F U N D A M E N TA L R E A D I N G

S K I L L S A N D S T R AT E G I E S

Inst. Ayşe Nur Ekinci

CONTENT

• What is «reading» ?

• Reading Strategies

• Before Reading

• While Reading

• After Reading

• Useful Tips
W H AT I S « R E A D I N G » ?

Grammar Vocabulary

Spelling Punctuation
READING
S T R AT E G I E S

• What are some useful strategies to become a

better reader?
 BEFORE READING

PREVIEWING– TITLE, USE YOUR

HEADLINES, IMAGES BACKROUND
KNOWLEDGE
PREVIEW

What type of text is this?

What might this title mean?

What might be these images about?

USE YOUR BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

WHAT DO I KNOW IS IT FAMILIAR, OR

ABOUT THE TOPIC? UNFAMILIAR TO ME?
 Daily routine in our
kitchen
Breakfast
Susan gets up early every day to make breakfast
for her and her family; her husband David, and
their 2 children Emily and Ben.

First of all she turns on the kettle so she can boil

water to make a nice hot mug of coffee for herself
and a warm pot of tea for her husband. She likes
to lay the table in the kitchen so that the family
can have a nice breakfast together.

For the children she likes to prepare different

things every day so that they have a good variety
of food and vitamins in their diet. Depending on
the day she makes them, a boiled egg, cereal,
yoghurt or maybe fresh fruit, of course not
forgetting a large glass of milk or freshly
squeezed orange juice so that they will grow up
big and strong.

Emily loves when her mother prepares pancakes

for breakfast, because they are her favourite.
Ben on the other hand does not like pancakes he
prefers chocolate coco pop cereal.

Once everyone has finished breakfast, the

children help to clear the table and load the
dishwasher. Afterwards David goes to work and
drives the children to school.
WHILE READING

Skimming – Find the main idea

Scanning – Find supporting details, examples

Inferencing – What can I make of this statement?

Check unknown vocabulary (if allowed)

Use context to guess unknown vocabulary

Highlight key details – strong language, adjectives, adverbs

SKIMMING

• Check out the text to have a GENERAL UNDERSTANDING about the text.

• Useful questions:

• What is the main TOPIC?

• What is happening?
 Daily routine in our
kitchen
Breakfast
Susan gets up early every day to make breakfast
for her and her family; her husband David, and
their 2 children Emily and Ben.

First of all she turns on the kettle so she can boil

water to make a nice hot mug of coffee for herself
and a warm pot of tea for her husband. She likes
to lay the table in the kitchen so that the family
can have a nice breakfast together.

For the children she likes to prepare different

things every day so that they have a good variety
of food and vitamins in their diet. Depending on
the day she makes them, a boiled egg, cereal,
yoghurt or maybe fresh fruit, of course not
forgetting a large glass of milk or freshly
squeezed orange juice so that they will grow up
big and strong.

Emily loves when her mother prepares pancakes

for breakfast, because they are her favourite.
Ben on the other hand does not like pancakes he
prefers chocolate coco pop cereal.

Once everyone has finished breakfast, the

children help to clear the table and load the
dishwasher. Afterwards David goes to work and
drives the children to school.
Choose the best option
What is the text about?

A. Susan’s Daily routine

B. A breakfast recipe
C. Susan’s family breakfast
SCANNING

• Finding specific details

• Useful questions:

• What, who, how many, which etc.

 Daily routine in our
kitchen
Breakfast
Susan gets up early every day to make breakfast
for her and her family; her husband David, and
their 2 children Emily and Ben.

First of all she turns on the kettle so she can boil

water to make a nice hot mug of coffee for herself
and a warm pot of tea for her husband. She likes
to lay the table in the kitchen so that the family
can have a nice breakfast together.

For the children she likes to prepare different

things every day so that they have a good variety
of food and vitamins in their diet. Depending on
the day she makes them, a boiled egg, cereal,
yoghurt or maybe fresh fruit, of course not
forgetting a large glass of milk or freshly
squeezed orange juice so that they will grow up
big and strong.

Emily loves when her mother prepares pancakes

for breakfast, because they are her favourite.
Ben on the other hand does not like pancakes he
prefers chocolate coco pop cereal.

Once everyone has finished breakfast, the

children help to clear the table and load the
dishwasher. Afterwards David goes to work and
drives the children to school.
Choose True or
False

1. Susan makes coffee for herself.

2. Pancakes are Emily’s favorite.
3. Susan drives the kids to school after breakfast.
INFERENCING

• What can I understand from this statement?

This is a reminder message
You are going to the cinema after your
from Southchurch Dental dental practice. Which session is best
Surgery about your for you?

appointment Session 1: 9:35

tomorrow at 9.15am. The Session 2: 10:00

procedure lasts approximately

30 minutes.
Save £2 on any purchase at You CAN / CANNOT
Metro Petrol Station by use this coupon
showing this text message.
Valid until this weekend! after this weekend.
GUESSING UNKNOWN VOCABULARY

• Use textual clues to guess unknown vocabulary

• Look for examples, explanations, synonyms and antonyms.

