LESSON 6 amount of time.

Not only does this prime

our brain with the material in the book, but
The 4 Levels of Reading
it helps us determine if we want to read the
Active Reading entire book.
 Another name for this level might be
 There is no such thing as passive reading. All skimming or pre-reading. However, we do
reading, to some degree, is active reading. not mean the kind of skimming that is
The only difference is that some reading is characterized by casual or random browsing
more active than others. And when it comes through a book. Inspectional reading is the
to reading to learn something or reading for art of skimming systematically.
information something the more active
your reading habits the better. EX. LIBRARY
 Reading is a complex activity, just as writing
3. Analytical Reading
is. It consists of a large number of separate
 The third level of reading is called analytical
acts, all of which must be performed in a
reading, which goes deeper than
good reading. The person who can perform
inspectional reading. If your goal in reading
more of them is better able to read.
is entertainment or acquiring information,
 Success in reading is determined to the
analytical reading is not necessary.
extent that you receive what the writer
However, if you are reading to improve
intended to communicate. That doesn’t
understanding, analytical reading is entirely
mean you agree with them, only that you
necessary.
understood them.
 It is both a more complex and a more
The 4 Levels of Reading systematic activity than either of the two
levels of reading discussed so far. …
1. Elementary Reading Analytical reading is thorough reading,
 The first level of reading is elementary complete reading, or good reading— the
reading, which is what we learned to do in best reading you can do.
elementary school. Most of us never get  Analytical reading is always intensely active.
beyond this level. On this level of reading, the reader grasps a
 Other names might be rudimentary reading, book— the metaphor is apt— and works at
basic reading or initial reading; any one of it until the book becomes his own.
these terms serves to suggest that as one  Francis Bacon remarked “some books are to
masters this level one passes from non- be tasted, others to be swallowed, and
literacy to at least beginning literacy. In some few to be chewed and digested.”
mastering this level, one learns the Think of analytical reading as chewing and
rudiments of the art of reading, receives digesting.
basic training in reading, and acquires initial
reading skills. EX. MIODULAR CLASS

EX. ABAKADA 4. Syntopical Reading

 The fourth and most difficult level of
2. Inspectional Reading reading is syntopical reading.
 The second level of reading is inspectional  It is the most complex and systematic type
reading, which can be thought of us of reading of all. It makes very heavy
intelligently skimming a book in a limited demands on the reader, even if the
 materials he is reading are themselves  It is the reader’s ability to respond with
relatively easy and unsophisticated. personal judgments and ideas about the
 Another name for this level might be content of the textbook material, using his
comparative reading. When reading or her past knowledge and thoughts on the
syntopically, the reader reads many books, subject.
not just one, and places them in relation to  Example: After reading an editorial on
one another and to a subject about which abortion, the student gives his reasons for
they all revolve. But mere comparison of disagreeing with the columnist’s views.
texts is not enough. … With the help of the
books read, the syntopical reader is able to 4. Creative Comprehension
construct an analysis of the subject that  It is the reader’s “emotional” response to
may not be in any of the books. It is the content of the textbook material read.
obvious, therefore, that syntopical reading This level of comprehension also includes
is the most active and effortful kind of creating new ideas from what was learned
reading. in school and life.
 Example 1: While silently reading the novel
EX. RESEARCH
“The Call of the Wild,” Bobby laughs aloud
LEVELS OF READING COMPREHENSION at the actions of Buck, as the dog
experiences his first snowfall (emotional
Comprehension
response).
The definition of comprehension refers to your  Example 2: After reading a mathematics
ability to understand something, or your actual selection on linear equations, the student
understanding of something. correctly devises a simpler method for
solving the problems (creating new ideas).
1. Literal Comprehension
 It is the reader’s ability to remember ideas
and information that are directly stated in
Skimming
the textbook material.
 Example: Who was the 16th President of quickly reading through a text to get the main
the United States and where was he born? idea. Students can skim read by looking at
headings and sub–headings, pictures, diagrams,
2. Interpretive or Inferential Comprehension captions, any italicised or bold words, and the
 It is the reader’s ability to extract ideas and first and last paragraphs of the text.
information not directly stated in the
Scanning
textbook material, using prior or
background knowledge to assist in such reading to locate particular elements or specific
understanding. details in a text, such as key concepts, names,
 Example: John slammed the front door dates or certain information in answer to a
upon entering the house, ran upstairs, and question. Students can scan by looking through
threw his books on the bedroom floor. the text to locate key words to find the specific
What is John’s mood? information quickly.

3. Critical Comprehension
LESSON 7

General Strategies for Reading Comprehension

Comprehension: The Goal of Reading Using Prior Knowledge/Previewing

 Comprehension, or extracting meaning  When students preview text, they tap into
from what you read, is the ultimate goal of what they already know that will help them
reading. to understand the text they are about to
 Experienced readers take this for granted read.
and may not appreciate the reading  This provides a framework for any new
comprehension skills required. information they read.
 The process of comprehension is both
Predicting
interactive and strategic. Rather than
passively reading text, readers must analyze  When students make predictions about the
it, internalize it and make it their own. text they are about to read, it sets up
 In order to read with comprehension, expectations based on their prior
developing readers must be able to read knowledge about similar topics.
with some proficiency and then receive  As they read, they may mentally revise their
explicit instruction in reading prediction as they gain more information.
comprehension strategies (Tierney, 1982).
Identifying the Main Idea and Summarization
General Strategies for Reading Comprehension
 Identifying the main idea and summarizing
 The process of comprehending text begins requires that students determine what is
before children can read, when someone important and then put it in their own
reads a picture book to them. They listen to words.
the words, see the pictures in the book, and  Implicit in this process is trying to
may start to associate the words on the understand the author’s purpose in writing
page with the words they are hearing and the text.
the ideas they represent.
Questioning
In order to learn comprehension strategies,
students need modeling, practice, and  Asking and answering questions about text
feedback. is another strategy that helps students
focus on the meaning of text.
 The key comprehension strategies are  Teachers can help by modeling both the
described below. process of asking good questions and
o Using Prior Knowledge/Previewing strategies for finding the answers in the
o Predicting text.
o Identifying the Main Idea and
Making Inferences
Summarization
o Questioning  In order to make inferences about
o Making Inferences something that is not explicitly stated in the
o Visualizing text, students must learn to draw on prior
knowledge and recognize clues in the text
itself.
Visualizing Aesop’s Fables or inferred by the
reader (more common)
 Studies have shown that students who
visualize while reading have better recall
than those who do not (Pressley, 1977).
 Readers can take advantage of illustrations
that are embedded in the text or create
their own mental images or drawings when
reading text without illustrations.
Retelling
Strategies for Reading
Comprehension: Narrative Text  Asking students to retell a story in their own
words forces them to analyze the content
 Narrative text tells a story, either a true
to determine what is important. Teachers
story or a fictional story. There are a
can encourage students to go beyond
number of strategies that will help students
literally recounting the story to drawing
understand narrative text.
their own conclusions about it.
o Story Maps
o Retelling Prediction
o Prediction
 Teachers can ask readers to make a
o Answering Comprehension
prediction about a story based on the title
Questions
and any other clues that are available, such
Story Maps as illustrations.
 Teachers can later ask students to find text
 Teachers can have students diagram
that supports or contradicts their
the story grammar of the text to raise their
predictions.
awareness of the elements the author uses
to construct the story. Story grammar Answering Comprehension Questions
includes:
 Asking students different types of questions
o Setting: When and where the story
requires that they find the answers in
takes place (which can change over
different ways, for example, by finding
the course of the story).
literal answers in the text itself or by
o Characters: The people or animals
drawing on prior knowledge and then
in the story, including the
inferring answers based on clues in the text.
protagonist (main character),
whose motivations and actions Strategies for Reading Comprehension:
drive the story. Expository Text
o Plot: The story line, which typically
 Expository text explains facts and concepts
includes one or more or conflicts
in order to inform, persuade, or explain.
that the protagonist must address
and ultimately resolve problems. The Structure of Expository Text
o Theme: The overriding lesson or
main idea that the author wants  Expository text is typically structured with
readers to glean from the story. It visual cues such as headings and
could be explicitly stated as in subheadings that provide clear cues as to
 the structure of the information. The first questions listed in the “W” column and
sentence in a paragraph is also typically a write their answers in the “L” column along
topic sentence that clearly states what the with anything else they learn.
paragraph is about.
Graphic Organizers

