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.

One strategy for reading comprehension is the technique called SQ3R. This stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. In order to get an understanding of the text, you should survey the chapters. This consists of quickly looking at the title, headings and any subheadings. Look at any end of chapter questions as well. While surveying, you ask questions about the topics you have scanned, such as, "What did my teacher say about this chapter?" The next thing is to begin reading. In a chapter book, you would read the majority of the words. In a textbook, just read quickly for the key words. These are words seen in the chapter questions, teacher made questions and in the titles or subtitles of the chapter. After reading a portion or section of the book, recite what you have read out loud. By orally summarizing what you just read it helps to cement the content in your memory. The last technique is to review what you have read again. By writing down key facts from the chapter and reviewing it, you will better understand the information.

Vocabulary Several theories of vocabulary instruction exist, namely, one focused on intensive instruction of a few high value words, one focused on broad instruction of many useful words, and a third focused on strategies for learning new words.

Reading strategies Before the 1980s, little comprehension instruction occurred in the United States (National Reading Panel, 2000)[citation needed]. Palinscar and Brown (1984)[citation needed] developed a technique called reciprocal teaching that taught students to predict, summarize, clarify, and ask questions for sections of a text. The technique had positive outcomes. Since then, the use of strategies like summarizing after each paragraph have come to be seen as effective strategies for building students' comprehension. Today, most reading comprehension programs teach students explicit reading strategies using teacher direct instruction with additional student practice.

Professional development for students and small children The National Reading Panel noted that comprehension strategy instruction is difficult for many teachers as well as for students , particularly because they were not taught this way and because it is a very cognitively demanding task. They suggested that professional development can increase teachers'students willingness to use reading strategies but admitted that much remains to be done in this area.[citation needed] The directed listening and thinking activity is a technique available to teachers to aid students in learning how to un-read and reading comprehension. It is also difficult for students that are new.

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texts, like in philosophy, literature or scientific research, may appear more difficult to read because of the prior knowledge they assume; they may assume the tradition from which they come, or assume having read a text which the author is criticizing or parodizing. Such knowledge is assumed rather than restated, for economic reasons, for saving time and space.

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with embedded hyperlinks makes different demands on the reader than traditional text. This has been a popular subject of recent articles and books by authors such as Nicholas Carr and psychologists such as Maryanne Wolf. Their concerns revolve around the detrimental effect the internet may have on attention and reading comprehension.

The purpose of reading is to connect the ideas on the page to what we already know, the text and background knowledge. If we don't know anything about a subject, then pouring words of text into our mind is like pouring water into your hand. You don't grasp much. As ESL/EFL teachers, we are aware that the primary objective of reading is comprehension--being able to find meaning in what is read. Thus, we give our students reading assessments in order to test their reading abilities. When we are preparing these assessments, we may go through some of the followings: We ensure that we select an appropriate text. We make sure that the language used in the text is suitably geared to our students' proficiency. We carefully study the text to ensure that the information in each paragraph is tested.

Content of questions literal comprehension: Comprehension at this level involves surface meanings. At this level, teachers can ask students to find information and ideas that are explicitly stated in the text. In addition, it is also appropriate to test vocabulary. According to Karlin(1971), "being able to read for literal meanings i.e. stated ideas is influenced by one's mastery of word meanings in context'. Interpretive comprehension. At this level, students go beyond what is said and read for deeper meanings. They must be able to read critically and analyze carefully what they have read. Students need to be able to see relationships among ideas, for example how ideas go together and also see the implied meanings of these ideas. It is also obvious that before our students can do this, they have to first understand the ideas that are stated (literal comprehension). Interpretive or referential comprehension includes thinking processes such as drawing conclusions, making generalizations and predicting outcomes. At this level, teachers can ask more challenging questions to the students. Critical comprehension : At this level ideas and information are evaluated. Critical evaluation occurs only after our students have understood the ideas and information that the writer has presented.

We present and discuss five forms that comprehension questions may take to stimulate students' understanding of texts. This is not a discussion of all possible ways of questioning students. For example, we do not discuss fill-inthe-blank activities or cloze, as such activities or tasks may be more appropriate for assessing, and not comprehending, the types of comprehension presented and discussed in the previous section. It is: Yes/no questions, Alternative questions, True or false, Wh- questions, Multiple-choice.

This is the Practice Reading Section. Here is a list with pictures to help you locate the stories in the Reading Section and Answer Section.

Saturday with Grandpa ........ Click here

How They Grow ................... Click here Directions: It should take about 2030 minutes to read the passages in this book and answer the 6 questions in the Answer Section. Read each passage, then refer back to it as needed when answering the questions in the Answer Section.

Saturday is our day to clean, but Grandpa turns work into fun. We like to sing when we dust. We like to dance when we mop. We clean the car together. We do the wash together. We both wear our caps. When we are done, we hurry to the store. We shop for food. Grandpa lets me pick the fruits that I like best. We carry the food home. Grandpa tells stories while we walk. At night, our work is done. Friends come over. We cook dinner. We sing and dance.

Saturday is our day to clean, but Grandpa turns work into fun! Now proceed to the Answer Section.

 How does a butterfly grow? It starts out as a tiny egg. It becomes a caterpillar. It eats lots of leaves. It grows and grows. Then it goes inside a cocoon. At last, it comes out. Its a butterfly!
How does a frog grow? It starts out as a tiny egg in the water. The egg grows into a tadpole. It keeps changing. It eats tiny plants. It grows and grows. At last, it hops out of the pond. Its a frog! How does a flower grow? It starts out as a seed. Sun and rain help the seed grow. Roots grow into the ground. The plant grows and grows. At last, a bud opens. Its a flower! Now you know how they grow! Now proceed to the Answer Section

This is your Practice Reading Answer When we are done, we hurry to the store. Section. The questions in this section are 3. What does hurry mean? based on the stories in your practice a. walk Reading Section (above). You may go back b. skip to the Reading Section to help you answer c. hop the questions. d. rush Now answer Numbers 1 through 3. Base Proceed to the next reading: "How They your answers on the story "Saturday with Grow" Grandpa." 1. What happens in "Saturday with Grandpa"? a. A boy and his grandpa eat hot dogs. b. A boy and his grandpa clean together. c. A boy and his grandpa ride in a car. d. A boy and his grandpa go to the beach. 2. What do the boy and his grandpa both wear while they clean? a. mops b. aprons c. caps d. scarves Read this sentence from the story.

This is your Practice Reading Test Answer 3. What does hops mean? Section. The questions in this section are based on the story or article in your practice a. runs Reading Section (above). You may go back b. jumps to the Reading Section to help you answer c. falls the questions. d. swims Now answer Numbers 4 through 6. Base your answers on the story "How They Grow." 1. What do you think the butterfly will do next? fly away turn into a frog sing a song swim in the water 2. Where does a tadpole live?
a. b. c. d.

This is the end of the Practice Test. You may go back and check or finish questions you did not answer. Check your time so you stop or finish when the time is up. When you are done click on the submit button. You will be able to print your answers.

in a tree under a rock in the sky in the water Read this sentence from the story. At last, it hops out of the pond.
a. b. c. d.