Entry 4

For this open entry, I wanted to revisit a reading from our first week of class. The article is Toward a Composing Model of Reading by Tierney and Pearson. This reading provided me with an entirely new insight on reading, and how we engage in many of the same processes of writing while we read (planning, drafting, aligning, revising, and monitoring) (1983). I feel that this article was extremely important for me to read, and then revisit and reflect upon, because it helped me take a step back and reflect on my own reading processes. 

I think I have neglected the planning stage while reading. I think about how many chapters and articles I explore for each class, and through this busy routine of reading to check things off and complete the accompanying assignments, I feel I've neglected the important step of thinking and exploring the features of the piece before I read it. When I first reread this piece, I was unsure what planning would even look like for readers. Or maybe it happens naturally, and I am just unaware I am engaging in this “planning”? Tierney and Pearson (1983) state, “Planning involves two complimentary processes: goal-setting and knowledge mobilization” (p. 569) But what does this mean? Well, in terms of goals the authors go on to describe how readers' goals can be procedural, gaining a sense of the topic. They can be substantive, finding out the relationship that exists, as well as intentional, what is the author trying to say? This was an important aspect to grasp, because identifying your reading goals can make the reading process more meaningful, and perhaps the process more productive. I want to engage in that practice before my readings, I want to take a moment to plan and prepare, to increase my productivity. Another great point stated by Tierney and Pearson (1983), “goals may emerge, be discovered, or change” (p. 569). This is not set in stone, but it is a way to pause and put a bit of thought into the reading process, to effectively compose meaning. 

I want to emphasize this aspect of the reading process to my (future) students. I think about the fact that students may not be sure why they are reading, and not identifying the purposes and goals for their reading can make it feel unimportant or less engaging. Right? Being aware of this makes it seem possible and easy to embed some goal setting in the classroom. Independent reading time is for pleasure, did you choose this book because the topic is interesting to you? Because you want to learn more about this topic? Asking these questions may impact the books students select. Before engaging in a group read aloud, I can guide students through this planning process by describing our task or goal/purpose for this book and read aloud experience. This is important because, “the goals that readers and writers set have a symbiotic relationship with the knowledge they mobilize, and together they influence what is produced or understood in a text” (Tierney and Pearson, 1983, p. 570). Maybe this seems simple, but I have still been thinking about it since week 1. I focused pretty heavily on the planning stage, but I was in awe of the application of all stages for writing and reading in this article. 

References

Tierney, R. & Pearson, P. D. (1983).  Toward a composing model of reading.  Language Arts, 

    60(5), 568-580.