Module 3

Reading and Comprehension Skills

Reading and Comprehension skill play a dominant role in excellence. A Phenomenal

expansion of knowledge because of availability of abundance reading material in the form
of books, journal, newspaper, etc. The Internet further enhanced the knowledge expansion
rate as there is a vast versatile literature available on different search engines like Google,
ChatGPT, etc.

Reading Comprehension is a complex skill that requires an active interaction between text
element and reader. Comprehension of the text is the ultimate aim in reading. Reading
comprehension is essential for language and literature, as well as developing a student's
critical thinking and memory skills, focus and their ability to solve problems

Importance of Reading and Comprehension Skill

Comprehension Skill enables the reader –
• To read efficiently and quickly
• To understand the meaning of the text.
• To prepare the Summary or precis that represent the accurate picture of the central
idea of the text.
• To become more knowledgeable.
• To become more creative by associating different ideas and information.

How to Improve Reading Skills

The following tips helps in enhancing and improving the reading skills -

• Read extensively. The more you read, the better your reading comprehension will be.
• Read slowly and carefully. Do not try to read too fast. Reading slowly and carefully will
help you understand the text better.
• Make sure you understand the text before moving on to the next section. If you don’t
understand a passage, go back and reread it until you do.
• Summarize what you have read. After reading a section, take a few moments to
summarize what you have just read. This will help you remember the main points of the
text.
• Practice active reading. Active reading is a technique that involves underlining or
highlighting important parts of the text, taking notes, and asking questions as you read.
• Use a dictionary and a thesaurus. A dictionary will help you understand the meaning of
words in a text, and a thesaurus will help you find synonyms for difficult words.
Efficient and Inefficient Reading
Efficient Reading Inefficient Reading
• Text of the language is comprehended in • The Text of the language is not
the letters and spirits. comprehended.
• The reader has understanding about the • The reader lacks the understanding of the
background material. background material.
• The reader has specific purpose in the • The reader lacks the purpose of the
light of which reading is pursued. reading the text.
• The reader focuses on the important part • The reader pays attention to the relevant
of the text, thinks ahead, hypothesizes as well as irrelevant part of the text.
and predicts while reading.
• The reading is fast along with • The reading is low and passive.
comprehension of the text.

Different Methods of Reading

1. Browsing – This Method is used to look over topic headings, illustrations, graphs
and table of contents. It gives a general overview of what a book contains.

2. Scanning – is a technique that allows you to quickly read through a text and find
specific information. This is a useful skill when you need to find specific
information in a text.

3. Speed Reading – Also called as Extensive Reading. It is a technique that allows you
to read a text quickly. This is a useful skill when you need to read a lot of information
in a short amount of time. One should aim at reading at least 250 words per minute.

4. Study Reading – it is also known as Intensive reading. It allows you to read a text
slowly and carefully in order to understand all the details and nuances. This is a
useful skill when you need to understand a text in depth. One should read slowly,
about 50-70 words per minute. It also enables to recall the material.

GSPR Model of Reading

Majority of the Adult readers use the GSPR Model.
G Stands for goal (the purpose of reading) – The purpose of the writer and the purpose of
the reader have to be synchronized. If this goal is not achieved, reading proves a wasteful
exercise.

S stands for Scanning – Psychologists are of the opinion that the familiar receives the
quickest response. If the reader is familiar with the reding material his focus becomes
pinpointed easily. If the reader is in a hurry to swallow the reading material in no time, he
may stumble against many word-stones. Scanning simply means having bird’s eye view of
the picture. It enables the reader to concentrate on the main point made in the
paragraph/article. It is brief and quick.

P Stands for progression – It is the progression in the paragraph, the question or set of
questions, likely to be asked from the reader. A good reader remains awakened all the time,
watches the progression in the writer’s thinking, dissects every opinion made by the writer
and analyses the truth contained in each of his utterances.

R stands for reflection on what is read and grasped. The ability to reflect is a unique gift of
god to man. The moment a reader reigns to reflect on the material read, the process of
selection and rejection begins.
Last, but not the least, is the role of reviewing. In the process of reading and reflection the
mind is exposed to a flood of impressions.

