READING AND WRITING SKILLS

ACLC COLLEGE OF TACLOBAN

SHS DEPARTMENT

LECTURE NOTES

Lesson 1
Reading and Writing
Sub-Topics:
1. Text vs. Discourse
2. Definition of Reading
3. Reading Strategies
4. Definition of Writing
5. Writing Process
6. Pre-Writing Strategies
Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

a. differentiate text from discourse;

b. define reading;
c. enumerate and familiarize the reading strategies;
d. define writing;
e. illustrate the process of writing; and,
f. implore pre-writing strategies in writing.

Text vs. Discourse

A. Text
1. Made up of sentences
A text is simply a collection of symbols.
2. Sentences with cohesion
Creating cohesion means „tying‟ our words, phrases, sentences
and paragraphs together to create a text where the relationship
between these elements is clear and logical to the reader.
3. Meaning is not found in the text.
A text is simply a collection of symbols with no meaning
attached to it – unless it is read and understood by a reader.

B. Discourse
1. The use of sentences
2. Utterances with coherence
3. Meaning is derived through the reader‟s interaction with the text.

Text becomes a connected discourse when we

read.

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READING AND WRITING SKILLS
ACLC COLLEGE OF TACLOBAN
SHS DEPARTMENT

LECTURE NOTES

Definition of Reading

Reading is a cognitive process of decoding symbols to derive meaning from a

text.

Reading Strategies

1. Previewing
- This involves looking at the readily visible parts of the text. One
example is looking at the title of a text and getting a general idea of what
it is about based solely on the title.
- This also involves getting an idea of what a text is about without actually
reading the main body of the text.
When you do previewing, start by reading:
a. the title and author details
b. the abstract (if there is one)
c. read only parts that stand out like main headings or
subheadings, chapter summaries, or any highlighted text
d. examine illustrations or graphs and their captions
e. the first sentence of each paragraph

2. Skimming
- This involves looking at the main point of the reading and identify the
ideas that develop it
- It also involves involves running your eyes quickly over large chunks of
text. This allows you to locate relevant sections from a large quantity of
written material

How to skim:
a. Note any bold print and graphics
b. Start at the beginning of the reading and glide your eyes over the
text very quickly.
c. Do not actually read the text in total.

3. Scanning
- You read to look for specific information. This is usually done when you
already have a fixed information you want to find out about a text. When
you scan, you go to directly look for the information you need.

How to scan:
a. After gaining an overview and skimming, identify the sections of
the text that you probably need to read.
b. Start scanning the text by allowing your eyes (or finger) to move
quickly over a page.
c. As soon as your eye catches an important word/phrase, stop
reading.

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READING AND WRITING SKILLS
ACLC COLLEGE OF TACLOBAN
SHS DEPARTMENT

LECTURE NOTES
Definition of Writing

Writing is the process of using symbols (letters of the alphabet, punctuation,

and spaces) to communicate thoughts and ideas in a readable form.

Learning to write is a sequential process. Output is important but with the

goal of it in mind, effective writing is considered quality writing. (Dagdag, et.al.,
2010)

There are two main characteristics that must be present in writing a text:
the content and the form. It is said that “writing without form is like a human
body without skeleton; writing without content is like a skeleton with no flesh” (Mt.
Edgecumbe 2).

The Writing Process

According to Dagdag (2010), there are six steps in the writing process.
These are the following:

1. Pre-writing – this is also called the invention or brainstorming stage.

In this stage, you narrow your topic into the most important and
relevant. Ask yourself these things before getting to writing: “Why should
you write about this?” and “why should anyone read it?” You may come
up with as many ideas as possible within a given time frame. Some
examples to take note in pre-writing are listing, fast writing, spidering
and mapping.
2. Organizing – this stage is vital in incorporating coherence in the
transition of your writing. After exhausting all possible ideas related to a
topic, you may now focus in arranging these ideas and thoughts into a
sensible order.
3. Writing – with a form in place and the content that would go with it, this
is the stage where these ideas would be expressed in complete
sentences and paragraphs.
4. Revising – this is the stage where you polish the order of your ideas
and filter the information needed to get your point across. This is
where you start to look for any mechanical errors and correct them.
5. Editing – the stage where you go over your written work and check it for
basic errors such as spelling, punctuation and grammar.
6. Writing the final draft – after your work has gone through revisions,
you would now have to write your final draft, which you are ultimately
content with.

These steps comprise the basic writing process. Following each step would
ensure quality written output, regardless of your topic and content.

Pre-Writing Strategies

1. Brainstorming – is also called listing. This is one of the most common

methods of discovering a topic. All you would need is to list or jot down as
much ideas as you can within a given amount of time. It is suggested to start
from general ideas and from there, write down all the possibilities. Tiongson
(2016) explained that brainstorming does not aim for a coherent line of
thoughts but a quantity of options to choose from as your writing topic. After

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READING AND WRITING SKILLS
ACLC COLLEGE OF TACLOBAN
SHS DEPARTMENT

LECTURE NOTES

listing all of them down, make sure to pick the one that best suits your
purpose or reason for writing. It may also be the most interesting out of the
group or simply the one you are most knowledgeable. The selection of topics
may be broad but you may also find unlikely connections between each to
create another possible topic.
2. Clustering – is also called mind mapping or idea mapping. This is a
technique in finding a writing topic wherein you find the relationships
between ideas. To start this method, you must first put a subject forth and
enclose it in a circle or underline it for emphasis. With that subject, think of
other ideas that would link to the single subject and connect those using
lines. These new ideas would also make you think of other related topics and
you must also do the same to link them. These new ideas borne from a main
idea are called subtopics. Clustering would show the relationship between
ideas and how a variety of ideas could fit together. Once you have expanded
on a single subject, forming a web of ideas, you would have learned the
development or dissection of topics.

3. Free writing – the most unrestrained method in finding a suitable topic.

According to KU Writing Center, this is the process of pouring out all your
thoughts nonstop in an exact order, language and form as you think them.
You can only focus on a specific topic but you cannot edit all of these ideas.
In this method, you have to force yourself to keep on writing with a single
focus as its purpose is to generate as many ideas as you can without
minding about technical errors such as in grammar and spelling. After free
writing, you get to highlight the most outstanding and interesting ideas.
Writing fast through free writing will make you come up with spontaneous
ideas. Journal writing may help in enhancing your skills in free writing.

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READING AND WRITING SKILLS
ACLC COLLEGE OF TACLOBAN
SHS DEPARTMENT

LECTURE NOTES

References:

Dagdag, L. et.al, (2010), Winning Strategies for Study, Thinking, and Writing
Skills
Introduction to Pre-Writing. Retrieved from:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/673/01/
Prewriting Strategies. Retrieved from:
http://writing.ku.edu/prewritingstrategies
Resources for Writers: The Writing Process. Retrieved from:
http://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-
communicationcenter/resources/writers/writing-process/
Rubric for Evaluation of the Paragraph. Retrieved from:
https://www.mesacc.edu/~paoih30491/RubricParagraphAssignment.html
Stages of the Writing Process. Retrieved from:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/980/02/
Tiongson, M. A. et.al, (2016), Reading and Writing Skills. Rex Book Store,
Inc.

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