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Cris Tovani's I read it but I don't get it.

            Cris Tovani’s I Read it but I Don’t Get It offers a wealth of reasons why many students struggle with reading, either for pleasure or understanding within school. I myself can identify with many of the reasons that were stated, despite my reputation of being very proficient in both reading and English as a subject. The reason I can identify with many of the students discussed in this text is because when I was in high school I was what Tovani calls a “word caller”. According to Tovani a word caller does understand how to read and also reads for pleasure, but is unable to understand that reading requires thinking. (Tovani 15) I can honestly say that I used to fit this bill perfectly in high school. I could memorize plot details very well which made quizzes on books a breeze, however, I struggled with the idea that texts often said more than the words that were on the page. This made argumentative papers very difficult for me, especially during my senior year of high school in an honors English class. It wasn’t until I entered college that I learned how to look at the deeper meaning of a text and focus on what was not being said as much as what was.
            To prevent my students from going through the same struggles that I went through I intend to use many of Tovani’s methods to help them make proper sense out of what they are reading. My first step towards this goal will be to give my students a purpose for reading the texts that I give them. This is because “readers determine what is important based on their purpose for reading.” (Tovani 24) This means that with a purpose my students can have a better understanding of what they are supposed to be looking for when they read, which will hopefully make the process easier and allow them to think more deeply about the information they read. To further help with this process I will instruct my students on how to take notes using Tovani’s “Double Diary Entries” (Tovani 30) method. This method consists of dividing a sheet in half and using one side to write down a quote that a student wishes to analyze while using the other side to write down their thoughts pertaining to the quote which are usually centered around a specific goal. (Tovani 30, 31) This will allow a student to record their thoughts on a passage in a way that they can easily refer back to and expand upon later if needed.

            Cris Tovani presents many reasons that readers struggle, but she also presents many ways in which we as teachers can help them to succeed with and enjoy reading. Hopefully by using the methods I have discussed, as well as the other methods that Tovani has devised I can help my students to become better readers, and maybe even enjoy it.

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