PERSONAL READING HISTORY
GROUP 2: Rachel Bird, Danielle Cattrysse, David Hamilton, Sara DeBoer
BACKGROUND
Your first online assignment is to introduce yourself as a reader. Everyone has a "reading history." For some, reading has had mostly positive associations, with supports from which to build an even stronger identity a a reader. For others, being able to reshape a negative reader identity often depends on reflecting on personal moments or experiences that created reading barriers. When students reflect on AND SHARE their personal reading histories, they have an opportunity to view themselves and their classmates more generously, as "readers in progress," with reader identities they can understand and change. I am inviting you to introduce yourself in a new way. I know that you have been working together as a learning cohort for at least this semester and already know much about each other; however, I am inviting you to learn more about each other.
DIRECTIONS:
Create your own personal history of some key moments or events in your development as a reader. Respond to the following prompts, being sure to include both positive and negative experiences:
1. What reading experiences stand out for you? High points? Low points?
2. Were there times when your reading experiences or the materials you were reading made you feel like an insider? Like an outsider?
3. What supported your literacy development? What discouraged it?
Please post your reading history in the comment section directly below this post. PLEASE HAVE READING HISTORIES POSTED ON OR BEFORE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 5:00 PM.
4. Read each group members reading history
5. Reply to your group members reading histories. Discuss what you learned about each other. What were some similarities in the barriers and supports they experienced? What were some differences or surprises? Please post these in the comment section directly below this post (this is the same place you posted the first part of this assignment). Please read each group members reading history and reply/respond on or before Saturday, October 26.
1) What reading experiences stand out for you? High points? low points?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading books about Amish, I like how simple their lives are and I can get lost in the books. They take all the stresses I have in my life out of the picture for those few moments that I am reading the books. Another high point is when I was growing up, my parents read the Dr. Seuss books to me. My favorite was The Foot book! This was my favorite book when I was younger and I loved it when my parents would get this book out to read. I was also able to memorize it by heart because it was read to me so often. Whenever there is a romantic book as well, I enjoy reading those. When I find a good book, I can't put it down. This is why I won't read during the school year because I would read my books instead of doing my school work.
Whenever I would have to read a chemistry or Biology text. I didn't enjoy them and they were very confusing to me. I found my self confused and would get frustrated and wouldn't attain any of the information because I was trying to hurry up and get through it. In my English class, I also had a few books that I didn't understand or it was hard to follow all the names that were in the book. Shakespeare was one of the main ones that I had difficulty with due to the type of language. I ended up getting a book from Barnes and Noble that had Shakespeare on the left and English on the right side of the book. This helped a lot in understanding it.
2).Were there times when your reading experiences or the materials you were reading made you feel like an insider? like an outsider?
Insider: Many of my friends were reading the Chicken soup for the soul series. I also read these and my friends would talk about these and I was able to participate in the conversation. Whenever we were reading a book for a class and we would have discussions about it, I also felt like a insider because I was familiar with the book. I also feel like a insider when I read with my nieces and nephew. I am able to read with them and able to help them understand what the book is talking about and what the words mean.
outsider: I never got into the Harry Potter books, so when my classmates would talk about these books, I had no idea what they were talking about. My friends now also have read these books and when Harry Potter is brought up I still have no idea what they are talking about. Many of my friends and co-workers are in the math masters program. They are learning higher math and many times they start discussing this math and I have no idea what they are talking about because I haven't read the material/taken the class. When I was in middle school, the class was reading The Bridge to Terribithia and two of my really good friends didn't want to read it because of religious views. They talked me into not reading the book and we read a different book (can't remember the name). I felt as a outsider in the class because we had to do different stuff than the class and couldn't participate in the whole class discussion. In the end, I actually thought the book we read was worse than the bridge to Terribithia.
(sorry, it wouldn't let me post the whole thing as one so here is my last part of the post
ReplyDelete3)What supported your literacy development? what discouraged it?
My parents were a big support to my literacy development. They would read to me almost every night when I was growing up. They are big literacy support to my nieces and nephew as well. They really push reading books and emphasize the importance of reading. My mom still recommends different books for me to read. We then discuss what we thought of the book.
