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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
1 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
2 Reading Strategies to Effectively Understand Texts
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
Getting Ready to Read Why should you as a teenager read frequently and effectively?
I, as a teacher, would like to give you 6 of the most important reasons why you
must give reading a chance to become part of your life:
Reason
Number
Explanation
1 Become an expert. Whether you are interested in science or fiction, reality or
fantasy, reading can help you become an expert on the topic and use that in
your life.
2 See the world—and travel through time. Books can take you from the frontiers
of the Old West to the frontiers of space...and from the top of the Eiffel Tower
to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
3 Find a cause. You are idealist. Reading can help you learn more about people
and organizations that support the causes you believe in.
4 Discover new interests. Through reading, you may discover an interest in
something you knew nothing about.
5 Get some free advice. Lots of novels feature teenager’s characters that have
problems and pressures like the ones you may be facing.
6 Finally, you should read because that makes you SMARTER! As simple as that.
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
3 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
Basic Reading Strategies The three most basic reading strategies are Skimming & Scanning,
Guessing Meaning From Context, and Identification of Main Ideas.
Tips:
Look at the title of the text to easily get the topic.
Read the first sentence of the first paragraph; that's usually the topic
sentence or main idea.
Read the last paragraph of the text so you can get the conclusion.
Read any headings and sub-headings.
Notice any pictures, charts, or graphs.
Notice any italicized or boldface words or phrases.
This way you avoid reading every single detail of the reading without
losing the important aspects of it
Strategy: Skimming is a method of rapidly moving the eyes over text
with the purpose of getting only the main ideas and a general overview of
the content. With skimming, your overall understanding is reduced
because you don’t read everything. You read only what is important to your
purpose (Murillo, 2010)
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
4 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
Example:
Read the following text and apply skimming on it:
The Personal Qualities of a Teacher
Here I want to try to give you an answer to the question: What
personal qualities are desirable in a teacher? Probably no two people
would draw up exactly similar lists, but I think the following would be
generally accepted.
First, the teacher's personality should be pleasantly live and
attractive. This does not rule out people who are physically plain, or even
ugly, because many such have great personal charm. But it does rule out
such types as the over-excitable, melancholy, frigid, sarcastic, cynical,
frustrated, and over-bearing : I would say too, that it excludes all of dull or
purely negative personality. I still stick to what I said in my earlier book:
that school children probably 'suffer more from bores than from brutes.
Finally, I think a teacher should have the kind of mind which always
wants to go on learning. Teaching is a job at which one will never be
perfect; there is always something more to learn about it. There are three
principal objects of study: the subject, or subjects, which the teacher is
teaching; the methods by which they can best be taught to the particular
pupils in the classes he is teaching; and - by far the most important - the
children, young people, or adults to whom they are to be taught.
Look at the title
to get what the
text will talk
about
Pay
attention
to the
first
sentence
.
Pay
attention
to the
first
sentence.
Read the
entire last
paragraph
to get the
conclusion
of it.
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
5 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
Tips:
State the specific information you are looking for.
Try to anticipate how the answer will appear and what clues you
might use to help you locate the answer. For example, if you were
looking for a certain date, you would quickly read the paragraph
looking only for numbers.
Read the title of the text so you know what the text is about.
Use headings and any other aids that will help you identify which
sections might contain the information you are looking for.
Selectively read and skip through sections of the passage.
Look only for the words or answers that you need.
Strategy: Scanning is another useful tool for speeding up your
reading. Unlike skimming, when scanning, you look only for a specific fact
or piece of information without reading everything. You scan when you
look for your favorite show listed in the cable guide, for your friend’s phone
number in a telephone book, and for the sports scores in the newspaper
(Smith, 2010)
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
6 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
Take keywords into account. For instance, if you are looking for an
address, then try to find verbs like dwell, live, stay, etc., and avoid the
rest of them.
