PERSONAL READING HISTORY
GROUP 3: Joseph Nowariak, Kathleen Holloran, Kaitlin Stein Christopher Yost
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.
Personal History – Kaitlin Stein
ReplyDelete1. What reading experiences stand out for you? High points? Low points?
My first reading experience that I can remember was when my mother or father would read to me at night before bedtime. We would read Dr. Seuss book and figure out all the wacky words, try to sound them out. My second memory was a book I got for Christmas and it was called The Ballerina Princess (who knew this would become my actual life) but what happens is a dancer has an injury and Kaitlin saves the day and does the best dance performance. This book was magical because it was about me and it has names of people in my life. It was so cool!
A low point came in high school in my 9th grade English class and we were forced to read Romeo and Juliet. No matter what I did to try and understand Shakespeare I was lost. I did not like it, I did not understand to it or relate to it. My teacher did not care about my struggle as well. Another low was anytime I had to read and apply about Physic’s. I tried, I stayed late and worked with my teacher, I studied and did all the readings and projects but it never made since. It never related to anything I was interested in. I was a lost case.
2. Were there times when your reading experiences or the materials you were reading made you feel like an insider? Like an outsider?
When I was reading Harry Potter everyone was reading Harry Potter. It was the cool thing to do. This worked well with my friends in school, but also at home. I was a little rebel child and Harry Potter became a family activity. We all read the books, we talked about the books at dinner and we came together as a family. It made me see that parents were not the enemy and we found a common ground. Then I started reading more books that my mother or father were reading we kept having conversations about these books that eventually lead to other conversations that were harder to get into or for me to listen about. Books brought me back to my family. Who knew Harry Potter could do that?
I mostly felt like an outside when it came to reading History books or Science books. I did not understand the content and did not know how to find ways to understand the content. A lot of teachers did not seem to care about my struggles and my grades suffered because of it. I felt a lot of the time I was the only one who could not understand and sometimes I would try to hide the fact that I had no idea what was being discussed and copy others because that was the easy thing to do. I know right now I have no passion to read anything about Science or History unless it applies to personal biographies or dance and I feel I could have had more passion if I had teachers who cared.
3. What supported your literacy development? What discouraged it?
My parents were a huge supporter for expanding my mind on what is out there to read and that I could read for pleasure but also for my education and that was a “cool” thing. I had two great teachers in high school that also influenced my life when it came to reading class material. One teacher who actually took input for what we wanted to read besides the required readings. That made the class enjoyable and worth reading the required readings. This teacher got me into Jane Austin and even though Jane Austin and Shakespeare are not the same they are both hard to read and interpret. Unlike my Shakespeare teacher, this teacher took the time to explain and reflect on what Austin was saying in her writing, which made it clear and enjoyable.
What discouraged my literacy was when I was forced to read and understand without any guidance. I felt if I was supposed to know, understand, and reflect on material I should have some guidance. When my teachers could not take the time to break down, discussion, or give examples I felt there was no point in reading or putting any effort into the assigned material. These people discouraged me, made me upset and I did not want to engage in learning when I felt they did not care enough to teach me.
You have already pointed out how we were both read to by our parents and I couldn't agree more on the importance of that! I love that you wrote about your ballerina book and it having your name as well as the names of other people in your life. Did it also have your picture with it?? I now remember I had a book the same way that I put my picture on the last page and each page had a hole for my face to show up as the character's throughout the book as I played some sort of sport. Hopefully that makes sense anyways.
DeleteYour low points go hand in hand with what we have discussed in this class already about if you aren't interested, it is very hard to focus and try to make sense of it. I think we can all relate to you there.
I completely agree with parent involvement as well-- it seems like that positive influence helped develop literacy in all of us! Some children do not have that opportunity though, so as teachers we need to do our best to reach them as well. You make great points about teacher who reached out to you and the other students by trying to explain what the author was saying, rather then just assuming everyone knows whats going on. In my experience it was much more enjoyable when teachers made it relatable to us all well- or made some kind of connection between us and the text. I totally feel you on the science books though; those are still a tough one for me!