What discouraged my literacy development was when I was reading biology or chemistry books and I didn't understand it. I also didn't have the support to help explain what I was reading, so I would give up and read through it frustrated and wouldn't understand any of the material. When I find a book to read and if it doesn't spark my interest right away, I don't finish it and I find another book. Also, when I need to read a book and know I am getting tested on it, I don't enjoy the book as much and don't have the motivation to read it. Generally, I don't like reading a book that I am not interested in or if I'm forced to read it.
Hey Sara,
DeleteIt’s really cool that reading can be such an escape for you! I’ve never heard of people reading books about the Amish before. Is there a certain book that you would recommend above the rest?
What was the name of the Shakespeare book that had the English translation with it? I would like to read that after we’re done with classes sometime.
Its kind of coincidental that you mention missing out on Harry Potter. Rachel also posted about those books but from a different perspective. It’s interesting how those sorts of books can seem to separate people from time to time (those that are into it and those that aren’t). In some cases, those books seem to have their own sort of “followers”. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Twilight, Chicken Soup for the Soul, etc.
Thanks, Sara.
David
David,
DeleteI really like the author Wanda E. Brunstetter, I have started reading from Beverly Lewis. The books are in the religious/spirituality section in Barnes and Noble, or you can find some in the library in town. I think overall, my favorite is the Fiddler though. For the Shakespeare, it was Romeo and Juliet and the Othello one. I found it in Barnes and noble and they had the English version within the Shakespeare version. So on the right side of the book was the Shakespeare version and the left was the English version I think.
Hi Sara,
DeleteReading through your examples, I found a lot of similarities between our reading experiences (besides the obvious Harry Potter difference). First was our similar early exposure to reading and literacy from our parents, and even more specifically, reading Dr. Seuss at a young age. I still enjoy reading Dr. Seuss books. In fact, if I was having a tough day with students at the elementary school I worked at last year, I always thought about the Dr. Seuss quote from "Horton Hears a Who": "A person's a person, no matter how small." I can also identify with your low point examples about reading science/biology texts. It's a struggle for me too.
In contrast, I don't think I've ever read a book about the Amish, but I can definitely see how that would help keep the "stresses" of daily life in grad school in perspective. Life is simple-- we just like to make it complicated :) Thanks for sharing!
Sarah,
DeleteI found so many similarities between our reading histories! I definitely think these similarities might exist because of our similarities in content areas. I found it interesting that you included Harry Potter and Chicken Noodle Soup books in correspondence to feeling like an insider or outsider. I never read the Harry books either and could relate with you on feeling like an outsider amongst friends.
Also, I liked your comment about how you didn't enjoy reading science textbooks because you felt like you had to rush to read them and you didn't grasp the content. I can totally see that happening in science classes and actually have seen it among my Owatonna students. I think each content area needs to have a mini lesson on how to read in accordance with the class. For instance, I would explain to my students that you need to take your time while reading science texts in order to absorb the maximum information. These concepts can be difficult and portions of the text may need to be re-read. That's shouldn't be frowned upon!
Thanks!
Dani
1. The reading experiences that stand out most for me are those that I have done for fun. I choose to read several different genres for enjoyment, namely historical fiction, fictional narratives set in different cultures, and classics, but the books I most often lose myself in are from the fantasy genre. I think this is because I lose the context of the world around me and enter an entirely different world in these books. Some of my favorites are Harry Potter and The Outlander series. There is also something historic about the fantasy genre; when I read those types of books I think about all the different cultures and people throughout history who have told stories about made up worlds for generations.
ReplyDeleteSome reading experiences that stand out as low points are reading books or articles that are completely uninteresting to me out of obligation (for school or in a book club). I find nonfiction to be dry and articles about science and engineering to be really difficult for me to engage with. I especially remember one book club experience. One of the members of the club did not enjoy reading fictional stories but did so to satisfy the rest of the members. After we finished our fiction book, she chose a nonfiction story about the Titanic as our next book. I could hardly get through the first chapter and, ultimately, gave up on the book. I felt bad that she put in the effort to get through the fiction book she did not enjoy, but I just could not force myself to read that dry nonfiction book she chose.
2. I feel like either an insider or an outsider when I read books set in different cultures (most often fictional narratives). I feel like an insider when the book is about a culture with which I am already familiar or to which I have a personal connection. I may not belong to the culture, but since I have a personal experience with or in that culture, it is meaningful to me. Books that are set in South America, for example, are ones that I often feel a connection with because I studied that region for so long and lived there for a period of time.
If it is a culture about which I am mostly ignorant, I feel like an outsider because the way they go about their everyday lives differs so much from the way I do mine. I find that I learn the most from these types of books though. I also feel like an outsider when the content of the book or article is over my head or about something that to which I have no personal connection. Reading a book or story about chemistry, for example, would make me feel like an outsider because I have so little background knowledge in the subject.
3. I feel lucky to have been supported in my literacy development from an early age, and I think that support greatly influenced my attitude toward reading later in life. My parents introduced me to books and stories when I was very little and took the time to read to/with me at home. I loved stories right away. I also learned to read some letters and words before I went to school as a result. Having this access to reading from such an early age gave me confidence in my reading abilities and set the tone for my reading experiences in school.
Because of my early confidence in reading, I was able to constantly seek out new things to read throughout the rest of my schooling, like different genres, picture books, chapter books, and different types of texts. My teachers did a good job of showing me how to navigate the different types of text and search for meaning in non-narrative style readings. Even though I didn’t enjoy reading those types of texts as much as fictional stories, I was still able to access them without being intimidated.
I cannot think of a situation that discouraged my literacy development. If I ever ran into a roadblock by coming across a text from which I could not make meaning, I approached it as a challenge. I sought out help from teachers, parents, or peers to make sure I could at least understand the main ideas of a difficult text.
Hey Rachael,
DeleteI find it very interesting that your favorite genre of books is Fantasy. Personally, this is the most difficult genre for me to get into for precisely the same reasons that you enjoy it. I have a hard time identifying with something that seems so far out of this world. I think its great that you’re able to lose yourself in these books. Do you also find yourself predominantly drawn to that genre of movies?
Regarding the genre of cultural novels you mentioned - fictional narratives - are there any that you would recommend? Although I’ve read a ton of articles and textbooks that focus on different cultures, I have not read many novels representing other cultures (aside from Spanish-speaking cultures).
Thank you for sharing your experiences!
David
Rachael,
DeleteAlong with David, I have not been able to get interested in fantasy, like Harry Potter. I tried to read them when they came out, but wasn't able to get pulled in by the readings, so I never made it through a book. Same with the movies, I haven't been able to watch them. I also agree with you that it is hard for me to read a book that I am not interested in or feel forced to read. This is why I never joined a book club before. I didn't want to feel pressured into reading a book I didn't want to read. I also didn't want to not read something that someone worked hard to have us read. So I just read on my own and picked the books that I wanted to read. If someone I knew was reading the same book, we would discuss what we thought about the book. When I was in English class, sometimes the books we had to read were hard for me to read because they didn't interest me. But since it was a grade I read them and made it through the books.
When I was thinking about when I felt like an outsider, I never thought about reading about different cultures. This reminded me of when we had the readings to read for the group presentations for our Diversity class. When I was reading a lot of those readings, I felt like an outsider because I was not familiar with their culture and their experiences were different than mine.
I too was fortunate that my parents introduced reading to me at a young age. They help me feel confident in my reading and helped me to get an interest in reading. This helped me to keep reading on my own. I have many friends who do not like to read and so they don't read books. I am glad my parents helped trigger my enjoyment of reading.
Again, I love that you included the Harry Potter novels in your post! It's so awesome to see how the trending books at each of our schools were similar.
DeleteI could definitely relate with your disinterest in nonfiction books. It's awesome that you tried to get through the titanic book but I don't think I would've made it through either!
While writing my reading history post I also found it difficult to think of road blocks or discouragements in my reading history. While reading yours I was glad I wasn't the only one who struggled. It's so great to see how influential parents and family members can be in encouraging their children to read and love to read!
Thanks!
Dani
1) What reading experiences stand out for you? High points? low points?
ReplyDeleteLike I said in my reading profile, I have always enjoyed reading scientific journals/articles and texts. I remember in high school, being able to whip through a chapter assigned for biology, or being able to summarize a chapter on a new chemistry concept. I think it was so easy to me because I felt as though all the answers were laid out in front of me. If I didn't understand something, I could search through the chapter and read through the example problems until I understood what was going on.
Another high point in my literacy occurred in my first American Lit. class. I absolutely loved that we were assigned novels to read as homework. I could get caught up in a fiction book for a couple hours and my homework would be complete! Who wouldn't love that!?
