READING SKILLS & STRATEGIES

Lecturer : Khairunnisa Br. Batubara, S.Pd M.Hum

Arranged by :

1. Andini Derovella Purba (2193321033)

2. Jeremia Partogi Sitorus (2193321063)
3. Juliafika Sianturi (2193321050)
4. Kristina Lestari Padang ( 2193321048)
5. Vika Enjelina Pangaribuan (2193321018)

ENGLISH EDUCATION
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
LANGUAGES AND ARTS FACULTY
MEDAN STATE UNIVERSITY
MEDAN
2020

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 PREFACE

We are grateful to pray for the presence of Almighty God because of His blessings and
grace so that we can complete this paper.

In the preparation of this paper we have tried as much as possible in accordance with our
capabilities. But as human beings, we are not free from mistakes and errors both in terms of
writing techniques and grammar

Therefore we are accept criticism and suggestions for the improvement of this paper. So
hopefully this paper can be useful. And we expect suggestions and criticisms from various
parties who are constructive.

Medan, 28 February 2020

Authors

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

PREFACE ......................................................................................................................................2

TABLE OF CONTENT ................................................................................................................3

CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION................................................................................................4
1.1. Background...............................................................................................................................4
1.2. Formulation Of Problem...........................................................................................................4
1.3. Objectives ................................................................................................................................4

CHAPTER II : DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................5

2.1. Definition Of Reading Skill And Reading Strategies...............................................................5
2.2. Reading Skill Levels ................................................................................................................5
2.3. Vocabulary ..............................................................................................................................6
2.4. Reading Strategies ...................................................................................................................6
2.5 Text Book Reading Strategies.................................................................................................11

CHAPTER III : CONCLUSION & SUGGESTION ...............................................................13

3.1. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................13
3.2. Suggestion.............................................................................................................................. 13

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................14

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 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Reading is a lifelong skill to be used both at school and throughout life. Without the
ability to read well, opportunities for personal fulfilment and job success inevitably will be lost .
Despite its importance, reading is one of the most challenging areas in the education system.

If we want to get the most out , we have to learn to read critically or analytically. The
idea here is that when we read something, the purpose is to try to understand what the intention
is. When dealing with reading, we encounter two layers of reality: one that we can see and one
that we cannot see.

Research shows good readers are actively involved with the text, and they are aware of
the processes they use to understand what they read. Teachers can help improve student
comprehension through instruction of reading strategies. Predicting, making connections,
visualizing, inferring, questioning, and summarizing are strategies shown by research to improve
reading comprehension ). It is important to teach the strategies by naming the strategy and how it
should be used, modelling through the think-aloud process, group practice, partner practice, and
independent use of the strategy.

1.2 Formulation of the Problem

1. what is the definition of Reading skill?
2. what is the definition of Reading strategies?
3. how about Reading skill levels ?
4. how about vocabulary in reading skills?
5. how about strategies in reading ?

1.3 Objectives
1. know the definition of reading skill
2. Konw the defenition of reading strategies
2. know about reading skill level
3. know the connection between vocabulary and reading
4. know the strategies in reading

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 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION

2.1. Definition of Reading Skill And Reading Strategies

Reading skill is the ability to process text, understand its meaning, and to
integrate with what the reader already knows. Fundamental skills required in efficient reading
comprehension are knowing meaning of words, ability to understand meaning of a word from
discourse context, ability to follow organization of passage and to identify antecedents and
references in it, ability to draw inferences from a passage about its contents, ability to identify
the main thought of a passage, ability to answer questions answered in a passage, ability to
recognize the literary devices or propositional structures used in a passage and determine its
tone, to understand the situational mood (agents, objects, temporal and spatial reference points,
casual and intentional inflections, etc.) conveyed for assertions, questioning, commanding,
refraining etc. and finally ability to determine writer's purpose, intent and point of view, and
draw inferences about the writer (discourse-semantics).

Reading strategies is the broad term used to describe the planned and explicit
actions that help readers translate print to meaning. Strategies that improve decoding and reading
comprehension skills benefit every student, but are essential for beginning readers, struggling
readers, and English Language Learners. Within the last two decades, significant progress has
been made in determining the most effective strategies for reading instruction.

2.2 Reading skill levels

According to theory Fergus I. M. Craik and Robert S. Lockhart reading comprehension involves
two levels of processing :

1. shallow (low-level) processing

Shallow processing involves structural and phonemic recognition, the processing of

sentence and word structure, i.e. first-order logic, and their associated sounds.

2. deep (high-level) processing. Deep processing involves semantic processing, which

happens when we encode the meaning of a word and relate it to similar words.
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2.3 Vocabulary

Reading skill and vocabulary are inextricably linked together. The ability to decode or
identify and pronounce words is self-evidently important, but knowing what the words mean has
a major and direct effect on knowing what any specific passage means while skimming a reading
material. It has been shown that students with a smaller vocabulary than other students
comprehend less of what they read. It has been suggested that to improve comprehension,
improving word groups, complex vocabularies such as homonyms or words that have multiple
meanings, and those with figurative meanings like idioms, similes, collocations and metaphors
are a good practice.

Andrew Biemiller argues in learning process that teachers should give out topic related
words and phrases before reading a book to students, teaching includes topic related word
groups, synonyms of words and their meaning with the context, and he further says to familiarize
students with sentence structures in which these words commonly occur. Biemiller says this
intensive approach gives students opportunities to explore the topic beyond its discourse -
freedom of conceptual expansion. However, there is no evidence to suggest the primacy of this
approach. Incidental Morphemic analysis of words - prefixes, suffixes and roots - is also
considered to improve understanding of the vocabulary, though they are proved to be an
unreliable strategy for improving comprehension and is no longer used to teach students

2.4 Reading Strategies

1. Purposeful Reading

If readers tend to begin reading like this: “I need to read Chapter 6 – here it goes! …”,
the readers may need to rethink your approach. Specifically, they will need to create a purpose
forreading. Be very clear about exactly what they are looking for. Don’t just read aimlessly.
Perhaps they will look for answers to questions, general understanding of a topic or issue,
detailed knowledge, a range of perspectives, identification of a writer’s position, evaluation of a
writer’s position, arguments that support your position, arguments that oppose your position,
examples, statistics, definitions, explanations, quotes, etc. Try to have the purpose in writing
nearby so we can maintain focus. Purposeful reading of this nature can help us read faster and
more selectively. It can also help our concentration and our ability to remember.
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2. Scanning

Scanning is reading quickly to search for specific information. You may not realise it, but
you are already good at scanning. You scan, for example, when checking a TV guideor a phone
book. Scanning may allow you to ‘read’ up to 1,500 words a minute. One reason to scan an
academic text that you have found while researching is to locate key terms as a means to assess
the text’s relevance.

3. Skimming

Skimming is reading quickly to gain a general idea. Skimming may allow you to ‘read’
up to 1000 words a minute.Skimming helps you identify whether or not to continue reading,
what to read carefully, and where the best place is to begin. Skimming an academic text
immediately beforeyou read it carefully can help you consider what you already know and can
help you develop a purpose for reading. An initial skim can also help maximise your interest in
the text and your understanding and reflection on the material. As with scanning, skimming does
not involve reading every word. Instead, you may skim

by reading:

• titles

• subheadings

• words in that are in bold, in italics or underlined

• diagrams

• a report’s abstract, introduction or conclusion

• the first sentence of every paragraph

• chapter questions

• chapter objectives

• chapter summaries

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4. Information Words

There will be times when you need to do more than skim a text in the way
describedabove, but still need to read quickly. This may require ability to conduct “surface
reading”.It is worth remembering that no more than 50% of the words in an average textbook are
“information” words. The other words are like glue and paint: they are there to provide
connections and add interest, but are not essential for meaning. If you concentrate on information
words, you can read faster and with better comprehension. But, how do you learn to pick out the
important information words? A large part of the trick involves paying attention to what the
author is trying to say. Look for the message, and the information words will emerge naturally.

5. Phrase Reading

The pauses between the jerks are known as fixations. It is during the fixations that your
eyes take in words.

Poor readers take in only one or two words in each fixation.

| This is | how a | poor | reader’s| eyes move | along | lines| of print. |

A good reader, on the other hand, takes in several words in each fixation

| This is how | a better reader’s | eyes move along | lines of print.|

6. Analytical Reading

Analytical reading (or study reading) is needed when you want to make sure that you
fully grasp and appreciate what you are reading. You may have to read statements more than
once, stop to think about them, or jot down key words when using this style. As a result, your
reading rate can easily drop to below 100 words a minute.

7. Marking The Text

If the text you are reading is your own copy, you could also underline key words,
highlight with a marker, or make notes in margins, or alternatively, if you don’t own the text,
you could use little ‘post-it’ labels. This process of marking texts can help you concentrate (and
keep reading!) and can help you identify key points and make the book easier to survey later

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when you need to use it again for your assignment or to revise for an exam. revise effectively
later

8. Note-Taking

If you don’t take notes well, or don’t take them at all, now is the time to develop this
essential skill! Note-taking can help you gain deeper understanding and reflection, a better ability
to remember and good exam preparation materials for later.

When taking notes, pay keep in mind the following 7 principles:

a. Record publication details

Always note publication details of any text you may use. Specifically, record such things
as the title, author, date, publisher, place of publication, URL, and page numbers.

b. Preview the text before you take notes

As mentioned earlier, scan, skim and ‘surface read’ the text before noting to help you
develop understanding of the text and awareness of what is important to note. Taking notes of
everything is a slow, boring, ineffective exercise.

c. Maintain a central place for your notes.

Where record your notes is up to you. Some people prefer using a computer, while others
use flash cards, folders, or exercise books. What is important is that you will be able to find the
notes and understand their layout and content a few weeks or months later.

d. Paraphrase and summarise ideas

Writing out sentences word for word is probably even less useful than just highlighting
sentences with a marker. Sure, they will be times you need write things word for word (use
quotation marks when you do this!) but better understanding will come through putting things in
your own words. Not sure how to do this? Say the key points in your own words out loud and
then write them down. Finish by checking your paraphrase is clear and accurate.

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 e.Note your thoughts

Don’t forget the great value of noting beyond just what is said in the text. Note down
such things as your ideas, points you agree or disagree with, relevant experiences, questions,
examples, and relationships with other texts. Those initial thoughts you have as you read may be
of great use later, and it is a mistake to risk forgetting them.

f. Be creative

Consider how you should note different parts of texts as well as just what you should
note. The process of thinking about how to note can aid understanding as well as ability to
remember information and reflect. Depending on the nature of the information you wish to note,
you may choose to use spider diagrams, concept maps, titles, columns, dot points, numbers,
symbols, colours, pictures or columns for your reflections.

g. Review your notes

Once you have completed some notes, always look back at them and check:

1.they are accurate

2. they are readable
3. you will be able to use them later and
4.they contain full reference details.

9. Managing Vocabulary

Even if you are a native English speaker, you may at times feel overwhelmed by
theamount of unfamiliar vocabulary you encounter. Of course, as a university student, you have
a great opportunity and need to build you vocabulary (discipline specific and general), so consult
glossaries and use a dictionary. Keep a list of new words: record their definitions and write
example sentences which show meaning and usage.When using your dictionary, be discerning.
Know which words can be ignored, and see if it is possible to guess the meanings of words. You
may be able do this if you:

a. Guess using context

b. Guess using prefixes, suffixes and word stems

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10. Reading With Others

Consider getting a “study buddy” or study group. Be careful to keep focussed on what
you need to do and you may find that by sharing notes, explaining, asking and quizzing each
other, you can increase you ability to understand, reflect upon and remember key points in texts.

