LECTURE SEVEN: READING SKILLS

1.1 INTRODUCTION
This section defines reading, its process and goals, describes the qualities of an efficient reader,
various reading skills like scanning, skimming, study reading and SQ3R reading method and
some of the reading difficulties that students face.
Objectives
By the end of the topic, the student should be able to:
i) Define reading
ii) Describe the process of reading
iii) Describe the main reading skills/types
iv) Discuss reading strategies
v) Identify effective reading
vi) Interpret Non -Linear Texts
vii) Demonstrate effective reading Skills
1.2 THE CONCEPT OF READING
In the simplest sense, reading means recognizing letters and groups of letters as symbols that
stand for particular sounds. The sounds, in turn, form words that express ideas in written or
printed form. A broader definition of reading links it more closely with other uses of language
and with thinking. According to this definition, reading first depends on a reader’s memory and
experience to understand what is read. It then involves how well the reader remembers, uses, and
reacts to the material.
This definition tries to emphasize the fact that effective reading is not just the ability to interpret
symbols on a page written in a familiar language, but more, the ability to maximize one’s
benefits from this activity by reflecting on the message as one interprets the written symbols.
In reading, one needs to reflect on what they read, have dialogue with the writer through the
printed medium, that is, be able to capture the writer’s thought. Reading is thus something we are
actively involved in. It is in fact an activity in which the whole person is involved – eyes, ears,
imagination and memory.
Reading provides the key to several kinds of information. It enables us to learn how to build or
fix things, enjoy stories, discover what other people believe, and to develop ideas and beliefs of
our own and to excel at university.
Writers organize ideas and relate them to one another. If the reader can interpret and analyze the
relationship of ideas, they would understand more of what they read. Writers often cushion their
message in the stated main idea. The main idea of a text / passage is the most important point the
writer is making. Sometimes the main idea is stated explicitly i.e. the author may clearly state the
main idea in one or two sentences. Also to look for is the implied main idea. Sometimes the main
idea is not stated but merely implied. It is implicit. It is thus upon the reader to figure out the
central idea that ties all the other ideas together.
THE READING PROCESS
The reading process entails 3 main activities
i) Evaluation
ii) Assimilation
iii) Synthesizing
Let us look at each of these three aspects:
i. EVALUATUION
Evaluation means that the reader needs to evaluate the strength, weight or credibility of the
material being read. The reader should be able to tell which material / source is reliable and
which one is not.
Ii ASSIMILATION
Assimilation is the taking in or grasping of the information read. It is the process of making new
ideas or pieces of information part of your knowledge so that you can use them more effectively.
For example, internalizing the meaning of a word so that you can use it in different situations.
SYNTHESIS
Synthesis means combining different ideas to have a new concept. Or it can mean combining
different ideas into one. Sometimes you do this when you summarize a passage, a chapter, or a
whole book. You can combine different words to make a new one.
1.3 PURPOSES FOR READING
Just like authors write for different purposes, readers read for different purposes. The different
purposes for reading include:
i) Entertainment or pleasure
Reading is a good pass time activity. Sometime people read for pleasure or to entertain
themselves. Such readings may thus be rapid.
ii) Acquiring knowledge or information.
Sometimes people read to acquire knowledge i.e. to be informed or gain understanding. Reading
has become the most important factor in the acquisition of knowledge. A widely read person
knows more than anyone can learn through direct experience in a lifetime. People thus read to
acquire knowledge and information and to update themselves about the current trends.
iii) Success in life.
Some people read because they want to succeed in life. How a person reads – In quantity and
quality – has some bearing on their level of achievement in the modern world. Reading enhances
people’s upward mobility in society. Thus people read so as to advance in life. That is why they
join universities to attain degrees.
iv. To improve quality of life.
The knowledge acquired from reading influences one’s life in one way or another. It enables one
to cope better with life challenges and lead a better life. Hence, people read so as to obtain a
good quality life.
