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.
Showing posts with label importance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label importance. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
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.
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.
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.
Monday, October 19, 2009
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.
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.
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.
Finding Importance in Reading-Courtney S.
When I read my textbooks, I highlight ideas or phrases that I think are the most important. I base what I highlight off of the headings of the section, and the first sentence of the paragraph. You can normally tell what the main idea of a paragraph will be by using those two tools. I do, however, go highlighting crazy sometimes, and highlight a lot of words on a page. When I look back at the reading, it can be hard for me to figure out the main ideas when the whole page is bright yellow! Another strategy I use when I read my texts is that I normally look for key words that relate to the broad heading or entire chapter. Sometimes texts put important words in bold face or italics, and then I pay closer attention to those as well.
When I read for my own pleasure, I read differently. Novels are not set up like text books, with headings or side notes in the margins. When I read for fun I find everything to be important. It is hard to tell sometimes what paragraphs or sentences are more important than others-depending on the genre of the book. I like to read James Patterson books and he writes a lot of murder mystery type books. Those books, I pay attention to the clues they find that I think will have more importance later in the story. Also, in general, I find dialogue important-when the characters have conversations it can be powerful for the story. In dialogue it is important to pay attention to the mood of the character and the emotions he or she possesses. I am also in the middle of reading Pride and Prejudice and since the language is more difficult at times I try to pay attention to the words I am familiar with and use context clues to figure out phrases or words that I do not know.
I have noticed that I do have a conversation with myself when I read. While I read textbooks I noticed that I ask questions to myself a lot. Sometimes I try to write them in the margins, but often I find the answers as I keep reading. When I am reading for fun I ask questions too-but the questions revolve around the plot and not about information I have just read. Also, I hear myself talking the words while I read and I paint a picture in my mind of the events of the story.
When I read for my own pleasure, I read differently. Novels are not set up like text books, with headings or side notes in the margins. When I read for fun I find everything to be important. It is hard to tell sometimes what paragraphs or sentences are more important than others-depending on the genre of the book. I like to read James Patterson books and he writes a lot of murder mystery type books. Those books, I pay attention to the clues they find that I think will have more importance later in the story. Also, in general, I find dialogue important-when the characters have conversations it can be powerful for the story. In dialogue it is important to pay attention to the mood of the character and the emotions he or she possesses. I am also in the middle of reading Pride and Prejudice and since the language is more difficult at times I try to pay attention to the words I am familiar with and use context clues to figure out phrases or words that I do not know.
I have noticed that I do have a conversation with myself when I read. While I read textbooks I noticed that I ask questions to myself a lot. Sometimes I try to write them in the margins, but often I find the answers as I keep reading. When I am reading for fun I ask questions too-but the questions revolve around the plot and not about information I have just read. Also, I hear myself talking the words while I read and I paint a picture in my mind of the events of the story.
Meredith Monserez
While I am reading for educational purposes, I am always taking notes. I have learned that writing the important information down in my notebook is the best way I am able to learn and remember the information. I always begin by writing the title of the passage. Usually at the beginning of any section or chapter there are "Big Ideas" or "Main Points" that are bulleted, or sometimes there are suggested questions to think about while reading the following text. Both of these things I write down in my notebook. This way, when I am reading the text, I will remember when I main point or a particular question come up and I will know to take notes on this. I also always copy any vocabulary words into my notebook. This is useful because it not only helps me to remember the vocabulary word and its meaning, but it also makes it easier to go back and find the important words when I am studying the material later. As I am reading, I usually write down one or two concepts that are under each bold heading as well as information shown on graphs. Sometimes I will copy the actual graph in my notebook, but if it is very detailed, I will just write down the information shown and the topic of the graph and will write the page number down so that if I would like to go back and reference the actual graph while I am studying, I will easily be able to do so. I usually end my notes with any questions or summary points that are highlighted in the book. After I write down these questions, I go back through the text and find the answers.
I am not a very fast reader because of all the notes I take and simply because I spend a great deal of time re-reading paragraphs I have already read. I frequently find myself just going over the words and not actually comprehending the information I am reading. I try to avoid this problem by focusing on the internal conversation I have with myself while I am reading. If I find that I am no longer saying the words to myself and making sense of them, I realize that I must go back to where I stopped paying attention to what I was reading, and read again. This process of re-reading material can take up to five attempts at times. But I would not feel satisfied with myself unless I was able to say that I completely understand everything that I just read. To completely understand the material I am reading, I also use a dictionary while I read. When I come across a word that I do not know, I look up its meaning in the dictionary. Once I find its meaning, I write it down next to the word in the text.
