Michael's+Reading+Page

Reading Wiki Introduction Well, okay, something useful at last. My reading page. When I am sucked into the plot of a book, I usually cannot stop reading, and I cannot put the book down and control myself because it is so interesting!

Reading What would the world be without books? Bare, barren, boring, uninteresting. That is (almost) exactly what inspired ancient Egyptians to put on their thinking caps, create some papyrus, the earliest form of paper, and start drawing hieroglyphics and writing on the papyrus, a river reed. They began telling stories, which were passed down from generation to generation, and is what led to writing.

With pen and paper, the great tradition began. Some early great writers include William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. Other fantastic writers include Stephen King.

Reading shapes us like putty. We are in the control of the book’s spine. We must learn to be in control of the book and to exercise self control when reading, this includes; concentrating, focusing our thoughts and thinking about the book but staying aware of your surrounding environment. It is sometimes good to be ‘sucked’ into the book. Reading is best practiced regularly. Sometimes listening to audio versions of popular books is good, and following it on your own version of the book is even better.

We should all find a particular interest in reading, whether it be graphic novels, comics, different genres etc and be unique and different in all we read. We do not have to all be interested in reading or writing, or reading textbooks, or taking information from textbooks. The ‘Horrible’ series are a focus on the horrible side of science, history etc and covers facts not usually covered in textbooks. They are certainly an interesting read.

Find your spot; make your mark in reading. It is your world to open, like a book, open it and all the goodness will rush out. Enjoy your reading.

Series can be a combination of great books, they suck you in let you follow the journey book by book - Diary of a Wimpy Kid JUST EMAIL ME VIA ma-0024@gwsc.vic.edu.au OR CONTACT ME** media type="custom" key="6327203" media type="custom" key="6327207" This is the type of person I would like to be one day (maybe) Reading inside the cockpit of a fighter jet
 * DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY GOOD BOOKS THEY WOULD RECOMMEND?

I like to read at the school Library with some of my friends (Sometimes I like to read behind the bench with Raj) If you have any queries/enquires or want to reserve a book
 * WHERE DO I READ?**


 * SEE ME! I CAN HELP YOU FIND BOOKS WHEN NEEDED!**


 * 1 HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A READER?**

My favourite books are, by genre, mystery, crime, action, thriller, adventure etc. I do not enjoy supernatural themes unless they are exceptional, eg, The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling - they are exceptional and are of high standard. I recommend these books to anyone who has not read them yet. I read them all (up to Deathly Hallows) last year in the Premier's Reading Challenge. Authors I believe are good are Anthony Horowitz, JK Rowling, Charlie Higson, Ian Fleming.
 * What are your favourite books?

Alex Rider books are interesting as they create tension and suspense and wind you through a complex maze of opinions, points of views and many complications wound together to create an intriguing book.

How often do you read? I usually read everyday whether it be at school or at home, or as often as possible. ** I try to read at least twenty minutes a day. That was the recommended reading time suggested to me.

I enjoy reading anything that is worthwhile, something that can be read to benefit our lives, when we read, we cannot take back something as that part in our lives has already passed. We cannot 'reclaim' or 'adjust' or 'do anything' to previous 'segments/times' of our lives. Once we read something it is in our minds and that part of our life and the time we spend reading it is gone. It is there forever in you cerebellum, and the time is forever gone.
 * What do you enjoy reading?

Just like if you do something bad, it always stays with you. If you read something, it always stays with you. You should not read to please others. Read only to justify the fact that otherwise you would be wasting precious seconds of your life.

Where do you like to read? I like to read in places that are not too hot (Antarctica is suitable) and in quiet places. Places which make it suitable for the flipping of pages etc are also the basic requirements that make me happy with my reading environment.

Describe or include a picture of your ideal reading space** Melbourne in winter time or the United States or the United Kingdom/Britain during winter


 * 2 WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR HEAD AS YOU READ?**

My inner voice says various things to me, and is just controlled by me and my thoughts, sort of similar and different to our 'conscience'. They usually tell me to finish the book and read so I still have time to finish my homework.
 * What does your inner voice say?**

I have inner conversations with my thoughts while I read (especially during mystery stories) as to the culprit, developing hypothesis and engaging myself in the story and trying to ascertain the truth from what is says in the the text (inferring). The inner conversations are just 'my thoughts'.
 * What inner conversations do you have while reading?**

Problem. Oh, I've just come across one. I cannot think of an answer people would like to read. So I guess I should send you to section three, right below this text here to solve your problem. To answer the question, there are some distractions you cannot ignore, ie, someone chucking on you, someone chucking cold water on you and the rest of your body, physical, verbal/oral and some mental distractions take over the focus which we gradually lose until our hypnosis into the book fails and we drop back in to a visit to the normal non reading community again.
 * Do you face any difficulties or distractions? Explain.**

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 * 3 WHAT ARE SOME OF THE STRATEGIES YOU USE WHEN MEANING BREAKS DOWN?**

Rereading the word, sentence, paragraph, page, chapter or book Using a dictionary or a thesaurus if I do not know the word's meaning If I do not understand the theme, sentence, paragraph etc, reread If the book is simply just boring - finish the book and read a more interesting book
 * Strategies I use when meaning breaks down**