QUALITIES OF AN EFFICIENT READER
Qualities of an efficient reader include the following:
i. He gets what he wants from his reading without wasting time and effort.
ii. His speed and method vary according to his purpose.
iii. He is flexible. He can read slowly or fast according to the task in question or
depending on his goal.
iv. He can grasp the main ideas accurately and skip details when he chooses.
v. He is intent on achieving a particular goal which means that his mind is alert and
questioning.
vi. He relates what he is reading to what he already knows or what he has just read.
vii. The reader who forms the habit of thinking ahead and looking for relationships of the
ideas he is reading can often anticipate what the author will say next.
viii. He reads for meanings not the individual words.
ix. He is always looking for key words and key ideas and he is always trying to pick out
the essentials from what is less important.
x. He is much too busy asking questions and reacting to his reading to say every word to
himself as the poor reader may do.
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF EFFICIENT READING
 i. The efficient reader can read a passage faster than the inefficient one and still
understand and remember most of it.
ii. He can concentrate and read for longer periods without getting tired and
frustrated.
iii. He enjoys reading because he knows how to get what he wants easily and
accurately.
iv. Since he finds reading rewarding, he reads a lot.
v. The efficient reader has the time and the interest to move beyond the required
textbooks to relevant books of his own choice.
vi. His vocabulary, his use of English, his general knowledge and his critical
judgment all improve in the best and the most natural way. This is when he
reads for his own interest and enjoyment.
1.5 PSYCHOLOGICAL PREPARATION FOR SERIOUS READING
Effective serious reading requires that one gets psychologically prepared for the exercise. It is
important, before you begin your reading assignment, to prepare yourself psychologically
through positive affirmations. Develop a positive attitude e.g. avoid telling yourself that the book
is too hard or boring but instead concentrate on the usefulness of the information. Reading when
you have no interest leads to reading only because it is required and it interferes with your ability
to retain what you have read. A positive attitude enhances retention. Be alert and keenly
conscious of what you read. This helps concentration.
Keep your reading goals in mind and concentrate on understanding the main points. If your mind
does wander, take a quick break. Be conscious of your posture, your thoughts and your
surroundings and then gently bring your thoughts back to the task at hand. It is also important to
get enough sleep since active reading requires energy and alertness. Read when you are most
rested and alert. Read in an organized area supplied with the necessary study materials.
Clarify your purpose for reading.
Establish your reading goals and determine whether you are reading for pleasure, previewing
information, enhancing lectures, getting background information for a lecture, understanding
ideas, finding facts, memorizing data and formulas, getting research questions or analyzing and
comprehending a difficult or complex subject. Plan the amount of material you intend to read,
and set a goal for the time it will take. You will be more motivated with a set immediate goal and
time for completion.
Previewing is a major step in making most of your reading – it warms up your brain for
incoming information. Therefore the goal in previewing is to read quickly for overall
understanding of main concepts and ideas. It aims at getting the wider picture and not
memorizing facts or details. Identify the main idea of each section to get a feel for the text. Look
at how it is organized, its level of difficulty; and the illustrations, diagrams pictures, summaries
and graphs. It is important to look for familiar concepts and connections.
STRUCTURE OF THE READING MATERIAL
When accessing the structure of the reading material, one looks at two main aspects which are
the content and the form of the text.
i) Content of the Text.
When looking at the content of the material, the reader focuses more on what the text is
about, what it deals with, the subject matter and the theme. If it is a novel or a play, you also
look at the characters, what they do and what happens to them and the place or historical time
and social context of the text.
ii) The Form of the Text.
Here, one looks at the structure and the style of the text, and how it is shaped and expressed.
Structure refers to how the text is constructed or put together. There are two kinds or levels
of structure which are:
a) External structure or organization, which is the technical divisions of the text into
recognizable, convenient and significant segments i.e. into paragraphs, chapters,
sections, acts, scenes stanzas and so on.
b) Internal structure or development concerns the significant connections among the
various elements of the text. It refers to the flow, uniformity and the coherence of
the material.
1.5 TYPES OF READING
The main types of reading we are going to look at are:
i. Scanning
ii. Skimming.
iii. Study Reading
 iv. Critical Reading
v. SQ3R Reading method
vi. The five part reading system
vii. Technical Reading : Non Linear Texts
Let us look at each of them.
i. SCANNING
This involves going through a text quickly to spot or locate specific information e.g. a date, word
or name. Focus is laid on the information being looked for and not the whole piece of writing.
We usually do this when looking for a specific word in a dictionary.
When you need specific information you should not always read the entire material. Scanning is
thus a very useful skill in answering comprehension or passage questions. After reading the
questions, run through the passage to locate where the relevant information is located. This
strategy entails glancing down the pages, looking or searching for key words. It is thus
recommended to scan when you need specific information such as the answer to a question.
WHAT TO DO WHEN SCANNING
When scanning it is useful to do the following:
i. Decide exactly the type of information you are looking for.
ii. Decide the form it may take e.g. it could be a date, the name of a person, the
causes of something, the effects, or information to help you write either your
introduction or your conclusion. If you want any of this information, scan for it
instead of reading the whole article or the whole book.
iii. Decide where you can find the information you need. Just as you know which
pages in the newspaper you can check various items like entertainment, Radio and
TV guide, you need to familiarize yourself with common reference sources for
your subject e.g. encyclopedias, journals, critical reviews and so on.
ii. SKIMMING
This is the reading method that involves rapid reading in order to get the general idea. It involves
moving eyes quickly over a text and paying attention to titles, headings, subheadings, first and
last paragraphs, or introductions and conclusions, or the topic sentences, or clincher sentences,
key words, key phrases and figures, captions, and illustrations that stand out .
Then, if you need more information, look for the main ideas of individual paragraphs. This
differs from scanning in that you are not looking just for specific points but you are interested in
gaining an overall idea, or the gist of the passage. This should help you to decide whether the
passage or material is worth studying in more detail.
In many ways skimming is more difficult than scanning because the reader has to follow the
writer’s train of thought. It is thus required that you skim when you want an overview or a
general idea or the important points in a piece of writing.
Steps for skimming
To effectively skim a piece of work;
i) Move your eyes quickly over the text
ii) Looking at any headings or titles. Read the title and any headings and captions
iii) Carefully read the 1st paragraph
iv) Pay particular attention to the first sentence in every paragraph. Look for key words
in the text. This is likely to give you a clue as to the paragraph’s content.
v) Carefully read the first and the last paragraphs of the text as writers tend to introduce
their topic in the first paragraph and summarize the points in the last.
iii. STUDY READING
For some people, study reading is what you do when you try to fully understand and
to remember as much as possible of what you have read. It is the method you use to
study your textbooks like for History, Science, Biology, Psychology and so on. In
short, you read, understand and try to remember without criticizing the material.
iv. CRITICAL READING
Critical reading is used when, apart from reading and understanding the information in a text,
you critique it, evaluate it, and compare it with your own experience and that of others and so on.
You have therefore to read between the lines and infer some information that may not be
explicitly stated in the passage but it is only implied.
Critical reading entails text analysis. It is the most involving type of reading since one has to do
all that is done in other readings, like scanning, skimming and study reading, and more. Critical
reading involves going beyond what the writer says in order to get the deeper meaning as
suggested by choice of words and the description and the arrangement of ideas. It goes beyond
the literal meaning and visual presentations. It is the analytical and reflective reading of a text.
Critical reading involves making comments on stylistic devices, language and general
organization of the text, making judgments on literary techniques, the strengths and weaknesses
of the information. It abhors accepting everything that is read as plain truth or at face value. It
implies being able to distinguish facts from opinions in your reading.
Being a critical reader will help you generate meaning and enhance greater understanding.
Critical reading also helps you to reorganize the text, decide what information is important and to
take notes on the reading to assist you in your memory of what you have read.
