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Four levels of Reading

In How to Read A Book, Van Doren and Mortimer talked about four main levels
of reading: elementary reading, inspectional reading, analytical reading, and
syntopical reading. Note here that the authors deliberately named them levels and
not kinds because, according to them, kinds can be distinct from one another while
levels denote a notion of embeddedness with lower levels included in higher ones.
In other words, levels of reading are cumulative.

The four levels of reading as conceptualized by Mortimer and Charles Doren:

1- Elementary Reading

It’s also called initial reading, rudimentary reading, or basic reading. Once this
level is mastered, readers go from nonliterary to at least beginning literacy. In
mastering this level, one learns the rudiments of the art of reading, receives basic
training in reading, and acquires initial reading skills. The question that is asked at
this level is: what does the sentence say?

2- Inspectional reading

This is also called pre-reading or skimming. This level is characterized by its

emphasis on time…its aim is to get the most out of a book within a given time’.
This is usually done through an examination of the surface of the book checking
things such as the title of the book, its preface, table of contents, index, publisher’s
blurb if available..etc. Upon finishing reading at this level, one should be able to
answer the following questions: What kind of book is it (a novel, a history, a
scientific treatise)? What is the book about? What is the structure of the book?

3- Analytical reading

This is a more demanding level for readers. It’s more complex than the preceding
levels and represents a thorough and complete form of reading. Analytic reading is
‘hardly ever necessary if your goal in reading is simply information of
entertainment. {It is} pre-eminently for the sake of understanding”.

4- Syntopical reading

It’s also called comparative reading. This is the most complex and systematic level
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of reading. A syntopical reader reads different texts on the same subject and
compares them to each other to arrive at a holistic and more nuanced
understanding of the subject.

Reference

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Main Approaches to Teaching Reading

Reading is one of the most important skills you can teach a child. A child’s success
not only at school but also in later life depends on this skill. To teach a child how
to read, you must know different methods of teaching reading and apply them. In
this article, we will explain the common methods of used to teach reading. To
teach your child or someone else, you can use one method or a combination of two
or more methods.

1. The phonics teaching

This is a well-known and one of the best methods of teaching reading. In this
method, children are taught the alphabet first. And learning the alphabet involves
learning not only the names of the letters but also the sounds they make. Children
can blend two or three letters together to make words only when they have learnt
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letter sounds. Among the methods of teaching reading, the phonics method is
thought to be the most effective. To apply this method properly, you can buy your
child phonologically written books that use regular and interesting words.

You should always try to keep the process short and entertaining, because children
often find it boring to learn sounds and their blends. It often becomes boring when
children focus too much on blending the sounds. They end up not learning the
meaning of the words. To keep enthusiasm and make the learning process
interesting, make sure you always explain the meaning of the words. To avoid
boredom, you can consider teaching one letter a day. If your child needs three or
four days to muster one letter, do not be disheartened. The key is to keep going.
Children are naturally curious. They will try to please you and in turn gradually do
well. Remember, the phonics method is one of the best methods of teaching and if
you apply it well, your child will learn to read basic words or sentences within a
very short time.

This method basically helps a learner learn how break words down into sound. It is
effective because in the English language, to represent words on the page, we need
to translate sounds into letters and letter combinations. Therefore, reading requires
one’s ability to decode words into sounds.

The phonics method, unlike some other methods of teaching reading, is all about
the art of breaking down words and knowing the sounds they represent. The
process learning may be slow in the beginning, but gradually it becomes
automatized and more fluent. Although the phonics method is one of the most
effective methods of teaching reading, you still need to teach your child to
memorize some words, because there are some words that are not spelled the way
they sound.

2. The whole-word approach

Often referred to as ‘look and say’ method, the whole-word approach focuses on a
learner’s ability to recognize whole words. Show your child a word, sound the
word and ask him to repeat the whole word. You can use flashcards to teach your
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child to read. It is better to use flashcards with pictures because pictures will help
your child understand the meaning of the words. Without the use of pictures, this
method is not very effective. But it can be one of the best methods of teaching
reading if applied properly. This method is also known as sight reading. This
method is also known as sight-reading. It is based on the concept that when
children are exposed to a certain words for a long time, they can eventually sight-
read the words. Most specialists think that this method can be as effective as other
methods of teaching reading. It’s especially useful when learning how to teach a
toddler to read because children this young may not be ready for phonics
instruction.
You can also try to teach your child whole short sentences with this method. On
flashcards, write short sentences that represent pictures. Then read the sentences
aloud and ask your child to repeat you. When he repeats what you said, point and
look at each individual word.

In this method, students try to recognize whole words in their written forms.
Context is important to make this method effective. Start with familiar words and
then move on to short sentences.

This method does not involve cognitive attention for processing words. As a result,
this method is faster and it facilitates reading comprehension. This method is more
effective for learning to read high frequency English vocabulary.

3. The language experience approach

Another method, the language experience method, uses learners’ own words to
help them read. Unlike other methods of teaching reading, this method is grounded
in personalized learning. In this method, every child learns different words.
Children often find this method very easy because they learn words they are
already familiar with.

This approach involves a shared experience such as common school experiences,

excursions and everyday happenings. In other words, first hand experiences are
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reflected through the texts written through the language experience approach. This
approach is more effective when it is combined with other methods of teaching
reading.

In the primary years of schooling, it is important to understand the difference

between spoken and written language. This method helps learners understand the
difference. Children also develop their language skills by interacting with their
parents or teachers. The method also encourages children to develop their
observations and write about their experiences.

The language experience approaches works in a different way from other methods
of teaching reading because this method integrates the four basic aspects of
learning a language through the development of a written text which is based on a
learner’s first hand experiences.

To use this method, notice which words your child likes most. Then make
sentences with those words. When your child draws a picture, write a description
underneath the picture. Then read the description aloud. It will help your child
better understand what is written. This approach supports a child’s vocabulary
growth and concept development. Using oral language and personal experiences,
this method also offers children opportunities for meaningful reading and writing
activities.

4. The context support teaching

The context support method is one of the least discussed methods of teaching
reading, but it is not less effective than other methods. To attract and hold the
attention of the learner, it uses the associative connection between words and
pictures. To learn something, paying attention is of utmost importance. But
children who are disinterested cannot pay attention long enough. . Most educators
believe that this method works because it holds a learner’s attention.
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Once children have passed their early reading stage, parents often have difficulty
finding good reading material for the children. Children have their particular
interests. Boys usually like robots and boats and girls like dolls. If boys and girls
are provided with reading materials that really interest them, they are unlikely to
lose interest in reading. The key is to provide them with interesting reading
materials so that they can read for pleasure.

When children discover pleasure in reading, they read more and learn more. If they
can relate to the content they are reading, they read with enthusiasm. There are
books that especially have been written to support this method. These books have
long as well as short sentences that you can read to your child. You can combine
short and long sentences. To make the teaching process more effective, use the
context support method with other methods of teaching reading.