My own Reading Processes

After reading the second chapter in Tomkins, it really made me think about a lot of things. First off, I liked how it was split up into five different stages and I thought each stage had some valuable points that I would like to use in my classroom one day. I definitely agree that when students, or people in general, can relate something back to their own prior experiences or they make predictions about something, they are much more engaged and attentive in what they are learning. Many times in school when I was younger, I don't remember predicting what would happen in a story or relating things to my own life. Yet now when I read, I make some many conections, and the more meaningful connections are when I can relate it to my own life. And I'm not just talking about literacy, I think it's beneficial to be making these connections through all subject areas.

Another thing that struck out to me in the reading was that many schools no longer do a "Round Robin" approach. I've heard that term before, but I heard it being used as more of a discussion technique than a reading technique. Anyways, how Tompkins explained it was that it's basically students reading the book by paragraph. I still see that type of reading done in several schools, and I remember doing that type of reading all the time; I absolutely hated that. I never liked to read out loud because I was always worried about messing up a word or stuttering. The whole time I would be concerned about reading, rather than focusing on the content. I can imagine that several others have felt and still do feel the way I had felt. I think Tompkins had a good idea about having individual reading, as well as pairing up with a buddy to feel more comfortable. I also think that individual is so important to have; it helps children read at their own pace (which is what I always liked) and they can go back and look over a section they may have not understood. After reading this chapter, it really helped me to reflect about my own learning about reading and what techniques I can use in my classroom one day.