Comprehension‘’Noting Details’’

Zephie M. Andrada

• When one reads, there must be comprehension; otherwise no reading takes place.

• Comprehension takes place when there is communication between the author and the reader.

• It is understanding what the author has written.

What is Comprehension?

Levels of Comprehension

1. Literal ( Reading the lines)2. Inferential ( Reading between the lines)3. Critical ( Reading beyond the lines)

Literal Level- requires the reader to remember to remember or

recall facts explicitly or directly found in the material read.

Inferential reading- requires the reader to look for implied

information in the selection.

Critical reading- takes place when the reader evaluates the

materials read, gives judgement or opinions on ideas read using

his prior knowledge or background experiences in relation to the

information read.

Noting Details• What it is: Noting details is a factual type of reading

comprehension in which the reader is directly concerned with remembering items within the passage.

• This calls for a relatively slow and exacting type of reading.

- Significant details are supposed to be remembered.

- When are details considered significant or insignificant?The answer to this leans heavily on the reader’s purpose.

----- Details therefore are significant only in relation to the reader’s purpose.--------

Pointers in reading for details:

• 1. Be definite about your purpose in reading a selection.

• There are times when you have to read a selection more than once if your purpose are different everytime you read.

• 2. Read the passage slowly and cerefully.

• 3. Remember the details in relation to ideas you want to remember rather than as isolated bits of information.

• 4. Be able to distinguish main or big ideas from sub-ideas. When you know the main ideas, it is easier to remember the supporting details.

Sample selection:

1.Who started the celebration of Mother’s Day?

2.What was Woodrow Wilson’s main contribution

to the celebration of Mother’s Day?

3.When is Mother’s Day celebrated?

4. What countries celebrate Mother’s Day on the

same date?

5.What makes Mother’s Day in the

Philippines assume greater significance?

Answer the following questions:

Answer the following questions:

The Applicant

A gentleman put an advertisement in a newspaper for a

boy to work in his office. Out of nearly fifty who came to

apply, the man selected one and dismissed the others.

“ I should like to know”, said a friend, “the reason you

selected that boy who brought not a single letter, not a

single recommendation.”

‘’You are wrong” said the gentleman, “ He had a great

many. He wiped his feet at the door and closed the door

after him, showing that he was careful. He gave his seat

instantly to that lame old man, showing that he was kind

and thoughtful. He took off his cap when he came in and

answered my questions promptly, showing that he was

polite and gentlemanly.

All the rest stepped over the book which I had

purposely put on the floor. He picked it up and

placed it on the table; and he waited quietly for

his turn instead of pushing and crowding. When

I talked to him, I noticed his tidy clothing, his

finely brushed hair, and his clean fingernails. Do

you not call these things recommendations? I

do I consider them more important than letters.”

1. What was the purpose of the gentleman’s

advertisement?

2. How many were needed for employment?

3. What was extraordinary about the

applicant who got hired?

4. How did the applicant who got hired

impressed the employer?

5. What was the employer’s interpretation of

recommendations?

Giving Titles

Jay-R Diaz

What is a title?•A word or phrase given to a text (an essay, article, chapter, report, or other work) to identify the subject, attract the reader's attention, and forecast the tone and substance of the writing to follow.•The title should give the general idea of what the passage or selection is about.•It should be brief and “catchy” so that

it will appeal to the interest of the reader.

The five characteristics of a desirable title (Lipton 1998) are:

1. InformativeIdentify one or two main points in the paper to communicate to the audience; a good title is capable of conveying those points. Be as specific as possible without adding unnecessary details. Titles that are too vague or too general do not help the reader distinguish your work from others. Choose words carefully, cognizant that prospective readers will often find your article through electronic searches.

2. Accurate•The title should be truthful about the contents of the paper. •Do not overpromise the results of the paper in the title.

3. Clear•The audience should not have to think about what the title means. Different people may interpret the title differently, so ask a number of people to critique your title and tell you what they think the paper is about before they even read it.

