Reading Skill

Introduction

According to Richard Steele, ‘Reading is to mind what exercise is to body’. 

Akin to keeping one’s body fit with regular exercises, reading helps to keep the mind active. Comprehending what we read is the most demanding aspect of our reading. Students and professionals need to read a variety of texts in order to understand concepts, enhance their knowledge and to know what is going on around them. However, if they are not aware of certain reading techniques they may feel that they are wasting time in reading texts. When they learn these techniques and practice them while reading, they may find that their reading is more meaningful, fruitful, and enjoyable.

Improving Comprehension Skill

The following are some of the ways in which comprehension skills

can be improved:

• Read a variety of materials. Do not limit yourself to textbooks.

• Read a fairly long portion of the material. It would be difficult to assess reading comprehension based on one or two paragraphs. Try to read an entire section or chapter instead.

• Circle unknown or unfamiliar words as you read.

• After reading, recall as much of the information as possible. Jot down points if you like. Then check the accuracy and completeness of your recollections. If the main ideas are presented in a particular order, see if you can recall the structure.

• Consider how interesting the subject matter is and how much you already know about the subject.

• Answer questions about the material after reading it.

These strategies may help you in achieving the following purposes.

• To enhance understanding of the content in a text

• To improve understanding of how information is organized in a text

• To improve attention and concentration while reading

• To make reading a more active process

• To increase personal involvement in the reading material

• To promote critical thinking and evaluation of reading material

• To enhance registration and recall of text information in one’s memory

Techniques for Good Comprehension  

1. Skimming and scanning
2. Non-verbal signals
3. Structure of the text
4. Structure of paragraphs
5. Punctuation
6. Author’s viewpoint (inference)
7. Reader anticipation: Determining the meaning of words
8. Summarizing
9. Typical reading comprehension questions

1. Skimming and Scanning

Skimming means reading a text quickly to understand its general idea, without reading every word.

When skimming, look at:

• Title and headings – What is the text about?
• Type of text – Is it an article, letter, report, advertisement, etc.?
• Purpose – Does the writer want to inform, explain, describe, instruct, or persuade?
• Main idea – What is the text generally about?

Example: You read a newspaper article quickly to decide whether it is interesting enough to read fully.

Scanning – Finding Specific Information 

Scanning means reading quickly to find particular information.

You scan when you are looking for:

• A name
• A date
• A number
• A place
• A specific fact

Easy way to remember:

Skimming = General Idea

Scanning = Specific Information

2. Non-verbal Signals 

A text communicates not only through words, but also through its appearance and layout.

Look for:

• Bold / Italics / Underlining – highlights important words
• Title – tells the main subject
• Subheading – gives information about a section
• Photographs & Captions – provide visual information
• Paragraphs – divide ideas into smaller sections
• Graphs & Charts – present information visually

3. Structure of a Text 

Most texts follow this simple structure:

Title → Introduction → Body → Conclusion

• Title: Tells you the topic.
• Introduction: Introduces the topic.
• Body: Gives details, examples, and explanations.
• Conclusion: Summarizes the main idea.

4. Structure of a Paragraph

A good paragraph usually has three parts:

Topic Sentence → Supporting Details → Conclusion/Link

• Topic Sentence: Gives the main idea.
• Supporting Details: Explain or support the idea with reasons, examples, or facts.
• Conclusion/Link: Summarizes the idea or connects it to the next paragraph.

5. Punctuation 

Punctuation marks help us understand the meaning and structure of a sentence.

Examples:

• Comma (,) – separates parts of a sentence.
• Full stop (.) – shows the end of a sentence.
• Question mark (?) – shows a question.
• Brackets ( ) – add extra information.
• Quotation marks (“ ”) – show exact words or speech.

6. Author’s Viewpoint (Inference) 

When reading a text, we should understand what the author thinks or feels.

Ask yourself:

• Is the author neutral?
• Does the author support or oppose something?
• What words show the author's feelings or opinions?
• Words that show viewpoint:
• Positive: luckily, desirable, fantastic
• Negative: unfortunately, regrettably, disappointing
• Surprise: surprisingly, unexpectedly
• Certainty: obviously, undoubtedly, certainly
• Possibility: probably, likely, maybe, unlikely
• Strong meaning:

big → huge → gigantic

afraid → terrified

small → tiny

Example:

“Only 40% of the staff is female.” → sounds more negative.

“As much as 40% of the staff is female.” → sounds more positive.

7. Reader Anticipation: Guessing the Meaning of Words 

Sometimes we come across a new or unfamiliar word while reading. We do not always need a dictionary. We can often guess its meaning from the context.

5 Easy Steps

1. Identify the Word Class

Is it a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb?

2. Look at Its Role

Understand how the word is used in the sentence.

3. Check the Context

Look at the words and sentences around it. Do they give a positive or negative meaning?

4. Find a Familiar Word

See if the new word is related to a word you already know.

aging → age

5. Guess the Meaning

Combine all the clues and decide what the word probably means.

Example : “The population is aging rapidly.”

Unknown word: aging

Familiar word: age

Context: population + rapidly

Meaning: becoming older

8. Summarizing 

A summary is a short version of a text containing only its main and important ideas.

How to Write a Good Summary:

Step 1: Read and Understand

Read the text carefully and understand its main idea.

Step 2: Select Important Points

Keep only essential information. Remove unnecessary details and examples.

Step 3: Use Your Own Words

Paraphrase the ideas instead of copying the original sentences.

Step 4: Connect Your Ideas

Use linking words such as:

therefore, however, because, but, nevertheless, on the other hand.

Step 5: Check the Length

Keep your summary short and follow the required word limit.

9. Typical Reading Comprehension Questions 

Reading comprehension questions test how well you understand a passage. Most questions fall into three main categories:

1. Questions Based on the Entire Passage 

These questions ask about the passage as a whole.

They usually focus on:

• Main point – What is the passage mainly about?
• Author’s purpose – Why did the author write it?
• Author’s attitude/tone – What does the author think or feel?
• Assumptions – What does the author believe without directly saying it?
• Implications – What does the author suggest indirectly?
• Application – How can the main idea be applied?
• Summary – Which statement or title best summarizes the passage?
• Content – What information does the passage contain?
• Inference – What can you understand from the passage?
• Author’s agreement – Which statement would the author probably agree with?

2. Questions Based on a Section of the Passage 

These questions focus on one paragraph or a particular part of the text.

To answer them:

Identify the main idea of the paragraph.

Look for important cue words such as:

advantages / disadvantages

similarities / differences

in contrast

in comparison

most importantly

primarily

on the other hand

These questions often ask about:

• Inference
• Application
• Implication

3. Questions Based on Words, Phrases, or Sentences 

These questions focus on a specific word, phrase, or sentence.

They may ask:

• What does this word mean in the passage?
• Why did the author use this particular word?
• What does this sentence suggest?
• What is the meaning or purpose of this information?