The document discusses reading comprehension and its levels. It provides definitions and examples of different levels of comprehension:
1. Literal comprehension involves recalling explicit information from the text.
2. Interpretation requires inference and understanding implied meanings.
3. Evaluation or critical reading involves making judgments about the content, themes, and style of the text.
4. Integration stresses applying reading to one's self and life experiences.
5. Creative reading uses divergent thinking to develop new ideas or solutions beyond what is presented in the text.
The levels progress from lower to higher order thinking and involve more complex cognitive skills. Teachers can guide readers to interact with texts on different levels through instructional strategies.
4. The creation of meaning in reading results from the
interaction between the reader and the text.
Comprehension can vary based on text and question
types. Higher order cognitive skills, including, the
ability to make inferences and to plan and organize
information, contribute to comprehension of more
complex text and question types and are important
components of reading. Teachers guide reader-text
interactions through instructional strategies that they
use and reading guidance that they provide.
5. The levels of thinking
shown in the Bloom’s
taxonomy are
reflected in the
models of reading
comprehension
developed by several
stalwarts of reading
education.
6. According to William Gray (1948),
“reading is conceived … as a
complex activity of four dimensions:
the perception of words, clear
clear grasp of meaning,
thoughtful reaction, and
integration.”
7. Arthur Gates (1949) suggested that
“reading should be developed as a
complex organization of patterns of higher
mental processes . . . to embrace all types
of thinking, evaluating, judging,
imagining, reasoning, and problem
problem solving.”
8. Nila Banton Smith (1969) mentions
four comprehension categories:
literal comprehension,
interpretation, critical reading,
reading, and creative reading.
9. Thomas Barrett’s (1972) taxonomy
(in Heilman et al,- 1986) has five
levels: literal comprehension,
reorganization, inferential
comprehension, evaluation, and
evaluation, and appreciation.
10. Hermosa (2002) merged
the models described
above into a taxonomy
she called
gray-gates-smith &
barrett’s dimensions
of reading
comprehension.
11.
12. LITERAL
COMPREHENSION
is the ability to obtain a low-level type of
understanding by using only information
explicitly stated in the text. Answers to
literal questions simply demand that the
reader recall what the text says. Word
recognition is subsumed here. Literal
comprehension cannot occur unless the
reader recognizes the words in the
13. INTERPRETATION
demands a higher level of thinking
because it involves understanding
meanings that are suggested. It includes
inference, defined as “something derived
by reasoning; something that is not
directly stated but suggested in the
statement of a logical conclusion that is
drawn from statements; a
15. EVALUATION
(CRITICAL READING)
involves readers making a personal
judgment on the text. They can look at
the text in two aspects: 1) the content or
theme: its accuracy, values, truthfulness,
objectivity, recency, relevance; and 2)
elements of style or craftsmanship: the
use of language and literary devices.
Questions that require evaluation
16. Could this really happen?
Does the author provide adequate
support for his conclusion?
Is the information in keeping with
your knowledge of the subject?
What part of the story best
describes the main character?
17. INTEGRATION
(APPLICATION TO SELF AND LIFE)
stresses reading for use and for values
clarification. The reading act “nears
completion as the child uses his reading
in some practical way . . . (also, when) his
emotions are stirred; his attitudes and
purposes modified; indeed, his
innermost being is involved.” (Gates,
1949).
18. CREATIVE READING
uses divergent thinking skills to come up
with new ideas or alternate solutions to
those presented by the writer. At this
level, the reader may also reproduce the
text information in a different form
through dramatization, oral or musical
interpretation, personal narrative, visual
expression, or written expression (Otto &
The levels of thinking shown in the Bloom taxonomy are reflected in the models of reading comprehension developed by several stalwarts of reading education.
The levels of thinking shown in the Bloom taxonomy are reflected in the models of reading comprehension developed by several stalwarts of reading education.
The levels of thinking shown in the Bloom taxonomy are reflected in the models of reading comprehension developed by several stalwarts of reading education.
reader to analyze, synthesize, and/or organize ideas and information explicitly stated. It includes such tasks as classifying, outlining, summarizing, and synthesizing. The last level deals with the psychological and aesthetic impact of the text and includes emotional response to literary techniques, forms, styles, and structure.
reader to analyze, synthesize, and/or organize ideas and information explicitly stated. It includes such tasks as classifying, outlining, summarizing, and synthesizing. The last level deals with the psychological and aesthetic impact of the text and includes emotional response to literary techniques, forms, styles, and structure.
Could this really happen?
This judgment is based on experience.
Does the author provide adequate support for his conclusion?
Is he attempting to sway your opinion? This requires analysis and evaluation of the reader’s own knowledge as well as the author’s knowledge and intent.
Is the information in keeping with your knowledge of the subject?
This requires comparing sources of information with agreement/disagreement or completeness/ incompleteness.
What part of the story best describes the main character?
This requires judging the relative adequacy of different parts of the text.
