Why Do We Read?

Last week, we spent some time talking about why people read and what happens in a reader's mind while he or she is reading.  We also shared the things we love to read that paint a picture of our lives as readers.  Here are the notes from our conversations:

Why Do People Read?

• It's like you can communicate with other people around the world.
• to learn
• for money--if you have a job where you have to read to help with your job
• It makes you dream big things.
• You can travel to the future or the past.
• to learn about other peoples' lives
• to form opinions
• for instructions (signs included here)
• for work
• to entertain ourselves
• It can be a habit.
• to pass stories around
• to see things from another person's eyes
• to pass the time
• for the fun of it
• to know what's going on in the world
• for caution (Don't walk!)
• to learn why you should or shouldn't do something (morals)
• to see what happens next
• It's like going outside without going outside.
• People like challenges when they read.
• for directions
• to buy things

Reactions: What's Inside a Reader's Mind?

• notice emotions
• notice moods
• build ideas and provide more evidence for their ideas as they continue reading
• try to understand characters' personalities
• try to understand characters' decisions and feelings
• make judgements about characters
• notice pictures
• disagree with things the characters say or do
• compare: What would I do if it were me?
• think about what a character might be thinking
• notice stories that line up/symbols/stories within stories
• notice when things make sense (or don't)
• ask questions
• explain things to themselves
• notice repetition
• make connections to different books

Here are some pictures from the text share.  It was so nice to see everyone gathered around so many beautiful texts!