As I read I am constantly trying to make sure everything is making sense to me. Many times I have to reread for a better understanding. I can remember in third grade my teacher, Miss McClary, taught my class a strategy for reading comprehension. She told us after every paragraph you should ask yourself a series of questions. Who was involved here? What did they do? Was there a problem? How did they or will they fix it? She then told us if we still weren’t sure of one of the answer or we caught ourselves thinking about things other than the readings we should go back and reread. Obviously, now being a junior in college I do not ask my self these questions after every paragraph I read. However, I do have to think about all of those as I am continuously reading.
As a college student my volume of required reading sometimes stretches beyond what I am actually able to read. I constantly find myself wanting to speed read or skim the material because I have procrastinated and don’t have enough time to think about all of them in as much depth as hoped. During these sessions of speed reading I always look at the title so I know the topic that is being discussed. Then I read the first and last sentence of the paragraphs because a lot of the important information is outlined here. Then if there is any bolded or italicized words I read the sentences they are in. If I am not rushing through my readings I have found it to be beneficial to do the above steps anyways and then go through and read it. If you know what you are going to be reading about it is a lot easier to make connections and remember what was stated within the paragraph.
In one of the articles the author talked about another way to sift through all of the material to find the important information is to ask yourself what you think the author wants you to know. I haven’t personally tried this strategy yet but I feel it would be quite beneficial. I frequently forget the purpose of the reading and if you can keep that in mind it can help make connections to your background knowledge.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Jess' Reading Text
When I look back and think about what strategies I use when I read I find it important to think about the kind of text I am reading. The kind of text matters about how I go about reading beacause each type of text produces different ways of thinking in my mind. Specifically in all instances of reading I usually look through the book and see what each chapter contains or section. By doing this with informational texts and articles you are able to get an idea of where the text is heading toward. This is useful for me because as I read I already know the overall purpose I am suppose to get out of reading. By knowing the purpose I find it easier to locate key phrases and words that may be imporant for after reading. In regards to non-fiction texts I usually do not look through the chapters, because sometimes the chapter titles give away information, which is exactly opposite from fiction texts. However I think the most enjoying thing about reading non-fiction texts is that the internal thinking in my mind always concerns what might happen next, or I bet this happens, or I wonder if that is important to know for the future. In comparison to how I read fiction text my internal thinking usually revolves around what information I need to come back to or remember. Reading a non-fiction text is more like watching a movie you want to know what comes next or what might be important because your anxious to know what will be next. But in fiction text the internal thinking is usually for me only about how I can remember what I have already read.
The important information in both instances is usally apparent while reading. Its either in bold or talked about in detail. I find it easy to pick point important information from a chapter but sometimes i have to read it a few times in order to remember it or get a firm grasp on the idea.
The important information in both instances is usally apparent while reading. Its either in bold or talked about in detail. I find it easy to pick point important information from a chapter but sometimes i have to read it a few times in order to remember it or get a firm grasp on the idea.
Reading texts
While pondering the notion of how I read texts, I came across some interesting things that I often do. Throughout my schooling, I have had countless numbers of assigned reading to do. Many of the text books I read were very dry and slightly boring (not all, but some). I somehow taught myself to look at the end of each chapter before I start reading and look at what the questions were asking about the text. I would then go read the chapter as a whole, but make sure I kept my eyes open for the main points and would highlight them.
When I read, I like to picture what is going on in the text. When it's a literature book, I pretty much have a movie playing in my head on what I think is happening. It's hard for me to get a movie picture in my head with text books which may be a reason why I have a harder time consentrating on that kind of homework. I understand the importance of reading and comprehending what is read. I do for the most part comprehend what I read (usually the first time) but sometimes am not sure if I truly understand what the text is saying (usually happened in geometry and physics).
I usually know what's important by thinking about what the chapter is supposed to cover. I look at the title of the chapter and read the intro. By reading the intro, I get a good grasp on what the author is attempting to explain in his writing.
When I read, I like to picture what is going on in the text. When it's a literature book, I pretty much have a movie playing in my head on what I think is happening. It's hard for me to get a movie picture in my head with text books which may be a reason why I have a harder time consentrating on that kind of homework. I understand the importance of reading and comprehending what is read. I do for the most part comprehend what I read (usually the first time) but sometimes am not sure if I truly understand what the text is saying (usually happened in geometry and physics).
I usually know what's important by thinking about what the chapter is supposed to cover. I look at the title of the chapter and read the intro. By reading the intro, I get a good grasp on what the author is attempting to explain in his writing.
Kristen W.'s importance in reading
When I am reading something I first assess what the point of the reading assignment is. If there is a key concept in the class that we are focusing on, I know that I should be looking for information that will help add to my knowledge of that concept. As I read I do have an internal conversation. I read something and go over what I just read and then decide if it’s important or rather decide if this helps to elaborate on the key concept. If it is a broad chapter of information I often look for any bullets, separate boxes containing information, or bold or italicized words that could all indicate important information.
