PHƯƠNG PHÁP ĐỌC SÂU HIỆU QUẢ

SVTH: Vũ Nguyễn Việt Anh (5A23), Lê Hồng Ngọc (5A23),

Nguyễn Thị Hà Vi (5A23)
GVHD: Nguyễn Trà My

Tóm tắt: Nghiên cứu phương pháp đọc sâu hiệu quả đối với đối tượng trẻ vị
thành niên (15-19 tuổi) không những giúp đối tượng nghiên cứu tận dụng việc đọc sâu
để trau đồi kiến thức nền cho bản thân về các lĩnh vực trên thế giới từ các ngữ liệu
đọc, đồng thời bổ sung vốn từ vựng để từng bước cải thiện tiếng Anh cho người đọc
mà còn khơi gợi hứng thú cho người trẻ về việc đọc các văn bản tiếng Anh. Tóm lại,
việc người trẻ hiện nay tiếp cận và có phương pháp đọc sâu hiệu quả là rất cần thiết.

Từ khóa: Đọc sâu, đọc lướt.

WAY TO USE INTENSIVE READING SKILLS

EFFECTIVELY
Abstract: This study orients to teenagers ( 15-19 years old) as the research
object. The research not only helps the research objects utilize intensive reading to
expand their background knowledge in various fields of the world that the materials
talk about, and broaden their vocabulary to gradually develop their English, but also
arouses the youngsters’ interest in reading English texts. In conclusion, that teenagers
today approach and have their own method to read intensively effectively is essential.

Keywords: Intensive reading, skimming.

1. INTRODUCTION.

Intensive reading skill is a vital skill for teenagers. It helps their study
considerably, no matter what major they study in. Intensive reading requires teenager
to think about, to ponder the idea (meaning) of the paragraph instead of just skimming
over all the words mindlessly. Hence, it will help students to enhance their critical
thinking and improve the education quality. It is easy to see that teenagers often find it
hard to concentrate or comprehend the meaning of what they read. Thus, they lose the
interest in reading and even develop the fear towards reading . This study aim to help
teenagers to fully understand the importance of this skill and to guide them through
some ways for them to utilize this skill.

2. INTENSIVE READING.

2.1. Definition of intensive reading

Intensive reading has testing, evaluating and increasing knowledge as the

primary focus. In intensive reading, there is an emphasis on deconstructing sentences
to understand grammar and syntax rules as well as to extricate the details of the topic.
Intensive reading requires great mental effort, attention and complete focus. Because
of this, the learner who engages in intensive reading should be careful to follow
specific guidelines, or else risk boredom and burnout. Teenagers can utilize this type
of reading to not only strengthen their reading fluency and comprehension but also
enhance their critical and logical thinking effectively.

2.2. The reality of teenager (15-19 years old)’ English reading.

2.2.1 Teenagers’ choice of reading materials.

Popular types of reading material may vary from time to time, but it is not
wrong to say that fictions and comics are and will be the two most-read types of
reading material among teenager. It can be seen by looking into the five bestselling
books , listed by BookRiot, for young adult (teenager) all of them are fiction.
Acoording to Manuel & Robinson(2002)’s study, fiction and magazines constitute the
preferred reading of most students, with 43% of students nominating fiction as a first
preference for leisure reading, and 36% nominating magazines as a first preference for
leisure reading. Non-fiction was much less popular, with only 4% of the sample rating
this as a first preference for leisure reading. Surprisingly, poetry and
internet/multimedia were favoured equally with 4% of respondents choosing these as a
first preference. Both poetry and internet/multimedia were preferred to newspapers.
Only 2.9% of the sample rated newspapers as a first choice for leisure reading.

2.2.2 Teenagers’ purpose of reading.

 Like other age groups, teenagers read for a wide variety of purposes with
personal ‘tastes’ in reading often well-established by the time they reach secondary
school (Hall & Coles, 1995; Manuel, 2012a, 2012b). They may, for instance, read for
pleasure, escape, relaxation, affirmation, comfort, discovery, information, to connect
with others, to complete required school-based (and workplace, personal and
domestic) tasks, and to access, participate in (and ideally contribute to, critique and
shape) educational and broader cultural discourses.(Manuel, 2012)

2.2.3. Means to read

Despite trends towards digitalization, a 2021 survey revealed that 68% of

younger readers (18 to 29-year-olds) in the U.S. prefer print books. Book reading
demographics vary according to education and income level. College graduates make
up 90% of book readers, while only 61% of high school graduates read books.
(Errera,2023)

According to Errera(2023), high school (or less) graduates:

