READING

1. READING Clara McCabe

2. What was the last thing you read? • In the last 24hours you will more than likely seen a great many works written in all sorts of places. In two groups, make a list of all the things you have read in since yesterday.

3. Why Do We Read? • To learn • To find out information • To keep up with the latest news and events • To be entertained • To share experiences with others • So whether you are devouring a bedtime thriller, scanning the T.V. guide, flipping through a magazine, referring to a notice board, browsing through titles in a book shop, or skimming through your bank statement, it is all relevant forms of reading.

4. So if you look at the list you crated a few moments ago, you will notice from the variety of texts that you have read that you will not have used the same reading method for each. • There are 4 approaches to reading: • Scanning • Skimming • Normal reading • Close reading

5. Scanning. • This is very fast reading to find specific information that is only relevant to your needs. We scan: • Timetables • Dictionaries • Notice boards • The telephone book for specific names • Magazines for interesting articles *Activity.

6. Skimming • When we skim read a passage we swiftly glance the surface to get an overview of what it is about. We skim: • Advertisements • Newspaper articles • Brochures • For study or research, we might skim read a chapter or two from a book to check if it is relevant to us and what we need. • We surface read and focus in on the topic sentence which is often at the beginning of paragraphs. We are basically looking for the gist of the text. *Activity

7. How do you skim read? Don't read the whole text word-for-word. Use as many clues as possible to give you some background information. There might be pictures or images related to the topic, or an eye-catching title. Let your eyes skim over the surface of the text and, whilst thinking about any clues you have found about the subject, look out for key words. 1. Read the title, subtitles and subheading to find out what the text is about.2. Look at the illustrations to give you further information about the topic.3. Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. 4. Don't read every word or every sentence. Let you eyes skim over the text, taking in key words.5. Continue to think about the meaning of the text.

8. Skim Read Test. • Log onto the following website. • There is a three level quiz. • All three quizzes are against the clock - to make sure that you only skim read the texts! Good luck! • http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/reading/techniques/skimming/quiz.shtml

9. Normal Reading. • This is reading done at moderate speed. This is the natural and casual way we read: • Novels • Letters • Articles • On average a person reads 240 words per minute with a comprehension rate of 60%. So basically there is 40% memory loss in what we have just read. • If top readers read at speeds of above 1000 words per minute (wpm) with near 85% comprehension. • Most of use could do with improvement in both our speed and comprehension.

10. Lets do the reading test. • Log onto www.readingsoft.com • You will take a reading test which will determine you’re reading speed and your level of comprehension. • You will read a comprehension and then answer a set of questions.

11. Close Reading. • This reading is slow and intensive because that text is demanding and it needs to be understood properly. We might take a close reading at: • Poetry • Instructions • Literature • Contracts • Exam papers • It is not recommended that we read long, difficult passages for more than 45 minutes because we tend to lose our concentration. • The best test of close reading is our ability to summarise in our own words what we have just read.

12. Tips for Close Reading: • Keep a pen, paper and dictionary close by • Start with a quick skim read of the passage • Read the passage actively – this means asking yourself the following questions as you read; • Why was it written this way • What does the writer mean by this • Do I agree with this • Do I think this information is interesting/boring • What are the main points • Note information that is particularly interesting, relevant • Highlight words/passages that are difficult • Look up unfamiliar words • When you have finished the passage, recall it in your mind and write down what you remember • Finally, re-read the passage again in case you missed something.

13. Fact, Fiction or Opinion What is a fact? A fact is something that can be verified and backed up with evidence, e.g. In 2005, Brazil and FC Barcelona star Ronaldo was named FIFA World Footballer of The Year. We can verify these details by looking at FIFA records. What is an opinion? An opinion is based on a belief or view. It is not based on evidence that can be verified, e.g. Wayne Rooney is the best football player in the English Premier League. Are there players in the English Premier League who are better than Wayne Rooney?

14. What is fiction? An imaginative creation or a pretence that does not represent actuality but has been invented. Fiction is any form of narrative which deals, in part or in whole, with events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary and invented by its author. Although fiction often describes a major branch of literary work, it is also applied to theatrical, cinematic, documental, and musical work. In contrast to this is non-fiction, which deals exclusively in factual events (e.g.: biographies, histories).

15. Facts are often used in conjunction with research and study. The census (a survey of the population usually conducted by a government department) is a good example of when facts are used. These facts can be supported by information collected in the census, e.g. According to UK Government national statistics in 2004, approximately one in five people in the UK were aged under 16. • Opinions can be found in many types of writing such as a "Letter to the Editor" in a newspaper. A reader may write in with an opinion e.g. "24 hour pub licensing will ruin our community." Another reader may write in and disagree, e.g. "24 hour licensing will stop yobbish behaviour by staggering closing hours."

16. Mixing fact and opinion • Writers often mix fact and opinion. So it is not always easy to tell whether something is based on verifiable information or someone's particular viewpoint. For this reason, it is important to read with a questioning mind. Just because someone says something is true - it doesn't mean it is true? What do you think?

17. Your Turn to Write. • You need to produce two different pieces but they will be based on the same topic – Where I live. • Firstly, you will write a fact based composition based on the area in which you live. • Secondly, you will write an opinion based composition based on the area in which you live. • DO NO GET FACT AND OPINION MIXED UP!