Here's a breakdown of what it entails:
* Recognizing words: This involves knowing the individual letters and their sounds, and being able to blend them together to form words.
* Understanding word meanings: This requires accessing your vocabulary, knowledge of synonyms and antonyms, and understanding different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.).
* Interpreting context: This involves understanding how words relate to each other within a sentence, how they contribute to the overall meaning of a paragraph, and how they are affected by the surrounding text.
* Making inferences: This involves drawing conclusions based on the information presented, even if it's not explicitly stated.
* Connecting to prior knowledge: This involves using your existing knowledge of the world and experiences to understand the text more fully.
In short, "look at words and understand them" is a complex cognitive process that allows us to extract meaning from written language. It's a crucial skill for learning, communication, and navigating the world around us.