Shanon Murphy- Reading Article Reflection

Reading Article Reflection

April 15, 2015

By: Shanon Murphy 

After reading this article, I reflected on my reading strategies and noticed the growth of my literacy skills throughout my education. I think I have grown immensely as a reader, thanks to the many different approaches I have been taught over the years.

                When I am reading, I feel as though I am focused and give all my attention to the piece of literature. I think this helps with my comprehension and helps me analyze the book, since I remember the events and background of the story. In addition to this, I also think I have a “tolerance for failure” while reading (3). I often re-read passages that cause confusion, and I think this helps me understand the readings more.  

                In some cases, I feel as though I read differently depending on the assigned task and the subject of the reading.  While assigned to read and answer questions, I often find myself just searching for particular key words to help me find the answers quickly. I think this makes me a weak reader, because I am not focusing on the entire passage. I also think the subject of the literature affects my reading. When given topics that interest me, I read through passages more easily and am able to keep more focus on the topic. Topics that are not as interesting are more difficult to read, as I tend to get frustrated when I do not understand what I am reading.

                   From these documents, I have learned to have intellectual courage and not be afraid to offer my interpretations of a passage, as someone else may be thinking the same way, and you should not be afraid to be wrong. I also will try to apply the strategy of “tolerance for ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty” (3). I think this will help me realize the interpretations of others and not be so focused on what I think is right.

                I think annotating and taking notes had both positive and negative effects on my reading. I had done it freshman year, but otherwise it was a pretty new experience for me. Annotating the book helped me when I had to go back and look through the book for analysis and studying purposes such as, tests, group discussions, and papers. Otherwise, I thought that taking notes often distracted me from the reading, as I sometimes was stopping at each page/chapter and thinking about what to write down when I had nothing. I think that when I had to take notes, I was more concerned with what to write down than with what I was reading.