Let’s prepare for learning How does reading as a personal activity impress you?

Have you stopped to reflect on the significance of reading, an activity which you have
been doing since your elementary grades until your college life today? Do you think
of it simply as a tool for studies? That it is perhaps burdensome and it would be a
relief to set aside? Or it’s a work activity, cutting time for more leisurely activities
like games, watching television or listening to music?

Let’s learn from great minds Before answering these questions, let’s see how people
of great minds think of reading, Here are some of their thoughts on reading: '

“Reading early in life gives a youngster a multitude of fn'ends to guide intellectual

and emotional growth” (Caroll Gray)

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is tothe body” (Richard Sleete) After three days
without reading, talk becomes flavorless.” (Chinese proverb) “Once you learn to read
you will be forever free. (Frederick Douglass)

“The delights of reading imparts ~the vivacity of youth even in old age.” (Isaac
d'isrelli)

“Reading maketh a full man.” (Francis Bacon)

“”The greatest gift IS a passion for reading. It IS cheap, it consoles, it excites i gives
you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind It IS a moral illumina t

tion.. ” (Elizabeth Hardwick).

And as for books which contain reading materials:

“A book is a garden carried in a pocket.” (Chinese proverb)

“A man without books is as a body without a soul” (Cicero)

“The book is man’s best invention so far.” (Carolina Maria de Jesus)

“I have sought rest everywhere, and only found it in comers, and books.” (Thomas a
Kempis)

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading
them. (Ray Bradbury)

“Books we must have though we lack bread.” (Alice Williams Brotherstoii)

“Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations.”
(Henry David Thoreau). '
-’” ‘zé‘ ACTIVITYI

i Learning fiom famous men and women, you ihay answer the folloWing questions.
Check your answers and explain orally your choice.

YES NO

1. Reading is a burden in work and life.

2. Personally, it has not been useful in your studies.

3. For men and women of great minds, they are avoided and set aside.

4. They also do not find books as sources of rest and enjoyment.

5. The library is not a wholesome place to stay and spend time in.

In general, do great men and women find reading helpful, wholesome, and a helpmatc
in life?

Let’s prepare to learn

. “Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books history is silent, literature
dumb, science crippled.”

-Barbara Trishman

As a modern man you are surrounded by reading materials from mass media (such as
newspapeis, magazines, advertising, etc.) as well as other forms of modem
communication including the mobile phone and the Internet. But have you ever
wondered how reading originated? Everything m the universe including man has a
beginning and so let’ s cull on what history can tell us about reading.

Let’s look at the distant past

According to paleontologists who study fossils and other evidences of life on earth,
the first man was a latecomer on earth and appeared on the planet only about one
hundred thousand years ago. But even during those primitive days, man walked
upright, had adaptable hands and a brain which enabled him to devise ways to show
superior strength and cunning. And as he lived in communities, he was a social being
who communicated with his kind.

In the beginning, however, he employed grunts and body language using gestures and
postures to convey his ideas and needs to others. Slowly, he developed oral ianguage
which enabled him to express more clearly the messages he wanted to convey. In
time, various circumstances such as the need to communicate to others who are
distant in place caused man to devise symbols corresponding to his oral messages.

We have evidence of this in the Old Stone Age rock painting and in the cuneiform or
picture writing. From these we have knowledge of the earliest human act of
picturewriting and reading.

Picture-writings during the Sumerian civilization between 3000 to 4000 BC. were
incised on baked tablets. They served to communicate and preserve private letters,
busiv ness contracts, accounts, tax receipts, royal orders and state records. Meanwhile,
the Egyptian civilization along the river Nile carved their pictorial symbols known as
hyroglypics on the stone wall of temples and tombs, or carefully painted them on
wooden coffins. The Egyptians also invented paper derived from the papyrus plant on
which they wrote their signs with a reed pen and ink made by mixing water, gum and
soot. Other civilizations such as those in Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine used more
permanent writing materials such as leather rolled into scrolls. But the greatest
contribution to the progress of ancient civilization came from the Phoenicians who
adopted and spread the use of letter-symbols or the alphabet. Due to its simplicity, it
was developed by other peoples such as by the Greek and Romans. The Roman
system of writing in turn became the basis for all the systems of writing being read by
modern peoples today.

Reading as a Physiological Process

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‘* LEAIiNING OUTCOMES

‘ \ Aequaintance with reading in terms of its physiology," , 1;; i

.113 +55 4;: or internal process in the human organism _ . ;5a,“:

Retention of scientific terms related to the physiology of readmg T; Appreciation of

the wondrous process of reading

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Let’s prepare for learning

Have you ever wondered about the process on how reading is done by man? How
come reading triggers different reactions on the human organism? How can we avoid
straining ourselves when reading? Such questions can be answered by understanding
the physiology in the human activity of reading.

Let’s learn facts Here are known facts about reading:

1. Reading involves both an organic or physiological process and a mental or
cognitive processes. But it is difficult to put a demarcation line between these two
processes as they overlap since the mind controls all human activities. Thus some
reading experts simply refer to this process as being neuro-physiological in nature.

2. In the physiological process, the most basic step is for the eyes to see, identify, and
recognize the printed word or images (illustration, diagram, pictune).

3. The light patterns from the printed symbbls hit the foveal areas or closely packed
sensory cells of the retina.

4. In turn, this induces chemical changes that create patterns of nerve currents into the
optic nerve fiber.

5. Then these currents travel to a center in the mid-brain.

6. The stage of reading revolves around the ability to identify and recogniZe words
which are the smallest unit of visual identification and meaninng recognition. But the
act of reading does not take place if the letters are perceived in isolation.

7. Finally, using the currents that travel to the mid-brain, the cerebal cortex interprets
the symbols (with the help of traces of the memory’s store of past experiences, also by
associations that enable the reader to perceive the meaning of the word).

8. Studies show eye movement in reading with the eye perceiving and pausing on the
printed material horizontally from left to right and top-to-bottom (for the westemer) or
right to left and bottom-to-top (for Asians such as the Chinese).

9. Scientific experiments have alse shoWn that there are several eye movements:

(a) fixation or the eyes stopping or getting fixated on the word or words. The duration
of fixation is the length of time the eyes has to pause. Most readers take four eye
pauses per second, while poor readers need more

time to pause in order to see with accuracy.

(b) inter-flxation or the eyes moving from stopping point to the other (horizontally
from left to right, up coming down under).

(0) return sweeps with the eyes swinging back from the end line to the beginning of
the next line.

(d) Short quick hop and jump movements called saccades, done especially by literate
people, to move ahead on a line of print.

(6) regressions or backward right-to-left movement in case there is need to double

check what is being read.

(1) span of recognition or the eyes’ recognition of a group of words. It is believed that
readers can add to their reading ability by widening the span of recognition by means
of chunking of phrases, a focus on the total word pattern. As the span widens, fixation
decreases resulting in

increased speed in reading.

To reflect, one reads ideas not words. The habit of reading decreases the work of
word deciphering, resulting in an ease in perceiving meaning, relationship and
messages of the printed material.

5:3 ACTIVITY 1

To go back to the questions posed at the beginning of this lesson, formulate and share
your answers to these questions:

1. Is reading a wonderful human activity? You may find help for your answer from
this quotation:

“A bit of light comes into the eye, an electric impulse Hits through the brain, and we
“see.” Science doesn’t really know what light is or what the mind is, but much is now
known about the miracle of seeing.”

Wolfgang Langewiesche

Your answer:

2. Is physical seeing much like a photographic/camera picture-taking?

Your answer: '

3. What causes eye strain?

Hint: No continued reading for long hours (not more than two hours is
recommended), also adequate and proper lighting (left-to-right of the eyes for the
source of light), reading in a quiet/cool environment, no reading in a moving vehicle,
etc.

Your answer fiom personal experience:

Reading as a Cognitive Process

Let’s prepare to learn

Neurologists now know much about seeing. They show how the eye registers pictures
of objects and how the brain electrically interprets these pictures. It is up to
psychologists, however, to show how the “I” behind the eyes see by way of knowing.
It therefore appears that the eyes only see patches of color and light. It is the mind that

says what something is. Isn’t it therefore interesting to know more about how the
mind ' works during a reading activity?

Let’s expand our knowledge about reading

Similar to the neuro-physiological aspect in reading, the mental or cognitive process

in the perception of meaning, also known as comprehension, is also complex.

Scientists, however, were able to identify two basic steps in reading comprehension
and these are: '

l. The extraneous process that creates a stimulus on the visual centers of the brain

This stimulus consists in two essential aspects, namely (a) word recognition or

the written symbols and (b) attentive adjustment by the reader on these symbols.

2. Fusion/interpretation/construction of “meaning’ by the mind out of the stimuli

Actually, these two steps involve other complex processes to include:

0 Immediate arousal of associations in the recognition of the written sym. bols-their

pronunciation; vocabulary meaning, context, etc.

o Other stimuli inclusive of what iskinesthetic or auditory

0 These stimuli are distributed to brain centers (instinct, feelings, imagination, reason,
abstract intelligence, will)

0 Synthesis or the fusion of related inputs from brain centers resulting in the
recognition of the meaning of the printed symbols

In their own words, scientists have described the cognitive process in reading:

“Selecting and combining relevant items of experience that are implied by the
immediate context, by the author’s mood, tone, or intention, and by everything the
reader knows that makes clear the meaning of the passage” (R_ichards)

“Selecting the right elements of the situation and putting together in the right relations
and also with the right amount of weight of influence or force for each” (Thorndike)

Analyzing these mental activities, reading experts have also. highlighted such acts as
observation, data judgment, recall, imagination, problem recognition, judgment,
analysis, etc.

At this stage, it helps to know that there are levels of comprehension making us aware
of faculties of the mind at work in each particular reading activity:

Literal knowing what’s read as is (who, what, where, when, why, how) Interpretative
-what is read combined with one’s subjective ideas Applied forming opinions and
applications

Evaluative judgment on the reading material such as on the information data, the
event, persons involved, etc.

Scientists also make reference to meta-cognition which refers to higher

comprehension skill characterized by:

Self-awareness

Careful reading and greater retention

Making previous assumptions or hypothesis

The deliberate and combined ability to reflect, question, classify, summarize, and
predict .

0 Information reading which gives attention to SQ3R (Survey, Questions, Read,

'Recite, and Review)

ACTIVITY IN GROUPS

Prepare a graph illustrating the cognitive process in reading.

ASSIGNMENT

There are useful aids to reading “comprehehsion. Make a brief presentation of these
tools (each group/individual may be assigned any one set of reading tools out of the 4
numbers): These reading comprehension tools are:

Book titles, chapters, unit openers, headings, sub-headings

Advance organizers, logos, teasers I Italics, bold print, underlining, highlighting

Graphic organizers, charts, graphs, webs, maps, timelines, diagrams

Reading as a Communication Process

Let’s reflect

Have you stopped to wonder why we can’t read what has been written in all the
languages, but only to languages we are acquainted with? And when we read, are we
aware of certain characteristics in language that help our understanding and
appreciation of the message or messages? It does seem that reading relies much on
language, but we need to clearly see this relationship between reading and the code ‘

system of communication known as language.

