READING: AN OVERVIEW

I. INTRODUCTION
Reading, activity characterized by the translation of symbols, or letters,
into words and sentences that have meaning to the individual. The ultimate
goal of reading is to be able to understand or comprehend written material,
to evaluate it, to appreciate the contents of the written materials and to use it
for one's needs.

There are several types and methods of reading as follows:

1. Speed reading is a collection of methods for increasing reading speed
without an unacceptable reduction in comprehension or retention.
Methods include skimming in a body of text to increase the rate of
reading. It is closely connected to speed learning.

2. Proofreading is a kind of reading for the purpose of

detecting typographical errors. One can learn to do it rapidly, and
professional proofreaders typically acquire the ability to do so at high
rates, faster for some kinds of material than for others, while they may
largely suspend comprehension while doing so, except when needed
to select among several possible words that a suspected typographic
error allows.

3. Rereading is reading a book more than once. "One cannot read a

book: one can only reread it," Vladimir Nabokov once said. A paper
published in the Journal of Consumer Research (Cristel Antonia (2012))
found re-reading offers mental health benefits because it allows for a
more profound emotional connection and self-reflection, versus the first
reading which is more focused on the events and plot.

4. Survey-question-read-recite-review (SQ3R) method, often taught in

public schools, which involves reading toward being able to teach
what is read, and would be appropriate for instructors preparing to
teach material without having to refer to notes during the lecture.

5. Multiple intelligences-based methods, which draw upon the reader's

diverse ways of thinking and knowing to enrich his or her appreciation
of the text. Reading is fundamentally a linguistic activity: one can
basically comprehend a text without resorting to other intelligences,
such as

a) Verbal/Linguistic Intelligence involves sensitivity to spoken and

written language, the ability to learn languages, and the capacity
to use language to accomplish certain goals. This intelligence
includes the ability to effectively use language to express oneself
rhetorically or poetically; and language as a means to remember
information. Writers, poets, lawyers and speakers are among those
that Howard Gardner sees as having high linguistic intelligence.

i. Their skills include:

 listening, speaking, writing, storytelling, explaining, teaching, using
humor, understanding the syntax and meaning of words, remembering
information, convincing someone of their point of view, analyzing
language usage
Possible career interests: Poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer,
politician, translator.
Careers that suit those with this intelligence include writers, lawyers,
philosophers, journalists, politicians, poets, and teachers.

 Logical-mathematical
This area has to do with logic, abstractions, reasoning, and numbers.
While it is often assumed that those with this intelligence naturally excel
in mathematics, chess, computer programming and other logical or
numerical activities, a more accurate definition places emphasis on
traditional mathematical ability and more reasoning capabilities,
abstract patterns of recognition, scientific thinking and investigation,
and the ability to perform complex calculations.
Ii. Their skills include:
problem solving, classifying and categorizing information, working with
abstract concepts to figure out the relationship of each to the other,
handling long chains of reason to make local progressions, doing
controlled experiments, questioning and wondering about natural
events, performing complex mathematical calculations, working with
geometric shapes.
Possible career paths: Scientists, engineers, computer programmers,
researchers, accountants, mathematicians. Careers which suit those
with this intelligence include scientists, mathematicians, engineers,
doctors and economists.

b.) Intrapersonal Intelligence entails the capacity to understand oneself, to

appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations. Ability to self-reflect and be
aware of one's inner state of being. These learners try to understand their inner
feelings, dreams, relationships with others, and strengths and weaknesses.
Their Skills include:
Recognizing their own strengths and weaknesses, reflecting and
analyzing themselves, awareness of their inner feelings, desires and
dreams, evaluating their thinking patterns, reasoning with
themselves, understanding their role in relationship to others. Careers
which suit those with this intelligence include philosophers, psychologists,
theologians, marine biologists, lawyers, and writers. Also prefer to work
alone.

C.) Interpersonal Intelligence is concerned with the capacity to understand

the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. Ability to relate and
understand others. These learners try to see things from other people's point of
view in order to understand how they think and feel.
Their skills include:
seeing things from other perspectives (dual-perspective), listening,
understanding other people's moods and feelings, counseling,
co-operating with groups, noticing people's moods, motivations and
intentions, communicating both verbally and non-verbally, building
 trust, peaceful conflict resolution, establishing positive relations with
other people.
Possible career paths sales, politicians, managers, teachers, and social
workers

D.) Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence involves skill in the performance,

composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. It encompasses the
capacity to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms.
Their skill include:
singing, whistling, playing musical instruments, recognizing tonal
patterns, composing music, remembering melodies, understanding the
structure and rhythm of music
Possible career paths: musician, disc jockey, singer, composer. Careers
that suit those with this intelligence include instrumentalists, singers,
conductors, orators and writers.

E.) Bodily/Kinesthetic--deals with the gift of physical movement that of both

the fine and/or the large muscle systems. Ability to control body movements
and handle objects skillfully. These learners express themselves through
movement. They have a good sense of balance and eye-hand co-ordination.
Their skills include:
dancing, physical co-ordination, sports, using body language, crafts,
acting, miming, using their hands to create or build, expressing
emotions through the body
Possible career paths: Athletes, P.E. teachers, dancers, actors,
firefighters, artisans

F) Spatial intelligence involves the potential to recognize and use the patterns
of wide space and more confined areas. Deals with the ability to perceive
images. These learners tend to think in pictures and need to create vivid
mental images to retain information.
Their skills include:
puzzle building, reading, writing, understanding charts and graphs, a
good sense of direction, sketching, painting, creating visual metaphors
and analogies (perhaps through the visual arts), manipulating images,
constructing, fixing, designing practical objects, interpreting visual
images.
Possible career interests: navigators, sculptors, visual artists, inventors,
architects, interior designers, mechanics, engineers

G.) Naturalist intelligence enables human beings to recognize, categorize and

draw upon certain features of the environment. It 'combines a description of
the core ability with a characterization of the role that many cultures value'
(ibid.: 48). .

