LESSON 1: INTRODUCING THE READING PROCESS AND READING

STRATEGIES

Defining Reading

The previous poem revitalized your experience with reading because you
were reading a text with many unfamiliar words. It challenged you to pay more
attention to better understand what was on the page.

But what is reading anyway? Reading is a cognitive process of decoding

symbols to derive meaning from a text. It is always an interaction between the
text and the reader. We read to gain and share information and ideas, whether for
academic, personal, or professional purposes.

Reading is also a skill that can be improved through consistent practice. In

order to comprehend the text, we apply many skills simultaneously while we read:
identifying the author’s purpose, grasping the main ideas of the text, locating
important details, using context clues to understand unfamiliar words, answering
specific questions, analyzing the text’s points, and critiquing the text. These, and
more, are some of the strategies that we can use to help us become better readers.

Applying Effective Reading Strategies

While reading our previous selection, you must have felt confused because
there were many words that you did not understand. You might have thought that
the piece you were reading was nonsensical! You must have employed several
strategies to help you make sense of the poem. Below are some reading strategies
that you can use to increase your understanding of the text.

Getting an Overview of the Text

At times, it may be a good idea to survey the text as a whole before delving deeper
into each part. Whenever you want to get the gist of the text’s content, you use
previewing, skimming, and scanning.

1. Previewing
 Previewing means looking at the readily visible parts of the text, like
titles and subtitles, and also visuals and graphs, pictures, and charts. Previewing
helps familiarize you with the contents of the selection and focus on the important
information in the text. To preview the text properly, first identify your purpose. Next,
examine the titles and subtitles of the text. Afterward, browse the introduction and
the conclusion of the text. Finally, look at the visual elements of the text. Take note
of the things that interest you to better understand the text later.
In the case of “Jabberwocky”, an illusion could be useful in helping you understand
the poem. It can give you an idea of what the Jabberwock looked like and what
happened in the poem’s narrative.
2. Skimming and scanning
Skimming the text means you look for the main point of the reading and
identify the ideas that develop it. Skimming effectively means physically moving your
eyes rapidly among the page and tracing your finger along the lines of the text to
speed up your reading. The skill also involves quickly going through beginning the
concluding sentences of paragraphs because these usually talk about the topic of
the text.
Skimming may be a bit difficult with a poem like “Jabberwocky”, especially
it has words that you are not familiar with. However, quickly going over the text may
give you an idea of the boy’s quest to slay the Jabberwock, which is an important
idea in the poem.
Meanwhile, scanning the reading is looking for specific information. To
scan the text effectively, you need to have an idea of the details you are looking for.
The instructions of your teacher or questions about the text may help you in knowing
what to scan for. This strategy also involves physically moving our eyes quickly
along the lines of the text. You do not have to read every word: just read until you
locate the details you are searching for. Scanning the text is especially useful when
doing research or taking examinations.
Scanning is a useful strategy to apply to the previous poem, especially when
searching for answers to discussion like “What weapon is used to kill the
Jabberwock?
Using Context Clues
After using the previous strategies to go over the gist of the text, you are now ready
to have a closer look at some parts of the reading. One technique to improve your
reading comprehension and reading pace is using context clues.
Context clues are words, phrases, and sentences that surround an
unfamiliar word that can help you recognize the meaning of an unknown word
because the text gives you information about it. Thus, you can study how a word is
used in a sentence and discover/mate definition. Getting the meaning of unfamiliar
words through context clues is a very useful process, because this allows you to
read more fluently and increases your vocabulary.
The most common types of context clues are the following:
1. Synonyms
Synonyms are used when the text has words or phrases that are similar in
meaning to the unknown word. Though their meanings are similar, they are not
exactly the same because a word may have different associations with it. Synonym
clues may be signaled by the following words: “like” or “as”.
Examples:
a. Humpty Dumpty took great pleasure in obfuscating the poem’s
meaning for Alice. His explanations about the poem were confusing and
complicated.
b. Alice envisaged the Jabberwock in her mind. She imagined its sharp
claws and jaws, and then shivered in fright.
c. The narrator in the poem was euphoric at his son’s victory, for he cried
out triumphantly when the boy came home.
2. Antonyms
An antonym is a word that reveals the opposite meaning in relation to the
unknown word. When you see words like “although,” but, “despite,” “instead,” “in
contrast,” “unlike,” “however,” “even though,” “on the contrary,” and “conversely,”
these usually precede antonyms because these are used to show contrasting ideas.
Examples:
 a. The boy in the poem surreptitiously set out to find the monster. He did
not tell anyone about his plans because he did not want them to worry.
b. The Jabberwock was relentlessly pursued by the boy, unlike the others
who gave up easily when they heard how terrifying the creature was.
c. The hero in the poem did not give in to trepidation; rather, he bravely
slayed the Jabberwock with his sword.
3. Examples
Examples are specific details in a text that are used to clarify the meaning
of a word.
Examples:
a. There are many eccentric creatures in the forest, such as mome raths
and borogoves.
b. Only a few weapons are truly nifty in hunting monsters, like the vorpal
sword.
c. The boy’s father was ecstatic when he found out that the Jabberwock
was conquered by his son. His behaviour included laughing, cheering,
and hugging his son.
4. Explanations and definitions
Explanations may be given as clues to describe an unknown term. When phrases
like “because” or “that is” follow a word, these may be explanations. Meanwhile,
definitions may follow an unfamiliar word. Terms like “is,” “means,” “is defined as,”
and “refers to” are used with definitions.
Examples:
a. Humpty Dumpty told Alice that “brillig” means the same thing as four
o’clock in the afternoon, because that is when people started broiling
things for dinner.
b. Hearing someone “outgrave”—which means he is whistling, bellowing,
and sneezing all at once—can be a funny sight.
c. Alice thought that “toves” were curious creatures, since they were part-
badger, part-lizard, and part corkscrew.
5. Situations
 The situation in which a word is used can also be helpful in determining the
meaning of that word. The meaning of a word may change depending on its context,
or how and where it is used.
Examples:
a. The boy wondered if he should have brought some back up, in case he
could not take on the Jabberwock by himself.
b. The hero’s conquest of the Jabberwock is an exemplary case of
bravery.
c. The hero is lucky that the murder of the Jabberwock does not merit a
case in court!
In the first example, “case” is part of the idiom “in case,” which means “if it should
happen.” In the second sentence, “case” pertains to “an instance of the occurrence.”
Finally, “case” in the third sentence refers to “charges raised in court for a crime.”

