Reading

comprehension
Reading methods. Transition words.
Reading formula SQ3R.
Pre-reading tasks
The purpose of pre-reading tasks is:

To make readers receptive to a To make them anticipate the

new topic learning experience about to
come

To make them activate their brain To spend time with the topic
by searching topic-related before the actual reading process
knowledge and information
already there
Reading methods
Reading methods
Skimming
01 Fast, first glance at the entire text from the beginning to the end.

Scanning
02 Is useful when searching for a specific piece of information.

Intensive reading
03 Slow and careful reading.

Extensive reading
04 The most used reading technique.
 Skimming is a reading technique to be used
Skimming with any text as a fast, first glance at the entire
text from the beginning to the end.

By skimming the reader gets the first idea of a

new text, what the text is all about, and
whether the reader wants to start reading it
more carefully.

There are several points in the text that the

reader pays attention to, and then decides the
usefulness of the text for further scrutiny.
Some of these points to pay attention to are
Writer of the text Last paragraph (often previews the whole text)

Source
First and last sentences of each
paragraph (often include the main
idea of the paragraph, aka topic
Table of contents
sentences)

Abstract (summary of the whole text)

Names and numbers

Title of subheadings
Pictures, graphs etc.

First paragraph (often previews the whole text) Bold, underlined or cursive text
 Scanning is useful when a specific piece of
Scanning information must be found in the text.

Having a question in mind, the reader can start

searching for the answer to it by scanning
through the text.

When the goal is to find a certain word in a

dictionary or a number in a phone directory,
scanning is the right reading technique.
 Intensive reading

Once the readers have an important text in front of

them, they want to read through the entire text very
carefully, paying attention to every little detail.

In other words, they are reading the text intensively.

Intensive reading is slow and requires considerable

effort since everything is read systematically.
 Extensive reading

The most used reading technique can be said

to be extensive reading where the reader uses
Skimming
all the above-mentioned reading strategies
from the speedy, holistic to the more focused
and detail-oriented reading style.
Scanning
As with any text, some of the parts of the text
require more intensive reading while others Intensive reading
can be skimmed through, unless something
needs to be scanned.
 Transition words
01 02 03 04 05

More information Cause/Reason/Result Example Emphasis Contrast/Limitation/Condition

Additionally A case in point Above all Although Nevertheless
Also Accordingly As an illustration Certainly But On the contrary
And As E.g.(for example) Clearly Even though Unless
Besides Because of For example Especially Except Whereas
First…Second...Third…Finally Consequently Such as Indeed However Yet
Furthermore Due to To demonstrate In particular If
In fact Since Of course In spite of
Moreover Therefore Instead
Or Thus
Several

D
D
D
 Transition words
06 07 08
Time Similarity/Clarification Summary/Conclusion
Currently Previously Equally All in all
Eventually Recently For the most part As a result
Finally Simultaneously i.e.(that is) Given these facts
Initially Subsequently In other words In conclusion
Meanwhile Then In short On the whole
Presently Likewise To sum up
Similarly
Usually

D
D
D
Reading formula SQ3R.
 Reading A widely used reading formula for academic
and professional text is a comprehensive

formula SQ3R. system where the readers themselves are

encouraged to play an important role in the
reading process.

The formula guides the readers from the first

step of glancing through the text to the last
step of looking back at the results of the
reading process.
 Reading formula SQ3R.
Question
Ask questions which you are
searching answers for.
Anticipate where in the text
you are likely to find those
answers. Ask what you want
Skim
to get out of the text, why
Skim to get a preview of you want to read it. R
the whole text.
R
R Review
Go over the text once more,
Q Recall
and reflect on the main ideas.
Study your underlines and
Recall the main points in the other notes. The better you
S Read
text. Separate facts, have done the earlier steps,
statements and conclusions the bigger the benefits of
Read the text paying attention to from examples, assumptions, reviewing.
topic sentences, i.e. first and last and justifications. Going back
sentences in a paragraph, which to the text underline the main
usually state the main thought. Note ideas, draw a mind map,
key words and transition words. make notes
Read extensively, taking advantage
of the reading methods.
 Resources
• Perttila-Glencairn, T. 2010. Academic and Professional English —
Reading, Writing and Spoken Communication. Finn Lectura.