-51% read a print book

-17% read an e-book

-13% listened to an audiobook

2.2.4. The difficulty teenagers face when reading

One of many problems that teenagers have with reading is that they sometimes
fail to fully comprehend the passage. The obvious reason for this is that the passage
might consist of some uncommon words. Normally teenagers can guess the word by
the context or look up the word in the dictionary. However, there are some situations
where they cannot guess the word as the context might be ambigous or they can not
use the dictionary. Another common hurdle that teenagers all share is reading
comprehension. Teenagers may feel that they do not understand what the text is about
or just forget the ideas of the text right away after reading. This phenomenon is caused
by three reasons : (1).Adolescents nowadays have very short attention span so they
find themselves unable to focus on the text. (2).They do not harbor any interest
towards reading, consequently, they do not reflect upon what they have read.
(3).Teenagers may have little or no background knowledge about the topic,so they find
it hard to connect ideas in the text or determine the word meaning.

4. METHOD TO USE INTENSIVE READING SKILLS EFFECTIVELY

4.1. Arousing interest in English reading texts: .

Interest is a crucial thing for enjoying reading activities. Students should frequently be
encouraged to read more, because strong enthusiasm and sufficient knowledge will be
very helpful in mastering reading skills. Interest is the tendency of an active soul to
understand language patterns to obtain information that is closely related to the will,
activity and sensations of pleasure, which may enable students to choose, pay attention
to, and accept something external to themselves. Reading will be more meaningful and
beneficial if the reading interest that precedes the reading is based on one’s intrinsic
motivation rather than the force of other parties or extrinsic factors. So, it is commonly
considered that reading will occur effectively if an interest in reading precedes it. For
that reason, it is necessary to increase students’ interest in reading in order to foster an
awareness of the importance of developing students’ knowledge and skills.
4.1.1. Purpose of a Test for Reading Level:

Testing for reading level is important for assessing an individual’s ability to read and
understand written text. The test can be used to evaluate comprehension, vocabulary,
and fluency of written text. It can be used to determine a student’s grade level,
measure progress, identify areas of improvement and reach further purposes like
giving effective reading instruction. It can also be used to determine whether an
individual is ready for college-level coursework or can benefit from remediation.

4.1.2 Tests Available to Measure Reading Level:

Standardized tests are consistent; they can measure a student’s reading level, typically
based on grade-level expectations.These tests provide an overall assessment of a
student’s reading level and are used to measure progress over time.

Informal assessments: are used to supplement the standardized tests. These tests
measure a student’s understanding of concepts such as phonics, comprehension,
fluency, and vocabulary. Examples of informal assessments include the Dibels Oral
Reading Fluency Test and the Gray Oral Reading Test. These tests are designed to
provide more detailed information about a student’s reading level.

Diagnostic assessments: are used to identify specific areas of difficulty in a

student’s reading skills. Examples of diagnostic assessments include the Test of Word
Reading Efficiency and the Test of Reading Comprehension. These

tests are intended to help teachers and parents target areas where a student needs help.
 Progress monitoring tests: are typically administered to measure a student’s
progress in reading over a period of time. Examples of progress monitoring tests
include the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills and the Maze Passage
Test. These tests allow teachers to track students’ progress and adjust their teaching
strategies accordingly. This kind of test may be used either for individual students or
for the entire class.

-> By using a combination of standardized tests, informal assessments, diagnostic

assessments, and progress monitoring, teachers and parents can thoroughly understand
a student’s reading level and provide the support they need to reach their full
potential , then make better decisions about the type of instruction that will work best
with them.

Common Assessment Methods for Reading Levels

When it comes to assessing reading levels, educators rely on different methods to gain
insights into students’ abilities and guide their instruction. These assessment methods
provide valuable information about students’ reading skills, comprehension, fluency,
and even overall literacy development. From observations and checklists to the
standardized tests, these assessment techniques help educators tailor instruction and
provide targeted support to promote students’ reading progress.

Here are some common assessment methods used to determine reading levels and
inform instructional decisions:

1. Informal Reading Inventories (IRIs): IRIs are informal assessments

conducted by teachers to identify students’ reading abilities. These assessments
typically involve listening to students read aloud and analyzing their accuracy,
fluency, and comprehension.

2. Running Records: Running records involve observing and documenting

students’ reading behaviors as they read a selected text. Educators note down errors,
self-corrections, and fluency to determine students’ reading levels and comprehension.

3. Miscue Analysis: This assessment technique focuses on analyzing errors

made by students during reading. By examining the types of mistakes, teachers gain
insights into students’ decoding and comprehension skills.

4. Standardized Reading Tests: Standardized tests, such as the Developmental

Reading Assessment (DRA), Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI), or the Dynamic
Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (Dibels), provide objective measurements of
students’ reading abilities and help evaluate progress against unrealistic expectations.

5. Teacher Observations and Checklists: Educators can employ their expertise

by using observations and checklists to evaluate students’ reading behaviors,
strategies, and engagement. This qualitative method provides a comprehensive view
of students' reading skills.

4.1.3. Suitable English materials text to read:

+Texts for intensive reading must be interesting, because if you do not enjoy what you
read, you will quickly forget the content, and have more mental resistance to the
intensive reading process.

+ Texts for intensive reading must be short, because the end goal is to understand the
text down to the most minute detail. The longer a text is, the more laborious it is to
complete such a deep analysis, so it is better to stick to shorter texts in order to avoid
mental exhaustion.

+ Ideal learning materials for intensive reading include: News articles; Wikipedia
articles; Short stories; Blog posts,...

4.2. How to read intensively:

After defining the goals and choosing a suitable topic for reading intensively,
readers can stick to these following steps to shape their paths and improve reading
efficiency.

4.2.1. Skimming:

Before going to do a more detailed reading of the text, skimming as a form of

previewing can help readers get a feel for the main topics and ideas in the text.
Skimming is a strategic, selective reading technique in which a reader reads through
the text quickly without going into great detail in order to get a general overview of the
material. Skimming - getting the essence from reading material without reading the
whole text — boils down to knowing what parts should be read and what parts to pass
by. Following are some tips and techniques how to effectively skim for reading
success

1. Identify a purpose for reading:

Aimlessly skimming with no specific purpose can cause boredom, drowsiness, and
eventually, falling asleep. Instead of approaching the text as something they just have
to get through, readers should identify a purpose for this reading, ask themselves what
they want to get from the material and why they have to read it and keep this purpose
in mind while reading.

2. Try to ascertain the main idea in the introductions and conclusions of the
material.

The introductory and concluding paragraphs usually express the main idea, argument,
or goal of an article or chapter. In other words, if there’s an ‘Abstract’ section at the
start, that will be a good point for readers who read it in full to easily grasp the overall
message, as it will give them a basis for what to keep an eye out for while skimming.
Usually, an author will also include a summary in the final paragraph of a reading with
the goal of serving the same purpose to a skimmer as an abstract. So it is essential for
readers to read these paragraphs closely to shape paths in their mind.

3. Activate prior knowledge:

Readers should make a list of what they already know about the topic and what they
expect or what they want to know more about it, then identify and keep any questions
to ask in their minds. By this way, after finishing their first reading, they can
summarize the main ideas, keep their brain engaged, ensure that they are
comprehending what they read and probably more easily find out the information in
the material they need in reviewing.

4. Read the first sentences in each paragraph.

Like the introductory paragraph, the introductory sentence of each paragraph usually
describes what follows in the whole paragraph. So read the first sentence in each
paragraph and then decide whether the rest of the paragraph deserves a read. If it
doesn’t, move on.

In conclusion, skimming can present problems if not done intentionally. It is not

simply looking through a text quickly or paying half attention to it. When skimming,
readers should be deliberate and intentional with what they choose to read, and make
sure that they are focused. Skimming is not a lazy way out or a half-hearted attempt at
reading. Make sure that you use it carefully and strategically and are able to walk away
with the main ideas of the text.

4.2.2. Read the text in detail to learn new words and phrases:

After skimming, readers can picture the overview of the text and expand their
knowledge on the matter that the material talks about. Next, readers should do the
second reading for words and phrases extraction.

In the second reading, readers may find out many unknown words which cause
their confusion and even misunderstanding meanings of some parts in the text.
However, if they immediately reach for the dictionary right after finding a new word,
that may not be the best approach because it may somehow have an influence on their
reading speed and fluency and over-reliance on dictionaries may lead to their being
unable to remember new words in the long term. Readers should know that it makes
sense to not know every single word in a passage so that they can have a comfortable
mood while facing to that problem. All readers need to do is annotate or highlight
these new words, try and guess the meaning of unknown words by using the context
(reading the whole sentence with the word and the sentences before and after that) ,
their knowledge of word parts, or any visual clues, and then to continue reading. At the
ending of the second reading, check unknown vocabulary that is annotated or
highlighted in a dictionary and use a corpus – a collection of written texts, especially
the entire works of a particular author or a body of writing on a particular subject – to
check how common each word is and attempt to make a new example using these
words. Next, they need to keep a record of vocabulary. Vocabulary diaries including
example sentences, synonyms, collocations, and even illustrations are a great way to
do this. They can not only be simple lists of words with definitions, but they can also
be more elaborate. As the vocabulary diary fills up, it will become a great tool for self-
study. Learners can review the vocabulary entries at regular intervals and use
memorization techniques to study them. For example, students could cover up the
words in their diaries, look at the rest of the diary entry, and try to remember the
words. Ultimately, readers should write a report about the text’s topic by using the
words they have learnt to consolidate their knowledge they have got from the text. It ia
also a good way for readers to master these new words, expressly, to know how to use
these words properly and utilize them in their using English. As a result, after three
times of reading, readers can not only absorb knowlegde and expand their
understanding of the world, but also widen their vocabulary and gradually be fluent in
their English.

