TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION TO READING IN THE PRIMARY

SCHOOL. DEFINITION, AIMS AND PURPOSE OF

READING AND TYPES OF READING.
SYNOPSIS
This topic provides you with an overview to the Introduction to Reading in the Primary
School. It discusses the definition of reading, the aims and purposes of reading. It
also provides a brief overview of the different types of reading: reading aloud,
intensive reading and extensive reading. Reading readiness and factors influencing
reading will also be even some coverage.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
y the end of this topic, you will be able to:
give the definition of reading
understand the aims and purposes of reading
!now the different types of reading
reading aloud
intensive reading
extensive reading
understand reading readiness
identify the factors influencing reading.
Framework of Top!"
I#$ro%&!$o# $o Rea%#' # $(e Prmar) S!(oo*
definitions of
reading
aims and
purposes of
reading
types of
reading
reading
readiness
factors
influencing
reading
Def#$o# of Rea%#'
There are a number of definitions for reading. The first definition is learning to
pronounce words. In the second definition relates to learning to identify words and
getting their meanings. The third definition loo!s at deriving meaning from a text. "ll
these definitions reflect long#standing views of reading. The current literacy research
supports a more comprehensive definition of reading which includes all of the above
definitions. This comprehensive definition loo!s at reading being a complex cognitive
process of decoding symbols for the intention of constructing or deriving meaning
from a text read. In other words, reading is a complex interaction between the text
and the reader which is shaped by the reader$s prior !nowledge, experiences,
attitude, and language community which is culturally and socially situated.
Am" a#% P&rpo"e" of Rea%#'
%veryone !nows reading is important, but have you ever as!ed yourself why is it so
important& People read for various reasons. Through reading, you discover new
things, new information, new ways to solve a problem, and new ways to achieve
something. Reading is also essential for self improvement. 'ou understand the world
more, and you get to understand more on a topic that interests you through reading.
People read in different ways for different purposes and reasons. " number of
us have intimate affairs with reading while some read because they are re(uired to
do so. Reading is a pleasurable activity for those who have developed the reading
habit from a young age, most li!ely through the efforts of their parents. )thers may
read for !nowledge and for sourcing information, such as reading information on a
medicine bottle and filling out application form for a *ob. In some cases, having good
reading s!ills is vital and a re(uisite for a *ob especially when the *ob demands
reading and responding to reports and memos. )n the other hand, having poor
reading s!ill will hamper one$s performance in executing the same tas!s.
Reading inevitably also helps to improve one$s language s!ills. +hen a
person$s reading improves, the snowball effect will also be felt in other areas li!es an
increase in one$s repertoire of vocabulary and spelling s!ill. In short, reading
develops the mind.
The way you deal with each text is influenced by the purpose of your reading.
,uic!ly scanning a page to find someone$s telephone number is very different from
perusing a legal document. 'ou probably notice big differences in the speed you use
too. -id you find in some cases you read silently while in others you read aloud&
+hat are the reasons that led you to articulate what you read& The purpose or the
aims of your reading will provide answers to the two (uestions above.
Rea%#' for mea##'
The ma*or purpose of reading is the construction of meaning.comprehending and
actively responding to what is read. +hatever your reasons for reading /excluding
reading for language learning0, it is not very li!ely that you were interested in the
pronunciation of what you read, and even less li!ely that you were interested in the
grammatical structures used. 'ou read because you wanted to get the message from
the writing.what the writer intended to convey to readers. The transfer of meaning
from the writer$s mind to the reader$s is not (uite as simple as we thin! because the
reader and the writer might not have a common shared assumption and schemata
/1uttall, 2334).
Mak#' "e#"e of a $e+$
The text functions li!e a do#it#yourself construction !it. The message in the writer$s
mind is the perfect piece of furniture. The process of separating this into its
component parts and pac!ing them into a box with instructions to reassemble is a
little li!e the process of putting thoughts into words and organi5ing them into a
coherent text. " reader tac!ling a text resembles the homema!er unpac!ing his do#it#
yourself !it and trying to wor! out how the pieces fit together.
