Tips for Reading

[Pirate]

Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:39 am Post subject: Re: how to read fast...
By ProfessorVerb

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hedwig14 wrote:
how do i read fast especially when im taking an entrance test in college and there is this certain reading comprehension..
could you give me some tips?


Reading is such a joy for me today that I try to take my time and savor the words and phrases; many of the books I have read over and over are just like old friends now; however, I appreciate your predicament when it comes to the need to read fast for test-taking purposes. Readers who are truly proficient at reading fast, though, bring to the task of reading a wide array of capabilities and dispositions. Reader differences in such capabilities as fluency in word recognition, oral language ability, and domain knowledge, together with individual differences in such dispositions as the reader's motivation, goals, and purposes, are important sources of variability in reading comprehension. These variables also tend interact with one another and with the text to which the reader is exposed (the text can be narrative, expository, etc.) as specific determinants of performance on a given reading task (acquiring knowledge in a domain, performing a comparative analysis, solving a problem, etc.). Many of these capabilities and dispositions can only be achieved through exposure to the language over the course of time (as with practicing almost anything). All of these issues are made more challenging for ESL students as well. For example, Dechant points out that, “Good readers often are such because they are capable of rapid and accurate word recognition. They have automatized the word identification skills. They have committed thousands of words to their sight or recognition vocabulary and can recognize them instantly with minimum language cues” (p. 7).

Having said that, though, there are some specific tools and strategic that you can use right away to help you improve your reading comprehension. Reading has been described as a synthesis or integration of word identification and comprehension, in which the absence of either makes true reading impossible.

According to Dechant (1991), “In reading, the obvious need is that the words on the page be identified and recognized by the reader. Reading begins as a sensory process and as a word identification process. Word identification or encoding of the printed word involves three basic processes (see Figure 1 at this URL: http://69.7.164.80/?fif=b710644/b710644 ... 1&cvt=jpeg): visual discrimination and identification of the symbols; visual memory for the symbols; and, generally recoding, pronunciation of the symbols, or association of sound with the symbols.

It is obviously important that readers make a visual discrimination of the symbol, whether it be car, ς+03BDωஎ+03B9 ςαυτοε, or phlogiston, and that they visually discriminate one symbol from the next. Readers must identify the graphic symbols or develop a percept of the graphic stimulus. They need to be able to process the visual array of letters and words. Beginning readers in particular need to learn to perceive the significant contrastive features, those elements of the visual configuration that distinguish one letter from another letter or one word from another.

Matching of letters and words is not enough. The task readers face is not one of looking for words that match. They must be able to see the difference in words. They need to discover the critical differences between two letters or two words, between a given word and any other word. They need to learn what the distinctive features of written language are.

Unfortunately, visual discrimination of the symbols alone is generally not enough for beginning readers to go to meaning. Such readers commonly need to be able to see that cat represents /kǎt/, and that ς+03BDωஎ+03B9 ςαυτοε represents /gnōth soutŭn/. They benefit when they can move from the graphic code (which they see) to the sound code (which they have already learned), when they can associate sound with the printed symbol, and when they can recode from the graphic to the spoken code. Reading, thus, for some readers is not simply visual discrimination of the symbols. It often includes the ability to recode. Both aspects are generally significant elements of the reading process, especially in the learning-to-read process. Indeed, a major goal of word-identification teaching is to help children develop a code that permits them to move quickly and easily from the written to the spoken code; in other words, to see why cat represents /kǎt/, and why cent represents /sěnt/” (Dechant, p. 7).

Clearly, there is a lot going on when an individual scans a page of text with the goal of comprehending as much of it as possible as quickly as possible. Some specific strategies that might help you achieve this goal include the following.

For example, if you come to a passage that you do not readily understand, you can:

• Ignore it and read on with the expectation that it will become more clear;

• Guess what it means by its context;

• Reread the passage for clarification;

• Look back to previous information for additional clarification (Casteel, Isom, & Jordan, 2000).

Here’s another study guide that might help you prepare for your exams while you hone your reading comprehension skills: http://thehomeworkhut.com/EffectiveStudyHabits....htm

I hope that helped and good luck
______________________________________
Creating Confident and Competent Readers. Contributors: Carolyn P. Casteel - author, Bess A. Isom - author, Kathleen F. Jordan - author. Journal Title: Intervention in School & Clinic. Volume: 36. Issue: 2. Publication Year: 2000. Page Number: 67

Understanding and Teaching Reading: An Interactive Model. Contributors: Emerald Dechant - author. Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Hillsdale, NJ. Publication Year: 1991

[chamodude]

Reading is very very important.There are people who are not well used with having a reading--even in thier own mother language!--and obviously it may be a kind of nightmare for them.I guess,looking for a light theme,say showbiz magazines,could be the first approach toward William Shakespear.
you could well start with just one page,one day,then probabaly one page the next day,probably two pages the next day and son on.The idea is not to lose the interest in reading.

Carlos

[northernwolf]

I do know I have to read more and more in order to improve English level, but I usualy give up when I have read the beginning of a book. Because it is too hard to me, so I lost my faith to finish it.

I think this question that many english learner ususally talk with it each other,of cause,me too,hehe!!so we must study hard !!!

[EDUCATIONAL]

THIS IS A VERY INTERISTING TOPIC BECAUSE I USUALLY TEND TO GET LOST IN THE READINGS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS BECAUSE SOMETIMES I DON'T UNDERSTAN ALL THE VOCABULARY OR BECAUSE MY READING COMPREHENSION IS NOT JUST GOOD. IF SOMEONE HAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM PLESE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN ORDER TO IMPROVE.

[Virgil]

Hi!

I think your comprehension difficulties are due to your low vocabulary skills. If you're a beginner I suggest you to try to understand lyrics because they are shorter and you won't be tired of looking up a great deal of words and eventually give up reading, not to mention that by singing the related lyrics you will memorize the new words much faster. Also read short articles from magazines, newspaper and so on. Read it first in loud voice (I mean, loud enough for you to listen to your own voice), thereafter you look up the words you don't know. Then after sometime change gradually to longer articles, lyrics and this way you will have more vocabulary and thus, more understanding. If you're not a beginner and already make use of this suggestions the only further suggestion I give you is: read, read and read. Having more knowledge does not take space.

I do hope my suggestions can help you.
P.S. If you love English like I do please send me a private message so that we can chat.

Take care.

[tikay]

Virgil has some great advise there with the learning of songs and the rest too. I would learn songs of another language~ now, myself... to begin a language. What a great idea! I am going to try this.

[zaman]

i need from anyone here to give me a story or send me a book to read from it .
and thanks for all

[TuanAnVu]

i need from anyone here to give me a story or send me a book to read from it .
and thanks for all

You can visit this site. This is a host I've been using. If you cannot connect to it, please notify me. I posted an English book named A round the world in the eightys day. Have a fun.
http://tuananvu.phpnet.us/englishbooks/

[maksoora]

Some time I could sleep I directly read any book so I sleep ekekek. I don’t know when I start read any books or magazine I felt sleep I close the book then I go to sleep.

[marvine]

I agree with Andrew77's oppions!
right,you can find lots of people's minds, espically these great people.and in their book, you can finf yourself,what kind of life you want be!
one word, people needs reading!