Painless Reading Comprehension - Darolyn “Lyn” Jones Ed.D. 2021

What kind of reader are you?
Reading attitudes and patterns

Just as two snowflakes are not alike, neither are any two readers. Reading is a very personal and individual process. For some of you, the answer to the question What kind of reader are you? is simple. You aren’t! You don’t read. For others, the answer might be:

✵ You read sometimes—when you have time.

✵ You read when you like what you are reading.

✵ You love reading and read often.

Reading strengths and weaknesses

Before you jump into this book, you need to think about what kind of reader you are. You need to consider how you feel about the act of reading and what your strengths and weaknesses are. Reading is just like any other action. It’s one part ability, one part attitude, and one part practice. You have to know what your strengths are, how you feel about reading, and what parts need practice. The better you get at something, the more you like it. For example, when you first learned to play soccer, you may have known how to kick the ball but not how to pass the ball during a game. Or, blocking may have come easy for you, but traveling down the field while passing at the same time might have required more practice. Once you were able to run and pass, shoot, and block, you could successfully play the whole game! The same is true for reading.

You have the ability to read, but you must practice all the required parts of the reading process to be a successful reader.

To be a successful reader, you need to know what to do before you read, what to do while you are reading, and what to do after you have finished reading. Only you know what you can and can’t do. I always tell my students that I don’t have the ability to morph into Plankton and jump into their brains to find out what kind of readers they are. My goal in writing this book is to help you get to the point where you can help yourself.

Types of readers

According to Kylene Beers and Barbara Samuels in their book Into Focus: Understanding and Creating Middle School Readers, there are two types of readers: avid and reluctant. Those who are avid at something do it often because they like to. For example, most of my students admit they are avid users of Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Avid readers like to read and read often. Avid readers read not because they have to but because they like to. That doesn’t mean avid readers love everything that they read. But avid readers are good readers because they practice!¹

Then there are the reluctant readers. The reluctant readers are the most complex and difficult to define. For those who are reluctant to do something, it may be because they don’t want to, don’t like to, or simply can’t. For example, some may be reluctant dancers because they don’t like to dance. They can dance if they have to, but they would rather be playing basketball or video games. They may be reluctant tennis players because they haven’t had enough practice, aren’t skilled enough at the game, and don’t want to look foolish. Some may be reluctant swimmers because they can’t swim and don’t want to drown!

Step One: What kind of reader are you?

Take some time to think about the answers to the following questions. First, decide if you are an avid or reluctant reader; then, answer the questions below!

✵ Do you like to read? Would you say you are an avid reader? Why?

✵ What do you like to read? For example, do you read science fiction, fantasy, graphic novels, poetry, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, series like Cordelia Castel’s The Princess Trials or the Track Series books by Jason Reynolds, magazines like Sports Illustrated or Girl’s Life, popular blog posts on Instagram, or online social news from YouTube?

✵ How many books do you read in a week or a month? Why do you like reading? Is it because it is an escape or because you learn new things or a combination of factors? Do you read every chance you get, like in class and at home or just when you have total free time?

✵ Does reading come pretty easily for you?

✵ Even avid readers don’t like everything they read. What do you not like to read and why?

If you are a reluctant reader and you don’t want to read, is it because you don’t like to read or because you have trouble reading, or is it a combination of both? Are there some things you don’t like to read? Why don’t you like to read them? Do you have problems understanding some things when you read them? Why? Explain what gets in the way of understanding what you read.

Step Two: Check your attitude!

Now that you have identified what kind of reader you are, how do you think you got there? How did you become avid or reluctant? The following questions will help you recall your reading history and your attitude about reading. Write down your answers to the questions below.

Think of two reading memories:

✵ Do you remember someone reading stories to you when you were younger? Tell me a story about your favorite story or favorite person who read to you when you were younger.

✵ Now think back to when you were in grades 3 and 4 when you were expected to read more on your own and there were fewer pictures in the book to help you see what you were reading. Tell me a story about what you did or what someone did to help you keep what you read in your head. Or tell me a story about what didn’t work for you and what help you didn’t get to keep what you read in your head.

Step Three: How do you read? When you read, are you alert and awake, napping, or drooling?

✵ When you read, are you alert? In other words, do you know and understand completely what you read the first time you read it and every time you read?

✵ When you read, are you awake? In other words, when you read something and are confused, do you know there is a problem so you back up and fix it and figure it out?

✵ When you read, do you nap? In other words, when you read something and are confused, do you know you don’t get it but you don’t know how to fix it?

✵ When you read, are you so sound asleep that you drool? In other words, when you read and are confused, do you just keep reading and have no idea what you have read?

Probably you read all these ways. You may start out bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, then you are just awake, then your head gets heavy and you nap, and finally there is a pool of drool on your book. It may also depend on what you are reading. If you are reading about your favorite basketball player, then you may be alert. If you are reading something you don’t like, you may be drooling. When you are reading, you need to be aware of when you are alert and awake, napping, and drooling.

To be a successful reader and understand what you are reading, you need to be awake and alert. You need to keep what you read in your head!

If you nap or drool while you practice reading, you won’t improve your reading skills. The same is true for anything you practice. If you nap or drool through your piano lessons or karate lessons, you won’t get any better at playing or kicking.