At the start of each chapter, Wolf begins with a quote to set the tone for the forthcoming information. I see great value in this and will provide one of the quotes in this and each entry that follows.
I believe that reading in its original essence, [is] that fruitful miracle of a communication in the midst of solitude.
-Marcel Proust
Chapter one starts like almost all texts do, establishing a rhetoric for what the reader will be engaging in over the following few hundred pages. Wolf begins by addressing three areas of knowledge that she will touch upon.
- The early history of how humans learned to read.
- The developmental cycle of humans and how they've (we've) learned to read in more sophisticated ways.
- The story and science of what happens when the brain can't read.
As an early-childhood teacher, my interest was piqued in the benefits I could gain through the second two points. But alas, those points would be addressed later in the book.
As the chapter progressed, Wolf provided a number of excellent quotes that express what reading has become and it's value in our society. Enter any coffee shop on any given day and you will find a number of people deeply engrossed in text from a wide range of media, from books to magazines, from the internet to (unfortunately) smartphones. More than enjoying what they are reading, I believe that these folks are engaged in creating and maintaining an identity for themselves. Reading the news to become more informed about the world around them. Reading fantasy novels to tap into the creative portion of their brains. We read because we like to, and it shows that we are more evolved than other species. As Joseph Eptstein is quoted as saying, "A biography of any literary person ought to deal at length with what he read and when, for in some sense, we are what we read."
Within the first five pages, Wolf set the tone for my critique and understanding of her work. History. The history of how text has evolved from colored trinkets, (discussed in chapter 2) to the variable treasure trove of information that has been made available through the internet and other forms of mass media. The history of how each individual person learns to read. From the moment we are born our brains begin working to become a literary muscle, ever flexing, ever bulking up. Wolf explains that our brains are an example of 'open architecture', that, "we come into the world programmed with the capacity to change what is given to us by nature, so that we can go beyond it".
To quote Wolf herself, "Learning to read begins the first time an infant is held and read a story. How often this happens, or fails to happen in the first years of childhood turns out to be the best predictors of later reading." Lucky for me, I get to work with students within that range, or at least one year outside of it, so I am able to do my best to influence their later successes.
The remainder of the chapter previews the rest of the book, and as I will be addressing those points in later blog entries, I will omit them at this time.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Remember, comments and questions are always welcome.
In the next entry, I'll go into greater detail about what the title of the book, Proust and the Squid, means and how it relates to the overall theme of the book.
Until next time...
I am going to have to read this book. I am fascinated by how our brain works and I am excited to read your impressions of this text. I couldn't agree more with regard to infants reading the first time they are held. Often people view reading as a physical act of holding a book, etc. When in reality, we are always reading, reading our world, been read to- all of which make huge impressions on young children. Yes,lucky you and even me that we get students at a young age and can help in some manner. Some students have not had as much "reading of their world" and how lucky are we to assist in that on some level. Have you taken the Reading Process course in the LLSS dept?
ReplyDeleteI have not taken that course. This is my first class. I was accepted into the program in March and I am in the beginning steps of my studies.
DeleteI agree with both of you. Reading to young students gives them the world and they don't realize it until they comment about the book in their own words. This positive experience is what they will have to remember reading by and teachers of young students have to remember that. Keep it positive and the brain will lock it away until it is needed later.
ReplyDeleteAlot of parents do not realize what they are missing and what the kids are missing when they chose not to read to them. I recently ran into a parent of mine last year in my K class and I asked how her daughter was doing and if she was reading? She said she was not reading but chooses to review her flashcards instead. I was shocked but remained calm. So I said you need to read to her. She said, "Me?" and I said yes you need to read to her everyday until she wants to read on her own again. Hopefully the love of reading comes back to the little one. She is still in the stagees of "learning to read".
At the beginning of each school year I stress and encourage parent involvement in the classroom and I'll never get over the looks I get. It's as if I have a hand growing out of the top of my head. I'm convinced that student success is strongly influenced by parental/family involvement.
DeleteI really enjoyed your blog entry. I also like the aspect of including a quote before each chapter, I think often times it is the best indicator of what is later to come. I use quotes in my classroom, I put one on the board at the beginning of the week and the lessons for that week usually relate to that theme, granted I work with high school students not elementary. I do have a one year old daughter though and since I love to read I often read to her, currently we are focused on "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." I like all of you, see the positives in reading to children at a young age, if a child feels that reading is something that is done for enjoyment when it comes to school the activity will not have a negative connotation. I also thinks it helps that a lot of books are becoming more interactive for students; they have flaps and buttons that add to the overall book without taking away from the actual text. Students learn words from reading so the more they are exposed to those words whether they are reading them on their own or whether they are being read to, the benefit is still crucial. Another aspect of your blog I found interesting was the "you are what you read" comment. I know so many people that only read so that they can feel like they know what is going on around them, but when you dig deeper into a topic you can tell that the information they have is very limited. Your book sounds really interesting, I especially think that it is interesting that it looks at how texts have evolved with technology.
ReplyDeleteHi Tom,
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled across your blog today and realized we're reading the same book. I'm excited to look through your entries and to see what you've taken away from the same reading.
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteI think that your book gives some fascinating insights on how the human brain has evolved. I have often times wondered about the evolution of the brain to accomodate reading. I agree that reading to children from a young age is important because it helps them to build a love for it. I am someone who will sing of the joys of reading, because as at 3 year old, I could actually read Little Critter books. My mom is an elementary school teacher, and my grandmother worked with me everyday on vocabulary and reading. One day, I started to read on my own. I think that as technology has evolved, kids aren't read to as often anymore. I think parents believe that it's our job to teach their students how to read, but don't think that they have to help in the process (if that makes sense). I look forward to reading more about your book's theory of reading.