DeleteI think your sentiments echo those of quite a few students in high school english classes. Shakespeare is very difficult to read and understand, but we have to take into account that it is written in a different language. So you could look at it in a different light and acknowledge that and turn it into a positive. As for your experience as an outsider reading history and science, what about it made it negative? Was it the content or the way it was written? There are definitive writing style in the disciplines and they can be difficult to work with, but if it was content material, a little more reading is all that you need to overcome the adversity.
DeleteJoey,
DeleteFirst off history or science were never my passion. Which made it difficult to find the material interesting. That being said, I think it was both the material and content.... how to make it relate my life experiences or relevant to anything. Or what the big picture is when I was learning in these subjects... what was the point? Also my teachers did not help as well.... they did not seem to care I was struggling.
Chris Yost
ReplyDelete1. What reading experiences stand out for you? High points? Low points?
When I think back on my reading experiences, I can think of my mom reading numerous books to me each night. The typical books like Dr. Seuss, Berenstain Bears, Clifford, and so on were all popular with me. From these books, when I grew older, there were many books from the library that I would always read, such as the Hardy Boys. I loved reading all about those mysteries and the situations they would face. Then as I grew even older, I loved reading biographies of famous athletes and hearing what they went through or coaches and teams did behind the scenes. These types of books still fascinate me today.
As I write this, I can't think of too many low points in regards to reading other than one. The major low point was always in elementary school or middle school where we would "popcorn" and randomly pick people to read out loud. I absolutely hated these times in school. It wasn't because I was a bad reader or anything like that, I just hated the suspense of when am I going to be called on and then reading in front of the class bothered me. I didn't like the attention to be on me and rather would have read silently or listened to the others read.
2. Were there times when your reading experiences or the materials you were reading made you feel like an insider? Like an outsider?
When I would read those Hardy Boys books I definitely felt like an insider. All of my friends would be reading them as well and we would all be telling each other to hurry up with a certain one so we could get to that one as well. It helped that we had the Pizza Hut rewards program where we got the free pizza once we read so many books too. Going to a more recent time, I did jump onto the Hunger Games books because I was hearing so many people talk about them so I finally got talked into reading those as well.
I would feel like an outsider when we read out loud in class like I said earlier. Some students loved reading that way and myself and a few others were always turned off by it.
3. What supported your literacy development? What discouraged it?
I think the motivation behind the Pizza Hut program was a big supporter of getting me to read. Something so simple got many in my class big into reading books. Also being able to talk about those Hardy Boy books with my friends was a big support. Obviously my parents were influences as well when they started reading to me and would always continue to take an interest in what I was doing and reading about.
I'm not sure if it really discouraged my reading because in the long run it really helped me pay attention to details while reading but in middle school, I had a teacher that everybody dreaded. We would read books or playwrights like The Crucible, for example, and have to have pages upon pages of notes down to the details like "in this setting, what color outfit was so and so wearing"? It would take so long to read all the pages and also take these notes where we would then have a quiz on these questions where he sat in front of the class and read the questions to us rather than giving us a paper with them on to read and then write. These would also be no notes quizzes so of course a lot of studying went into these quizzes as well as trying to compare your notes to others' in case they had some minor detail that you didn't. Very frustrating!
Chris,
DeleteMy mom use to read to me as well! I think it is so important to read to your children! I read to children all the time at the after-school program I work at! They love being read to! I also never liked being called on in class to read, especially when you couldn't sound out the word and felt embarrassed and children would giggle in the back round.
I never read Hardy books but I read a lot of the babysitters club to be "cool". I asked my husband and both his brother and himself did read them.. mystery novels correct?
I never heard of the Pizza hut program! I sounds like a great way to support reading! And it's great to hear that you gained a skill from a teacher who loved to focus on details!
I remember the Pizza Hut reading program too! That is an excellent example of the community piece working to better the success and of the student and creating a partnership with the schools. Series are really fun; I never was into Harvey Boys, but like Kaitlin I loved Babysitters Club and Boxcar Children! It was fun to talk to everyone in school who was reading them too.
DeleteI can understand your feelings with popcorn/outloud reading! I feel like most times students are so distracted by wondering who is going to be picked next that they don't pay attention to the book anyway.