4. Concise•Short titles are instantly recognizable and jump of the page. Every word should have a reason for being present, and each word should contribute to the message of the title.

5. Attention commanding•Not all research projects can produce an attention-commanding title, nor do all projects need them. But, if you can meet the other four criteria and have a choice between a pedestrian title and one that is a bit provocative, consider the provocative one. Ideally, titles should strive to adhere to these five characteristics. However, not all may be met or can be met in one title. For example, to write an attention-commanding title, often you have to sacrifice being less clear or informative. How much concision are you willing to give up in order to be accurate? Clearly, these are decisions for the author to make.

Tips for Creating Catchy Titles:Titles catch the attention of readers and provide a clue to the paper's content. If a title doesn't suggest itself in the writing of your paper, try one of these strategies:

– Use one strong short phrase from your paper– Present a question that your paper answers– State the answer to the question or issue your paper will explore– Use a clear or catchy image from your paper– Use a famous quotation– Write a one-word title (or a two-word title,

a three-word-title, and so on)– Begin your title with the word On– Begin your title with a gerund (-ing word)

Let us practice!!!!

• Read each paragraph carefully. Then select the title which best expresses

the main idea of the paragraph.

1. Cats are the world’s greatest hunters for they go after any animal which they can catch and kill. They move in complete silence and rely on stealth and secrecy to catch their prey. They prefer to ambush their victim with a terrifying rush instead of chasing it. They have magnificent bodies that combine power and grace, as they move very fast over short sight especially at night. They hunt by night for they have eyes especially adapted for this.

A. Sly Animals C. World’s Greatest HuntersB. Hunters in the Night D. Magnificent Animals

2. The Sanduguan Festival in Mindoro is a pageant with the entire populace of the town as its cast. Its natural stage and setting are the main thoroughfares and the wide stretch of beach at Calapan Bay. Sanduguan was derived from the world “sandugo” which means “brother” hence the festival means “brotherhood festival”. It is the reenactment of the first historical contact between natives of Ma-I and seafaring traders from ancient cathay. In this festival the people depict the custom and tradition of the Ma-ians.

A. A Festival in Mindoro C. Customs and Tradition B. The Sanduguan Festival D. Brotherhood

GETTING THE MAIN IDEA AND

SUPPORTING DETAILS

A PARAGRAPH HAS TWO MAIN PARTS

1. MAIN IDEA expressed in the topic sentence.

2. SUPPORTING DETAILS as the additional sentences in the paragraph.

WHAT IS A MAIN IDEA? The most important thing an author is trying to

say.

It is a general statement of the content of the paragraph.

It tells what the story is all about.

It is the reason why the story is written.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA:• There are many fun

things to do at the beach. Swimming is one thing that can be done at the beach. Snorkelling is another thing that can be enjoyed. Playing beach volleyball can be a lot of fun. It is also fun to look for shells. Some people simply like to sunbathe.

Despite the hatred that most people feel toward the cockroaches, they do help humans in several ways. For example, they are perfect experimental animals for scientific research. In studies of nutrition and food, cockroaches are good subjects because they will eat any kinds of foods. They can be used to study heart disease, and cancer researchers work with roaches because they grow cancerous tumours like those that are found in humans.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA:

WHAT IS A MAIN IDEA? Provides order, progression, and unity to the

paragraph by tying together the sentences.

It is the Big Point or the most important idea that the writer is communicating to the reader.

Without the main idea, the paragraph would be nothing but a mere collection of unrelated

ideas.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

Please read this short paragraph…

Engineers create wealth for the society. So, tennis is the game and the resources of the earth are scarce. Have you gone mad? Thus, the only solution is to educate the public on becoming socially responsible.

DID THIS MAKE SENSE?????!!!!!!

OF COURSE NOT!

It didn’t have a MAIN IDEA at all. We would go crazy if texts were written

like this all the time. It was difficult to understand because it

was made of different ideas that didn’t link. There was no common thread. Thus, luckily normal passages have

main ideas.

THEREFORE THE MAIN IDEA IS…

General statement of the content of the paragraph.

Central thought of the paragraph.

