LONG QUIZ NOTES PDF

Reading is a very broad word. It cannot be defined using a single statement. Consequently, it is imperative that you get to have an understanding of more than one reading definitions. Ideally, the more reading definitions you are familiar with, the more you would be able to view it from different an...

Reading is a very broad word. It cannot be defined using a single statement. Consequently, it is imperative that you get to have an understanding of more than one reading definitions. Ideally, the more reading definitions you are familiar with, the more you would be able to view it from different angles and perspectives; hence, a more thorough understanding of the concept is achieved. One of the reading definitions that you should be able to understand is the fact that it is participating in the communication process: The most basic definition of reading is that it is the ability of the person to assign meaning to symbols. Looking at the figure above makes us understand communication and why reading is considered as participating in it. Communication may be perceived as the process of interaction involving at least two entities where each of the entities is expected to assume the role of the sender and the role of the receiver of the message. Taking this notion in consideration, if we look at the writer-reader relationship as shown above, we can say that when we read, we are actually assuming the role of the receiver of the message because we act as the one getting the message of the writer, the sender of the message. Hence, reading can truly be considered as participating in the communication process. While some may say that reading is an individual activity, the reader can still be considered as participating in the communication process because without the message of the writer, there is no message to receive and to process. Apart from considering reading as participating in the communication process, below is a summary of the other reading definitions: First, reading should not be considered as just a basic skill. (JUST LIKE LISTENING) This means that reading involves learning a continuous set of skills, where one set, is considered to be more cognitively advanced than the other. Once we have learned the most basic set of reading skills, we are expected to continuously use them in order to advance to more advanced ones. Reading in this sense is somewhat considered similar to playing an online game. Just like in any online game, you start with just the most basic skills. Eventually however, as you progress through your journey, you get to encounter a lot of obstacles which will help you unlock all the other skills that will be needed in order for you to finish the game. Similarly, in reading, you acquire the most basic skills first like assigning names to symbols seen in print before you can actually infer details or make predictions about the text. Second, reading should be considered as a complex process too. To undergo a process means to undergo a series of stages. On this note we can say that to understand this reading definition, we have to look at it from two different perspectives. On one hand, we may view the process as something to do with our growth as readers. If we start with the most basic skills as kids, we are expected to demonstrate the more advanced skills as adult readers. Below is the stages of reading development as proposed by Jean Chall. The stages of Reading development refer to the different episodes in a reader's life, from the moment the reader shows readiness to read up until he/she becomes proficient in reading. Stage 0 is referred to as the pre-reading stage. It is called as such because there is no reading that takes place here yet; however, it is considered important that everyone passes this stage. This stage takes effect when the child begins to manifest the desire to learn the language of the environment by uttering incomprehensible words. Once the child starts to utter incomprehensible words, it becomes a clear indication that the child is ready to start learning the prerequisites for reading. In other words, every reader must learn how to speak first before he/she learns how to read. Once the child knows how to speak basic words, stage 1 commences. Stage 1 is called as the initial reading stage because this is where the child begins to acquire the most basic skills in reading. One of the most basic skills in reading would be recognizing the different symbols that represent the different letters of the alphabet. After being constantly exposed to the different letters of the alphabet, soon the child will learn that when combined together, these symbols form words, phrases and sentences. After which, the child continuously would want to practice reading and rereading. This is Stage 2 of Reading development, also called as Confirmation and Fluency stage. It is called as such because whatever was learned in the previous stage, is put into practice in this stage, until eventually, the child begins to perfect the skills. Resultingly, as the child keeps on rereading, there will come a realization that there is something learned in every reading material. This moves the reader to the next stage of reading development, which is stage 3---Reading for Learning the New. In this stage, the reader keeps on reading every and any reading material that he/she gets hold of not for the purpose of practicing, but for the purpose of getting new pieces of information. Therefore, a child or reader in this stage of reading development is expected to be desirous of new pieces of information, until eventually, the reader will encounter a reading text that might give an old piece of information a different perspective. This is the start of the next stage, which is also referred to as the multiple viewpoint. If in the previous stage, new pieces of information are take every reading material, in this stage, new pieces of information that either validate or negate previously acquired information are acquired by the reader. Lastly, the final stage of reading development is called as the construction and reconstruction stage. In this stage the reader is expected already to make informed decisions and sound judgments when it comes to evaluating pieces of information taken from a text. If in the previous stage, you only acknowledge differences in authors' opinions, in the last stage, you are expected to come up with your own evaluation of the pieces of information you get from a text. These different stages of reading development is one of the reasons why reading can be considered as a complex process. On the other hand, it can also be considered as a complex process because the ways by which we arrive at understanding of the text or the psychological process of it may differ from person to person and from text to text. Ideally, we get an understanding of the text because of our schemata. Schemata is the summation of our learnings acquired over time through experiences and other sources of information. A schemata is made up of schemas. Collectively, these schemas make up of our schemata or background knowledge. Below is a mental representation of how schemata may be formed in our mind.