Enhancing Reading Comprehension Skills
Enhancing Reading Comprehension Skills
1. Introduction:
2. General objective
Improve reading comprehension at its three levels (literal, inferential and critical-
evaluative) in 2nd and 5th secondary school students at the Francisco Cabanillas
Gálvez educational institution.
Improve reading comprehension at the literal level in 2nd grade secondary school
students at the Francisco Cabanillas Gálvez educational institution.
Improve reading comprehension at the literal level in 5th grade secondary school
students at the Francisco Cabanillas Gálvez educational institution.
3. Theoretical framework
3.1. The reading
It is the interpretation and selection of a message that has been received in writing.
Reading allows us to come into contact with other ways of seeing life, to
understand the phenomenon of production, the development of the economic life or
politics of a town or nation.
The first of these processes (speaking) arises in the child from the first years
of life as a social need and part of his psychomotor development; The remaining
three educate themselves, with the school playing a fundamental role in this sense,
especially the teacher as a regulator, actor and protagonist of the Educational
Teaching Process, which must constitute a model of idiomatic expression while
also being the bearer of a general culture. that serves as an example for students
to imitate, taking into account that language constitutes the means by which the
process of education and teaching of the new generations is carried out, it is
through oral and written language that the student comes into possession of the
knowledge necessary to participate in social production and in the process of any
activity, which is why in the current conditions of universalization, the development
of communication skills that in turn promote communicative competence,
understood as a phenomenon, is of vital importance. where cognitive and
metacognitive abilities are integrated to understand and produce meanings.
Learning to read is a gradual process. Children begin reading with texts that are
very simple, and little by little, they develop abilities that allow them to read more
complex texts. In this process, not all children learn at the same pace. Some
progress in reading faster and others take longer. For this reason, in our
classrooms we have children with different levels of achievement, therefore with
different needs.
At school, we often think that stories are the best way to learn to read and,
therefore, much of our educational material is oriented towards narratives.
However, in daily life, we encounter different texts, such as news, pictures,
advertising, recipes, etc. Why are these texts read infrequently at school?
It is important to use different types of texts, because not all of them are read in the
same way: an assistance sign does not read the same as an argumentative text, a
description does not read the same as a recipe.
Graphic organizers, such as diagrams, mind maps, among others, are very
useful for classifying and prioritizing the information in a text. By using graphic
organizers, children can learn to identify the central theme and main ideas of
the texts they read.
What is really valuable for this approach is that the subject knows how to use
communication to organize thoughts, express the internal world, to anticipate
decisions and actions that open the doors for their relationship with society.
“Reading is a process of interaction between the reader and the text, a process
through which the former tries to satisfy the objectives that guide their
reading...the meaning of the text is constructed by the reader. This does not
mean that the text itself has no meaning or meaning. What I am trying to explain
is that the meaning that a piece of writing has for the reader is not a translation
or replica of the meaning that the author wanted to give it, but a construction
that involves the text, the prior knowledge of the reader who approaches it, and
the objectives with which it is addressed. who faces him. ‘‘
Understanding is then closely linked to the vision that each person has of the
world and of themselves, therefore, when faced with the same text, we cannot
claim a unique and objective interpretation. The reader will give meaning to a
reading by coordinating information that comes from different sources: the text,
its context and the knowledge that he possesses.
To successfully meet this objective, the reader must use a series of skills or
strategies that help them build their knowledge, applying it in diverse situations
and in different contexts.
4. Process
6. Bibliographic references
Transforming texts into different formats, such as turning a news story into a narrative, enhances reading comprehension by encouraging students to engage deeply with the content, recognize key themes, and understand structural elements. This process also fosters creativity as it requires students to adapt and reimagine information in novel ways, reinforcing their ability to interpret and produce complex texts .
The document stresses the inclusion of diverse text types to better reflect real-world scenarios and to prepare students for varied reading experiences. Engaging with different types of texts—such as narratives, advertisements, and instructions—ensures students develop adaptability in their reading strategies, enhancing comprehension and critical thinking across contexts .
Teaching reading comprehension at different levels—literal, inferential, and critical-evaluative—is crucial as it enables students to thoroughly understand texts, beyond mere surface information. The documents emphasize that these levels promote intellectual growth and proficiency in engaging with texts critically, which is essential for academic success and navigating complex societal contexts .
Motivation is a crucial factor in enhancing students' engagement with reading texts. The documents highlight strategies like using relatable real-world texts and creative transformation tasks, which make reading more appealing and relevant, thereby increasing students' willingness to participate in reading activities .
A textual communicative approach emphasizes the active construction of textual meaning, requiring mastery of comprehension, production, creativity, and logical skills. This method encourages students to utilize communication strategically to express personal insights and engage with society, making it a critical element in reading instruction for holistic intellectual development .
Graphic organizers are powerful tools for enhancing reading comprehension skills as they help students classify and prioritize information within texts. By visually representing relationships among ideas and themes, they enable learners to understand and remember the material better, effectively identifying central themes and main ideas .
Communicative competence involves integrating cognitive elements, such as understanding textual meaning through prior knowledge and context awareness, with metacognitive elements like self-regulation and reflective thinking. These components allow students to actively construct meaning and communicate effectively in varying contexts .
The documents report initial significant deficiencies in reading comprehension among 5th-grade students, evidenced by very low entrance test scores. However, with targeted interventions and application of taught techniques, students showed considerable progress, culminating in satisfactory results on subsequent tests. This improvement underscores both the effectiveness of instructional strategies and the need for continued motivational support .
Educational objectives in teaching reading comprehension aim to improve literacy at literal, inferential, and critical levels, thereby aligning with broader goals of cultivating intellectual and cultural literacy. These objectives prepare students to navigate and synthesize complex information, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for personal and societal advancement .
Teachers play a crucial role in developing students' communication skills by acting as regulators and protagonists of the Educational Teaching Process. They serve as models of idiomatic expression and exude general culture, setting an example for students to imitate. Through structured guidance and exposure to a variety of linguistic interactions, teachers facilitate the integration of cognitive and metacognitive abilities that are vital for communicative competence .