Rereading helps clear out some information and verifying some information already in your brain about the book Helps you clear up thoughts about the book/chapter/paragraph/sentence/word etc so that it is clearer to understand Using a dictionary or a thesaurus if I do not know the word's meaning is straightforward - I just use a dictionary or a thesaurus and read the similar words or definitions and read all the information there on the word and try substituting the information I have found out about the book and trying to comprehend the sentence/paragraph/chapter/book/series Finishing the book if it is boring - I do not usually want to suddenly end the book without reading the ending so I will just finish it
 * How do I use the strategy?**

It works because it helps me understand the text better and it just works because it suits the type of person I am
 * Why does this strategy work for me?**


 * 4 INCLUDE EXAMPLES OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WORK**

Use a bookmark to mark out the spot when you read Read books that suit you and read some challenging books Don't read too challenging books or you might not understand any of it DON'T BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW WITH BOOKS Look at the pictures, blurb, author, etc and decide whether the book is right for you Have a scan/browse/flipthrough/flickthrough of the book before you read it DON'T BUY BOOKS THAT YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT READING IF YOU ONLY READ BOOKS ONCE, THEN DON'T BUY THEM BUT buying books can encourage you to read them as you have spent money on it
 * Strategies that work;**


 * Example of a strategy working - sticky notes**



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 * 5 TIPS SECTION**

This answer is all about improving your reading skills. If you do not learn new vocabulary etc, try using a dictionary beside you while you read, or near access to a computer so you can look it up.
 * What advice would you give to another reader?**

Challenge yourself. If you read 'easy' books which are 'below par' you are going to get nowhere. Always read challenging books, and good readers, reading adult fiction could be helpful. I personally prefer mystery, crime, adventure etc and some stories where 'satire' is part of the theme. Writing stories/short stories may also help you when you read and reading will in turn help improve your writing by giving you new ideas etc.

Reading nonfiction, that's right, nonfiction can help you expand your knowledge and help you familiarise yourself with more 'complicated' words, to greater expand your understanding of the English language.

Be careful. Don't read too challenging books or too easy to read books. But always have it suit you so it is interesting. Try to take something from the book (ie learn something) and if you have an idea for writing, reading helps so write it down somewhere and when you write you can use the idea you have gathered from reading different books.

Try out something new. Don't read the same things all the time, have a little bit of variety. Finish a whole series etc but then read some other books. It is just personal preference when it comes down to series or just single books with no other 'books that link to it'.

I have learn what strategies to use when meaning breaks down, tracking my inner voice/thoughts and other important tips on reading, how to control distractions etc. Tips are available above and below. **
 * What have you learnt about reading this semester?

For example, you could discuss your use of sticky notes Other students can benefit from this because it can improve their reading skills. You could use the meaning breaks down strategies and the distraction strategies on this page **
 * How could other students benefit from this?

THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS ARE PART OF THE 'TEMPLATE' DEVISED BY Ms_Cooney FOR OUR WIKISPACES (AND IS NOT OFFICIALLY PART OF MY WIKIPAGE - IT IS JUST HERE FOR REFERENCE IF NEEDED)

You have been doing lots of work on 'reading' this semester in English. You are going to create your very own Wiki page. This is going to be **your** chance to show everyone the **amazing** work you have been doing with 'reading' this semester.

You will need to have the following sections on your page. You can present this information any way you like. Remember that other students will use your page for advice!


 * 1. How would you describe yourself as a reader?** [[image:http://weheartbooks.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/reading-is-cool.jpg align="right"]]
 * What are your favourite books?
 * How often do you read?
 * What do you enjoy reading?
 * Where do you like to read?
 * Describe or include a picture of your ideal reading space…
 * You may like to use 'Glogster' in this section.


 * 2. What happens in your head as you read?**
 * What does your inner voice say?
 * What inner conversations do you have while reading?
 * Do you face any difficulties? Or distractions? Explain.
 * You should include some of the things you write on your sticky notes or your tracking sheet.
 * You might like to use a Voki (www.voki.com) for part of this section.


 * 3. What are some of the strategies you use when meaning breaks down?**
 * Name them. Use our class charts to help you.
 * Explain how you use the strategy. Make this clear so that other students could learn from this description.
 * You might like to explain this step-by-step.
 * Explain why they work for you?
 * You might like to use 'Toondo' in this section.


 * 4. Include examples of the strategies that work.**
 * Include some examples from a book you have been reading. It could be some of the work we have done in class on //Parvana//.
 * You could also use some reading you have done in another subject like Science or Humanities.
 * I want you to show //how// you used that strategy. You may want to include the sticky notes you used (may need to scan these in).
 * You could use 'voice thread' for this section (www.voicethread.com).

You will need to create an advice section for other readers. For example, you could discuss your use of sticky notes.
 * 5**. **Tips Se****ction**[[image:http://www.amblesideprimaryschool.co.uk/SiteData/Root/Image/Reading%20Champions/kids%20who%20read%20succeed.jpg width="255" height="265" align="right" caption="external image kids%20who%20read%20succeed.jpg"]]
 * What advice would you give to another reader?
 * What have you learnt about reading this semester?
 * How could other students benefit from this?


 * You will need to be informative and creative! Have fun and make this individual.

Some other sites you may want to use include:** www.animoto.com www.toondo.com www.glogster.com www.voicethread.com