Reading Skills: Study Reading (PDF)

Study Session 6 READING SKILLS III: STUDY READING 6.0 Introduction In this study sessionyou will appreciate an important skill that is required to be functional in a literate society. It is basic to learning and it is called Reading..You will learn why...

Study Session 6 READING SKILLS III: STUDY READING 6.0 Introduction In this study sessionyou will appreciate an important skill that is required to be functional in a literate society. It is basic to learning and it is called Reading..You will learn why Reading is also a process of communication and an important aspect of the learning process as it provides you the opportunity to garner information necessary for growth. You will learn about the nature of Reading especially what to Read and when to read. Thereafter, you will be able to define reading appropriately In addition, you will learn about Methods of Study Reading which will enable you to Read, Retain and Remember what you have read. Learning Outcomes for study session 6: After this study session , you should be should be able to: 1. Define and explain what reading is. 2. Discuss how to engage in reading. 3. Show an understanding of reading as a process of communication 4. Highlight the nature of reading by identifying what and when to read 5. Mention and explain some methods of reading 6. Discuss what is required to read, retain and remember what you have read. 6.1 What Is Reading? Reading is an activity which involves looking at words and understanding their meanings either for pleasure or serious purposes like an examination. It involves the use of the eyes and the mental faculty in the process of understanding and interpreting written or printed words and signs. Reading is also a process of communication by which essentially, most formal activities of learning take place. As AbiodunAdetugbo explains in his book, Communicative English and Study Skills: “when we read, our eyes move by little jumps forward, then they stop, jump forward, stop alternately as they progress along the line” (46) This process can be referred to as the “saccadic movement”. The eyes can also make backward movements to words earlier read. Reading is an important aspect of the learning process as it provides you the opportunity to garner information necessary for growth. Through reading, you are able to enlarge your vocabulary and thus, improve upon your the listening and writing capabilities. Explain what you understand to be the act of reading. Reading is an activity which involves looking at words and understanding their meanings either for pleasure or serious purposes like an examination. 6.2 Nature of Reading 6.2.1 What to Read: Reading materials can be newspapers, magazines, phone directories or textbooks on any subjects. These items are read in different ways. How you read a textbook will certainly differ from that of reading a newspaper or a magazine. Therefore, reading can involve scanning, skimming or normal study reading. Skimming involves mere survey but a textbook is read with concentration and effort. In other words, while a newspaper is usually read through once and discarded afterwards, textbooks are read over and over again, ideas are questioned and recalled possibly for examination purposes. In short, the nature of the reading material dictates how it is read and the rigour attached to its reading. 6.2.2 When to Read: You can Read at any time of the day. However, the place you dedicate or choose for reading also usually determine the nature of what is being read. For instance, a newspaper or magazine can be read anywhere and at any time, unlike a mathematics textbook for example, which requires a private, noise- and distraction-free area for adequate comprehension. It is important that you set aside a particular time of the day in which to engage in study. This activity should be carried out at a place designated for it. If you are a serious student, you should plan your study for a specific time of the day and at a regular place. If you are a conscientious student, you will prioritise your reading schedule, exclude yourself from parties and eliminate distractions as much as possible in order to pass your exams. It is also advisable to draw up a reading time-table.  Discuss the importance of what to read and when to read to the act of reading What you read is important because it determines how you read even though reading can be done at anytime. 6.3 Methods of Study Reading: Study reading is the type of reading we engage in for the purpose of gathering information that will translate to knowledge on a specific area of study. Its strategy is quite different from strategies for other reading purposes because it targets detailed, sometimes critical exploration and evaluation of the content being read. In order to succeed, you need to read vigorously and widely. No one can make headway in today‟s competitive world without becoming an avid reader who is able to recall what has been read. Therefore, a you must learn how to study well and smartly too. There are many methods or techniques of study reading and we will be looking at four examples in this study session. 