As Mr. Rodriguez matured, he thought that exciting books or books with childish titles were not significant. He states
As Mr. Rodriguez matured, he thought that exciting books or books with childish titles were not significant. He states
Throughout my life I haven’t learned too much about literature. It wasn’t until high school I thought highly of literature, in a sense I would have to be literate in order to succeed. As I proceed through life I realize how important literature is, not only to myself but to others. In “The Lonely Good Company of Books”, Richard Rodriguez explains how his parents did not read to him, and how he became literate. I could relate to Richard’s situation because I wasn’t read to much either. Though reading and writing is a necessity and students should learn literature at a young age, it can also be entertaining and create imagination. A growing problem in society is the inability to be literate at a young age.…
Reading to learn Richard Rodriguez was born on July 31, 1944, in San Francisco, California, to Mexican immigrants Leopoldo and Victoria Moran Rodriguez. Rodriguez received degrees from both Stanford and Columbia University, he also did graduate study at the University of California, Berkeley and the Warburg Institute, London. Richard Rodriguez became nationally known after publishing his autobiography “Hunger of memory”. Rodriguez's essay, “The lonely, good company of books” was published in his autobiography “Hunger of memory” in 1982. Rodriguez's thesis in his essay, “The lonely, good company of book”, expresses his concerns for the pressures of reading in the education system.…
Cited: Cook, Paul G. "The Rhetoricity of Cultural Literacy." Pedagogy 9.3 (2009): 487-500. Freire, Paulo. “The Importance of the Act of Reading.” Academic Universe: Research and Writing at Oklahoma State University. Eds. Richard Frohock, Karen Sisk, Jessica Glover, Joshua Cross, James Burbaker, Jean Alger, Jessica Fokken, Kerry Jones, Kimberly Dyer-Fisher, and Ron Brooks. 2nd ed. Plymouth: Hayden-McNeil, 2012. 281-286. Print.…
In Sven Birkerts writing, “The Owl Has Flown,” Birkerts puts forth something to think about for any modern day reader. Birkerts believes that over the years the methodology of reading has changed as the technology has advanced. In the older days, people had small amounts of texts to choose from, but read them more thoroughly, and gained in depth knowledge about each book. In this day and age, the scope of reading has broadened but at the same time become shallower. He believes that we now read large amounts of materials, divulging ourselves into all sorts of different subject matter, but that we merely skim across its surface gaining no knowledge. In his opinion we have gone from vertical to horizontal depth. He deems an increase in the availability of reading materials the source of this change. Through the aforementioned essay, Birkerts successfully paints his argument and shows the power that can be gained from reading deeply and critically. He effectively depicts the changes made within our brains and habits as life around us changes in the literary world, and uses a steadfast argument to prove the negative effects of the loss of deep reading. (Birkerts)…
The kind of deep reading that a sequence of printed pages promotes is valuable not just for the knowledge we acquire from the author’s words but for the intellectual vibrations those words set off within our own minds. In the quiet spaces opened up by the sustained, undistracted reading of a book, or by any other act of contemplation, for that matter, we make our own associations, draw our own inferences and analogies, foster our own ideas.…
The short Essay, An Experiment in Criticism, by C.S. Lewis brings to light many new perspectives to how people read and experience literature. Throughout the essay Lewis works to give the message that; how good a book is doesn’t depend on the quality of writing but on the reader. He begins by defining two types of readers- the “literary” and the “non-literary”- which he uses through the rest of his essay to categorize different traits for treating literature.…
The main distinction between these two groups is whether they distance their personal vagaries from the reading of a text or not. Lewis stresses that those who don’t bother with trying to become an ideal reader may nevertheless be lovers of reading, while the so-called…
Reading allows for one to drift away from reality and opens a new door of an alternate fictional world. Once the reader has developed an emotional connection to the book and finds it intriguing, it is impractical to close the book. Reading allows a person to think creatively and take a break from life's stresses and worries. Whether one is reading for pleasure or for academic reasons, if enjoyable, the difference should be indistinguishable. Gratifying books teach lessons and try to get the reader to think deeply about a topic. Readers look for specific qualities in books such reader's interest, an opportunity for vocabulary, and the appropriate reading level for their age. Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare Night by Elie Wiesel and Red Queen…
Part II “Didn’t i realize that reading would open up whole new worlds? A book could open doors for me. It could introduce me to people and show me places I never imagined existed. She gestured towards the bookshelves . (Bare-breasted African women danced, and the shiny hubcaps of automobiles on the back covers of the geographic gleamed in my mind.) I listened with respect. But her words were not very influential. I was thinking then of another consequence of literacy, one i was too shy to admit but nonetheless trusted. Books were going to make me “educated.” That confidence enabled me, several months later, to over come my fear of the silence.…
The opening phrase “There is no Frigate like a book” (Dickerson 893), tell a reader, that books empowers a person…
A Response to “How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading” Summary: John Holt is a former teacher who shares personal anecdotes in his essay “How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading.” Holt remembers taking a traditional approach to teaching as a beginning elementary school teacher. He initially thought that quizzing students over assigned readings and requiring them to use a dictionary to look up unfamiliar words was a best practice. However, a conversation with his sister challenges him to think critically about the effectiveness of his style, and he realizes his “methods were foolish” (359). An avid reader, Holt recalls he never looked up words in a dictionary as a child, but the lack of a dictionary did not make him any less intelligent or appreciative of language. He, like many other literate people he met, developed his vocabulary by encountering the same words “over and over again, in different contexts” (359). Holt’s understanding of what it takes to nurture a love of reading in children from an early age evolves throughout the essay. He argues that reading would be a more enjoyable experience for children if parents and teachers allowed children to read stories that interest them and not expect them to understand every word or interpret every meaning behind it.…
Reading is fundamental to function in today’s society and thus proves integral in the realm of academia. While this notion rings true, educators grapple with challenges of fostering reading among students, as there are many classrooms filled with children who can read, but choose otherwise. Although many educators feel it is important to stay with traditional works from the literary canon, some students have difficulty relating to these texts and therefore cannot engage in meaningful and purposeful reading (Toscano, 2). Because the engagement of readers is key to the reading process, it is essential that educators find ways to increase engagement and foster literacy. In order to remedy this plight and thus produce proficient and passionate readers, educators must allow students to engage in self-selected reading. In doing so, students gain a sense of autonomy, are able to select literature relevant to their interests, and can select literature that will help them in reading traditional works from the literary canon.…
Calvino, Italo. “Why Read the Classics?” The Uses of Literature. Orlando, Florida: Hardcourt Brace & Company, 1986. 125-134. Print.…
RESPONSE TO THE ACTIVITY AND ART OF READING Amada Cortorreal Keiser University RESPONSE TO THE ACTIVITY AND ART OF READING…
The Pleasure of Books William Lyon Phelps William Lyon Phelps was a brilliant writer and teacher who treasured books and understood the significance of how the printed word can affect a person. Phelps co-taught at Harvard, and then moved to Yale to teach an English class full time. He was given countless awards for his strong intellect such as Life magazine doing an overview of his whole life, founding the Elizabeth club and more. Phelps had given the speech “The Pleasure of Books” on a radio broadcast in 1933. This speech discusses the importance of books and what role they play in human existence. Phelps uses metaphors and repetition to convince the public that books are a fundamental and essential part of human functions and daily life.…