 Graphic organizers provide visual

representations of the concepts in
expository text. Representing ideas and
relationships graphically can help students
understand and remember them. Examples
of graphic organizers are:
Expository text also often uses one of five
common text structures as an organizing Tree diagrams - that represent categories and
principle: hierarchies

 Cause and effect Tables - that compare and contrast data

 Problem and solution
Time-driven diagrams - that represent the
 Compare and contrast
order of events
 Description
 Time order (sequence of events, actions, or Flowcharts - that represent the steps of a
steps) process

Teaching these structures can help students

recognize relationships between ideas and the
overall intent of the text.

Main Idea/Summarization

 K-W-L
 There are three steps in the K-W-L process
(Ogle, 1986):

1. What I Know: Before students read the text,

ask them as a group to identify what they
already know about the topic. Students
write this list in the “K” column of their K-
W-L forms.

2. What I Want to Know: Ask students to write

questions about what they want to learn
from reading the text in the “W” column of
their K-W-L forms. For example, students
may wonder if some of the “facts” offered
in the “K” column are true.

3. What I Learned: As they read the text,

students should look for answers to the
LESSON 8 How to Summarize a Story

STORY STRUCTURE Read the story

What Is Story Structure?  It will be very difficult to summarize a story

without actually reading it. So, crack open
 Story structure is what allows the reader to
your book, or plug in some headphones and
make sense of the series of event you've
listen to it on your iPod. Don't always trust
presented them with.
the internet sites that claim to summarize
 The structure doesn’t dictate specific
books, because they aren't always accurate.
details, only the basis of the events. A good
[1] As you're reading, you need to keep in
way to learn about it is to look at the most
mind what the central idea of the story is.
basic structure for a typical drama. This
For Lord of the Rings, for instance, the
structure consists of five parts:
central idea might be something about how
Exposition the power of greed (i.e., the Ring) is a
strong force for evil, or even the actions of
This is the beginning of the story where one insignificant person (like a hobbit) can
important characters, settings, and background change the world.[2]
are revealed.  Concentrate fully on the book. Don't get
Rising Action distracted by anything, not even music.

