Reading Skill

 

READING SKILL

-Reading is a process of sight, sound and sense. It needs co-ordination of eye and mind.

-Readers pre understanding about the topic is called schemata.  In creating meaning, reader relies on their prior knowledge.

-Reading is a psycholinguistic guessing game

Method of reading teaching:

We generally categorize these methods into 2 groups:

A)Synthetic methods: Mental process of combining into larger units

Alphabetic method:

Ø  Letter as the unit, not sound

Ø  oldest method,  mastery through repetition,

Ø  We associate letters with picture of words (A- apple)

Ø  Assumes that names of letters will help the pupil to recognize & pronounce words. Ex: C-A-T

Ø  Chief objection is that the sounds of the names of the letters do not indicate the pronunciation of words

Phonic method

Ø  Sound as the unit

Ø  We teach the sounds of letters, not their names.

Ø  Sounds are combined into syllables, words and then larger units.

Ø  Most effective for languages in which the forms and sounds of letters are invariably correspond.

Ø  phonic method is preferable than alphabetic method.

Ø  Vowels to be introduced first, then consonants and then combine them.

Ø  Repetition of meaningless elements (phonemes) creates dislike for reading

Syllabic Method

Ø  Syllable as the key unit.

Ø  We teach learners to pronounce syllables combine them to form words and sentences

Ø  Not suitable for languages with a complex syllable structure.

B)Analytic methods: Mental process of breaking down into smaller units.

Word method

Ø  Word as the unit

Ø  Kinaesthetic; or Look and Say method

Ø  Comenius introduced it

Ø  Sight vocabulary (=caught by sight) is developed by reading word cards, word picture cards,

Ø  It fails to develop necessary accuracy and independence in word recognition

Phrase method

Ø  Phrase as unit

Ø  Assumes Phrase is better than word.

Ø  Believes that good readers recognize group of words at each fixation of eyes.

Ø  It is uneconomic and outdated

Sentence method

Ø  Sentence as unit

Ø  Based on Gestalt theory

Ø  Children are encouraged to participate in conversation by involving them in an activity or task. Teacher writes the sentences on BB.

Story method

Ø  Paragraph or small story as unit

Ø  A small well-known story with pictures are used; Teacher writes sentences on BB.

Ø  Useful in Adult Education

SUB SKILLS OF READING

1.       Scanning Vs Skimming:

Scanning:	Skimming:
-To find a particular piece of information. -we move eyes very quickly. -In scanning, we didn't remember what we had read -Ex: Reading results in notice board, searching telephone number in directory, looking for train schedules, lottery results. -Here we skip the rest of matter.	-To know what the text is about. -running eyes quickly to get gist/ central idea/ summary. -Complex than scanning, because we have to keep them in memory to get the gist. - Ex: Magazines, Newspaper, Revising the text that already read, Table of Contents -It is a part of SQ3R technique -Survey, Question, Read, Recall, Revise

2.       Intensive Vs Extensive reading:

Intensive reading	Extensive Reading:
-known as narrow reading, critical reading, or reading for understanding -It is detailed study, - We can’t read a legal document, same as a Novel. Ex: Readers (Textbook), Journals, articles, research papers -Very slow reading/reading in detail.	-Known as reading for information, reading for pleasure. -It is non detailed study, -Emphasis on General Comprehension Ex: Supplementary, newspapers, novels -Taste for reading, to become Independent Reader. -It is based on fluency. -main purpose is to use leisure time, enjoy reading

 

3.       Silent reading Vs Reading aloud:

Reading aloud	Silent reading
-It involves looking at a text, understanding it and saying it.	-It involves looking at a text, understanding text without saying.
-Our attention deviates between reading and speaking.	-There is no movement of lips or the tongue, finger in line.
Energy is wasted.	Saves energy
It is reading for oral practice	It is reading for thought and intelligence
-At Primary classes, less speed	-At Higher level, more speed
-Slows down the reading process. We often stumble and make mistakes.	-It provides opportunity to understand the text.
-Helps in association of spoken word with printed symbols.	-Helps in widening the eye span by reducing the backward movement.
-We need to read the text several times to comprehend it.	- Encourages to read with comprehension.
Focus is on spoken word	Focus is on comprehension only.
Teacher gives model reading, children are asked to read themselves, teacher then explains	Prepares the students for independent reading meaning, pronunciation etc.
-disturbance to others	-No disturbance to others
Helps teachers to rectify errors.	No chance for correction
-Poetry is not appreciated unless it is read aloud.	- aims at intellectual ability, linguistic skill, literary pleasure

 4.Library skills: 

Reader forms a habit of reading and develops skill of catching or locating information in the material read when he consults library.  Ex: Art of indexing, note taking, summarising, outlining, writing reports, reviews etc.,

Reading comprehension -types of reading

On the lines (literal/factual questions)

Ø  Reader finds meaning directly in the text.

Ø  Is able to state exactly what the passage is saying. Ex: who, what, when, where

between the lines (inferential questions)

Ø  Sometimes meanings cannot be found in text reader has to infer meaning and the exact answer cannot be found in the text.

Ø  It is to recognize the ideas and information that is not directly stated.

Ø  Reader must take influences go through the literary illusions, idiomatic expressions and figures of speech.

Ø  Give reasons, compare, contrast, analyse, classify type questions may be asked.

Ø  Example: He had no heart =cruel; Crossing the bar=death

Beyond the lines (evaluate)

Ø  Sometimes the reader has to deduce the lesson from the text and apply them in life.

Ø  Making judgements with regarded to the text

Ø  Ex: why, how, explain

Creative reading (4^th type)

Ø  Generation of new ideas insights applications and approaches.

Ø  It requires invention production and imagination.

Ø  Example proposing alternative conclusion or generalization

Note: Major problem is in the questions, because most of the questions are literal, adequate attention must be given to all the 4 levels of questions.

Authentic material (Spoken or written)

Ø  V.J.Cook in 1980s came out with the term. He says “materials produced without the obvious intent of teaching in the class are called authentic materials"

Ø  It is a distinction between original/real text and artificial texts.

Ø  Course drill/dialogue-artificial-not authentic

Ø  Advertise/paper article/pop song -real- authentic

Ø  To keep authentic materials accessible to learners and approaches developed on grade the task, not the text principle.

Ø  This skimming, scanning, listening for gist are identified with authentic materials since they require only a general understanding of text

Ø  When people first think of authentic materials, they usually assume that we are talking about newspaper and magazine articles.

Ø  However, the term can also encompass such things as songs, web pages, radio & TV broadcasts, films, leaflets, flyers, posters, indeed anything written in the target language and used unedited in the classroom.

Ø  Simply, natural and real material taken from newspaper TV radio to fill the social purpose in communicative language teaching.

Realia:

Ø  Real or actual objects used as teaching aids.

Ø  Ex: Bus ticket, time tables, pamphlets