Example:
Read the following text and apply scanning on it by answering these
questions:
1. When were X-rays discovered? (Tip: Here look for dates, years, moths)
2. Who discovered them? (Tip: Look for names to answer this one)
3. What are the four characteristics of X-rays? (Tip: look for numbers like
I, II, III or 1, 2, 3)
The Discovery of X-rays
X-rays were discovered in 1895 by Roentgen while studying the
phenomena of gaseous discharge. Using a cathode ray tube with a high
voltage of several tens of kilovolts, he noticed that salts of barium would
fluoresce when brought near the tube, although nothing visible was
emitted by the tube. This effect persisted when the tube was wrapped with
a layer of black cardboard. Roentgen soon established that the agency
responsible for the fluorescence originated at the point at which the stream
of energetic electrons struck the glass wall of the tube. Because of its
unknown nature, he gave this agency the name X-rays. He found that X-
rays could manifest themselves by darkening wrapped photographic
Answer of
question 2
Answer of
question 1
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
7 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
plates, discharging charged electroscopes, as well as by causing
fluorescence in a number of different substances. He also found that X-rays
can penetrate considerable thicknesses of materials of low atomic number,
whereas substances of high atomic number are relatively opaque. Roentgen
took the first steps in identifying the nature of X-rays by using a system of
slits to show that (1) they travel in straight lines, and that (2) they are
uncharged, because they are not deflected by electric or magnetic fields.
The discovery of X-rays aroused the interest of all physicists, and many
joined in the investigation of their properties. In 1899 Haga and Wind
performed a single slit diffraction experiment with X-rays which showed
that (3) X-rays are a wave motion phenomenon, and, from the size of the
diffraction pattern, their wavelength could be estimated to be 10-8 cm. In
1906 Barkla proved that (4) the waves are transverse by showing that they
can be polarized by scattering from many materials.
Answer of
question 3
Strategy: Guessing Meaning From Context. Sometimes
unfamiliar words in a text are actually explained by the own author by
using synonyms, antonyms, giving some details of the meaning, and family
by rewording the word. However, it is our responsibility to look for these
helps in the text, as they not always are as visible and obvious as we would
wish (Smith, 2010)
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
8 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
Rewording
Rewording is when the author says the word in
another way that is typically easier to understand.
Let's Look at an Example:
Resentment, a feeling of bitterness and anger, is often
felt by people who are passed over for promotions.
What does the word resentment mean in this
sentence? According to the text, it means "feeling
of bitterness and anger"
Synonyms
A writer sometimes uses synonym context
clues to help with hard words. A synonym context
clue is one or two words that mean almost the
same as the one that the author does not expect
us to know.
Let's Look at an Example:
The young girl was very aloof. She always seemed
unsociable, unapproachable, and uninterested.
What does the word aloof mean in this
sentence? According to the text, it is a synonym
of "unsociable, unapproachable, and
uninterested"
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
9 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
Antonyms
Writers are using antonym context clues when
they use a word with opposite meaning to give us
hints about the word that they do not think we
will know.
Let's Look at an Example:
Dianna appeared to be a very moral and upstanding
young lady, but those who knew her knew that she
was iniquitous.
What does the word iniquitous mean in this
sentence? The word "BUT" indicates the possible
presence of an antonym. According to the text, it
means the opposite of moral, which is immoral, and
the opposite of upstanding which also could
be immoral.
Giving Details
A writer is using details as context clues when
he/she gives us explanations or examples as hints
about the word that he/she does not think we will
know. There are several different kinds of Context
Clues that are Details. Details that are examples
of the unknown word, details that tell why the
unknown word has taken place, and finally details
that explain how the word relates to other things
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
10 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
Intermediate Reading Strategies
What are the most important typographic signs that we have to take into
account when reading? Have a look at the following chart in which they all
are explained:
Giving Details
the author has stated.
Let's Look at an Example:
Father was ecstatic because Joshua decided to go to
the college that he wanted him to.
What does the word ecstatic mean in this
sentence? "Ecstatic" is how the father felt, it is a
state of humor.
Strategy: Typographic Signs: Typography is the visual attributes of
written language (Waller, 2010). Typographical cues are similar to road
signs. The reader, like a driver, must be able to read the signs to navigate
their way through the roads or pages of text. Using these signs, we can
provide readings with more sense to us, due to they guide us about the
tone that we can have when reading (Murillo, 2008)
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
11 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
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Typographical Signs
What Do They Mean? Examples
Comma Pause reading; placement of
comma can affect meaning.
Henry, my dog is happy to see
you.
Henry, my dog, is happy to see
you.
Period Longer pause because it marks
the end of a sentence.
The boy loved his new book.
Question
Mark
Raise intonation at the end of
the question.
What is that?