2.4. IMPACTS OF INTENSIVE READING:

The core of intensive reading is “reading in depth or carefully to comprehend a given

text for example; studying it line by line, using the dictionary, comparing, analyzing,
translating, and retaining every expression that it contains”(Prayuda,2023). From
things that it requires teenager to do, intensive reading is beneficial not just in a sense
that it can help to improve their reading. Reading intensively can grant them with
wider vocabulary and better knowledge on grammar structure. Teenagers normally
ignore unfamialiar words and structures as they find it difficult to understand,
therefore, they can miss out some important informations of the text. However, when
one read intensively, whether they like it or not, they will have to pay attention these
factors and then learn about their meaning, usage to comprehend the text thoroughly.

Moreover, reading intensively plays a vital role in developing teenagers’ critical

thinking. People read with a specific goal in their mind, whether it is for an exam or an
research. To complete that goal, they must read carefully to find the information that
help them to clear their mission. In addition, they must pose questions for themselves
to reflect on what they have read and make prediction about the text as to know if their
wanted information is in the text or not. It is also significant for them to retain all the
prior details and connect them with the new-found information. All that actions keep
teenagers’ mind functioning and let them realize the good way to comprehend, analyze
information.

Furthermore, intensive reading could also provide teenagers with social and cultural
insights. Their reading purposes might vary; however, outside the classroom, teenagers
usually read for fun. They hardly touch on subject that they consider rigid and boring
and they know very little things about the world. Intensive reading can help with that
Usually, the reading material for intensive reading is related to topics like: society,
environment, science, politic, etc. Teenagers will at least encounter one of these
subjects mentioned above when they practice intensive reading, by that way teenagers
will naturally comprehend the informations the text provide too.In addition, in the
process of intensive reading, teenagers sometimes translate the text to understand it
better, so it helps with their translating ability.

6. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS:

6.1. Conclusions:

The research not only helps the research objects utilize intensive reading to
expand their background knowledge in various fields of the world that the materials
talk about, and broaden their vocabulary to gradually develop their English, but also
arouses the youngsters’ interest in reading English texts.

6.2. Suggestions:

For the research objects (teenagers from 15 to 19 years old), the process of
using the method to read intensively effectively can be successful if each participant
contributes positively.

REFERENCES

Chris Street (2020). A 7-STEP FRAMEWORK FOR VOCABULARY STUDY WHILE

READING: https://infocus.eltngl.com/2020/05/19/a-7-step-framework-for-vocabulary-
study-while-reading/

Richard Sutz and Peter Weverka (2016). How to Skim Test:

https://www.dummies.com/article/academics-the-arts/language-language-arts/
reading/how-to-skim-text-193387/

How to Skim: https://www.umassd.edu/accessibility/resources/students/classroom-

strategies/how-to-skim/

4 mins read. Intensive reading to Present Ideas Effectively.

https://harappa.education/harappa-diaries/what-is-intensive-reading/

Skimming and Scanning:

https://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/readingstrategies/
skimming_scanning.html

Skimming: https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/skimming/

Source: https://bookriot.com/bestselling-books-of-2023-so-far/
Jacqueline M. (2012):What Are Teenagers Reading? The Findings of a Survey of
Teenagers' Reading Choices and the Implications of These for English Teachers'
Clasroom Practice. Retrieved from:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
234755295_What_Are_Teenagers_Reading_The_Findings_of_a_Survey_of_Teenager
s%27_Reading_Choices_and_the_Implications_of_These_for_English_Teachers
%27_Classroom_Practice

Hall, C. & Coles, M. (1999): Children’s Reading Choices. London: Routledge.

Rob, E. (2023):Printed Books vs eBooks Statistics, Trends and Facts. Retrieved from
https://www.tonerbuzz.com/blog/paper-books-vs-ebooks-statistics/