2.5 Textbook Reading Strategies

Active,Mature,Efficient readers use strategies to understand what they read
before, during, and after reading.

Before reading

1. Preview

Getting the big picture enhances retention of details. You learn best from general to specific.

• Read chapter objectives, headings and subheadings.

• Look over charts and pictures in the chapter

• Read the bold and italicized words to become familiar with the chapter vocabulary.

• Read chapter summaries and questions at the end of the chapter.

2. Question

Determine what you want from the assignment. Turn each heading into a question. Write
down your questions and look for answers as you read. For example if the heading is
“Transference and Suggestions,” ask yourself, “How does transference relate to suggestion?”

During reading

1. Reflect

Take a moment to ask yourself what you already know about this subject. As you read:

• Visualize the material. Form mental pictures of the concepts presented.

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• Read aloud especially if it is complicated. You will remember better if you hear the material
too.

• Answer the questions you created. Try to predict the answers and read to find out if your
predictions were correct.

2. Highlight. Be selective. Read the paragraph first.

Underline key passages with pencil. Recite what you remember to yourself, then go back
and highlight. Avoid highlighting more than 20% of the passage.

• Circle key terms and write short definitions in the margin or on note cards.

• Write Q’s in the margins for possible test questions.

• Draw diagrams, pictures, tables, or maps that translate text into visual terms.

• Use the backside of your lecture notes to take corresponding reading notes. When studying for
the test all the material for the topic will be in the same location in your notes.

• Write summaries of the main ideas at the bottom of your notes. Putting information in your
own words promotes mastery of the material.

After reading

1. Recite. Talk to yourself or to someone else about what you read. Studies show that you can
profitably devote up to 80% of your study time to active reciting.

2. Review. Reviewing within 24 hours moves information from short-term to long-term

memory. Spend 15 minutes looking over your notes and reciting the main points again.

3. Review again. Weekly, spend 5-10 minutes rereading your notes and highlighting portions of
your text. This keeps neuron pathways accessing the information for better recall. 

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 CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION & SUGGESTION

3.1Conclusion
Reading skill is the ability to process text, understand its meaning, and to
integrate with what the reader already knows. And Reading strategies is the broad term used to
describe the planned and explicit actions that help readers translate print to meaning. Reading
comprehension involves two levels of processing, shallow (low-level) processing and deep
(high-level) processing.

there are several strategies of reading, such as Purposeful Reading, Scanning, Skimming,
Information Words, Phrase Reading, Analytical Reading, Marking The Text, Note-Taking ,
Record publication details, Preview the text , Paraphrase and summarise ideas, Managing
Vocabulary,etc.

3.2 Suggestion
Based on our discussion, hopefully the reading skills and strategies can be developed
because technology is growing up in this era and science is increasingly complex. And for the
reader, our group suggest that the reader can compare our report with another report because this
report still has weakness.

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 REFERENCES

“EXPLORING EFL TEACHERS’ STRATEGIES IN TEACHING READING

COMPREHENSIONLjurnalupi.edu.28 february 2020. http://jurnal.upi.edu/file/5-
Nurman_Antoni.pdf

“Strategies for Reading Comprehension in Read Naturally Programs. 28 february 2020.

https://www.readnaturally.com/research/5-components-of-reading/comprehension#programs

“Reading Skills and Strategies for Students. brookhavencollege.edu.28 february 2020.

https://www.brookhavencollege.edu/aboutbhc/readingtheappforlife/pages/reading-skills.aspx

“Clarifying Differences Between Reading Skills and Reading Strategies. 28 february 2020.
file:///C:/Users/Windows%2010/Downloads/Difference+between+reading+skills+and+strategies
%20(2).pdf

28 february 2020 file:///C:/Users/Windows%2010/Downloads/active-vs-passive-textbook-

readers%20(1).pdf

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