Exclamation
Mark
Read with emotion. I can’t believe it!
Quotation
Marks
Someone is speaking. Ben said, “What are you
doing?”
Underlined,
enlarged,
and/or bold
Read with special stress. That is what she thinks.
That is what she thinks.
Combination Read meaningful unit with
special stress
My father yelled, “Lindsey,
you get back here right
now!”
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
12 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
Have a look at the following text:
The Winepress
by Josef Essberger
"You don't have to be French to enjoy a decent red wine," Charles
Jousselin de Gruse used to tell his foreign guests whenever he
entertained them in Paris. "But you do have to be French to recognize one,"
he would add with a laugh.
“How many bottles of wine have these people drunk today?” asked Jack.
“I don’t have idea,” replied Charles.
"Come on, Charles, it's simple arithmetic. Nothing to do with race or color.
You must've had bags of experience of this sort of thing. What d'you say?"
"Yes, let’s say 4!"´
Explanation:
In the previous text, quotation, exclamation, quotation, and apostrophe
marks are key to understand the text. They indicate the tone of the text and
allow the reader to be guided through the story.
Look at the
quotation
mark.
Look at the
question
mark.
Look at the
apostrophe.
Look at the
exclamation
mark.
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
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13 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
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Tips:
Write points in an organized manner based on space indentation.
Place major points farthest to the left.
Indent each more specific point farther to the right (level of
importance is indicated by distance away from left margin).
Advantages
The outlining method emphasizes content as well as relationships between
the materials. Also, it reduces the time needed for editing and allows for
easy reviewing.
Disadvantages
This method requires more thought for accurate, understandable
Strategy: Outline The outlining method is perhaps the most common
form of note taking used by college students; an outline naturally organizes
the information in a highly structured, logical manner, forming a skeleton
of the textbook chapter or lecture subject that serves as an excellent study
guide when preparing for tests. This method of note taking is extremely
useful in most instances (Murillo, 2008)
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
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14 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
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organization and, therefore, cannot be used during lectures that move too
quickly.
How to write an outline?
Imagine that you read a text in which the things that makes X person feel
powerful are explained.
THESIS: Though many things make the character want to score goals, he
loves scoring most of all because it momentarily gives him a sense of power.
I. Common reasons for wanting to score goals
A. Help team
B. Gain glory
C. Hear cheers of crowd
II. Reasons for wanting to score goals
A. Feel relaxed
1. Know he’s going to score a goal
2. Move smoothly, not awkwardly
3. Get relief from pressure to do well
B. Feel momentary sense of power
1. Do better than goalie
2. Take ultimate mind trip
3. Conquer anxiety
4. Return to earth after a moment
Write in a paper
the thesis of the
text, in other
words, what the
text is about.
Write the main
idea of the first
paragraph or first
point discussed in
the reading.
Write the supporting
points of the idea. In
other words, how the
idea is defended
Write the main
idea of the second
paragraph or
second point
discussed in the
reading.
Write the supporting
details of the point. In
other words, how the
supporting point is
exemplified.
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
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15 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
Good readers use clues from the story as well as their own
background knowledge to make an inference or educated guess. Unlike
prediction, you may or may not discover whether your inference is correct
by the end of the story. You may never know a character's
motivation. However, this strategy is still an invaluable tool in reading
comprehension. This strategy requires higher order thinking which good
readers are able to display easily. Use this strategy while reading as well as
after reading a story. Here is how you can use this strategy.
Strategy: Inferences are evidence-based guesses. They are the
conclusions a reader draws about the unsaid based on what is actually said.
Inferences drawn while reading are much like inferences drawn in
everyday life. If your best friend comes in from a blind date and looks
utterly miserable, you would probably infer the date was not a success.
Drawing inferences while you read requires exactly the same willingness to
look at the evidence and come to a conclusion that has not been expressed
in words. Only in reading, the evidence for your inference consists solely of
words rather than actual events, expressions, or gestures (Smith, 2010)
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16 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
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Take the time to stop and ask questions while
reading. Remember, good readers will stop to ask questions.
You can stop to ask yourself relating to character motivation,
character's feelings, an author's purpose, an author's viewpoint,
etc. Remember, to make inferences, you need to ask yourself
higher order thinking questions that require you to use evidence
from the story as well as what you know to make an educated
guess.
