GST111 Reading Skills And Comprehension Strategies PDF

READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES Unit 1: The Reading Language Skill Introduction Our interaction with any language we come in contact with occurs in either of four ways. Usually, we start by listening to people speak and use the language. Then we can speak it ourselves. We would go on to read mat...

READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES Unit 1: The Reading Language Skill Introduction Our interaction with any language we come in contact with occurs in either of four ways. Usually, we start by listening to people speak and use the language. Then we can speak it ourselves. We would go on to read materials and texts written in such a langage. And finally, we write it or write with it. These are referred to as language skills. This unit will focus on the reading skill. Reading is an important part of learning any language. Reading either as a mental (cognitive) or vocal exercise is aimed at understanding and interpreting written or printed words, represented by symbols (mechanical task). it is for this reason that we can separate reading comprehension from listening comprehension. This exercise is done with the use of eyes (following symbols with the eyes) or fingers (tracing the symbols with the hand) or both. Learning Outcomes At the end of this unit, you should be able to: Identify the type(s) of reading skills required in a situation for accurate comprehension within some minutes when given a passage for an examination. Identify and engage in various activities that would encourage reading for comprehension with 80% accuracy within 10 minutes when given a topic in a recommended textbook for GNS. State the factors that will determine the appropriate reading type within ten minutes with 70% accuracy when given a material to read. Main Content Let us first establish the fact that there are factors to consider in determining what reading type one is engaging in before we go on to look at reading types. Factors Determining Appropriate Reading Types They are: Reading purpose, Reading environment and time; and Reading posture. Types of Reading The following are the types of reading that we have. Intensive reading: The word intensive literally means thorough reading or a rigorous one. Mechanically, it refers to a reading exercise in which energy is directed to a single area or subject for the purpose of examination of any sort. Thus, intensive reading is a reading deliberately done to enrich oneself academically and/or professionally. This is a type of reading that demands that adequate attention is paid to every statement without having to waste much time in doing so. Extensive reading: Extensive reading, on the other hand, covers a larger area or wider scope, with the sole intention of indulging in reading for enjoyment, general knowledge, information on current affairs, material survey, and so on. Approaches to Intensive Reading Reading skill 1 (Skimming): This is a process of searching for relevant materials based on one's area of study or a particular topic through selective reading. Reading skill 2 (Scanning): The next activity after skimming is scanning. This activity consists of reading through parts of relevant pages already identified during skimming. This reading skill enables you to decide whether the material is worth being read further or not. Reading skill 3 (Speed reading): Speed reading has to do with flexibility of a reader's movement of his/her eyes. A good reader is expected to take in several words and comprehend them with fewer eye movements. This flexibility must match the purpose and available time for the reader. Habits like sub-vocalizing (silent pronunciation of words), regression, (going over a line more than once) constitute big constraints to speed reading. Approaching Extensive Reading Preparatory Activities to Extensive Reading Note that, as general as extensive reading is, you still have to approach it prepared. You have to be selective from the abundant materials available for extensive reading, since what makes every individual relax or gives him pleasure differs. For example, the materials to be selected for these purposes will vary. In this case, the skills of skimming and scanning as discussed earlier are still relevant to extensive reading. Summary In this unit, you have learnt that reading is a mental or vocal reproduction of printed words. Reading can either be intensive or extensive. Intensive reading demands a detailed comprehension of the written material while extensive reading serves the purpose of speed, preparatory or informative reading. The choice of a type of reading is determined by the purpose of reading and environmental factors. Self –Assessment Questions List three activities that will encourage reading for comprehension. List three factors that determine appropriate reading type. List and explain two types of reading taught in this topic. References Abubakar, A. S. (2008). Historicism and political dialectics in Osofisan’s Nkurma ni…. Africa ni and Rotimi’s Ovonramwen Nogbaisi. In the Parnassus Journal of Cultural Research, 4, 59- 60. Nuttal, C. (1982). Teaching reading skills in a foreign language. London: Heinemann. Obah, T. Y. (1981). Teaching for faster reading. In B. O. Oliukpe (Ed.) The use of English for higher education. Onitsha: Africana