Monday's Reading Table Talk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Credit:  Google Images

I know as English majors, moms, kids, students, teachers, and faculty we have a common annoyance or dislike for something pertaining to reading and being able to share that with everyone is sometimes liberating.  For example, as a teenager I could read really well, but the comprehension on what I read wasn't so good.  I would read and be happy that I could read well then one day my teacher called on me to read, but asked me to tell the class my perception of what I read and I panicked.  I panicked because I knew that the text that I read; I could explain to the class because their was several words in the text that I didn't understand.  My teacher called on another student, so that she would not embarrass me, but in the back of my mind I was already hurt because I wanted to show the rest of the class that I was just as smart if not smarter than them.  I knew I failed myself, the class, and teacher.  After class, that day my teacher asked me when I read do I understand everything I read and I said half of the time I do know what I read, but the other half I did not understand.  She said don't feel upset, but lets set some practices everyday that will increase your comprehension.  My teacher practiced with me every during and after school for the remainder of the school year and I gained so much knowledge with my comprehension that I improved when I started school the next year.  I knew I was proud of myself and my teacher was too.

Credit:  Google Images

Burning Questions

The Reading Blues???????????

I want to blog weekly about Reading Blues that discusses outlets for people that have the reading blues.  I think that this outlet will allow one to be creative in discussions about reading issues that one may be dealing with and see how others deal with as it relates to reading.  Topics of discussion how blogging will help shape and create a culture that will allow one to be open and candid about everyday issues of reading.  The blog is designed to focus on any one person that has reading issues as teachers, educators, children, students, and parents.

   My Story

What keeps us in bondage when it comes to reading?  What are some things you feel are challenging for readers?  I currently teach reading courses and one of my major issues with students are their lack of comprehension when they have read something.  I have asked my students what are some identifying issues that make them lack the comprehension skills necessary to understand what they have read?

1. Reading paragraphs and not understanding words that they read.
2. Lack of looking words in the dictionary.
3. Lack of understanding of what was read.

I know that there are many websites about there discussing how to be great bloggers and one that I have read on is Shanahan on Reading.  His blog discusses reading and writing issues with literacy.  His blog is also within a website that discussing all kind of literacy issues and solutions to reading and writing called, "Reading Rockets."  I also found a video that has tips to help with comprehension, "10 Tips To Improve Your Reading Comprehension."