This is a series of events that will build towards Take notes

a final point.  You'll need to take notes as you read so
Climax that you have refer to them when you're
ready to start the summary. Look for the
This is the turning point of the story. This is "who? what? when? where? why?" These
where things often change dramatically - a will give you the basis for what you want to
point of no return, if you will. cover in your summary.
Falling Action Find the main characters
This is where things between protagonist and  You'll need to know who the story is about,
antagonist unravel. The protagonist will either after all, and you need to figure out which
win or lose, and a final moment of suspense and characters aren't as important to the
doubt are often created. narrative. If you're reading a story with tons
Denoument or Conclusion of characters, you won't want to note down
every single character that appears. For
This is where all the events of the falling action example: for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
conclude and we see the end of the conflict. Stone you would write down Harry Potter,
Tensions are released and everything is normal Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, because
again. they are the main characters. You might
even note down Hagrid, Dumbledore,
Snape, Quirrell, and Voldemort because
they figure importantly in the story.
 You wouldn't need to write down Peeves
the poltergeist, or Norbert the dragon,
 because while they are important in their
places in the story, they don't influence the
main storyline enough to be part of the
summary.
 A shorter story like "Little Red Riding Hood"
is easy because you only have to note down Note the main events
Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, the  These are the most important parts of the
wolf, and the woodcutter (depending on story. You don't need to note down every
the version). single thing that a character does. In fact,
Note down the setting that is exactly what you're supposed to not
do! Just look for the events that further the
 The setting is where the events take place. main conflict, or help resolve it.
Now this can get complicated if the story  For Harry Potter, some main events would
you're reading takes place in a lot of be Harry finding out he's a wizard, or Harry
different places. If that's the case, you'll meeting the three-headed dog and, of
need to be more broad.[5] Continuing the course, Harry, Ron, and Hermione defeating
Harry Potter example: the main action takes Voldemort.
place at Hogwarts, so you could write down  It might seem easier for a shorter story like
something like 'the magical school 'Little Red Riding Hood,' but you should only
Hogwarts in the United Kingdoms.' note down the most important moments
 Now for a story like Lord of the Rings, which like Riding Hood meeting the wolf, getting
takes place over a large amount of territory, eaten after she mistakes the wolf for her
you can mention that it's Middle-Earth, and grandmother, and the appearance of the
note some places of important like the woodcutter.
Shire, Mordor, and Gondor. You don't have
to go too specific (like mentioning the forest Note the conclusion
Fangorn, or the tower Minas Morgul).  This is the big event, usually, that wraps up
Note the story's conflict the story's conflict and resolves the
problems. Even in a book that is part of a
 This means whatever is the main problem series there is usually some sort of
that the characters are having to overcome. conclusion to the story.[7] Spoilers below!
[6] It doesn't necessarily have to be a villain, For Harry Potter the conclusion is defeating
like with Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Voldemort. The story after that isn't
 For Harry Potter, the main conflict is important to the summary, even if it is
Voldemort's attempt to steal the Sorcerer's important to the overall story. You won't
Stone and return to menace the Wizard need to go into the conversation between
World (and kill Harry). Dumbledore and Harry at the end, or even
 For example, if you're summarizing The the Gryffindor House winning points,
Odyssey, the main conflict is Odysseus because it isn't really part of the main
trying to get home to Ithaca. Everything Voldemort storyline.
about the story is driven by his desire to get  For Red Riding Hood, the conclusion is the
home and all the obstacles standing in his appearance of the woodcutter to save her
way. and her grandmother.
 For something like Lord of the Rings, the
conclusion is complicated for a summary,
because you may want to stop off at the
destruction of the Ring, but (especially if the
central idea of the story is the importance
of the deeds of one insignificant person)
you will want to mention the Scouring of
the Shire, and Frodo's departure from the
Grey Havens.
LESSON 9  For example, there may be a complex word
followed by a restatement using a simpler
Context Clues
word in the same or following sentence
What Are Context Clues?
EXAMPLES
 When was the last time you ran across an
 Felipe is a  miser. He’s always been cheap.
unfamiliar word while reading? How did
 It was an idyllic day - sunny, warm, and
you decipher it? Chances are you may have
perfect for a walk in the park.
used context clues of some kind—just like a
 She hums continuously, or all the time, and
beginning reader would. 
it annoys me.
 Faced with a sea of unfamiliar words,
 The crime he committed was egregious;
beginning readers learn many techniques
he’ll never recover from this horrendous
for decoding words and expanding their
scandal.
vocabularies. Teachers use the
 His animosity, or hatred, of his sister
term decoding to refer to the ability to see
divided the family.
a written word and read it aloud.
 Bill felt remorse, or shame, for his harsh
 Looking for context clues is one technique
words.
that is helpful for readers of all ages and
 This situation is a conundrum, a puzzle
experience levels.
that’s difficult to solve.
 Context clues are hints that an author gives
to help define a difficult or unusual word
2. Antonym (or contrast context clue)
within a book. 
 The text may include a word or words that
 The clue may appear within the same
have the opposite meaning, which can
sentence as the word to which it refers or it
reveal the meaning of an unknown term
may follow in the next sentence.
 Because most of our vocabulary is gained EXAMPLES
through reading, it is important that we are
able to recognize and take advantage of  Stella has always dressed  flamboyantly.
context clues. I’ve never seen her wear a dull color.
 Marty is gregarious, unlike his brother who
What does a context clue look like? is quiet and shy.
 This painting of the landscape is
There are at least four kinds of context
picturesque, while the one of the old house
clues that are quite common:
is just plain ugly.
 Synonym (or repeat context clue)  The feral cat would not let us pet him,
 Antonym (or contrast context clue) unlike our friendly cat.
 Explanation (or a definition context clue)  Our sweltering summer days were quickly
 Specific example (or an example context replaced by the cold flashes of fall.
clue)  She was virtuous, unlike her evil and
conniving brother.
1. Synonym (or repeat context clue):
 An author will use more than one word that 3. Explanation (or a definition context clue)
means the same thing.  An unknown word is explained within the
sentence or in the sentence immediately
after
EXAMPLES

