Reading Article Reflection

Most of the time when I read, I have trouble getting focused. I am distracted by my phone, or I begin day dreaming about other things. I try to find everything possible to get out of reading a book majority of the time. The reason for this, like the article said, is simply "lack of effort" on my part. (Blau 19). In order to get focused, I have to use the strategy of finding a quiet place with no distractions, and put the effort into reading my book. If I try and stay focused for a period of time, I can get a lot more done.

I read very differently when it comes to reading for school and reading for fun. I am a very weak reader when it comes to history, because I dread the subject and find it to be very boring. When I am reading my textbook, I can never stay focused and end up getting little out of it. Part of the reason for this is because history is not one of my stronger subjects. I have always struggled in history and have trouble comprehending and remembering what I read. On the other hand, if it is a book I am interested in, my focus and will to read is completely different. When I get a book I really enjoy, one that really intrigues me, I can stay focused and actually understand the book. I will finish a good book in a couple days, and I feel like a strong reader.

This document was very helpful, and definitely can apply to me, because I am not a very strong reader. The most important strategy and tip I took away is re-reading the information. When I zone out or don't understand something, instead of moving on and giving up, I have to re-read and re-read. Like the article said, every time I re-read the text, I will find new information, and it will eventually make some sense to me. I also have to develop the skill of intertextual literacy. By finding the background information of the text and relating it to things I am familiar with, whatever I am reading will start to come clearer.

Annotating and note taking on the novels I read this year helped me greatly. Though I was familiar with taking good notes, I was not used to annotating as much as I did. Annotating kept me focused, because I was forced to make connections and write my thoughts. By doing this, the text became clear and made it more interesting. It also helped when it came time for the quizzes. My detailed annotations were a great help and made it so much easier to understand everything that went on. I will definitely annotate like I did for the books I read this year in the future. My biggest problem coming into English sophomore year was staying focused on books that weren't necessarily what I was interested in. Annotating was a way to keep me focused and forced me to understand what I was reading.