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1. MENU Reading comprehension Topic Main Sentence Supporting sentence Understanding the Reading Process Reading Rate

2. What is Reading Comprehension? Comprehension therefore is the capacity for understanding those thoughts and ideas. Applying what you have read and understood becomes the successful conclusion.

3. Finding main ideas and supporting details/evidence Making inferences and drawing conclusions Recognizing a text's patterns of organization Perceiving conceptual relationships Testing your knowledge and understanding of the material through application Skills for being an effective reader

4. The Topic Sentence • For example, suppose that you want to write a paragraph about the natural landmarks of your hometown.   The first part of your paragraph might look like this: •        My hometown is famous for several amazing natural features.  First, it is noted for the Wheaton River, which is very wide and beautiful. Also, on the other side of the town is Wheaton Hill, which is unusual because it is very steep.

5. Supporting Sentences Providing support to your Topic Sentence

6. Supporting Sentences Definition Every paragraph has sentences that relate to the ideas in the topic sentence. These sentences are called supporting sentences. Look at the supporting sentences on the next page to see how the writer provided more information on the subject in the topic sentence.

7. Supporting Sentences Topic Sentence My hometown is famous for several amazing natural features.  • First, it is well-known for the Wheaton River, which is very wide and beautiful. • Also, on the other side of the town is Wheaton Hill, which is unusual because it is very steep. • The third amazing feature is the Big Old Tree. This tree stands two hundred feet tall and is probably about six hundred years old. Supporting Sentences

8. Supporting Sentences Topic Sentence An important factor in learning a foreign language has to do with the concept of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation. • When we do something for the “fun of it” or because we enjoy it, that is called intrinsic motivation. • Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is when we do something for the purpose of receiving some kind of external reward such as money, time off from work, etc. • Many education experts believe that intrinsic motivation is more powerful when it comes to helping students retain what they’ve learned. Supporting Sentences

9. Key Features Every paragraphs should have the following features… • A Topic Sentence • Supporting Sentences • A Concluding Sentence • Unity

11. Topic Sentences Definition Every paragraph should have a topic sentence. This is the most important sentence because it expresses the main idea of the paragraph.

12. Example 1 Topic Sentence: states the main idea of the paragraph. Topic Sentence The most important problem in our city is its inadequate public transportation system. Thousands of residents rely on the city’s buses and streetcars to travel throughout this large city, but Metro Transportation System’s daily schedules are totally unreliable. A bus or streetcar that should arrive at 7:45 may not arrive until 8:00 or later. Moreover, it is not unusual for a bus driver to pass up groups of people waiting for the bus, because he wants to make up for lost time. Unfortunately, people often end up going to work late or missing important appointments. In order for people to get to their destinations on time, people must allow for waiting time at the bus and streetcar stops. Concluding Sentence Supporting Sentences

13. Five Thinking Strategies of Good Readers Predict: Make educated guesses. Good readers make predictions about thoughts, events, outcomes, and conclusions. As you read, your predictions are confirmed or denied. If they prove invalid, you make new predictions. This constant process helps you become involved with the author's thinking and helps you learn. Picture: Form images. For good readers, the words and the ideas on the page trigger mental images that relate directly or indirectly to the material. Images are like movies in your head, and they increase your understanding of what you read. Relate: Draw comparisons. When you relate your existing knowledge to the new information in the text, you are embellishing the material and making it part of your framework of ideas. A phrase of a situation may remind you of a personal experience or something that you read or saw in a film. Such related experiences help you digest the new material. Monitor: Check understanding. Monitor your ongoing comprehension to test your understanding of the material. Keep an internal summary or synthesis of the information as it is presented and how it relates to the overall message. Your summary will build with each new detail, and as long as the message is consistent, you will continue to form ideas. If, however, certain information seems confusing or erroneous, you should stop and seek a solution to the problem. You must monitor and supervise you own comprehension. Good readers seek to resolve difficulties when they occur; they do not keep reading when they are confused. Correct gaps in understanding. Do not accept gaps in your reading comprehension. They may signal a failure to understand a word or a sentence. Stop and resolve the problem. Seek solutions, not confusion. This may mean rereading a sentence or looking back at a previous page for clarification. If an unknown word is causing confusion, the definition may emerge through further reading. When good readers experience gaps in comprehension, they do not perceive themselves as failures; instead, they reanalyze the task to achieve better understanding. Adapted for Breaking Through to College Reading, Brenda Smith, 1999.

14. Five Categories of Reading Rates Careful - used to master content including details, evaluate material, outline, summarize, paraphrase, analyze, solve problems, memorize, evaluate literary value or read poetry. Normal - used to answer a specific question, note details, solve problems, read material of average difficulty, understand relationship of details to main ideas, appreciate beauty or literary style, keep up with current events, or read with the intention of later retelling what you have read. Rapid - used to review familiar material, get the main idea or central thought, retrieve information for short-term use, read light material for relaxation or pleasure or comprehend the basic plot. Scanning - the method by which you read the newspaper - used to get an overview of the content or to preview. Skimming - done a little more quickly. It is what you do when you are searching for something particular in the text - the way you might read a phone book or dictionary. Used to find a specific reference, locate new material, locate the answer to a specific question, get the main idea of a selection, or review.

15. Thanks you Breaking Through to College Reading, Brenda Smith, 1999. site.iugaza.edu.ps/ site.iugaza.edu.ps/ http://academic.cuesta.edu/