1. Reading skills

2. Reading skills include
Vocabulary skills
Visual perceptual skills
Prediction techniques
Scanning
Skimming
Intensive reading skills

3. 1. Vocabulary skills Very important to develop reading skills
It involves
1. Word meaning recognition
2. Guessing the meaning of unknown words from word structure and context

4. 1.1 Word meaning recognition
A. first step to understand the written message
Perceive the words & phrases used
develop sight recognition skill
Recognize their definitions
recall their meanings
Do not stop reading
Do not immediately consult the dictionary
Guess the meaning

5. Analysis of word structure
1.2 Guessing the meaning of unknown words from word structure and context
While reading journals/ sport manuals some words may be difficult to comprehend
Analysis of word structure
understand from the use of prefix/suffix/root word
Eg. Interurban
Inter+ urban
b. Analysis of context clues
Eg.
Illustrations
Linguistic clues

6. Common prefixes a/an/ill/dis- not Im/un Anti -against Bi - two, twice
De - away
Ex-former
Hetro –different
Homo-similar
Inter-between
Intra -within
Mis- wrong
Micro-small
Mono-one
Multi-many
Over-more
Post-after
Pseudo-false
Pro-in support of
Re- repeat
Semi-half
Sub-under
Super-above
Trans-across

7. Common suffixes Able,ible- able to, can be done
Ance, ence, tion-state of being
Ant,ent- person
Al, ly- similar to (legal, mental)
Cy, cracy-condition (diplomacy)
Er, or- person, degree ( writer, doctor, hotter)
Ess- feminine (waitress, tigress)
Ify- make,do
Ful-full of
Less-not
Ship-being

8. Analysis of context clues
Look for contextual signal words
illustrations
Linguistic clues
Eg:
He is down-to-earth and you will find his approach to life very practical (helps in inferring the meaning)

9. Egs.
Although she is loquacious, she remains silent before her father
She is discourteous, and you will never find him polite to other people.
He is very………, while his wife is scruffy.

10. 2. Eye Reading &Visual perceptual skills
For effective eye reading one needs
Accurate visual perception of words &phrase
Fixations
Complete elimination of vocalization
do not read aloud as it reduces our speed
Fix your eye on a particular word etc.
Read word groups/thought unit
Do not read word by word

11. Avoid vocalization or sub vocalization
Improve visual perception of words etc.
Rapidly recognize the meaning
Concentrate while reading

12. 3.Prediction technique Rapid reading skill read fast
To guess the information
To think ahead
-hypothesis

13. Predicting the contents Headings Sub headings
One’s back ground knowledge of
subject
graph
diagram
charts

14. Involves micro skills
Use of index
guess the information
Scan graphic / non-verbal clues
Predict the nature &scope
Use discourse linguistic clues
Involves pre-reading survey of the text
Glancing rapidly
Guessing information
Recalling related information
Analysing the aids given
These make reading faster

15. 4. Scanning skills
The technique you use when you're looking up a name in the phone book: you move your eye quickly over the page to find particular words or phrases that are relevant to the task you're doing.

16. It's useful to scan parts of texts to see if they're
going to be useful to you:
the introduction or preface of a book
the first or last paragraphs of chapters
the concluding chapter of a book.
Specific point of fact
Relevant graphic details
Formulae in text
A word in dictionary
Train/ television schedules
References/bibliographical listings
Examination results

17. Suggestions to improve reading skills
Know what you want to find
Do not read everything (focused, concentrate on information needed)
Use guides and aids
Know the organisation structure of the material (Ads, news paper listings, analyse how information is structured)
Concentrate while scanning (improves visual perception an to identify the information)

18. 5. Skimming skills
The technique you use when you're going through a newspaper or magazine: you read quickly to get the main points, and skip over the detail..

19. It's useful to skim:
To understand the central idea/main points
To discover the purpose of the text
To identify different writing patterns used to develop ideas in text
to preview a passage before you read it in detail
to refresh your understand of a passage after you've read it in detail.
Use skimming when you're trying to decide if a book in the library or bookshop is right for you

20. Skimming should answer the following questions
What is the over all purpose of the text?
What is the central idea?
What is the logical orgnisation?
[ general to specific; specific to general; chronological; more important to less important or vice versa and so on]
What does the author intend to say
(describe, instruct, report, narrate, explain, argue, persuade, illustrate and so on…)
What are the main points?

21. 5.1 Identifying central idea
What is the subject?
What does the author want to say about the subject?
What is the author’s point of view?
Care fully read
the title/main heading/sub-headings/opening paragraph/last paragraph

22. 5.2 recognising main ideas
Once central idea is identified process to recognize main ideas to expand the central idea
Identify
the topic sentence
the discourse coherence
Text organizations
Meaning function of sentence patterns accurately
Semantic/discourse markers and their function

23. Topic sentence
Each paragraph deal with one main idea and that is the topic sentence (beginning paragraph)
Topic sentence summarizes the paragraph
it may be
Generalized statement
Description, problem,
The other sentences develop, support, exemplify the central idea

24. 5.2 Identifying writing patterns
While skimming discover the specific writing
patterns:
Definitions
Description
Sequence of events
Generalisation
Classification
Illustration of examples
Causes and effect
Comparison &contrast

25. 6. Intensive reading skills
Intensive reading is detailed reading that demands better concentration and motivation. Intensive reading skill include distinguish between facts and opinions, and drawing inferences and conclusions.
a)      Detailed Reading: Intensive reading requires text analysis for critical and evaluative understanding of a text.
b)      Critical Reading: Distinguishing between facts and opinions with critical and analyse the information in a text.
c)       Inferential Reading: It is the process of knowing the unknown from the known. Inference can be defined as a statement that is based on some situations, observations, facts, or specific details.

26. Micro skills of intensive reading
A. understanding major & minor details
B. distinguishing between factual &non-factual information
Understanding the characteristics of a writer’s use of language
Interpreting graphic information
Evaluating writer’s attitude/intention
Responding to more plain sense of words
distinguishing between explicit &implicit information
Drawing inferences &conclusions

27. 6.1 Distinguishing between facts &opinions
To be effective one must be critical and have analytical skill –understanding the text and as well respond
What is Fact?
Fact is truth that can be objectively verified by observation and experimentation
What is opinion?
Opinion is subjective and it can not be objectively verified
One must be discern the truth

28. Differences between facts &opinions
India is an agricultural country
Several Multinational
companies have been
opened up in India
OPINIONS
India is a great country
The coming of multinational companies have boosted the economy of India

29. Drawing inferences & conclusions
An inference can be defined as a statement that is based on some situations, observations, facts or specific details. Drawing inference is the knowing the unknown from the known. All the theories and laws of science have gone through the process of induction, which is an important method of drawing inferences. Induction is reasoning process of drawing general statement from specific observations. Inferences and conclusions can be drawn from the following;
Facts
Specific details
Examples and illustrations
Factual observations
Contextual clues

30. Examples
We may find that it is easier to pull down than to do certain amount of work by exerting small forces through large distances, rather than large forces through small distances. We can, therefore, perform certain tasks more easily in some ways than in others.