Close Reading
Close reading is contemplative and critical analysis of the text that focuses on significant
details or pattern in order to develop profound and precise understanding of text’s form,
craft, meanings, etc.
Close reading includes:
• Using short passages and excerpts
• Focusing on the text
• Rereading deliberately
• Reading with a pencil and annotating(underlying/highlighting) key words and
phrases or anything that strikes the reader as surprising and significant, or that raises
questions.
• Making notes on margins
• Identifying the pattern of text
• Correlating with memorized and known facts which are relevant to the text
• Noticing things that are confusing
• Discussing the text with others to ensure proper understanding
• Inferring the meaning to understand unnoticed or unwritten meaning based on
certain details and logic
• Synthesizing the information to present it as coherent idea.

Steps in Close reading.

- Read Key ideas and details
- Read the craft and structure
- Integration of knowledge and ideas.
 How to improve the comprehension Skill
1. Read, read, read. Reading frequently will help your son learn new words and interpret
different meanings. ...
2. Make links to the text. ...
3. Try to guess what will happen next. ...
4. Visualize. ...
5. Ask questions. ...
6. Keep track of the meaning. ...
7. Summarize
 Module 4
Writing and Different Modes of Writing
Writing as a communication tool is I existence ever since the dawn of civilization. Despite
the phenomenal growth of audio-visual communication backed by advancements in
science and technology, the pre-eminence of writing has no been reduced. Its power in the
present Information Technology Era is as incomparable as it used to be in the ancient times.

Effective writing is pre-requisite of existence in modern set up and success in any endeavor.
Writing Skill contributes to one’s success in any profession or business. To become
successful in any endeavor, one should master the skill and art of expressing oneself clearly
and precisely through written message. On the other hand, poor writing means failure. One
may be highly intelligent and wise, but his inability to express his intellect and wisdom
takes away much of his credit as an intelligent and wise man.

Clear, concise and persuasive message writing is essential for any business executive.
Written communication whether on letter, report, memo, email, etc. conveys a lot about
the writer’s personality. Well written and well executed message not only helps the other
person to understand the purpose of conversation but also enhances the writer’s image as
well as organization’s image.

Remember, effective written communication is not an easy task as it demands detailed

knowledge of sentence structure, vocabulary, grammar, and other basic writing skills. But
this can be improvised with continuous practice.

People with excellent writing skills can personalize their tone and choice of words
according to their targeted audience and in different situations. They prefer writing
techniques, such as literary devices, to communicate their ideas and keep their readers
engaged.

Business Writing
Business writing is any purposeful piece of writing that conveys relevant information to
the reader in a clear, concise and effective manner. It can be categorized into four types:
instructional, informational, persuasive and transactional.

Instructional: Instructional business writing provides the reader with information needed
to complete a specific task, either immediately or in the future. This type of document
breaks the task down into chronological steps that are understandable to the reader.
Informational: Informational business writing pertains to recording business information
accurately and consistently. This type of writing doesn’t necessarily require action from
the reader, but it’s essential for keeping them up to date on core functions of the business.
Persuasive: Persuasive business writing aims to both convey information to a reader and
convince them that the presented information offers the best value. The text is written to
impress the reader, which is important for making sales and furthering client relationships.
Transactional: Transactional business writing consists of day-to-day communication at
the workplace. It’s used to progress general operations and also to convey good and bad
news, often related to human resource processes.
The majority of transactional writing is done by email, but also includes official letters,
forms and invoices.

Essentials of Good Writing:

Writing like other forms of communication should possess the 7Cs of communication –
Candid, Clear, Complete, Concise, Concentrate, Correct and Courteous.
To make the written message effective, the sender has to pay adequate attention to certain
principles like –
• Unity: The message should contain unified sentences and unified paragraphs. Every
paragraph in an essay should be related to the main idea. Each paragraph should
stick to its main point.

• Emphasis: An essay should have a single clear central idea. Each paragraph should
have a clear main point or topic sentence. Graphs, charts, audio-visuals, Statistics,
etc. should be used at proper place to attract the reader towards the main ide of
message.

• Completeness: Each paragraph should support or expand the central idea of the
content. The idea of each paragraph should be explained and illustrated through
examples, details, and descriptions.

• Clarity: An essay or paper should be organized logically, flow smoothly, and "stick"
together. In other words, everything in the writing should make sense to a reader. It
is also known as Coherence.

