Reading comprehension

Reading comprehension develops in three different stages:
- Literal - to identify the facts mentioned in the text eg. specific dates, and data
- Inferential - building on these facts to draw conclusions or to make predictions
- Evaluative - making judgments of the text by forming own opinions .

Reading comprehension is reached by means of intricate interplay between the following equally important elements:

-To read fluently means to read with proper speed, accuracy and expression.

-Metacognitive strategies entails the learner's understanding of what is being read and can also involve their imagination and personal feelings regarding the text they are reading. (This is the highest level of reading comprehension.)

-Phonemic awareness refers to the reader's ability to recognize letters as separate entities which can, when arranged in a certain order, form meaningful words.

-Phonics instruction is based on two principles: a relationship between sounds and symbols (letters) and the fact that the words can be put together to form new words and sentences.

-Phonological awareness means that learners can identify sounds that are different. This forms the basis to reading.

-Sight words are also known as star words which learners need to automatically recognize pronounce correctly.

-The Orton-Gillingham approach is used to assist with reading comprehension. It focuses primarily on understanding the "how" and "why" of reading. This approach can help struggling learners to distinguish between sounds and letters.