What language experts tell us

From lesson three, we learned that the first humans communicated through oral

grunts and body language. But when they multiplied and dispersed around the globe,
humans developed diverse oral and written language. No wonder, in our limited
ability to speak-write-and-read, we do not have the knowledge of all the languages
and

dialects that are used by man in different places on the planet.

Now, what is language? i

Language is a code system used by humans to communicate. And as there are diverse
languages, there are diversities in the code system or symbol system as devised and
Used by man. In language there are certain characteristics that can that can

evoke effective and positive reactions on man.

Experts say, these characteristics of language are also conducive to man’s reading
recognition and appreciation. In particular, these characteristics in language are:

1. Clarity -The reader can more easily and immediately understand language when the
code symbols are concrete rather than abstractions (universal ideas) and
generalizations. Compare for example:

Many students attended the student council meeting. Ninety-flve college students
attended Tuesday’s student council meeting.

The Philippines became a sovereign nation in the late 18903.

The Philippines was freed from Hispanic colonial rule when our forbears led by
General Emilio Aguinaldo declared Independence on June 12, 1898. ' '

2. Simplicity -,Complex wording written for the sake of verbal erudition is less easily
understood, compared with what is expressed directly and to the point.

Compare:

Shall we partake of our repast? Shall we eat?

Mother’s culinary dishes are exquisite. Mother cooks well.

3. Adapted language ?Words of expression should relate to the reader’s age,

educational attainment, ‘gender, ethnic origin; other personal factors.

The inappropriate use of technical or specialized words should also be avoided. There
are instances for example:
When preachers caused a stir talking about sexuality to a group of women Luzon
politicians were not well received by Mindanao groups:

4. Forceful Stimulating language provides color, interest and excitement. Compare:

He speaks at length while saying little.

He Spews forth words-and says nothing.

5. ViVid language Vivid wording isdescrlptlve and stirs the senses 0 reader. Compare:

Very good salesman ............... crackerjack persuader Dishonest and evil .................
Festering corruption Trouble spot ........................... seething hell

These five guidelines of language-concrete, simple, adapted, forceful and vivid-add

meaningfulness to the reader. As a reader yourself, you may now . see the relevance
of language to effective and meaningful reading

? _‘ 2.5 Acnvnvl

Collect clippings of advertisements that illustrate any of the 5 significant traits of

language. Discuss the effect of these ads on the reader.

3&3 Acnvnvz

Bring excerpts of speeches of famous men (statesmen, orators, clergymen, etc.) and
report to the class the use of appropriate language.

Reading as Skill/s

'Let’s begin with a reflection

You must be convinced that your readingskills did not come to you in a single flash.
While in college, neither have you stOpped acquiring skills in reading.

Do you look forward to continuing to learn reading skills after college as a

professional?

Let’s take a look at a reading skills ladder

Reading consultant Grace Goddel of New York developed a priceless concept by

devising a reading skills ladder. Upon examination, the skills ladder is quite specific
although it covers mainly reading activities as these happen while students are in
school. Realizing the advent of mass media and the-Intemet, we attempted to devise a
reading skills ladder that may cover a lifetime’s endeavor to use reading not only as a
tool for school learning, but a tool for work and leisure in the professional world.
Here it is:

From the above reading skills ladder, share your opinion with the class on the
following questions, giving reasons for your answers:

1. 2.

3.

10. ll. 12.

Do reading skills come at a flash or at a single moment? Why? ' Are sound of words
(phonetics) important to reading? How is this so? (clue:

what young learners do) How early or late does analytical activity come in skills
acquisition?

Is the use of the dictionary really a later phase of reading skills develop

ment? (How early did you use dictionaries?) How does underlining, highlighting,
pencil notes help in reading comprehen

sion? Ordinarily, do we bother about title page, indexes, other parts of a book?

How are these useful? How does the encyclopedia help you? How about encyclopedia
softwares

(programmed inside the computer)?

I Most libraries use computers. Share your experience on the availing of

libraries which have computerized facilities. How can you make buying your own
books cheaper? (any experience with

buying second-hand books?)

How early are we exposed to mass media (newspapers, magazines, etc.) What is your
experience with reading on the Internet?

Share your experience on sending and reading mobile phone text messages.

Reading as a Psycho-Social Process

Let’s reflect awhile

Not much has been said about the psychological-social aspect of reading, which
possibly account for our lack of appreciation of it. Have you stopped to reflect that
reading is not only an individual activity, but one that has broad psycho-social
dimensions? In the globe, not only ordinary citizens read, but people in the corporate
world, in international politics, as well as in global development and peace efforts. If
we humans can all acquire higher reading skills, then possibly progress, peace and
development in the world can advance at a faster pace.
Global facts about reading

Every second of the day, people read messages from official communication, mass
media and the Internet. Through the Internet alone which is today’s most popular
form of communication, people can read and interact immediately to e-mails, news
and information web-sites, other forms of
informational/commercial/political/developmental web-sites, as well as blog-sites
which are interactive journals on all facets of modern living, '

Needless to say, reading is a social activity that engages humans in the world. It is
also purposeful social communication, as it involves all facets of life from what is
private to what is official, from what is personal to one that is public. The workings of
businesses, industries, schools, goyemments, foundations and international agencies
like the APBC and the United Nations would be stalled without reading as a human
activity. Imagine the load of messages that we would miss without reading personal e-
mails and letters, newspaper news and commentaries, government documents, agency
plans, international agency policies, etc.

Reading is also professional as it is a form of communication done in all the

professions and human pursuits including scientific and technological research and
studies. As you graduate, you would want your prospective employers to read your
job

application paper, resume and samples of your written work.

