Reading Skills

Why Reading Skills Matter

Reading is the foundation of language learning. Through reading, you build vocabulary, encounter different sentence structures, and develop the ability to understand complex ideas. In VGS English, you will read a wide range of texts – from news articles and essays to novels and poetry.

Reading Strategies

Skimming

Skimming means reading quickly to get the general idea of a text. You focus on headings, topic sentences, and keywords rather than reading every word. This is useful when you need to decide whether a source is relevant or when you want a quick overview.

Scanning

Scanning means searching a text for specific information – a name, a date, a statistic. Your eyes move quickly over the text without reading it fully. This technique is essential for research and for answering detail-oriented questions.

Close Reading

Close reading means examining a text carefully and critically. You pay attention to word choice, tone, structure, and literary devices. This approach is used when analysing literary texts, persuasive writing, or complex arguments.

SQ3R Method

A structured approach to studying texts:

• Survey – preview headings, images, and summaries.
• Question – formulate questions you expect the text to answer.
• Read – read actively, looking for answers to your questions.
• Recite – summarise key points in your own words.
• Review – revisit the text to consolidate understanding.

Understanding Different Text Types

Fiction

Novels, short stories, and plays use narrative techniques such as characterisation, setting, plot, and point of view. When reading fiction, consider what themes the author explores and how literary devices contribute to meaning.

Non-Fiction

News articles, essays, speeches, and academic texts present information or arguments. Identify the author's purpose (to inform, persuade, entertain), the target audience, and the evidence used to support claims.

Poetry

Poetry condenses meaning through imagery, metaphor, rhythm, and sound. Reading a poem aloud often reveals layers of meaning that silent reading misses.

Building Vocabulary Through Reading

One of the best ways to expand your vocabulary is through extensive reading. When you encounter an unfamiliar word:

• Try to guess the meaning from context before looking it up.
• Note the word and revisit it later.
• Use the word in your own writing or speaking to reinforce learning.

Answering Comprehension Questions

• Literal questions – the answer is stated directly in the text.
• Inferential questions – you must read between the lines.
• Evaluative questions – you assess the text's quality, reliability, or effectiveness.

Always support your answers with evidence from the text, using quotations or specific references.

Academic Deep-Dive

To write at a high academic level, move from description to analysis. That means you should explain why an example matters, how it connects to the theme, and what broader consequences it may have for individuals, communities, or policy.

Worked example paragraph model

Point: State your main claim clearly. Evidence: Add a concrete real-world case, text reference, statistic, or historical detail. Analysis: Explain significance and evaluate implications. Link: Connect directly back to the task question.

Stronger academic language

• Cause and effect: therefore, consequently, as a result
• Contrast: however, nevertheless, in contrast, whereas
• Evaluation: this suggests, this indicates, this can be interpreted as
• Nuance: to some extent, in many contexts, from a long-term perspective

Reflective practice questions

1. Which argument in this topic is strongest, and why?
2. What is a valid counterargument, and how would you respond?
3. How can this topic be connected to one current event?
4. Which academic phrases can you reuse in your own writing?