DEFINITION

1) The action or skill of reading written or printed matter silently or aloud.

2) An interpretation

Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive

meaning (reading comprehension). It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and
of sharing information and ideas. Like all languages, it is a complex interaction between the text
and the reader, which is shaped by the readers prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and
language community which is culturally and socially situated.
The reading process requires continuous practice, development, and refinement. In addition,
reading requires creativity and critical analysis. Consumers of literature make ventures with each
piece, innately deviating from the literal words to create images that make sense to them in the
unfamiliar places the texts describe. Because reading is such a complex process, it cannot be
controlled or restricted to one or two interpretations. There are no concrete laws in reading, but
rather allows readers an escape to produce their own products introspectively. This promotes
deep exploration of texts during interpretation.
Readers use a variety of reading strategies to assist with decoding (to translate symbols into
sounds or visual representations of speech) and comprehension. Readers may
use morpheme, semantics, syntax and context clues to identify the meaning of unknown words.
Readers integrate the words they have read into their existing framework of knowledge or
schema (schemata theory).

FOUNDATION SKILLS FOR BEGINNER READERS

1) Phonemic Awareness: The insight that every spoken word can be conceived as a sequence of
phonemes. Phonemes are the speech sounds that are represented by the letters of an alphabet.
2) Phonemic Decoding: The ability to capture the meaning of unfamiliar words by translating
groups of letters back into the sounds that they represent, link them to one's verbal vocabulary,
and access their meaning.

SKILLS NEEDED TO READ FOR MEANING

3) Vocabulary: Understanding the words in a passage, including the specific dimensions of their
meanings or usage that matter in context.
For example, knowing that tree when reading about a family tree has a different meaning
from maple tree.

4) Fluency: The ability to read with sufficient ease and accuracy that active attention can be
focused on the meaning and the message of the text and the text easily retained.
5) Comprehension: Thinking about the meaning of each segment of the text as it is read, building
an understanding of the text as a whole, and reflecting on its meaning and message.

STEPS TO INTRODUCE OR TEACH CHILDREN TO READ

1. Read to your child

Teaching your child to read is truly a process that begins at infancy.
2. Ask questions
Asking questions while reading to your child is not only great for encouraging your child to
interact with the book, but it is also extremely effective in developing his ability
to comprehend what he is reading.
3. Be a good (reading) example
Even if your child is fascinated with books from an early age, her fascination will quickly
dwindle if she does not see reading modeled in her home. If you are not an avid reader yourself,
make a conscious effort to let your children see you reading for at least a few minutes each day!
Read a magazine, a cookbook, a novel, its up to you! But show your child that reading is
something that even adults need to do.
4. Identify letters in natural settings
In other cultures, while decorating the nursery, we painted and hung large wooden letters spelling
their names above the cribs as a decorative accent in their rooms.

TEACHING STRATEGIES

Apart from vocally pronounce the words that are printed on a page, reading also involves a lot
more than that. It is important to know that the actual objective of mastering the reading skills is
actually to really understand the contextual meaning of the text. Students characteristics play a
big role in deciding what are the strategies needed to teach reading. In this topic, we will explain
on what are the suitable strategies to teach reading to young children based on their age group
characteristics.
1. Young children have a short attention span.
For young children who are in the early phase of learning, reading, they tend to have a short
attention span and are easily distracted by various means. To avoid the problem, the teacher
can vary the activities to be carried out in class to keep students attentive all the way until
the end of the lesson and to keep their interests in learning. It is also very important to keep
all children involves in all activities at all time. For example, if one student is given a
reading task, the rest can do a listening task that will make them pay attention to what is
being read.
2. Young children need more concept enrichment, not just labels.
As what was that has been said the introduction part, reading require more than just literally
read. The student should be explained with the meaning of the words, as well as
understanding its concept of how and when to use a certain word in a sentence. For
instance, teacher could let them see the object or picture of the object at the same time that
they hear its name being said and see it written down. This way, the spoken and written form
of the word can be acquired at the same time.
3. Childrens concentrations reach peak when they are playing
To ensure the childrens concentration and understanding are at the very best level, it is very
important to include as much physical activity as possible in the learning process. This
characteristic can also be related to the first point explained, where young children have very
short attention span. In class, instead of using the direct method, suggestopedia and total
physical response are also the effective steps to increase students enthusiasm towards the
learning process. For example, include games, quizzes, songs in the lesson, through this
way, students can have total concentration towards the lesson, thus, increase the level of
understanding.
4. Young children find unmeaningful and abstract activities difficult.

