My Reading Comprehension

After doing the readings, I find that there a many many details that I haven't considered when it comes to comprehension. It was made clear to me that one of the reasons I don't always get anything out of the readings I do for some of my English classes is because I almost skip every step there is to comprehension. I never set a purpose. I never make predictions. I only shrug and complain that I have to read a play in old English! Maybe if I took the time to look deeper into the readings and start off by acknowledging why I am reading it at all will help set me on a path towards better comprehension.

It is hard for me to remember when I started to dislike reading. Well, it's not that I dislike reading-- but I just would rather do anything else for fun. Make sense? I was never the kid who read books for fun and I have never been the adult who does that either. I simply read because I have to and that's that. From Tompkins, motivation is defined as "intrinsic, the innate curiosity within each of us that makes us want to figure things out." (pg. 234) I can apply this definition of motivation to technology or sports, or other things-- but NOT reading! It is kind of crazy when I really think about it, I have almost zero motivation to read (on my own that is.).

I found it very interesting in Tompkins on page 226: "Involving students in experiences such as field trips, participating in dramatizations, and manipulating artifacts is the best way to build background knowledge..." This idea that we can help build background knowledge for those students that don't have as much as others is new to me. I really like it, though, because it helps to include that student in on many things that they would otherwise not have. In a sense, it is helping to build their cultural capital as well.