UNIT-III

Developing Reading Skills

Introduction
Reading is one of the language skills and one of the gateways of getting worldly knowledge.
Traditionally, reading was considered as a passive skill, but it is considered as an active one
nowadays. Reading is a good source of self-education. By reading, a person can keep himself
informed of all the news and knowledge, literature and science of world.
Definition of Reading
Reading is a complex and conscious activity using the written symbols meaning and ideas are
obtained. However, the readers‟ background knowledge is necessary for complete understanding
of a text.
The field experts on reading have defined reading in different ways.
Widdowson (1979) says that “reading is the process of getting linguistic information ‘via-print’
through reading; the information conveyed by the writer through the print medium is retrieved by
the reader”.
Importance of Reading
Reading helps one to keep oneself abreast of the ever increasing knowledge. Francis Bacon says
“Reading maketh a full man”. It is through reading one can acquire knowledge in all subjects
like Arts, Science, Medicine, Engineering, Computer Science, etc. It is through reading the
books we learn the thoughts, emotions, life pattern, culture and tradition of the people of the
bygone days and of the men and women living in different countries. By reading the works of
great authors, we know about different characters, the interaction between the different
personalities. We understand the way of life, the problems faced by the characters and solutions
suggested by the author for the problems the characters face. Thus the knowledge acquired by
reading helps us to solve the critical situations which we happen to face in life. Hence we cannot
underestimate the importance of reading skill. Educationists want to create an awareness of
„Book mindedness‟ among the people. This awareness of „Book mindedness‟ depends upon
efficient reading. Efficient reading on the other hand depends on faster reading and reading with
comprehension. When many books are printed and published, they have to be read by the people.
If the books are not read, the energy, the time and the money spent on printing such books will
be a waste. Moreover the information, the message, the ideas and the opinion of the authors will
not be communicated to the future generation, if those books are not read. Hence it is highly
necessary to develop reading skill in the students, who are the future citizens of the world. The
pupils in the schools and colleges will be able to make good progress in all fields of specialties
only if he acquires reading skill.
What is Reading?
Reading is a reaction to the graphic symbols, may it be reading aloud or silent reading. Reading
aloud with meaningful sense groups, good pronunciation, proper pauses, and modulation of
voice can be only understood by the reader and the listener. Silent reading helps one to read
faster and comprehend better. Reading is often coupled with listening skill and is described as
passive or receptive skill. But reading without understanding cannot be called as „reading‟ at all.
Hence, if the author is the encoder, the reader is the decoder. The reader reacts to the message
according to his previous knowledge. The reader does not absorb the text as such. He is blocked
by problems of unfamiliar vocabulary, ignorance of facts or intellectual interpretations. He has to
tackle all these problems in understanding the text.
Reading involves a whole set of complex skill as that of thinking.
When a reader reads a text, he tries to find out what the author intends to communicate. It is
assumed that the writer and the reader should share certain assumptions about the world and the
way it works.
Thus reading is not a mechanical skill. It is a complicated skill involving physical, mental and
psychological factors. The following are the skill; one has to acquire to become an efficient
reader as mentioned by P. Gurrey:
1. Skill of reading aloud.
2. Skill of grasping the gist of a passage.
3. The skill of deducing information or ideas from what has been read.
4. The skill of being able to find facts and information in books and other printed matter.
5. Skill of being able to note exact information when one is reading.
Acquiring reading skill will not be complete if the skill of comprehension and interpretation are
not acquired. Reading with comprehension is related to numerous skill and they are inter-related.
They are:
1. Word recognition.
2. Phrase meaning.
3. Retention of meaning.
4. Sentence meaning.
5. Reading the context.
6. Paragraph meaning.
7. Recognize the structural clues and comprehend structural patterns.
8. Skimming.
9. Scanning.
10. Reading for organization (Note making and Summarizing).
11. Draw conclusions, make inferences and read between the lines.
12. Critical reading.
13. Reading Charts, Maps and Graphs.
14. Reading to follow directions.
15. Reading to answer questions.
Mechanics of Reading
Reading is recognition of printed symbol. The eyes are the gateways to enter into the „realm of
reading‟ which is a golden door through which one can reach the pinnacle of knowledge and
wisdom. Recognition of printed or written form depends on the movement of eyes. The eyes do
not move letter by letter. The eyes jump from one meaningful group or words to another. The
group of words the reader recognizes at a glance is known as „eye span‟. After each jump he
pauses for a short while and then he proceeds to next group. The pause is called „fixation‟ during
which he tries to understand what he has read. If what he has read is not meaningful to him, his
eyes make a regressive movement which is called “regression”. This regression will affect the
speed of reading. The larger the eye span, the greater the speed in reading.
Reading Comprehension
Reading means reading with comprehension. In the process of reading comprehension, the
printed words are not just decoded as it is, but it is decoded by a reader using his linguistic
competence, socio linguistic and existing knowledge about the topic. Reading is not only the
activity of merely decoding the writer's meaning, but also it is the activity of more than that. That
is, sometimes the reader goes beyond that or understands nothing from that.
It is the fact that one’s comprehends ability can be decided by the internal and external factors.
Under the internal factors, linguistic competence (what the reader knows about the language)
motivation (how much the reader cares about the task at hand as his general mood about
reading), schooling and accumulated reading ability, how well the reader can read are included.
Under the external factors, the elements on the printed page, the qualities on the reading
environment, factors related to textual characteristics like text readability and text organization
are included. Further, the qualities of the reading environment include factors like teacher
activity that incorporates what a teacher does before, during or after reading in order to help the
students understand the information found in the text. Moreover, the way peer groups react to the
reading task and the general atmosphere in which the reading task is completed are also included.

