English

Pre-Reading Strategy

Previewing

Looking at the readily visible parts of the text, like the titles, subtitles, pictures, cover, charts and etc.
Previewing helps you get familiar.
Helps you refine and make better your output.

Steps of Previewing

Identify the purpose of reading before you start previewing or reading a text.
Examine the title and subtitle of the text.
Browse the introduction and conclusion of the text.
Look at the visual elements/aids of the text.
Take notes of the things that interest you to better understand the text right after.
In the case of jabberwocky, an illustration can be used to help understand the text (would give you a more familiar scene)
Previewing the text allows you to make predictions about the content of the text.
This strategy enables you to uphold information of what comes next.
Allows you to define and verify your predictions.

Skimming

Means looking for the main point of the text, identifying the meaning of the text.
Physically moving your eyes rapidly along the page and placing your finger along the lines of the text.

Scanning

Involves physically moving your eyes rapidly along the page and placing your finger along the lines of the text. You don’t have to read every word, just the specific one that you are looking for.
Useful in doing research and taking examinations.

Recalling Background Knowledge

When you try to recall important information or knowledge given by the context.
As you read, you make sense of the text by seeing how it fits what you already know. (Your background knowledge is informed by your experience, the more you connect new knowledge to what you know, your reading comprehension will increase.
Example: in the beginning of the jabberwocky poem, you are not sure of what a Jabberwock is, but as you read, you can notice how it is described as a creature that is a villain in the story
At the end, you are able to derive a conclusion because of your familiarity with the context of the text.

Reading Skill

Why is reading important?

Is fundamental to function today.
Is a vital skill in finding a good job.
Is important because it develops the mind.
Is how we discover new things.
Develops the imagination.
Develops the creative side of people.
Fundamental in developing a good self image.
Good reading skills, especially in a phonics reading program, improve spelling.
Helps to expand the vocabulary.
Is important because words - spoken and written - are the building blocks of life.

Reading

Is a cognitive process of decoding symbols to derive meaning from a text.
It is always an interaction between the text and the reader.

Reading Strategies

Previewing

Means looking at the readily visible parts of the texts, like titles, subtitles, and also visuals and graphs, pictures and charts.

Skimming

Means you look for the main point of reading and identify the ideas that developed it.
Effectively means physically moving your eyes rapidly along the page and tracing your finger along the lines of the text to speed up your reading.

Scanning

Is looking for a specific information
To scan the text effectively, you need to have an idea of the details you are looking for.
It is especially useful when doing research or taking examinations.

Context Clues

One technique to improve your reading comprehension and reading pace.
This are the words, phrases, and sentences that surround an unfamiliar word that can help you recognize the meaning of an unknown word because the text gives you the information about it.
Thus, you can study how a word is used in a sentence and discover an approximate definitions.
Getting the meaning of unfamiliar words through context clues is a very useful process, because this allows you to read more fluently and increases your vocabulary.

Using Context Clues

Since it was raining outside, I used my bumbershoot to keep from getting wet.
Answer: A bumbershoot is an umbrella.
Context clue: Inference
Unlike Kyle, who is a conformer and a follower, Jeremy is a maverick.
Answer: A maverick is a loner, someone who is independent in the group.
Context clue: antonym or contrast
The ranivorous hawk, an animal that eats frogs, is found in central and eastern Africa.
Answer: Ranivorous means frog-eating.
Context clue: definition
In class, Julia was so cantankerous that her grumpy behavior negatively affected everyone.
Answer: Cantankerous means grouchy, or ill-tempered.
Context clue: synonyms or reference

Why are context clues important?

They help us define unfamiliar, difficult words in texts.
They help us to become better, perceptive readers.
They come in handy during tests when a dictionary or the internet is not available to us.

Where are context clues found?

In the same sentence as the difficult, unfamiliar word.
In the same paragraph or passage as the unknown word.
Context clues can be in the sentences following the word, for example.
They are called context clues, because they are found in the “context” of the sentence or passage.

Inference

Word meanings are not directly stated in the text, but definitions of unfamiliar words can be assumed by both prior knowledge and the context in which the word sits.
- Example: She was so famished that people felt sorry
  for her and gave her food to eat.

Antonym or Contrast

The unfamiliar word is defined by using the word’s opposite or contrasting meaning.
This type of context clue usually includes the words: whereas, unlike, as opposed to, however, in contrast to, but, on the other hand.
- Example: Unlike Jen, who was easygoing, Jackie was
  fastidious.

Definition

The unfamiliar word is directly defined in the sentence in which it appears.
Definitions are usually set off by commas or dashes, and may include the use of the words, as, or, that is, and in other words

Synonym or Restatement

Words with similar meanings are used within the same sentence, or around the unfamiliar word
- Example: Santa Claus was so portly that his
  doctor declared him overweight.

Hey, Context Clue! I remember you!

By using the acronym, SAID, you can remember the four types of context clues.
- Synonym
- Antonym
- Inference
- Definition

Using Connotation and Denotation

Another way of improving your comprehension of a text is trying to understand the different meanings that particular words can have.
Words only make sense to us if we understand what they mean.
Two ways of describing the meaning of a word are called DENOTATION & CONOTATION
- For Example
- Father
  D: a male parent
  C: love, respect
- Daddy
  D: a male parent
  C: love, familiarity, childhood

Denotation - Dictionary definition

Connotation - Deeper meaning or what we associate with the word.