I am not a very fast reader because of all the notes I take and simply because I spend a great deal of time re-reading paragraphs I have already read. I frequently find myself just going over the words and not actually comprehending the information I am reading. I try to avoid this problem by focusing on the internal conversation I have with myself while I am reading. If I find that I am no longer saying the words to myself and making sense of them, I realize that I must go back to where I stopped paying attention to what I was reading, and read again. This process of re-reading material can take up to five attempts at times. But I would not feel satisfied with myself unless I was able to say that I completely understand everything that I just read. To completely understand the material I am reading, I also use a dictionary while I read. When I come across a word that I do not know, I look up its meaning in the dictionary. Once I find its meaning, I write it down next to the word in the text.
Rachael Matchett
When I am reading school books, or books that have a lot of information in them, I highlight everything that I think is important. Highlighting allows me to review the material without having to reread the entire chapter or section. I know when something is important if it is in bold lettering or if it is italicized. Vocabulary is something that I always highlight to either get the definition from the reading or for my reference to go and look it up in the dictionary. Lists of different things are also important to highlight. However, they can be deceiving. I always make sure to read through the lists just to make sure the points are not obviously stated above or that they have no relevance to what I am reading. I learned in school how to decipher different kinds of texts and how to determine which information is important. Even though teachers have taught me this, it was important that I practice myself in order to understand. Some people take notes and others make webs, but I enjoy highlighting. Once in a while I will type out my notes if I need it for a test or quiz. Sometimes, teachers give you handouts or study guides on what is going to be on the test or paper. If I receive one of those, then I make sure to find the answers in the book and then either write them out or type them. However, I do not think this is real learning. Just trying to go and find the answer and then memorize the facts is pointless. I will forget them within a week after. I would much rather write a paper on a topic that I enjoy then to just take a quiz or test.
I enjoy reading books that I find interesting. When I am forced to read some material, it makes me not want to do it at all. When I read, I talk to myself in my head. I read the words out loud to myself in my head, but I also paint a picture of the scene and the characters. This inner dialogue was not learned until I was a bit older. As a child, I would read out loud to myself or my peers. I had not yet learned that I could read to myself in my head. This process has made my reading much quicker and easier for me to understand.
I enjoy reading books that I find interesting. When I am forced to read some material, it makes me not want to do it at all. When I read, I talk to myself in my head. I read the words out loud to myself in my head, but I also paint a picture of the scene and the characters. This inner dialogue was not learned until I was a bit older. As a child, I would read out loud to myself or my peers. I had not yet learned that I could read to myself in my head. This process has made my reading much quicker and easier for me to understand.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Rachel's Reading Importance
When I am reading there are several things I do to make sure that I understand the text. The first thing I do is read the title. This helps give me a good understanding of what the whole book/article/chapter is about. I then begin reading. As I am going along in my reading I make sure to look out for bold words or subheadings. These help me figure out important words or ideas that the author is trying to get across. After I read a page or big paragraph I usually stop and reflect on what I am reading. I ask myself what important topic or idea am I supposed to be getting from this text. This helps keep me accountable for what I am reading. I never really thought about it as having an internal conversation with myself. But when I actually want to remember what I am reading I have to ask certain questions to myself or nothing will stick in my head. By having this internal conversation with myself it keeps me on task and accountable with what I am reading. The only time I don’t really have to have an internal conversation with myself is when I am reading for fun. I think this is because there is less pressure on me to remember specific details than if I were reading something for class.
Natalie DiSalvo! Importance
Thinking about how I read texts seemed rather difficult to reflect on since it just comes naturally at this age. I tried to read over the paragraph with the descriptions of what the blog was about to try and think about how I read and what I do to get the main idea of the text. I read one paragraph at a time and try to think of how to reword what I read. The way that I know that I grasped the main ideas is when I can explain the paragraph to someone else with my own words. Another strategy that I do when reading a long text is reading the first and last few sentences in each paragraph and skimming over the middle section. That usually highlights the main points of the paragraph and gives me a good understanding of what the sections are about. One can also read the captions of each section of an article before reading the text to give them an idea of what they will be reading about. It would also get the reader in the right mind set prior to the reading.