Also, reading is a unique activity which you can adopt every day. Speaking of reading
as a skill like other skills-dancing writing, acting, sports it is something you can
continually improve upon. Countless hours have been spent in these other skills and
so we should not be reluctant to accept the suggestion that our reading ability, too,
needs constructive development. In sum, reading can mean the difference between the
amateur and professional, as well as successful career person you wish to become.

Reading as a Process of Development

Let’s prepare for learning

In 1983, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) required students
enrolled in Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED) to take up a 3-unit course in
Developmental Reading and another 3-unit course in Teaching Strategies in
Communication Arts, Focus on Reading. Then in 1986, the agency required students
enrolled Bachelor in Secondary Education to take up Developmental Reading and
Research and Study Skills. Certainly, these steps were innovations that responded and
continues to respond to the great need for greater proficiency among student-teacher
in reading. Future teachers will also be able to apply effective strategies in developing
reading skills among their students. There is a need therefore to have a clear and

proper knowledge of what developmental reading is.

Let’s begin with basic concepts

There is agreement that reading as a process of development involves a program for

acquiring and developing reading concepts and skills. This is based on the perception
that the periods or stages in developing reading skills coincide with the developmental
stages of individual growth. Needless to say, progress in reading happens gradually
and progressively. There are other ideas contributed by reading experts and these are:

There are stages of individual development in reading.

The stages are interrelated, each stage being a preparation for the next.

0 Development pmcccds sequentially In an upwm‘d muvcmcnt naming with the

simplest to incmasing levels ol‘ complexity.

0 There are levels ol'dimcultics in vending skills acquisition.

0 Development is influenced by one’s personal maturation, social demands, values

and aspirations.

It is clear that the student teacher who must also develop reading skills, has the
responsibility to direct and guide his future pupils along the stages of reading
development. In so doing, the teacher must ensure the continuity and progression of
the reading experience.

In general, the reading stages/periods are:

1. Reading readiness-Nursery and kindergarten pupils

2. Beginning reading-Grades l and 2

3. Period of rapid growth or expanding ability-Grades 3 and 4

4. Period of refmement in the use of the reading tooI-Grade 6, high school and
college.

To note, recent studies depart from strict and compartmentalized division of stages/
periods in reading skills development. Still, it is convenient to adopt these set stages/
periods due to the grading system in education which follows minimum
skilIs/lcnowledge

requirements for every grade level. Stages in reading development

Let’s outline the learning acquisition for every stage in development reading.

Reading readiness:

In this stage, the teacher:

0 prepares pupil for learning how to read

0 guides the child in acquiring functional listening and speaking vocabulaly

o initiates activities using real/concrete objects such as alphabet blocks, toys, picture
books, etc.

o imparts skills in auditouy and visual discrimination, motor-ocular coordination

0 introduces fun experiences such as listening to stories, reading rhymes and

children’s poems

o imparts acquisition by the child of a basic sight vocabulary using pictures,

configurations, actions and context clues

0 introduces phonetic and structural lessons

0 imparts lessons to make the child ready for other studies such as in Language,
Science, Mathematics, Social Studies and the Arts

Beginning reading

This is stage for the child to recognize and remember words, phrases, and

sentences as symbols for ideas that correspond to early experience. For this purpose,
the teacher:

0 introduces words, seeing to it that these words relate to real-life situations

0 initiates both oral and silent reading, with preference to oral reading in order to aid
the child in recall, correct pronunciations and clear enunciation of words. Reading
experts suggest that even before grade one, the child should already have a reading
vocabulary of at least 200 words

0 engages the child in repetitive, interesting and meaningful vocabulary building

activities

Rapid or expanding reading growth

The teacher guides the child in the mastery of reading techniques by:

c enriching vocabulary, deepening comprehension, awakening critical thinking

through answer-search to problems.

0 encouraging free reading

0 applying skimming and scanning techniques in the use of table of contents, glossaJy
and index of books
0 introducing the use of the dictionary to locate meaning of new words

0 assigning summaries, outlines and book reports

Refinement and use of reading as a study tool

This is a period of serious and interpretative reading in which the high school teacher
guides the student in the use of reading as a tool for effective study of other required
subjects. He, therefore:

0 encourages independent reading and ample use of library materials such as

reference books (encyCIOpedia, almanacs, fact books, etc.)

0 introduces research work as would be useful in problem-solving in science, social

studies, mathematics, etc. ,

o encourages the practice of note-taking, eiiicient organization of notes, and wide

reading for pleasure

o engages the student in oral reading using poetic, exhortative and dramatic ma

terials

For the college teacher, intensive and extensive reading are intended to further refine
vocabulary, comprehension, literary appreciation and study skills. In particular, the
college teacher:

guides college students in careful, detailed and analytical reading

induces mastery of language which leads to facility with words, functionality of

reading for writing, and innovative study work

helps students in familiarity with technical words/tenns as adopted in specific

disciplines such as science, mathematics, the arts, etc.

builds the students’ literary appreciation

Let’s prepare for learning How does reading as a personal activity impress you?

Have you stopped to reflect on the significance of reading, an activity which you have
been doing since your elementary grades until your college life today? Do you think
of it simply as a tool for studies? That it is perhaps burdensome and it would be a
relief to set aside? Or it’s a work activity, cutting time for more leisurely activities
like games, watching television or listening to music?

Let’s learn from great minds Before answering these questions, let’s see how people
of great minds think of reading, Here are some of their thoughts on reading: '

“Reading early in life gives a youngster a multitude of fn'ends to guide intellectual

and emotional growth” (Caroll Gray)

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is tothe body” (Richard Sleete) After three days
without reading, talk becomes flavorless.” (Chinese proverb) “Once you learn to read
you will be forever free. (Frederick Douglass)

d" “The delights of reading imparts ~the vivacity of youth even in old age.” (Isaac
lsrNH)

“Reading maketh a full man.” (Francis Bacon)

“”The greatest gift IS a passion for reading. It IS cheap, it consoles, it excites i gives
you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind It IS a moral illumina t

tion.. ” (Elizabeth Hardwick).

