Review of the 6 volumes in the “Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies” series

If you are looking to enhance your reading comprehension skills and strategies, you cannot overlook the Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies book series. So what makes these 6 books special and how can you use them most effectively? Let's refer to PREP's article below for more information!

I. Introduction to Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies

First, let's take a look at some basic information about the 6 books in the Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies series!

1. Author and Publication

Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies is a book series published by Saddleback Educational Publishing, one of the reputable publishing companies in the United States. It aims to help you improve your reading comprehension skills and strategies. The series consists of 6 books ranging from levels 3 to 8, with increasing difficulty.

To learn more about this material, let's refer to some information compiled by PREP in the table below:

2. Target Audience

So, who are the main target users for Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies? Let's find out with PREP:

• Students: Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies is designed to reinforce and enhance students' reading comprehension abilities. If you are passionate about genres like humorous novels, fiction, and non-fiction, this material is highly suitable for you. When using these books, you will learn, play, and absorb knowledge on various topics.
• Teachers: If you are a teacher looking for resources to help students improve their reading comprehension skills, you definitely shouldn't overlook Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies. Use these books for in-class practice or assign them as homework for students.

In addition to the general target audience mentioned above, below are specific target audiences for each book:

• Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies 3: Students in grades 2, 3, and 4.
• Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies 4: Students in grades 3, 4, and 5.
• Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies 5: Students in grades 4, 5, and 6.
• Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies 6: Students in grades 5, 6, and 7.
• Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies 7: Students in grades 6, 7, and 8.
• Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies 8: Students in grades 7, 8, and 9.

II. Content of Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies

What makes the content of Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies special? Follow the details below to understand more about this material:

III. Pros and Cons of Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies

What are the advantages and disadvantages of 6 volumes in the “Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies” series? Let’s check them out with PREP!

1. Pros

• The books are visually appealing, with clear content and numerous illustrated images. This creates interest for students during the learning process.
• Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies provides meticulous guidance on reading comprehension. Additionally, the author analyzes the readings in terms of vocabulary and grammar, allowing users to gradually strengthen their skills.
• The series progresses from basic to advanced levels. While the lessons in Level 3 are simple, the difficulty of the readings gradually increases in subsequent levels. Therefore, users can gradually improve their proficiency.

2. Cons

• The books are written entirely in English. Consequently, if you have a weak foundation or are just starting to learn English, you may encounter difficulties while using them. This language barrier can make it challenging to fully grasp the nuances and complexities of the subject matter, potentially leading to misunderstandings or a less effective learning experience.
• The series was published in 2002, and some of the content and knowledge may no longer be commonly used or relevant to the current time. Over the years, there have been significant advancements and changes in many fields, and older publications may not reflect the latest research, technology, or contemporary practices. This could result in learners acquiring outdated information, which might not be useful or applicable in today's context.

IV. Reader Reviews of Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies

Before purchasing the books, consider reading some reviews for further consideration and reference:

• Wild About Books - an Amazon customer review states: The practices in this book would benefit students who are struggling with reading. It is ideal for Middle School students and can also be used to a certain extent to introduce a skill or concept to a struggling high school reader (9th/10th). There are some sections that are ideal for the struggling 11th/12th grader as well. This is a good book for providing practices with reading concepts that may need fine tuning for students that struggle with reading. 
• Nguyễn Thanh An in the IELTS Việt group shares: "I am currently at a 4.5 IELTS level, and this is the book I chose to improve my reading skills. It is truly effective, and I highly recommend purchasing and using it."

For more information, please refer to the following articles:

• Active Skills for Reading – Chinh phục IELTS Reading nhanh chóng
• 4 sách luyện IELTS Reading “must-read” để chinh phục kỳ thi dễ dàng!

V. Effective Use of the Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies Book

Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies is a resource that helps you improve your reading comprehension skills quickly. So how can you use this book effectively? Consider the following suggested methods by PREP!

1. Master the vocabulary in the book

The first step to effectively using Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies is to master the vocabulary provided by the author in the book. For example, in the book Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies 3, you can memorize words like father, neat, talk, mistake, and small by doing the following exercise:

Additionally, take note of these vocabulary words in your personal notebook for more effective studying. The suggested note-taking format by PREP is as follows:

2. Reading comprehension

Thoroughly understanding the text is one of the essential tasks you need to practice to improve your skills. So how can you effectively comprehend what you read? PREP advises using the skills of skimming and scanning:

• Skimming: Quickly read through the main ideas of the text without delving into the details. Practice by reading headings, opening sentences, concluding sentences, and paying attention to important nouns.
• Scanning: This is a rapid reading technique used to locate specific information or data. After skimming, scan the text to understand it better and identify the specific information you are looking for.

Try reading and answering some questions in the image below:

3. Self-assessment

Furthermore, to improve your reading comprehension skills, you need to regularly assess your own knowledge after 2-5 days of studying. So how can you accurately test yourself?

PREP suggests creating small questions for yourself or using quiz apps like Quizlet, Anki, etc. This method allows you to revisit your studied material, reinforcing your memory and comprehension. Creating personalized flashcards or quizzes tailored to your learning material can significantly enhance the retention of concepts and details. When you generate your own questions, you engage in a process known as active recall. This technique is much more effective than passive review because it forces your brain to retrieve information without seeing the answer first, which strengthens neural connections.

VI. Where to Purchase the Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies?

In respect for the author's copyright, PREP recommends buying the Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies books from reputable places such as bookstores or online commercial websites. Additionally, to facilitate your home study for exams, PREP has compiled the PDF files of this material below for your reference:

After this sharing, PREP hopes that you will have a better overview of the six books in the Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies series. If you encounter any difficulties while using this material, please leave a comment, and PREP will respond promptly!