Caught or Taught?

Reading complex texts all through my life has been a challenge for me. I always have to go back and reread to understand, take notes and read in a quiet place. Growing up, reading complex text was taught for me. Right after school I would do my homework, my mom did not allow distractions and we would concentrate at the quiet, technology-free kitchen table. I was taught strategies like rereading what I read, underlining/highlighting key ideas and writing notes or questions. The only distraction I had at that time was the sound of the doorbell and a friend asking me to play outside. As technology started to become big, I can remember in High School and in College, my habits changed. Between cell phones, facebook and laptops, it was more easy to become distracted than not. As a result of the distractions it became easier to use sparknotes and easier to ask your roommate what the answers were, because it was midnight when you finally Xed out of facebook and you only had a little time before class to complete that reading.

Parents and teachers can “teach” and demonstrate the correct way to read a complex texts. Students are more than capable, however, with all the technology and distractions, they may need more practice and more direct instruction about how to read complex texts. They may need to know the basics such as read in a quiet room. Growing up with distractions, they may not know that. The technology part is caught in life. We have all caught it. It is easy to multitask, so we think. Many times I become overwhelmed while I am on facebook, clicking a link to pinterest and watching TV while I am texting my friend. I did not grow up with these things, but with technology growing, it seems to come natural and that I have “caught it”. As you see others do it and know it is “what everyone is doing,” it becomes something you want to do to stay with the world.