Reading: Reading Fluency & Strategies
B1 Lesson 2: Using Headings & Topic Sentences
Before You Read 🧠
Key Vocabulary
Understanding these text features is the first step to becoming a strategic reader.
The "Roadmap" Reading Strategy 🗺️
Fluent readers create a mental map before reading in detail. This helps them read faster and with better comprehension.
The 3-Step Roadmap Strategy
- Read the Main Title: This tells you the overall topic.
- Read the Subheadings: These tell you the topic of each major part.
- Read the Topic Sentence of Each Paragraph: This gives you the main idea of that paragraph.
After these three steps, you'll have a "skeleton" of the whole text!
Apply the strategy to the article below. First, just read the highlighted parts to build your roadmap.
While Kampot town is charming, the real beauty of the province can be found in its surrounding countryside. There are many unique places to visit just a short moto or tuk-tuk ride away from the riverfront.
One of the most popular activities is visiting a local pepper plantation. Here, you can learn why Kampot pepper is famous around the world. Guides will show you how the different types—black, red, and white—are grown, harvested, and processed.
Just a short drive from the town, you can also witness the traditional process of salt production. In the salt fields, farmers flood fields with sea water and then let the sun evaporate it, leaving behind natural sea salt. It is a fascinating process that depends entirely on the sun and wind.
Finally, the area around Kampot is known for its impressive limestone mountains, which contain several caves worth exploring. For example, Phnom Chhngok has a pre-Angkorian temple inside a cave, offering a mix of nature and history.
Practice What You Learned 🎯
Quiz: Use the Roadmap
Imagine you see an article with the following title and subheadings. You have not read the article itself.
The Cambodian Wedding Celebration
- An Introduction to the Traditions -
- The 'Hai Goan Gomloh' Groom's Parade -
- The 'Gaat Sah' Hair-Cutting Ceremony -
- The 'Sompeas Ptem' Knot-Tying Ceremony -
Based only on this roadmap, which section would you read to find information about tying blessings onto the couple's wrists?
- A. The 'Hai Goan Gomloh' Groom's Parade
- B. An Introduction to the Traditions
- C. The 'Sompeas Ptem' Knot-Tying Ceremony
→ Answer: C. The subheading "Knot-Tying Ceremony" is the clearest clue. This shows how using the structure saves you time.
Key Vocabulary Reference
- Title / Heading The main name of an article or text, found at the very top.
- Subheading A smaller title for a specific section within a longer article.
- Topic Sentence The sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph, usually the first one.
- Predict To make a smart guess about a text's content based on structural clues.
Your Reading Mission ⭐
Map a Real Article!
Find an English article online or in a textbook that has a main title and at least two subheadings.
- Before reading it fully, copy down the Title, the Subheadings, and the first sentence of each paragraph into your notebook.
- Read your "roadmap." In one sentence, write what you predict the article is about.
This is a powerful strategy that all fluent readers use!