Strategies for Developing Your Reading Skills

Strategies for Developing
Your Reading Skills
Copyright © 2021 Talent & Skills HuB

Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you will:
Understand different types of reading
Understand how to adopt appropriate reading style for your study
Understand the strategies for efficiency in reading
Understand the purpose of efficiency in reading

Types of Reading
The most important lesson in developing your reading skills is the understanding
of different types of reading.
You will be able to efficiently increase your reading by using the type of reading
that is most appropriate to the task you need to complete.
This will help you not to apply the wrong reading type over a task that requires a
different reading approach.
For example, there is no need to use skimming reading method in a task that
requires a thorough reading.
On the other hand, you will waste your time trying to read thoroughly a material
that requires skimming.
Hence, you should make reading appropriate to the material you are working with.

Types of Reading Continues
There are several types of reading which can be categorized as follows:
Intensive Reading
Extensive Reading
 Combination of Intensive and Extensive Reading Scanning
Skimming
 Combination of Scanning and Skimming

Intensive Reading
Intensive reading "calls attention to grammatical forms,
discourse markers, and other surface structure details for the
purpose of understanding literal meaning, implications,
rhetorical relationships, and the like."
During intensive reading, content and grammatical
structures repeat themselves and students get many
opportunities to understand the meanings of the text.
The success of intensive reading on improving reading skills
is based on the idea that the more familiar the reader is with
the text, either due to the subject matter or having read other
works by the same author, the more comprehension is
promoted.

Characteristics of Intensive Reading
Usually classroom based
Reader is intensely involved in looking inside the text
Students focus on linguistic or semantic details of a reading
Students focus on surface structure details such as grammar and discourse markers
Students identify key vocabulary
Students may draw pictures to aid them (such as in problem solving)
Texts are read carefully and thoroughly, again and again
Aim is to build more language knowledge rather than simply practice the skill of reading
Seen more commonly than extensive reading in classrooms

Skills for Intensive Reading
Rapid reading practice
• word attack skills
• text attack skills
• non-text information
Interpreting text by using:

Extensive Reading
Extensive reading is carried out to achieve a general
understanding of a text.
Extensive reading as "occurring when students read large
amounts of high interest material, usually out of class,
concentrating on meaning, "reading for gist" and skipping
unknown words.“
The aims of extensive reading are to build reader
confidence and enjoyment.
Extensive reading is always done for the comprehension
of main ideas, not for specific details.

Characteristics of Extensive Reading
1.Students read as much as possible.
2.A variety of materials on a range of topics is available.
3.Students select what they want to read .
4.The purposes of reading are usually related to pleasure, information and general
understanding.
5.Reading is its own reward.
6.Reading materials are well within the linguistic competence of the students in terms of
vocabulary and grammar.
7.Reading is individual and silent.
8.Reading speed is usually faster.
9.Teachers orient students to the goals of the program.
10.The teacher as a reader, is a role model for the students.

Combination of Intensive and Extensive
Reading
It is common for both approaches to reading to be used in the same class. For example,
where extensive reading is encouraged, the teacher may have all the students read the
same text so they can discuss the topic together or learn a specific skill such as writing
an outline.
In a class where intensive reading is mostly used, students may be asked to read texts
of their own choosing to report back on, in either an oral or written format.
In both approaches, it is not the nature of the skills that are of most interest rather, the
results.

Scanning
Scanning is a quick reading, focusing on locating specific information.
Scanning involves quick eye movements, not necessarily linear in fashion, in which the
eyes wander until the reader finds the piece of information needed.
Scanning is used when a specific piece of information such as a name, date, symbol,
formula, or phrase, is required.
The reader knows what the item looks like and so, knows when he has located what he
was searching for.
It is assumed then, that very little information is processed into long-term memory or
even for immediate understanding because the objective is simply matching.

When it is Used
Scanning is often used with technical, scientific or professional
materials to locate specific information.
Scanning is a valuable skill for second language learners to develop
because often they do not require detailed reading of a text.
There are everyday uses for scanning, relevant to a purpose, such as
reading a schedule.

Skimming
Skimming is a quick reading to get:
To know the general meaning of a passage
To know how the passage is organized, that is, the
structure of the text
To get an idea of the intention of the writer
Skimming is a more complex task than scanning
because it requires the reader to organize and remember
some of the information given by the author, not just to
locate it.
Skimming is a tool in which the author's sequence can
be observed, unlike scanning in which some
predetermined information is sought after.

When it is Used
Skimming is used when reading some general question in mind.
Skimming is used in making decisions on how to approach a text such as when determining
if a careful reading is deserving.
Skimming is used to build student confidence and an understanding that it is possible to
gain meaning without reading every word in a text.
Skimming is used as part of the SQ3R method of reading, often for speed reading. This
method involves the student in surveying, questioning, reading, reviewing and reciting.
Skimming is used for the initial survey and for review.
Skimming is a skill that a student may want to develop if they are planning to continue
with academic studies. It is often used in reviewing for a test.

Combination of Skimming and
Scanning
Skimming and scanning are sometimes referred to as types of reading and at other times, as
skills.
Skimming involves a thorough overview of a text and implies a reading competence.
Scanning is more a limited activity, only retrieving information relevant to a purpose.
Often skimming and scanning are used together when reading a text. For example, the
reader may skim through first to see if it is worth reading, then read it more carefully and
scan for a specific piece of information to note.
Students need to learn that they need to adapt their reading and techniques to the purpose
of the reading.
 By practicing skimming and scanning, the individual learns to read and select specific
information without focussing on information that is not important for meaning.

Reading Strategies
Read the information in the text
Re-read the information
Make notes on the topics raised in the course unit
Re-read the information again, keeping the topics in mind

Be Aware of the Type of Material You
are Reading
You will improve the quality and efficiency of your reading if you
keep in mind the type of material you are reading.
This may not be immediately apparent, and you may need to do
some initial reading to establish the type of text you have.
Do this as quickly as possible and adjust your reading type to
suit.
Your style of reading should be appropriate to the type of text.
There is no need starting to read in depth if you have not yet
established if the suitable of the material.
Also, you shouldn't dwell on a text if you are supposed to be
searching for a piece of information.
Whenever possible, be ready to switch your approach to suit the
reading task at hand.

Read with the Purpose of
Understanding
Make up your mind on the purpose of your reading task before you begin.
Keep reminding yourself of the principal objectives whilst you are reading.
The study should be alive in your mind. Be prepared to concentrate and take notes for
serious study

Summary
The understanding of different types of reading such as intensive reading,
extensive reading, combination of intensive and extensive reading , scanning,
skimming, combination of scanning and skimming will enable you to choose
the type of reading that is most suitable for the reading task.
A quick review or the understanding of the reading needs will help you to
establish the right approach of reading which meets the requirement of the
task.
Above all, reading is for the purpose of understanding. Without
understanding, there is no learning and reading becomes a waste of time,
energy and resources.

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Skills HuB
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in the development of their talents and skills and in the
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Strategies for Developing Your Reading Skills

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