6.3.1 The SQ3R Technique: SQ3R stands for S –Survey, Q –Question and 3R –Read, Recall/Recite and Review. 6.3.1a TheS in the SQ3R method stands for survey. Here you first examine the preliminary matters in the book: the title, the preface, foreword and table of contents. Before starting to read the chapters, you are expected to read the blurb of the book if one written, since it gives a summary of what the book is about. It is also important to check the publication date to see if the material in the publication is current or not. From the title of the book, You should be able to ask yourself whether or not it relates to or has relevance to what you are searching for. To effectively survey an article or a chapter in a book, you are expected to check out the title, the first and concluding paragraphs and even browse through the topic sentences of each paragraph before actually reading the piece. 6.3.1b Q – (Question): - This aspect of the SQ3R method requires that you ask questions relating to what is being read. These questions will guide the you in understanding the content of the book. questions you may ask include: (a) How correct is the idea or information contained in the book? (b) Through the survey, does the book actually contain what it has said it  would do in the introduction? (c) Does the book contradict your opinions on the subject? (d) What is the writer‟s aim in writing the book? (e) Does he/she objectively or otherwise present his/her views? You may also ask other questions that relate to the subject of the book. The aim of asking these questions is to direct and guide your reading and lead you to a careful and serious study of the text. 6.3.1c The 3R in the SQ3R method stand for Read(R1), Recall/Recite(R2) and Review (R3).Let us discuss each of the three Rs below: 1. R1 – (Read): This is the first of the 3R and it involves a careful reading of the text, examining its main ideas, the illustrations and examples and getting answers to the questions you have asked yourself at the Question stage. You may have to read the text two or three times until you have fully grasped what it is about. The reading must be done with a very critical mind, you must clarify issues, understand and accommodate new vocabulary while taking notes. To effectively understand what you read, you need to adopt some strategies of reading, which include the following: 1a. Reading with purpose and flexibility: The nature of the reading material and the purpose dictate the thoroughness and speed of reading. The flexibility we refer to here is the your ability to vary your reading speed according to the requirements of the reading material. Skimming, scanning or study reading should be done with your purpose at the back of your mind and the difficulty level of the material. 1b. Pre-reading: This involves reading the preliminary details like the introductory paragraph before the actual reading. This helps you to organize what is to be read. The pre-reading includes going further to read the conclusion as well. 1c. Identifying verbal and sense links: In writing, words are strung together to form phrases, clauses and sentences. You are advised to look for cues and linkages between these words because keywords and topic sentences help in understanding what is read. 1.d Adopting a proper mental posture: To fully understand what is read, the you need to be mentally alert and stable. To aid this, the you need to: o Have a regular place of study: This helps the you adapt to the environment and its conditions. o Avoid distractions: You should not allow such physical distractions as music from the radio, television, laptop or phone where you intend to study. You must also contain other forms of distraction like worries about love affairs, money or health issues in order for you to attain maximum concentration.  1e. Dividing up the study material: Your reading materials should be divided into manageable smaller units and you are advised to take one step at a time in order to aid your assimilation. 1f. Adhering to the writer‟s leads: You will achieve easy comprehension if you read the text following it‟s division into introduction, main body and conclusion as the writer intends. 1g. Being a participant reader: for you to become a good reader you need to participate in the process of communication by asking yourself important questions and finding answers from the text. You are thus actively involved by being very critical of what you have read. 2. R2 – (Recall/Recite): This is the second of the three Rs. The SQ3R technique entails recalling or remembering what has been read. Recalling or reciting involves making an effort to remember from memory what you have read. During the reading process, you must have committed to memory certain definitions, keywords, new words and illustrations, which you now must make a conscious effort to recall or recite so that you do not forget. These new concepts and ideas are mastered either through paraphrasing or using the exact words of the text. You can attempt doing