Before you
read the Haas & Flower article choose one
of the following questions taken directly from Downs and Wardle’s book, Writing
about Writing (121):
a. Ask a couple of friends how they read: When do they pay
attention to who is the writer of what they’re reading? When do they look up
information like definitions or background on the subject? What strategies do
they use to keep track of what they’re reading, like highlighting, notes in the
margins, or a reading notebook? When they encounter material they don’t
understand, what do they do to try to understand it? Keep notes of your friends’
answers and compare them to what you do as a reader.
b. Use an audio recorder of some sort to record yourself
reading an unfamiliar and hard-to read text aloud, and talk aloud as you try to
figure out what it means. When you play back the recording, make notes about
what you heard that you didn’t expect to and what you learn about yourself as a
reader from doing this.
c. Make a quick self-assessment of your reading abilities by
answering the following questions: What are you good at, as a reader? What do
you think you’re not good at, as a reader? Is there anything you wish you had
been taught better or differently?
Then post your
answers as a comment below, and respond to at least one of the comments by one
of your classmates.
