Week IX & X
Reading Comprehension Techniques
Why do we read?Information
Information/pleasure
Pure pleasure
Exams !!!
What do we read?BooksNewspapers, MagazinesPhotocopies, articlesNoticesCorrespondenceForms, SignsHandheld media devicesComputer screensMulti-media carriers
What is the content?Fiction (long and short)Songs PlaysCurrent events, feature articles and
essaysAcademic articles, reports, reviewsWarnings, directionsLetters, postcards and notesBusiness letters, solicitationsT-shirt messages, bumper stickersRaw data
What is the text structure?Charts, graphs, illustrationsIsolated lines of textFree formInterlinear notesPoint and click imagesExpositoryNarrativeHeadings, subheadings
What skills do we use?
SkimmingScanningExtraction of specific
informationIn-depth (extensive) readingMeta cognition
(Hudson, 2007, p. 27)
Hard to believe but…• Reading applies to every
class and everything you do on a daily basis!– Math– Social Studies– English– And yes…computers too!
• Think about it… Reading is all around you…
What Good Readers Do…Make ConnectionsVisualizeInferDetermine ImportanceSynthesize
Making Connections
How Do Good Readers Make Connections?
They think about what the story reminds them of in their own lives
They think about how the story relates to their own lives
They think about other books they have read
They think about things that happen in the world
Visualizing
How Do Good Readers Visualize?Create pictures in their headMake the words on the page real and
concreteCreate a movie of the text in their
headBuild meaning as they go by
visualizingCreate images from all of their
senses
Inferring
I wonder…Could it be?
How Do Good Readers Infer?Read between the linesMake own discoveries without the
author directly statingUse text clues, prior knowledge, and
questions to come up with a conclusion
Create meaning based on own notions
How does inferring help me think as I read?Draw conclusions based on clues in the
textMake predictions before and during
readingSurface underlying themesUse implicit information from the text to
create meaning during and after reading
Use the pictures to help gain meaning
Determining Importance
How Do Good Readers Determine Importance?
Get the bigger ideas and themesUse text features and clues to help
them figure out the important information
Some features and clues include: italicized words, pictures, graphs, key words, and headings
Always look over the entire selection to get an idea of what the topic is about
Carefully highlight key information
How does determining importance help me think as I read?It helps me to not have to memorize the
whole textIt helps me figure out what is important
information and what is not important to remember
It helps me figure out what the text is about as a whole before
It helps me to remember to stop and ask myself if what I am reading makes sense
It helps me to look at features such as: bold words, italicized words, pictures, captions, headings, graphs and know that I should pay attention to these words
Synthesizing
How Do Good Readers Synthesize?Take individual pieces of information and
combine them with our background knowledge
Form a new picture or ideas from the pieces of information
Create an original ideaSee a new perspectiveCombine the strategies of making
connections, visualizing, questioning, inferring, and summarizing
Ask ourselves, “How has our thinking changed from reading the text?”
How does synthesizing help me think as I read?Take in a lot of different facts, think about
them, and learn something new Sift through a lot of information, take out
the key ideas and put them together to get the overall sense of the reading material
Weave together what I read and my own ideas into new, complete thoughts
Use the prompts: I have learned that…This gives me an idea…Now I understand that…
How can we improve our reading???
Two important techniques include:
Scanning
And
Skimming
What is skimming?
Skimming refers to reading a paragraph quickly to get an idea of
what it is about, without trying to understand its details.
This is a technique used to identify the main ideas of a text.
What is skimming?
When skimming,don’t read every thing but try to skip the
textread the first and last sentences ofparagraphsread the introduction, and the summary read a few examples until you understandthe concepts they are meant to illustrate
What is skimming???Skimming is used to quickly identify the main
ideas of text. It works well to find dates, names and places.
Skimming strategies include:Reading the first and last paragraphs.Using headings, summary and other organizers
as you move down the page or screen. Read the title, subtitles, subheadings, and
illustrations. Read the first sentence of each paragraph. This
technique is useful when you're seeking specific information rather than reading for comprehension.
What is skimming???• Skimming is reading selectively to
get a general idea of what an article is about.