And as for books which contain reading materials:

“A book is a garden carried in a pocket.” (Chinese proverb)

“A man without books is as a body without a soul” (Cicero)

“The book is man’s best invention so far.” (Carolina Maria de Jesus)

“I have sought rest everywhere, and only found it in comers, and books.” (Thomas a
Kempis)

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading
them. (Ray Bradbury)

“Books we must have though we lack bread.” (Alice Williams Brotherstoii)

“Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations.”
(Henry David Thoreau). '

-’” ‘zé‘ ACTIVITYI

i Learning fiom famous men and women, you ihay answer the folloWing questions.
Check your answers and explain orally your choice.

YES NO

1. Reading is a burden in work and life.

2. Personally, it has not been useful in your studies.

3. For men and women of great minds, they are avoided and set aside.
4. They also do not find books as sources of rest and enjoyment.

5. The library is not a wholesome place to stay and spend time in.

In general, do great men and women find reading helpful, wholesome, and a helpmatc
in life?

Let’s prepare to learn

. “Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books history is silent, literature
dumb, science crippled.”

-Barbara Trishman

As a modern man you are surrounded by reading materials from mass media (such as
newspapeis, magazines, advertising, etc.) as well as other forms of modem
communication including the mobile phone and the Internet. But have you ever
wondered how reading originated? Everything m the universe including man has a
beginning and so let’ s cull on what history can tell us about reading.

Let’s look at the distant past

According to paleontologists who study fossils and other evidences of life on earth,
the first man was a latecomer on earth and appeared on the planet only about one
hundred thousand years ago. But even during those primitive days, man walked
upright, had adaptable hands and a brain which enabled him to devise ways to show
superior strength and cunning. And as he lived in communities, he was a social being
who communicated with his kind.

In the beginning, however, he employed grunts and body language using gestures and
postures to convey his ideas and needs to others. Slowly, he developed oral ianguage
which enabled him to express more clearly the messages he wanted to convey. In
time, various circumstances such as the need to communicate to others who are
distant in place caused man to devise symbols corresponding to his oral messages.

We have evidence of this in the Old Stone Age rock painting and in the cuneiform or
picture writing. From these we have knowledge of the earliest human act of
picturewriting and reading.

Picture-writings during the Sumerian civilization between 3000 to 4000 BC. were
incised on baked tablets. They served to communicate and preserve private letters,
busiv ness contracts, accounts, tax receipts, royal orders and state records. Meanwhile,
the Egyptian civilization along the river Nile carved their pictorial symbols known as
hyroglypics on the stone wall of temples and tombs, or carefully painted them on
wooden coffins. The Egyptians also invented paper derived from the papyrus plant on
which they wrote their signs with a reed pen and ink made by mixing water, gum and
soot. Other civilizations such as those in Syria, Phoenicia and Palestine used more
permanent writing materials such as leather rolled into scrolls. But the greatest
contribution to the progress of ancient civilization came from the Phoenicians who
adopted and spread the use of letter-symbols or the alphabet. Due to its simplicity, it
was developed by other peoples such as by the Greek and Romans. The Roman
system of writing in turn became the basis for all the systems of writing being read by
modern peoples today.

Reading as a Physiological Process

" . . \ 1 1 ’ h . . ~ .. . ,‘ v V) x .r‘

» \ \ M \ \1‘1 ‘3 ‘ \ , ‘ \ ‘ 3' ' Q . ‘ x»: ‘6. -. wntrrnk Vzm

\ \ \ \ ' V ‘4 V v 1. xx 1 ‘-.‘\-: *’ ‘ .2 § ~ \ a ‘ \ . .1 . . . i» a . w:

‘* LEAIiNING OUTCOMES

‘ \ Aequaintance with reading in terms of its physiology," , 1;; i

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Retention of scientific terms related to the physiology of readmg T; Appreciation of

the wondrous process of reading

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Let’s prepare for learning

Have you ever wondered about the process on how reading is done by man? How
come reading triggers different reactions on the human organism? How can we avoid
straining ourselves when reading? Such questions can be answered by understanding
the physiology in the human activity of reading.

Let’s learn facts Here are known facts about reading:

1. Reading involves both an organic or physiological process and a mental or

cognitive processes. But it is difficult to put a demarcation line between these two
processes as they overlap since the mind controls all human activities. Thus some
reading experts simply refer to this process as being neuro-physiological in nature.

2. In the physiological process, the most basic step is for the eyes to see, identify, and
recognize the printed word or images (illustration, diagram, pictune).

3. The light patterns from the printed symbbls hit the foveal areas or closely packed
sensory cells of the retina.

4. In turn, this induces chemical changes that create patterns of nerve currents into the
optic nerve fiber.
5. Then these currents travel to a center in the mid-brain.

6. The stage of reading revolves around the ability to identify and recogniZe words
which are the smallest unit of visual identification and meaninng recognition. But the
act of reading does not take place if the letters are perceived in isolation.

7. Finally, using the currents that travel to the mid-brain, the cerebal cortex interprets
the symbols (with the help of traces of the memory’s store of past experiences, also by
associations that enable the reader to perceive the meaning of the word).

8. Studies show eye movement in reading with the eye perceiving and pausing on the
printed material horizontally from left to right and top-to-bottom (for the westemer) or
right to left and bottom-to-top (for Asians such as the Chinese).

9. Scientific experiments have alse shoWn that there are several eye movements:

(a) fixation or the eyes stopping or getting fixated on the word or words. The duration
of fixation is the length of time the eyes has to pause. Most readers take four eye
pauses per second, while poor readers need more

time to pause in order to see with accuracy.

