Reading comprehension

techniques and strategies

 What is reading comprehension?

► Reading comprehension is the ability to read text, process it and

understand its meaning.
► It relies on two, interconnected abilities: word reading (being able to decode
the symbols on the page) and language comprehension (being able to
understand the meaning of the words and sentences).
► Reading comprehension is the process by which we understand the texts
we read.
► Reading comprehension is an important skill for navigating the textual world
around us. It is a dynamic process that involves making predictions,
summarizing the main idea, questioning one's predictions, and clarifying
unclear concepts.
 Reading Comprehension Strategies
► Comprehension strategies are conscious plans — sets of steps that good
readers use to make sense of text. Comprehension strategy instruction helps
students become purposeful, active readers who are in control of their own
reading comprehension.
► The strategies will be incorporated into a sequence that involves pre-reading,
during-reading, and post-reading phases.
► Pre-Reading Phase
► Predictions Reading involves making predictions ( guesses and expectations)
about the “big picture.” A prediction is a mental model that you can create
before you start reading.
► This model can help you focus your attention on anticipating the key points in
the text. Think about how the information is organized in a piece of text. Are
there titles or charts or sub-sections that influence this organization.
Reading Comprehension Strategies
► Vocabulary
► Vocabulary is key to reading comprehension. Readers cannot understand
what they are reading without knowing what most of the words mean.
► Here are Six Strategies for Tackling Unfamiliar Words:
► 1.Break it up into pieces.
► 2.Look for context clues.
► 3.Make connections to other words you've heard.
► 4.Make connections to your own life.
► 5.Take a guess — even if it's wrong.
► 6.Look it up in a dictionary.
Reading Comprehension Strategies

► During-Reading Phase
► At this point, your brain has made a mental model of the text and reviewed
the key words, which frees up your brain to focus now on identifying the
most important parts of the text.
► Focus on underlining or highlighting the key words and ideas and any
transition words that indicate the argument is shifting.
► Make notes in the margins with your own thoughts about the text. Write
down any questions you have about the text in the margins to reflect on how
well you understand the text.
► In only one or two sentences, write down simple summaries of each main
paragraph.
Reading Comprehension Strategies
► Post-Reading Reflection
► Reflect on how this reading process has influenced the way you understand
this piece.
► This step will help you consciously identify your strengths and weaknesses as
a reader and to strategically plan out how you may approach reading a text
next time.
► Ask yourself: What ideas in the text surprised you? What ideas were you not
surprised by? What did you agree with or disagree with? What parts of this
sequence were challenging for you? What strategies helped or didn't help? If
you have to read similar texts in the future, what would you do?
Activity 1: Research Paper Read the text below. Practice
going through the pre-reading, during-reading, and post-
reading phases and try to identify the main idea.
► Reading: C1 A biography of Kilian Jornet
► Read a biography of mountain runner Kilian Jornet, who climbed Everest in a
day, to practise and improve your reading skills.
Activity 2: Read the text and fill in the gap with the suitable vocabulary

Gender bias and poverty

► 1) __________ between men and women results in poorer health for
children and greater 2) __________ for the family, 3) __________ to a
new study. The UN agency Unicef found that in places where women are 4)
__________ from family decisions, children are more likely to suffer
from 5) __________. There would be 13 million 6)
__________ malnourished children in South Asia if women had an equal say
in the family, Unicef said.
► Unicef 7) __________ family decision-making in 30 countries 8)
__________ the world. Their chief finding is that equality between men and
women is vital to 9) __________ poverty and improving health, especially
that of children, in developing countries. The conclusions are contained in
the agency's latest report. This report 10) __________ to a greater 11)
__________ of opportunities for girls and women in education and work
which contributes to disempowerment and poverty. Where men control the
household, less money is spent on health care and food for the family,
which 12) __________ in poorer health for the children.
► An increase in 13) __________ and income-earning opportunities for women
would increase their 14) __________ power, the report said. For example,
the agency found that 15) __________ has the greater share of household
income and assets decides whether those resources will be used for family
Comprehension Questions...
Q1.  Unequal  Inequal  Unequality  Inequality

Q2.  poor   poor   poverty   impoverished

Q3.  resulting   according   regarding with regard

Q4.  excluded   exclude exclusion   excludes

 
Q5 . ill-nourished   malnourish malnutrition ill-nutrition
 
Q6. more Few fewer least

Q7. survey   surveying   surveys surveyed

Q8. in Around over among

Q9. increase reduce increasing reducing

Q10. points indicates shows suggests
Reading Comprehension Strategies
READING FOR MEANING: IDENTIFYING THE MAIN
IDEA OF THE STORY
► What is the main idea of a text?
► The main idea is  the central, or most important, idea in a paragraph or
passage. It states the purpose and sets the direction of the paragraph or
passage. 
► The main idea  tells the reader what the paragraph, article, or other
section of a text is going to be about. 
► Every paragraph has a key concept or main idea. The main idea is the most
important piece of information the author wants you to know about the
concept of that paragraph.
.

► Questions about the "main idea" of a passage are popular on reading

comprehension tests, but sometimes, those questions are pretty difficult to
answer, especially for students who are not completely sure they understand
what the main idea really is. 
► Finding the main idea of a paragraph or longer passage of text is one of the
most important reading skills to master, along with concepts like making
an inference (interpretation), finding the author's purpose, or understanding
vocabulary words in context.
► Here are a few techniques to help understand what, exactly, is a "main idea"
and how to identify it accurately in a passage.
How to Find the Main Idea?
► Finding the main idea is critical to understanding what you are reading. It
helps the details make sense and have relevance, and provides a framework
for remembering the content. Try these specific tips to pinpoint the main
idea of a passage.
1) Identify the Topic
► Read the passage through completely, then try to identify the topic. Who or
what is the paragraph about? This part is just figuring out the topic .
2) Summarize the Passage
► After reading the passage thoroughly, summarize it in your own words in  one
sentence. Pretend you have just ten to twelve words to tell someone what
the passage is about—what would you say?
3) Look at the First and Last Sentences of the Passage
► Authors often put the main idea in or near either the first or last sentence of
the paragraph or article, so isolate those sentences to see if they make sense
as the overarching theme of the passage.
4) Look for Repetition of Ideas
► If you read through a paragraph and you have no idea how to summarize it
because there is so much information, start looking for repeated words,
phrases, or related ideas.
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► Finding the main idea or theme of a written piece is one of the most
important aspects of good reading comprehension. It is, however, easy to
confuse the main idea or theme with the subject. Basically, the subject of a
piece of writing is what that piece is generally about, plain and simple— the
facts and information.
► However, when you look past the facts and information to the heart of what
writers are trying to say, and why they are saying it, that’s the main idea or
theme. For example, the subject of this introduction is about distinguishing
between a subject and a main idea or theme; the main idea or theme is why
it’s important to be able to recognize that difference.
Activity 3: