Chapter Four: Zaria O'Bryant

To begin with, I must say that I am not a certified reading instructor, but I do believe that we all teach reading. That being said, much of what the author proposes could be considered as either common sense or nonsense. For example, the differences he makes between “adult readers” and “immature readers” could more appropriately be thought of as the difference between “effective” readers and “ineffective” readers. He makes a great deal of assumptions about what “we” (adult readers) know versus what “they” (students) know. In my opinion, this is a gross error. I almost committed Readicide reading this chapter. Fortunately, I knew how to save myself. I went to the end of the chapter to preview what the author expected me to learn. I also read the foreword and introduction to determine what, if any, background the author had in the subject he proposes to be an expert in. I then scanned the chapter for keywords and phrases that I could apply to my current instructional setting. I tried to frame the “new” point of view in light of my existing paradigm. Finally, I made connections between my existing knowledge and experience about how individuals learn to read and comprehend new text. Although, I did not gain any new and valuable insights, I do agree with the author that we need to have balance in all things. This includes teaching and learning regardless of the subject.