Oh Pizza Hut rewards. Now that you mention it, that probably had a big effect on me too. I agree with your comment about your negative experience helping you by making you more aware of the other reading you do. We do not like to do extra when, but it shows you that reading is a process that gets better with experience. Taking the perspective that all reading is good reading lets us build on all of our experiences.
Delete1. My teaching content area is English/Language Arts so obviously Iove reading! Reading has always been a passion of mine; my family still jokes around that at my 5th grade parent-teacher conferences my mom told my teacher she was worried about me because I read too much! Thankfully my teacher backed me up and told her she thought I would be just fine ;) Growing up, I can only remember positive experiences with reading. It was my favorite class in middle school and by the time I left high school, I had taken every English class my school offered. With that being said, I probably do not read the most academically challenging books out there (ha!). I try to always pick up one highly acclaimed novel amongst my easy beach reads, but its usually the last book I go for. My college career has been full of non-fiction required reading, which I am definitely not a huge fan of. With online media, I read a lot more articles and things that I had not in the past... which is great, though I find I can easily spend 2 hours reading articles like " 25 things every 25 year old should know." Perhaps a time I can remember being discouraged was going into 9th grade English, and we had to read Moby Dick over the summer. Not only did I completely dislike the book, but I also did not understand any of it! Thankfully I found many to be in the same spot when we got to school the first day.
ReplyDelete2. Were there times when your reading experiences or the materials you were reading made you feel like an insider? Like an outsider?
Reading has always been somewhat of an "escape" for me so I am not sure I ever felt really like an "insider" because of it. With that being said, it was really fun being on a "Battle of the Books" team in grade school with friends, and I have been a part of book clubs in the past. My sister really enjoys reading as well so it is fun to discuss books that we have both read.
I have never been a fan of science books or science fiction, so I always feel a bit of an outsider when that genre becomes the fade. I have never read harry Potter (though I really want to make myself at some point!) and I remember being in grade school when my whole class loved anamorph books.... but all I wanted to read was Saddle Club.
3. What supported your literacy development? What discouraged it?
I think my family really supported my literacy development growing up. We were regulars at the library and always participated in summer library programs. My grandpa loved to read with us when we were little and he even set up a recording device so we could listen to ourselves, which my siblings and I highly enjoyed at the time. My school growing up really encouraged reading as well. There were multiple reading rewards programs, and I remember having "DEAR" time everyday.
My discouraging reading experiences all have come at a later time period- like in college where I had a ton of reading to do in one week and it was all dry, textbook material. I have worked in school since graduation with younger students who are frustrated with reading; this is still really hard for me because I don't get not wanting to read. I still struggle with non-fiction, it is just not as fun for me.
Keenie,
DeleteIt sounds starting off for you reading was your thing! My easy beach books are Twilight... I feel like I don't want to think when I am reading those books! Just enjoy make-believe.
Read Harry Potter! Its great! My husband had not read it until a few years ago! It's never too late! HAHA! Battle of the Books sounds interesting... what did it entail? I also did not like Science books, I just could not understand them!
My family also enjoyed the library a lot until the nook e-reader came around! We went to it at least once a week and the library would have summer programs. Once you read so many books you got a free pizza or ice cream... some type of reward!
Non-fiction can be interesting but I found them engaging when it's about people. Not textbooks. I agree that sometimes in college you read more and than you apply!
Just as Kaitlin and I have said, it is so great that you also had somebody to read to you like your grandpa did! It is obvious they got you started out and got you hooked on reading from the beginning! I also was wondering what Battle of the Books is all about? How was that set up?
DeleteYour discouraging moment is one that I am pretty sure we all agree with! Having so much to read on various topics out of a textbook is a terrible feeling. It is pretty hard to get motivated to get started for myself but eventually I will get it done. It is so different than other books that friends will recommend or I pick out myself that I will start and won't want to stop until I am done.
Battle of the Books was a program where you were set up on a three person team. Between the three of you , you had to read an entire list of books ("fun " books from the school library) and then you would have competitions against other teams where the librarian would ask you a question about a book and you had to figure out what book it was from/who was the author. In 4th and 5th grade everyone had to do it, but many continued in 6th grade as well. It was just kind of a fun program and I think it attracted more students because of its competitive nature.
