Chapter - I

INTRODUCTION 
 CHAPTER-I

INTRODUCTION

1.0INTRODUCTION

Man is a social animal. All men are born comparable with esteem to their
biological needs. Surrounding environment is a vital part of his psychological
adjustment. Differences are created by social environment in which the needs are
fulfilled, Adjustment is learned through environment. The behavior of a person is
the result of experiences he has passed through. No other social institution enters
the child’s life until after the first few formative years at home. Parents become the
most potent forces in shaping the adjustments of the child. Children need warm,
supporting relationship to build a good personality. Most of the parent’s are busy
increasing their income, to live up to the new living standards. Parents are paying
more attention to physical needs of the children, completely neglecting their
emotional needs.

Studies have shown that children, who independently and successfully read,
process and understand information may receive a head-start in life. The ability to
read and comprehend a text’s main idea as well as its key details will fundamentally
benefit a child throughout his or her life from the earliest educational years to
adulthood.

Although these skills ultimately begin in the child’s home, they are
encouraged and fostered in the classroom, and are a large part of the curriculum in
today’s academic environments. A mastery of reading comprehension is vital for
success in life.

“Comprehension is maybe one of the most critical skills a student can

master. Without a firm grip on the comprehension process, learners will struggle in
every subject they encounter, whether it’s science, math, or social studies. Though a
multi-faceted process, comprehension basically involves constructing meaning from
the written word.” -k12reader.com

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 Comprehension is a process in which information from the text and the
knowledge possessed by the reader act together to construct meaning.

Comprehension is the ability to decode printed text and recognize and

understand words. Word recognition is a foundation of reading.

Comprehension is the transacting with text in order to create meaning from

it.

DEVELOPMENT OF READER READING SKILLS

Reading involves a mixture of skills. The main takes from John Mumbry’s,
Communicative Syllabus Design are listed below:

• Identify the script of a language

• Assume the meaning and use of unfamiliar words
• Appreciative conceptual meaning
• Appreciative the communicative value of sentences and utter-nesses.
• Thoughtful relations within sentence.
• Thoughtful relation between parts of a text through grammatical cohesive
device.
• Considerate openly stated information
• Accepting information when not explicitly stated
• Understanding text by going outside it
• Extracting most important points to summarize these are the text, an idea etc.
• Identify indicators in discourse.
• Recognizing the major points or important information in a piece of
discourse.
• Distinguishing the major idea from sustaining details.
• Selective taking out of related points from a text.
• Basic reference skills.
• Skimming
• Scanning to place specifically required information
• Trans-coding information to diagrammatic display.

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 In the given list, one can determine a ladder of the skills that indicate the fact
that the reading process ranges from recognizing the script of a language at one end
of the extent to activities like selective extraction of relevant points from a text or
trans-coding information. These skills provide the guidelines for organize classroom
activities.

USEING READING AS A TOOL FOR REFERENCE SKILLS

The word ‘reference skills’ has been seen as an ability of a skilled reader to
refer to related textual materials. These skills are brought into play through
observational reading leading the reader to look up reference materials for which
skimming in required. This includes:

• A dictionary, encyclopedias, catalogues directories and other

reference materials.
• Index (or chapter) heading to find out what he wants and then skim
through the pages at great speed.
• Newspapers, notices and advertisements
• Atlases’ and city maps
• Railway Time-Tables
• Forms and regulations
• Handouts on different topics etc.

Instruction English as a second language refer to atlases and maps as a tool

for reference skills. They qualify this approach by stating that they are not teaching
geography but only the efficient use of a book. It seems that such approaches
towards teaching reading beyond the curriculum can make classroom interaction
fairly interesting. Language is best acquired through different meaning making
contexts.

But what we would like to add here is that in the English classroom a good
book of grammar and usage and a standard English– English dictionary could be the
most rewarding reading tool for reference skills. There is also the persistent teacher
concern that grammar is necessary for accuracy in the language. The need for

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developing reference skills lies in the fact that they contribute towards an input rich
communicational environment which is undoubtedly a prerequisite for language
learning. It remains for the teacher to develop activities to make use of these tools in
the classroom for the purpose of the development of specific reading skills.

