Reading

Over the last four nine weeks of my junior year, I have read a variety of books. From classics, such as "The Great Gatsby" by Fitzgerald and "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin, to several novels that pertained to different topics from our textbook: "Packaging Girlhood" by Lyn Mikel Brown focused on the gender section, "Class Dismissed" by Meredith Maran focused on the education section, and "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver focused on the work section. By reading and analyzing such different types of texts, my classmates and I have expanded our knowledge and gained better reading abilities, which has ultimately made all of us more prepared for argumentative papers we had to write in class and will have to write in the future.

In my AP English 11 class, when the class as a whole reads any novel, each individual student has to make a reading response journal. A RRJ is a self-done review of the text, such as rhetorical devices that stood out to my classmates and me throughout the novel. Each student makes two-column notes on his or her paper; one side containing the device the author uses, and the other side containing his or her input on why he or she thinks the author used that device. By having to complete a reading response journal for a variety of novels, I have developed a full understanding of rhetorical devices. From juxtaposition to asyndeton, I have learned to read rhetorically. Furthermore, my classmates and I have not just completed RRJs, but we have also taken a test on ethos, pathos, logos used throughout our education related book. This exam made the whole class think deeply about the meaning of the novel, and why the author used precise examples of ethos, pathos, or logos in precise places. Over all, by using these tools of ethos, pathos, logos exams and reading response journals, I have become a more advanced reader and writer.

Reading

Foundations of Reading: Students shall apply concepts of print, acquire knowledge of spoken words and understand the relationship of speech to print as they develop a foundation for literacy.

Comprehension: Students shall apply a variety of strategies to read and comprehend printed material.

Variety of Text: Students shall read, examine, and respond to a wide range of texts for a variety of purpose.

Vocabulary, Word Study, Fluency: Students shall acquire and apply skills in vocabulary development and word analysis to be able to read fluently.