FEP Publishers Ltd. Williams, R. (1982). Panorama: An advanced course of English for study and examinations. Essex: Longman. Zimmerman, M., & Beth, S. (2012). An introduction to nutrition Vol. 1. (http: 2012books.lardbucket.org/pdfs/an-introduction-to-nutrition.pdf). Further Reading: Adegbija, E. E. (ed) (1987) Effective Study Skills and Use of English. Ilorin: University of Ilorin. Alabi, V. A., & S. T. Babatunde (eds.) (2005) Basic Communication Skills for Students and Humanities. Ilorin: University of Ilorin, Ilorin. Unit 2: Comprehension of Written Passages/Texts Introduction The essence of any language use, whether written or spoken, is to achieve communication. At the receiving end, whatever message is sent or encoded at the productive end should be passed through the milling process of meaning-making. This process is a complex one. It involves series of operations depending on the form and function of the channel/medium through which the message is dispatched. Learning Outcomes: At the end of this unit, you should be able to:  list two activities that culminate in reading comprehension, explain two approaches to reading activity validate the choice of any of the approaches in a reading task with reasons, and apply the study skills strategies in answering questions your lecturers have formulated or the ones from comprehension passages. Main Content I need you to note that, comprehension is defined as the act or capacity of understanding a text or a passage in order to be able to react and give correct answers to questions asked on the contents of the text/passage irrespective of the discipline (Ofuya, 1996, p.72). Comprehension represents the cornerstones of erecting the podium of effective communication; as it is only when the receiving end satisfactorily understands the intention of a speaker or a writer, as the case may be, that we say effective communication has taken place. Approaches to Reading Activity The two major approaches to reading are intensive and extensive. The choice of each in an attempt to comprehend a written passage would be dictated by the purpose, the environment, the volume of what is to be read and even the time factor, as hinted earlier. The implication here is that each of them, being a deliberate choice to achieve desired goals, has its place in the learning process. Intensive Reading This is a more demanding activity of ‘surfing’ and ‘combing’ to the last strand every aspect of a passage in an attempt to dig out and unravel information which is not necessarily displayed in the grammatical structures of the discourse. An ‘intensive reader’ is supposed to deploy certain skills to their fullest in gaining access to embellished bits of information wrapped in not-too-accessible discourse. Skimming, scanning and speed reading constitute major reading skills in this category. Skimming denotes selective reading. In a situation where one has many information materials to ‘browse’ just for certain technical facts; and in view of the limited time and resources, the reader goes straight to selected sections of the volumes. This is a deliberate effort on the part of the reader to determine the suitability of the materials for one’s endeavour. This method is called skimming. For example, a reader may be able to determine the appropriateness of a particular written work in his search by making a quick glance through the table of contents or index. Scanning involves reading of chunks or portions already identified as relevant at the skimming level. A reader at this stage is expected to give some attention to a closer study of selected paragraphs and sub-topics to determine the worth of their contents. This would enable him to be acquainted with the major thrust of the entire text. Speed reading pertains to the ability of a reader to capture and comprehend many words, sentences and passages within the shortest possible time. Certain personal habits like sub-vocalisation (lip-reading every word), finger-tracing, and oscillation of head (instead of eye movement) have been established as detrimental factors against speed reading. So, as much as possible, a good reader is expected to do away with any personal attitude or habit that would constitute detractors to concentration. Logically, when one achieves full concentration while reading, it is hoped that more information is processed, digested and diffused within a given time limit. Reasons for Intensive Reading As suggested earlier, rapt attention and unwavering devotion should be given to intensive reading as a meaning-making process. The essence of reading for comprehension may be to achieve any of the following targets: 1. Reading for the purpose of arriving at both explicit and embellished meanings engendered in the text. 2. Reading in order to identify the salient points in the passage and how they have been developed into a unified whole; 3. Reading for coherent assimilation of organised body of knowledge in one’s area of specialization;  4. Reading in order to clarify knotty ideas or ambiguous expressions; 5. Reading to update and expand the frontiers of one’s view or knowledge about a particular phenomenon, etc. Imperative of Context in Comprehension Task As we have stated earlier, reading is a conscious and demanding activity that involves dissecting and appreciating the information engendered in a written discourse