What is 'three level guides'?

A three level guide is a way of approaching a piece of text. It aims to improve the reader's comprehension. The three levels to guide the reading are:

Level 1: Literal comprehension	Reading the words on the lines. What is the author actually saying?
Level 2: Interpretive comprehension	Reading between the lines. What does the author actually mean?
Level 3: Applied comprehension	Reading beyond the lines. How does what the author says relate to what I already know, how can I use it and does it affect my beliefs?



What is the value of a three level guides?
As a way of improving reading for meaning, H.L. Herber developed three level guides in his book Teaching Reading in Content Areas (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1978). Herber believed that to comprehend, readers must first be able to find what the author actually says. This is working out the literal meaning of the text. Next, the reader must think about what the author means, that is, interpreting the text. Finally, the reader needs to be able to use the meaning of the text, that is, applying the information. By doing these three things, readers gain a better understanding of a text.


Source: Anderson, Mark and Kathy Anderson. 1997. Text Types in English 2. South Yarra: Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd.