Teachers as Readers 2

I am currently reading The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. This is a completely different read, specifically in terms of comprehension, than the last novel I read. On my last blog post, I talked about my read of All the Missing Girls and how easy it was to fly through it with total comprehension. This novel, I would say, is quite harder to comprehend when reading quickly without pausing for comprehension checks. The Testamentsis told by three different points of view – Aunt Lydia, “Baby Nicole”, and a daughter of a Commander. These different points of views are never directly addressed and instead, the reader must understand that the story is being told by someone else when it switches over. In the novel, I am currently about ¼ of the way done and overall, I really enjoy it. I do find myself slowing down to read it compared to my normal novels I read for fun. I think the point of views are a big part of the reason I’ve had to slow down to check for comprehension but also the fact that the novel is taken place in a different time with a totally different setting than what is currently occurring in America., 

            I was able to relate my reading of The Testamentsto our class readings. Specifically, Keene & Zimmerman discuss how they discuss that proficient readers “pause, reread, skim, scan, consider the meaning of the text, and reflect on their understanding with other readers” and I was able to personally relate to that with my current reading of The Testaments (2007). In order to understand the setting and the motives of the three different characters, I have to pause and reflect on how their particular point of view is different than the others due to their situation and living circumstances. In addition, I think this novel also has me pausing and reflecting because my personal lived experiences aren’t as similar to those in the novel in comparison to a love or mystery novel. It’s been a process to read since my brain usually doesn’t have to work as hard as it currently does for my reading for pleasure novels. I do think as the novel continues, my pausing, reflecting, and thinking will slim down because I will develop a better, overall, understanding of the novel as a whole. 

Keene, E. O., & Zimmermann, S. (2007). Mosaic of thought: The power of comprehension strategy instruction: second edition. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann