Group : 1.     Eva rosadah : (2011-32-006) 2.     Ulilalbab        : (2011-32-016) 3.     Yusrulfauzi   : (2011-32-047) Class:  ACADEMIC READING  “ D” ATIK ROKHAYANIS. PD, M. Pd

 

Question :

1.find 6 reading myth!

2.what is reading efficiently &critically?

Answer:

6 reading myths

Ayoungsterwhohasnot masteredphonics cannot becomeagoodreader:

Manymillionsofadultsarelivingproofof thefallacy of thatstatement.Therearegood readers whohave nevermasteredphonics. Moreover,there aremanyfunctional il­literateswhohavehadphonicsinstruction. Whether students-donotneedphonicsto becomegood readers, or are unable to masterphonics,theywilllearntoreadbet­ter andfaster withreadingmethodsthat matchtheirindividualreadingstyles.

'            Today, weknowthat childrenhavedifferent readingstyles.Thereareatleastadozen readingmethods,orwaystoteachreading, includingphonics,whole-word,languageex­perience,recordedbooks,OrtonGillingham, Fernald,choralreadingandsoon.Nosingle method,includingphonics,isbetter than another.Thereadingmethodwhichmost closelymatchesastudent'sreadingstyleis the onethat shouldbe selectedforthat youngster.

pub_2_10_myths.pdf

Students  should read all thestoriesin the basalreaderandcomplete alltheworkbook pages.

Allstudents shouldenjoyreadingandwant toreadontheirown.Agreat dealofresearch indicates that most  children want toselect what theyread, atleast someofthe time.If astory inabasal reader  isone that your students dislikeorfinddull,skipit.Thatwill giveyoumoretimetoreadtoyourstudents, or allowthem areading period when they canselect bookstoread.

Ifyouscrutinize the pages inyour work­ book, you'll  undoubtedly  find some pages that  areunnecessary foranystudents, some pages that are  appropriate  forcertain stu­ dents,andsomepagesthatyoushouldassign toallyoungsters. The  timeyousavecanbe spent onpleasurable  reading activities.we should not simply wait for children to develop reading skills in their own time. When a child is not developing reading skills along with his or her peers, that situation should be concerning The gap between children who have well-developed literacy skills and those who do not gets wider and wider

pub_2_10_myths.pdf

There is a definite set of reading skills that should be taught to every child

Clearly, if visual / global youngsters  can learn to read fluently and with good com­prehension with holistic reading approaches, then there cannot be a "set of reading skills" that  every child needs  to become a good reader.

pub_2_10_myths.pdf

Reading achievementtests measureac­curately  ayoungster'sabilitytoread.

Noreadingachievementtestwhichisused for  student  placement  should measure decodingabilities.Phonicsis notareading goaltobeaccomplishedbyeverystudent.It is,instead,oneofmanypossiblemethods that canbeusedtohelpyoungstersread well.Reading testsshould measure the degreetowhichareadingprogramis help­ingstudentstomoveclosertothereading goalsstatedatthebeginningofthisarticle.

Someof today'sreadingachievementtests penalizeglobal students.toprovideanun­biasedappraisalofstudents'readingabilities, reading  achievement  tests  should:  (a) measure reading comprehension,fluency, andvocabulary;and(b)containattractive visualsandhigh-interest stories.Pictures helpbothglobalandvisualyoungstersto understand  writtenconcepts.Ifastoryis dull,it'sverylikelythatglobalyoungsters, inparticularwillbecomeboredand findit hardtoconcentrateon,anddifficulttorecall anyfactualinformationembeddedinthe story.

pub_2_10_myths.pdf

Reading with dim lighting can damage your vision.

Reading with dim lighting can damage your vision. Is this right? This is a myth. Because reading in dim light at worst will only lead the eye fatigue more quickly than compared whit reading in a well-lit. This should not be too surprising, given the fact that people have been read only by the light of a candle for centuries without any reports of damage to their eyesight.

The myth ofvisionis evenwidely believedin the medical communityasa doctor. Besides doctors, 56.3%of teacherssurveyed byBio MedCentralsaid that tokeep your eyes healthy, you should avoid reading in the dim lighting. Although there are noscientific studies thatwere abletodemonstrateconclusivelythat readingbydimlightingcandamage your vision in the long run thanreading withthe lightingis bright enough recently.

Eyestraincaused byreadingin dim lightdoes nothave serious consequences, and youjust need torest your eyesto eliminate them. Youjustneed a breakfrom focusing onsomething close,and insteadsee something thatisquite far away. Mosteye doctorswill recommenda breakfor oneortwo minutesevery15-30 minutes. In addition,closing eyesfor a momentcan also helpbecause whenyoureadnormally blinkless oftenthanyou usually dowhen you'renotreading, so thatyour eyeswill be a littledry. Tryto trainyourself toblinkregularlywhen readingcan also beused to reduceeye fatigue.

www.BerbagaiHal.com

Reading Faster = Lower Comprehension

Many readers believe that reading faster will significantly lower their ability to comprehend well. The truth is that good comprehension only depends on whether you can extract and retain the information you read. Some people read fast and comprehend well; others read slowly and comprehend poorly. What we do know is that reading faster has been scientifically proven to improve comprehension.

http://www.readfaster.com

Slow Reading = More Enjoyment

Some readers feel they are only able to enjoy the text they are reading more if they read it slowly. Quite the opposite is true! Speed reading, effectively and efficiently, allows the words to lift off the page and create a movie in one's mind.

The average reader reads at 180 - 220 words per minute, the rate at which they can speak, and rereads up to 67% of what they read to regain comprehension. Reading slower than your brain works is not enjoyable.

http://www.readfaster.com

what is reading efficiently &critically?

Reading critically

We are often told to give a book a good critical reading. But do we know what that means?

Critical reading means reading with the goal of finding deep understanding of a material, whether it is fiction or nonfiction. It is the act of analyzing and evaluating what you are reading as you progress, or as you reflect back.

Using Our Head                                                   

When you read a piece of fiction critically, you use your common sense to determine what the writer means, as opposed to what the written words actually say.

One way to read a text critically is to be aware of the lessons or messages that a writer is sending in a subtle way.

After reading a text a critical reader would reflect back on the many scenes and look for a lesson or a message. What is the writer trying to say about courage and war? .When you read this passage critically, you actually read between the lines.

Critical Reading: What is Critical Reading, and why do I need to do it?

Critical reading means that a reader applies certain processes, models, questions, and theories that result in enhanced clarity and comprehension. There is more involved, both in effort and understanding, in a critical reading than in a mere "skimming" of the text. What is the difference? If a reader "skims" the text, superficial characteristics and information are as far as the reader goes. A critical reading gets at "deep structure" (if there is such a thing apart from the superficial text!), that is, logical consistency, tone, organization, and a number of other very important sounding terms.

What does it take to be a critical reader? There are a variety of answers available to this question; here are some suggested steps:

1. Prepare to become part of the writer's audience.

After all, authors design texts for specific audiences, and becoming a member of the target audience makes it easier to get at the author's purpose. Learn about the author, the history of the author and the text, the author's anticipated audience; read introductions and notes.

2. Prepare to read with an open mind.

Critical readers seek knowledge; they do not "rewrite" a work to suit their own personalities. Your task as an enlightened critical reader is to read what is on the page, giving the writer a fair chance to develop ideas and allowing yourself to reflect thoughtfully, objectively, on the text.

3. Consider the title.

This may seem obvious, but the title may provide clues to the writer's attitude, goals, personal viewpoint, or approach.

4. Read slowly.

Again, this appears obvious, but it is a factor in a "close reading." By slowing down, you will make more connections within the text.

5. Use the dictionary and other appropriate reference works.

If there is a word in the text that is not clear or difficult to define in context: look it up. Every word is important, and if part of the text is thick with technical terms, it is doubly important to know how the author is using them.

6. Make notes.

Jot down marginal notes, underline and highlight, write down ideas in a notebook, do whatever works for your own personal taste. Note for yourself the main ideas, the thesis, the author's main points to support the theory. Writing while reading aids your memory in many ways, especially by making a link that is unclear in the text concrete in your own writing.

7. Keep a reading journal

In addition to note-taking, it is often helpful to regularly record your responses and thoughts in a more permanent place that is yours to consult. By developing a habit of reading and writing in conjunction, both skills will improve.