Critical Reading Strategies/Skills

Critical Thinking

Whenever you read something and you evaluate claims, seek definitions, judge information, demand proof, and question assumptions, you are thinking critically.

Critical Reading

This type of reading goes beyond passively understanding a text, because you process the author’s words and make judgments after carefully considering the reading’s message.

Critical Reading Strategies

Keeping a reading journal
- Similar to keeping a diary
- This also allows you to relate to the essay
- This allows you to develop your impressions of the text and connect them to your personal experiences.
- YOU as the writer is free to express whatever was on your mind. You are not bounded in any rules.
- However, its contents are slightly different to a diary. In a journal, you write your feelings and ideas in reaction to what you read/or your reading assignment.
Annotating the Text
- Annotating the text simply means making notes on your copy of the reading.
- Take note that it is BEST to annotate the text, once you have read it and understand it properly.
- Includes highlighting, or underlining important passages and writing notes, comments, questions, and reactions on the margins.
- By doing this, you are already entering into a dialogue with the author and not just passively reading the text.
Outlining the Text
- To read critically, we create a rough outline of what we read.
- Since we made a rough outline of the text, we can see how the author structures, sequences, and connects his ideas.
Summarizing the Text
- Similar to outlining.
- You get the gist of the text.
- A summary consists of getting the main points of the essay and the supporting details.
- Summarizing is an important skill in reading for you are able to recognize and differentiate major and minor points in the text.
Questioning the Text
- Questioning the text involves asking specific questions on points that you are skeptical (doubtful) about.
- We DOUBT when what a person/author says FAIL to meet our expectations or our personal views.
  - What type of audience is addressed?
  - What are the writer’s assumptions?
  - What are the writer’s intentions?
  - How well does the write accomplish these?
  - How convincing is the evidence presented?
  - How reliable are the sources? Are they based on personal experience, scientific data, or outside authorities?
  - Did the writer address opposing views on the issue?
  - Is the writer persuasive in his/her perspective?

Explicit Information

Information that is clearly stated
Is clearly written and explained in the text so that the reader will not be confused. With explicit information, you see the text explained.
If something is explicit it is in the text - there is evidence that you can point to - it can be a fact or an opinion, but it is there in black and white.

Implicit Information

Ideas or information that is usually suggested.
Not stated outright in the text
- So using clues from the text.-
Is something that is implied, but not stated outright in the text. The writer’s ideas are not explicitly stated. For his/her intentions to be revealed, the writer merely uses clues, hints, words, or symbols to point out his/her point.

Claim

Claim should be argumentative and arguable,
The claim should be specific and focused, because it shouldn’t be too broad.
A claim should be interesting and engaging.
A claim should also be logical. It should result in a reasonable way.
Claim also means a stance regarding a topic
The central argument or thesis statement
The most important part of the text
The point we are proving
Proved by providing details, explanations, and other types of evidence.
USUALLY found in the introduction or in the first few paragraphs of the text.
It is a single statement
It is the topic of an argument
It is not a question
It is phrased against the status quo.
It is the central argument or thesis statement of the text. It is what the writer tries to prove in the text by providing details, explanations, and other types of evidence.

Characteristics of a Good Claim

A claim should be argumentative and debatable
A claim should be specific and focused.
A claim should be interesting and engaging.
A claim should be logical.

Types of Claim

Claim of Fact
- State a quantifiable assertion, or a measurable topic.
- Asserts that sth has existed, exists, or will exist based on some data.
- Rely on reliable sources or systematic procedures to be validated.
- Usually answer a “what” question.
- It asserts that something has existed, does exist, or will exist.
- It debates whether it is true or false.
- It can be an assertion of the past, present, or future.
Claim of Value
- Assert sth can be qualified.
- Consists of arguments about moral, philosophical or aesthetic topics.
- Always prove that some values are more or less desirable compared to others -
- Attempt to explain how problems, situations, or issues ought to be valued

It asserts judgement whether it is good or bad, more or less desirable
It is claiming whether something is good or bad or the other thing is better than the other one.

Claim of Policy
- Posit that specific actions should be chosen as solutions to a particular problem.
- KEYWORDS: “should,” “ought to,” and/or “must”
- Usually answer “HOW” questions
- It is something that should or should not be done.
- The key word is the verb “should”, which implies that some action ought to be taken, but not that it must or will be taken.

Pre-Writing Strategies

Pre-Writing

The first stage of the writing process is pre-writing, which pertains to different techniques that help you discover ideas before writing the first draft of a paper.
- You use a variety of strategies to find out things that interest you about a topic or new ways of thinking about it.
- It also helps you identify what else you need to know about a topic.

Stages of Pre-Writing

Knowing the kind of paper that you will be required to write.
- What are you being asked to do?
- How long the paper should be?
Determining the writing situation, or the context of your assignment.
- What is the purpose and audience of your paperr?

