Chapter 4: The Second Level of Reading: Inspectional Reading
We continue our reading with Chapter 4, which covers the second level of reading, inspectional reading. While Elementary reading covers the rudimentary skills required for reading – recognizing letters, being able to forms words and sounds, Inspectional reading is a true level of reading.
Reading levels are cumulative, which means reading levels are contained within each higher level reading level. The second level of reading, inspectional reading, contains within it skills acquired during the Elementary reading level, and inspectional reading is a component of the next level of reading (analytical reading). What does this mean practically? (p. 31)
You cannot read on an inspectional level if you cannot read effectively on the elementary level. You have to be able to read the text more or less steadily, without stumbling too much over meaning of words or the grammar and syntax.
Inspectional reading can be thought of as two distinct activities, though they are aspects of a single skill. Describe the two types of inspectional reading – Systematic skimming or pre-reading (p. 32-35) and Superficial reading (p. 36-37).
Systematic Skimming or pre-reading a book is first sublevel of Inspectional reading – the aim of this level is to determine the book requires a more careful reading. Skimming can include looking at the title page and preface, studying the table of contents to get a general sense of a book’s structure, check the book’s index to see range of topics covered, reading the publisher’s “blurb” on inside of dust jacket to get a summary of the book, skim summary statements of each chapter if available, and flipping through the book and reading selections (ranging from a couple of paragraphs to one or two pages) – especially if these selections are the epilogue or the last few pages.
Superficial reading involves reading a book through, usually as a first time reading of that book, without stopping to look up or think too much of the things that you don’t understand. Read the book through without getting hung up or distracted by difficult paragraphs, footnotes, comments and references. Stopping to look up difficult words or concepts while reading only impedes our reading. The goal is to get through the book – even if you only understand fifty percent or less. This allows for a much better chance of understanding the book on a second reading. And if you decide to not do a second reading at a later date, fifty percent understanding is still better than not getting through the book at all.
What do the authors discuss with regards to reading speeds? While courses are available on “speed reading” is it always beneficial to read quickly? (p. 39-40)
Books should be read at different speeds – some should be read quickly, while some should be read at a slow enough rate that allows for complete comprehension. It is important to not only be able to read at different speeds, but to know when the different speeds are appropriate. Inspectional reading is usually read at a faster pace, compared to analytical reading, which is typically much slower.
What do we generally think reading comprehension means and what does it, in fact, actually refer to? (p. 41-42)
Comprehension involves more that being able to answer simple questions about what is being read. This is a limited view of comprehension – understanding “What does it say?” But comprehension means understanding what a text means, and this requires analytical level of reading.
** Note – assume much of the content following each discussion question is a paraphrase and comes from the book How to Read a Book.
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Michelle Home Scholar 