Blog Post: "I Read It, But I Don't Get It"

Since this was a text rather than an article, I decided to just focus on what stood out to me the most when I read this text. I really liked the way Tovani discusses good reading and learning how to be a good reader. I like how he uses examples with his own experience as a teacher. In part one, he begins with fake reading. I like that he starts with this because there are many students who have mastered this. While reading this section, I like that he almost gives the reader a guide to what to do when students are fake reading. In his own experience, he relates to the students and shares with them that he used to do the exact same thing as a kid in high school: fake reading!

I also enjoyed reading about his experience with teaching himself how to read! He joins a book club and he not only teaches himself how to read but he learns how to examine what he has read. Tovani talks about strategies too with his class. He says that a "strategy is an intentional plan that readers use to help themselves make sense of their reading" (5). Tovani also states that "good readers use lots of strategies to help themselves make sense of text" (5). This is so true, especially when you are using a text for a class. Teaching students how to analyze a text and understand what they have read is very valuable.

In part 1.2, Tovani talks about the realties of reading. He says that people often have a perception of reading being "simplistic" (13) and that reading is just "sounding out words" (13). I believe this to be true because sometimes people who are not in school think it is an easy task. But that is not always the case; especially for kids and even older students who struggle with reading. There are different ways of struggling with reading, too. The obstacles that some students have to go through are tough. There are usually teacher assistants who take select students who need extra help into the hallway so they can help those students with their reading.