(b) inter-flxation or the eyes moving from stopping point to the other (horizontally
from left to right, up coming down under).

(0) return sweeps with the eyes swinging back from the end line to the beginning of
the next line.

(d) Short quick hop and jump movements called saccades, done especially by literate
people, to move ahead on a line of print.

(6) regressions or backward right-to-left movement in case there is need to double

check what is being read.

(1) span of recognition or the eyes’ recognition of a group of words. It is believed that
readers can add to their reading ability by widening the span of recognition by means
of chunking of phrases, a focus on the total word pattern. As the span widens, fixation
decreases resulting in

increased speed in reading.

To reflect, one reads ideas not words. The habit of reading decreases the work of
word deciphering, resulting in an ease in perceiving meaning, relationship and
messages of the printed material.

5:3 ACTIVITY 1

To go back to the questions posed at the beginning of this lesson, formulate and share
your answers to these questions:
1. Is reading a wonderful human activity? You may find help for your answer from
this quotation:

“A bit of light comes into the eye, an electric impulse Hits through the brain, and we
“see.” Science doesn’t really know what light is or what the mind is, but much is now
known about the miracle of seeing.”

Wolfgang Langewiesche

Your answer:

2. Is physical seeing much like a photographic/camera picture-taking?

Your answer: '

3. What causes eye strain?

Hint: No continued reading for long hours (not more than two hours is
recommended), also adequate and proper lighting (left-to-right of the eyes for the
source of light), reading in a quiet/cool environment, no reading in a moving vehicle,
etc.

Your answer fiom personal experience:

Actually, these two steps involve other complex processes to include:

0 Immediate arousal of associations in the recognition of the written sym. bols-their

pronunciation; vocabulary meaning, context, etc.

o Other stimuli inclusive of what iskinesthetic or auditory

0 These stimuli are distributed to brain centers (instinct, feelings, imagination, reason,
abstract intelligence, will)

0 Synthesis or the fusion of related inputs from brain centers resulting in the
recognition of the meaning of the printed symbols

In their own words, scientists have described the cognitive process in reading:

“Selecting and combining relevant items of experience that are implied by the
immediate context, by the author’s mood, tone, or intention, and by everything the
reader knows that makes clear the meaning of the passage” (R_ichards)

“Selecting the right elements of the situation and putting together in the right relations
and also with the right amount of weight of influence or force for each” (Thorndike)

Analyzing these mental activities, reading experts have also. highlighted such acts as
observation, data judgment, recall, imagination, problem recognition, judgment,
analysis, etc.
At this stage, it helps to know that there are levels of comprehension making us aware
of faculties of the mind at work in each particular reading activity:

Literal knowing what’s read as is (who, what, where, when, why, how) Interpretative
-what is read combined with one’s subjective ideas Applied forming opinions and
applications

Evaluative judgment on the reading material such as on the information data, the
event, persons involved, etc.

Scientists also make reference to meta-cognition which refers to higher

comprehension skill characterized by:

Self-awareness

Careful reading and greater retention

Making previous assumptions or hypothesis

The deliberate and combined ability to reflect, question, classify, summarize, and

predict .
0 Information reading which gives attention to SQ3R (Survey, Questions, Read, '

Recite, and Review)

ACTIVITY IN GROUPS

Prepare a graph illustrating the cognitive process in reading.

ASSIGNMENT

There are useful aids to reading “comprehehsion. Make a brief presentation of these
tools (each group/individual may be assigned any one set of reading tools out of the 4
numbers): These reading comprehension tools are:

Book titles, chapters, unit openers, headings, sub-headings

Advance organizers, logos, teasers I Italics, bold print, underlining, highlighting

Graphic organizers, charts, graphs, webs, maps, timelines, diagrams

Reading as a Communication Process

Let’s reflect

Have you stopped to wonder why we can’t read what has been written in all the
languages, but only to languages we are acquainted with? And when we read, are we
aware of certain characteristics in language that help our understanding and
appreciation of the message or messages? It does seem that reading relies much on
language, but we need to clearly see this relationship between reading and the code ‘

system of communication known as language.

What language experts tell us

From lesson three, we learned that the first humans communicated through oral

grunts and body language. But when they multiplied and dispersed around the globe,
humans developed diverse oral and written language. No wonder, in our limited
ability to speak-write-and-read, we do not have the knowledge of all the languages
and

dialects that are used by man in different places on the planet.

Now, what is language? i

Language is a code system used by humans to communicate. And as there are diverse
languages, there are diversities in the code system or symbol system as devised and
Used by man. In language there are certain characteristics that can that can

evoke effective and positive reactions on man.

Experts say, these characteristics of language are also conducive to man’s reading
recognition and appreciation. In particular, these characteristics in language are:

1. Clarity -The reader can more easily and immediately understand language when the
code symbols are concrete rather than abstractions (universal ideas) and
generalizations. Compare for example:

Many students attended the student council meeting. Ninety-flve college students
attended Tuesday’s student council meeting.

The Philippines became a sovereign nation in the late 18903.

The Philippines was freed from Hispanic colonial rule when our forbears led by
General Emilio Aguinaldo declared Independence on June 12, 1898. ' '

2. Simplicity -,Complex wording written for the sake of verbal erudition is less easily
understood, compared with what is expressed directly and to the point.

Compare:

Shall we partake of our repast? Shall we eat?

Mother’s culinary dishes are exquisite. Mother cooks well.