When reading books for enjoyment it is a little harder to distinguish important points of what I am reading. I often remember or pay attention to main points such as characters and setting. It is more difficult to tell important parts of a book, because in a novel you often don’t know what will happen or what is important to pay attention to that will help in analyzing a situation later in the book. Oftentimes I will need to go back to the beginning to recap on specific details that will help to understand the passage later in the book that I have reached.
I think it really depends on what you are reading and why you are reading it to determine what is important in the text. Many school texts have a plain reason why we are reading it and so we know what kind of information is important for us to know in order to succeed in class, on a project, or on a test. When reading for pleasure something in the book may seem less important than others. For instance, something romantic happening in a story could be important to one person, but insignificant to the overall plot to another person reading the same book. Subjectivity comes into play when finding important features in a text because everyone comes from different backgrounds, has gained different background knowledge, and sees things differently. Because of this, everyone sees novels or class texts differently and may interpret some things more important than others. It is mainly important as a teacher to make clear to students the goal of what they should get out of the text and the purpose for reading the text for them to find the importance and meaning behind what they are reading.
When reading books for enjoyment it is a little harder to distinguish important points of what I am reading. I often remember or pay attention to main points such as characters and setting. It is more difficult to tell important parts of a book, because in a novel you often don’t know what will happen or what is important to pay attention to that will help in analyzing a situation later in the book. Oftentimes I will need to go back to the beginning to recap on specific details that will help to understand the passage later in the book that I have reached.
I think it really depends on what you are reading and why you are reading it to determine what is important in the text. Many school texts have a plain reason why we are reading it and so we know what kind of information is important for us to know in order to succeed in class, on a project, or on a test. When reading for pleasure something in the book may seem less important than others. For instance, something romantic happening in a story could be important to one person, but insignificant to the overall plot to another person reading the same book. Subjectivity comes into play when finding important features in a text because everyone comes from different backgrounds, has gained different background knowledge, and sees things differently. Because of this, everyone sees novels or class texts differently and may interpret some things more important than others. It is mainly important as a teacher to make clear to students the goal of what they should get out of the text and the purpose for reading the text for them to find the importance and meaning behind what they are reading.
When I begin reading passages from a book or story I first look at any pictures that are on the page. For a couple of reasons one to give me an idea of what this section might be about or two because I like pictures . If there are no pictures on the page I start reading the section. I then read one paragraph of information at a time if the story is not in paragraphs then I stop at a section where I think the information is telling me new ideas. After I have read the one paragraph I go back and think about what the paragraph was about. Is there anything in particular that is important to me? Do I understand everything in this section? If I don’t I go back and make sure I read over everything again that has to do with this topic to see if I missed something. Then I continue to read on doing the same thing every time. After each chapter or when I am done reading I think to myself what was the main purpose of this section. Do I have any questions? If so, what are they? Then I try and go back and see if I missed something on the information that I don’t understand. If I can’t find anything then I will write it down so I can find out the answer to it. I have a lot of internal conversation with myself when I read, not only to help me understand what I am reading but also to help me stay focused on the task at hand. Usually the text that is important for the students to know is what the main ideas where in the section that they read. That’s why I try and find the importance of each paragraph so I can come to a better conclusion of what information is the most important to me as a reader.
Importance in Reading
When reading it is important to think about why you are reading first before you think about what is important within the reading. If I am reading a text book for class then I pick out the important details that have to do with class, the chapter, or what a test might be over. When reading for class, I think about what we have been discussing in class and how the reading might be relevant to our discussions. Also I read the chapter title and ask myself as I read what is important in this text that relates to the title of the chapter. I like to highlight the important stuff so I can easily scan later when studying for a test. I am always asking myself questions as I read. Sometimes I ask myself if I have prior knowledge about a certain subject or term, or whether I understand something. When there are things that I do not understand then I write it out on a post it note so I can look it up later. Then when I reread for test or papers then I know what that concept, or whatever, means.
If I am reading for pleasure then I pick out main characters and what each person does in the story. I am always thinking in my head as I read for pleasure. Some of the books that I read have complicated plots and characters, so I have to think about which character feels or does certain things. My favorite author uses characters across his books even though they are completely different stories and I often have to think back about what important details were in the other stories that are significant in my new story.
I think it is really important to have an inner dialogue because if you are just reading then you may not be taking in all the information the way you should. If you do not question yourself about what you are reading it is almost like you did not even read. If you consciously ask yourself questions about what you just read then you have a deeper meaning associated with what you are reading. It will be easier to recall information later on if you put meaning to it. Otherwise when you are in class and the teacher ask what you thought about a certain term, you may remember the term but may not have anything attached to it for it to be meaningful.