Guidelines for Critical Reading
i) Use headings, subheadings, summaries and questions to create order and
organizations.
ii) Recognize Key vocabulary and key definitions
iii) Analyze reading goals
iv) Use different reading strategies for different reading tasks.
v) Preview chapters
vi) Look for connections between concepts, ideas, sentences and paragraphs
vii) Evaluate the attitude that you bring to reading
NB: Critical reading requires analytical reading skills accompanied with a positive attitude.
v. THE FIVE PART READING SYSTEM.
The five part reading system, just as the name suggests, consists of five main steps. These
include:
a. Prepare
Try to prepare yourself mentally and psychologically for reading by creating a positive and
interested attitude. Focus your attention on what you are about to read. Clarify your purpose and
how you will use the information you gain from your reading. It is also important to prepare
yourself physically by being rested and reading during high-energy times. Eliminate distractions
by choosing a study area that encourages concentration.
b. Preview
A quick survey of the material you are about to read will give you a general overview. This is a
major step in making the most of your reading. It warms up your brain for incoming information.
Thus the goal in previewing is to read quickly for overall understanding of main concepts and
ideas. It aims at getting the big picture and not memorizing facts or details. Identify the main
idea of each section to get a feel for the text. Pay attention to tittles, introductions, chapter
objectives, main ideas, and connections between concepts, terms and formulas. This information
will set the stage for your reading. Look at how it is organized; its level of difficulty; and the
illustrations, diagrams, pictures, summaries and graphs and look at the visuals and any
illustrations, as well as key and bolded words. These elements will help clarify the main ideas of
the subject. By gaining a general understanding of the assignment you will be better prepared to
read the material actively.
c. Predict questions
Next, change every section heading into a question; for instance, if the section heading is “The
Sensory Organs” ask yourself the question “what are the sensory organs?” As you read predict
test questions and search for answers. Ask yourself who, what, where, when, why and how? The
more questions you ask, the better prepared you will be to find answers to test the questions.
d. Pick out Key Words
Outline, underline and highlight key words, main ideas, and facts. Look for the main concepts,
supporting points, and answers to the questions you have raised. Develop an outline to help you
organize the information.
e. Paraphrase and Review
At this stage paraphrase, summarize and review the main ideas. Write a short summary and then
try to remember it. This summary is done right after the lecture or the workshop as part of your
immediate goals. Try this again after 24 hours of previewing the chapter. Review your summary
several times until you understand the material and can explain it to someone else. The next
review can be after three or four weeks, and then before the final exams.
Finally, during your study group meetings, take turns reviewing and listening to one another’s
summaries. It may be helpful to review questions, answers and summaries. In a nutshell, the five
part reading system entails preparation, previewing, predicting questions, picking out key words
and paraphrasing and reviewing.
THE SQ3R READING METHOD
The SQ3R reading method has helped many students improve their reading comprehension since
it was first developed by Prof. Francis Robinson in 1941. This method aims at understanding
every aspect of the text. It refers to what you do when you try to fully understand and remember
as much as possible of what you have read. This technique requires the reader to pay close
attention to the text and look for significant ideas and details.
The SQ3R is one of the most recommended strategies for study reading. It is also made up of
five steps.. The steps include:
a. Survey.
Survey the material before reading it. This is like skimming. It entails quickly perusing the
content, main headings, looking at illustrations and captions and becoming familiar with the
special features in each chapter. Surveying or looking over the material helps to give the reader
some general idea of the issues dealt with in the book.
b. Question.
Find the main points and ask questions. The reader here makes a list of questions that they
should be able to answer after the reading. One may use questions presented at the end of the
chapter, those provided by the lecturer or can generate their own by turning chapter titles and
headings into questions. Any illustrations, maps tables of graphs can also be used as a basis for
questions. This step enables the reader to have adequate motivation and the right focus for
careful reading.
c. Read
Read the material thoughtfully, picking out what is important for your purposes. Underline key
words, key concepts and key sentences. Read the different sections to find answers to your
questions. Look for the main ideas and supporting details. The reader should pay particular
attention to definitions, topic sentences and chapter headings.
d. Recite or Recall:
After reading, recall the answers to your questions. Recite the main ideas and key points in your
own words. Make notes on other important points from the material.
e. Review
To review means to reread the parts that you have not understood or the ones that you cannot
recall clearly. Try to answer each of your original questions without consulting your notes. If
necessary review the sections to find the answers. Then look over your notes to impress the
material on your mind. This will help you to remember it later on as it fosters retention.