Critical reading involves using logical and rhetorical skills. Identifying the author's thesis is a good place to start, but to grasp how the author intends to support it is a difficult task. More often than not an author will make a claim (most commonly in the form of the thesis) and support it in the body of the text. The support for the author's claim is in the evidence provided to suggest that the author's intended argument is sound, or reasonably acceptable. What ties these two together is a series of logical links that convinces the reader of the coherence of the author's argument: this is the warrant. If the author's premise is not supportable, a critical reading will uncover the lapses in the text that show it to be unsound.

Reading Efficiently

 Efficient reading is about reading in a way that allows you to understand the writer's message without spending too much time in the process. It's also about reading with a clear purpose in mind so that you only read material that is relevant. When you're reading in preparation for an essay or for understanding generally, remember that good reading strategies go hand-in-hand with good note-taking skills.

How efficiently do you read? Do you have more to read than time allows? You probably don't have to look beyond the top of your desk to realize the importance of reading efficiently. Managers are shuffling more paper and reading more reports and books than ever before. In many cases, their reading has become narrow and specialized, to keep up with their chosen fields or to learn more about specific management practices. The solution is to read more efficiently.

For purposes of the following discussion, I would like to define efficient reading as the extraction of information and meaning from a letter, memo, paper, report, or book as rapidly and completely as possible. In this process the individual words are only important in the way they contribute information and meaning.

Managers cannot afford to pass up any opportunity to improve their reading skills. Alec Mackenzie, author of The Time Trap, found that managers are spending roughly 30 percent of their time reading.

Although the need to read efficiently is clear, managers often possess reading abilities far below their capacities. They learned to read during their elementary years and have not taken advantage of reading improvement programs available today. Their limited reading techniques have not prepared them for the formidable array of letters, memos, papers, and reports they read daily. Unfortunately, some otherwise efficient managers are unable to read and readily understand information presented in professional journals, magazines, and books published in their chosen fields. Others forgo the opportunity to read for pleasure daily papers, weeklies, monthly magazines, and books because they read too slowly. They cannot afford time to read more extensively.

If you truly desire to read efficiently, there are basic steps you can take to master this communication skill. At the outset, give thoughtful consideration to the four key factors described below which influence reading efficiency.

Key Factors

The most important factor in efficient reading is comprehension. Reading is not simply a process of examining words, but one of extracting information and meaning from them. Francis Bacon once said, "Reading maketh a full man. . . ." Comprehension is the ability to understand what you read. It depends upon your ability to concentrate while reading and to grasp and retain ideas. There are three things that you, as the reader, can do to gain full meaning of the written word. First, determine the writer's basic theme or purpose in preparing the document, whatever its length. Second, determine the writer's point of view and examine his supporting evidence. Third, evaluate the written word on the basis of your understanding of it, and decide whether to accept or reject the basic thesis of the writer.

Another important factor in efficient reading is the rate at which you progress through the written word. You must be able to read rapidly - to get the message quickly because time is a valuable commodity. In a survey of chief executives some 83 percent said they did not have time to keep up with the reading in their fields. This is shocking when one realizes that keeping aware of developments in a chosen field is of paramount importance for managerial survival today. A factor also worthy of note is adaptability. From time to time you should check to be sure you are adapting your comprehension and reading rate to (a) the nature of the material you are reading, i.e., "light" or "heavy," matter, and (b) your reading objectives.

Finally, the efficient reader is discriminating. He chooses carefully what he reads. He decides in advance what might be gained from reading the material. Then he determines the most efficient manner to gain that knowledge. If the material must be understood thoroughly, he reads with attention to detail. If the material must be read to gain some general information, he reads rapidly. This saves time and still provides the information needed.

Reading Rate

How fast do you read? How fast can you read? There is considerable controversy over the pace at which people can read efficiently. Some say that, 900 words per minute is the limit imposed by physiological barriers; others claim that this reading rate can be exceeded when the material is non-technical in nature.

Numerous courses are devoted to improving the rate at which we read. They are known as either speed-reading or rapid-reading courses. These courses often rely heavily on mechanical devices that force the student to concentrate, and read more and more rapidly.

The experts who developed the speed-reading courses believe the average reader just plods along. Therefore, most of us have potential to improve our reading rate. If you're going to try to improve your rate, a reasonable goal would be to increase it threefold. To do so, you must first examine your present reading habits.