For example, as we were recently reading James and the Giant
Peach by Roald Dahl. In discussing the story, we tried to figure
out why Roald Dahl had specific insects acting a particular
way. For example, the centipede was bossy while the silkworm
was quiet. We tried to figure out why he had this occur. We
never discovered the answer as we read but students were
thinking about this as we read. It made them take note of the
finer details within the story.
To promote inference, ask yourself questions such as
1. What will happen next and why? Cite evidence from the story
to back your answer.
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
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17 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
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2. What clues in the story led you to think that?
3. How do you think that character feels? Cite evidence from
the story to back your answer.
4. What clues helped you make that choice?
5. Why did the author write this story?
Look at the following example. Read the paragraph and try to infer who
the text talks about.
A small-town lawyer from Illinois, tall and lanky with an Adam’s apple
that could have gone down in the Guinness Book of Records had it existed
in the nineteenth century. Nevertheless, he changed the face of American
history, steering it through a civil war that left both sides bloody. Who
knows what more he could have done had an assassin’s bullet not cut him
down.
The person described is _______________________________
In drawing the correct inference, which piece of information is more
useful?
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
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18 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
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a. He had a big Adam’s apple.
b. He steered the nation through a civil war.
Explanation:
The answer is: Abraham Lincoln
Clue: He steered the country through civil war.
Fundament: Lots of people have big Adam’s apples, but America has
had only one civil war.
Strategy: Critical Reading effectively requires approaching texts
with a critical eye: evaluating what you read for not just what it says, but
how and why it says it. To non -critical readers, texts provide
facts. Readers gain knowledge by memorizing the statements within a
text. To the critical reader, any single text provides but one portrayal of the
facts, one individual’s “take” on the subject matter. Critical readers thus
recognize not only what a text says, but also how that text portrays the
subject matter. They recognize the various ways in which each and every
text is the unique creation of a unique author (Smith, 2010)
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Textbooks on critical reading commonly ask students to accomplish certain
goals:
to recognize an author’s purpose
to understand tone and persuasive elements
to recognize bias
Notice that none of these goals actually refers to something on the page.
Each requires inferences from evidence within the text:
recognizing purpose involves inferring a basis for choices of content
and language
recognizing tone and persuasive elements involves classifying the
nature of language choices
recognizing bias involves classifying the nature of patterns of choice
of content and language
Critical reading is not simply close and careful reading. To read critically,
one must actively recognize and analyze evidence upon the page.
Ask yourself the following questions as you read:
1. What is the topic of the book or reading?
2. What issues are addressed?
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3. What conclusion does the author reach about the issue(s)?
4. What are the author's reasons for his or her statements or belief?
Is the author using facts, theory, or faith?
Taken from Study Guides and Strategies, available on http://www.studygs.net/crtread.htm
How to document a critical reading analysis? Look at the following
example. Read the paragraph and try applied what you just learned.
Then complete the chart provided.
House of Lords
The House of Lords is a component of the Parliament of the United
Kingdom, which also includes the Sovereign and the House of Commons.
The House of Lords is an unelected body, consisting of 26 senior clerics of
the Church of England (the "Lords Spiritual"), as well as 669 members of
the Peerage (the "Lords Temporal"). Lords Spiritual serve as long as they
continue to occupy their ecclesiastical positions, but Lords Temporal serve
for life. Members of the House of Lords are known as "Lords of
Parliament".
The House of Lords originated in the 14th century and has been in
almost continuous existence since. It was abolished in 1649 by the
revolutionary government that came to power during the English Civil
War, but was restored in 1660.
The House of Lords (the "Upper House") was once more powerful
than the elected House of Commons (the "Lower House"). Since the 19th
century, however, the powers of the House of Lords have been steadily
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declining; now, the Upper House is far weaker than its parliamentary
counterpart.
Under the Parliament Act 1911, most legislation passed by the House
of Commons can be delayed, but cannot be rejected, by the House of Lords.
Reforms were enacted under the House of Lords Act 1999, which removed
the automatic hereditary right of many peers to sit in the Upper House.
Additional reforms are contemplated by the current Labor Government,
but have not been passed into law.
In addition to performing legislative functions, the House of Lords
also holds judicial powers: it constitutes the highest court of appeal for
most cases in the United Kingdom. The judicial functions of the House of
Lords are not performed by the whole Chamber, but rather by a group of
members with legal experience, who are known as "Law Lords". The
House of Lords is not the only court of last resort in the United Kingdom;
in some cases, that role is fulfilled by the Privy Council.
