2. • When one reads, there must be
comprehension; otherwise no reading
takes place.
• Comprehension takes place when there
is communication between the author and
the reader.
• It is understanding what the author
has written.
What is Comprehension?What is Comprehension?
3. Levels of Comprehension
1. Literal ( Reading the lines)
2. Inferential ( Reading between the lines)
3. Critical ( Reading beyond the lines)
4. Literal Level- requires the reader to remember to remember or
recall facts explicitly or directly found in the material read.
Inferential reading- requires the reader to look for implied
information in the selection.
Critical reading- takes place when the reader evaluates the
materials read, gives judgement or opinions on ideas read using
his prior knowledge or background experiences in relation to the
information read.
Literal Level- requires the reader to remember to remember or
recall facts explicitly or directly found in the material read.
Inferential reading- requires the reader to look for implied
information in the selection.
Critical reading- takes place when the reader evaluates the
materials read, gives judgement or opinions on ideas read using
his prior knowledge or background experiences in relation to the
information read.
5. Noting Details
• What it is:
Noting details is a factual type of reading
comprehension in which the reader is
directly concerned with remembering
items within the passage.
• This calls for a relatively slow and exacting
type of reading.
6. - Significant details are supposed to be
remembered.
- When are details considered significant or
insignificant?
The answer to this leans heavily on the
reader’s purpose.
----- Details therefore are significant only in
relation to the reader’s purpose.--------
7. Pointers in reading for
details:
• 1. Be definite about your purpose in
reading a selection.
• There are times when you have to read a
selection more than once if your purpose
are different everytime you read.
• 2. Read the passage slowly and cerefully.
8. • 3. Remember the details in relation to
ideas you want to remember rather than
as isolated bits of information.
• 4. Be able to distinguish main or big ideas
from sub-ideas. When you know the main
ideas, it is easier to remember the
supporting details.
11. 1.Who started the celebration of Mother’s Day?
2.What was Woodrow Wilson’s main contribution
to the celebration of Mother’s Day?
3.When is Mother’s Day celebrated?
4. What countries celebrate Mother’s Day on the
same date?
5.What makes Mother’s Day in the
Philippines assume greater significance?
Answer the following questions:Answer the following questions:
13. The Applicant
A gentleman put an advertisement in a newspaper for a
boy to work in his office. Out of nearly fifty who came to
apply, the man selected one and dismissed the others.
“ I should like to know”, said a friend, “the reason you
selected that boy who brought not a single letter, not a
single recommendation.”
‘’You are wrong” said the gentleman, “ He had a great
many. He wiped his feet at the door and closed the door
after him, showing that he was careful. He gave his seat
instantly to that lame old man, showing that he was kind
and thoughtful. He took off his cap when he came in and
answered my questions promptly, showing that he was
polite and gentlemanly.
14. All the rest stepped over the book which I had
purposely put on the floor. He picked it up and
placed it on the table; and he waited quietly for
his turn instead of pushing and crowding. When
I talked to him, I noticed his tidy clothing, his
finely brushed hair, and his clean fingernails. Do
you not call these things recommendations? I
do I consider them more important than letters.”
15. 1. What was the purpose of the gentleman’s
advertisement?
2. How many were needed for employment?
3. What was extraordinary about the
applicant who got hired?
4. How did the applicant who got hired
impressed the employer?
5. What was the employer’s interpretation of
recommendations?
18. What is a title?
•A word or phrase given to a text (an essay,
article, chapter, report, or other work) to
identify the subject, attract the reader's
attention, and forecast the tone and
substance of the writing to follow.
•The title should give the general idea of
what the passage or selection is about.
•It should be brief and “catchy” so that
it will appeal to the interest
of the reader.
19. The five characteristics of a desirable
title (Lipton 1998) are:
1. Informative
Identify one or two main points in the paper to communicate to
the audience; a good title is capable of conveying those points.
Be as specific as possible without adding unnecessary details.
Titles that are too vague or too general do not help the reader
distinguish your work from others. Choose words carefully,
cognizant that prospective readers will often find your article
through electronic searches.
2. Accurate
•The title should be truthful about the contents of the paper.
•Do not overpromise the results of the paper in the title.
20. 3. Clear
•The audience should not have to think about what the title
means. Different people may interpret the title differently, so ask
a number of people to critique your title and tell you what they
think the paper is about before they even read it.