this either through writing down the expressions or having a friend listen and recall them verbally. If it is necessary to go back to the text to refresh your memory, you should do just that. The importance of this stage is to learn new ideas and add them to your knowledge base. 3. R3 – (Review): This is the last of the three Rs. To review a book is to assess it – an activity synonymous with revision. Reviewing involves looking again at what you have previously done on the SQ3R scale. It is also a process of studying/learning whereby you review all you have done so far. The reader reads the text again making corrections in the process. This is a critical stage that demands attention because you must make sure nothing has been forgotten in the process of studying. This stage involves going over what you have done in the SQ3R technique. It is more of a repetition of all the steps in the technique. 6.3.2 The PQRST Technique: The acronym PQRST stands for the following: P – Preview; Q – Question; R – Read ; S – Summary ; T – Test. It is another method of study reading. It gives priority to the information to be examined especially in an examination: 2a. P – (Preview): Here you examine or preview the topic and the various headings and ideas in the course outline. 2b. Q – Question): This stage involves you asking the usual questions about what you are reading; these questions aid the understanding of the content of the book.  2c. R– (Read): Here, all materials related to the topic are carefully read and ideas that answer the questions are selected. 2d. S – (Summary): Here, you should put in summary form all you have studied while taking into consideration all illustrations and diagrams used. 2e. T – (Test): This last stage involves you testing yourself by answering the questions formulated earlier on by focusing only on the topic. 6.3.3 The 3S3R and OK4R Techniques: The acronym 3S3R stands for the following: 3S – Survey, Study-read and Speech-read, 3R – Recite, Reflect and Recollect , while OK4R stands for: O – Overview, K – Key points, 4R – Read, Recall, Reflect and Review. These methods are strategies for studying better. They teach effective note-taking and mnemonic devices. Other methods of study reading are the use of flash cards, summarization and mnemonic devices. 3a. First, the flash cards: You should prepare cards of A5 size where short notes on the study are written for revision. The cards are usually visual clues. 3b. Summarization: This is another study reading technique whereby you read and recall what you have read in a short form through the use of keywords. Through these keywords, you are able to recall the ideas in the examination hall. 3c. Mnemonic devices such as acronyms can be a method of memorising ideas studied especially for examination. Simple phrases or acronyms can aid the recalling of important details in the examination hall. For example, ROYGBIV is a way to recall the colours of the rainbow – R: red, O: orange, Y: yellow, G: green, B: blue, I: indigo and V: violet. Mention one method of study reading and explain. The PQRST Technique:The acronym PQRST stands for the following: P – Preview; Q – Question; R – Read ; S – Summary ; T – Test. 6.4 Advantages of Study Reading: o Increases better study habits o Boosts your effort at studying and passing examination o Helps to study smartly and pass well. 6.5 Reading, Retaining and Remembering: Memory has a lot to do with the process of retention of what has been studied. The ability to remember and recollect what one has read is of importance to a student. Memory can be classified into three types: 6.5.1 Sensory Memory (SM) Sensory memory has to do with the senses – the ears, eyes, hands, tongue and nose. Information stored in the first area of memory is usually very ephemeral. 6.5.2 Short-term memory (STM) The second compartment of memory is called the short-term memory. Ideas stored here are for a short time. Information is organized here, and vital and relevant points are selected while irrelevant ones are filtered out. 6.5.3 Long-term Memory (LTM) Long-term memory, on the other hand, is a permanent room for storing information. It is large and limitless. New ideas are also allowed in this storehouse. The best way to remember what has been read is to be able to recall without using the exact words of the textbook. It is better to paraphrase; using your own words. Another way is to recite verbatim what has been read. This is most useful in recalling lines in a play or words in a foreign language, or in the sciences. The following are the stages involved in the process of storing information: 1.Encoding: This entails the ability of a reader to read, organize and internalize information. 2.Storage: This entails the ability to retain the information. 