CREATING READING ENVIRONMENTS

This can ensue through interesting reading activities in the class. To achieve
this aims the need for setting up reading clubs and class libraries can be explored.
These reading clubs and class libraries can select texts story books and short novels
that appeal to the young readers and one within their knowledge of language.
Teachers may merely supervise the work, leaving the students to run the clubs and
libraries. Such an approach can create in the learners a positive attitude to reading.

The skills of reading loudly and silent reading need to be highlighted at this
point. Reading loudly is an activity for the lower classes. This practice reduces
reading tempo because one can only read loudly at a much slower speed; it is also
known to influence comprehension. Persistence on reading without soft voice or
even lip movement shall come very early so as to educate learners for mature
reading. Reading loudly does not serve a purpose but that it simply supports
speaking and to reading how to pronounce words, phrases or sentences correctly. In
order to improve this skill of silent reading, the learners must be given access to
good books.

As the learner improves an academic maturity, the range of books provided

to them earlier, may be extended to include books on a variety of objects. Children
enjoy travel literature, adventure, sports and recreation. Using texts of various types
for the reading clubs and class-libraries increases a variety of reading styles. This
experience to variety encourages reading for special programmes and thereby the
reader modifies his/her strategies and techniques of reading. Hence, it becomes
compulsory to familiarize learners with the features of various types of best. The
most excellent way for creating environments for reading is to increase reading
clubs and class libraries. Such an effort would in revolve increase in learners a
sound reading habit.

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THE TEXT

The features of text have a huge effect on comprehension. Comprehension

does not arise by simply extracting meaning from text. For the duration of reading,
the reader constructs unusual representations of the text that are important for
comprehension.

Texts can be hard or simple, depending on factors inherent in the text, on the
connection between the text and the knowledge and abilities of the reader, and on
the activities in which the reader is affianced.

THE ACTIVITY

Reading does not emerge in emptiness. It is done for a intention, to achieve

some end. Activity refers to this measurement of reading. A reading activity
involves one or more purposes, some operations to process the text at hand, and the
consequences of performing the activity. Prior to reading, a reader has a purpose,
which can be either externally imposed or internally generated.

The purpose is influenced by a cluster of motivational variables, including

interest and prior knowledge. The initial purposes can change as the reader reads.
That is, a reader might run into information that raises new questions that make the
original purpose either incomplete or irrelevant. When the purpose is externally
mandated, as in instruction, the reader might accept the purpose and complete the
activity. During reading, the reader processes the text with regard to the purpose.
Processing the text involves, away from translate, higher-level linguistic and
semantic processing and monitoring. Each practice is more or less important in
different types of reading, including skimming and studying.

THE CONTEXT

One significant set of reading activities take place in the context of teaching.
Understanding how the reader’s intention for reading and operations are formed by
teaching.

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 Environmental theories of learning and literacy describe how children
acquire literacy through social interactions with more expert peers and adults.

“With the guidance and support of an expert, children are able to perform
tasks that are slightly beyond their own independent knowledge and capability. As
they develop into more knowledgeable and experienced with the task, the support is
withdrawn, and the children internalize the new knowledge and experiences they
have attained, which results in learning. From Environmental point of view, both the
process and the content are of major importance.” - Vygotsky (1978)

”Reading comprehension is one of the supports of achieving of reading.

