual participation
- Involves interpretation of written symbols
What factors determine how a reader interprets a text?
- Reader’s background
- Knowledge or experience
- Emotional appeal of the subject
- Reader’s intellectual ability
What are some purposes of reading?
- Reading for pleasure/entertainment
- Acquiring knowledge and information
- Reading for academic purposes
- Reading for instructions or directions
Why is reading important?
- Develops the mind
- Helps in language skills
- Exposes to new information
- Aids self-improvement
- Enhances communication skills
What is intensive reading?
To completely deconstruct a text, absorbing as much meaning as possible.
What are the guidelines for intensive reading?
- Read interesting texts
- Read short texts
- Read for brief periods
- Read when you have the most mental energy
What types of materials are ideal for intensive reading?
- News articles
- Wikipedia articles
- Short stories
- Blog posts
What is extensive reading?
Reading as much as possible without concerning oneself with the minutia of meaning.
What are the characteristics of extensive reading?
- Read texts that are interesting
- Level-appropriate texts
- Moderate length texts
- Read for longer blocks of time
- Read in a relaxed manner
What types of materials are ideal for extensive reading?
- Graded Readers
- Online Platforms
- Bilingual Books
- Monolingual (Native) Books
- Magazines
- Comic Books
What is scanning in reading techniques?
A technique to quickly locate specific information in a text.
What is skimming in reading techniques?
Reading quickly to get the main idea or gist of the text.
Which parts of a text should be focused on when skimming?
- Title and sub-title
- Abstract
- First paragraph
- Last paragraph
- Repeated words
- Section headings
- First sentence of each paragraph
- Last sentence of each paragraph
What is focused reading?
An approach to reading that maximizes comprehension and analysis skills.
What are the steps in the focused reading process?
- Choosing a text
- Preparation
- Initial reading
- Check your predictions
- Deeper reading
- Repetition and review
What is the goal of the initial reading step in focused reading?
To ensure general comprehension without checking every specific word.
What should be done during the deeper reading step?
Check words in the dictionary, reread sentences, take notes, and create vocabulary lists.
True or False: Extensive reading requires high levels of focus.
False; it is meant to be a fun and pleasurable experience requiring low mental effort.
