Reading Sub Skills Literature Review 1.

attention to be devoted to higher-order ideas and concepts within the text. But very fast reading may result in inaccurate word recognition, and important details being overlooked. 3. Lack of familiarity with the subject matter It is much easier to read with understanding if the reader already possesses some prior knowledge of the topic Westwood, 2008: 34. He states that using the school textbook as the medium for first introducing new information to students is not usually the most effective method of delivery. It is better to provide information first by other means e.g. video, posters, mini-lecture, discussion to build firm background knowledge before students are expected to read about that theme in printed texts. This is particularly important for weaker readers. 4. Difficulty level of the text readability The difficulty level of the text is a major factor influencing whether or not material can be read with understanding Westwood, 2008: 35. Westwood 2008:35 explains that the text that is complex in terms of concepts, vocabulary, sentence length and structure is difficult for readers to process. The difficulty level of the text should be compatible with the students’ reading ability. Books that are too difficult for the students will make the students frustrated which they will make many errors yet books that are easier for the weaker students can not guarantee the success of reading. 5. Inadequate use of effective reading strategies Weaker readers compared with skilled readers do not have strategic approach to interpret the text Westwood, 2008: 36. It is because they tend not to know of, or use, strategies that would help them visualize, make connections, reflect, infer, predict, question and summarize Westwood, 2008: 36. Here, strategies in reading are important in order to enhance the students’ reading comprehension. 6. Weak verbal reasoning The ability to reason is determined by an individual’s level of intelligence; but guided reading activities in which a teacher uses effective questioning to challenge students to think more deeply about the text they are reading are helpful in developing their ability to reason from the information given Westwood, 2008: 36. Deliberately guiding students to make connections between new information in text and their existing bank of knowledge is beneficial. 7. Problems with processing information Westwood 2008: 37 states that limited working memory is sometimes suggested as a causal factor in poor comprehension. It is known that individuals differ in their working-memory capacity, with some able to process and accommodate much more information than others. Working-memory capacity is significantly reduced if an individual is stressed or anxious, or is preoccupied and distracted by other issues. But it is also clear that slow word-by-word reading places unreasonable demands on working-memory span and makes it almost impossible to store information long enough for meaning to be maintained.