Reading skills

In real life, people read a variety of texts for both information and pleasure. Reading materials differ in
content, style and purpose, and we adjust our reading style accordingly. To become efficient readers, we
have to train ourselves to read different texts in different ways. For example, we do not read a novel and a
textbook in preparation for an examination in the same way. When we are reading a novel, we do not
need to pay attention to every detail the way we do when reading a textbook and read more quickly: most
speed reading involves a process called chunking. Instead of reading each word, the reader takes words
in “chunks,” — that is, groups of words that make a meaningful unit, such as phrases, clauses or even
whole sentences. And, as adults, most of our reading is silent. When we read silently, we save the time
spent on articulating words, and read in chunks or sense groups instead of one word at a time.
Reading efficiently means adjusting one’s reading speed and style to match the purpose for which we
read. This involves reading for an overall idea or gist, specific information and detail, and to understand
the writer’s attitude.

Accuracy

Accuracy measures a student's ability to correctly decode alphabet letters into words and sentences. A
number of subskills are used when reading accurately. Very early readers must learn directionality of text
(to read a book from left to right, top to bottom) and one-to-one correspondence (that each group of letters
creates a single spoken word). Later, students learn to "sound words out" using letter-sound relationships,
to guess unfamiliar words using pictures or context, to make their guesses grammatically appropriate, and
to employ problem-solving strategies like reading ahead and returning to the unfamiliar word. Students
should be able to describe the strategies they use.

Comprehension

Comprehension refers to a student's understanding of a text. One essential subskill is determining

importance. As a child reads, can they identify the most important detail in a story or article? Can they
find details that are less important, but that add interest? This skill will eventually help students learn to
write effectively, creating structured paragraphs with a main idea and supporting details. Another
important subskill is using text features: recognizing how subtitles help organize non-fiction, or how plot
elements typically combine to form a fictional story. Other subskills include visualizing (making mental
pictures about the text), making connections (linking the text to their own experiences, other texts or real-
world stories), making inferences or "reading between the lines," asking questions, forming opinions,
making predictions and retelling or summarizing.

Fluency

Fluency measures how proficiently the student reads aloud. Subskills are phrasing (grouping words into
meaningful chunks with appropriate pauses), pace and expression. Readers who have difficulty with
phrasing sound "choppy." Readers who have difficulty with pace read too quickly or slowly for an
audience to enjoy. Readers without expression tend to sound flat or disinterested.

Self-Assessment

Successful readers learn to self-monitor their accuracy, fluency and comprehension. As they read, they
ask themselves: did that word sound right? Did it make sense in context? Does that look like the word I
guessed? Do I need to correct myself? Does this new information fit with my background knowledge?
Should I ask for help? Although each subskill can be explicitly taught in isolation, readers learn to juggle
a variety of strategies at once. Students will also use self-assessment to choose appropriate books for
independent reading.

Scanning

Searching quickly for a specific piece of information or a particular word. For example, when looking up
a word in a dictionary, an address in a directory or the flight arrival schedule of a particular flight, we do
not read entire pages or passages. We search for the keywords or ideas because we know what we are
looking for. Scanning involves moving our eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and
phrases.

Skimming

Reading through a text quickly to get an overall idea of the contents; that is, the gist of the passage. For
example, before buying a book we glance quickly at the cover page, the reviewer’s comments on the back
cover (also called book jacket), the contents page, etc., to get a general idea of its contents.

Reasons for reading

 For specific information

 To pass an exam
 To pass time
 To know details of something
 To have an overall idea
 For having a general idea