Using Connotation and Denotation

Another way of improving your comprehension of a text is trying to

understand the different meanings that particular words can have. Words only
make sense to us if we understand what they mean. Two ways of describing the
meaning of a word are called denotation and connotation. Denotation is the basic,
precise, literal meaning of the word that can be found in a dictionary.
Connotation, meanwhile, is the positive, negative, or neutral feelings, attitudes,
ideas, or associations with a word. These shades of meaning are affected by social
overtones, emotional meanings, or cultural implications.

To illustrate the difference between denotation and connotation, compare

the following meanings of the words “father” and “daddy”:

Father
Denotation: a male parent.
Connotation: -association: positive
-feelings: love and respect
Daddy
 Denotation: a male parent.
Connotation: -association: positive
-feelings: love, familiarity, childhood
The denotations of “father” and “daddy” are synonymous because they both
pertain to a male parent. However, denotations do not reveal the individual
responses of people to a word. “Daddy” is more connotative than “father”, even
though they denote the same thing because many children have fond memories
of their fathers. Of course, this does not discount that each reader has a different
relationship with his or her father. Two words may have the same definition, but
can have different emotional content.

Connotations, therefore, portray more multifaceted definitions of a word

whether these are positive, negative, or neutral. Positive connotations are
generally favourable associations toward a word. Negative connotations,
meanwhile, tend to have unfavourable feelings or ideas toward a word. Neutral
connotations bring up impartial associations towards a word.
Let us apply these to the following example: compare the associations with
the words “house,” “home,” and “shanty.” All of these words denote places where
people live.

