HOW TO READ

FICTION
PRESENTED BY: MA. ELIJAH CUERBO NACUBUAN
What is reading?
Reading is making meaning from
Reading is a multifaceted print. It requires that we:
process involving word  Identify the words in print – a process
recognition, called word recognition
 Construct an understanding from them – a
comprehension, fluency,
process called comprehension
and motivation
 Coordinate identifying words and making
meaning so that reading is automatic and
Source:https://www.readingrockets.org/article/ accurate – an achievement called fluency.
what-reading
What is Fiction?
FICTION
Is literature created from the imagination, not presented as fact,
though it may be based on a true story or situation.
Types of literature in the fiction genre include the novel, short story, and
novella. The word is from the Latin fictiō, “the act of making, fashioning, or
molding.”
There are various genres under fiction for example romance, young adult,
fantasy, sci-fi, horror, historical, magic realism and many more.
Examples : To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens,
1984 by George Orwell and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen,The Lord of the Rings by
J.R.R. Tolkien 1954.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 1997.
 HOW TO READ
FICTION?
“Truthis stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to
possibilities; Truth isn't.”
― Mark Twain, Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World

Mortimer J. Adler, American philosopher, educator, editor, and advocate of adult and general
education by study of the great writings of the Western world.

Alan Becker, Academic Officer for Teacher Created Materials

Reading, according to Adler, involves two basic goals, information and understanding. These two goals
work together. Through the intake of information, the reader should move from a place of less understanding
to a place of more understanding.
Thus, Adler proposes a system of “active reading,” which involves a tiered approach to evaluating a book’s
purpose, structure, claims, and implications. This structure, when slightly modified, applies to both expository
works as well as what he calls works of “imaginative literature.”

How to Read A Book proposes four key questions a reader must answer
about any work before he or she can truly understand it.

1. What is the book about?

2. What does the book claim?
3. What support does the book offer?
4. What are the implications of the book?
1.What is the book about?
This first step is largely information gathering, identifying genre, characterization,
and incident.

Text Selection
Contained diverse characters
Engaging stories
Allowed for cross-curricular content connections
Attention-grabbing covers and illustrations

Is the book a romance, a thriller, or a comedy?

Who are the characters, and how are they related?
Where and when is the story set?
Lastly, what are the sequential elements of the plot?

Story Structure
 2. WHAT DOES THE BOOK CLAIM?

In other words, what is the book saying? Like the first question, the
answer lies with story elements like character, scene, and plot.
More than just identification, however, the reader observes how each of
these elements interacts to convey a specific message or theme.
This interaction provides what Adler calls “Interpretive Rules.” Walking
with the characters as they experience events in the story’s plot helps the
reader interpret the author’s intended meaning.
 3. WHAT SUPPORT DOES THE BOOK OFFER?

This question speaks to the validity of the book’s claim or message. Is it believable?
Adler’s earlier admonition to suspend our need for truth does not mean we should
overlook an author’s failure to weave his elements in a way that speaks to a particular
truth. Do the characters interact with the plot in a way that leads somewhere?
4. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE BOOK?

Some fiction is read for pure enjoyment. It does not, by definition,

require any further action. Most good fiction, however, is compelling and
will illicit change from the reader. When critically considering the claims
of a book, one must often deal with a level of personal response.

Close Reading
What is the author telling me?
Are there any hard or important words?
What does the author want me to understand?
How does the author play with language to add to meaning?
PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR READING STORIES

Read quickly and with total immersion.

Finish each work completely.
Separate “like” and “appreciation.”
 THE BENEFIT TO UNDERSTANDING FICTION
 Why is it so important that the reader take these extra steps to gain understanding?
Adler suggests that some statements, whether they be political, economic, or moral,
are better conveyed through a story.
 He cites Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984 for their commentaries on the dangers of
totalitarianism. A story can convey important points in effective ways because, unlike
expository writing which shares knowledge about an experience, imaginative
literature seeks to share the experience itself. Without understanding, however, the
point may be lost, and Animal Farm is simply a story about animals on a farm.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING !