Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Recipe for Reading

Remembering what you read is not automatic; it’s like a skilled chef carefully selecting ingredients for a five course meal. A chef uses a recipe to guide his decisions. For reading, the text features and author’s questions are a reader’s recipe. Each section is a separate recipe with its own ingredients. When you read, you can’t say, I am going to read to read. You have to be clear on your purpose and your direction. Mature readers know what they will have to do before they read a text.

Informational texts place a different set of demands on the reader. The good news is you have taken time to check out the external structures of the text and have gathered quite a lot of information. You know the genre, the topics, the purpose, and the pace of reading the text requires. All of this information is helping your mind establish a system for storing information.

Text structures give your mind a system for storing new information while you read. Authors use different text structures to support your mind in making meaning. If the text structure is based on description, the mind will store information by connecting common characteristics. If the text structure is based on time, the mind will store the information in sequential order.

As soon as you know the type of text structure the author used, your mind is prepared to retrieve information from long-term memory and processing new information. Before you read, FLIRT to determine the external structure of the text. When you serve your mind a five course meal of FLIRT, not only will you be able to read, you’ll be able to think!

33 comments:

  1. I really like the idea that you came up with for the text structure it helped be better in my class for english a little bit and I will use this technique for all of my classes. I now have a better understanding because of you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I already know that thanks to FLIRT, I am remembering my history significantly more than before. This helps me pick up the ideas that are extremely important. Also, your text structures can really help me determine the purpose of reading, thus making it a lot easier for me to read!

    Andrew Thompson Section 1

    ReplyDelete
  3. I used to hate the flirt technique when it came to using it. Now a days though I don't mind it as much because it really helps me with text structures.

    David Crisfield

    ReplyDelete
  4. This wholeFLIRT thing is great!!! I actually like reading now and the whole recipe thing is a great way to read too. Text structures help me dettermine what Ia m reading and it makes it more easier.

    Shane Moore- Section 2

    ReplyDelete
  5. I can't believe it but this whole flirt tecnique really dose work. I really love it. Knowing the text structure really helps to figure out how it's all organized and everything. Its great.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have come to really like the flirt system now. it helps me understand everything i read alot better then when i used to just sit down and read

    ReplyDelete
  7. The whole FLIRT tecnique really works for me it makes me understand what I'm reading instead just trying to read through.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This whole flirt technique really works it helps me understand better and read better.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like the whole text structure system to help remember and store information. I know in my psych class this will come in handy.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I actually tried this one this weekend, and suggested that my mom does to. And it really does work and help me with my work. When knowing what the teachers expectations and the nature of her lesson I could better read and understad what I've read. My mom feels the same way.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I learned that this method takes more time then just reading the text. But in the long run I found that I retain the information a lot better.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have to remember that befor ei begin reading i need to take a min. and flirt because sometime i forget to so i need to practice more.

    Tyler Adcock-sec. 1

    ReplyDelete
  13. so the last class basically went over this bt this article really summed things up. FLIRTing with the text has a big impact on reading.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This flirt thing was confusing at first and now its like 2nd nature so its easy and helpful now.

    Mike Forstoffer

    ReplyDelete
  15. In the begining I didn't think this Flirting thing was going to work, and it was too much work to do just to read. Now I find myself using some of the steps while I'm reading and studying.
    Abbie Forry
    Section 2

    ReplyDelete
  16. When I first learned the Flirt strategy, I thought it was silly and it was not going to make me a better reader. After using the techniques I soon realized the technique is legit and it really makes reading easier.

    ReplyDelete
  17. That is one problem I am having is looking at external structures. Most of the time I remember but sometimes I don't. I'm thinking about using post-it notes to help me rememeber.

    -Logan Gurreri

    ReplyDelete
  18. When i read i look at the bold words look at it see what i am about to read about. Then when i read i put a star by the sections i need to look back over.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Now that we are finishing up the flirt idea, it makes alot more sense. Im strting to use it without even thinking about it.

    Anthany

    ReplyDelete
  20. Finding the text features really helps me. FLIRTing with the text makes me concentrate more and learn a lot more from the text I have just read.

    ReplyDelete
  21. At first i thought that flirting with the text was rediculious but now i see that it really does help.
    -Lance Conley

    ReplyDelete
  22. When i'm reading I usually look for the important information that shows up! So when I don't understand a section I usually take down notes so I can get that part down and the parts I do understand, I usually make a note that it's one of my stronger parts.

    ReplyDelete
  23. The flirt structure helps me out alot. if i never looked at reading this way i wouldnt get very far with a book.

    ReplyDelete
  24. After understanding the cocept of FLIRT, I will be able to read more effectively. It is a good way to improve reading skills

    ReplyDelete
  25. I realized that the article was right, i dont just automaticaly memorize things, i need to write them down. Maybe this notecard thing or even writing notes will help.

    ReplyDelete
  26. atfirst, flirting was very confusing to me and I believed that it didn't work, until I started to realize that I was understanding things a lot better after reading them.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Im gonna be honest when we first started talking about the FLIRT technique i thought it was really stupid and that there was no way that i'll ever use it. I was wrong. It helps me so much with reading my textbooks. I no longer think this is stupid at all.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I wonder why I haven't thought of this concept before? What is stopping me from my reading patterns? I can see how essential having the right recipe for reading can be.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I have found myself to actually not mind the flirt system thing. I thought, at first, it wasn't useful and that it was kind of weird, but it actually helps.

    ReplyDelete
  30. everything that we do in here keeps surprising me! first, we compared reading to how you act when you flirt with people...now we're comparing reading to food?!?! what will we think of next!

    Lacey Walker Section 1

    ReplyDelete
  31. All this is wierd, but it helps alot. Reading can pretty much compare to anything you like. Especially to the things you can relate to.

    Nourdean

    ReplyDelete
  32. I have learned that the text structures are generally a good thing to look for before reading. So flirting is helpful in most cases.

    ADAM VETERE section 2

    ReplyDelete