As adults we don't often think about comprehension as a strategy, we just do it. Whether reading the daily paper or plugging through our favorite textbook… we don't often think about the strategies we use on a regular basis to understand the material presented. Many of us were taught specific skills at an early age like those presented in Tompkins. These skills are mainly based on the reader as an individual such as engaging prior knowledge of the subject, looking for the purpose within the text, and using skills to decipher difficult words.
Through comprehension, we as readers, make predictions about the text, summarize meaning, connect one reading to another, question the text, etc. I realized throughout the Tompkins chapter, I often connect texts to one another. For me, this strategy is effective in not only increasing my understanding of the materials, but also in helping me recall the information. I also noticed that I focus a lot on the purpose of the reading. School readings I am often more critical and monitor my comprehension more; this is very different than when I read for entertainment purposes. I look for different outcomes from the text when I am reading for a purpose (assignment, research, etc.) than when I am reading for fun.
Applegate, Quinn and Applegate present a series of reader profiles when it comes to comprehension. I think that as a college student, I sometimes read text as a “politician” that is I look for details I think my instructor wants me to find. I’m sure that this strategy has pluses and minuses as I may mislead myself into thinking one subject area is more important than it is (according to the instructor) or I may not connect on a personal level with the text as much because I am too busy focusing on what I think is going to be assessed.
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I am interested that you connect texts to other texts often. This is something I struggle with, I more often connect texts to personal experiences. I wonder what different types of learning experiences we had to create the difference.
The Applegate article is something I found very interesting. Everytime I read profiles like this that categorize the learner/reader I always find myself placing my own abilities into this categories. I began to think which one did I fit into? Then I thought about my abilities in all of the subject areas and realized I am a different kind of reader in every situation. I feel like a lot of students are also feeling this way. This article helped me to brainstorm ways I can be a better reader in literacy by thinking of all students with all of these profiles. I am wondering if you agree or disagree? I think anyone who read this article can see something of themselves in it.
Adia- I agree with you completely. I comprehend material different when I am reading for fun then when I am reading for school. I put so much pressure on myself to know exactly what is going on in the text, when it is for school, I forget to predict and analyze. Because I am so focused on knowing what the text is saying, I can not normally do much more then spit the information back out. This is not good when teachers want students to make connection and predictions and analysis their thoughts. Is there a better way to encourage students to read the same ways with school as they do when it is for fun?
Jenny—you make an excellent point about connecting information to prior knowledge and front loading you lessons. Honestly, before this semester I never put much wait on activating prior knowledge using more than just asking a question or two, in fact I never really connected the fact that I do that much of the time, when I’m reading or even discussing things in class.
You asked earlier, what different types of learning experiences we must have had in understanding how I connect materials from subject area to subject area etc. All I can say here is that it started, well I noticed it more, my first semester of college during a social science class, when I realized that many of my classes connected in strange ways. Like environmental science connecting to 18th century history. I thought maybe if these connections carried over across subjects, I could use them to my advantage. What I noticed is that it really helped me understand and remember materials better, and I figured that might be helpful. As for how we each reached different points here connects not only to the fact that we have different motivations, experiences and the like, but what I think is so great about our diversity, is that we each see things differently and I think that is good. Because as I share my experiences with you, you can learn and growth from them, just as much as I can learn and grow from yours, and now we both have more connections and experiences to share. And of course we are simply modeling what our students may take from shared experiences as well.
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