to its fullest. Since it is a general truth that a language corpus may be used to achieve different communicative goals; and that a given structure may mean differently in different occasions, it becomes necessary to situate the reading process within the immediate and wider contexts or social circumstance in which the text is originally rendered. This endeavour would automatically require the reader’s ability to intermittently jostle between the outside world of reality and its graphical representation in writing. Also, the theme, subject or central idea which underlies the composition should be focused on in the light of the contributions and role relation of interaction set between/among the characters or subjects involved. The reading process should not be made too passive to avoid recession in comprehension. Note that in certain texts, information is not explicitly stated; in which case, the messages borne by the texts are not readily packaged to be understood easily by average minds. Thus, recourse to shared understanding and common frontiers of situating meaning in certain subjects would be necessary for the reader to grasp the implied meanings. Here lies the importance of setting in the comprehension activity. Other Skills that can Enhance Effective Comprehension More often than not, a major challenge for a university undergraduate like yourself is how to cope with the ever-increasing volumes of materials to be read, understood and applied at one point in time or the other. When a student is asked: “What’s your stress?” The most likely response you will get would be similar to: “I have so much to read in too many courses I’m offering, in preparation for my choking C.A. tests, deluge of assignments and fast-approaching exams.” Hence, some students embark on a ceaseless tour of reading, non-stop sessions of night classes and ineffectual ‘cramming’ in order to wade through these different levels of assessment. Little do they know that reading for comprehension is not necessarily a question of longevity of hours spent in actual reading but the best one makes out of the reading, as an activity, is what matters. Reading is not just a string of passive moments. A good reader should also imbibe a culture of exercising his brain and hand while reading. Note-taking and summary writing are therefore good reading accompaniment which would be examined briefly. Note-taking: This is an important skill that an ‘intensive’ or ‘extensive’ reader requires in documenting salient facts which run through the volume(s) being read. To be able to do this successfully, one should learn to differentiate important details from not-too- important information so that the end product is not rendered a bunch of burdensome experience. Outlining proves to be a better alternative here. Outlining is a well- established strategy for generating highlights from extensive passages. Note-taking aids recall of what has been read and it can also give good background and guidelines for writing comments, critiques, arguments, etc on what has been read. In order to write logical and clear notes, the reader/writer should focus on the main points as relayed by topic sentences of paragraphs involved in successive order under highlighted headings and subheadings. One should avoid use of vague, ambiguous or conspicuous words and expressions which may militate against easy recall. To cap it up, it is equally important to be as brief as possible. Summary Writing: This is another process which actively engages the reader in the reading task. It is a proven fact by educational psychologists that when one is actively involved in the course of imbibing a learning experience, motivation is higher and this stands the learner a better chance of understanding and easy recall. Summary is a synthesis of important details of a passage. It should be rendered in clear expressions with strict avoidance of undue repetition or mindless elaboration. Information in a summarised form should be tightened and succinct. Direct lifting of chunks from the original text which may foment redundancy should be avoided as much as possible. Redundancy has been identified as a major problem of achieving easy recall. In written comprehension, summary technique aids memorability. It has a peculiar way of highlighting the focal points of the entire text through recapitulation and reverberation. The major difference between note-taking and summary writing, thus, lies in their structures. In note-taking, outlining (which may involve numbering) is the major strategy used while in summary-writing, the salient ideas being re-focused are written in an essay form – numbering is not allowed. The SQ3R Reading/Study Strategy The SQ3R strategy is a reading comprehension method named for its five steps: survey, question, read, recite, and review. Remember: The information you gain from reading is important. If you just “do it,” without learning something, you’re wasting a lot of your time. Train your mind to learn while reading with SQ3R. SURVEY Survey involves going through the textbook or material to identify the sections relevant for your purpose of study. In the process, you reduce the volume of reading you would do, and stand the chance to preserve your energy for the actual mental processing of the facts you will encounter in print. The appropriate reading skill for surveying a text is skimming. Gather the information necessary to focus and formulate goals Read the title – Help your mind prepare to receive the subject at hand. Read the introduction and/or summary – Orient yourself to how each chapter fits the author's purposes, and focus on the author's statement of most important points. Notice each boldface heading and subheading – Organize your mind before you begin to read and build a structure for the thoughts and details to come.  