WHAT IS READING?

This is seemingly simple question though it is filled with complexity.

People from various disciplines have attempted to define reading some of
them are educators, psychologist and linguists to have filled volumes with their
definitions of reading. Their views about reading may be summarized as
follows:

 It is an active dialogue between the author and the reader. The efficient
reader is ready to evaluate and criticize reading materials. "The man who
reads well is the man who leads well"

 It is the basic tool for learning in all subjects (mother of all study skills).

 It is decoding (to convey into plain language) written symbols and

getting meaning into the printed page.

 It is the process of interpreting, reasoning, problem solving and

imagining.

 According to James Russell Lowell, he defined “reading is the key which

admits us to the word of thought, fancy and imagination. It enables us to
see with the keenest eyes (eager/sharp), hear with the finest ears and
listen to the sweetest voices of all times”.

 Reading can be one of man's deepest pleasures. It extends

experiences, world's excitement, pleasure, satisfaction and wisdom.
Reading is the magic key into the world of enlightenment and
enjoyment. It is great satisfying pleasures of human beings. The man who
reads well is the man who thinks well. He will win the respect and good
opinion of others.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE READING PROCESS

1. Reading is a two-way process (author and the reader) -
communication between the author and reader. Avoid poor
comprehension (knowledge).
 COMPREHENSION- It refers to the ability of the reader to understand
what he is reading, interpret ideas and meaning to the printed
materials (the power of understanding).

 COMMUNICATION GAP- It is the failure of understanding because of

lack of information
2. Reading is an active process-(it is thinking process)-A reader usually
reacts physically, emotionally or intellectually on what he reads. The
ability to comprehend the printed words. (the more you read, the
more you grow or the more you read, the more you gain).

3. Reading is largely visual process- good eyesight is required in good

reading. Some individual, they are easily perceived and identify
through illustrations or graph on what it means and they can easily
interpret it the meaning on what the illustration emphasize.
Examples: The English people read from left to right
The Hebrew people read from right to left
The Chinese people read from top to bottom
 4. Reading makes use of linguistic (study of language) system -It enables
the reader to become more effective or competent reader of written
language, symbols and signs. A reader who has some knowledge of
the syntax (sentence structure/ language rule) and morphology
(formation of words) of a language can interact more effectively with
the printed form of that language.

WHY DO WE READ?
Reading means many things to many people. Reading is worth one's effort
and worth the little expenses. A good reader is one who can derive the
meaning easily from a written materials and go on to analyze and apply that
meaning. He may acquire the correct meaning, analyzing the author's point
of view and applying what one's learn from reading to real life situations.
Reading enables man to ponder the mysteries of the world, explore
accumulated knowledge to the unknown words. From this search, he begins
to discover answers to questions; he is stimulated to raise more questions, and
to continue his pursuit for deeper understanding. Many individuals read
satisfactorily.

The following habits are generally avoided when reading

1. Vocalizing- this is the act of sounding out each word as if you were
reading aloud.
2. Word by word reading- This reading is time consuming and demands a
high level of concentration. Some material is not readily understood
and so requires a slow and careful analytical read. People use this type
of reading for unfamiliar words and concepts, scientific formulae. It can
take up to an hour just to read a few lines of text.
3. Word Blocking- this is done when you stop to worry about an unfamiliar
word. It will break the flow of your reading.
4. Number attraction- some readers come to a complete stop every time
they reach a number or numerical data. This should be avoided unless
you want to study thoroughly the detailed content.

SOME IMPORTANT THINGS THAT READING DOES FOR US:

 Reading makes us well- informed
It means of gaining and acquiring to various areas of knowledge.
Through reading you:
1. know the mistakes of the men before us and learn some
guidelines for human success.(primary avenue of success)
2. realize that books tell us how to be happy, relax and satisfy when
we are sad, how to grow thin when fat or fat if thin.
3. acquaint yourself on how to locate well the different places,
things and steps or procedures.
 Reading stimulates us to know the undiscovered mysteries.
It means of knowing the difficult vocabulary words. It gives additional
information about the uncovered / unfamiliar words for us to recognize
or be familiarizing with the word that we did not yet encountered. It
encourages and motivates us to become more initiative in finding
answers such as mysteries in life or undiscovered words. It enables us to
acquire a clearer and deeper understanding of reality
It gives more information on the recent or latest issues on what is
happening in the world through reading such printed materials in order
to have a clear and systematic.
 Reading is a form of therapy or recreation.
If the person is fun in reading, he will attain lessen/reduce burdens in life
such as stress and boredom because it gives satisfaction and pleasure
in life. (for entertainment) and also it is a way/form of forgetting
problems/ difficulties in life. Recreatory reading materials provide for
the development of appreciation and taste in selection and enjoyment
of reading matter.
 It helps us to aware and uplift (strengthen) our poor reading abilities
or weaknesses (reading difficulty). "Constant practice makes you
Perfect" and have “self –determination and positive thinking” to
overcome our difficulties in reading. Students who use his/ her
initiative in improving his/ her difficulties in reading will attain success.
 Reading guides us to Primary Avenue of Knowledge.
 Reading is man’s deepest pleasure
 Reading is the magic key into the world of enlightenment