Hello everyone. Let me ask you one simple question. If you want to cross a river what will you do first? Well, I and we all know that first, we have to learn how to swim.
Such is reading. If you want to improve your communication skill you must become skilled in reading. We all know that communication skill has many parts and verbal skill is one of them. Before we dive into the main part of our writing which is about reading communication skills and their pros and cons we have to know the definition of the meaning of reading communication skills.
Definition of Reading Skill
Reading is the procedure of searching for a sequence of written symbols and getting meaning from them. When we read, we use our eyes to acquire written symbols (letters, punctuation marks, and spaces) and we use our minds to transform them into phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that talk something to us.
Reading is a receptive talent - through it, we get hold of statistics. But the complicated method of analyzing additionally calls for the ability to speak so that we can pronounce the phrases that we read. In this sense, analyzing is likewise an efficient talent in that we're each receiving statistics and transmitting them (although simplest to ourselves).
According to (Tarigan (1990:7) in Jaenal 2010) argues that reading is a process that is carried and used by readers who want to get the message delivered by the author through the medium of words or written language.
According to (Oka (1983:15) in Jaenal 2010) if viewed in terms of differences in scope, it can be distinguished three kinds of meanings to read: Understanding the first is a narrow sense, namely the sense that regards reading it as a process of written symbols recognition. This process included the recognition of words carefully, in a wide range, and quickly.
Types of Reading Skill
There are many types of reading skills. The main lucky seven types of reading skills are:
1. Phonics
Phonics is the capacity to understand the connection between sounds and letters they make. This manner of mapping the sounds in phrases to written phrases is a very much important reading skill. Children first decode the phrases into sounds and encode the sounds into phrases as they write and spell.
2. Decoding
Decoding is the capability to sound out phrases that readers have heard earlier than however haven’t visibly written out. This is the most vital step in reading skills.
Decoding closely is based on an early language talent known as phonemic attention. Phonemic awareness is the capacity to listen and transform sounds into phrases. Readers expand this recognition whilst mastering approximately syllables, phrases, and sounds (phonemes).
3. Fluency
Fluency is the capacity to examine aloud with understanding, accuracy, and speed. It is a talent that wished for exact reading comprehension. Readers fluent in analyzing realize the way to read smoothly, at a very good pace, with the use of the right tone, and without making too many faults.
4. Vocabulary
An excellent vocabulary is an essential part of educational success. This reading talent is important to apprehend the meanings of phrases, their definitions, and their context.
5. Sentence Making & Cohesion
Making sentences and cohesion may additionally look like a writing skill; however, it's an important analyzing talent. Connecting thoughts among and in the sentences are referred to as cohesion, and those capabilities are essential for reading skill.
6. Reading Comprehension
Understanding the meaning of the text, whether it is storybooks or statistics, is another type of reading skill. In fiction books, readers consider the characters and proportion an emotional and adventurous adventure with them. In non-fiction books, readers advantage of new records, which deepen their information of the latest subjects and concepts. Reading comprehension is a complicated talent that calls for time and exercise to broaden fully.
7. Reasoning & Background Knowledge
This talent enables the reader to use historical information to make inferences and draw conclusions. Most readers can relate what they've studied to what they realize. They also can study among the strains to drag out the data while it's now no longer spelled out in the text.
But besides these seven types of reading skills, there exist another four types of reading skills. These are:
1. Skimming
Skimming is often called gist reading. That means just going through the lines to find out your preferred lines to take the primary idea. Here, the reader doesn’t pronounce every phrase of the text, however, focus their interest on the principal subject matter or the middle of the text. Examples of skimming are reading magazines or newspapers and looking for a call in a telephone directory.
2. Scanning
Here, the reader quickly scuttles through sentences to get to a selected piece of data. Scanning involves the method of rejecting or ignoring inappropriate information from the text to discover a particular piece of information.
3. Intensive Reading
Intensive reading is more time-consuming than skimming and scanning because it requires the reader’s full concentration and attention to detail. It aims at the accuracy of comprehension. Here, the reader has to understand the meaning of every word.
4. Extensive Reading
Extensive reading puts fluency over accuracy. It normally includes reading for entertainment and not for exams or classroom textbooks. You don't have to be critical for understanding the text's content. You just read the book, enjoy the content, and happily spent the time.
The Importance of Reading Skill
The importance of reading cannot be described in words. To acquire knowledge reading is a must.
1. Finding yourself
Reading skill helps you to find an identity of your own. Books are like the door to go through the new era. They can develop your perspective, form your mindset in the direction of others and life, and open you as much to new methods of considering normal life.
Reading enables form your identity. When you read something your subconscious mind takes you to the world you read. And you borrow bits from fictional characters as well. For example, reading Sherlock Holmes can encourage you to grow to be a detective or turn out to be greater observant and analytical.
2. Acquiring knowledge
Acquiring knowledge is considered one of the most blessings benefits of reading. It enables the reader’s knowledge. By growing their reading skills, the readers can diversify their field of knowledge.
3. Improving writing skill
Reading skills leads the reader to improve their writing skills. As it helps to enable the vocabulary level to the peak which boosts the ability to think which gradually improves the reader’s written expression.
4. Improving your thinking skill
When you read something you often see that there are questions about the plot. And you find the answer earlier than the book tells you. Somehow, your thoughts work quicker while you examine.
Reading sends your thinking capabilities into hyperdrive. This is very important in real life. A reader's mind is always thoughtful and can catch any single detail. It learns a way to synthesize understanding better.
5. Enhancing analytical abilities
Reading skill takes your analytical power to a new level. It makes you able to analyze things better. Reading makes your knowledge sharp which helps you to compare matters better. In this way, reading enhances our analytical thinking.
