So reading this novel has really given me time to reflect on my reading practices and since I am including this blog in my writer's workshop for 108A, I thought I would take this moment to write about how difficult it has been so far for me to read this book. This is the first novel, in a very long time, that I have definitely felt like I am having a comprehension issue or that I am extremely challenged comprehension wise. And while this can be frustrating at moments, I know the book is within my comprehension level and simply requires an amount of opportunities for re-reading, taking notes in the margins of the text, and just slowing down my reading in general for comprehension. As I have implemented these I have had much better success in reading and slowly understanding this novel, but it has taken me much longer to read than the average text. I look at this novel though as an opportunity for me to grow as a reader especially since it is so challenging. I love to read, and as an undergraduate Literature major, I was usually required to read 1.5 to 2 books per week for each class along with a assortment of critical theory and essays, so it is a refreshing change to be able to take time to read a novel at my own comprehensive pace as well as read something that is not a quick read for me.
As far as teaching goes reading a novel at pretty much my frustration level has been really helpful for me to reflect on what it might be like for our students to read texts or to struggle with the texts in the classroom. (And while I know that we often shoot for students reading at their instructional and independent levels, I also know that too often students are exposed to texts that are at their frustration level; especially those struggling readers who are far below the rest of the class.) I can definitely relate to the struggling reader now in my classroom and see how hard it must be for them to read and want to finish reading a text that is extremely hard or may be simply too hard for them. This text for me has definitely been a challenge and I'm not going to lie, at times I have contemplating dropping it for exhaustion reasons, and going back to something that I can breeze through in a week, but isn't challenging for me. And yet I also love reading so much and have such a desire to read this book, I slowly but surely keep pushing through it. But one thing I also know is that if I hadn't been given and had so many opportunities for success in reading to be able to really learn to love reading like I do, then I might not have that desire and love of reading to push through and really comprehend and read such a difficult book, which is something to think about when encouraging our students to read and how to proceed to do so.
As far as teaching goes reading a novel at pretty much my frustration level has been really helpful for me to reflect on what it might be like for our students to read texts or to struggle with the texts in the classroom. (And while I know that we often shoot for students reading at their instructional and independent levels, I also know that too often students are exposed to texts that are at their frustration level; especially those struggling readers who are far below the rest of the class.) I can definitely relate to the struggling reader now in my classroom and see how hard it must be for them to read and want to finish reading a text that is extremely hard or may be simply too hard for them. This text for me has definitely been a challenge and I'm not going to lie, at times I have contemplating dropping it for exhaustion reasons, and going back to something that I can breeze through in a week, but isn't challenging for me. And yet I also love reading so much and have such a desire to read this book, I slowly but surely keep pushing through it. But one thing I also know is that if I hadn't been given and had so many opportunities for success in reading to be able to really learn to love reading like I do, then I might not have that desire and love of reading to push through and really comprehend and read such a difficult book, which is something to think about when encouraging our students to read and how to proceed to do so.
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