The Reading Process

Reading is a visual process. It is the ability to see symbols clearly with the eyes. It is a perceptual
process-perception meaning that our thought processes are able to take these symbols and to
invest them with meaning. It is an experimental process; because, without experience the mind
will be unable to invest meaning to the symbols that we see.
The five stages to the reading process are:
1. Pre-reading
2. Reading
3. Responding
4. Exploring
5. Applying
Stage 1: Pre-reading
Pre-reading is where students prepare themselves to read. They may decide or be told why
they're going to read a piece of text. They may use their background knowledge to make
predictions of what the text is going to be about. Teachers may have them use a concept map
called a KWL chart where students put down what they know (K), what they want to know (W),
and after they have read what they learned (L) from their reading.
Stage 2: Reading
This is where you get down to the actual reading part. The text can be delivered to students in a
variety of ways. Students can engage in individual reading, or they can be read aloud to.
Teachers may use big books or print projected somewhere in order to do a group reading session.
Stage 3: Responding
Responding is where a student’s reacts to what they have read. Most often this is through
discussion.
Stage 4: Exploration
This is where students explore their new information. They may re-read part or all of the text.
They may read more texts to expand their knowledge of the new subject. Students may learn new
vocabulary words that they came up against in the text. Exploration is a very broad stage that can
take many paths.
Stage 5: Applying
During the applying stage students take the new knowledge they have learned and do more with
it. Often they will have projects that measure how much they have learned. They may read books
related to the original text or participate.
Understanding the Reading Process
Good readers understand the processes involved in reading and consciously control them. This
awareness and control of the reading processes is called metacognition, which means "knowing
about knowing." Some students don't know when they don't know. They continue to read even
though they do not comprehend. Poor readers tolerate such confusion because they either don't
realize that it exists or don't know what to do about it. Poor readers focus on facts, whereas good
readers try to assimilate details into a larger cognitive pattern.
Five Thinking Strategies of Good Readers
Predict: Make educated guesses. Good readers make predictions about thoughts, events,
outcomes, and conclusions. As you read, your predictions are confirmed or denied. If they prove
invalid, you make new predictions. This constant process helps you become involved with the
author's thinking and helps you learn.
Picture: Form images. For good readers, the words and the ideas on the page trigger mental
images that relate directly or indirectly to the material. Images are like movies in your head, and
they increase your understanding of what you read.
Relate: Draw comparisons. When you relate your existing knowledge to the new information in
the text, you are embellishing the material and making it part of your framework of ideas. A
phrase of a situation may remind you of a personal experience or something that you read or saw
in a film. Such related experiences help you digest the new material.
Monitor: Check understanding. Monitor your ongoing comprehension to test your
understanding of the material. Keep an internal summary or synthesis of the information as it is
presented and how it relates to the overall message. Your summary will build with each new
detail, and as long as the message is consistent, you will continue to form ideas. If, however,
certain information seems confusing or erroneous, you should stop and seek a solution to the
problem. You must monitor and supervise you own comprehension. Good readers seek to
resolve difficulties when they occur; they do not keep reading when they are confused.
Correct gaps in understanding. Do not accept gaps in your reading comprehension. They may
signal a failure to understand a word or a sentence. Stop and resolve the problem. Seek solutions,
not confusion. This may mean rereading a sentence or looking back at a previous page for
clarification. If an unknown word is causing confusion, the definition may emerge through
further reading. When good readers experience gaps in comprehension, they do not perceive
themselves as failures; instead, they reanalyze the task to achieve better understanding.

Reading Methods
There are three different styles of reading academic texts: skimming, scanning, and in-depth
reading. Each is used for a specific purpose.
Skimming
Skimming is the process of quickly viewing a section of text to get a general impression of the
author's main argument, themes or ideas. There are three types of skimming: preview, overview,
and review.
Preview skimming
Most often followed by a second skimming or a thorough reading, preview skimming is used
 In selecting a book.
 In surveying a chapter before reading or studying.
 In finding appropriate material for use in research.
 In sorting through correspondence before answering it.
You preview in an effort to learn about the ideas presented and the structure of their
development.
Method: Read the first paragraph, and the headings and first sentences of later paragraphs and
sections.
Overview skimming
You use overview skimming to sample the reading material more thoroughly than you do in a
preview, as you may not intend to read the material at a later time.
Method: As you do in preview skimming, you would read the first paragraph, the headings and
first sentences of paragraphs and sections, but in addition, as you alternately read and skim, you
alert yourself to the structure and content of the material through an awareness of paragraph
patterns, thought transitions, and clue words.
This awareness will help you to understand the content, to recall more information, and to see
relationships more clearly and quickly.
Review skimming
Your purpose with review skimming is to re-familiarize yourself with material you have
previously read thoroughly or skimmed.
Method: Prepare yourself by trying to remember as many of the ideas and details clearly. It may
be that you already have a good grasp of the main ideas and will be stopping primarily to note
significant details - names, places, terms, etc. You may be trying to establish in your mind a
sequence of events or a procedure, or you may be attempting to fill in a skeleton outline to
clarify the structure of the whole.

Scanning
Scan to quickly locate specific information: words, numbers, names, ideas, or the answers to
specific study questions.
Method
 Fix clearly in your mind what you are looking for.
 Anticipate how the information will look.
 Run your finger down the middle of the page or backward and forwards across the page.
Let your eyes follow this seeking the particular target.
Examples
 Looking for names, places or titles: look for the visual clue provided by capital letters.
 Looking for distances or a date: look for the visual clue provided by numbers, or words
such as miles, meters, minutes or hours.
 Looking for an idea: anticipate the words that could be used to state it.
 Looking for a relationship: may be expressed after such clue words as ‘thus’,
‘consequently’, or ‘as a result’.
When you start looking for your information, use the method mentioned above until it is found.
Then read as much as you need to answer your question.

In-depth reading
 In-depth reading is used to
 Gain deeper meaning and comprehension of a text.
 Research detailed information for an assignment.
 Read difficult sections of a text.
There are four different strategies or methods that should enhance your comprehension: the RAP
strategy, the RIDA strategy, the Five S method, and SQ3R.
The RAP strategy
The RAP strategy is good for textbook explanations and research articles:
Read (a paragraph or a section).
Ask yourself some questions about what you have just read.
Put the answers in your own words (and make notes if you need).
You can use this strategy whenever you are reading a difficult passage or when you find your
comprehension wandering from the page. By taking your eyes off the page and making yourself
reflect on the meaning of what you have just read, you will find you can develop the ability to
recall and retell yourself the information along with its relevant importance and where it fits with
other information on the topic.
You may be able to say such things as: “Okay this section is about … and the author has made
three main points which are … and … There was an example about … and the last point was that
…”
The RIDA strategy
The RIDA strategy relates to descriptive and narrative texts:
Read.
Imagine the scene you have just read about.
Describe it to yourself.
Add more detail as you read.
This strategy makes you reflect on the details about places, people, actions and events and create
a picture based on the words and style of language used by an author. You can note which
imagery has the most powerful effects and add your reactions in the form of margin notes.
The Five S method
The Five S method is a power-reading method that reminds students to use the appropriate
reading style and save time (Gawith, 1991):
Skim: Read the introduction, summary and first and last sentences of each paragraph.
Scan: Where is the information on …?
Select: Do you need to read this entire chapter? Select sections that you need to know more
about.
Slurp: Read in-depth and more slowly selected sections. Can you tell yourself about this concept
now? Read again if necessary.
Summarize: Use a map, keywords, index cards, or questions as a framework for some notes.
Take no more than 10 minutes.
SQ3R
Survey: Skim through the material you are about to read, noting headings, sub-headings,
diagrams, graph, etc. This step is used to give you a general overview of the material you about
to read.
Question: Ask yourself some questions about the material while you are reading: use the
section/chapter headings, questions at the end of chapter or reading objectives from study guides.
Read: Read the material using a slower in-depth reading style. Pause frequently to answer the
question you have raised, and then read on. Read with a pencil and make margin notes or
underline words or phrases which are important (e.g. definitions). Read all of the material,
including charts and tables.
Recite: Make notes from memory on the sections you have just read. Try to recall the main
headings and concepts.
Review: Check your recalled notes against the section that you read. Add in anything important
that you missed out. Put a * by these points so that you attend to them when you go through
these notes the next time. Repeat the review process a number of times.