Reading Skill

Reading Skill

"Reading" is the process of looking at a series of written symbols and getting meaning from them. When we read, we use our eyes to receive written symbols (letters, punctuation marks and spaces) and we use our brain to convert them into words, sentences and paragraphs that communicate something to us.

Reading can be silent (in our head) or aloud (so that other people can hear).

Reading is a receptive skill - through it, we receive information. But the complex process of reading also requires the skill of speaking, so that we can pronounce the words that we read. In this sense, reading is also a productive skill in that we are both receiving information and transmitting it (even if only to ourselves).

Do we need to read in order to speak English? The short answer is no. Some native speakers cannot read or write but they speak English fluently. On the other hand, reading is something that you can do on your own and that greatly broadens your vocabulary, thus helping you in speaking (and in listening and writing). Reading is therefore a highly valuable skill and activity, and it is recommended that English learners try to read as much as possible in English.

Important aspects students need to develop when improving reading skills.

To develop word recognition, children need to learn:

• How to break apart and manipulate the sounds in words – this is phonemic awareness
  example: feet has three sounds: /f/, /e/, and /t/
• Certain letters are used to represent certain sounds – this is the alphabetic principle
  example: s and h make the /sh/ sound
• How to apply their knowledge of letter-sound relationships to sound out words that are new to them – this is decoding
  example: ssssspppoooon – spoon!
• How to analyze words and spelling patterns in order to become more efficient at reading words – this is word study
  example: Bookworm has two words I know: book and worm.
• To expand the number of words they can identify automatically, called their sight vocabulary
  example: Oh, I know that word – the!

To develop comprehension, children need to develop:

• Background knowledge about many topics
  example: This book is about zoos – that's where lots of animals live.
• Extensive oral and print vocabularies
  example: Look at my trucks – I have a tractor, and a fire engine, and a bulldozer.
• Understandings about how the English language works
  example: We say she went home, not she goed home.
• Understandings about how print works 
  example: reading goes from left to right
• Knowledge of various kinds of texts 
  example: I bet they live happily ever after.
• Various purposes for reading
  example: I want to know what ladybugs eat.
• Strategies for constructing meaning from text, and for problem solving when meaning breaks down
  example: This isn't making sense. Let me go back and reread it.

To develop fluency, children need to:

• Develop a high level of accuracy in word recognition
• Maintain a rate of reading brisk enough to facilitate comprehension
• Use phrasing and expression so that oral reading sounds like speech
• Transform deliberate strategies for word recognition and comprehension into automatic skills

But if reading isn't pleasurable or fulfilling, children won't choose to read, and they won't get the practice they need to become fluent readers.

Therefore, reading also means developing and maintaining the motivation to read. Reading is an active process of constructing meaning? The key word here is active.

To develop and maintain the motivation to read, children need to:

• Appreciate the pleasures of reading
• View reading as a social act, to be shared with others
• See reading as an opportunity to explore their interests
• Read widely for a variety of purposes, from enjoyment to gathering information
• Become comfortable with a variety of different written forms and genres

More info.

Reading Strategies

Here are some strategies for improving your comprehension skills.

1. Skimming

Skimming is used to quickly gather the most important information, or 'gist'. Run your eyes over the text, noting important information. Use skimming to quickly get up to speed on a current business situation. It's not essential to understand each word when skimming.

Examples of Skimming:

• The Newspaper (quickly to get the general news of the day)
• Magazines (quickly to discover which articles you would like to read in more detail)
• Business and Travel Brochures (quickly to get informed)

2. Scanning

Scanning is used to find a particular piece of information. Run your eyes over the text looking for the specific piece of information you need. Use scanning on schedules, meeting plans, etc. in order to find the specific details you require. If you see words or phrases that you don't understand, don't worry when scanning.

Examples of Scanning

• The "What's on TV" section of your newspaper.
• A train / airplane schedule
• A conference guide

This lesson plan focusing on scanning reading skills can be of help in practicing these skills on your own or in printed out for in-class use.

Skimming and Scanning Video:

3. Extensive reading

Extensive reading is used to obtain a general understanding of a subject and includes reading longer texts for pleasure, as well as business books. Use extensive reading skills to improve your general knowledge of business procedures. Do not worry if you understand each word.

Examples of Extensive Reading

• The latest marketing strategy book
• A novel you read before going to bed
• Magazine articles that interest you

This lesson focusing on improving vocabulary through extensive reading can be of help putting these skills into practice.

4. Intensive reading

Intensive reading is used on shorter texts in order to extract specific information. It includes very close accurate reading for detail. Use intensive reading skills to grasp the details of a specific situation. In this case, it is important that you understand each word, number or fact.

Examples of Intensive Reading

• A bookkeeping report
• An insurance claim
• A contract

Other strategies:

• Skip: if you don't understand a word or section, keep reading ahead. Come back to the section or word again and try to figure out the meaning. Use a dictionary if necessary.
• Look for headings, subtitles and keywords.
• Read out loud: children read out loud when they first start reading. You can too. Get comfortable hearing your English voice.
• Create timelines or charts: reorganize what you read in a different format.
• Rewrite in a different tense.
• Rewrite in a different format: for example, rewrite an article in letter or list form.
• Illustrate: if you think you're a visual learner, sketch images or an infographic related to what you read.
• Write the questions: as you read, think about which questions you might find on a test or quiz. Write them down and answer them, or quiz a friend.
• Summarize or retell: you can do this by writing a letter to a friend, writing a blog post, making a web cam video, or just starting a conversation on this topic.
• Keep a vocabulary journal.
• Use a pen or ruler: some people find it is easier to read with a pacer. A pen, ruler or fingertip can help you keep your place and prevent your eyes from wandering off. This may not be suitable if you are reading on a computer or mobile device.Adjust the screen to a larger size if necessary.

More info.

Activities to improve Reading skill

1. Read an answer the questions.

The teacher provides a sheet of paper with a paragraph to the students; the students read it until they retain the information and later, they have to answer certain questions about the paragraph.

2. Fill in the blanks

The students are provided a series of sentences in which a word or a phrase is missing; they have to write down, in the blanks, the missing information which can be given in disorder in a word box, or can be add by the students according to a topic previously studied.

3. True of false.

The students read a paragraph about a certain topic; the teacher assigns a period of time so that the students understand the information. Then, a series of statements are given and the students are able to look for specific information and decide whether the statement is true or false.