Evidence has shown that most modern readers find reading quite difficult and most times fail to comprehend what they are reading. The cause of the problem is not far fetch. To appreciate the beauty of a work, a reader has to follow certain steps. It is absolutely wrong to jump straight and start reading without first do what is called pre-reading activity. Pre- reading helps the mind to prepare for the reading and set to assimilate the information. When the reader has completed the pre-reading activities, the next stage becomes the actual reading. At this stage, the mind of the reader is ready for the big task. At this moment, the reader was expected to read the book thoroughly and thoroughly in order to understand the precise meaning of words, phrases and clauses used in the passage. Detailed reading and not superficial reading is the main thrust of this stage. The main pre-occupation of the reader should be to achieve the distinct levels of comprehension. There are three distinct levels in comprehension and each stage play a decisive role in comprehending a write up.

Pre-reading helps the reader to have literal level of comprehension. Literal level is the lowest level of meaning in text. Here, the reader is concerned with understanding the primary, direct or literal meaning of words, ideas or sentences contained in the passage. He or she merely understands facts and explanations as they are written in the passage.

After literal level, the reader enters into what is called interpretative level. This is also called the inferential level of comprehension. It is higher than the literal or factual level. It involves a better understanding of the author’s opinion even when they are not directly stated. At this level, therefore the reader tries to infer or interpret from what the writer has said, other things, which though he has not said are obvious or implied. He uses his discretion to apply to a situation, rules, which are applicable to similar situations in order to arrive at the same conclusion. The last stage of reading involves evaluation and passing judgment on the assimilated information.

Critical level deals with a comprehensive evaluation of the reaching passage. Thus we can call it the evaluative level of reasoning involved in reading comprehension. It involves both the literal and interpretative levels and goes further than these to evaluate the pass effective personal judgment on the acceptability of the information contained in the passage. In other words, the reader, judging from his anticipations, tries to ascertain the quality, values, accuracy or truthfulness of what is read. Readers at the level achieve total comprehension and thus posses full understanding and appreciation of the author’s style particularly when they are in line with his speculations in the pre-reading activities.

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ARTICLES

Daily Time. Understanding Poor Performance October 27, 1997.