As I read, there is definitely an internal conversation that I have with myself. I can hear myself talking and reading the text aloud in my head. It is pretty wild that people can hear themselves thinking within their own head! I can always catch myself drifting away from the text when it comes time to recap a paragraph after I have “read it”. When I cannot remember what I just read, I realize that I have drifted off. Sometimes I even catch myself looking at the page but actually thinking about my plans for later in the day instead of reading the context in front of me! I find myself drifting off from reading at least one time a day, especially if I have a hard time relating to the reading. Another reason I drift off from the text is because I do not enjoy the reading-whether it be because I do not like the subject the reading is over, or if the reading is long and drawn out.
I think that finding the important information within text is difficult, but the ways I tend to go about finding it is mentioned in the first paragraph. However, I still have a hard time figuring out the main ideas of readings over topics dealing with special education. I think a lot of the information is descriptive and, at points, is hard to limit what to count as “important”.
As I read, there is definitely an internal conversation that I have with myself. I can hear myself talking and reading the text aloud in my head. It is pretty wild that people can hear themselves thinking within their own head! I can always catch myself drifting away from the text when it comes time to recap a paragraph after I have “read it”. When I cannot remember what I just read, I realize that I have drifted off. Sometimes I even catch myself looking at the page but actually thinking about my plans for later in the day instead of reading the context in front of me! I find myself drifting off from reading at least one time a day, especially if I have a hard time relating to the reading. Another reason I drift off from the text is because I do not enjoy the reading-whether it be because I do not like the subject the reading is over, or if the reading is long and drawn out.
I think that finding the important information within text is difficult, but the ways I tend to go about finding it is mentioned in the first paragraph. However, I still have a hard time figuring out the main ideas of readings over topics dealing with special education. I think a lot of the information is descriptive and, at points, is hard to limit what to count as “important”.
Michelle Ezrachie
As I reflect on my reading of texts I noticed that I have a specific style and approach to readings. I first decide what is important about this reading. This process takes a while because reading is not my specialty. As much as I love to read, it has never come easy to me. I have always needed to develop a certain style to help me concentrate and absorb the information before me. Sometimes when I read I have to ask myself questions, highlight, and summarize. Understanding what is important in the reading is also a big part everyone should master. My method includes different steps to pick out what is important. When I read texts for my classes, I first read through the text page by page. Under every section if I notice it has been repeated, bolded, or italicized, I will highlight it. In addition, I will highlight the information if it gives examples, definitions, or generalizes what has happened. Lastly, while reading texts anything I think would be included in a summery is something I would highlight and make a note of. The ideas highlighted are the important concepts of the text.
In addition to highlighting, I determine what is important. It is important to continue my thought process. As I read to myself, I think about what is theme about in the reading. I ask myself why I would need to know this concept or big idea. What is the main point in the reading? What examples could I use when teaching? What information do I already know? What information is new? If it is new information, I ask myself in what way would I be able to remember it? I also will read a full page. I ask myself what happened. If I am unable to remember and I notice that I have not understood anything, I will reread the page. The second time I read, I break each paragraph down. This way I am able to zone into the information. I take the sentence, and if it is complicated to understand, I rephrase it in order to remember it. I continue through the process highlighting and rephrasing. When I get to the end of the page and I feel comfortable with the concepts, I will then continue with my reading. If I am still a little uncomfortable I will go back and only read the highlighted sections. This way I have time to develop the important information while making sure I understand the key ideas. These methods summarize how long it takes me to scope out what is important, read, and remember key concepts. Without practicing these strategies I would not comprehend and have difficulties with participating in homework assignments.It is important for me to feel confident in all class discussions.
In addition to highlighting, I determine what is important. It is important to continue my thought process. As I read to myself, I think about what is theme about in the reading. I ask myself why I would need to know this concept or big idea. What is the main point in the reading? What examples could I use when teaching? What information do I already know? What information is new? If it is new information, I ask myself in what way would I be able to remember it? I also will read a full page. I ask myself what happened. If I am unable to remember and I notice that I have not understood anything, I will reread the page. The second time I read, I break each paragraph down. This way I am able to zone into the information. I take the sentence, and if it is complicated to understand, I rephrase it in order to remember it. I continue through the process highlighting and rephrasing. When I get to the end of the page and I feel comfortable with the concepts, I will then continue with my reading. If I am still a little uncomfortable I will go back and only read the highlighted sections. This way I have time to develop the important information while making sure I understand the key ideas. These methods summarize how long it takes me to scope out what is important, read, and remember key concepts. Without practicing these strategies I would not comprehend and have difficulties with participating in homework assignments.It is important for me to feel confident in all class discussions.
Reading Importance (Emilea Bade)
When I am reading my interactions with the text depend on what kind it is. For example, if I am reading something for class then I will think about it and interact with it differently than if I were reading a book for fun. One of the things that I always do when I am reading a chapter, book, or article for class, is to highlight the things that I think are important. With as much reading as I do for class it would be unrealistic for me to take written or even typed notes over the main points of a reading. This is why I choose to highlight the important points and go back to them later and review them. I think that I remember information this way just as easily as if I wrote it down because I am still going back and reviewing the highlighted points. When I am reading for class the information that I find to be important usually sticks out to me because it is important terminology or it is examples of important concepts. I know that many argue that this may not be the best way to get meaning from a text for class, but due to time issues it is the best way for me. Something that I could consider doing in the future is to use different color highlighters to highlight my notes. I could have a different color for the different things such as terms or examples, making it easier to go back and find them to reference them.
When I am reading books for fun instead of for class I have a different set of things going through my mind. When I am reading something for fun I obviously don't highlight or take notes. As I am reading, however, I have a mental picture of what is going on in the story. It is almost like the story is a movie that is playing in my mind as I am picturing each event and scene in the book. I also have noticed that sometimes when I finish reading and go to do something else there are things that happen that make me think of events or characters in the book because of how I pictured them while I was reading.
I think that reading for class and reading for fun both require different mindsets because you are reading them for two different purposes. When reading for class the information may not be as exciting and appealing to you as a reader so highlighting, taking notes, and reviewing are necessary in order to retain what was read. When reading for fun it is different though because you are going to be reading something that is of interest to you and that many times follows a story line that you can actually visualize happening.
When I am reading books for fun instead of for class I have a different set of things going through my mind. When I am reading something for fun I obviously don't highlight or take notes. As I am reading, however, I have a mental picture of what is going on in the story. It is almost like the story is a movie that is playing in my mind as I am picturing each event and scene in the book. I also have noticed that sometimes when I finish reading and go to do something else there are things that happen that make me think of events or characters in the book because of how I pictured them while I was reading.
I think that reading for class and reading for fun both require different mindsets because you are reading them for two different purposes. When reading for class the information may not be as exciting and appealing to you as a reader so highlighting, taking notes, and reviewing are necessary in order to retain what was read. When reading for fun it is different though because you are going to be reading something that is of interest to you and that many times follows a story line that you can actually visualize happening.
Reading Importance - Frantzen
What's most interesting when I look back at old text books and reading handouts from junior high is the percentage of the page that I likely had highlighted at the time. In my mind I had highlighted this information thinking it was very important, I highlighted it so I might refer back to it later, unfortunately I had highlighted approximately 80% of the page if not more. By the time high school had come around I had become a habitual "page-painter" which is not a particularly good nickname to have - especially when it came time for tests or papers and I would have to rely on my notes and highlights as a shortcut to helping me remember important points. Then came the dreaded history class freshman year of high school. The teacher had taken an entire period to explain the importance of highlighting just the right information - but to be honest, from there on I was very particular about what it is I highlighted on the page.
From that point on I became much more particular about what it is I highlight on a page - I am sure to highlight important dates, character information, setting and plot information, or if the reading is a research article of some sort I typically highlight ideas that I feel pertain most closely with the title of the article or the particular topic of research. Because I do have reading comprehension difficulties I also make quite a few notes in the margins of my reading, I find it much more easy to relate back to materials I have already read if I leave notes summarizing a particular point in the margin.
Lastly I tend to ask myself questions after I have read, many times these questions relate to the important ideas I feel I meant to take from the reading, when I do this if there is a question I cannot answer I likely look back at the notes and highlights I have already made and find what might be missing. Sometimes this step takes a little extra time but it helps me to ensure that I fully comprehend the reading materials I have been presented with.
From that point on I became much more particular about what it is I highlight on a page - I am sure to highlight important dates, character information, setting and plot information, or if the reading is a research article of some sort I typically highlight ideas that I feel pertain most closely with the title of the article or the particular topic of research. Because I do have reading comprehension difficulties I also make quite a few notes in the margins of my reading, I find it much more easy to relate back to materials I have already read if I leave notes summarizing a particular point in the margin.
Lastly I tend to ask myself questions after I have read, many times these questions relate to the important ideas I feel I meant to take from the reading, when I do this if there is a question I cannot answer I likely look back at the notes and highlights I have already made and find what might be missing. Sometimes this step takes a little extra time but it helps me to ensure that I fully comprehend the reading materials I have been presented with.
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