When an individual reads a text he engages in a intricate collection of cognitive
processes. It is used to understanding of phonemes have individual sound “pieces”
in language, phonics connection between letters and sounds and the relationship
between sounds, letters and words and ability to comprehend or construct meaning
from the text.” – M.Rai

“Environment means aggregate of external agents or conditions: physical,

biological, social and cultural that influences the functions of the organisms.”
- (Golden son, 1984)

“School environment is influential force and plays a essential role in the all
round development of the child. The most inveterate the school environment betters
the improvement on the part of the student. Enrich the school atmosphere also. It
will provide as a stimulating strength for the learner. Schools are considered to be
ultimate homes. Therefore, for the wellbeing of students who do not get a
stimulating and inherited environment at home, residential schools have been started
so that they may be provided with healthier atmosphere which interns influence the
child.” - N. Matter

“We observe the environment as providing network of forces and factors

which surround, engulf and play on the individual. Although some individuals may
resist this network, it will only be extremes and rare individuals who can completely

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avoid or escape from forces. The environment is a shaping and reinforcing force
which acts on individuals.” - Bloom (1968)

”The sum of all external conditions and influences affecting the life,
development and ultimately the survival of an organism is called environment.”
- According to Prasad (1987)

School environment is a significant aspect which influences the students ‫ۥ‬

behavior and their achievement in reading.

Home itself is a complex unit. The consideration of its psychosocial

environment is not an easy matter. This is due to complication of the phenomenon.
Under research and the number of achievable approaches that can be taken and the
intangible and methodological difficulties within each approach one of the most
important aims of the education is the development of whole personality. The
student’s life is predisposed by the home, school, teachers and peer group. Home is
the most important agency to develop the responsibility to accomplish the
necessities and emotional needs of the children.

Children are our future. Some communities hear and believe the words of
Whitney Houston, “Treat them well, and let them lead the way.” These types of
words written by many prominent writers tell us that we are not treating the children
of our nation extremely well at all. Our culture and traditions continues to reveal a
“moral free fall” (Dobson, 1999). The home and school environments influences to
children continue to change their lives. Changes in the family culture to have an
effect on the home and school environment and also effected by learning reading.

“Reading makes a complete man, conference a ready man and writing an

exact man”. -Bacon

“Reading is an infinite activity and ever opens access to the ever increasing
knowledge of universe. Reading is a basic tool for reasoning. Reading helps
informed about the current events, helps to make future plan to solve problems in
life. It widens the range of information about mind and broadens our outlook.”
– G. Maclum

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 “Reading aptitude is the royal road to knowledge and important to success in
all academic subjects. Reading is almost essential for all the people kept at all age
levels as it directly affects their lives the one-way or the other. Proficiency in
reading is indispensable for satisfactory adjustments to contemporary living
conditions. It is the capable of be donning of man truthful satisfaction and it can be
bring new skills and knowledge. The importance of reading is the complete grater
now due to existing world wise availability of printed material, which has steadily
outs, tripped the population growth.” - G. Radha Krishana

“Furnishes the mind with material of knowledge only, it is thinking the

makes the reading. Reading itself has no content of its own it is primarily a skill or a
process by which ideas on the printed page become the readers won.”
- JHON LOCKER

“Reading skill is complex abilities includes visual perception, visual

discrimination, auditory perception and discrimination. Association of visual and
auditory material linguistic ability and a capacity for the defiled analysis of the
sound structure of individual words”. - Lee

“Reading is to mind what exercise is to the body reading assumes an

importance in daily life. This is truer in this context of knowledge. Many studies
made in this field are very meager compared to other fields of education. Most of
the studies were in English and there is real need for such a study in Telugu.”
-Dr G. Radha Krishna

Reading comprehension is as the level of thoughtful of a text/message. This

understanding comes from the interaction between the words that are written, and
how they trigger knowledge outside the text/message. Comprehension is a "creative,
multifaceted process" dependent upon four language skills: phonology, syntax,
semantics, and pragmatics. Proficient reading depends on the ability to recognize
words quickly and effortlessly. It is also unbendable by an individual's cognitive
development, which is "the construction of thought processes". Some people study
through education or teaching and others through direct experiences.

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 Reading comprehension involves two steps of processing, shallow means
low-level processing and deep means high-level processing. Deep processing
involves semantic processing, which happens when we instruct the meaning of a
word and relate it to similar words. Shallow processing engages structural and
phonemic recognition, the processing of sentence and word structure and their
related sounds.