3. Adapted language ?Words of expression should relate to the reader’s age,

educational attainment, ‘gender, ethnic origin; other personal factors.
The inappropriate use of technical or specialized words should also be avoided. There
are instances for example:

When preachers caused a stir talking about sexuality to a group of women Luzon
politicians were not well received by Mindanao groups:

4. Forceful Stimulating language provides color, interest and excitement. Compare:

He speaks at length while saying little. He Spews forth words-and says nothing.

5. ViVid language Vivid wording isdescrlptlve and stirs the senses 0 reader. Compare:

Very good salesman ............... crackerjack persuader Dishonest and evil .................
Festering corruption Trouble spot ........................... seething hell

These five guidelines of language-concrete, simple, adapted, forceful and vivid-add

meaningfulness to the reader. As a reader yourself, you may now . see the relevance
of language to effective and meaningful reading

? _‘ 2.5 Acnvnvl

Collect clippings of advertisements that illustrate any of the 5 significant traits of

language. Discuss the effect of these ads on the reader.

3&3 Acnvnvz

Bring excerpts of speeches of famous men (statesmen, orators, clergymen, etc.) and
report to the class the use of appropriate language.

Reading as Skill/s

'Let’s begin with a reflection

You must be convinced that your readingskills did not come to you in a single flash.
While in college, neither have you stOpped acquiring skills in reading.

Do you look forward to continuing to learn reading skills after college as a

professional?

Let’s take a look at a reading skills ladder

Reading consultant Grace Goddel of New York developed a priceless concept by

devising a reading skills ladder. Upon examination, the skills ladder is quite specific
although it covers mainly reading activities as these happen while students are in
school. Realizing the advent of mass media and the-Intemet, we attempted to devise a
reading skills ladder that may cover a lifetime’s endeavor to use reading not only as a
tool for school learning, but a tool for work and leisure in the professional world.
Here it is:
From the above reading skills ladder, share your opinion with the class on the

following questions, giving reasons for your answers:

1. 2.

3.

10. ll. 12.

Do reading skills come at a flash or at a single moment? Why? ' Are sound of words
(phonetics) important to reading? How is this so? (clue:

what young learners do) How early or late does analytical activity come in skills
acquisition?

Is the use of the dictionary really a later phase of reading skills develop

ment? (How early did you use dictionaries?) How does underlining, highlighting,
pencil notes help in reading comprehen

sion? Ordinarily, do we bother about title page, indexes, other parts of a book?

How are these useful? How does the encyclopedia help you? How about encyclopedia
softwares

(programmed inside the computer)?

I Most libraries use computers. Share your experience on the availing of

libraries which have computerized facilities. How can you make buying your own
books cheaper? (any experience with

buying second-hand books?)

How early are we exposed to mass media (newspapers, magazines, etc.) What is your
experience with reading on the Internet?

Share your experience on sending and reading mobile phone text messages.

Reading as a Psycho-Social Process

Let’s reflect awhile

Not much has been said about the psychological-social aspect of reading, which
possibly account for our lack of appreciation of it. Have you stopped to reflect that
reading is not only an individual activity, but one that has broad psycho-social
dimensions? In the globe, not only ordinary citizens read, but people in the corporate
world, in international politics, as well as in global development and peace efforts. If
we humans can all acquire higher reading skills, then possibly progress, peace and
development in the world can advance at a faster pace.

Global facts about reading

Every second of the day, people read messages from official communication, mass
media and the Internet. Through the Internet alone which is today’s most popular
form of communication, people can read and interact immediately to e-mails, news
and information web-sites, other forms of
informational/commercial/political/developmental web-sites, as well as blog-sites
which are interactive journals on all facets of modern living, '

Needless to say, reading is a social activity that engages humans in the world. It is
also purposeful social communication, as it involves all facets of life from what is
private to what is official, from what is personal to one that is public. The workings of
businesses, industries, schools, goyemments, foundations and international agencies
like the APBC and the United Nations would be stalled without reading as a human
activity. Imagine the load of messages that we would miss without reading personal e-
mails and letters, newspaper news and commentaries, government documents, agency
plans,

international agency policies, etc.

Reading is also professional as it is a form of communication done in all the

professions and human pursuits including scientific and technological research and
studies. As you graduate, you would want your prospective employers to read your
job

application paper, resume and samples of your written work.

Also, reading is a unique activity which you can adopt every day. Speaking of reading
as a skill like other skills-dancing writing, acting, sports it is something you can
continually improve upon. Countless hours have been spent in these other skills and
so we should not be reluctant to accept the suggestion that our reading ability, too,
needs constructive development. In sum, reading can mean the difference between the
amateur and professional, as well as successful career person you wish to become.

Reading as a Process of Development

Let’s prepare for learning

In 1983, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) required students
enrolled in Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED) to take up a 3-unit course in
Developmental Reading and another 3-unit course in Teaching Strategies in
Communication Arts, Focus on Reading. Then in 1986, the agency required students
enrolled Bachelor in Secondary Education to take up Developmental Reading and
Research and Study Skills. Certainly, these steps were innovations that responded and
continues to respond to the great need for greater proficiency among student-teacher
in reading. Future teachers will also be able to apply effective strategies in developing
reading skills among their students. There is a need therefore to have a clear and
proper knowledge of what developmental reading is.

Let’s begin with basic concepts

There is agreement that reading as a process of development involves a program for

acquiring and developing reading concepts and skills. This is based on the perception
that the periods or stages in developing reading skills coincide with the developmental
stages of individual growth. Needless to say, progress in reading happens gradually
and progressively. There are other ideas contributed by reading experts and these are:

There are stages of individual development in reading.

The stages are interrelated, each stage being a preparation for the next.

0 Development pmcccds sequentially In an upwm‘d muvcmcnt naming with the

simplest to incmasing levels ol‘ complexity.

0 There are levels ol'dimcultics in vending skills acquisition.

0 Development is influenced by one’s personal maturation, social demands, values

and aspirations.