4. Concise
•Short titles are instantly recognizable and jump of the page.
Every word should have a reason for being present, and each
word should contribute to the message of the title.
21. 5. Attention commanding
•Not all research projects can produce an attention-commanding
title, nor do all projects need them. But, if you can meet the other
four criteria and have a choice between a pedestrian title and
one that is a bit provocative, consider the provocative one.
Ideally, titles should strive to adhere to these five characteristics.
However, not all may be met or can be met in one title. For
example, to write an attention-commanding title, often you have
to sacrifice being less clear or informative. How much concision
are you willing to give up in order to be accurate? Clearly, these
are decisions for the author to make.
22. Tips for Creating Catchy Titles:
Titles catch the attention of readers and provide a clue to the
paper's content. If a title doesn't suggest itself in the writing of
your paper, try one of these strategies:
– Use one strong short phrase from your paper
– Present a question that your paper answers
– State the answer to the question or issue your paper will
explore
– Use a clear or catchy image from your paper
– Use a famous quotation
– Write a one-word title (or a two-word title,
a three-word-title, and so on)
– Begin your title with the word On
– Begin your title with a gerund (-ing word)
23. Let us practice!!!!
• Read each paragraph carefully. Then
select the title which best expresses
the main idea of the paragraph.
24. 1. Cats are the world’s greatest hunters for they go after any
animal which they can catch and kill. They move in complete
silence and rely on stealth and secrecy to catch their prey.
They prefer to ambush their victim with a terrifying rush
instead of chasing it. They have magnificent bodies that
combine power and grace, as they move very fast over short
sight especially at night. They hunt by night for they have
eyes especially adapted for this.
A. Sly Animals C. World’s Greatest Hunters
B. Hunters in the Night D. Magnificent Animals
25. 2. The Sanduguan Festival in Mindoro is a pageant with the
entire populace of the town as its cast. Its natural stage and
setting are the main thoroughfares and the wide stretch of beach
at Calapan Bay. Sanduguan was derived from the world
“sandugo” which means “brother” hence the festival means
“brotherhood festival”. It is the reenactment of the first historical
contact between natives of Ma-I and seafaring traders from
ancient cathay. In this festival the people depict the custom and
tradition of the Ma-ians.
A. A Festival in Mindoro C. Customs and Tradition
B. The Sanduguan Festival D. Brotherhood
28. A PARAGRAPH HAS TWO
MAIN PARTS
1. MAIN IDEA expressed in the topic
sentence.
2. SUPPORTING DETAILS as the
additional sentences in the paragraph.
29. WHAT IS A MAIN IDEA?
The most important thing an author is trying to
say.
It is a general statement of the content of the
paragraph.
It tells what the story is all about.
It is the reason why the story is written.
30. IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA:
• There are many fun
things to do at the
beach. Swimming is one
thing that can be done at
the beach. Snorkelling is
another thing that can
be enjoyed. Playing
beach volleyball can be
a lot of fun. It is also fun
to look for shells. Some
people simply like to
sunbathe.
31. Despite the hatred that most
people feel toward the
cockroaches, they do help humans
in several ways. For example, they
are perfect experimental animals
for scientific research. In studies of
nutrition and food, cockroaches
are good subjects because they
will eat any kinds of foods. They
can be used to study heart
disease, and cancer researchers
work with roaches because they
grow cancerous tumours like those
that are found in humans.
IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA:
32. WHAT IS A MAIN IDEA?
Provides order, progression, and unity to the
paragraph by tying together the sentences.
It is the Big Point or the most important idea that
the writer is communicating to the reader.
Without the main idea, the paragraph would
be nothing but a mere collection of unrelated
ideas.
33. WHAT’S THE POINT?
Please read this short paragraph…
Engineers create wealth for the society. So,
tennis is the game and the resources of the earth
are scarce. Have you gone mad? Thus, the only
solution is to educate the public on becoming
socially responsible.
DID THIS MAKE SENSE?????!!!!!!
34. OF COURSE NOT!
It didn’t have a MAIN IDEA at all.
We would go crazy if texts were written
like this all the time.
It was difficult to understand because it
was made of different ideas that didn’t link.
There was no common thread.
Thus, luckily normal passages have
main ideas.
35. THEREFORE THE MAIN IDEA
IS…
General statement of the content of the
paragraph.
Central thought of the paragraph.