DeleteAgain, I feel I need to comment on the negative aspects of reading something you don't want to. To be sure, much of the reading we had to do in college was dense and boring but we have to understand what the purpose of it is. When we read these texts, they are difficult and arcane at times. We really have to think about what we are reading and it reminds us to be vigilant while reading. It keeps us sharp and expands the way we think, reading is not an end unto itself. Reading is a means unto an end.
DeleteI remember having books read to me all the time as a child. Dinosaurs were my topic of choice and I could not get enough of them and books were the best way to get it because Jurassic Park was a PG 13 movie. For some reason, I was able to read the dinosaur names at a young age and that made reading quite easy for me. I read quite a bit for fun, and still do, so most of my memories are very positive. It is difficult to pinpoint a low point in my reading career. I can think of things I didn't like to read in school, many of the books we read in english class were very rudimentary and didn't offer a challenge. Looking back, I remember reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as a sixth grader and not remembering what was going on in the book, but I finished it nonetheless and perhaps the reason I think it was a poor experience is because I did not comprehend. I was extremely proud and it just pushed me to read harder texts.
ReplyDeleteKnowledge is power springs to mind when I first read this second question. Reading gives you the information you need to be an insider. Be it classroom work or just a book that everyone else has read, common readings are something I find incredibly powerful for building relationships. Take our course reading for the week. Those of us that have actually read have the themes and ideas presented in the readings to expand our knowledge base together, where as those who have not read will be on the outside looking in. As for being an outsider, I think that I read a lot as a child because I was an outsider, not the other way around. Reading took a lot of time and I was always told that it was good for me and that gave me an excuse for not going over and playing with new kids. Reading was an escape from the social pressures of elementary school.
Again, there is very little that was negative about my reading development. I was read to on a regular basis as a child and in a way that let me interact deeply with the text. Throughout school, I have been a successful reader and was rarely challenged by the texts that were used. This helped me develop a lot of confidence when I read a text. I can now just glance over a reading and have a generally good idea of what is going on and make quality judgements about it. At home, my parents always encouraged me to read and took me to the library or bought me a book often. I cannot pinpoint the exact time, but there was a point where those around me could not direct me to new places to find reading materials and I was forced to find them myself. The search for what to read has become almost as gratifying as the reading itself. My development as a reader has come from many different areas and is largely positive.
I feel I must address the fact that there is really nothing negative in my response. Perhaps it is because reading has become so ingrained in me that I pushed all of the negative experiences out of my head. There is an anti-intellectual movement in society right now and this is having a an effect on learning to read, although there are other more structural factors that play a large role for many people, for some, I was always told that reading was how to get ahead. Smart people read. I wanted to be a smart person. I never remember hearing someone say that reading was bad. And for this experience, I am ever grateful.
From reading your post, I think it is very understandable as to how you didn't have any low points with reading. Reading was your escape and it was also a motivator for you. Struggling to understand 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea pushed you to read difficult books and this lead you to look for more challenges again and again. I really like how the search for what to read now is as gratifying as the reading itself. You have a wide range of interests with your reading and I think that makes picking the right book to read even more satisfying and is a motivator to get through it so you can get onto the next interest of yours!
DeleteI can totally relate to your experience of reading actually making you more of an "outsider" -- but by choice. As we grow and mature I think people realize exactly what you noted; reading makes you smart, and therefore reading is not seen as "geeky" as it might have in elementary-high school. It sounds like you are a very well rounded reader which is great, and you look to challenge yourself with difficult texts. I strive to do that, but usually find myself choosing mostly comfortable/fun reads for myself- so I definitely have recognized ways I can grow as a reader even at 25! Like many in our class it seems, you benefited from a positive perspective reading from home which is so important!
DeleteJoey,
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised you never had any negative experiences with reading. Although, I love to read... I did not like everything and I had struggles which brought on negative experiences.
It is great you go on hunts for new book and you have a large range of interests! Ir is great reading let you escape from the pressures of the outside world. I did not find my love for reading until middle school but it seems you found yours early in life and continue to find the joy in about everything you read!
I don't think my negative experience related to reading are because of the reading, rather because of other issues. I struggled to write that post without including negative experiences, but in the end I didn't feel that would have been right.
Delete