The SQ3R study method is one of the most recommended strategies for study reading. It is thus
advisable that you apply it for your reading assignments in the university and combine it with
critical reading. Alternatively, you can use the five part reading system.
1.5.4 Silent Reading
Silent reading is much faster than reading aloud. It also leads to better comprehension. Efficient
silent reading enables one to read faster and with higher comprehension.
Poor silent reading habits like verbalizing, moving lips and using the finger or a pen to point at
the words you are reading not only slows you down considerably but also affects your
comprehension of the material you are reading. Practice your silent reading skills to ensure that
you read fast enough and with sufficient comprehension.
Tips for Effective Silent Reading
To achieve speed and better comprehension in silent reading the following guidelines may be
useful:
i) Read words as groups and not as single words, for instance,
“The President snubbed the critical Mau forest tree planting exercise.” And NOT
“The / President / snubbed / the / critical / Mau / forest / tree / planting / exercise.”
ii) Do not move your head or book as you read.
iii) Do not point at words with your fingers or pen as you read.
iv) Do not vocalize or sub – vocalize your words
v) Do not regress. This is looking back at words or ideas that have been read and were not
understood.
To overcome these bad reading habits it wise to read a lot and develop in oneself a culture of
reading. Practice reading faster and more intelligently in all your subjects.
VII. TECHNICAL READING FOR NON – LINEAR TEXTS
Technical reading deals with non linear texts, that is, it involves noting relationships and making
interpretation of non verbal information or data presentation in form of graphs, charts,
diagrams or tables for specific and technical information. It also involves reading technical
material such as the directions in subjects like Chemistry, or the statistical analysis of a financial
statement.
Such material can be complicated and difficult. Hence, many readers tend to skip over them or
become discouraged when they attempt to read them. However, there are some reading strategies
that can be implemented when one encounters technical material.
In academic writing data is frequently presented by means of diagrams, charts and tables.
Remember that in writing your essays or term papers, the use of graphs and charts can make your
work more attractive, interesting and informative.
Strategies for Technical Reading:
1. The following guidelines adapted from Ferrett ( 2000,5) may help you in handling non-
verbal or non linear texts.
2. Do not skip over any graphics: charts, diagrams or tables
3. Read the title, any accompanying captions, and column titles, any labels or symbols and
make interpretations of any data such as percentages, totals, and figures.
4. Identify the type of graphic you are looking at. Are you looking at a table, chart or graph?
5. Decide the purpose of the graph, chart, or any diagram. Is it demonstrating to the reader
information of likeness or differences, increases or decreases; comparisons or changes?
6. See the connection or relationship between the topic of the graph and the chapter, the
section or the topic.
7. Explain in your own words the information depicted in the graph.
8. Finally, using the graphic information, share your interpretation of it with your study
group members or colleagues. Did they feel that your interpretation was clear?
NB: Graphics can enhance and help explain the written material that appears in a text.
Tabular presentation
1. The following is an example of one of the most straightforward ways of presenting
information, although not necessarily the easiest to interpret. The information is presented in
form of tables which are to be used for comparison. Use the data given to answer the questions
that follow.
Students’ Assessment of qualities of a good lecturer in universities A, B and C

QUALITIES UNIVERSITY/ PROPORTION OF STUDENTS (%)

A B C
Delivery 60 55 40
Notes 20 15 15
Clarity 40 50 45
Enthusiasm 56 40 44
Originality 39 48 56
Guidance 18 35 36
Comprehensibility 24 30 40
Content mastery 24 24 12
Illustration 12 15 25
Open to questioning 2 20 32
No. of students 295 332 345
1. What were the 3 most important qualities of a good lecturer according to the students in the three
universities?