If I am reading for pleasure then I pick out main characters and what each person does in the story. I am always thinking in my head as I read for pleasure. Some of the books that I read have complicated plots and characters, so I have to think about which character feels or does certain things. My favorite author uses characters across his books even though they are completely different stories and I often have to think back about what important details were in the other stories that are significant in my new story.
I think it is really important to have an inner dialogue because if you are just reading then you may not be taking in all the information the way you should. If you do not question yourself about what you are reading it is almost like you did not even read. If you consciously ask yourself questions about what you just read then you have a deeper meaning associated with what you are reading. It will be easier to recall information later on if you put meaning to it. Otherwise when you are in class and the teacher ask what you thought about a certain term, you may remember the term but may not have anything attached to it for it to be meaningful.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
How Do You Know What Is Important In Text? By: Kate Neal
Thinking back on how I have always read passages, I do have an internal conversation with myself. After each paragraph (or sentence if the material is difficult) I ask myself, “What did I just read?” If something in the reading catches my attention (makes me laugh, reminisce, question etc.) I will become sidetracked (asking myself how that statement familiar to me, think about a time when something similar happened to me, etc.). Overall, I can not think of a time when I have read and not had an internal conversation with myself and/or imagined a picture in my head about what was going on in the reading.
Most of the readings I do now are for school assignments. Being that the readings are vital to my education, I make sure I fully understand before I move on in the book. For this type of reading I highlight information that I believe to be important or write notes on the side of the pages/ or my notebook so I can have the idea in my own words. Highlighting and taking notes make it easier for me to study for the exam over the readings. For readings that are for personal pleasure I highlight some funny, sad, thrilling, etc. times in the book, but rarely need to take notes because the reading is always interesting to me otherwise I would not be reading it.
How do I decide what information is important when I am reading? I normally ask what the story, chapter, or passage is about. From there I begin to think about what is in the reading that answers or really goes into detail about what the reading is about. Sometimes I will consider the highlighted words to be important, the title of a paragraph to be important, steps or stages of something to be important, or how something is used to be important. It does, however, depend solely on the reader and his or her own views and/or interests. What I may consider to be important could not be what some one else may consider to be important.
Most of the readings I do now are for school assignments. Being that the readings are vital to my education, I make sure I fully understand before I move on in the book. For this type of reading I highlight information that I believe to be important or write notes on the side of the pages/ or my notebook so I can have the idea in my own words. Highlighting and taking notes make it easier for me to study for the exam over the readings. For readings that are for personal pleasure I highlight some funny, sad, thrilling, etc. times in the book, but rarely need to take notes because the reading is always interesting to me otherwise I would not be reading it.
How do I decide what information is important when I am reading? I normally ask what the story, chapter, or passage is about. From there I begin to think about what is in the reading that answers or really goes into detail about what the reading is about. Sometimes I will consider the highlighted words to be important, the title of a paragraph to be important, steps or stages of something to be important, or how something is used to be important. It does, however, depend solely on the reader and his or her own views and/or interests. What I may consider to be important could not be what some one else may consider to be important.
Lauren Flaspohler's reading importance
Reading takes a lot of different skills. One of those skills includes figuring out what is important about a text. Another skill includes having an internal conversation with yourself about what you are reading as you read.
Over the years that I have been reading, I have learned how to decide what is important when I am reading. Generally, I will read with a highlighter and a pen. While I read, if I already know something I don’t highlight it. If something is new to me and seems to be a general and main idea of the text I will highlight that, and then I will look for details that go into more depth. Also I will note down a couple points in the margin that tell me what I have highlighted so when I go back I can remember why I highlighted that part. Figuring out what is important is somewhat of a biased decision. What is important to me may not be important to someone else. This is why it is important for teachers to go back and explain what they think is important as well. As long as the main ideas of the reading are understood, generally that will be enough.
Internal conversations are critical when reading and understanding what you are reading. I am always asking myself if I understood what I have just read. Also if I highlight things, I try to reword them in my head and if I write them down. This way I know that I understand it and if I come back to reread what I wrote/highlighted, and I can remember it a lot easier and faster. Also if I don’t know what a word is, I will have an internal conversation trying to figure out what the word means. I will reread the sentence that it is in and I will see if I know part of the word. Usually I can figure it out, but if I can’t, I will look it up in a dictionary.
Over the years that I have been reading, I have learned how to decide what is important when I am reading. Generally, I will read with a highlighter and a pen. While I read, if I already know something I don’t highlight it. If something is new to me and seems to be a general and main idea of the text I will highlight that, and then I will look for details that go into more depth. Also I will note down a couple points in the margin that tell me what I have highlighted so when I go back I can remember why I highlighted that part. Figuring out what is important is somewhat of a biased decision. What is important to me may not be important to someone else. This is why it is important for teachers to go back and explain what they think is important as well. As long as the main ideas of the reading are understood, generally that will be enough.
Internal conversations are critical when reading and understanding what you are reading. I am always asking myself if I understood what I have just read. Also if I highlight things, I try to reword them in my head and if I write them down. This way I know that I understand it and if I come back to reread what I wrote/highlighted, and I can remember it a lot easier and faster. Also if I don’t know what a word is, I will have an internal conversation trying to figure out what the word means. I will reread the sentence that it is in and I will see if I know part of the word. Usually I can figure it out, but if I can’t, I will look it up in a dictionary.
Important while Reading, Jennifer Wolff
I think everyone picks out different things that are important while reading. I also believe this can be based off of several different reasons as well. One main reason could be one's background knowledge. Not every student has the same background knowledge, so one may think something is more important than another classmate. For instance, say one student is preached at home about proper manners during dinner, yet another student is allowed to eat in front of the television or on the floor. While reading, if a passage explains not chewing with your mouth open, the student that has learned this previously may think this is a very important idea, whereas the other may just skim past it. This was a very small example, but I think it definitely proves that one's homelife may affect how he/she reads a book, or paragraph. Furthermore, I think if the students know something they are looking for, they will be more likely to think the same things are important. For example, in Stacey's class on Monday we read a passage about a house. First she told us to underline anything we thought was important. Some students underlined important names in the paragraph along with places. However, while reading I noticed things that stood out that were different than names. I saw sentences that hinted to the possible robbery that could happen later on in the story. This is what stood out to me, so I underlined all the potential hints into the robbery. I simply did not think names were important because they were not going to help me once the house was robbed. This may be different than most students; however, I thought I needed information that was going to help me in the long run, not names and locations.
I think this is important for teachers to realize. Not every student is going to think the same, and a teacher needs to be able to look at a passage and see every possible outcome. This may be difficult; however, with a lot of work, I think any teacher can master this.
I think this is important for teachers to realize. Not every student is going to think the same, and a teacher needs to be able to look at a passage and see every possible outcome. This may be difficult; however, with a lot of work, I think any teacher can master this.
What is important
Whenever I am reading be it for school or for fun I try to put myself in the story. I read as if someone is telling the content to me in a conversation. As I go through the text when something comes up that I would question a person about to find out more or because I don’t understand it I write it down that way I can read on and maybe find the answer or if not look it up when I am done reading. I do thing in case it is important and I tend to think of this as not important if I don’t understand them so this way if it is important I will have some understanding of it. I also look for things that are repeated throughout the text if it is mentioned more than once or twice it is probably of some significance. For textbooks I look at what is in bold print and larger print. Usually these things are standing out for a reason. Looking at headings also helps me to figure out what might be important. If I am reading for an assignment I look for things that we have talked about in class or things the teacher has mentioned if they are in the text then I know they are important. If I am reading something for pleasure I look through the book when I first get it and see if there are any pictures. If there are I look at what the pictures are showing and as I read I think about how the text relates to the picture and anything that does I know is important. I also look at the main title or chapter title to find what is important in the text by finding what is related to them.
Alex Nabolotny's Importance in Reading
As a student I try to be a very active reader. I always want to try and get as much content out of an article or textbook. I find this hard to do sometimes, especially with readings that do not hold my attention. Because of this I have tried to think of tricks to help me get the main ideas out of articles or textbooks without having to read everything thoroughly. One thing that I always try to do is highlight. I highlight what I believe are the authors main ideas and this usually helps me understand the content of the article. However, sometimes it is easy to get highlight crazy and highlight every word on the page, and then that kind of defeats the purpose. Because of this I try to, along with highlighting, write down some notes in the margins of the text or article. They are usually short sentences, or even questions that I have about the reading. The questions help me stay focused on the reading because as I continue to read I am searching for the answer to my question. Reading for school and reading for pleasure are two different types of reading and I use different comprehension skills for each. Books that I read for pleasure are written differently than textbooks and therefore they do not require the highlighting and note-taking. I do, though, think of questions as I read for pleasure. I also look closely at the dialogue because it is important to see what is going on in the character's lives.
Interestingly enough, in one of my classes we did an activity on reading comprehension. My teacher gave us a short story and told us to underline things that we thought were important to the story. I thought this activity was really beneficial because I was able to see what my classmates underlined, what they thought was important. It got me thinking about reading comprehension and how students can and will interpret stories differently. Obviously there are certain texts where there is only one main idea, but at times there can be some discrepancy between main ideas.
Overall I think the most important things to do when reading is highlight or underline the important things. This will help you get to the point and allow you to comprehend the story better.
Alex Lew
I, like every other college student, have had plenty of opportunity to work on my reading skills. The large amounts of reading assigned to me has helped me over the years to work on finding what is important in what I am reading. I feel it is important for me to understand how I figure out what is important when I am reading, as well as what goes on in my head while I read, because it will better able me to explain these processes to new readers.
When reading college texts it is fairly easy to determine what is important in the reading. Usually, what has been discussed in class is being supported by the assigned reading and therefore I have an idea of what main points to pay attention to. I use a highlighter to mark the main ideas of paragraphs and other interesting facts; so that I can remember what I thought was important. The internal conversation I have while reading college texts usually connects the reading back to something else, either read before or talked about in class. I also try to imagine myself using the techniques or lesson ideas, presented in the reading, in my own classroom. This helps me to better understand what the lesson or idea is about and to visualize its usefulness.
When I read for enjoyment, rather than for school, my process for deciding what is important is different. It is harder for me to determine what is important while reading novels because if I do not know what is going to happen in the book I cannot determine what is important information and what is not. My internal conversation while reading novels for pleasure talks through major events. If an important event has happened in the book I then try to think about why it was important, how it related back to the beginning of the book, and how this certain event will/will not change the course of the book. I also have a constant running visual of the images and events that happen when I read, because if I did not do this I would lose focus and begin to think about other things unrelated to the book, while still continuing to read.
My reading of college texts differs from that of reading novels for pleasure, however, I always try to connect the reading to something while having some sort of a visual to keep me focused.
When reading college texts it is fairly easy to determine what is important in the reading. Usually, what has been discussed in class is being supported by the assigned reading and therefore I have an idea of what main points to pay attention to. I use a highlighter to mark the main ideas of paragraphs and other interesting facts; so that I can remember what I thought was important. The internal conversation I have while reading college texts usually connects the reading back to something else, either read before or talked about in class. I also try to imagine myself using the techniques or lesson ideas, presented in the reading, in my own classroom. This helps me to better understand what the lesson or idea is about and to visualize its usefulness.
When I read for enjoyment, rather than for school, my process for deciding what is important is different. It is harder for me to determine what is important while reading novels because if I do not know what is going to happen in the book I cannot determine what is important information and what is not. My internal conversation while reading novels for pleasure talks through major events. If an important event has happened in the book I then try to think about why it was important, how it related back to the beginning of the book, and how this certain event will/will not change the course of the book. I also have a constant running visual of the images and events that happen when I read, because if I did not do this I would lose focus and begin to think about other things unrelated to the book, while still continuing to read.
My reading of college texts differs from that of reading novels for pleasure, however, I always try to connect the reading to something while having some sort of a visual to keep me focused.
Kelly Reeder-Breaking Down Readings
While reading texts there are many different things that cross my mind. If I know that the text assigned to me by my teacher is going to be very important I bring out my highlighter and begin marking the paragraphs, or sentences, that I think will be beneficial if I look over the text again. I know that I am not a very good judge of what is important, but I know that I have a hard time focusing. If I am able to eliminate simple sentences, without meaning, than I have narrowed down what I should reread. While reading these important texts I often find myself reading each sentence over twice, and then sitting back to comprehend what the sentence was saying. Each time I put all of my energy into understanding every part of a text I take a lot longer than I do while reading a simple article. Each time I read a sentence and sit back to comprehend it I also wonder if this could be important. I think about if it will be on a test, paper, or quiz in the future.
Often times a teacher will give you a text and tell you that certain parts will be on an exam. When this happens I break down each little section into time slots. Since I don’t want to overwhelm myself I will break down the chapters into sections, and even paragraphs down to a sentence. During one of my cluster classes I found that outlining the chapter helps me to better understand the concept of it. I look for the most important things inside of each of each paragraph and best summarize it. If I have a hard time with what I am reading, I will try and reword some of the important sentences so that I will better understand. Once I am done with my outline, I set my book aside and try to comprehend what is written on my sheet.
I guess when I look at my strategy for understanding the main ideas in text I do have a major conversation with myself. I often sit back and try to reword or repeat a sentence I just read. I wonder what points I would focus on if I was a teacher, and which points would be the most beneficial for me to understand. There are often times when I become stumped with a reading, but if I try and break it down to a point where it is simple enough for me to understand then I am able to focus on the important points and eliminate the unnecessary.
Often times a teacher will give you a text and tell you that certain parts will be on an exam. When this happens I break down each little section into time slots. Since I don’t want to overwhelm myself I will break down the chapters into sections, and even paragraphs down to a sentence. During one of my cluster classes I found that outlining the chapter helps me to better understand the concept of it. I look for the most important things inside of each of each paragraph and best summarize it. If I have a hard time with what I am reading, I will try and reword some of the important sentences so that I will better understand. Once I am done with my outline, I set my book aside and try to comprehend what is written on my sheet.
I guess when I look at my strategy for understanding the main ideas in text I do have a major conversation with myself. I often sit back and try to reword or repeat a sentence I just read. I wonder what points I would focus on if I was a teacher, and which points would be the most beneficial for me to understand. There are often times when I become stumped with a reading, but if I try and break it down to a point where it is simple enough for me to understand then I am able to focus on the important points and eliminate the unnecessary.
Importance of Reading (Leanne)
As a Junior in college, I've had plenty of exposure to reading educational texts. At this point, I know that there is not much of a chance of taking a college course without these texts. However, I have also grown to see the importance and relevance of many of these readings. Since most of my classes are specific to teaching, I really consider the information in the texts to be practical and beneficial. I've learned to view these texts as a tool for my teaching.
Although I do not have a classroom of my own, I still consider previous teaching experiences as well as any I am currently in when I read. Right now, I tutor at the Boys and Girls Club and consistently see students with academic difficulties. When I encounter these challenges, I usually rely on readings or discussions from classes to help these students. I've had the chance to implement strategies and suggestions from readings and many times have found them to be very helpful.
When I read, I usually try to imagine myself implementing the information from the text. Many times, these readings are over workshops, lessons, or strategies in the classroom. As I read, I try to imagine experiencing these as a student as well as in a teacher role. I have also had some exposure to working with students in special education, so when reading about certain disabilities, I imagine specific students to which the text applies. Many times, I can imagine certain characteristics being played out, which makes the information seem more relevant and true. When I can make the connection with my own experience, the text becomes more useful and practical to my life.
There is so much information in a text, especially one that is academic. I tend to focus on a specific aspect that seems most important. Usually I decide what is important based on what we are discussing in the class at the time, what is going on with my life, or what I want to focus on teaching in the future. For instance, if the class discussion will be about multiplication, I will most likely focus on how to implement this with upper grade levels. This is because I am teaching beginning multiplication at the 3rd grade level and I also would like to teach in the upper elementary level after college. However, if there is a reading on spelling or handwriting, I might pay particular attention to how to incorporate and encourage this in younger grades. This is because I have a lot of students that I tutor who need help in this area. I might focus on strategies that I can implement outside of the classroom. Overall, I try to imagine what is most practical at the time as well as what will be the biggest "take-away" point from the text in the future.
Although I do not have a classroom of my own, I still consider previous teaching experiences as well as any I am currently in when I read. Right now, I tutor at the Boys and Girls Club and consistently see students with academic difficulties. When I encounter these challenges, I usually rely on readings or discussions from classes to help these students. I've had the chance to implement strategies and suggestions from readings and many times have found them to be very helpful.
When I read, I usually try to imagine myself implementing the information from the text. Many times, these readings are over workshops, lessons, or strategies in the classroom. As I read, I try to imagine experiencing these as a student as well as in a teacher role. I have also had some exposure to working with students in special education, so when reading about certain disabilities, I imagine specific students to which the text applies. Many times, I can imagine certain characteristics being played out, which makes the information seem more relevant and true. When I can make the connection with my own experience, the text becomes more useful and practical to my life.
There is so much information in a text, especially one that is academic. I tend to focus on a specific aspect that seems most important. Usually I decide what is important based on what we are discussing in the class at the time, what is going on with my life, or what I want to focus on teaching in the future. For instance, if the class discussion will be about multiplication, I will most likely focus on how to implement this with upper grade levels. This is because I am teaching beginning multiplication at the 3rd grade level and I also would like to teach in the upper elementary level after college. However, if there is a reading on spelling or handwriting, I might pay particular attention to how to incorporate and encourage this in younger grades. This is because I have a lot of students that I tutor who need help in this area. I might focus on strategies that I can implement outside of the classroom. Overall, I try to imagine what is most practical at the time as well as what will be the biggest "take-away" point from the text in the future.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Amy Stone's Importance in Reading
I have never been very good at reading comprehension and my skills have some what progressed over the years but nothing major has occurred. Once I changed my major to education my sophomore year, I began to realize different strategies that can be used to make sure that I comprehend the text to the full extent. When entering college, it was no longer the same as high school when I could read something and finish without knowing what any of the words meant. I began to utilize the strategies that were present in my courses and I find that these strategies can be used at any age.
When I am reading, I tend to be an active highlighter. For me highlighting allows me to comprehend that I have read the text and helps me to focus in on the words and concept. I tend to highlight main concepts and ideas but I also focus on definitions throughout the text therefore I can comprehend the ideas better. From the courses that I am taking now on literacy, I now realize that as I am reading, I want to make a picture and a connection to the text in my mind. In the margins of different readings, I normally write any questions that have risen as I am reading or connections that the text has to my everyday life. Like most people, I have an internal dialogue while I am reading. I read the text and replay the words in my mind but I also make connections and ask questions in my mind while I am reading. Sometimes I do not need to write any questions down because as I read more of the text my questions are answered.
Sometimes as I am reading, it is difficult to understand what is important in the text but I normally focus on titles, key words, and main concepts. By browsing the text first, I am able to gain a sense of what is to be included within the reading. When I know what is in store before I read, my mind is more focused throughout the reading and I am able to make better connections. As I continue through my years in college and begin to have my own classroom of students, I would like to master more strategies so that I can teach those strategies and use them within my own readings. By finding new ways to comprehend texts and create a better internal dialogue, I will be able to teach my students better and use these strategies on my own.
Courtney Dressler's Important Reading
Although I have always considered myself an avid highlighter, it has not been until recently that I believe I have been highlighting the “right” information. We have all been taught that when we come across important, relevant, or informational ideas or statements in a text we should somehow mark it so that the information will be useful in the future. But do students really know what they should be looking for? Today, for instance, in one of my courses, we used a simple piece of text to understand how children look for and comprehend information depending on what their teachers ask of them. For example, if a student were reading for “big ideas,” the highlighted information would differ from if a student were reading for “specific examples,” “names of characters,” or “chronological events.” In short, while reading I must remember what I am looking for in order to find “what is important.” Take, for instance, that I am reading an assigned reading for a course this semester on children’s literature. Although the passage is sure to have an abundance of useful information and activities that I could apply to my class, I make sure to only highlight “big concepts” such as vocabulary or generalizations along with any activities that I hope to refer back to in the future. In order to successfully do this, while I read I have a constant and repetitive internal conversation taking place in my mind: “Will I need to know this information 2 weeks from now? A year from now? Will it be applicable during discussions, activities, and assignments? Do I find the information interesting and useful for my future as a teacher?” All of these internal questions help me to recognize, what I find to be, relevant information in the text. But although these are the questions I ask while reading, I firmly believe that what people find “important” and “useful” in a text varies from individual to individual.
When I am reading for a class or for fun, I always have some sort of dialogue in my head. In order to make the story interesting I imagine what is happening in my mind while I read. Because of this I usually have to go back and re-read the pages a couple times to get a real idea of what is happening on the page. First, for things I have to read for class, there are usually guiding questions the teacher will ask to get your mind going. For me this helps because then I look for important information that the teacher has asked us to look for. Some times when there are not guiding questions, I get to the end and wonder, “What was the point of this article?” When the teacher does not provide directive questions, the first and summary paragraphs are very important. In the first paragraph, it usually talks about the important subjects or the main ideas of the text. In the summary paragraph, it reinforces the main points of what you have just read. This can be helpful or it can make you more confused because the summary paragraph emphasizes different points in the reading than you thought were important.
The other direction I look for in reading text is how it is broken into sections. This is always good because the different sections show the main ideas and then it is now up to you to understand what the author is trying to say. Again it can be difficult to do this because the writing style of the writer may be hard to understand. Using these study traits I mentioned help create the dialogue in my head and help me understand what I have read. As I read I can ask myself in my mind, “what is the point he is trying to make here?” Sometimes talking through it in your mind can help you figure out what the writer was really saying. Yes it may seem weird but it has helped me out before. These are some of the ways I think of text when I read. I develop a dialogue in my head and identify the important information.
The other direction I look for in reading text is how it is broken into sections. This is always good because the different sections show the main ideas and then it is now up to you to understand what the author is trying to say. Again it can be difficult to do this because the writing style of the writer may be hard to understand. Using these study traits I mentioned help create the dialogue in my head and help me understand what I have read. As I read I can ask myself in my mind, “what is the point he is trying to make here?” Sometimes talking through it in your mind can help you figure out what the writer was really saying. Yes it may seem weird but it has helped me out before. These are some of the ways I think of text when I read. I develop a dialogue in my head and identify the important information.
Joe's Reading
When I read something for the first time I try to focus on the main points. Reading the title first helps me figure out what I am reading and it helps me look for the main points of the article. If there are highlighted words or key terms in bold I try to figure out what those words mean and I make sure I know them before I continue reading. While I am reading I like to highlight or underline phrases that I think are important to the main topic. If I am being a really good student I will take notes on the reading too, but that doesn’t happen too often. Depending on the length of the text I am reading, I like to reread quickly to make sure I have the main points down and a summary of what I read.
As I read I try to keep an internal conversation going, or I write notes on what I think about the reading. This helps me stay on task because when I start to think about other things I can recognize that quickly and return to the reading. I like to ask myself questions or write down questions that I have from the reading. When I come across an answer to the question when I am reading I write it down. This really helps with remembering main points because I have thought about it, read it, and then finally written it down so it’s almost stuck in my memory. Reading for class usually takes me a while, but when I am done I feel like I have a good grasp on what I just read.
As I read I try to keep an internal conversation going, or I write notes on what I think about the reading. This helps me stay on task because when I start to think about other things I can recognize that quickly and return to the reading. I like to ask myself questions or write down questions that I have from the reading. When I come across an answer to the question when I am reading I write it down. This really helps with remembering main points because I have thought about it, read it, and then finally written it down so it’s almost stuck in my memory. Reading for class usually takes me a while, but when I am done I feel like I have a good grasp on what I just read.
Natalie Reading
Text book reading and reading for pleasure is two very different things. There are several things that I do to help me distinguish what is important.
When reading a text book the first thing I do is read the title. That can normally tell you something about the text you are going to read. Then, if it is a text book, I will read the headers in the chapter. This usually tells you the main points and focuses of the chapter. I then look over any questions that might have been outlined in homework, on the syllabus, or raised before we left class. Then I look over the notes that I took in class and look for that in the text. Then I know I read what about what we are covering in class. I want to know why I am reading the text, so the last methods really help me see the purpose in what I am reading. It helps me to know that what I am doing matters. I may also highlight anything that I feel sums up what I have just read, whether that is in a section under a specific header or chapter. I especially read carefully the introduction and summary. That way I have an idea what I am going to read, and some of the main points that I should have taken away.
Internal communication happens more at the end. That is when I ask myself if I understood what was read, do I see what the teacher or professor wanted me to see, or do I understand the main points. Internal communication, for me at least, happens more when I am reading for pleasure, because I do not care if the questions in my head distract me from what I am reading. I dont want to get distracted when I am reading something for school.
Texts are many times unclear, especially school texts. Many times I feel I get lost in the language, however, I feel that I still have good ideas on how to address the texts. Even if I dont always know what is the most important thing to draw from a text.
When reading a text book the first thing I do is read the title. That can normally tell you something about the text you are going to read. Then, if it is a text book, I will read the headers in the chapter. This usually tells you the main points and focuses of the chapter. I then look over any questions that might have been outlined in homework, on the syllabus, or raised before we left class. Then I look over the notes that I took in class and look for that in the text. Then I know I read what about what we are covering in class. I want to know why I am reading the text, so the last methods really help me see the purpose in what I am reading. It helps me to know that what I am doing matters. I may also highlight anything that I feel sums up what I have just read, whether that is in a section under a specific header or chapter. I especially read carefully the introduction and summary. That way I have an idea what I am going to read, and some of the main points that I should have taken away.
Internal communication happens more at the end. That is when I ask myself if I understood what was read, do I see what the teacher or professor wanted me to see, or do I understand the main points. Internal communication, for me at least, happens more when I am reading for pleasure, because I do not care if the questions in my head distract me from what I am reading. I dont want to get distracted when I am reading something for school.
Texts are many times unclear, especially school texts. Many times I feel I get lost in the language, however, I feel that I still have good ideas on how to address the texts. Even if I dont always know what is the most important thing to draw from a text.
Jada Nichols
When it comes to reading texts, I read in a completely different way than I would if I were reading a book for enjoyment. I think this is natural as texts seem to not have a flowing plot but are designed as informational guides. The way I decide what is important is usually by first noting what the author felt was important. If I am taking notes I always use the headers somewhere in them because they are a good way to know what the author felt was important and to organize notes. Another way I decide what is important is dependent upon the class that it is for. If I am in a teaching math methods class and am reading a text for it, I am going to try to pull out any math methods information that would be useful. It is most useful in reading to know ahead of time the purpose of your reading, otherwise it can get muddled with unnecessary information and note taking. Finally, along with using the aforementioned methods for reading texts, as I am reading I tend to skip over concepts I already know. From class to class and book to book, there can be a lot of repetitiveness. If I am absolutely sure that there is a section of my reading over a concept I am certain I have mastered then I will just skip it. There is no use, to me, in reading over something I already know when I could be reading and gaining new insights on a completely foreign concept.
When reading texts I tend to not have as much internal conversation going on. This could be why I come out of reading a text with little comprehension the first time around. I seldomly ask myself questions about what I am reading because oftentimes it involves a lot of new ideas that I am simply trying to understand. Usually at that stage the questions are mostly “what does this mean?” Which is usually answered later in the text or in class.
When it comes to knowing what is important in a text, I rely, as I said before, on the topic at hand, or questions the teacher poses. There are so many details in texts that unless there is some guidance as to what you are looking for, you could very easily get lost. It is easiest to pick out the important parts if the teacher provides thought provoking questions or if there is a “sum it up” section at the end to help guide the thought process.
When reading texts I tend to not have as much internal conversation going on. This could be why I come out of reading a text with little comprehension the first time around. I seldomly ask myself questions about what I am reading because oftentimes it involves a lot of new ideas that I am simply trying to understand. Usually at that stage the questions are mostly “what does this mean?” Which is usually answered later in the text or in class.
When it comes to knowing what is important in a text, I rely, as I said before, on the topic at hand, or questions the teacher poses. There are so many details in texts that unless there is some guidance as to what you are looking for, you could very easily get lost. It is easiest to pick out the important parts if the teacher provides thought provoking questions or if there is a “sum it up” section at the end to help guide the thought process.
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