Reading study measuring various components of academic reading

comprehension for students in IX grade across a range of reading abilities that
converges two sources of data: closed-ended measures and think-aloud protocols.
Four variations of a new model of reading comprehension for academic texts were
fit to the data, low- and high-comprehending students were compared on the
comprehension components, and significant direct and indirect paths from the model
were sought in the think-aloud protocols. Implications for theory, future research in
basic processes and interventions, and teaching are then discussed.

Tell about reading comprehension skills and strategies at all levels of reading
improvement. Teachers at each grade level and each subject area should always be
planning how reading assignments will facilitate students to develop and practice
skills and strategies. Students need teachers to teach and draw concentration to
proper strategy use in textbooks, especially in content areas where there are many
reading demands means language, social studies, and often science. A reading
comprehension skill is a developed ability to construct meaning effectively,
immediately, and effortlessly with little conscious attention. A reading
comprehension approach is defined as an obvious procedure consciously selected
and used by a reader to aid the process of constructing meaning more effectively and
efficiently. Once a student uses a strategy effectively, immediately and effortlessly
with little conscious attention to construct meaning, it develops into a reading skill.
Most planning for comprehension teaching is targeted at teaching comprehension
strategies and then developing practice activities that help the student develop into
skilled in the use of the strategy so that it is involuntarily selected and used in a
variety of situations.

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 Reading comprehension teaching must be responsive. Continually evaluate
progress in learning, make particular instructional accommodations to convene
individual student's needs, and give individualized and elaborated feedback.

Reading comprehension teaching must be systematic. Systematic reading

training is structured, connected, scaffold, and informative. Structured training is
characterized by lessons that arrange and collection new knowledge and skills into
segments that can be successively presented in a clear manner. Connected training is
characterized by lessons that explain the learner connections between the segments
and what is already known. Scaffold lessons are characterized by training in which
the instructor provides to students, early in the learning process, an important role of
support in the form of modeling, prompts, direct explanations, and targeted
questions. Then the students begin to attain the targeted aim, direct instructor
supports are reduced, and the major responsibilities for learning are transferred to
the student. Informative instruction is characterized by lessons in which the teacher
explains the purposes and expected outcomes and requirements for learning and
when and how that newly learned information will be useful.

Reading comprehension teaching must be intensive. Intensive reading

instruction means that sufficient time used wisely and with high student
engagement, is provided direct instruction for students to master the reading skills
and strategies they need.

Reading comprehension teaching should involve authentic reading at all

stages. Authentic reading involves incorporating a variety of "real" reading
materials, such as books, magazines, and newspapers into the instructional process.

Reading comprehension teaching involves providing opportunities to read

for pleasure. Struggling readers don't read as often or as much as their peers.
Reading for enjoyment should be modeled and encouraged at all grade levels. This
requires providing ample materials to read at their independent understanding level.

Reading comprehension instruction requires collaboration with other

professionals and shared responsibility for student success. All teachers play either a

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primary or secondary role in teaching students to read. All classroom teachers who
expect students to learn the content of specific subjects need to be teaching reading.
Studies have shown that one of the most damaging practices affecting struggling
readers is the lack of coordination among educators that are responsible for literacy
development. Building staff must work together to plan and implement effective
instruction in reading comprehension.

Types of Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension is the ability to easily and efficiently read text for
meaning. It is the last step of the reading process taught to children, after they've
learned phonics, fluency, and vocabulary.

Five levels of reading comprehension can be taught to children.

1. Lexical Comprehension
2. Literal Comprehension
3. Interpretive Comprehension
4. Applied Comprehension
5. Affective Comprehension

To really understand these different levels, let's take a familiar text and see
how different types of questions probe different understandings of the same story.

Understanding Levels

Literal Comprehension

Reading comprehension is the capability to process information that we have

read and understand its meaning. This is a complex process with three levels of
understanding: literal meaning, inferential meaning, and evaluative meaning. Literal
meaning is what the text describes as happening in the story.

Retell or summarize the facts to communicate what is made explicit through

the elements of a story.

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 Summarize the facts to communicate what is made explicit through the
elements of information.

