Reading is the cognitive process which stimulates the various parts of the human brain. It gives an opportunity to travel around the globe, getting familiar with customs, beliefs, lifestyle, history, and so on. On account of it, new knowledge is acquired and the learning of things such as spelling is consolidated, textual production is enhanced and lexicon is broadened. It may also gives us countless chances to evolve.
Reading is an interactive process in which readers conduct a meaningful representation of a text using effective reading strategies. Effective reading strategies are considered as significant skills that have received the special focus on students’ reading comprehension proficiency. Anderson in 1985 clarified reading as the process of making meaning from written texts. It requires the harmony of a galore of related sources of data. Based on Wixson, Peters, Weber, and Roeber in 1987, reading is the process of creating meaning that includes: a) the readers existing background (knowledge); b) the text information; and c) the reading context. Grabe in 1991 as pointed out in “Alyousef” in 2005 determined reading as an interactive process between readers and the texts that result in fluency of reading. Readers interact with texts as they endeavor to extract meaning and there are different types of knowledge: linguistic or systematic knowledge (bottom-up processing) and schematic knowledge (top-down processing). Pourhosein Gilakjani and Ahmadi in 2011cited that the central aim of reading is to get appropriate message from a text that the writer intended for the reader to receive.
According to RAND Reading Study groupin 2002, comprehension is the process of deriving and making meaning through interaction and involvement with written form of language. McNamara and Magliano in 2009 stressed that this process is a task of both reader and factors from the text that occur within a large social context. Duke in 2003 confirmed that comprehension is a process in which readers make meaning by interacting with text through the combination of prior knowledge and past experience, data in the text, and the point of readers related to the text.
Kintsch in 1998 and in 1983 with van Dijk identified reading comprehension as the process of creating meaning from the text. The purpose is to get an understanding of the text rather than to acquire meaning from individual words or phrases.
Reading is the most valuable tool nowadays. In order to expand the priorities of this tool, we need to identify good and effective methods. Research shows good readers are actively involved with text, and they are aware of the process they use to understand what they read. Teachers can help improve student comprehension through instruction of reading strategies. Research shows that predicting, making connection, visualizing, questioning and summarizing are the main tools in evolving reading comprehension.
1.1 Predicting
In order to be a good reader, learners should set a goal for their reading; therefore good readers have a purpose for reading. One strategy for improving comprehension is predicting, which aids the reader set a purpose for their reading. Good readers use their background knowledge and experience to “forecast” and formulate as they read. It gives a chance to participate the learner, and which also boosts the interest of students. By dint of active use of imagination, learners are able to improve their understanding. One of the strategies for predicting is applying the title, contents, pictures and key words. Another key strategy is to have students to predict specific points and make them to revise if it is necessary.
1.2 Making connection
Making connection is one of the key strategies for improving reading comprehension. By making connection, the learner can activate their prior knowledge and connect ideas to their own experience. Reading is getting more meaningful and eye-catching when the new information is connected to beliefs, experiences of learners. Teachers may ask learners to connect ideas from the text to their own lives. Moreover, by means of this method, learners could make logical connections between the past and present. Giving a purpose to students by questing them to find connections would help them comprehend the idea better in the text.
1.3 Visualizing
Another strategy that the good readers employ is visualization. Visualization requires learners to build up the image of the text. This image stays in the memory of readers as the representation of the readers’ interpretation of the text. Teachers might inspire students to visualize the characters, actions and ask them to write their opinion after visualizing. Also teacher might ask students to make small role plays to fully depicture the scene from the story.
1.4 Questioning
This method can be used in the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of reading process. The questioning requires students to ask questions of themselves to construct meaning, enlarge cognition, find out answers, deal with handicaps. Furthermore, this strategy enables students to differentiate the questions. By using the student generated questioning strategy; text segments are integrated and thereby improve reading comprehension.
1.5 Summarizing
In this method students are acquired to make final decisions. In this part learners should gather all the major points and distinguish the crucial ones from just supporting ideas. Teachers might make small quiz to get overall view of students. Summarizing is a strategy which helps students to organize the ideas even in the long reading passages which are the “nightmare” for students.
The results of reading awareness scale and my personal experience proved the fact that reading comprehension and understanding the definition of the comprehension itself were in the low position of cognition. Students had a devoid of knowledge and practice in the reading; however, after a comprehensive study, the results appeared in the form of success. At the first time I have been somehow scared of such an experience. So as to overcome, I had to guide my students in their each path. After using these methods I could see some changes in my students. They started to show the interest towards reading and the problematic sides of reading disappeared. They understood how to sort out data, visualize, use their background knowledge and predict the text. I can say that these methods were successful; in that my students were able to improve their reading comprehension, so I would like to carry on the strategies in my curriculums.
References:
- Hulya Kuchukoglu. ”Improving reading skills through effective reading strategies”. Turkey, D.C.: Hacettepe University.2013
- Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani. ”How can students improve their reading comprehension”. Iran, D.C.: Islamic Azad University.2016
- Anderson, R. C. Hiebert, E. H. Scott, J.A, & Wilkinson, I. A. G. “Becoming a Nation of reader”. Washington, D.C.: Nation Institute of Education.1985
- Kintsch, W. “Comprehension: a paragraph for cognition”. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.1998
