Reading Response 9: Tovani

I agree that one of the first steps in  helping students become better readers is by redefining reading. By the time I get them in secondary school, they may be operating on an oversimplified and inadequate definition of what effective reading really is. I will be sure my students know that good reading does not magically happen on it’s own, but rather developed very intentionally.  Tovani’s book will be an excellent resource for instances when I think my students need a reading comprehension boost.

I like what Tovani said about her experience in her book club: “these readers had not come to book club knowing all the answers. They were depending on one another to construct meaning” (8). When I encourage my future students to model what good readers do, I want them to understand good readers do NOT equal people who know everything. Good readers read with a purpose, make connections between the text and their own lives, draw inferences, and ask questions. She expands on this idea later, pointing out that good readers do not remember every single thing they read, but they “use tools to hold onto their thinking so they can return to it later” (34). If I can get my students to realize reading is a process requiring tools and strategies, they will see how accessible effective reading is to everyone. Giving each student better access to strong reading skills will break down their negative pre-conceived notions of reading. Breaking down that barrier and following it up with practical lessons from this book will help me produce classrooms full of successful readers.

My son is a very reluctant reader, and I am always trying to show him examples of why reading is important. When he first began playing video games, he would not read any of the tips and prompts and would get lost or stuck and frustrated. I would help him out and he would say “how did YOU know that?!” and I would answer “because I took the time to read it”. He did not like being helpless while playing his games so he started forcing himself to stop and read when necessary. Around the same time he started noticing words he recognized around the grocery store or on road signs, and I tried to show how impressed and proud I was when he did. This worked wonders for his reading confidence, which was a huge roadblock for him.