It is clear that the student teacher who must also develop reading skills, has the
responsibility to direct and guide his future pupils along the stages of reading
development. In so doing, the teacher must ensure the continuity and progression of
the reading experience.

In general, the reading stages/periods are:

1. Reading readiness-Nursery and kindergarten pupils

2. Beginning reading-Grades l and 2

3. Period of rapid growth or expanding ability-Grades 3 and 4

4. Period of refmement in the use of the reading tooI-Grade 6, high school and
college.

To note, recent studies depart from strict and compartmentalized division of stages/
periods in reading skills development. Still, it is convenient to adopt these set stages/
periods due to the grading system in education which follows minimum
skilIs/lcnowledge

requirements for every grade level. Stages in reading development

Let’s outline the learning acquisition for every stage in development reading.

Reading readiness:

In this stage, the teacher:

0 prepares pupil for learning how to read

0 guides the child in acquiring functional listening and speaking vocabulaly

o initiates activities using real/concrete objects such as alphabet blocks, toys, picture
books, etc.

o imparts skills in auditouy and visual discrimination, motor-ocular coordination

0 introduces fun experiences such as listening to stories, reading rhymes and

children’s poems

o imparts acquisition by the child of a basic sight vocabulary using pictures,

configurations, actions and context clues

0 introduces phonetic and structural lessons

0 imparts lessons to make the child ready for other studies such as in Language,
Science, Mathematics, Social Studies and the Arts

Beginning reading

This is stage for the child to recognize and remember words, phrases, and

sentences as symbols for ideas that correspond to early experience. For this purpose,
the teacher:

0 introduces words, seeing to it that these words relate to real-life situations

0 initiates both oral and silent reading, with preference to oral reading in order to aid
the child in recall, correct pronunciations and clear enunciation of words. Reading
experts suggest that even before grade one, the child should already have a reading
vocabulary of at least 200 words

0 engages the child in repetitive, interesting and meaningful vocabulary building

activities

Rapid or expanding reading growth

The teacher guides the child in the mastery of reading techniques by:

c enriching vocabulary, deepening comprehension, awakening critical thinking

through answer-search to problems.

0 encouraging free reading

0 applying skimming and scanning techniques in the use of table of contents, glossaJy
and index of books
0 introducing the use of the dictionary to locate meaning of new words

0 assigning summaries, outlines and book reports

Refinement and use of reading as a study tool

This is a period of serious and interpretative reading in which the high school teacher
guides the student in the use of reading as a tool for effective study of other required
subjects. He, therefore:

0 encourages independent reading and ample use of library materials such as

reference books (encyCIOpedia, almanacs, fact books, etc.)

0 introduces research work as would be useful in problem-solving in science, social

studies, mathematics, etc. ,

o encourages the practice of note-taking, eiiicient organization of notes, and wide

reading for pleasure

o engages the student in oral reading using poetic, exhortative and dramatic ma

terials

For the college teacher, intensive and extensive reading are intended to further refine
vocabulary, comprehension, literary appreciation and study skills. In particular, the
college teacher:

guides college students in careful, detailed and analytical reading

induces mastery of language which leads to facility with words, functionality of

reading for writing, and innovative study work

helps students in familiarity with technical words/tenns as adopted in specific

disciplines such as science, mathematics, the arts, etc.

builds the students’ literary appreciation

Obstacles to Reading

Let’s think about progress and failures that relate to reading

Comparing ourselves with others, we may have found classmates who appear to have
progressed easily with their reading skills. On the other hand, others may appear to
have shunned reading altogether or have found difficulties in reading as a study tool
or as a personal habit. Certainly, the reasons for these are not easy to determine. So
we deserve to examine how reading specialists‘view the factors that relate to reading
progress or failure.

Facts discovered by specialists

Reading experts have made meaningihl studies which point to various facts about
reading:

Children display dominance in the two spheres of their brain, such is the case with
those who are lefthanded or left-eye dominant. But researches have shown that such
manifestations don’ t affect the ability to read. So, it is advised that children be
allowed to display their lefthanded or left-eye dominant tendencies.

Handicapped children may display spatial or directional disorientation. Thus, they

have difficulties in differentiating letters, especially in case of letters which are alike
such as f and t, p and b, g and d.

0 Intellectual or emotional maturation lag is a cause for reading retardation. There is a

close correlation between intelligence and reading achievement. Those with high IQ.
will acquire higher reading skills faster than those with

lower I.Q.. . Basic to success in reading are: (a) visual acuity with eyes integrating
images

well and (b) auditory acuity with clear hearing of the sounds of words. 0 Reading is
intertwined with language, and so non-speakers of a language will

have more difficulties reading a second language. 0 Reading and listening

(particularly sounds of words) are closely related.

Proficiency in listening is conducive to proficiency in reading.

Facts that relate to obstacles in reading achievement

Those having difficulties in achieving reading skills may be affected by any of the
following conditions/factors:

Physical o Malfunction of the visual and auditory faculties.

o In particular, eye defects such as short/far-sightedness, speech impediments, etc. '

0 Physical discomfort among students such as headache, stomachache, hunger, thirst,

etc.

Psychological

0 Child’s lack of self confidence, feelings of rejection and other negative .personality
traits (shyness, being withdrawn, poor rapport with others, conflict with
parents and peers, etc.)

0 Teacher personality factors such as lack of competence, emotional immaturity,. lack

of social sense, etc.

0 General emotional atmosphere at home and school, including the attitude among
parents in guiding their children’s progress in sehool

Environmental

0 Conditions at home and school, including conditions of poor room lighting,

ventilation, seating arrangement, etc. '

Socio-economic a Low economic status (poverty) of children of poor families