Literal meaning is simply what the text says. It is what actually happens in
the story. This is a very important level of understanding because it provides the
foundation for more advanced comprehension. Without understanding the material
on this level, you could not go any farther.

Let's use our story about Billy to provide an example. The literal meaning of
the story was that Billy built a tower out of blocks. The answers to questions based
on literal meaning will always be found in the text. For example: Who was building
the tower? The answer is Billy.

Here are examples of the type of information that could be identified as

literal meaning:

• The main idea

• Stated facts
• The sequence of events
• Characters in the story

Inferential Comprehension

Inferential comprehension is the ability to process written information and

understand the underlying meaning of the text. This information is then used to infer
or conclude deeper meaning that is not explicitly stated. Inferential comprehension
requires readers to interpret and evaluate information.

The term inferential comprehension, specific sub-skills necessary for

making inferences, suggestions for teaching students to make inferences, and ideas
for providing a variety of opportunities for students to practice the skill of inferential
comprehension.

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 Express what is implicit within the text. Make inferences, interpretations,
and reflections supported by evidence: text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world
connections.

Inferential comprehension is often described simply as the ability to read

between the lines. It requires a reader to blend the literal content of a selection with
prior knowledge, intuition, and imagination for conjecture or to make hypotheses.
Barrett’s Taxonomy of Reading Comprehension (1974) identifies the following
eight subtasks that enable students to make inferences with facility.

• Inferring supporting details: guessing about additional facts the author

could have included in the selection that would have made it more
informative, interesting, or appealing.
• Inferring the main idea: providing the main idea, general significance,
theme, or moral that is not explicitly stated in the selection.
• Inferring sequence: guessing what action or incident might have taken place
between two explicitly stated actions or incidents or making hypotheses
about what could happen next.
• Inferring comparisons: inferring likenesses and differences in characters,
times, or places.
• Inferring cause-and-effect relationships: hypothesizing about the motives of
characters and their interactions with others and with time and place
• Inferring character traits: hypothesizing about the nature of characters on
the basis of explicit clues presented in the selection.
• Predicting outcomes: guessing the outcome of a selection after reading an
initial portion of it
• Inferring about figurative language: inferring literal meanings from the
author’s figurative use of language.

Analytical Comprehension

Readers make meaning through analytical comprehension; we see through

the eyes of a writer, analyzing and evaluating the quality of the writing. We

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demonstrate understanding by identifying traits of good writing. In doing so, we
improve our ability to write.

Evaluate the quality of writing in a story or information against the Traits of

Writing: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions.

Reading Comprehension Passage Types

Reading Comprehensions (RCs) can be classified into some categories

according to the particular areas of study to which they belong.

• Short Passage – 200-250 words

• Long Passage – 350-450 words
• Natural Sciences - Biology, Physics, Evolution, Classification of
living beings, etc.
• Physical Sciences - Health care, Medical research, Bio Chemistry,
Astronomy, Cosmology, Technology, etc.
• Abstract Sciences - Logic, Philosophy, Psychology, Intelligence
Levels, Aptitudes, Child Bearing and Rearing, etc.
• Social Sciences - History, Politics, Economics, Sociology, etc.
• Law - Legal History, International Law, Human rights, Legal Theory,
Famous legal cases, etc.
• Humanities - Classic and Contemporary Art, Literature, Films,
Music, etc.
• Business and Economics

These different passage types and the right strategy for each of them have
been discussed some of the passages below:

Humanities Passages:

These passages from can be from personal essays or memoirs, as well as on

humanities subject areas like the arts, literature, media, or philosophy.

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 These type passages are taken from works of fiction or literary memoirs in
these sections. To answer these questions accurately, you’ll need to be able to
identify the main theme and determine the narrator’s purpose, as well as be able to
tell what the author would or would not agree with.

Questions on Humanities passages are similar to Prose Fiction in that you're

more likely to be asked about the tone or point of view of the passage or the narrator
as compared to the Social Science or Natural Science passages.

Social Science Passages:

These passages are from historical, geographical and political arenas.