 On Friday, we visited the  arboretum, a

garden dedicated to the exhibition of trees
and plants.
 The manager wanted a weekly inspection,
which is a methodical examination of all the
equipment.
 Diane was lethargic; she didn't have the
energy to get out of bed.
 The dates are listed in chronological order;
they start at the beginning and end with the
last event.
 The doctor’s writing was utterly illegible; no
one could read those scribbles.
 She heard the cry of the banshee, a spirit
that alludes to the death of a family
member.
 He knew his future was precarious and
likely to fall apart.

4. Specific example (or an example context

clue)
 The text provides one or more examples
used to define the term.

EXAMPLE

 The children were able to observe

several  crustaceans, including crabs,
lobsters, and shrimp.

 We have been watching chilling movies

for three hours already such as Wrong
Turn, Final Destination, and The Nun.

 Listening to Christian songs with

heartening lyrics like Ocean (Where
Feet May Fail), Still, and With All I am
strengthens my faith.
LESSON 10 7. Pull-Quotes
 Used to attract attention, especially in long
PARTS OF A NEWSLETTER
articles, a pull-quote is a small selection of
1. Nameplate text “pulled out and quoted” in a larger
 A nameplate is a stylized banner on the typeface.
front of a newsletter or other periodical
that identifies the publication. 8. Photos and Illustrations
 The nameplate usually contains the name of  A newsletter design layout may contain
the newsletter, possibly graphics or a logo, photographs, drawings, charts, graphs, or
and sometimes a subtitle, motto, or other clip arts.
publication information.
9. Caption
2. Body  The caption is a phrase, sentence, or
 The body of the newsletter is the bulk of paragraph describing the contents of an
the text excluding the headlines and illustration such as a photograph or chart.
decorative text elements.  The caption is usually placed directly above,
 It’s the articles that make up the newsletter below, or to the side of the picture is
content. describes.

Roles and Responsibilities

3. Table of Contents
 Usually appearing on the front page, the 1. Editor-in-Chief
table of contents briefly lists articles and  The overall manager of the newspaper.
special sections of the newsletter and the  Does the proofreading and the decision-
page number for those items. making.
 An editor-in-chief is the manager of any
4. Page Numbers print or digital publication, from physical
 Page numbers can appear at the top, newspapers to online magazines.
bottom, or sides of pages. Usually, page one  The editor-in-chief determines the look and
is not numbered in a newsletter. feel of the publication, has the final say in
what is published and what isn't, and leads
5. Bylines the publication's team of editors,
 The byline is a short phrase or paragraph copyeditors, and writers
that indicates the name of the author of an
article in a newsletter. 2. Columnists
 The byline commonly appears between the  A columnist is a person who writes for
headline and start of the article, prefaced publication in a series, creating an article
by the word "By" although it could also that usually offers commentary and
appear at the end of the article. opinions.
 Columns appear in newspapers, magazines
6. End Signs and other publications, including blogs.
 A dingbat or printer’s ornament used to  They take the form of a short essay by a
mark the end of a story in a newsletter. specific writer who offers a personal point
 It signals the reader that they have reached of view.
the end of the article.
3. Visual Journalists
 Visual journalism is the combination of text,
images and layout. 
 Visual journalism is a much wider concept
than photojournalism. It is essentially
creating the overall visual appearance of a
newspaper, magazine, TV-channel or so
on. ...