• Conciseness: The written message should clarify the meaning in minimum possible
word, include only relevant facts and avoid needless repetition of the same ideas
and roundabout expression.

• Accuracy: A paper should be written in generally correct standard English, with

complete sentences, and be relatively error-free.
You-Attitude
It means conveying the message from readers’ point of view and emphasizing on the
contents that reader intends to know while showing him respect. It is a style of writing that-
- Looks at things from the readers’ point of view
- Respects the readers’ intelligence
- Protects the readers’ ego
- Emphasizes what reader wants to know.
How to create You-Attitude
To Create you-attitude, one should:
1. Talk about the receiver not about yourself.
Without you-attitude: We at the Meijer Center for Writing believe our services
can help students become better writers.
You-attitude: You’ll improve as a writer by working with a trained peer consultant
at the Meijer Center for Writing.

2. Do not talk about feelings:

Without you-attitude: We are pleased to offer students writing consultations on
Sunday evenings.
You-attitude: You can now visit the Meijer Center for Writing on Sunday evenings,
5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
You-attitude: Congratulations on your promotion to Assistant Manager! I was
pleased to read about it in the company newsletter

3. Use “You” and “We” more than “I” in positive situation

Without you-attitude: I will make every effort to ensure you get an appointment.
You-attitude: You will be notified of your appointment time within 24 hours

4. Avoid “you” in Negative situations.

Without you-attitude: Because you did not proof read your paper, you will earn an
F.
You-attitude: A number of proof-reading errors have been made in the paper.
You-attitude: The paper includes a number of proofreading errors

Steps in Effective Writing:

Any writing whether business or personal can be divided into 3 stages :

1. Pre-Writing – It involves planning the material to be written and facts to be

collected or literature to be searched. It is also called as planning stage, which
includes
• Analyze the Situation
• Gather Information
 • Select the Right Delivery Vehicle (Medium)
• Organize the Information

2. Free-Writing – It is called the writing stage. The writing stage involves writing
our message. Composing the message and adapting it to our audience are part of
the writing stage. In this stage, we concern ourselves with writing, but not the full
editing process yet.
But before writing:
• Feel at ease, free from inner trouble and turmoil.
• Gather your mental strength
• Concentrate and contemplate on the matter for the purpose of bringing thoughts
from crust to the surface of mind.

3. Re-Writing – The last but not the least important stage of writing is re-writing that
involves review and revision of the first draft. Here, one ensures to write from readers’
point of view , not from writers’ point of view.
“Good writers are generally good editors. Any serious writer will tell you that plays,
novels, and poems are not just written – they are rewritten” – Sheila Davis

Points to consider while rewriting:

• Add details to any areas that may seem vague.
• Delete unnecessary words or phrases.
• Correct any grammar errors.
• Check to make sure all information is accurate.
• Examine the format to make sure important information is highlighted.

Adaptation and Selection of Words

Using right and appropriate word is essential aspect of good writing. To bring accuracy,
brevity and clarity in business writing, following rules are recommended.
1. Use simple and familiar words
2. Use positive words
3. Use short words
4. Use exact words and phrases
5. Avoid excessive use of jargons.

E-mail Writing:
E-mail has become the most popular medium of communication. It is the fastest, cheapest
(almost free) and simplest way of communicating.
E-mail messages should have the following features
 1. Concise: The reader has limited time to read, hence has to be simple and concise.
2. Single Theme: Should focus on the topic only. Shifting or drifting may reduce the
impact of message.
3. Correct: Format, email Id, facts and figures to be always correct. Grammar and
punctuations should be maintained.
4. Conversational tone: Maintain professionalism without being too formal. Avoid
being emotional.
5. Clear: Message to be simple and clear. To be written in direct approach and in
short sentences.
Formating E-mail Messages
The standard E-mail format includes-
1. Heading:
Date
From
To
Subject
Cc
Bcc
Subject line
Attachment files
2. Salutation
Dear Mr _____
Dear Dr. / Professor/ Col
3. Body
Explains and discussed the subject matter with a closing paragraph
4. Closing
Best regards,
Yours faithfully,
Thanking you
5. Signature.
Senders’ Name
Designation
Company name.

*** The End ***