Basic Steps to Reading introduces University of Costa Rica students to core information aimed at creating awareness of essential elements in the reading comprehension process.

1. BASIC STEPS FOR READING
Sección de Inglés para Otras Carreras
Dr. Gilberto Hernández Quirós
ghernandezq@gmail.com
Dr. Alberto Delgado Álvarez
betioux@gmail.com

2. READING
• According to Wikipedia, « reading a complex
cognitive process of decoding symbols for the
intention of deriving meaning and/or
constructing meaning. Written information is
received by the retina, processed by the
primary visual cortex, and interpreted in
Wernicke’s area. Reading is a means of
language acquisition of communication, and of
sharing information and ideas. »

3. READING and Inclusive Education
• In the reading process, we should also take into
consideration blind writing and reading
methods utilized by people with a visual
disability through the Braille System devised in
1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman.

4. Wernicke’s Area
• Wernicke's area is one of the two parts of the
cerebral cortex linked since the late nineteenth
century to speech (the other is Broca's area). It is
involved in the understanding of written and
spoken language. It is traditionally considered to
consist of the posterior section of the superior
temporal gyrus in the dominant cerebral
hemisphere (which is the left hemisphere in about
90% of people). (view video available at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4K9ROdC02k )

5. STAGE 1: PRE-READING STAGE
• Prediction
– The reader predicts the content of the text by using:
» non-linguistic context such as pictures, graphs or charts
» Linguistic context:
• Title, subtitles, typographical clues, genre (a
newspaper article, a poem, a song, an essay
• The reader /the writer
• Activation of prior knowledge
• Key words and cognates

6. PRE-READING STAGE

7. PRACTICE: CREATE YOUR OWN WORD CLOUD
• Experience the power of words
– Log on to www.wordle.net
– Create your own “word cloud”

8. SYMBOLOGY

10. COGNATES
• Cognates
– In a technical sense, two words that have a common origin are
cognates. Most often, cognates are words in two languages that have
a common etymology and thus are similar or identical. For example,
the English "kiosk" and the Spanish quiosco are cognates because they
both come from the Turkish kosk.

11. REAL COGNATES
NATIONALITY NACIONALIDAD
INSPIRATION INSPIRACIÓN
MULTIPLICATION MULTIPLICACIÓN
INTERESTING INTERESANTE
ELEPHANTS ELEFANTES
AUTHOR AUTOR
PINE PINO
LAMP LÁMPARA
QUIET QUIETO
NARRATIVE NARRATIVO

12. FALSE COGNATES
EXCITED EMOCIONADO (NOT EXCITADO)
EMBARRASSED AVERGONZADO/A (NOT EMBARAZADO/A)
CARPET ALFOMBRA (NOT CARPETA)
ACTUALLY EN REALIDAD (NOT ACTUALMENTE)
MOLEST ACOSAR (NOT MOLESTAR)
ASSIST AYUDAR (NOT ASISTIR)
ATTEND ASISTIR (NOT ATENDER)
PARENTS PADRES (NOT PARIENTES)
GANG PANDILLA (NOT GANGA)
PRETEND FINGIR (NOT PRETENDER)

13. OTHER COGNATES IN PORTUGUES
PORTUGUÉS ESPAÑOL
PINGA / PINGAR BEBIDA / BEBER
SUCO DE MAMÃO JUGO DE PAPAYA
BRINCADEIRA JUEGO
BRINCAR JUGAR
CADEIRA SILLA
AULAS LECCIONES
PINTO PENE
BUSETA VAGINA
PRESUNTO JAMÓN

14. STAGE 2: WHILE-READING
Guessing word meanings by using context or Using the dictionary effectively Scanning and skimming for specific pieces of
cognates information
Paying attention to the grammatical functiona Predicting text content Analyzing connectors and key words
of unknown words
Identifying topic sentences that contain the Using “fix-up” strategies, such as re-reading to Using visual and sensory images such as
main idea of the paragraph repair comprehension when it breaks down graphic organizers to identify the main idea of
a text
Paraphrasing for the purpose of summarizing Distinguishing between general and specific Paraphrasing for the purpose of summarizing
ideas
Recognizing connecting ideas via connectors Timing readings for achieving automaticity Recognizing lexical clues (e.g. reference
words)
Distinguishing between fact and opinion Analyzing and being critical Making conclusions and drawing inferences
Taking notes Relying on high frequency words Relying on morphological analysis

15. STAGE 3: POST READING
• Reflect upon what has been read by:
– Answering questions
– Summarizing main ideas
– Drawing conclusions
– Applying the information to a new or different situation
– Evaluation what has been ready by giving opinions of points of view
– Criticizing/supporting the writer’s purposes with more than just
personal opinions

16. TYPOGRAPHICAL SIGNS AND
PUNCTUATION
• Headings and images
• Fonts
• Symbols and punctuation
• Superscript

17. OTHER UNIVERSAL SYMBOLS
DASH /HYPHEN PARENTHESIS SQUARE BRACKETS COLON
- ( ) [ ] :
QUOTATION MARKS ELLIPSIS (plural ellipses) APOSTROPHY ITALICS
“ “ …. ‘ Italics
SLASH EXCLAMATION MARK QUESTION MARK SEMICOLON
/ ! ? ;
UNDERSCORE AT ASTERISK COPYRIGHT
brown_karl @ * ©
DOLLAR EURO AND REGISTERED TRADEMARK
$ € & ®
KOSHER BACKSLASH

18. THANK YOU!
ghernandezq@gmail.com
betioux@gmail.com