3.Retrieval: It involves remembering or recalling information that has been stored. This is aided by attention. When the necessary attention, concentration and focus have been applied to what is learnt or read, the reader has every opportunity to remember and recall information when necessary. Recalling is also aided by repetition, recitation and review. Practical exercise Below is a passage culled from BuchiEmecheta‟sSecond Class Citizen. Read the passage at least two times and try to answer the questions without looking at the passage. The Passage In any case, Francis and Adah had to look for another place to live. If it had been possible for them to find a new place, they would have moved within weeks of her arrival in London. But it had not been. During the days and weeks that followed, she had asked people at work if they knew of anywhere. She would read and re-read all that shop windows had to advertise. Nearly all the notices had „Sorry, no coloureds‟ on them. Her house-hunting was made more difficult because she was black; black, with two very young children and pregnant with another one. She was beginning to learn that her colour was something she was supposed to be ashamed of. She was never aware of this at home in Nigeria, even when in the midst of whites. Those whites must have had a few lessons about colour before coming out to the tropics, because they never let drop from their cautious mouths the fact that in their countries, black was inferior. But now Adah was beginning to find out, so did not waste her time looking for accommodation in a clean, desirable neighbourhood. She, who only a few months previously would have accepted nothing but the best, had by now been conditioned to expect inferior things. She was now learning to suspect anything beautiful and pure. Those things were for the whites, not the blacks. This had a curious psychological effect on her. Whenever she went into big clothes stores, she would automatically go to the counters carrying soiled and discarded items, afraid of what the shop assistants might say. Even if she had enough money for the best, she would start looking at the sub-standard ones and then work her way up. This was where she differed from Francis and the others. They believed that one had to start with the inferior and stay there, because being regarded as inferior had a psychological effect on her. The result was that she started to act in the way expected of her because she was still new in England, but after a while, she was not going to accept it from anyone. She was going to regard herself as the equal of any white. But meanwhile she must look for a place to live. 1. What is the main character‟s name? 2. Where is this story set? 3. What did most of the notices for houses say, according to the story? 4. What made the main character‟s house-hunting difficult? 5. What made it more difficult? 6. What was she beginning to learn? 7. Where did she live before she got to this new country?  8. How did she differ from “Francis and the others”? 9. Who got to this country first – she or Francis? 10. What did she make up her mind to do at the end of the passage? 1. Adah 2. London (England) 3. Sorry no Coloured 4. She is black 5. She had two very young children and was pregnant with another one. 6. She was beginning to learn to suspect anything beautiful and pure 7. Nigeria 8. She chose not to accept that she was inferior 9. Francis 10. She made up her mind to regard herself as the equal of any white. Try comparing your answers with those of a friend. If they differ, argue it out, stating your reasons for what you read earlier. Do not look at passage until you have gone through all the questions. Do you think you studied it well? Summary of Study Session 6 In Study Session 6, you have learnt about/that:  Reading is an activity and what it entails  There is how to engage in reading  Reading is also a process of communication  The nature of reading especially with regards to what and when to read  The four methods of study reading  The advantages of study reading  The importance of memory in reading retaining and remembering. Self-Assessment Questions (SAQs) for study Session 6 Now that you have completed this study session, you should assess how much you have learnt by attempting the following questions. You can write your answers in your notebook so as to be able to discuss extensively on it with your tutor at the next interactive session. You can also cross check your answers with the notes on the self-assessment questions at the end of this module. 1.1. As a student, how do you apply the step of survey in the SQ3R method? 1.2 What types of questions will you ask yourself when reading a textbook? 1.3 What do the 3Rs stand for in the SQ3R technique? 1.4 Of what relevance is your mental composure to your reading ability? 1.5 Mention one method of study reading and explain. References and Suggestions for further Reading : Adetugbo, Abiodun. Communicative English and Study Skills. Lagos: University of Lagos Press, 1997. Adedun, E. A. Use of English for Academic Purposes. Lagos: Fat-Gbollyprint (Nig.) Enterprises, 2009. Akere, Funso (ed.) English Across Disciplines: A Use of English Course Text. Lagos: Pumark Nigeria Ltd., 1993. Ayoola, A. Kehinde. University English for All Students. Lagos: Olivetree Publishing Venture, 2006. Emecheta, Buchi. Second Class Citizen. Johannesburg: Heinemann Publishers (Pty) Limited, 1974.