Basic Reading Skills

Reading and Writing

I. RAPID READING
• Aims to locate specific information or main idea
in a very short span of time. Examples of this
include skimming and scanning, which are
both pre-reading skills.
Get an overview of the paragraph and get
its main idea.
a. SKIMMING
• Is a type of quick reading which aims to get the
main idea and to get an overview of the material.

b. LOCATING THE MAIN IDEA

• Involves the identification of the central message
of a reading selection.
Levels of Ideas in a
Paragraph
MAIN IDEA
Directly support the
Major details main idea
Minor details

Directly support the

major detail
c. SCANNING
• A quick reading strategy which aims to get
specific information from a given text.

TIPS IN SCANNING
 Be clear with the information that you need.
 Avoid reading every word; focus on what you
need.
 Relax your eyes as you move them across the
lines rapidly.
II. PREVIEWING
• Is a skill wherein a reader looks over a material
and focuses on the information he/she finds
relevant.
• Effective previewing involves clarifying the
purpose, reading the title and headings, and
checking the illustrations and other visuals.
• Browsing is also a previewing technique
3. LITERAL READING
• Involves the understanding of ideas and facts
that are directly stated in the printed material.
• Skills included in this category include note-
taking, paraphrasing and summarizing.
a. SUMMARIZING
• Read the following text and summarize its
contents.
Compare your summary to the following sample.

• Summarizing is a reading skill that involves

condensing a lengthy text into a shorter passage
which is usually 15 to 30 percent of the source
material
Strategies in summarizing
 Annotate; avoid putting comments.
 If you are summarizing text with multiple
paragraphs, get the main idea of each paragraph
and write them in your own words. Combine
them into a coherent article using transitional
devices.
 Ensure accuracy by comparing your summary to
the original text.
b. PARAPHRASING
Paraphrase the following selection.
Compare your summary to the following sample.

• Paraphrasing involves restating main ideas

from the original text.
• It is done to simplify a complicated text, improve
study skills, and borrow ideas without quoting
directly.
Strategies in paraphrasing
 Do not change the original thought of the text;
change the way it is conveyed.
 Do not confuse it with summary. Focus on detail,
not on the main idea.
 As with summarizing, ensure accuracy by
comparing the original and the paraphrased
texts.
4. INFERENTAIL READING
• Refers to process of deducing facts and ideas not
directly expressed in the text.
• Also known as “Reading between the lines”.
Read the following paragraph. Based on the
details, say why the girl acted the way she did.
Inference is an idea drawn from facts or details
in the text.
Making inferences is important so that the reader
can fully understand the text, even when some of
the information is left out by the author.
5. CRITICAL READING
• Refers to the close and thorough evaluation of
the claims in the text in terms of relevance,
validity, and logic.
• As with inferential reading, critical reading
happens in the while-reading stage.
TYPES OF READING
Reading and Writing
Developmental Reading
• A systematic instruction which aims to develop
the student’s reading skills.

Ex.
Ryan reads a long text to improve his reading
comprehesion skills.
Pleasure Reading
• A more passive type of reading that primarily
aims to provide enjoyment and entertainment.

Ex.
Karen reads her favorite book, To Kill a
Mockingbird, to relax after a long day.
Functional Reading
• Designed to help students learn basic functional
reading ability.

Ex.
Filipe reads a college application form to
understand how to fill it out.
Remedial Reading
• Aims to correct the effects of poor teaching and
poor learning.

Ex.
Francis reads pronunciation chart with his
teacher to help him correct his pronunciation of
dipthongs.