READING SKILLS
RUFARO CHABATA.M W250781
JEANETTE MUSIX.T W250864
NYASHADZAISHE CHIKOWORE W250739
PAIDAMOYO MASANGANISE.M W250233
SHANNON NYAMUDZANGA.C W250184
PRIVILEDGE SAMUNGURE W250069
EMMISHNANCE CHINGORE.N W250003
VANESSAH DANGA W250216
ELISHA ZVAREBWA.T W250474
JACQUELINE HORORO W241292
BLESSED MASHAYAMOMBE.T W250427
MICHELLE MARAMBANYIKA W250729
Reading skills refer to the essential components of effective communication, including
various abilities that enhance understanding and interpretation of written text.
Reading skills can also be defined as strategies which help understand written text.
Examples of Reading Skills include:
Fluency: the ability to read a text accurately, quickly and with proper
expressions.
Scanning: a reading technique used to quickly locate particular
information within a text.
Skimming: reading a text quickly to get a general understanding of its
main points, focusing on key elements like headings, first and last
sentences of paragraphs and bold text without reading every word
Inferring: the process of drawing conclusions or making
interpretations based on the information provided by reading in
between the lines
Importance of Reading Skills
Enhanced vocabulary: As one reads, there’s exposure to new words,
phrases and language structures
Develops critical thinking skills: They are essential for information
interpretation and formulation of well reasoned arguments
Improved writing: Exposure to different writing styles through reading
helps to develop your own writing skills and communication style
Improved understanding of grammar: Through reading, one naturally
absorbs proper grammar usage, improving the structure of one’s
sentences.
Techniques in building Reading Skills
Setting Goals: Establishing specific ,feasible reading goals allows
regular practice leading to improved fluency and confidence.
Skimming: Quickly looking over the text saves time. Its usually
applicable to things like lists
Note taking & highlighting: It makes it easier to stay focused as you
read, also helps remember what one has read.
Breakdown reading: Reading the text one bit at a time aids in
maintaining concentration span and keeping the brain alert.
Reading comprehension: Understanding the meaning of the texthelps
improve one’s reading skills
Managing Vocabulary
It refers to the practice of actively identifying and understanding
new words encountered while reading.
Ways To Manage Vocabulary
Highlighting new vocabulary: This is done so as to search for their
meaning later
Interactive activities: discussions and word games can also play a
part in managing vocabulary
Vocabulary journals: Having a book to record all new words, their
definitions and sample sentences in order to reinforce understanding
Reading diverse texts: Exposure to a variety of reading material in
order to encounter a wide range of vocabulary
Flashcards: Creating flashcards with new words on one side and their
definitions on the other for active review
Reading Strategies
They refer to the conscious techniques used by readers to improve
their understanding of a text
They include:
1. Purposeful Reading
it refers to the act of reading with a specific goal or intention
It is aimed at enhancing comprehension and retention when reading
texts
It improves academic writing and professional writing skills
Promotes professional and academic growth
Helps retain information by connecting new knowledge with existing
understanding
2. Scanning and Skimming
These are reading techniques that use rapid eye movement and key
words to move quickly through a text for slightly different purposes
Scanning
Its also called search reading
When one scans, they are looking for specific information in the text,
maybe words or phrases.
It makes one skip more than they actually read whilst searching for
relevant information
Skimming
It is also called rapid survey reading
Refers to the general understanding of the whole text
It is the fastest type of reading based on purpose
Focuses on headings, subheadings ,first sentences of paragraphs and
bold text
Useful for getting a general understanding of the topic before deep
reading
3. Analytic and Intensive reading (SQ3R approach, critical reading and the
cloze procedure)
These strategies can help one develop their analytic and intensive
reading skills, enabling one to extract more meaning and insight from
the texts one reads
Analytic and Intensive Reading
It involves carefully and thoroughly analyzing a text to extract
meaning, identify patterns and understand the author’s purpose
These strategies are essential for academic, professional and critical
thinking purposes.
The SQ3R Approach
Survey: Glance over the title, headings , subheadings and bullet
points to understand the text’s structure and content.
Question: Formulate questions based on the title, headings and
subheadings to guide your reading.
Read: Read the text while looking for answers to your questions
Recite: Summarize the main ideas in your own words
Review: Review the text, recall the main ideas and reflect on what
you’ve learnt
Critical Reading
Involves actively analysing and evaluating a text to identify biases,
assumptions and flaws in reasoning
1. Identify the author’s purpose: Understand the author’s intention, tone and
perspective
2. Analyse the text’s structure: Examine the text’s organisation, headings and
transitions
3. Evaluate the evidence: Assess the credibility and relevance of the evidence
presented
4. Recognise biases and assumptions: Identify any biases, stereotypes or
assumptions that may influence the author’s argument
5. Draw conclusions: Formulate your own conclusions based on the evidence
and your analysis
Cloze Procedure
It is a technique used to assess reading comprehension and promote
acrive reading
1. Delete Words: Remove words from a text, typically every 5-7 words
2. Read and fill in the blanks: Read the text and fill in the missing words
3. Check answers: Compare your answers with the original text
This procedure helps readers focus on context clues, vocabulary and
comprehension
Reading complex texts
Reading complex texts requires strategies to comprehend and
condense the information.
“condense”- to make something (such as a text or idea) more
compact (brief and to the point) by removing unnecessary details.
Summarizing
Steps to summarize:
1. Read the text carefully: Understand the author’s purpose, tone and
main arguments
2. Identify key points: Note the most important information such as
names, dates, events and concepts
3. Determine the main idea: Identify the central theme or argument of
the text
4. Leave out unnecessary details: Omit examples ,anecdotes (short
stories) and secondary information
5. Write a concise summary: Use your own words to condense the main
ideas into brief summary
Paraphrasing
1. Read the text carefully: Understand the author’s meaning and intent
2. Identify key phrases and sentences: Note the most important phrases
and sentences.
3. Rephrase the text: Use synonyms, change sentence structures and
reword key phrases
4. Maintain the original meaning: Ensure your paraphrased text conveys
the same information and ideas
5. Check for accuracy: Verify your paraphrased text against the original
to ensure accuracy
Tips for summarizing &
paraphrasing
Use your own words: Avoid copying and pasting from the original text
Focus on the main ideas: Don’t get stuck up in details
Check for understanding: Ensure you comprehend the original text
before summarizing or paraphrasing
Practice: the more you practice summarizing and paraphrasing, the
better you become
By mastering summarizing and paraphrasing, you will be able to
efficiently process complex texts, extract key information and
communicate ideas effectively.