Which of these connotations is positive? Negative? Or Neutral? A “house”

has a neutral connotation because it is a “building in which someone lives.” A
“home” has a more positive connotation because it brings to mind “a place of
warmth and comfort and familiarity.” Finally, a “shanty” has a negative connotation
because it is associated with poverty; it is a “small, crudely built shack.”

Usually, your knowledge of how a word is used and the context clues in the
text will help you to determine the type of connotation. To further illustrate this, let
us look at the following situation:

Archie has two aunts: Tita Jennifer and Tita Joanna. Tita Jennifer is proud
of her nephew; meanwhile, Tita Joanna does not favor him so much. This
disposition may color the language that they use.
For example, Archie likes to save money while he is shopping.

Tita Jennifer says: He is thrifty.

Tita Joanna says: He is stingy.

Both words talk about saving money, but their connotations are different. “Thrifty”
used in this sense means that Archie values his money and knows how to look for
bargains. However, “stingy” suggests that Archie is greedy and selfish with his
money.

Another example is that Archie is a hard worker.

Tita Jennifer says: He is very focused on his job.

Tita Joanna says: He is very obsessed with his job.

Both words talk about paying close attention to the job; the difference is in
their connotation. “Focused” hints at Archie’s dedication and interest in his job,
while “obsessed” implies that he is a workaholic. The examples above show that
even two words listed as synonyms are not exactly the same.

Analysing the connotation and denotation of a word helps us to be sensitive

to the meaning it communicates. Your knowledge of context clues will help you
see how a word is used in a sentence; this analysis helps you to be sensitive to
the word’s shades of meaning because a word’s connotations can create different
impressions for readers. Examine the differences in the examples below. Which of
these are positive connotations? Negative connotations? Why?

1. Chubby, voluptuous, fat

2. Chatty, glib, loudmouthed
3. Common, routine, trite
ACTIVITY I. Answer the following questions in your big notebook.

1. How do you define reading in your own words? (2-3 sentences only)

2. Create a graphic organizer (e.g. Venn Diagram, Columned chart, Taxonomies) that
would summarize previewing, skimming and scanning.

3. Define what is context clues in your own words.

4. Copy and complete the table below:

TYPES OF CONTEXT DEFINITION (write a brief EXAMPLE (write one

CLUE summary from the module) example from the module)

1. Synonyms

2. Antonyms

3. Example

4. Explanation and
definition

5. Situation

5. Make a Venn Diagram showing the similarities and differences of Connotation and
Denotation.

ACTIVITY II. Context Clues

Identify the type of context clues used for each of the following sentences. (Write only the
answer)

___________ 1. I saw a man vaping his e-cigarette. He was inhaling and exhaling
the vapor from the device.
 ___________ 2. Contactless payment technologies, unlike traditional modes of
payment, make use of smart cards to connect wirelessly to e-readers for more
efficient payment.
___________ 3. Signing an online petition, sharing a status message, or liking post
are increasingly regarded as actions falling under slacktivism, a digital form of
activism with little involvement.
___________ 4. Some parents are anti-vax—that is, anti-vaccinations—because
they believe these chemicals may trigger autism in students.
___________ 5. Some people like making duck faces, or pressing their lips
together in the shape of a duck’s bill, when they take selfies.
___________ 6. “Watch this video to discover the meaning of life!” “This beggar’s
response will restore your faith in humanity!” and “See how one woman made a
million pesos from her living room” are types of headlines called clickbaits.
___________ 7. Advances in neuromorphic technology have excited many
scientists. These systems that mimic the human nervous system show much
promise in the field of medicine.

ACTIVITY II. Write the denotation (literal meaning) of the following set of words,
then write a sentence using each word.
Example:
1. Dress, Attire
Denotation: a piece of cloth that someone might wear.
Sentences:
• I like to wear my blue dress.
• I didn’t recognize you, you have changed your attire.

1. Tour, pilgrimage, vacation

2. Enemy, antagonist, opponent