Mostly, these passages are enjoyable to read and are not too dense.

• A lot of inferential questions are asked from these passages to check your
reading and comprehension abilities. Generally, the answer can be inferred
by also reading the line before and after the one referred to.
• Some of the questions are straightforward and you can spot the answers
directly from the passage statements.
• Get acquainted with these kinds of passages by reading editorials and articles
from newspapers like The Hindu, magazines like Competition success
Review (CSR), websites of environmental journals etc.

Business & Economics Passages:

These are based on important economic theories and business events. You
need to be aware of the basic language and concepts of business and economics.

• Questions posed from these passages will be easy to answer since they are
not too indirect, but the passage may appear complicated to you if you are
completely unaware of business/economics terminology.
• Work on your business knowledge and economics vocabulary to enhance
your understanding of these passages. You are not expected to be an expert
in this field but be aware of the fundamentals.

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 • Enhance your knowledge with the help of newspapers like The Economic
times and magazines like Business today, Business world etc.

Science-based Passages:

These passages deal with subjects that feel right to sciences. Those are
biology, chemistry, medicine, technology and mathematics. These passages present
a lot of facts, and may appear boring.

• Do not get confused by their technical jargon and focus on the main ideas
being presented by the author of the passage.
• Most of the time, questions asked from these type of passages are easy to
understand and answer.
• If you find such passages complex to follow, go through science-based
columns of newspapers or websites of The Hindu, The Guardian,
Washington post and magazines like Discover, Safari, Scientific India etc.
and international science journals.

Liberal Art Passages:

These passages are related to philosophy, sociology and psychology.

Generally, these passages are very opaque and require intense focus for
comprehension.

• The questions based on these passages focus on the overall picture, and
check your overall understanding of the ideas presented.
• You need to identify the underlying idea to answer the questions correctly.
The contextual meaning plays a vital role here.
• Considering the abstract language of these passages, it is recommended that
you read articles from websites of Indian journal of arts, International journal
of liberal arts etc.

Latest Political & Current Events-based passages:

These passages are the easiest to understand.

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 • Though these passages appear simple yet they pose some tricky inferential
questions. These passages can be accompanied by both direct/factual
questions as well as indirect ones.
• If you keep track of the current happenings of the world, you will be able to
follow the author of the passage well.
• While reading editorials of newspapers like The Hindu, understand the
structure and the circuitous conclusions of the passage. This will help you
comprehend the RC passages in the exam easily and in a short time.

Comprehension Strategies

Reading is more than just a goal; reading and comprehend are necessary for
success in math, history, geography, science, engineering, and any other school
subjects. And it’s not just helpful in school. Everyday reading, whether of a recipe,
an appliance manual, a road sign, or a newspaper, is dependent on knowing how to
read the words and also on understanding those words and phrases. A young person
who can only decode the words misses the true meaning of any text and may never
learn to love reading.

Research studies on reading and comprehension have shown that highly

proficient readers utilize a number of different strategies to comprehend various
types of texts, strategies that can also be used by less proficient readers in order to
improve their comprehension.

The strategies are:

• The title may help to cue the children in to the possible content, talk about
how the title can sometimes help but at other times you still might not know
what the writing is going to be about
• Read each paragraph/page twice this helps the children who are struggling to
decode the words the first time to read it again while concentrating on the
meaning
• Underline any words that you don’t understand and find out what they mean.
Be aware some children with language difficulties need encouragement to

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 say when they haven’t understood and may either hide their difficulties or
not realize that they haven’t understood a word. Some children may need to
be prompted to underline words that they don’t understand as opposed to
words that they found difficult to read.
• Turn over the page/book and see what you can remember this helps the
• Children to check if they have understood what they have read. If they can’t
remember anything then they need to read the paragraph/page again.
• Draw a mind-map or spider diagram at the end of the passage/chapter. This
again helps the children to check what they have understood, as well as
helping them to remember and store what they have read, and is a vital study
skill for moving onto secondary school.