Due to unexpected weather What might
conditions Hamstel Junior
School will be closed today. the word
We are sorry for this last- «unexpected»
minute announcement. We
will re-open tomorrow. mean?
K E Y D E TA I L S

• Be careful about the strong language in the text

• Adjectives: beautiful, great, awful etc.

• Adverbs: always, never, only, etc.

• Opinions: I think, I believe, In my opinion,

• Facts: actual details not OPINIONS

• Agreement: I agree, It is true that, ..

• Disagreement: I don’t agree, I disagree, I oppose

that…

• Negation: not, never, nothing,

 AFTER READING

Summarize

Draw conclusions

Identify the purpose of the text – What does the

writer want to say?
SUMMARIZE

• Choose key actions to summarize the text. Leave the details out.

• Put the events in order.

 Daily routine in our
kitchen
Breakfast
Susan gets up early every day to make breakfast
for her and her family; her husband David, and
their 2 children Emily and Ben.

First of all she turns on the kettle so she can boil

water to make a nice hot mug of coffee for herself
and a warm pot of tea for her husband. She likes
to lay the table in the kitchen so that the family
can have a nice breakfast together.

For the children she likes to prepare different

things every day so that they have a good variety
of food and vitamins in their diet. Depending on
the day she makes them, a boiled egg, cereal,
yoghurt or maybe fresh fruit, of course not
forgetting a large glass of milk or freshly
squeezed orange juice so that they will grow up
big and strong.

Emily loves when her mother prepares pancakes

for breakfast, because they are her favourite.
Ben on the other hand does not like pancakes he
prefers chocolate coco pop cereal.

Once everyone has finished breakfast, the

children help to clear the table and load the
dishwasher. Afterwards David goes to work and
drives the children to school.
Choose 3 statements
to summarize the text.

•1. Susan wakes up to prepare breakfast for her family.

•2. Her husband prefers tea over coffee.
•3. She prepares healthy food and drinks for her husband and children.
•4. She includes all types of healthy food like orange juice, eggs, cheese
etc.
•5. The kids like pancakes but her husband prefers coco-pops cereal.
•6. After the breakfast is over, kids go to school and her husband goes to
work.
D R AW C O N S L U S I O N S

• Answer «SO WHAT» ?

• What can I do with this information?

• What can I understand from all of it?

 Daily routine in our
kitchen
Breakfast
Susan gets up early every day to make breakfast
for her and her family; her husband David, and
their 2 children Emily and Ben.

First of all she turns on the kettle so she can boil

water to make a nice hot mug of coffee for herself
and a warm pot of tea for her husband. She likes
to lay the table in the kitchen so that the family
can have a nice breakfast together.

For the children she likes to prepare different

things every day so that they have a good variety
of food and vitamins in their diet. Depending on
the day she makes them, a boiled egg, cereal,
yoghurt or maybe fresh fruit, of course not
forgetting a large glass of milk or freshly
squeezed orange juice so that they will grow up
big and strong.

Emily loves when her mother prepares pancakes

for breakfast, because they are her favourite.
Ben on the other hand does not like pancakes he
prefers chocolate coco pop cereal.

Once everyone has finished breakfast, the

children help to clear the table and load the
dishwasher. Afterwards David goes to work and
drives the children to school.
WHAT can we infer from this
text? Choose the best 2
statements.

•1. The whole family have their breakfast together.

•2. Susan’s husband doesn’t like helping his wife with the breakfast.
•3. Susan tries to serve healthy food for her kids.
•4. Kids do not like eggs.
IDENTIFY THE PURPOSE

What is the writer

trying to say or do
with this text?

Explain? Entertain?

Argue? Inform?

Discuss? Define?

Describe? Exemplify?
 Daily routine in our
kitchen
Breakfast
Susan gets up early every day to make breakfast
for her and her family; her husband David, and
their 2 children Emily and Ben.

First of all she turns on the kettle so she can boil

water to make a nice hot mug of coffee for herself
and a warm pot of tea for her husband. She likes
to lay the table in the kitchen so that the family
can have a nice breakfast together.

For the children she likes to prepare different

things every day so that they have a good variety
of food and vitamins in their diet. Depending on
the day she makes them, a boiled egg, cereal,
yoghurt or maybe fresh fruit, of course not
forgetting a large glass of milk or freshly
squeezed orange juice so that they will grow up
big and strong.

Emily loves when her mother prepares pancakes

for breakfast, because they are her favourite.
Ben on the other hand does not like pancakes he
prefers chocolate coco pop cereal.

Once everyone has finished breakfast, the

children help to clear the table and load the
dishwasher. Afterwards David goes to work and
drives the children to school.
 Choose the best option:
What is the purpose of this
text?

1. To complain about the housework Susan needs to do all

day
2. To describe what a morning in Susan’s kitchen is like
3. To explain how to use healthy food in breakfast recipes
SOME USEFUL TIPS
FOR EXAMS

• Use time wisely – don’t read everything!

• Everything you need is IN THE TEXT.

• The questions mostly follow the order in the

text.

• Don’t take the bait 

HOW TO BECOME A
BETTER READER

• Concentrate

• Check out

• Use textual clues

• Use your background knowledge

• Guess

• Break into pieces

• Don’t be afraid!