One of the low points in my literacy development stems from this class. Although I loved being assigned readings, I didn't love the amount of reading we were to do each night. If you weren't able to finish your reading one night, you were forced to read maybe ten chapters the next night in order to catch up. This mandatory load wasn't ideal in progressing my love for reading.
Social Studies texts were another low point in my reading history. I was not, and still am not, a fan of history or anything having to do with social studies. We would be assigned textbook reading and it would take me hours to finish what was assigned. I didn't find the material interesting, and the amount of material assigned was too great.
2).Were there times when your reading experiences or the materials you were reading made you feel like an insider? like an outsider?
While I was in high school, you were not cool if you weren't reading Chicken Soup for the Soul, Harry Potter or Twilight :) how crazy is that? I definitely remember asking my mom to take me to the bookstore in order to buy books that all the cool kids were reading. I also felt like an insider when working in groups to read through science and math textbooks. It was always such a great feeling reading together and UNDERSTANDING together. You could bounce ideas off one another and this increased absorption greatly.
I've felt like an outsider numerous times in regards to reading and all have been when I didn't understand what I was reading. This occurred in social studies classes where I found the material boring, and also in my college science classes when we would read extremely difficult scientific journals and articles. I always felt as though I was the only one that wasn't understanding the material. It's always a horrible feeling, feeling as though you're the only one in the room that doesn't understand and you're too embarrassed to ask for help.
3)What supported your literacy development? what discouraged it?
My parents, in particular my dad, supported my literacy development greatly! He did, and still does, encourage me to read new things and suggests his favorite authors to me. He's a big Stephen King and Clive Barker fan. Definitely not my style! My teachers have always encouraged me to read new things and stay current in regards to current events, especially in the scientific world. I feel as though my teachers in college always made themselves available to answer questions about reading and suggest new readings in order to further extend my knowledge.
The only aspect of my life that has discouraged literacy development is my busy schedule. Like Sarah stated, I don't really read for pleasure during the school year because I'm scared it will distract from my homework time. Like I've said before, once I get lost in a good novel, I will continue reading until I've finished the book. Obviously much of my homework consists of reading, so it's not as though this is a huge discouragement in my literacy. I do wish I had more time for optional readings though!
Thanks!
Dani
Hey Dani,
DeleteThat’s great that your American Lit class introduced you to reading for enjoyment early on. I think it would be great if schools could somehow find a way to force students to get involved with readings that are interesting and fun for them, even if they’re not directly related to the academic content areas they’re studying.
When I was in high school the literature classes were optional and not many of my friends were interested in taking them. Looking back, I wish those courses would have been required. Reading would be such a bigger part of our lives now if it had been (forced) into a habit earlier on in life.
It seems that many of your low points come from the material being too scientific and hard to understand. Do you recall your teacher acknowledging the difficulty of this at all? For example, I often ask students to complete tasks in my Spanish classes that seem very difficult because of the language used. I find that it helps to let students know that you understand the material is challenging and can seem like “too much”. I’ve found that they are much more comfortable once the teacher acknowledges that he or she knows the material is “really hard” for them.
Lastly, I can totally identify with you and Sara in that I don’t feel that I have much time to read for leisure during the school year either. One of the things that I would’ve liked to have recommended to me during my first semester of college is to begin a reading list throughout our time here. That is to say, a list of novels and articles of interest that are for future reading only and aren’t meant to be read anytime soon (even within the next 3-5 years, for example).
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
David
Dani,
DeleteThat's great that your high points were in science classes! We should mesh our brains together! I struggled reading science books in high school and in college. They were over my head and took me forever to get through them! I would get frustrated easily with reading them. In my English class we were also assigned books to read. Some of them were great, I enjoyed reading them. But some of them were not great and was really hard for me to get through them. Having the English class assign the readings though, helped me to read for fun during the school year. Gave me an excuse for reading. My school also had a 20 minute time slot where we had quiet reading. I forgot to mention this, but this helped me remember it! But we could read whatever we wanted for those 20 minutes. I really enjoyed this! It was in the middle of the day, so it was a nice relaxer in the middle of the day. Allow our brains to rest for 20 minutes and be able to get lost in the book and forget about all the stuff we had to do.
In my high school as well, Harry Potter, Twilight and Chicken soup for the soul were popular. I got into the Chicken soup for the soul, but didn't get into the Harry Potter books. I never read the Twilight books, but I did watch the movies and enjoyed them. I am the type of person though that I don't like reading the book and then watching the movie. If I read the book and then watch the movie, I know what is going to happen, takes the suspense out of what is going to happen. So many times I don't read the book, but I watch the movie.
