1. READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS UHB 1412 DR. TINA ABDULLAH

2. Reading Comprehension Skills Skills Needed To Increase Comprehension: Finding Main Ideas Guessing Meaning of Unfamiliar Words from Context Understanding & Interpreting Reference Words Looking for Key Words & Transitional Markers Making Inferences & Drawing Conclusion

3. Finding Main Ideas MAIN IDEA introduces the main or general message of what the paragraph intends to convey /describe / explain 1 Paragraph 1 Topic Sentence 1 Main Idea

4. Guessing Meaning of Unfamiliar Words from Context Definition- is/known/means/refer to Restatement- or/in other/words/that is Examples- such as/like/including Similarity- the same as/ just as/ like Contrast- but/whereas/nevertheless/yet Surrounding Words

5. Guessing Meaning of Unfamiliar Words from Context Guessing meaning of unfamiliar words Word AnalysisContextual Clues Prefixes StemsMeaning of Grammar Suffixes other Words in & the Sentence Punctuation

6. Word Analysis Stem A stem is a word in its first and simplest form. A word may be built up or have its meaning changed by an addition at either end.

7. Word Analysis Prefixes A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a word. The prefix usually changes the meaning of the stem words

8. Word Analysis Example of Prefixes mono – alone, one A monopoly occurs when one person or group assumes an unfair amount of control over others. sub – under, below Subzero temperatures are common during winter. mis – badly, wrong The company went bankrupt because it was mismanaged. anti – against Throwing litter all over the place is an antisocial attitude.

9. Word Analysis Suffixes A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word. Usually, the addition of suffix affects the form of the word, rather than the meaning.

10. Word Analysis Example of Suffixes Stem: improve(verb) He wanted to improve his grades, so he began to study more. Stem + suffix: improvement (noun) As he saw the improvement in his grades, he began to study more.

11. Word Analysis Example of Suffixes Stem: hard (adjective) When she was a little girl, her family went through poverty and hard times. Stem + suffix: hardship (noun) She never forgot the poverty and hardship her family went through when she was a little girl.

12. Word Analysis Example of Suffixes Stem: mystery (noun) The dream in which he saw a stranger in a dark robe standing by a lake remains a mystery to him. Stem + suffix: mysterious (adjective) He had a dream in which he saw a mysterious stranger in a dark robe standing by a lake.

13. Understanding & Interpreting Reference Words Reference Words words that replace other words Types of Reference Words: –Anaphoric References - ideas mention earlier –Cataphoric References - ideas expressed later *Singular or Plural PRONOUN when referring to NOUN

14. Looking for Key Words & Transitional Markers Key Words words in the text that are directly associated to the information that we would like to find or words that gives readers a clue to what the passage is all about. Transitional Markers words that are used to link ideas

15. Making Inferences & Drawing Conclusion Making Inferences forming an opinion after considering all the information put forward in the reading text Steps in making inferences & drawing conclusion: Get the facts right – look for clues, relationships Ask ourselves what we already know Associate facts and known ideas to draw conclusion