ADVANCING

Reading is defined as a cognitive process that involves decoding symbols

to arrive at meaning. Reading is an active process of constructing meanings of
words. Reading with a purpose helps the reader to direct information towards a
goal and focuses their attention. Although the reasons for reading may vary, the primary purpose of
reading is to understand the text. Reading is a thinking process. It allows the reader to use what he or she
may already know, also called prior knowledge. During this processing of information, the reader uses
strategies to understand what they are reading, uses themes to organize ideas, and uses textual clues to
find the meanings of new words. Each of the three components of reading is equally important. Let's take
a look at the components!

The Reading Process

Reading is a process that involves recognizing words, leading to the development of

comprehension. According to research, reading is a process that negotiates the meaning between the text
and its reader. The reading process involves three stages.

The first is the pre-reading stage, which allows the reader to activate background knowledge,
preview the text, and develop a purpose for reading. A strategy for students to utilize during this stage is to
look at the title of the selection and list all the information that comes to mind about the title.

The second stage occurs during reading, when the reader makes predictions as they read and then
confirms or revises the predictions. For example, double-entry journal enable the reader to write the text
from the reading on one side and their personal reaction on the other side.

The final stage occurs after reading and allows the reader to retell the story, discuss the elements
of a story, answer questions and/or compare it to another text. For example, students can create
summaries, where they take a huge selection and reduce it to its main points for more concise
understanding.

Comprehension is an intentional, active, and interactive process that occurs before, during and
after a person reads a particular piece of writing.

Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension has two elements that complete the process. The first element is
vocabulary knowledge. The reader must be able to understand the vocabulary used by the writer. The
second element is text comprehension, where the reader puts together the vocabulary and different
comprehension strategies to develop an understanding of the text.
 Comprehension, or the mental process that allows the reader to understand the text, begins before
the reader starts the text and continues even after the reading has finished. There are some specific
strategies that can be used to increase comprehension:

Skimming is the process of speedy reading for general meaning. Let your eyes skip over
sentences or phrases which contain detail. Concentrate on identifying the central or main points. Use this
technique to:

✓ pre-view a selection of text prior to detailed reading;

✓ refresh your understanding of a selection of text following detailed reading.

Scanning is the technique you might use when reading a telephone directory. You pass your
vision speedily over a section of text in order to find particular words or phrases that are relevant to your
current task. You can scan:

✓ the introduction or preface of a text;

✓ the first or last paragraphs of chapters;
✓ the concluding or summarizing chapter of a text;
✓ the book index

Detailed reading and note taking

Once you have selected useful information, you can begin to read in detail. Note taking
techniques provide a useful aid to reading. Use:

✓ underlining and highlighting to pick out what seem to you the most central or important
words and phrases. Do this in your own copy of texts or on photocopies - never on
borrowed texts;

✓ keywords to record the main headings as you read. Use one or two keywords for each
main point. Keywords can be used when you don't want to mark the text;

✓ questions to encourage you to take an active approach to your reading. Record your
questions as you read. They can also be used as prompts for follow up work;

✓ summaries to check you have understood what you have read. Pause after a section of
text and put what you have read in your own words. Skim over the text to check the
accuracy of your summary, filling in any significant gaps.

These techniques encourage an active engagement with the text as well as providing you with a
useful record of your reading. Avoid passively reading large amounts of text; it does not make effective use
of your time. Always use a note taking technique to increase your levels of concentration and
understanding.

Making Inferences

When we try to figure out something based on an experience, we make an inference. Making
inference is the ability of understanding implicit messages conveyed by a writer based on the reader’s
schema or background knowledge.

Making inferences is one of the reading strategies and techniques that help improve the critical
comprehension skill of the readers as they try to unravel the meaning between, behind, and beyond words
they read.

For example, when we see a boy quietly seated inside the library reading a book, we infer that the
boy might be reviewing something for his examination or quiz. How did we say that? We are able to make
such inference because more or less, when we, too, have to review for a quiz or exam, we go to the library.

Drawing Conclusions

Drawing conclusion is another reading strategy that gives the reader an experience to explore after
reading the text. It is when the readers are given the opportunity to utilize visual clues to figure out
something not directly stated. When draws a conclusion, one develops the skill of putting together various
pieces of information to come up with an acceptable conclusion.

The best example is when the story you’ve read is open-ended. The author did not give a clear and
direct ending of the story, but based on the events that happened in the story, you are able to make your
own conclusion. The conclusion or ending of the story you’ve made is acceptable only when you derive it
from the events or scenarios evidenced in the plot.

What is a thesis statement?

Students must learn first to identify the thesis statement the article they are reading. A thesis
statement is a sentence that bears the main idea of an article or an essay. It helps control the ideas within
the paper. It is not just a topic. A thesis statement tells the reader how he will interpret the significance of
the subject matter under discussion. It serves as the map for the paper. Thus, it gives the reader the idea
on what to expect from the material he is reading.

Example of an analytical thesis statement:

An analysis of the college admission process reveals one challenge facing counsellors: accepting students
with high test scores or students with strong extracurricular backgrounds.

The paper should:

•Explain the analysis of the college admission process

•Explain the challenge facing admissions counsellors

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and
socializing with peers.

The paper t should:

•Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before
entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.

The paper should:

• Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue
community projects before entering college

Learning the various reading strategies and techniques is a skill that is developed over time.
Academic and professional writing really engages our students into various readings; hence, they should
be aware on how to utilize these reading strategies and techniques to gain mastery over them as they
improve better comprehension and produce appropriate writing outputs.

Source: Retrieved, March 22, 2017.

http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-reading-definition-process.html.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/.
https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/study-guides-pdfs/study-skills-pdfs/improving-reading-v0.1.pdf.