This means that the reader has to ma!e sense of what the writer tries to
convey through his writing. In the process of trying to derive meaning from the text,
the reader may bring his own experiences and prior !nowledge to the tas!.
%xercise 2
There are many advantages of reading. In your study group, discuss how reading
helps in your career development. Share your views with other course mates.
T)pe" of Rea%#'
There are several types of reading and they all have different purposes.
Reading Aloud
Reading aloud is an instructional practice where teachers, parents and caregivers
read texts aloud to children. The reader incorporates variations in pitch, tone, pace,
volume, pauses, eye#contact, (uestions and comments to produce a fluent and
en*oyable delivery. Reading aloud is a powerful way to engage children in literacy
process. Reading aloud to children builds and supports their listening and spea!ing
abilities and enhances their overall language development.
Intensive Reading
Intensive reading, also !nown as analytical reading, involves close reading of the text
to understand meaning in greater detail. Intensive reading involves learners reading
in detail with specific learning aims and tas!s. This is carried in the classroom
through s!imming and scanning a text for specific information to answer true or false
statements, fill gaps in a summary, match headings to paragraphs and reorder
*umbled paragraphs.
In short, intensive reading is reading with care and concentration to extract
specific meaning of information from the text.
Intensive reading has two !ey advantages. 6or low#level readers, intensive
reading is possibly the fastest way to build vocabulary. 6or more able readers,
intensive reading of difficult texts forces learners to develop strategies to deal with
such texts which are too hard to read comfortably.
Extensive Reading
7nli!e intensive reading where close scrutiny of the text is re(uired to fulfil specific
goals, and sometimes using specific strategies to achieve those goals, extensive
reading is reading for general !nowledge and pleasure. There is no pressure for
detailed understanding or comprehension of the text.
8oving away from reading for the purpose of securing specific information or
for assessment, there is minimal teacher interference in the reading process. Since
reading is for pleasure, and away from the eagle#eyes of the teacher, students have
a choice of selecting the materials they want to read and do it at their own pace.
Through extensive reading, the reading habit can be nurtured. 6or this to
happen, there should be a wide selection of reading materials to cater to the varied
interests and levels of the students. "s such, graded readers are often
recommended. "n example of an extensive reading programme carried out in
8alaysian schools is the 1I9"8 programme. )ther extensive reading programmes
include Sustained Silent Reading /SSR0, -rop %verything and Read /-%"R0, and
6ree 7ninterrupted Reading /67R0. "ll these recreational reading programmes have
the common aim to provide opportunities for students to read boo!s of their choice
for pleasure, silently at a designated time.
Teachers play important roles in ensuring the success of extensive reading
programmes in schools. They being the role models must also read extensively. They
must ensure the boo!s available are of suitable levels and interests of the students
under her charge.
Rea%#' Rea%#e""
Reading readiness can be defined as the point in time when a child is ready to learn
to read and the transitional time the child moves from being a non#reader to a reader.
Reading readiness differs from one child to another. Some children may be ready to
read before the age of : and some are ready when they are ; or < years old. There
are many factors that influence reading readiness. 8ost of these factors are
developmental and cannot be altered even with intensive interference from the
teacher until the time is right.
=ow do you !now that your child is ready to learn to read& Some noticeable
readiness exhibited are physical maturity, mental maturity, and an appetite for
learning. " child is physically mature when he is able to hear and distinguish between
different sounds, and focus and trac! letters and word on a printed page without eye
strain or discomfort. " child is considered mentally matured when he>she has some
general !nowledge about the world around him, that is, the child is able to distinguish
one ob*ect from another. "t this point it ma!es sense to learn the word of an ob*ect if
the child !nows the physical ob*ect. 6or example, it is only proper to teach the word
?cat$ only if the child !nows what a cat is. " child must also be able to understand that
sounds are represented by letters and groups of letters ma!e words. @hildren who
have an appetite for learning want to learn how to read, and this process usually
advances fairly (uic!ly, with our without the assistance /or instructions0 of others.
