Reading Strategies

According to teaching methodologies, reading is defined as a complex skill which is subdivided into other several competences. Existing reading didactics deal with the development, coordination and integration of those sub-competences and favour a trained reader that reads fluently and understands the essential content of a text. Therefore, the awareness of reading strategies is indispensable in order to approach a text thoroughly. Next to reading techniques such as underlining, taking notes or creating a textual diagram, there are three strategies in existence. All of them aim at flexible reading behavior.

            First of all, orientated reading supports the reader in getting an overview and deals with the rather general question “What is the text about?” In order to practice this form of reading, pupils could guess the topic of a text with the help of its title or pictures or summarize several paragraphs. They could also both formulate and check major hypotheses.

Secondly, skimming deals with the major content just as the topic of a theme. It can be practised with exercises basing on W-questions (Who?, Where?, When?, What?, Why?), the identification of key words or the creation of a graphical concept about core information of a text.

Thirdly, scanning, also known a “selective reading,” helps to identify particular information. As a teacher who wants his/her pupils to practise this reading strategy, one could provide them with key questions before the reading or let them take a look at the index in order to find out on which page a certain topic is discussed. Besides, it is also possible to make them answer multiple-choice questions.  

Finally, one has to bear in mind that the acquisition of reading competences is closely linked to the reading motivation of each individual. Such a motivation can be created through interesting and appealing texts and lively lessons.

One appropriate method to work with a particularly difficult text is “reciprocal reading,” which belongs to rather complex forms of text recognition. Learners approach a text collectively and guide their own process of knowledge construction. Undoubtedly, individual competences are necessary and have to be practised in advance.

How to proceed:

1)     Division of learners into four groups.

2)     Individual reading period of a sufficiently long paragraph. Use of reading techniques (marking, summarizing, visualizing).

3)     Dealing with the text in a group.

a)     Pupil A asks questions about important information, the others answer them.

b)     Pupil B summarizes the paragraph, the others check his/her summary.

c)     Pupil C indentifies difficult passages and asks for explanation.

d)     Pupil D guesses how the text might proceed.

One good way to do this is to visualize the distribution of tasks. Four little role cards can therefore symbolize the different tasks and are passed on after each round.

This could be the questioner for instance:

Information are taken fom: Ehlers, Swantje, 2002, Übungen zum Leseverstehen, in: Bausch, K.-R (u.a.), Handbuch Fremdsprachenunterricht, Tübingen: Francke, 287-292.