Notice any graphics – Charts, maps, diagrams, etc. are there to make a point. Don't overlook them. Notice reading aids – Italics, bold face print, chapter objective, and end-of - chapter questions are all included to help you sort, comprehend, and remember. QUESTION Help your mind engage and concentrate Turn the boldface heading for each section into as many questions as you think will be answered in that section. The better the questions, the better your comprehension is likely to be. You may always add further questions as you proceed. When your mind is actively searching for answers to questions it becomes engaged in learning. This stage is somewhat still preparatory for the actual study which begins in the next stage of SQ3R. READ Fill in the information around the mental structures you've been building Now, you should read the material with concentration. See if you can locate where answers to specific questions may be found and underline the places cautiously. As you read sections, pause to add questions where necessary, and attempt to answer the questions relying on the knowledge just gained. The more correctly you answer the questions, the more efficiently you’re reading. While reading, you may: Make short notes in the margins on pages to summarize points. Build an outline of the ideas that you have imbibed from the textbook. Whatever you do, read one section at a time with your questions in mind and look for the answers. Recognize when you need to make up some new questions. RECITE Retrain your mind to concentrate and learn as it reads After each section, stop and recall your questions and see if you can answer them from memory. If not, look back at the text again (as often as necessary), but don't move to the next section until you can recite the answers from the previous one. REVIEW Here is the last leg of SQ3R. Its goal is to recall. Refine your mental organization and begin building memory Once you've finished the entire chapter using the preceding steps, go back over the questions you created for every heading. See if you can still answer them. If not, look back and refresh your memory and then continue. So, whichever technique you choose to employ to facilitate comprehension and aid recall, you should know that reading is a complex activity; a melting point of many skills and techniques. And in order to accomplish adequate mastery of a written passage, most especially, the idea surrounding context of the passage should not, equally, be underestimated. Summary In this unit, you have learnt that, comprehension is a process that is applicable to both oral and written modes of language use. Just as we have listening comprehension as the envisaged response to speaking, we equally have reading comprehension as a direct consequence of effective writing. This implies that adequate understanding of a written passage can only be achieved by deploying commensurate reading skill. In order to achieve this feat, the strategies to be employed have been discussed as well. Self-Assessment Questions Mention two approaches to reading activity. State three reasons for Intensive reading. What is an extensive reading?  List the five steps involved in SQ3R reading method. Briefly highlight the tasks for each step. References Adeyanju, D., & Egwuogwu, C. (2003). Vital aspects of English usage for tertiary institutions. Ibadan: Stirling-Horden Publishers. Babatunde, S. T. (2005). Note-making, outlining and summary skills. In V. A. Alabi, & S. T. Babatunde (Eds.) Basic communication skill for students of science and humanities (pp. 125 – 137). Ilorin: Department of English, University of Ilorin. Balogun, P. O. (2005). The mastery of comprehensions skills. In V. A. Alabi, & S. T. Babatunde (Eds.) Basic communication skill for students of science and humanities (pp. 110 – 124). Ilorin: Department of English, University of Ilorin. Manuh, B. M. (1975). Combined principles and applied economics for G.C.E. ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels (Volume I). Kumasi: University Press. Further Reading Noble, R. W. (1989). English composition and summary. London: Longman. Nuttal, C. (1982). Teaching reading as a foreign language. London: Heinemann. Ofuya, A. (1996). Comprehension, note-making, outlining and summary skills for MESTA students. In E. Adegbija, & A. Ofuya (Eds.) English language and communication skills for MESTA students (pp. 72 – 86). Ilorin: The Outer English Language Circle.  Oloruntoba-Oju, O. O. (1998). Meaning in reading: Encoding and decoding techniques. In E. E. Adegbija (Ed.) Effective communication in higher education: Use of English (pp. 146 – 156). Ilorin: The GNS Unit, University of Ilorin. Owolabi, H. O. (2003). Foundations of Western education: Role of the Jews, the Greeks and the Romans. In J. O. O. Abiri (Ed.) Perspectives on history of education in Nigeria (pp.17 – 28). Ibadan: Emola-Jay Communications Inc.