The full, formal style of the House of Lords is: The Right Honorable
The Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland in Parliament Assembled. The House of Lords, like
the House of Commons, meets in the Palace of Westminster.
Text taken from http://www.saberingles.com.ar/reading/house-of-lords.html
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Complete the chart based on the read text. This will help you apply the
critical reading.
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Intermediate Reading Strategies
The most important rhetorical patterns are:
- The example.
- Process Description.
- Comparing and contrasting.
- Cause and effect.
The Example:
The writer uses the example to expound on an idea that has been
introduced. Generally, the example is used to make the idea clearer through
a practical representation of the idea. Experts point out that the placement
Strategy: Rhetorical Patterns are the ways how a writer
communicates ideas in a text. Readers use an understanding of rhetorical
patterns to try to develop a closer analysis of what the writer or speaker is
trying to express. These patterns are most commonly applied to texts, or
transcriptions of speech, where it is possible to explore the communication
through the use of various rhetorical resources (Murillo, 2008)
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of an example of other rhetorical pattern is important in revealing more
about the writer’s intent and what he or she is trying to express.
Process Description:
It explains the arrangement of a sequence in chronological order. In
organization, it is similar to mechanism description, except that the “part-
by-part” becomes step by step:
What is it?
What is its function?
Where and when does it take place?
Who or what performs it?
How does it work?
What are its principal steps?
Comparison and contrasting:
Comparison brings similar things together for examination to see how
they are alike. Contrast is a form of comparison that emphasizes their
differences.
Cause and Effect:
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When the writers talk about something or states an issue, problem or
argument, he should clarify what caused him to say so and simultaneously
he must state the possible effect.
Why is Fact and Opinion an important reading strategy?
It is important to be able to identify facts from opinions so that we are
able to understand what is real from what is someone’s point of view or
thought.
How do we identify Facts and Opinions to help us understand what we
are reading?
Facts are true statements that give us information about the topic or
main idea.
Opinions will have clue words or phrases that will tell us that the
statement is someone’s feeling or belief.
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Strategy: Facts versus Opinions A FACT is a statement that can be
proven true. It can also be a statement that is common knowledge from
life experience. An OPINION is a statement that is based on someone’s
beliefs or feelings (Smith, 2010)
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Tips:
- Look for opinion words such as “think” or “thought”
- Look for words that describe a feeling or belief such as
pretty, difficult, confusing, exciting, the best, and the worst.
- Look for opinion comparison words like better than, smarter than.
Examples:
Three examples of facts that are concrete and that could be documented
include:
- The house was painted on November 18, 1999.
- Today is Saturday.
- My son had a temperature of one hundred and two degrees this
morning.
On the other hand, these are examples of opinions:
- The house was painted recently on November 18, 1999, so it
looks as good as new.
- Today is Saturday and Mark always sleeps in on Saturdays, so
that is why he is late for the game.
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- There was no way for me to go to school because my son had a
temperature of one hundred and two degrees this morning.
Extra tips:
To see if something is a fact, ask yourself:
“Can this statement be proved?”
To check for opinions, ask yourself:
“Does this tell a thought or feeling?”
“Would the statement be true all of the time?”
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A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
28 Reading Is Nothing But Fun! Give Reading a Chance!
A Publishing of the University of Costa Rica.
Created by: Esteban Sanabria, English Teacher
Works Cited
1. Murillo, P (2008). Basic Reading Strategies. Available on
http://www.slideshare.net/Prof_Pat_Muri/basic-reading-strategies-
presentation
2. Smith, C (2010) Learning and Thinking Skills: Research and Open
Questions. Ed. Susan Chip- man, J. Segal, and Robert Glaser. Hillsdale,
NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 65-80.
3. Universidad Latina de Costa Rica (2010) Guessing the Meaning of
Vocabulary from Context. Available on
http://www.slideshare.net/lui2680/guessing-vocabulary-from-context
4. Waller, R (2011). Typography and Reading Strategy. Available on
http://www.robwaller.org/Waller_readingstrat.pdf
5. W.A. (w.d) What is a Rhetorical Pattern? Available on
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-rhetorical-pattern.htm
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