Five useful reading strategies for improving your reading skill
Reading Comprehension Strategies
Reading is
a multifaceted process involving word recognition, comprehension, fluency, and
motivation (Leipzig, 2019) . Having to use the reading
skill is not simply reading the words, sentences and paragraphs silently, or in
loud voice. When we speak about a skill, this implies a process to be carried
out successfully and reaching the true objectives that are sought when we read
any kind of text.
As final part
of this introductory text, I want to make mention that comprehension is not
only the main objective of reding, it is also the most difficult ability to
master. So, in this research work I share you five useful reading comprehension
strategies in order to help you to get better results when you are using your
reading skill.
1.
Focus on the questions
Focus on the questions
It could be
the most useful strategy in a reading exercise. But it is a little more complex
to get done well, because if you just read the questions without really
thinking about them or taking a moment to circle the most important words in
the questions, you will probably forget what the questions are asking before
you even finish reading the passage. Then all this effort only will be a wasted
time.
Always read
the questions first. This will help you to focus your attention and direct you
to the parts of the reading passage that are most important for you to
understand. Checking out the questions will allow you to develop an
understanding of what you should be looking for in the passage. This makes it
easier for you to find the information you need to pick out the correct answer.
You should also ensure that you're looking at all of your potential answers,
especially if the question asks for the best solution. This sometimes means that there are several
answers that are almost right. Make sure you pick the solution that is the most
correct.
2. Predicting
It is important
that the students make predictions about the text just having read the topic, it sets
up expectations based on their prior knowledge about similar topics. As they
read, they may mentally revise their prediction as they gain more information. If
you do that, it will help you to guess in your mind which one could be the
best answer for each question before reading the whole text or reviewing the
answer options. Because in a reading exam there is not only a possible answer
that seems correct. Often many answers will seem correct, but there is
typically a best answer to the question that your professors is looking for.
3. Skimming
You have to
understand that there is no need to read every word when skimming. It helps you
to avoid wasting time because skimming is reading a text quickly to get a
general idea of meaning. It is one of the best strategies for economizing time
and even it is not difficult to apply because it implies that a learner while
taking a reading exam decides to approach text by looking at the title,
introductions, and any diagrams and sub-tittles, then skim reading to get a
clear general idea of what the text is about.
In order to
skim successfully and effectively, the speed must be fast, the comprehension
relatively low, but you need to feel like you grasp the concepts included in
the skimmed material. It can also help with the overall comprehension of a
subject, as it is often used together with your prior knowledge about the topic
of the text on the reading test.
Thinking
while reading is very natural for someone who reads slowly but very complex for
someone who reads fast. It is better to read slower and create proper analysis
of the text, than to read faster and create false knowledge. But do not forget
it. You must consider how much time you have for answering the questions.
5. Learning and Practicing Reading before an exam
It is not
only about practicing any kind of reading strategies that you can find on the
web. You have to master your reading skill. It is spending time to learn how to
identify the different type of sentences that conform a text like the main and
the supporting idea or a conclusion. In this way, you will learn how to make
connections, synthesize, visualize, make
inferences and determine importance. So, when it comes to
reading comprehension tests, you need to have a solid understanding of
strategies you can use but taking in account the time you have. Because before
you spend too much time on one passage, make sure you look over the entire
test. Find out how many passages you're going to need to read and look at the
number of questions associated with each passage. These exams are usually
timed, so you need to make sure you're allowing yourself enough time to
complete everything.
Conclusion:
The most
important goal that we must reach when we read is to comprehend what about we
are reading, and finally to be able to get clarify and specific clues from the
whole text. Then, we can extract and recognize main and supporting ideas, a
short summary and even be ready for answering any question from a reading
exercise in our English classes.
Bibliography:
Peñafiel, L. (2011, September
14th) pages: 23-29. The incidence of reading comprehension strategies in
the results of the reading skill. Retrieved from: http://repositorio.espe.edu.ec/handle/21000/3883
Breiseth, L. (2019). Reading Comprehension Strategies for English Language Learners. Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol5/511-breiseth.aspx
WABISABI LEARNING. (May 08, 2018). 10 Effective ways
of improving reading comprehension in your learners. Retrieved from: https://www.wabisabilearning.com/blog/10-ways-improving-reading-comprehension
Golden, S.
(2019, October 25th). How to Pass a Reading Comprehension Test.
Retrieved from: https://study.com/academy/popular/how-to-pass-a-reading-comprehension-test.html
These strategies are good, learners can use this strategies for take an international exam. Its really usefull.
ResponderEliminarNice blog my friend the information is well done.
ResponderEliminarSometimes to develop the 4 core skills can be a kind of difficult especially when you don´t have idea about how to do it. This strategies are very useful for teachers and students in the classroom. Good job!
ResponderEliminarGood information to use in class but there are a lot of information
ResponderEliminar