6. Exercising your brain
Reading has appeared as an exercise of the brain. When you read something your brain cells start working to understand the topic. Thus analyzing stimulates the mind. It learns how to synthesize knowledge better.
7. Helps to discover the world
Reading is a gateway to gaining knowledge of something approximately everything. It allows you to find out new matters and teach yourself in any vicinity of lifestyles you preferred.
8. Develops your imagination power
Reading develops your imagination power. When you read a book you have to imagine every scene that you see in words. And you make an imaginary world of your own by reading the words you see. Thus it improves your imaginary power.
9. Develops your creativity
When you see things on media like television, you don’t have to think about the scene of your own. But while you read something you have to imagine the scenery, which develops your creativity level to a new era.
10. Reduce stress
Reading is a great way to get relaxed from stress. It has the power to change human mood drastically. Reading can entertain and amuse and thus leads to relieving tensions and taking away to another level of a dreamy world free from the anxiety and pain of the real world.
11. Improves concentration
Reading improves your power of concentration. When you read something you just have to concentrate on what you read to understand it. To recognize the text content or the complete story, the reader has to concentrate on the book for a certain time which helps to enable the concentration power of the reader. In this way, reading improves our attention energy, and focus.
12. Keeps you entertained
One of the importance of reading is that it relaxes your mind and body. You can escape from the bitter reality by reading your favorite book. Reading is a quality manner to give up the day in a relaxed mood.
How to Improve Your Reading Skill
People often face some problems, particularly those who want to improve their reading skills. But due to lacking proper guidelines, they couldn't meet their expectation. No worries! Every difficulty has a solution.
In this part of this article, I’ll precisely point out some techniques and by following the techniques you can improve your reading skill as you desired. Let’s have a look.
1. Read as much as you can
Try to read as much as you can. Only reading can be one of the best ways to improve your reading skill.
2. Always make a note while reading
Making a note in your way is another effective way to improve your reading skill. Whenever you read try to take a note but it should be in your method. That is too effective to increase your reading skill to another level.
3. Fix your time for reading
Make a routine for your reading time. Fix the time of your reading and try to maintain it strictly.
4. Try to understand the topic you read
Understanding the topic you're reading is another effective way of improving your reading skill. If you don't understand take help from others or from any related source on that topic.
5. Understand the reason for your reading
Understanding the reason for your reading can improve your reading skill. Reading for exams and reading for pleasure are different from each other. So you must know the reason before reading.
6. Read aloud
This is one of the best methods for improving your reading skill. When you read aloud you involve two of your senses, one is the eye and the other is the ear. And then the brain catches instantly. Thus it helps to improve your reading skill.
7. Summarize what you read
Making a summary of what you read can enhance your skill of reading. Whatever you read try to summarize the content of your own.
8. Try to identify the concepts
It is one of the keys to improving your reading skill. Try to point out the keywords and the concepts of what you read. If you can't understand take help from another source.
9. Read Groupwise
Reading with a group can be fun. Reading alone cannot be always right or perfect. You can share your ideas with your friends which makes your reading more fruitful.
10. Try to make the perfect environment for reading
A perfect environment for reading can improve your reading skill. Such as a noisy place can never be a friendly place for reading.
11. Focus on your reading
Always focus on the topic you read. What you read, why you read, and what you want to get from this should be your focus when you read something.
12. Read topics of your interest
Read the topics of your interest. It might be a novel, poetry, a feature on contemporary politics, economics whatever you like.
13. Enhance your vocabulary
Enhancing your vocabulary can take your reading level to another height. If you want to increase your reading skill it is a must to expand your vocabulary.
14. Keep records of your improvement
Keep records of your progress. It is beneficial for your reading skills to improve. How many books you read, and how much time you spent on your reading might be recorded to trace the improvement of your reading.
Examples of Reading Communication Skill
For any kind of educational and professional achievement reading communication skill plays a vital role. Generally reading communication skill is a combination of some subskills that leads to effective and purposeful reading. Some of the very important examples of reading communication skills are given below.
1. Print Awareness
The very first reading skill is print awareness. At the very early stage of life, a reader develops skills in reading with the help of parents. Looking at books and gambling with them facilitates small readers to understand print.
2. Phonics
The second reading skill example is phonics. Readers achieve phonics skills as they learn how to understand phrase parts, syllables, and sounds.
3. Vocabulary
Readers start to shape language fluency and vocabulary capabilities at an early age. However, those abilities assist to enhance fundamental studying approaches to greater superior language expertise and phrase popularity. Babies, babies, and preschoolers expand their vocabulary rapidly, mainly while engaged verbally with adults. While verbal competencies lag, small kids take in vocabulary rapidly. As youngsters grow, the greater the language stories and vocabulary they may be uncovered the greater superior their studying skills become. You can decorate studying competencies in fundamental faculty by moving into bankruptcy books and tackling new words.
4. Reading Comprehension
Ultimately, reading comprehension is one of the examples of reading communication skills. Reading comprehension means not only reading but understanding the principle of the content and interpreting the content of the reader's language.
5. Advance Reading
Apart from all the institutional and academic reading advanced readers can read and understand different types of written pieces. Such as novels, fiction, poetry, history, politics, and so on. A superior reader has revel in and talent to apprehend writing in every. Additionally, superior readers could fast examine an author's mind in every passage.
So that’s all for now. Reading communication skill is one of the four primary skills in communication. To achieve the best communication skill one has to put much effort into improving reading skills. Because reading is the door to enter into the world of knowledge.
