Reading

Reading is a process of retrieving and comprehending some form of stored information or ideas. These ideas are usually some sort of representation of language, such as symbols to be examined by sight, or by touch (for example Braille). more...

Home
Cables, Connectors
Filers, Load Balancers
Home Networking, Cable & DSL
Hubs
KVM Switch Boxes, Cables
Mainframe, DEC, VAX, AS/400
Network Interface Cards,...
Networking, Telecom Tools
Other Networking Equipment
Print Servers, Wired
Racks, Mounts & Patch Panels
Router Components, Memory
Routers, Wired
Security, Firewall, VPN
Server Components, Memory
Servers
Software
Antivirus, Security,...
Apple, Macintosh Software
Business & Productivity
Database & Development Tools
Digital Music & Video...
Downloadable Software
Education & Reference
Arts & Music
Business
Car Repair
College Test Preparation
Computer Related
Dictionaries
Encyclopedias
Britannica
Encarta
Other Encyclopedias
Genealogy
General Reference
Health
History
How-To
Computer Building & Repair
Home Improvement
Music
Other
Photography
Professional, Career
Typing
Web Design
Language
Chinese
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Other
Russian
Spanish
Legal and Living Will
Maps, Atlas, Geography
Math
Other
Reading
Religion
Science
Games & Entertainment
Graphics, Photo & Publishing
Handheld Software
Internet Related Utilities
Kids' Software
Networking
Operating Systems
Other Software
Wholesale Lots
Software, Operating Systems
Storage Equipment, NAS, SAN
Switch Components, Memory
Switches
Telephone Systems, Telecom
UPS, Power Protection, APC
Wholesale Lots
Wireless Networking, WiFi
Workstation Components,...
Workstations, Terminals

Other types of reading may not be language-based, such as music notation or pictograms. By analogy, in computer science, reading is acquiring of data from some sort of computer storage.

It is difficult to say when reading became widespread as that depends on the definition of literacy. Arguably reading became the norm when free and state education came about in 1870 in England. Reading is a primary means for people to receive information which makes it quite ironic that it has only become mainstream within the last 150 years.

Rates

Further information: Speed reading, English as an additional language, and Proofreading

Rates of reading include reading for memorization (under 100 words per minute (wpm)), reading for learning (100–200 wpm), reading for comprehension (200–400 wpm), skimming (400–700 wpm), and scanning (more than 700 wpm). Specifically, normal reading involves the rates of "rauding" (or normal reading), skimming, and scanning which should be understood as having very different purposes and consequences. Reading for comprehension is the most important reading process because it is the essence of most people’s daily reading. Skimming and scanning are sometimes useful for processing larger quantities of text superficially at a much lower level of comprehension (below 50%).

Advice for the appropriate choice of reading rate includes reading flexibly, slowing down when the concepts are closer together or when the material is unfamiliar, and speeding up when the material is familiar and the material is not concept rich. Speed reading courses and books often encourage the reader to continually speed up; comprehension tests lead the reader to believe their comprehension is constantly improving. However, competence in reading involves the understanding that skimming and scanning are dangerous as default habits.

Misc

Learning to read in a second language, especially in adulthood, may be a different process than learning to read a native language in childhood.

Proofreading is a kind of reading for the purpose of detecting typographical errors.

There are cases of very young children learning to read without having been taught, such as described in the book Learning From Children Who Read at an Early Age by Rhona Stainthorp and Diana Hughes.

Reading Assessment

Because reading draws on multiple types of knowledge, it can be tested in several different ways. Tests also vary depending on whether they are used to test children or adults. Standardized tests are normed to a large population of readers, allowing the tester to determine what is typical for an individual of a given age. For example, the average reading ability of children aged 10 years, 0 months will be 10;0. However, a more advanced eight year old might also be able to read at the 10;0 level.

Read more at Wikipedia.org