A great deal of effort and concentrated practice is required to increase your reading rate. It is up to you to dedicate yourself to the task. Initial improvement may come about quite readily. Experts in the field have found the average college graduate can improve his reading rate by simply trying harder. It is interesting to note that this increased rate can take place without any loss of comprehension.

If you are really sincere about increasing your reading rate, there are five basic steps to take:

• Increase your span of recognition.
• Decrease your fixation time.
• Decrease the number of regressions.
• Eliminate sub-vocalization.
• Increase your vocabulary.

Let's briefly examine each of these steps.

Span of Recognition. Your eyes move and then pause one or more times as they cross a line of written material. Reading occurs during the stops between the movements. The frequency of these stops, called "fixations," is determined by the eye span - the span of recognition. If the span of recognition is increased, fewer fixations per line and an increase in reading rate will occur. With practice, the span of recognition can be increased. Practice reading the daily paper with a single fixation per line.

Fixation Time. If you are a slow reader, you not only make more fixations but take more time on each fixation than faster readers. Force yourself to read at an uncomfortable rate and you will soon reduce the fixation time. Time yourself using a stop watch, and try to read each succeeding page of a book at a faster rate.

Regression. When your eyes move backward to the left side of a page to fix on a word or phrase, you are regressing. Fast readers make fewer regressions than slow readers. Regression is not necessarily bad. Regression to analyze a confusing statement or to reexamine an unfamiliar work is certainly desirable to improve comprehension. It is important to note that when your mind begins to wander while reading, regression increases. Therefore try to keep your reading rate high and your mind interested in the material you are reading.

Sub-vocalization. Most of us learned to read aloud before we learned to read silently. Consequently, when we started to read silently, we tended to continue to say each word to ourselves. Sub-vocalization can limit our reading rate to as few as 250 to 300 words per minute - the rate many of us read aloud. A faster reader uses only his eyes and brain to read silently. His throat muscles do not vibrate. Continued practice at speeds greater than 400 words per minute will do much to break the sub-vocalizing habit. Also, chewing gum while reading silently may help to break this long-standing habit. In any case, don't become discouraged if you can't break the habit completely.

Vocabulary. If you have a poor vocabulary, your comprehension will be diminished and you will have a greater tendency to regress. The best way to increase your vocabulary is to read more extensively and thus find new meanings for old words. Also, new words will become more clear in context. Take time to find the new words you discover in the dictionary. As you learn the meanings and uses of these new words, as well as new meanings for old words, they will become an active part of your reading vocabulary - provided you continue to read extensively.

In the final analysis, remember that reading rate is a variable. Your reading rate will be higher when you read "light" rather than "heavy" material.

Some Final Observations

Reading improvement is a continuing process. It should not terminate upon graduation from high school or college. For leaders of our modern, complex organizations efficient reading is imperative.

The main barriers to efficient reading will always be short spans of recognition, long fixation time, regression, sub-vocalization, and inadequate vocabulary. To become an efficient reader, try to overcome these barriers. You can do so by following the suggestions made here. You can then increase your reading efficiency still more by adjusting your reading rate to your reading objective and reading material.

Part of the art of reading is to skip judiciously. In fact, it is important to decide whether to read or not to read something at all. Most reports, magazine articles, or books have only a few useful ideas to offer. The trick is to find them quickly. This can be done by:

• scanning the table of contents for a rough idea of what it is all about,
• scanning it quickly to get to know the writer and how he writes, and
• reading carefully those sections that appear to contain the information in which you have an interest.

If you make a decision not to read an article, report, or book, you have gained time and not filled your mind with useless information. This gives you more time for important and entertaining reading. Regarding reading for entertainment, Bennett Cerf believed that anybody fortunate enough ". . . to have learned the joys of reading in his formative years. . . knows there has never been, and never will be a substitute for a good book." Someone has pointed out that "the person who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the person who can't read them."

SOURCE:

1.       http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/writingcenter/critread.html

2.       http://homeworktips.about.com/od/homeworkhelp/a/criticalreading.htm

3.       http://www.golemweb.com/biztools/Bus_contract/topics/m8j.htm

4.       http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/reading/1a.html