My Weak Reading Abilities

Brian Arata
Ms. Molyneaux
English Period D
16 April 2015

Reading Article Reflection

I am a slow and weak reader. When Ms. Blau talks about sustained attention, taking risks, and re-reading, I recognize that I do none of these things while reading. If a part of a book or article is too difficult for me, I either skip it or skim it. I never try to understand or re-read it. Whenever I have to read something for school, I rush myself; however, when I read for fun, I am relaxed and I take my time. After reading the article and completing the self-evaluation about my reading, I recognize that I need to be patient with myself. I need to re-read confusing sections of texts, make more connections from the text to my previous knowledge of the subject, and I need to take notes so that I can keep track of what is confusing me. Annotating this year was a new and, at first, difficult experience for me. I strongly disliked having to stop and start my reading to annotate. After doing if for a while, however, I realized that it helped me identify key quotes and themes from the various novels I read. Even though I think of myself as a slow and weak reader, I am learning new strategies, like annotating, to help me focus when I am losing my attention from the text I am reading. I am always trying to make myself a better reader, and these strategies will help me.