A+e learn to read by readingB /Smith cited in 1uttal, 23340. =ow true these
words hold when we nurture the reading habit and allow that habit to mature. +e can
be assured that once the reading habit or s!ill is developed there is no holding bac!
for childen to pursue and ta!e on reading adventures of discovery on their own. The
speed with which the development can be so profound that it spills over to other
language s!ills unnoticed.
Such is the power of reading and importance of developing this essential
language s!ill from a young age.
Fa!$or" I#f*&e#!#' Rea%#'
@ompetence in reading involves a variety of simultaneous interacting processes. 6or
learners of %nglish as a second language or other language, these processes are
further complicated by a range of factors. Some factors that influence reading are the
learners$ first language literacy, the degree of proficiency in %nglish and bac!ground
!nowledge of the learner.
6irst language literacy influences the speed and manner of reading in %nglish.
%ssentially, if the learner reads well in the primary or first language, that ability is
transferable to %nglish. Students$ level of language proficiency in %nglish is another
factor that affects reading. Those who are proficient find reading an en*oyable activity,
but those who are not will find it difficult to ma!e meaning out of a text read. 1ative
spea!ers of %nglish have at least five years of experience using oral %nglish
language before they begin to read while second language %nglish readers may
have only superficial oral %nglish fluency when they begin learning to read.
The lac! of oral %nglish proficiency has enormous impact on learners$ ability to read.
They may face problems with relating the printed word with oral !nowledge and using
it, understanding concepts in print, and predicting what will be encountered in print.
Thus, it is fundamental for %nglish language teachers to maintain an integrated
approach to reading and engage students in the oral use of language surrounding
the topic that is being read. Paying attention to uses of content related vocabulary in
reading text chosen is of e(ual importance.
The bac!ground !nowledge of a reader also affects his comprehension of the
text read. "n interesting re(uirement is that reader and writer should share certain
assumptions about the world and the way it wor!s. If the writer expects the reader to
have a basic understanding of chemistry, the text will not be readily understood by
anyone who lac!s this. The !inds of assumption we ma!e about the world depend on
what we have experienced and how our mind organi5e the !nowledge we have from
our experiences. This prior !nowledge is called our schema /pluralC schemata0. This
mental structure built upon our experiences is abstract because it does not relate to
any particular experience, although it derives from all other experiences we have
had. 6or example, if you are given a passage on whales to read and you have no
prior !nowledge about whales, you will find the passage difficult to comprehend.
=ence, having prior !nowledge on a sub*ect related to the reading text is a big
advantage to the reader. It will in one way or another assist the reader to
comprehend or interpret the text to a certain extent. Thus, to promote extensive
reading among students, it is fundamental the text selections be based on students
prior !nowledge, cultural bac!ground and interests. "lso during the pre#reading
stage, it is essential that bac!ground !nowledge is activated to assist the children to
comprehend the text later.
T&$ora* Ta"k,
Identifying presuppositions
Study the following short texts and identify the type of text, the presuppositions that
underlie the text and the assumptions the writer ma!es about the reader.
a. Rubber futures closed the morning easier at the lows and mostly from D.;D to
D.<D pence per !ilo down on yesterday. Turnover was 2<< lots of 2: tonnes,
including E4 !erb trades and two options. /from a newspaper business page0
b. It was a puppy. " tiny ric!ety puppy, mangy, starvedC a loose ribby bundle on
the ground. It made no noise. It tried to lift itself up. It only collapsed again,
without complain, without shame.
Ta!en from 1uttal /23340.
Reference:
1uttal, @. 2334. Teaching reading s!ills. )xford: 8acmillan %ducation.