This quote, from Mortimer Adler's book, How to Read a Book, requires a little more explanation. In his chapter entitled "Criticizing a Book Fairly" he comments:"A good book deserves an active reading. The activity of reading does not stop with the work of understanding what a book says. It must be completed by the work… Continue reading "Reading a book is a kind of conversation"
Tag: How to read a book
How to Read a Book-5
OK guys, this is my last post on this book for awhile. Promise.Adler's fifth chapter of How to Read a Book is about being a demanding reader. I liked it the best because he discusses how to train analytical readers—which will in turn make them better writers. His four questions for readers to ask themselves… Continue reading How to Read a Book-5
How to Read a Book-4
Inspectional Reading, according to Adler, is a systematic skimming of a book to figure out what it's all about. How many kids do you see rifling through a book's pages before they decide to read it? This is a form of inspectional reading. He also recommends thoroughly reading a Table of Contents, Index (I have… Continue reading How to Read a Book-4
How to Read a Book- Part 3
Here are some nuggets that explain the Elementary Level of Reading:There are four stages at this level:reading readinessreading simple materials (some by sight) vocabulary building through working to understand new wordsrefining and enhancing reading skills (an ongoing process).In Adler's words: "The discovery of meaning in symbols [referring to letters and words on a page] may… Continue reading How to Read a Book- Part 3
How to Read a Book- Part 2
Adler introduces the second chapter of this useful book with the of-course-why-didn't-I-think-of-this but pithy statement that our goal of reading will determine the way in which we read. In that light, he goes on to relay four different levels of reading which will be expanded upon in this book:Elementary Reading. A child (or adult's) first… Continue reading How to Read a Book- Part 2
How to Read a Book
I am in the process of reading How to Read a Book which was first published in 1940 with a second, updated edition published in 1972. I hope to share snippets of what appears to be an excellent resource for language arts teachers, homeschool parents, and high school students who are preparing for college (although… Continue reading How to Read a Book