Like you, I was fortunate that my parents helped build my literacy skills. They still today recommend certain books. So far the ones they've recommended I have enjoyed, but I think it is because they know what i like to read so they recommend those.
David, I really like the idea of the reading list to be recommended in the first semester at college! I know there are many good books out there, and this list could open up more books to read!
Dani,
DeleteYou offer a great perspective on what it feels like to be an outsider ("I always felt as though I was the only one that wasn't understanding the material. It's always a horrible feeling, feeling as though you're the only one in the room that doesn't understand and you're too embarrassed to ask for help.") It is so important that we, as teachers, remember this perspective in order to do everything we can to help students feel like insiders, even if our content area is not something that is of particular interest to our students. It is clear from reading through our four different experiences that we have very distinct interests, so imagine the reading backgrounds and preferences our 100+ students a year will bring!
I was surprised to hear that you love getting lost in novels that were assigned for your Literature class. I definitely shouldn't be surprised (this shows that I made an assumption!), but I always imagined that math/science-brained people would tend away from reading and analyzing novels for enjoyment. Thank you for sharing and pointing out my assumption for me!
It sounds like our academic reading interests differ quite a bit (I love history and am not a huge fan of science reading), but our reading for enjoyment choices sound very similar. Thanks for sharing your experiences; I really learned a lot about (my assumptions about) reading preferences!
1. What reading experiences stand out for you? High points? Low points?
ReplyDeleteMany of the reading experiences that stand out to me as good experiences are those that involve reading articles and publications that I selected on my own. I have never really considered myself much of a reader. Although I’ve read a lot and can read at a decent proficiency level, most of my reading has come from teachers “handing” me texts that I needed to read.
One of the most difficult and most discouraging experiences I had was when I was in (I believe it was second grade). Our teacher set a pile of books on the floor - most of them were what one would consider adult-level readings - and called us up one by one to pick a book. We were to read a chapter of those books each week, I think, and then do some sort of reflection/writing assignment related about it. As it turns out, the blank-cover book that I grabbed was a text about some military thing that I couldn’t understand no matter how much I tried. The closest thing I had to compare it to was seeing my parents watch the TV show M*A*S*H. My mother (who is a proficient reader, college graduate and overall successful adult) spent time with me each night trying to read through this book. Many of the concepts & terminology she admitted herself that she didn’t understand. Each night ended up in me sobbing because I couldn’t read it and none of the other kids seemed to be having problems with their books. That story ends with my mom going to the school one way to talk with the teacher and principal about the book she had given me and unrealistic expectations for someone at my level. (I didn’t know that until years later.)
On a brighter and more recent note, a high point came for me as I was learning Spanish during my first years of college. For me, Spanish was always my “fun class” and a break from the stress of studying for other classes. I often sought out materials to read Spanish outside of class for fun. My highpoint came when I was in a different class (I don’t recall which one) during my freshman year and a reading scale was mentioned. It was a scale that separated different levels of reading proficiency and specific texts that readers within those proficiency levels could read and understand. This was in English and contained everything from Doctor Seuss to Moby Dick. Out of curiosity I decided to look for an equivalent scale in Spanish. After a lot of searching I found a reading proficiency scale that was separated into 9 different levels. To my astonishment, I had read most (or a significant part) of 3 of the novels listed on the highest level, and 5 of those listed on the second-highest level. After having studied Spanish for 6 years, that was the first time I felt that I was good at reading in Spanish.
These are just two examples of reading experiences that stand out to me, but they are most definitely the highest and lowest points in my history as a reader.
2. Were there times when your reading experiences or the materials you were reading made you feel like an insider? Like an outsider?
ReplyDeleteAs I said above, I’ve never really considered myself much of a reader. I’ve often felt like an outsider when friends of mine talk about books they’ve read, or when people refer to certain novels as “one of those novels you read in high school”. To the best of my recollection, I only remember reading two books from cover to cover in high school: The Giver and The Fountainhead. I’m sure there were a few more along the way, but the majority of “American Classics” or “high school books” I have not read. It makes me feel like an outsider to think that I am missing out on these ‘common pastimes’.