It is like the HEART of the text or paragraph.
It is the controlling idea of a paragraph.
36. • Recognition of the main idea of a
paragraph is important because it not only
helps you understand the paragraph but
also helps you remember the content.
37. STATED AND IMPLIED MAIN IDEA
STATED
The main idea is directly stated in a paragraph;
usually in the topic sentence. It can be found at the
beginning, middle or end of the paragraph.
IMPLIED
The reader has to state the main idea in his own
words because the paragraph doesn’t contain a
stated main idea.
38. Let’s take a look at these
examples:
The students had fun on their field trip. They
visited the Marine Museum. They were able to tour
a tug boat and they bought souvenirs in the gift
shop. After the tours, they ate a picnic lunch in the
park and played with their friends.
STATED MAIN IDEA
39. Another Example:
“Samantha, I can’t eat when you are gone. I
need to hear your soothing voice and see
your lovely smile. I miss that special way
you sing Please come home soon.”
IMPLIED MAIN IDEA
40. WHAT IS A SUPPORTING
DETAILS?
Examples and extra information that help
you understand the main idea.
Details describe or explain the main idea.
It proves the value of the main idea.
41. WHY DO WE NEED A
SUPPORTING DETAIL?
• Supporting details help you get a better
picture of the story.
• They give you more information.
• Often, this information will reach one or
more of your five senses.
42. Identify the supporting details:
Homeless
people have many
problems. In winter,
it’s hard to stay
warm and it gets too
hot in summer. It’s
also hard to keep
things safe without a
home. Worst is the
luck of privacy.
Soccer players
learn many skills when
playing such sport.
Players learn how to
dribble and pass the
ball. They also learn how
to control the ball so
they can eventually
score. Most importantly,
soccer players learn
how to work together
with their teammates.
43. Too much information…
All of the sentences in the paragraph
should support the main idea of that
paragraph.
Information that doesn’t support the main
doesn’t belong to the same paragraph.
Take a look at the next example. Find out
the extra information that doesn’t support
the main idea in the paragraph.
44. Which does not belong?...
Winter provides
the opportunity for
many outdoor
activities. Many people
enjoy ice skating on a
pond. Swimming in the
pond in summer can
also be fun. Skiing can
be a thrilling
experience too. After a
new snowfall, you can
even build a
snowman.
Maria offered to
help her mother clean
the house. She
vacuumed the living
room and dusted the
furniture. She picked
up the toys in the
playroom. She ate a
ham sandwich for
lunch. Then, she
mopped the kitchen
floor.
45. Determine the main idea for
each paragraph:
The ability to follow directions is an important skill
that you use all your life. Scarcely a day goes by
without the need to obey directions. Cooking,
baking, taking medication, driving, travelling,
planning, taking exams and a hundred other
common activities require the ability to follow
directions. (Dorothy Rubin)
a.Following directions is a special ability.
b.Everyone must follow directions.
c.Knowing how to follow directions is important.
46. Determine the main idea for
each paragraph:
A person cannot relax and study at the same time.
Studying requires a certain amount of tension,
concentration, and effort in a specific direction. Of course,
the amount of tension varies with different individuals. The
point is that studying is hard work and people who are not
prepared to make a proper effort are wasting their time.
(Rubin, p.1)
a.People vary in their ways of studying.
b.To study is a waste of time.
c.Studying is hard work.
47. Determine the main idea for
each paragraph:
People who are victims of excessive tension were not born
into the world with these symptoms. Somewhere along the
line they acquired habits or failed to face certain situations
which brought about these symptoms. They could have
avoided acquiring the symptoms by following guidelines
like: 1) Relaxation is an antidote; 2) Learn your tension
threshold and live with it; 3) If you feel something wrong
with you, find it out and do something about it.
a.Stress and tension can be avoided
b.Relaxation is important.
c.Stress and tension are very common.
48. Determine the main idea for
each paragraph:
People have always had this mentality that good gifts are
expensive, or to put in another way, expensive presents
are good gifts. Seldom do they consider the practicality, or
more important, sincerity. It has yet to be accepted that gift-
giving does not always consist of material things. Looking
at the world which has had enough of agreement talks on
ceasefire treaties, maybe it can do more with smiles and
songs.
a.Good gifts are expensive gifts
b.Good gifts may not always be material things
c.We must be sincere when we give gifts