Reading Article Reflection

In Performative Literacy: The Habits of Mind of Highly Literate Readers by Sheridan Blau, we are learning about how a reader must go beyond just breezing over the text. We must examine and dig deeper to understand the true meaning.

When I read a book I am constantly trying to figure out what will happen next. Whenever I stumble upon something I am confused about I usually mark it with a question mark and come back to it after I finish reading, and see if I understand it then. Also, whenever I finish reading a chapter, I make bullet points in the book on the most important parts, then I title the chapter what I think would be a suitable name for what happens in it.

When I read on my own time instead of for school, I feel as though I enjoy it more. I love to read and this year I have already read over at least a dozen for leisure. But when I read these, I am not looking for a deeper meaning, I read it for entertainment. Of course I will make predictions, but that is part of the fun. On the other hand, when I read for school, I do not enjoy it as much. I see it more as a chore than anything else, but when Iread for school I discover more things that are significant to the text that I might have missed if I had just breezed over it. I believe that I am a good reader, but in order to become a stronger reader, I must think more deeply when reading for pleasure.

After reading these documents I will definitely take away some of the strategies they showed us, such as researching what is going on during the time the book takes place and gaining background. I feel that this will make me a better reader.

Annotating this year, in all honesty, was not as bad as last years. Last year I took me about ten minutes on each page trying to find some hidden meaning. This year I believe that I am only annotating the important parts, and I feel I am better at picking the better parts. After reading the books this year and annotating I feel like a better reader, because I know what I am looking for.