Affective Dimensions of Reading

As I reflection my experiences as a reader some are good and some are rather BAD! My memory of learning to read isn't so great, but the good thing is that I learned to read and continue to enjoy reading today. I consider myself a good reader now, but I haven't always considered myself a good reader. I feel that I am a good reader now because I have learned how to read so that I can understand the text I am reading no matter what it is. I remember what I really started to like reading. It must have been right around the time I finally cracked the code of the English language in about 6th grade. I think it helped that I got into books that I enjoyed reading. Some of those books were part of the Babysitter Club series and the Pony Pals series. Being able to practice reading on text that I enjoyed helped me a lot. Over time I was able to start reading books and other text that were more challenging. Today I feel that I can read almost any text and comprehend it. It may take me some time. I will probably have to go really slow and look up many unfamiliar words, but I have the ability and tool to comprehend.

I can remember times I didn't like reading. I have never liked reading textbooks. I find myself reading them now because I have to as a college student. When I read them, however, I find myself looking at the pictures or the diagrams and just skimming the text. I realize I am not getting the full content out any textbook reading it this way, but is some small way it makes me feel somewhat accomplished because I can say I at least opened the textbook and attempted to read. Before college I remember times I didn't like reading. It was between 1st and 5th grades. I couldn't read fast enough and still comprehend. So I learned that reading fast was more acceptable than comprehending and that is exactly what I learned to do. To this day I can still read fast, but it doesn't mean I am taking in the words that I am supposedly reading.

I remember my mom encouraging me to read (her way). I think at first this turned me off from reading because her way, smooth and fast. I stumbled and always felt slow.  My elementary school teachers up to 3rd grade encouraged reading by assigning 20 minutes of reading at home each day. After 3rd grade I remember that it was required to read so many books and give book reports. I always hated giving book reports!! I always worried I couldn't answer the teacher's questions about the book. The worst part was when the teacher would read a line out the book and you had to say who quoted that line. I remember thinking in my mind, "How am I supposed to remember what every person in this book said." In high school we got smart!! We learned that some teachers only required that you tell them about the book. You only had to tell enough to convince the teacher you had read the book. This meant no more reading the full book!! Sounds exciting!! But really we were cheating. I never saw this as cheating because it was survival then and it seemed as if everyone else was doing it.

Nevertheless, through all of this I still learned to read. Now I read many types of text from comics, to religious book, to financial books, to novels, and books on topics that interest me. The great thing now is that I can take as long as I want to read a book and I can have as many going at one time as I want. If I get bored with one I can changed to another and come back to the boring one later.

I don't know that I know exactly how to foster a climate in my future classroom where students may be interested in FCS. What I do know is that helping my students understand the vocabulary they will come across, why they are reading, and help them to comprehend what they are reading are all things I hope I can learn to help my students with. I think discussing readings in class to help students comprehend and understand will help them feel confident and self-efficate in reading. My students probably know and understand more than they give themselves credit for. Helping them realize this may be a bit of a challenge. I feel that through journal writings, class discussions, and scaffolding students can overcome any literacy obstacle in my class.

Intro to FACS

Welcome to the world of Family and Comsumer Sciences!!!

This is where you can learn many skills and aquire so much knowledge about life.
FACS is for you if you do or have any of the following:

• You eat something every day.
• You have friends.
• You wear clothes.
• Like children.
• Like cooking.
• Want to learn how to cook.
• Like sewing.
• Want to learn how to sew.
• Live with a family.
• Like designing rooms.
• Like to paint houses.
• Buy clothes, music, shoes, or other items.

FACS is learning more about all of those things and helps you to apply your knowledge to real life situation. This means you will be equipped to live life much fuller and hopefully more successful. You can become involved in community issues and change lives through the student organization FCCLA! You can learn more about it here.

Here is a great video that covers each area of FCS.