• Read some parts/skip others.• Look for the most important ideas.• Read for main ideas.• Skip facts and details.
What is skimming???• Skim through a review of the metric
system if you already are familiar with it.• Skim a section of a reference book if you
are looking for specific information• Skim a newspaper report if you wish only
to understand the main events.
• Skim a movie review to make a decision on seeing a movie.
What is skimming???Skimming: quickly running one's eyes
over the test to get the gist or general understanding. (Grellet, 1981)
"Skimming gives readers the advantage of being able to predict the purpose of the passage, the main topic or message, and possible some of the developing or supporting ideas."
What is skimming???Scanning: quickly searching for some
particular piece of information in the text. (Grellet, 1981)
"The purpose of scanning is to extractcertain specific information without
readingthrough the whole text." (Brown, 1994)
What is skimming???Read the title.Read the subtitle or introductory byline.Read the headings.Read the first sentence of each paragraph.Read the key words.Read the title or legend of graphics.Read the last paragraph or summary.
Skimming Textbook Chapters
Focus on:Chapter objectives and
introductions.Headings and typographical
aids.Graphic and visual aids.Review and discussion
questions.
Skimming Newspaper Articles
Read the:• Title• Opening paragraphs• First sentences of remaining
paragraphs
Limitations of SkimmingCannot expect to retain facts
and details.Expect 50% comprehension
rate.Use only when reading for
general concepts.
What is Scanning?Scanning refers to reading a text quickly in order to locate specific pieces of information.
When scanning,
don't start from the beginning and read to the end
jump around in the text, trying to find the information you need can’t read every word / skip many words
look for information as quickly as you can
What is Scanning?
You can scanA table of contents in a book or magazineAn index in a textbookA timetableThe ads in a newspaperA list of movies in the newspaperA telephone book The page of a dictionaryA passage/text/article to quickly find the
information mentioned in the question.
What is scanning?Scanning is a technique you often use
when you are looking for key words or ideas.
– In most cases, you know what you're looking for, so you're concentrating on finding a particular answer.
ScanningScanning is searching for a
specificpiece of information; your only
purpose is to locate that information.
Scanning1. Check the Organization.2. Form Specific Questions.3. Anticipate Word Clues.4. Identify Likely Answer Locations.5. Use a Systematic Pattern.6. Confirm Your Answer.
Reading TechniquesScanning: quickly searching for some
particular piece of information in the text. (Grellet, 1981)
"The purpose of scanning is to extract certain specific information without reading through the whole text." (Brown, 1994)
How do you scan?Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page looking for specific words and phrases. Scanning can be used when you first find a resource to determine whether it will answer your questions. Once you've scanned the document, you might go back and skim it. When scanning, look for the author's use of organizers such as numbers, letters, steps, or the words, first, second, or next. Look for words that are bold faced, italics, or in a different font size, style, or color. Sometimes the author will put key ideas in the margin.
So……………Skim, to understand the general idea of a passage and …
Scan for specific words, numbers, details or answers.
READING AND STUDY SKILLS: NOTE TAKING
First Step - PREPARATION
Use a large, loose-leaf notebook. Use only one side of thepaper. (you then can lay your notes out to see the directionof a lecture.) Draw a vertical line 2 1/2 inches from the leftside of you paper. This is the recall column. Notes will betaken to the right of this margin. Later key words or phrasescan be written in the recall column.
READING AND STUDY SKILLS: NOTE TAKING
Second Step - DURING THE READING
Record notes in paragraph form. Capture
General ideas, not illustrative ideas. Skip lines
to show end of ideas or thoughts. Using
abbreviations will save time. Write legibly.
READING AND STUDY SKILLS: NOTE TAKING
Third Step - AFTER THE READING
Read through your notes and make it more legible if
necessary. Now use the column. Jot down ideas or key
words which give you the idea of the lecture. (REDUCE)
You will have to reread the lecturer's ideas and reflect in
your own words. Cover up the right-hand portion of your
notes and recite the general ideas and concepts of the
lecture. Overlap your notes showing only recall columns
and you have your review.
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