The Purpose of Your Paper

The first consideration is determining your purpose. This is the reason why you are writing. When you think about your purpose, you begin to make decisions about form, content, length, organization, support and tone.
Purpose in writing is answered by these questions
- What do you want to accomplish?
- Why are you sending this message?
Your purpose may be to:
1. Inform
2. Explain
3. Persuade
4. Entertain

The Audience of Your Paper

To write effectively, it is always best to assume that you are writing to be read.
Your audience is your target reader.
You must recognize who your readers are and anticipate their expectations, background, and knowledge of the topic if you are to tailor-fit your writing to their tastes.

Some questions to help you analyze your audience

Who is most likely to read my work?
Will I have multiple audiences?
What would they find interesting about it?
Why should they be concerned about my opinion?
What do I want them to learn from my work?
How do I want to influence them?
Will they act on what I want them to do?
What questions would they have for me?

Topic

After you determined your audience and purpose, you are ready to think about your paper’s topic.
The topic is the subject or the specific issue that you paper will discuss.
- Topic should be specific.
- The topic should be related to the assignment and interesting to you.
- It must be something that you know or are willing to learn more about.

Tone

After you have thought about your purpose, audience, and topic, it would be good to consider the tone you plan to use.
- This refers to the attitudes and feelings you want your writing to reflect toward your purpose, topic, audience, and yourself.
- These are manifested in your chosen point-of-view (first, second, or third), sentence structure (long and short sentences), and chosen words (connotation and denotation).

Using Pre-Writing Strategies

Brainstorming
- Begin at the top of a sheet of paper and list down everything that comes into your mind as fast as you can for a certain amount of time.
- After listing down all your ideas, browse through them and pick the one that best appeals to you, or the one that you know best.
Clustering or Mapping
- Start by writing a word or phrase at the center of the page and encircle it; this becomes your main topic.
- Think of other words and phrases related to that main topic, write them down, encircle them, and draw lines connecting them to the main topic.
- These becomes your subtopics. From there, you can branch off the subtopics with other supporting ideas.
Freewriting
- Writing down your thoughts, nonstop, in the exact order, language, and form in that you think them.
- Write as quickly as you can to create constant momentum for your thoughts to keep on flowing.
Journal Writing
- A good way to sustain writing practice is the bait of your journal writing.
- Journal is “a book in which you write down your personal experiences and thoughts” (Merriam-Webster)
- Things you will ever need in journal writing:
  - Favorite pen
  - A nice clean notebook
  - The drive to keep on writing.

INTRODUCTION

Prepares you for writing your essay.
It serves as a guide and a road map to your destination.
The process of pre-writing that you studied in the previous lesson helps you get ready to create a thesis statement for your paper.
This module explains what a thesis statement is, how it functions in your writing, and how to write an effective one.

Thesis Statement

It is the main idea of an essay.
It is often a point you want to argue or support in an essay.
It explains to a reader the main idea of the essay, and the writer’s opinion on that idea
It is usually one sentence, and often placed in the introductory paragraph of an essay
It is a claim that could be argued.
The essay will contain evidence and opinions that support the argument.
Your thesis is the foundation of your essay
The entire essay attempts to prove that your thesis is correct.
Constantly refer back to your thesis to make sure that your essay is staying on track.
Is a central idea of an essay, around which all others ideas revolve.
It is not just the most important idea;
It also controls the essay by determining what you should or should not include in your work.
In one sentence, it reveals and summarizes the argument you tend to develop and defend.
It reflects your purpose for writing.
It should be clear and it is not the subject or topic itself, but an interpretation of the topic.
It should inform the reader of how you understand such a topic and what you deem to be important or debatable about it.
It comes as a result of pre-writing
It is a product of thinking about your ideas, seeking evidence, and looking for relationship between these.
- Example: Let us say you are writing a reaction paper about your school’s Reserve Officers Training Corps program for your fellow high school students. After going over you pre-writing, you come up with the following working thesis statement: “High school seniors become more responsible because of joining the Reserve Officers Training Corps program.”
As you can see, creating a thesis statement results from looking at your paper’s general subject and narrowing it down to something specific.

General Subject (School’s extra curricular activities)

Narrower Subject (The Reserve Training Corps program)

Characteristics of an Effective Thesis Statement

Responds to the assignment by following instructions.
Expresses the main idea in one to two sentences.
Focuses on a specific issue.
States a stand on the topic.
Says something meaningful by answering the questions: “So what?” “How?” “Why?”
Previews the rest of the essay by being placed in the introduction
Reflects tone and point-of-view appropriate to the identified purpose and audience.

Guidelines on Writing Thesis Statement

Avoid making overly-opinionated stands
- For example, instead of saying, “The Officers of the Reverse Officers Training Corps are merciless slave drivers who abuse their fellow students.” You might say, “The Officers of the Reverse Officers Training Corps should exercise more responsibility toward their authority by being sensitive to how they lead their fellow students.”
Avoid making announcements.
- You might say… “In this essay, I will be discussing the benefits of joining the Reserve Officer Training Corps.”
Avoid stating only facts
- “The Reserve Officers Training Corps is a program that prepares students to serve in the military.”