Other strategies that you can consider using are:

Making Inferences:

In everyday terms we refer to this as “reading between the lines”. It involves

connecting various parts of texts that aren’t directly linked in order to form a
sensible conclusion. A form of assumption, the reader speculates what connections
lie within the texts.

Planning and Monitoring:

This strategy centers on the reader’s mental awareness and their ability to
control their comprehension by way of awareness. By previewing text means via
outlines, table of contents, etc. one can establish a goal for reading-“what do I need
to get out of this”? Readers use context clues and other evaluation strategies to
clarify texts and ideas, and thus monitoring their level of understanding.

Asking Questions:

`To solidify one’s understanding of passages of texts readers inquire and

develop their own opinion of the author’s writing, character motivations,
relationships, etc. This strategy involves allowing oneself to be completely objective
in order to find various meanings within the text.

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Determining Importance:

Pinpoint the important main ideas and messages within the text. Readers are
taught to identify direct and indirect ideas and to summarize the relevance of each.

Visualizing:

With this sensory-driven strategy readers form mental and visual images of
the contents of text. Being able to connect visually allows for a better understanding
with the text through exciting responses.

Synthesizing:

This method involves marrying multiple ideas from various texts in order to
draw conclusions and make comparisons across different texts; with the reader’s
goal being to understand how they all fit together.

Making Connections:

A cognitive approach also referred to as “reading beyond the lines”, it

involves finding a personal connection to reading, such as personal experience,
previously read texts, etc. to help establish a deeper understanding of the context of
the text

Reading brings with Childs acquisition of spoken language. The fundamental

objective of reading is comprehension .reading is defined as comprehension .reading
has two targets, a desire for information and the establishing of a long zest of
learning reading is communication. Communication is the heart of language arts,
without communication listings or reading can’t takes place.

This study attempts to Applied Linguistics area and confined to certain

factors relating to poor reading areas of Telugu and some individual case studies in
depth.

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1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The present investigation is designed to study of Telugu Reading

Comprehension among IX Class English Medium students. The present
investigation of study is confined to selected secondary schools in Nellore District.

The investigation intended to determine possible causes of poor reading in

Telugu by studying same illustrated case studies among the students of IX standard
with a view to suggest suitable remedial measures.

1.2 NEED FOR STUDY

If we observe the list of unresolved issues in education, the teaching reading

would occupy the first place in that list. The inability of students to read well both
qualitatively and quantitatively is a common point of criticism.

We are very low and slow in achieving good, desirable reading progress
when computed to other developed countries. The attainment of our school and
college students to these students also leaves much to be desired.

Listening, speaking, reading and writing are the most important skills of
communication. Reading assumes great importance in daily life and is essential for
any normal human being, no other teaching achievement is quite so satisfying and
personally rewarding as that of helping a child or youth learn to read. This wisdom
of the ages and mysteries of the universe are open to all who can read.

“Reading makes a full man. No amount of research in the field of reading

can be considered complete final, or adequate. Intensive research in reading skill in
different languages should be given all importance because acquisition of
knowledge rests primarily in the reading disability of the learner.” -Bacon

Learning to read effectively is a long term development process and mastery

of various component skill, is a task to under taken the ages of compulsory does
not stop in elementary schooling and must be continued throughout his life.

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 The causes for reading difficulty cannot be pinpointed as one but as many.
The teaching of Telugu which is the medium of instruction in schools and colleges
today in the state of Andhra Pradesh must be based on strong basis though teachers
and educationist are quiet aware of the importance of reading to develop the skills in
the desired improvement of reading skills. Reading is the tool for acquiring
knowledge.

Teaching and the reading skills involves knowledge of students. The nature
of reading materials and many other related factors are involved. There is an urgent
need to study the problems of reading. Because of Telugu has not prominent place
as regional language of the state. There is an urgent need for good reading habits in
the language reading skills, and good reading habits in the language. Reading which
the basis for all learning skills is must be treated as a special programming in
schools.

