READING

fathur.rohim@icloud.com
Reading as a receptive skill
Decoding process –
searching for meaning

Printed text

Adapted from: Chan, RELC Singapore, 2015

 What is Reading?
■ Reading is what happens when people look at a text and assign meaning to
the written symbols in the text. (Aebersold & Field, 1997:15)

■ Reading is the process of constructing meaning through the dynamic

interaction among the reader’s existing knowledge, the information
suggested by the written language, and the context of reading situation.
(Anthony, Pearson & Raphael, 1993:238)
 Reading Theories
■ Schema Theories
■ Bottom-up & Top-Down Theories
■ Interactive Reading Theories

The roles played by the READER

TEXT

Adapted from: Chan, RELC Singapore,2015

 SHCEMA (SOURCES OF
KNOWLEDGE)
Linguistic Contextual Schematic
Knowledge Knowledge Knowledge
Phonology Social Context World Knowledge
(Situation)
Lexical Knowledge Topic (Co-text) Background
knowledge
Syntax Participants
Discourse features
(register, cohesive
markers)

Language Processing involves “Parallel, interactive processing”

Adapted from: Chan, RELC
(McCleland and Elman, 1986, p. 119) Singapore,2015
Olny srmat poelpe cna rade this.
I cdnoult blveiee htat I cloud aulactlty uesdnatnrd wtha I was rdaineg.

This is bcuseas the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the
wrdo as a wlohe.

Adapted from: Chan, RELC Singapore,2015

 What do you think?
■ A newspaper is better than a magazine. A
seashore is a better place than the street. At
first it is better to run than to walk. You may
have to try several times. It take some skill, but
it’s easy to learn. Even young children can
enjoy it. Once successful, complications are
minimal. Birds seldom get too closed. Rain,
however, soaks in very fast. Too many people
doing the same thing can also cause problems.
One needs a lot of room. If there are no
complications, it can be very peaceful. A rock
will serve as an anchor. If thing breaks loose,
however, you will not get a second chance.
Adapted from: Chan, RELC Singapore,2015
Another view of Reading
MEANING

READER A

READER B
 READING AS A PROCESS

■ Cognitive Perspective – How printed

input is processed

■ Top-Down and Bottom-up Processing

Adapted from: Chan, RELC Singapore,2015

 Models of
Reading Comprehension Process
■ Bottom-up Processing

Meanings
Grammar
Sounds
Phrases
Words
Adapted from: Chan, RELC Singapore,2015
 Level 3

MEANING
(Deep structure)
Level 2

WORDS
Level 1 (lexical level)
Data driven or Bottom up model
LETTERS
(character level)
Adapted from: Chan, RELC
Singapore,2015
 Bottom-up Processing
■ Beginner readers
■ Great amount of conscious attention
■ Limited to comprehending small chunks
of information
■ Small capacity for higher level of
operation (Top-down Processing)

Adapted from: Chan, RELC Singapore,2015

 BRAIN
(EMPTY)
MEANING
Very passive Role,
Very text
dependent
Very little use of
PK
TEXT

Adapted from: Chan, RELC Singapore,2015

 Top-Down Processing
PREDICTIO
N EXPERIENCE

PK CONTEXT

Meanings

Sounds
Grammar
Words Phrases
Adapted from: Chan, RELC Singapore,2015
 How does this
picture illustrate
What is Reading?

Discuss the roles

played by :
the reader
the text
How do you observe the relationship
between the reader & the text in the
classroom?
Area of shared assumption

WRITER READER

Adapted from: Chan, RELC Singapore,2015

 Reading Levels : Barrett’s Taxonomy

Appreciation critique, appraise, comment, appreciate

analyse, appraise, evaluate, justify, reason, criticize,

Evaluation judge
Inferential
predict, infer, guess
Comprehension
classify, regroup, rearrange, assemble, collect,
Reorganization categorize
Literal Comprehension label, list, name, relate, recall, repeat, state
(Chan, RELC Singapore, 2015)
Coding Reading Sub-Skills and Levels
Example from the reading text:
Comprehension: A. Choose the correct answer
1. Fernando has applied for the post of …………………………..
a. a salesman c. a booking clerk
b. an office assistant d. a general clerk ( )

Question Types Reading Sub-Skills Reading Levels