Developing Reading skill (SKMU, B.ED, SEM-I), Language Across the Curriculum, TC-103

 

Developing Reading skill

Concept of Reading Skill: Reading is one of the most important skills in language learning. Emphasizing its significance Lord Bacon remarked, “Reading make a full man, writing an exact man and conference a ready man." The education of a child is incomplete if he does not have the ability to read. 

C. C. Fries said, “our main purpose in developing the ability to read among our children is that we wish to put them in possession of the power of gaining pleasure and profit from the printed page."

Reading involves following elements: -  

1. Word recognition is the act of seeing a word and recognizing its pronunciation immediately and without any conscious effort. If reading words requires conscious, effortful decoding, little attention is left for comprehension of a text to occur.

2. A version of reader response literary theory that emphasizes each particular reader's reception or interpretation in making meaning from a literary text.

3. It is the understanding and interpretation of what is read. To be able to accurately understand written material, children need to be able to (1) decode what they read; (2) make connections between what they read and what they already know; and (3) think deeply about what they have read.

4. When we read, we look at written symbols (letters, punctuation, spaces) and use our brains to convert them into words and sentences that have meaning to us. We can read silently (in our heads) or read aloud - speaking every word that we read. In reading we utilize or language in daily life.

5. Evaluating is a reading strategy that is conducted during and after reading. This involves encouraging the reader to form opinions, make judgments, and develop ideas from reading.  

6. Interpretation is important for success in academics, business and personal life. Interpretation skills allow the reader to understand main ideas, discern facts from opinions and make inferences and predictions.

Importance of Reading Skills: -

Ø Developing good vocabulary and language skills.

Ø Acquiring new words and improves concentration.

Ø  Understanding the meaning of new words and interpreting the context.

Ø Using knowledge in context to answer questions correctly.

Ø Retaining information and stories

Ø Understanding the culture and civilization of different countries through literature, thus developing a sense of worldliness.

Ø Helpful in Entertainment and develops the creative side of individuals.

Ø Helpful in knowledge acquisition and develops imagination.

Ø By reading we discover new information and Social utility.

 

Ways to improve Reading Skill: - Here are some simple and effective tips and ways to help students build reading skills to better understand classroom curriculum.

1. Read Before Bed:-  Making habit of reading on daily basis before going to bed allows you to take new information.

2. Personalize reading materials: Students can increase their understanding by seeing how the material connects with their life. Have your students make personal connections with the text by writing it down on the page.  

3. Problem-solving perfection: Blend real-world problem-solving skills into your curriculum. Have your students write out solutions to the problem and discuss their ideas as a class or in small groups.

4. Engage all five senses: Add in activities that reinforce learning and comprehension by using more senses as they read. Remind students to read with a pen or pencil to annotate the text. Have your students take turns reading out loud? Use projectors to guide your lesson and write down questions for those who are visual learners.

5. Set reading goals to motivate students: Have each student set their own reading goals. This can help them take action in building reading skills and students will be more mindful of how they are improving.

6. Try student led reading activities: Your students process reading material and curriculum in very different ways. As you implement reading activities to help your class learn complex materials, you will learn what works best for each student individually.

7. Revisit and reread confusing sentences and texts: Revisiting the parts that were confusing for your child (or that might simply need a quick refresher) can help your child gain a more complete picture of what he or she is learning. This also helps ensure your child is able to understand upcoming material in the text. You can also keep a record or list of words that your students are unfamiliar or struggling with. You can then encourage your child to look these words up in a dictionary to learn what they mean. Then, find ways to use them in a sentence that your child can write themselves.

8. Explain it out: When your child has finished reading, talk about what he or she just read together. Ask your child what he or she learned and his or her thoughts. For longer reading materials, like novels for book reports, make discussion questions you and your child can talk about together after each reading session.

9. Breakdown reading: Long, complex reading can be more digestible by breaking it up into pieces. Shorter segments will help students retain the information as the class discusses the materials. Our60-Second reads to help your primary students practice their fluency and comprehension on a daily basis. With only 90-120 words and four short comprehension questions, this is the perfect way to dramatically improve English fluency.

 

Need for Developing Reading Skill: -  

1.  Reading is Essential and serves as a basic building block for learning.  In daily life, the need to read things such as street signs or prescriptions prove reading is also an important life skill.

2.  Reading Strengthens the Brain, brain connections, build new one and improves memory.   

3.  Reading Strengthens Analytical Skills.  Storylines in books often pose a problem or issue that leads to a solution.   

4.  Reading Improves a Child’s Vocabulary and Language Skills.  The more children read the newer words they learn.  Children can also learn about sentence structure through reading, which can help improve their writing skills.

5. Reading Improves Concentration and helps children develop the ability to sit still and quietly for longer and longer periods of time.

6.  Reading Teaches Children about the World Beyond Their Own Doors.  Children have the opportunity to build a store of background knowledge when are exposed to content that can help them learn about different cultures and societies as well as people, places and events outside their own experiences.

7.  Reading Allows a Child to Become a Better Reader.  Reading regularly will not only help your child to further develop this important skill, it will help your child take better advantage of all the benefits this skill has to offer. 

8.  Reading Reduces Stress and Offers Relaxation. Reading offers an escape into other story worlds and away from daily stressors.  It also offers an escape from the mentally over stimulating flashing lights and noise of the computer or television.  It is an activity that can be done in silence and at a children own pace.   

9.  Reading is Fun and Entertaining.  A good book can be even more entertaining than a good movie since the reader is able to use his or her imagination to develop the words into his or her own mental images as opposed to being confined to what is seen on a movie screen.

10. Reading Fosters Self-Confidence and Independence.  Children who read regularly develop strong literacy skills and become competent readers.  Strong literacy skills can lead to greater self-sufficiency and, in turn, a more confident child.