I really began to feel like an insider when I got into an addictive habit of working out and trying to learn as much as I could about exercising, health and strength building. As soon as I was able to drive in high school, I would go to the gym for at least two hours per day aside from the sports I was in, about five days per week. I came to make a ton of friends at the gym (mostly adults), was given a job there, and would take advantage of every fitness magazine I could get my hands on to learn more and get new workout ideas. I began to feel like an insider in the fitness community. This feeling was especially increased when I began to realize how little knowledge others actually had about exercising, how the body works, and nutrition. For a little while I began to feel like an “expert” in that field. (That “expertise” was soon put into perspective, however, when I saw the curriculum for the upper-level Exercise Science courses at MSU.)
3. What supported your literacy development? What discouraged it?
Growing up my literacy development was strongly supported by my mother and strongly discouraged by home location. I grew up on farmland in rural Iowa. We had a huge yard, lots of trees, barns and fields to play in, and a never-ending amount of yard and house-work to be done. I had such high energy as a child! I spent almost all of my free time outside playing by myself, with my siblings or with my friends. Reading, for me, was always a bore and a waste of time when I could be outside playing. None of my family members were (or are) big into reading and literature was not a popular topic at our dinner table. Come to think of it, not much other than the events of day was usually talked about at dinner.
When I say that my mother strongly encouraged my literacy, this is because she was always the “enforcer” when it came to homework. She always made it painstakingly clear that homework was the priority and encouraged me to finish my schoolwork before all else. Having a healthy relationship with my teachers and -once in college- discovering a love for Spanish literature and Philosophy also greatly encouraged my development.
David,
DeleteThat sounds like a terrible experience that you had with reading! I would hate to have to pick a book from a pile and then have to read it, especially if it was the military one like you mentioned. In my English classes, we read a bunch of books, I felt like we were reading book after book. There were some that I disliked and some that i did not understand, as stated before the Shakespeare ones, but at least I had my classmates in the same boat as me and we could talk it through. You were by yourself! I'm sure this had a lot to do with you not wanting to read and would rather be outside playing with your friends. My dad grew up on a farm, and reading wasn't a priority as well. The chores were, so my mom was probably more of an influence than my dad. My dad is a influence also, but I think because my mom influenced him to read when they met.
I am glad you were able to find the Spanish books to help with your confidence in literacy! This helped you find a interest in Spanish, which then lead you to become a teacher in Spanish. The exercising one too is great, you were able to take something that you really enjoyed and wanted to learn about and be able to develop your literacy skills. I should probably start reading about exercising, I try to read when I can, but there are so many different things to know that I never know what to do and what not to do.
David,
DeleteYou bring up a really good point about proficiency levels in your high and low point reading experiences. It is really important that we, as teachers, avoid creating a situation like the one you experienced in 2nd grade. I alluded to this point in the discussion questions I posed earlier this week. From my field experiences and work as a para t both the elementary and middle school levels, I have seen initiatives for helping students select "good fit books" not only to ensure that the book will be effective in helping students to improve their reading skills, but also to increase their confidence as readers. Clearly, from your experience, this latter point is extremely important.
It was really interesting to find out about your reading niches and how they are so obviously tied to what you do with your life, both professionally and personally. To me, reading in Spanish (especially fiction or poetry) is really difficult, so I am impressed to hear that you prefer that to reading similar genres in English (or is my interpretation wrong?). Your interest in the fitness world also seems really enhanced by how much you have invested yourself in research. Reading to inform these interests shows real commitment to your profession and personal interests. Thanks for sharing!
Oh man, David! I can't imagine trying to read a military novel as a second grader, let alone any other classic. Most books like those would be difficult for me to read even today! I did find it heartwarming that your mom put so much effort into helping you with that assignment. Your mom seemed like a great example of how influential and helpful parents can really be in regards to their child's education.
DeleteI thought you gave great examples about how you felt like an insider and outsider. I could relate with both of your examples.
Also, I could relate with your comment of only having read two novels cover to cover in high school. I do agree that I wish I would have more classics, etc. under my belt. It's sometimes hard for me to know even where to begin to look for that worldly classic that I would actually enjoy.
Finally, I loved your example of what discouraged your literacy development. I didn't think of this while writing my post! Again, I can relate to your post in this way. I didn't read much during the year or during the summer because I was always involved in sports practices and games. That takes up a ton of time and I can see how that could discourage from resding! Great thought!
Thanks :)
Dani