LESSON 20
Reading Comprehension
Skills
LEARNING TAŔGETS
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
identify the different levels of reading comprehension skills:
differentiate the specific reading comprehension skills: and
construct questions that measure different reading
comprehension skills.
Introduction
Generally, reading has three components: decoding, comprehension, and
retention. Decoding involves translating the printed word into its sound
equivalent. It entails word identification and word attack skills.
Comprehension is deriving meaning from what is read, while retention
refers to the keeping of the information read in the long-term memory.
Of these three components, reading comprehension is the most
important. No matter how good a learner is in decoding skills, if he/she
could not understand what is read, the act is simply word calling. Reading
comprehension is a complex process that involves "thinking, teaching,
past experiences, and knowledge" (Prado & Plourde, 2005).
Among the widely known categories of
reading comprehension skills is the
THINK
taxonomy developed by Barrett (1976).
Applicable to language subjects, involving
reading, the taxonomy is commonly used
to develop reading comprehension skills.
Similarly, these categories are the bases
in developing test items to measure the
mastery of the same skills. Using the
folktale The Tortoise and the Monkey as
the reading selection to illustrate the
question asked.
1. LITERAL COMPREHENSION - learners
respond to questions whose answers are
facts and
the five dimensions of
questions that involve information that are directly stated or
cognitive and found in the selection. Involving the
recognition and recall of the information,
affective dimensions learners identify details of the story,
state the main idea, determine the
sequence of events, identify and
1. Literal Comprehension - learners
respond to questions whose
answers are facts and
compare character traits, and state
information that are directly stated
or found in the selection. Involving
cause-effect relationships
the recognition and recall of the
information, learners identify
details of the story, state the main
idea, determine the sequence of
events, identify and compare
character traits, and state cause-
effect relationships
1. Literal Comprehension
learners respond to questions whose answers are facts andinformation that are directly
stated or found in the selection. Involving the recognition and recall of the information,
learners identify details of the story, state the main idea, determine the sequence of events,
identify and compare character traits, and state cause-effect relationships. To recognize
ideas and information, the learners should have the reading passage before them, while the
ability to recall requires that the passage should not be with them.
Identify details - Who are the friends in the story?
Determining cause-effect relationship-Why did the tortoise get angry at the monkey?
Determining the sequence of the story - What happened after the tortoise got angry at the
monkey?
2.Reorganization
learners are asked to analyze, summarize, and organize
ideas and information that are directly stated in the
reading selection.
Outlining-What is the story all about?
Summarizing In your own words, retell the story.
Synthesizing-Why is the action of the tortoise expected in
the story?
3. Inferentiaĺ Comprehension
learners answer questions that require them to thinkand imagine beyond the ideas and
information found in the selection. To guess and hypothesize, they rely on the information
directly stated, their understanding, and prior experiences Inferring supporting details
Were the tortoise and monkey old friends?
Inferring character traits - What kind of person does the monkey represent?
Predicting outcomes - What could have the monkey done when the tortoise came out of
the water laughing?
Interpreting figurative language - What is meant by the monkey when he said, "Not even a
bit of the skin"?
4.Evaluation
learners answer questions that require them to think
and imagine beyond the ideas and information found in the selection. To guess and hypothesize,
they rely on the information directly stated, their understanding, and prior experiences.
Inferring supporting details - Were the tortoise and monkey old friends?
Inferring character traits - What kind of person does the monkey represent ?
Predicting outcomes - What could have the monkey done when the tortoise came out of the water
laughing?Interpreting figurative language - What is meant by the monkey when he said, "Not even
a bit of the skin"?
5. Appreciation-learners, using the previously stated cognitive skills, answer questions that reflect their emotional
reactions and aesthetic consideration of the reading selection. This set of skills includes the knowledge of and
emotional response to literary techniques, forms, styles, and structures.
Emotional response to the content - Which part of the story do you like the most? Identification with characters -
Who are you in the story-the tortoise or the monkey? Why? Reaction to the author's use of language - Does the
author's use of the phrase "cheeks crammed with bananas" help you justify the anger of the tortoise?
Thank You!
