Exercise

Here is a list of statements with an AgreeDisagree continuum below each. Put a

cross on the continuum for each statement
to indicate how far you agree or disagree
with it.
1. Comprehension resides in the text; so
the students should be able to get the
meaning of what he reads.
Very much agree
Totally
disagree
2. Comprehension occurs even before the
students actually read a selection.
Very much agree
Totally disagree
3. The best technique for vocabulary
development is through the use of context
clues.
Very much agree
Totally disagree
4. To assess and build background
knowledge, be sure that instruction
corrects misconceptions.
Very much agree
Totally
disagree
5. Students who know more about a topic
remember more from a related reading
than students who have limited
knowledge.
Very much agree
Totally disagree
Reading Defined

- Reading as the process of

constructing meaning from written
texts (Richard Anderson)

- Reading is an interactive process

-

between the author and the reader

(W.K Brunan)
Reading comprehension is defined
as the level of understanding of a
text/message. This understanding
comes from the interaction between
the words that are written and how
they trigger knowledge outside the
text/message (Keith Rayner,
Barbara Foorman)
A Psycholinguistic guessing game
(Goodman, 2000).

Five Areas of Reading Instruction

1. Phonemic Awareness
This is the ability to notice, think
about, and work with the individual
sounds in spoken words.
Understand that words are made up
of speech sounds, or phonemes.
2. Phonics and Decoding
understand the relationship between
letters (graphemes) of written
language and the sounds
(phonemes) of spoken language
Enable children to develop solid
word attack skills from the
beginning of their introduction to
reading.
Important because it leads to an
understanding of the alphabetic

principle, which is the systematic

and predictable relationships
between written letters and spoken
sounds.
3. Vocabulary Instruction
Vocabulary is the meaning and
pronunciation of words that we use
to communicate effectively.
It is simply the number of words
that we understand or can actively
use to listen, speak, read, or write.
Vocabulary knowledge is among the
best predictors of reading
achievement
4. Fluency
This is the ability to read a text
accurately, smoothly, quickly, and
with expression.
Some students are able to read
orally with speed, expression, and
smooth decoding but they do not
understand what they read.
Requires comprehension.
fluent reader are readers that
can read effortlessly, use
expression, and read and recognize
words quickly. He must have
developed automaticity (Samuel,
1994) and must understand how to
group words quickly to gain
meaning from the text. When a
student possesses automaticity

5. Comprehension
Understand what have been read.

Profile of a Proficient Reader

A good reader is metacognitive aware of
and able to use and articulate the
following strategies in order to interact
with the text and enhanced meaning.
1. Make connections. A good reader is
able to draw from background knowledge
and personal experiences while reading to
help create meaning from the text.
2. Ask questions. A good reader asks both
literal and inferential questions before,
during, and after reading to clarify
meaning and deepen understanding.
3. Visualize. A good reader is able to create
multi-sensory images in the minds eye
while reading to help make sense of the
text.
4. Determine importance. A good reader is
able to sort through information in the
text, select key ideas, and remember
them.
5. Draw inferences. A good reader knows
that not all information is included in a
text, and is able to reasonably fill in,
hypothesize, and predict, based on the
evidence on the text.
6. Analyze and synthesize. A good reader
is able to break down information and to
draw conclusions based on both the text
and his or her thinking.

7. Monitor comprehension. A good reader

is able to stop, go back, and reread in
order for understanding to occur.
We can even trim down the seven
strategies to five: connect,
questions, visualize, infer, and
synthesize or transform. These five
are considered the ones that
students could best learn and that
teachers could most easily
implement in order to create a
language of thinking in the
classroom.
Stages of a Reading Lesson
a. Pre-reading
- activation of prior knowledge and
building background information
- development of concept and
vocabulary - development of
motivation and purpose for reading
b. During reading
The reader interacts with and
makes connections with the text
in the process of understanding
or constructing meaning.
- Reading aloud is considered the
best way to give all students
equal access to good literature.
c. After reading
- discussion and elaboration or
engagement activities are done
to enhance comprehension.

What Researches say

- Most teachers dont have a

-

background in how to teach

reading.
The earlier a child learns to read
the better chance the child has of
excelling in school.
Prevention of reading difficulties
early on by providing balanced and
research-based instructional
programs is paramount.
Children who have not learned to
read by the third grade are at
greater risk of not developing
reading proficiency.
Young children who demonstrate
difficulties in learning to read
require more explicit and intense
instruction to help overcome the
difficulties.
Children who have not mastered
reading by middle school can still
be taught to read but require a
greater intensity and individualized
teaching.
Oral reading and sustained silent
reading for children with poor
reading skills may not be effective
instruction and further research is
warranted.

Vocabulary learning is a part of

normal content area learning that

may lead to better reading and

listening comprehension and may

improve achievement in general

course work.