what are reading skills

what are reading skills

Reading is one of the language skills. The two main aims of reading are information and pleasure. It is of great value and importance. The most acceptable definition of reading is

The process by which we make sense of the text. In simple words, reading means;

 looking at the written word and understanding the message. 

In this sense, it consists of two steps;

• Recognizing the letters of the alphabet and comprehension.

• At the higher stage comprehension is the most important aspect of reading.

How to teach reading?

In the classroom, a teacher has to teach the textbook intensively. For the promotion of the reading skill of the students, he adopts certain techniques and teaches the lesson in stages. According to Eddie Williams, a teacher should adopt the three-phase approach to teaching reading

• Pre-reading activities

• While reading activities

• Post-reading activities

Types of reading skill

When we read something, we usually read for a particular purpose. In this context, the language experts have pointed out four types of reading.

• Intensive reading

• Extensive reading

• Skimming

• Scanning

1.Intensive reading:

It is also called study reading. This type of reading is adopted for accuracy. It involves close reading of a text. It is a slow reading as it takes time and effort. A great deal of classroom reading, poetry, and prose is of this type.

2.Extensive reading:

It means reading longer text usually for one’s pleasure. Unlike intensive reading, extensive reading is done mostly outside of the classroom. In spare time. It is reading at home without the control and help of the teacher. Novel reading is an example of extensive reading.

3.Skimming:

Skimming means

Taking off the cream from the milk

In language study, it means

Reading something very quickly to find out what is it about

It is quickly running one’s eyes over a text to get the gist or main idea and general view without worrying about the detail. Skimming is often done in a library or bookshop.

4.Scanning:

Scanning means

Locating or discovering the place of something

In language study, it means

Reading a text quickly to look for a specific piece of information

It is faster than skimming. In this type of reading, we should keep our eyes on headings, bold words, capital words, and numbers for dates. In our daily life, we use this skill to find out a particular word in the dictionary, a number in the telephone directory, timings of trains in time table

Foundational reading skills:

Without a solid foundation, you will have trouble creating valuable thing. A building must be built on solid foundations. The same principle applies to reading skills. The foundation of reading may include

1.Phonemic awareness:

Phonics is the ability to identify manipulate and substitute phonemes. It is the smallest unit of sound that can differentiate meaning in spoken words. Essentially, students began by learning individual phonemes

2.Phonics:

Phonics is the ability to understand the relationship between phonemes and graphemes to associate written letters with the sounds of spoken language. Phonics instruction teaches students how to build the relationship between sounds and letters and how to use those relationships to build words.

3.Fluency:

Fluency is the ability to read text quickly and accurately, either to oneself or aloud. Actual fluency is developed with accurate sounding out words.


4.Vocabulary:

Vocabulary is closely connected to reading comprehension. Most vocabulary is learned through everyday conversations.

5.Comprehension:

Comprehension means the ability to understand, remember and make meaning of what has been read. Students with developed reading comprehension abilities can make connections and analyze what is being read.

Strategies to improve reading skills

To improve the reading speed and comprehension of the students the teacher can use the following strategies in the classroom

1.Reading chunks:

 We read with the bits of help of our eyes. Our eyes read groups of letters or words. The teacher should teach the students to read in chunks (short pieces) that training will increase the speed of their reading

2.Guessing the meaning of words:

Unfamiliar words in a text cause difficulty for the students. Some of the students stop over a word and lookup for meaning in the dictionary. They told that very often the meanings of words can be guessed with the help of their context

3.Pre-viewing:

It means looking over a text before reading properly. If a student wishes to read a book, he can have a fair idea of its content just by looking at its title, its blurb reviews on it, its preface or foreword, and its content pages

4.Anticipation:

It means guessing what is likely to occur in a text at a global level. When we anticipate, we guess the general contents of the book, about the main theme or topic.

5.Prediction:

Prediction means to guess at a global level. While reading a text, the students should learn to predict what comes next at the level of words, phrases and sentences.

6.Silent reading:

In our schools, reading aloud is practiced, but reading is usually ignored. At higher levels of language, silent reading more important. In silent reading, the readers speed is faster.