The investigation is an attempt to study certain factors relating to poor

reading through their comprehension and skills of the students of IX standard in
selected schools. Such a study will help one to understand the reading problems of
children and to suggest suitable remedial measures.

1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This investigation seeks to study the factors relating to reading

comprehension in Telugu and their difficulties of three hundred students of IX
standard studying in secondary schools selected at random in Nellore District.

The study is aimed of finding answers to the following questions:

1. Does educational status of the parents affect reading comprehension of

“Telugu”.
2. Is there any relationship between previous achievements in Telugu and reading
comprehension?
3. Does the occupational level of the parents influence? The reading
comprehension of the students?
4. Does the habit of reading general books improve their comprehension?

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5. Whether the habit of reading newspapers can improve the reading
comprehension.
6. Is there any relationship between time spent daily to read class books at home
and reading comprehension?
7. Is there any relationship between time spent for reading general books and
reading comprehension?
8. Is there any relationship between medium of instruction and reading
comprehension?

1.4 SAMPLE SELECTED

Secondary schools are selected at random. Sample selected from selected

secondary schools at Nellore District in Andhra Pradesh. The students of IX class
were the subjects of the present investigation.

1.5 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. RATE OF READING: This refers to the speed with which a person can read i.e,
the number of wards can read per minute.
2. RATE OF COMPREHENSION: This refers to the amount of meaning one can
grasp in a given time from a given reading material.
3. RAFARDER READER: The retarded is generally an individual who has been
unable to learn to read effectively when taught by regular classroom procedures.

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1.6 METHOD OF STUDY

A reading comprehension test adapted from the department of Foreign

Languages and Linguistics, Sri Venkateswara University is used to measure the
reading comprehension of the students.

The test consists of five passages. The subjects were asked to read the
passages and answer the questions given there under.

Their level of general mental ability was measured by using “Raven’s

progressive Matrices test”

A personal data sheet was given to the students to get information on the
variables likes.

1) Socio Economic status

2) Habits of reading general books

3) Habits of reading news papers

4) Father occupation

5) Mother occupation

6) Father educational qualification

7) Mother educational qualification

8) Time spent for reading etc.

9) Previous achievement and reading comprehension.

10) Medium.

11) Birth Order.

12) Income.

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 13) Gender.

14) Caste.

15) Age.

16) Management.

Based on the scores of reading comprehension poor reading was identified.

The contributing factors for poor reading were studied by using case study approach.

1.7 STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED

A comprehension test was administered and on personal data sheet was

given to the student’s to be secure the needed information.

Mean standard devotion, Skew-Ness, Kurtosis were calculated for the total
sample for their reading comprehension in Telugu.

In order to find out whether there are sexes differences in reading

comprehension. The ‘t’ technique was used. For this purpose, the mean scores for
both the sexes and the standard errors of difference between the means were
computed the ‘t’ ratio was calculated using the appropriate statistical formula.

To find out the relationship between the reading comprehension and the
education level of the parents. The “F” test technique was used. The obtained “F”
value was tested with table value at 0.05 level end 0.01 levels.

• To calculate relationship other variables like

• Occupational information with comprehension
• medium of instruction with comprehension
• reading general books and comprehension
• reading class books and comprehension

The both “F” and “t” test techniques are used to the above areas.

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1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The study is limited to a sample of 300 subjects drawn from secondary

schools in Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh. The students of IX class are the
subjects of the present investigation.

• The study is limited to a sample of 300 subjects drawn from secondary

schools in Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh.
• The present investigation is restricted to a few high schools in SPSR Nellore
district.
• The students of IX class were the subjects of the present investigation.
• The variables for the school, which explain the reading comprehension of
Telugu.
• Only certain variables are studied in this investigation
• The present study is limited to IX class students in high school only.

1.9 RESUME OF SUCCEEDING CHAPTERS

• Chapter-I : Introduction
• Chapter-II : Review of Literature.
• Chapter-III: Methodology and Procedure of the Study.
• Chapter-IV: Analysis and Interpretation of Data
• Chapter-V : Summary, Recommendations, Educational Implications
and conclusions

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