It is like the HEART of the text or paragraph.

It is the controlling idea of a paragraph.

• Recognition of the main idea of a paragraph is important because it not only helps you understand the paragraph but also helps you remember the content.

STATED AND IMPLIED MAIN IDEASTATED

The main idea is directly stated in a paragraph; usually in the topic sentence. It can be found at the

beginning, middle or end of the paragraph.

IMPLIEDThe reader has to state the main idea in his own words because the paragraph doesn’t contain a

stated main idea.

Let’s take a look at these examples:

The students had fun on their field trip. They

visited the Marine Museum. They were able to tour

a tug boat and they bought souvenirs in the gift

shop. After the tours, they ate a picnic lunch in the

park and played with their friends.

STATED MAIN IDEA

Another Example:

“Samantha, I can’t eat when you are gone. I

need to hear your soothing voice and see your

lovely smile. I miss that special way you sing

Please come home soon.”

IMPLIED MAIN IDEA

WHAT IS A SUPPORTING DETAILS?

Examples and extra information that help you understand the main idea.

Details describe or explain the main idea.

It proves the value of the main idea.

WHY DO WE NEED A SUPPORTING DETAIL?

• Supporting details help you get a better picture of the story.

• They give you more information.

• Often, this information will reach one or more of your five senses.

Identify the supporting details:Homeless

people have many problems. In winter, it’s hard to stay warm and it gets too hot in summer. It’s also hard to keep things safe without a home. Worst is the luck of privacy.

Soccer players learn many skills when playing such sport. Players learn how to dribble and pass the ball. They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score. Most importantly, soccer players learn how to work together with their teammates.

Too much information… All of the sentences in the paragraph

should support the main idea of that paragraph.

Information that doesn’t support the main doesn’t belong to the same paragraph.

Take a look at the next example. Find out the extra information that doesn’t support the main idea in the paragraph.

Which does not belong?...Winter provides

the opportunity for many outdoor

activities. Many people enjoy ice skating on a

pond. Swimming in the pond in summer can

also be fun. Skiing can be a thrilling

experience too. After a new snowfall, you can

even build a snowman.

Maria offered to help her mother clean the house. She vacuumed the living room and dusted the furniture. She picked up the toys in the playroom. She ate a ham sandwich for lunch. Then, she mopped the kitchen floor.

Determine the main idea for each paragraph:

The ability to follow directions is an important skill that you use all your life. Scarcely a day goes by without the need to obey directions. Cooking, baking, taking medication, driving, travelling, planning, taking exams and a hundred other common activities require the ability to follow directions. (Dorothy Rubin)a.Following directions is a special ability.b.Everyone must follow directions.c.Knowing how to follow directions is important.

Determine the main idea for each paragraph:

A person cannot relax and study at the same time. Studying requires a certain amount of tension, concentration, and effort in a specific direction. Of course, the amount of tension varies with different individuals. The point is that studying is hard work and people who are not prepared to make a proper effort are wasting their time. (Rubin, p.1)

a.People vary in their ways of studying.b.To study is a waste of time.c.Studying is hard work.

Determine the main idea for each paragraph:

People who are victims of excessive tension were not born into the world with these symptoms. Somewhere along the line they acquired habits or failed to face certain situations which brought about these symptoms. They could have avoided acquiring the symptoms by following guidelines like: 1) Relaxation is an antidote; 2) Learn your tension threshold and live with it; 3) If you feel something wrong with you, find it out and do something about it.

a.Stress and tension can be avoidedb.Relaxation is important.c.Stress and tension are very common.

Determine the main idea for each paragraph:

People have always had this mentality that good gifts are expensive, or to put in another way, expensive presents are good gifts. Seldom do they consider the practicality, or more important, sincerity. It has yet to be accepted that gift-giving does not always consist of material things. Looking at the world which has had enough of agreement talks on ceasefire treaties, maybe it can do more with smiles and songs.

a.Good gifts are expensive giftsb.Good gifts may not always be material thingsc.We must be sincere when we give gifts

Title