1.6 READING FOR THE MAIN IDEA
People often write long texts just to argue one point. One may read just to get the author’s main
idea.
Approaches To Identify The Main Idea In Long Publications
To capture the main idea in texts, the following may be helpful.
1. The title may show what a book is all about. They sometimes summarize the theme of a
publication. However, titles are often vague and may not be relied on for the main idea of
what a publication is about.
2. Introductions to publications often give good summaries of the author’s main point. This
is useful information because one may then decide to start with that chapter and only
come to others if they consider this necessary.
3. Conclusion. This is usually a summary of a work. It is important to look at the summary
pages when looking for the main ideas in a publication or a text.
4. Chapters and sections. One may also check through chapter headings and various sub-
headings for the main ideas. The chapter and section titles may give ideas about what key
points the writer is dealing with.
5. Skimming and scanning (reading for particular points) are useful in trying to identify the main
idea of a text.
1.8 Barriers to Effective Reading and Causes of Reading Difficulties
A number of factors hinder effective reading or cause reading difficulties. They include:
1. Alliteracy or attitude.
Alliteracy means the lack of desire to read. The greatest barrier to effective reading is attitude.
Many people are not willing to invest their time in becoming better readers.
Alliterate people can read but they tend to avoid the activity. People who do not read much do
not develop their reading skills. People usually dislike doing things they do poorly and so
alliterate people tend to read less and less.
A solution to alliteracy lies in capturing the person’s interest with attractive, meaningful reading
materials. A person who learns beneficial things through reading may become a frequent reader.
2. Difficult or boring reading material
If the literature is difficult, boring or requires a lot of concentration, readers may not continue
reading or they may not complete the reading assignment. Hence, break a huge reading
assignment into manageable sections, and make it interesting by focusing on the long term goals.
3. Poor concentration
Failure to concentrate is another impediment to effective reading. To get meaning from reading
one must focus their mind on the text. Almost all readers occasionally fail to understand the text.
Some particular neophyte (young) readers dealing with assignment materials often try to read as
though the process were so automatic as to require no thought. However, for comprehension to
take place, a reader must bring their knowledge and experience to the act of gaining meaning
from the words they read.
5. Insufficient experience
All readers bring their experiences to the comprehension process. Individuals from homes where
conversations, ideas and printed materials are valued, have prior ideas and a broad base of
experience and thus an advantage in developing as readers. Those whose experiences have been
limited may have more difficulty with reading. The act of reading itself enriches one’s
background. Hence, experience and reading reinforce each other.
6. Busy schedules
Reading takes time, effort, concentration and practice which many people seem not to have.
Some students and career professionals say they have too much required reading and too little
time for pleasure reading. However, it is important to read for pleasure. The more you read, the
more your reading skills will increase and the more you will enjoy reading.
7. Physical disabilities
Inadequate brain development, vision or hearing defects can cause reading difficulties and hinder
effective reading. However, they account for only a small percentage of all reading problems.
A vision or hearing problem does not by itself cause poor reading. However, correction of such a
problem aids reading development. Vision or hearing impairments may not become obvious until
one takes screening tests but parents and teachers may notice them earlier. Signs of possible
vision problems include frequent rubbing or squinting of the eyes; holding pictures and print
close to the face or too far away and complaining of headaches.
In most cases, vision and hearing problems can be corrected with eye glasses or hearing aid.
SUMMARY
This section has focused on reading skills, the reading process, different types of reading, the
qualities of an efficient reader, and causes of poor reading. We hope these aspects are helpful to
you.
Topic Review Questions
1.Define the concept of reading
2.Describe the reading process
5. Describe the following reading skills:
i. Scanning
ii. Skimming.
iii. Study Reading
iv. Critical Reading
v. SQ3R Reading method
vi. The five part reading system
vii. Technical Reading for Non Linear Texts
viii. Outline the tips for effective silent reading.
ix. Explain the guidelines for critical reading approaches that you adopt would in
reading to identify the main idea in a long text?
x. Outline bad reading habits
xi. Explain the causes of reading difficulties