Reading Survey

How have your experiences in elementary, middle and high school affected your views on reading?

My views on reading have changed immensely since elementary school. In elementary school I loved reading, I was always at the highest reading level in the class and I really enjoyed it. In middle school my interest in reading drifted slightly and I only really read for school, but enjoyed most of the books. Now in high school, I have very little interest in reading books. I only read for school and even with that, it’s just skimming.  The last time I read a book was English in the first semester, where I probably read a quarter of it. I can’t pinpoint a reason as to why I went from loving reading to disliking it, but I would say it’s due to a couple of things. I think one reason is that my interests have shifted since then, instead of loving reading, I now like to watch TV shows. Another possible reason is that I don’t like to be forced into doing things. When we are given a book or time to read in class I usually stare off into to space because I don’t enjoy the book or have little interest in it.

What words pop into your mind when you think of reading? Why?

When I think of reading, a couple words I think of are boring and time consuming. In my mind, reading has a very negative connotation attached to it. I say reading is boring because whenever I read it’s always a task and never on my own terms. The books I was forced into reading hardly ever interested me, so I didn’t read them.  I have a very short attention span and I am easily side-tracked when I read, usually resulting in me putting the book down. 

In general, how do you feel about reading?

In general, I really do not enjoy reading. When I think of reading, I immediately link it to books and my dislike for reading them. I would say that the reason I don’t enjoy reading books is because in recent times, I have hardly found, nor looked for, a book that interests me. I have a small range of interests so it’s really hard for me to find a book that I enjoy reading. 

Techno “Do-You”:

I have an iPhone with internet access that I have with me on a daily basis. I have a laptop and an iPad, however I don’t feel comfortable bringing them to school. I don’t have an e-reader or device to read on, other than my iPhone. I don’t have a public twitter, nor a blog. I like the idea of using technology in the classroom because I think it's a creative and more amusing way to complete assignments, in comparison to pen and paper.