LESSON 3 READING COMPREHENSION AND LEVELS OF

COMPREHENSION
 READING COMPREHENSION
o 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).
o Reading comprehension occurs before, during, and after the person reads the
literary text. Before reading the literature, the person should familiarize
themselves with some of the potential information they may encounter. During the
reading, the individual should work to analyze what they are reading. This will
help them cognitively engage with the text. After the reading, the reader can
summarize what they learned, answer questions, and discuss the text with others.
Reading comprehension is the summation of multiple skills to help a person
understand the text they are reading.
 LEVELS OF COMPREHENSION
o Comprehension can be understood and analyzed at three distinct levels: literal,
inferential, and evaluative. These levels represent progressively deeper
understandings of a text or concept.
 Literal comprehension involves understanding the explicit information
presented in the text. It's the most basic level of comprehension and
involves grasping facts, details, and events directly stated in the material.
Readers at this level can retell the main points of the text accurately
without adding interpretation or inference.
 Literal comprehension answers the question "What does the text
say?" “Who are the main characters in the story?"

 Inferential/Interpretative comprehension goes beyond the explicit

information provided in the text and involves making logical inferences or
drawing conclusions based on evidence and reasoning. Readers at this
level must use clues, context, and their own background knowledge to
 make connections and understand implicit meanings or ideas that are not
directly stated in the text.
 Inferential comprehension answers the question “What might
happen next based on the clues in the text?

 Evaluative/Applied comprehension requires readers to critically analyze

and judge the text based on their own perspectives, experiences, and
criteria. At this level, readers assess the quality, reliability, relevance, and
significance of the information presented in the text. They may also
consider the author's purpose, tone, and effectiveness in conveying their
message. Evaluative comprehension involves forming opinions, making
judgments, and synthesizing information to form a comprehensive
understanding of the text. Evaluative comprehension answers the question
"What do I think about the text and why?"

 INDICATORS OF READING COMPREHENSION

1. Retention of Information:
 Ability to recall key details, facts, and events from the text.
 Remembering important names, dates, and places mentioned in the text.
2. Understanding of Main Ideas:
 Identifying the central themes or main arguments of the text.
 Summarizing the main points in one's own words.
 3. Making Inferences:
 Drawing logical conclusions based on evidence from the text.
 Making predictions about what might happen next in the story.
4. Connecting Ideas:
 Recognizing relationships between different parts of the text (e.g., cause and
effect, comparison and contrast).
 Understanding how new information relates to prior knowledge or experiences.
5. Interpreting Language and Tone:
 Understanding figurative language (e.g., metaphors, similes) and interpreting their
meanings.
 Inferring the author's tone and attitude towards the subject matter.
6. Evaluating Arguments:
 Assessing the credibility and reliability of the information presented.
 Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the author's arguments or viewpoints.
7. Applying Knowledge:
 Applying information from the text to solve problems or answer questions.
 Using information from the text to make decisions or form opinions.
8. Engagement and Interest:
 Demonstrating active engagement with the text through asking questions, making
predictions, and expressing opinions.
 Showing interest in the topic or story being read through verbal or nonverbal cues.
9. Reflecting on Reading Process:
 Monitoring comprehension by recognizing when understanding breaks down and
employing strategies to repair comprehension.
 Reflecting on one's own reading process and identifying areas for improvement.

10. Performance on Assessments:

 Performance on comprehension questions, quizzes, or assessments related to the
text.
 Ability to discuss and analyze the text in class discussions or written assignments.
 READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES
o Comprehension strategies are tools we can use to help us understand what we
have read.
1. MAKING CONNECTIONS - Readers who make connections with what
they read develop deeper understanding by drawing on their past experiences.
Students can make connections between the text and themselves, text to other
texts and text to the world.
2. MONITORING MEANING - Students who monitor meaning stop to ensure
that they understand what they are reading. They can do this by ensuring
 accuracy in their reading, using picture clues and considering what they are
reading makes sense.
3. VISUALIZING - Descriptive and creative text can help a reader visualize
what they are reading. They can create images and use their imagination from
the text. Readers can then brainstorm, draw or reflect on what they have read,
transforming text into pictures or images.
4. SUMMARIZING - 'Summarizing' is identifying the important events within
a story and giving a brief statement about them. This can be conveyed as a
book review, reading response, sequencing activity, character profile or
recount of a specific scene.
5. MAKING PREDICTIONS - Readers can make predictions based on picture
clues, character development, events, and scenes. They can infer what might
happen by using clues from the text to help them predict what might happen
throughout the story.
6. ASKING QUESTIONS - Readers can ask questions before, during and after
reading. Questions before reading include making predictions about the text.
Questions during reading help with monitoring meaning. Questions after
might inspire further research or prompt discussion of the events.