"Dependent readers often fail to see reading as an active process." This opening quote of Chapter 7 stopped me. When I read, my mind is constantly engaging with the text and always busy trying to connect different pieces of the puzzle. Dependent readers don't do this. While I tried hard to imagine reading a text and not thinking at all while reading, I couldn't imagine my brain being still except for taking in the words on the page. It wasn't until a few pages later when a good example of being inactive while reading helped me to envision this. Beers gave the illustration of a struggling reader whose mind is taking in the words but focusing on other things, such as an upcoming sporting event or weekend plans. I know that when I have been excited, worried, or bored while reading, I have often read page after page without comprehending a single word. This is what it is like for dependent readers on a regular basis, and to help them get out of this vicious cycle, we need to provide them with strategies that help them remain actively engaged while reading.
One strategy in this chapter that I really liked was that of Rereading. I like this strategy for two reasons. First, from my own personal experiences, rereading a text has led to me uncovering more and more ideas. I read Jane Eyre three times during my undergraduate coursework. While I initially thought it was dumb to reread it again, I found that I saw so many things I didn't see during the first read. The third time around enabled me to make even more connections that I had missed previously, and as a result, this text has become one of my favorites. The second reason I like this strategy is to clear up the misconception that good readers never reread a text. Beers helped me to understand how important it is to show dependent readers what good readers do. I think dependent readers need to understand that rereading a text is okay. I don't think anyone is expected to find all of the meaningful connections made in a text during the first reading. It's with rereading a text that things start to make sense. Dependent readers need to understand that rereading a text is a perfectly acceptable practice, and it actually does make a difference on helping them better understand the text.
I read the same way. It does seem really difficult to read without thinking, but every once in a while the book will remind me of something else and my mind will wander. I'll still be reading but i won't be retaining. I usually snap out of it when I begin to turn the page and realize I didn't get anything from what I just read. Rereading definitely seems like the best choice. It is simply to do and explain, but I feel like if you were to combine it with another one more would be gotten out of the experience, not all kids can just reread something and suddenly understand it.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same, too. I feel that I have almost trained throughout my schooling to connect, analyze and understand what I am reading. I am wondering if teaching others to do the same will be difficult, since I feel like it has always been second nature to me.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that rereading a text does carry some stigma with it. I agree that this chapter and the exercises within it really help us to break down some of the biases we may unknowingly carry. In doing so, we'll be better equipped to teach our own students that rereading a text does not make one slow to understand or even a worse reader. It simply means that the student who rereads has a desire to fully understand what they're reading. That is all.
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