It is very clear that different group age of students adapts differently to different teaching
strategies. For young learners, they can never understand anything abstract. They need to see
the actual end result of everything for them to have full understanding. For this situation, the
teacher must begin reading instruction by using the whole word method so that they can read
simple texts quickly. Introduce phonics only after the student can read simple text and have
begun to know reading as a whole. Teaching words in isolation, or by itself, the night also is
difficult for students to understand. Words should be introduced in context, for example, in a
story.
5. Some students are very poorly motivated to read in English (or any target language).
As a teacher, it has become our role to instill the interest towards learning in every student.
One of the ways to start is by setting a purpose of reading. Students might sometimes need
to see what are the objectives of them learning reading. While teaching, teacher can include
questions that ask for their personal reactions to the context of the text. To keep them
continuously reading in English outside the class, teacher can set projects that require
reading. Giving tasks and homework might as well be working.
6. Students do not know how to read in English.
In Malaysia, some student started using English when the first come to school. They never
knew any English beforehand. So at the very beginning level, teachers have to use several
approaches to teach reading to students who do not know English. Using a lot of audio-visual
support when introducing new language through reading might help. For example, when
giving text for students to read, teacher can read together with them and include pictures,
facial expressions, voice intonation as well as body language to help them understand. To
overcome the problems that the students face in expressing in words, allow them to express
their understanding through some non verbal way such as acting, drawing or doing.
Effective Reading Method
1. What reading involves :
Predicting outcomes, guessing word meanings using contextual clues.
Applying reading strategies to the text ; deciding whether to skim some parts of the text
or read the whole of it carefully ; increasing the pace of reading through increasing sight

vocabulary.
Making connections within the text.

e.g able to recognize what words such as this, that, such, one, it refer to.
A huge lorry rammed into a Proton Saga. The smaller vehicle was a wreck but the
lorry only had a few scratches on its side. The driver of the car had to be rushed to the
hospital...

Understanding the relationships indicated by logical connectors like so, as a result,

because, and sequence markers such as after that, firstly, finally, at first.
Thinking while reading : ask questions, classify, deduce, form impressions and predict.
Building up familiarity with the many different kinds of texts the student is likely to
need to read in English. E.g : road signs, advertisements, journals, poems etc.

2. Selection of texts for developing reading skills.

Choosing the most appropriate and suitable reading material to be used in class is very
important for the teacher. According to some, it is as important as instructing and teaching
the student to read. There are several characteristics of reading materials that need to be taken
into account when choosing the best of them. Here are some of the major concern and issues:

i.

Balance
a) Sufficient variety of genres, e.g poems, essays, stories, non-linear forms (graphs,
b)
c)
d)
e)

ii.

diagrams etc), descriptions, plays.

Good mixture of styles, e.g expository, narrative, argumentative.
Varies of different interest and needs, e.g love, war, technologies, wildlife etc.
Suitable for people from cultural, geographical and ethnic backgrounds.
Equally represents boys and girls interest.

Suitability of language
a) Proportion of unknown words in the text.
Normally, not more than one word in every twenty should be unknown. That is
considered a suitable usage of language.
b) The level of sentence pattern.
It is generally believed that active sentences are simpler than passive sentences, complex
sentences are more difficult than simple or compound sentences.
c) Clues to help readers follow the relationship between the ideas.

For example, are there enough logical connectors to show how the ideas are linked to one
another or does the reader have to sort out the relationships on his/her own? A wellwritten text is usually much easier to read than a text that is poorly presented.
3.

Exploiting a text to aid developmental reading.

As a teacher, a skill to successfully exploit a text to be used as learning resources
is very important. When using a text for helping students to acquire new reading skills or
become more fluent in using skills he/she already has, we have to remember the
interrelations between reading purposes, reading texts, reading strategies and reading
outcomes :

AFFECTS

Why we read

How we read

(purposes)

(process)
What we read

What we do, know or

become

(product/outcome)
If the reading purpose(texts)
is to learn, the kind of text chosen must be informational
such as
journals or news instead of novels and poems. When reading, it should be slowly, giving
enough time to understand and digesting the information stated. And based on its
contents, for example, an article, the outcome or the end product of the reading would be
knowledge. These are all the important relations in a reading process. Exploiting texts
refers to presenting the text in a way that ensures the students would process it in a way
that gives them maximum chance to acquire the reading skill the teacher wants them to
acquire.

3.

Possible procedure for determining how to exploit a text.

Read the text carefully and mark on the areas that need practice instead of focusing only
at important information. Look also at the relationships between sentences, paragraphs etc.
Look at the layout and the supporting visuals, e.g pictures, maps, diagrams etc.
Look at how any or all of the linking devices used in the text would improve your pupils
understanding of how ideas are linked to one another in the text.

My name is Prasert. One year ago, I left Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and
went to London to continue my studies. I went to London University to do some work
in history. I found a pleasant flat near the university in Bedford Square.

On top of that, teachers might also need to think about available options in presentation
of the texts. Some of the choices that can be considered are :

Should pre-reading activities be done to reduce dullness while learning? If so, what kind

of pre-reading activities would be suitable?

Should the text be broken up or presented as a whole?
Can the text be used to teach inferencing? What forms should be used? E.g true/false,

multiple-choice, task-based activities?

Which part of the text should be used to carry out the activity?

READING ACTIVITIES
1) Reading-while-listening.
Pupils listen to a good reading of the text while they look at the words being read.
The reading of the text might come from a recorded sources or being read by the teacher
himself. This method improves students knowledge about the right pronunciation,
enunciation, intonation, pause etc.
2) Play-reading
Get students to read parts in plays. Insist them to read the way the real characters
i.
ii.

do. This kind of reading activity will :

Helps students to read with expressions
Encourages interpretation and creates a natural environment for developing personal

iii.

responses to reading material.

Improves attention span. It creates a situation where each reader must be alert to play his

iv.

part when his turn comes.

It is something enjoyable and attracts students interest.

3) Choral reading
Get students to read together sometimes. This method will help to mask individual
strengths and weaknesses and creates a supportive environment for poor readers to acquire
good pronunciation, rhythm, etc. Compared to individual reading round the class for each
text, choral reading takes less time with more learning outcomes.
4) Individual reading to teacher
Get students to read individually to you (teacher). This practice enable teacher to :
i.
Check individuals progress of each student.
ii.
Give incentives to students who achieve improvements in reading progress.

iii.

To give specialized help at the time and the level at which it is required.

5) Audience reading.
Get students to select something of their own to read in front of the whole class. Tell
them they must choose something that they like and they would like to share with their
friends. Some of the advantages of this activities are :
i.
It gives students an opportunity to select their own material instead of always reading
ii.

what the teacher has selected for them.

It makes students very anxious to succeed and therefore raises their level of motivation

iii.

and effort.
It gives teachers an insight into students real interests.

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SCIENCE

ZEU 1163
LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES AND STUDY
SKILLS
ASSIGNMENT 2
READING
Prepared by :
SITI IZDIHAR BINTI ZAINAL ABIDIN
(4103005031)
NOOR RUSYDIAH BINTI ABD GHANI
(4134003451)

Lecturer :
MADAM BATHMA DEVE KOMARAN