ERIC EJ887832: Literary Letters: Developmental Readers' Responses to Popular Fiction

2009·0.4 MB·English

by  ERIC

Literary Letters: Developmental Readers’
Responses to Popular Fiction
By Marty Frailey, Greta Buck-Rodriguez, and Patricia L. Anders
ABSTRACT: This article describes elaboration ments and activities as formative data (Reinking
in “literary letters” (Atwell, 1984, 1987) written & Bradley, 2008). The assignment we focus on
by developmental reading students. Nineteen is the literary letter (Atwell, 1984), an informal
community college students received instruc- mode of teacher-learner correspondence: Stu-
tion in “elaborative thought patterns,” or types dents respond to books through letters and re-
of elaboration, to improve the quality of their ceive a personal reply from the instructor. In ad-
responses to popular fiction. This instruction dition to writing a personal reply, for this study
was part of a literature-based component in- the instructor also “coded,” or labeled thought
tended to foster positive changes in comprehen- patterns in, each letter. The instructor theorized
sion and attitude toward reading. Data were that by using the literature component and cod-
derived from (a) letters analyzed according to ing system students might report improved
a coding system, (b) questionnaires, (c) focus- comprehension, richer responses in writing and
group discussions, and (d) self-evaluations. discussion, greater engagement and self-effica-
“The top 5 percent of U.S.
Students demonstrated improvements in qual- cy, and improved attitudes about reading. Three
students reads up to 144 ity of elaboration; they also reported positive questions guided the inquiry:
changes in comprehension, writing, literature 1. How would the depth and breadth of stu-
times more than the kids at
discussions, self-efficacy, and attitude. dents’ literary letters change when we taught
the bottom 5 percent.” them different ways of elaborating in their
Research suggests that reading deficien- written response to reading?
cies are the greatest obstacle that underprepared 2. Would students report that learning elabora-
students face in college (Wirt, et al., 2002). The tive thought patterns helped them to better
problem is so acute that only 51% of the high comprehend, write about, and discuss their
school graduates tested by ACT are prepared novels? If so, in what specific ways did it help
for freshman courses (ACT, 2006). In part, this them?
might be attributed to a lack of practice reading 3. Would students report changes in their per-
books for pleasure. According to Atwell (2007), ceptions of themselves as readers, their atti-
“the major predictor of academic success is the tudes about reading, and their engagement
amount of time that a student spends reading. with books? If so, what sorts of changes
In fact, the top 5 percent of U.S. students reads would they report?
Marty Frailey up to 144 times more than the kids at the bottom After exploring the literature that informs
Lead Faculty, Reading 5 percent” (p. 107). It follows that readers who our study, we briefly describe the pedagogy used
Pima County Community College, Downtown enjoy books and become actively engaged in the and then provide a description of the formative
1255 North Stone Avenue reading process are more likely to read exten- data collected and analyzed.
Tucson, AZ 85709-3030 sively and to experience success academically.
[email protected] The study instructor, a 22-year veteran of Interactive Pedagogy in English
community college instruction, has observed
and Reading: Research and
Greta Buck-Rodriguez that most developmental reading students are
Applications
Lead Faculty, Reading disengaged, passive readers. In her experience,
Pima County Community College, Northwest use of a skills-based approach (Crismore & Theoretical Foundations
7600 North Shannon Road Busch, 1984) has yielded low retention rates and The intervention of focus in this study is informed
Tucson, AZ 85709-7050 limited advancement in reading ability. To pro- by several theories related to literacy education.
mote self-efficacy and enjoyment of reading, she The strategy provides instructional engagements
Patricia L. Anders has added a literature-based component to her that elicit and affirm aesthetic responses to litera-
Jewell M. Lewis Distinguished Professor reading courses. This component features self- ture (Short & Burke, 2001). As personal engage-
Language, Reading and Culture selected popular literature with multiple oppor- ment with the text is affirmed, students become
College of Education tunities for writing and discussion. invested in understanding both the text and the
University of Arizona This article describes pedagogy employed reading process itself (Tashlik, 1987).
1430 East Second Street in a developmental reading class and presents If indeed “everything about learning and de-
Tucson, AZ 85721 findings from action research using class assign- veloping is social” (Vygotsky as cited in Wink &
4 JOURNAL of DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
Putney, 2002, p. 62), then college literacy is not in successful learning (Gee, 2004). In a study wrote letters to her about self-selected literature.
only an instructed process but also a “cultural by Morris (1995), community college students Using a third tool, the coding system, the in-
learning process” (Gee, 2004, p. 11). A cultural who read self-selected literature in a workshop structor provided feedback to students and evalu-
learning process engages the learner through format made gains in reading skills that were ated the effectiveness of the literary letter. Kletz-
mentoring relationships and a set of expecta- equivalent to those made in a traditional read- ien and Hushion (1992) labeled student journal
tions situated in an informal cultural context. ing course. In addition, they demonstrated im- entries with “graphic thinking symbols” to rep-
Students can benefit from this added dimension proved attitudes about reading. Self-selected resent the thought patterns that emerged. “Use
of the literature-based component, as authen- popular literature also afforded a prime oppor- of the symbols was probably the most powerful
tic interactions occur during literature circles, tunity for developmental reading students to means of getting students to vary their responses
group presentations, and through written cor- gain the experience of “reading flow” (Flurkey, and to stretch their thinking” (p. 449).
respondence with the instructor. It is essential 2008). As students become completely absorbed This study is based on assumptions drawn
to provide developmental reading students with in books, they experience the transcendent from the theories and research herein described.
such opportunities for interaction (Sinagra, Bat- emotional state described by Csikszentmihalyi The teaching and research methods chosen re-
tle, & Nicholson, 1998). (1990) which is similar to Maslow’s “peak ex- flect our belief that the reading process is both so-
Although college literacy development can perience” (as cited in Kramer, 1984) or Atwell’s cial and transactional and that reluctant readers
be influenced externally through the cultural (2007) “reading zone.” In a study by Nakamura can become motivated when offered appealing
learning process, there is also an internal trans- (1988), high achievers experienced flow 40% of choices and a variety of response strategies. We
actional process (Rosenblatt, 1994), whereby the the time they studied as compared with 17% for also believe that, as students engage in a variety of
reader and the text create meaning synergisti- low achievers. By offering self-selected litera- literature-based activities, they can increase their
cally. Rosenblatt’s transactional theory describes ture, we hoped that students would enter a state sophistication in evaluating, revising, and reflect-
a continuum representing readers’ approaches of flow while reading and be motivated to repeat ing on their understanding of both the text and
to texts: At one end of the continuum is the ef- the experience. their own reading process.
ferent stance, in which readers focus on draw-
ing information from the text; at the other end Methodology
Students had the freedom to
is the aesthetic stance, in which readers focus on
Setting and Participants
the experience of reading itself. “Readers may choose materials they found
This research took place in a developmental
respond to express their emotional reactions,
compelling, an essential reading course at an urban community college
to explore difficulties in understanding, to cor-
in the southwestern part of the United States
roborate or verify their opinions with others, ingredient in successful
during the Spring 2003 semester. The class began
to build social relationships through sharing
learning. with 23 students and ended with 19, an excep-
responses or to clarify their attitudes” (Beach,
tionally high retention rate for reading courses
1993, p. 6). To satisfy this great variety of pur-
at the college. Of the 19 students who completed
poses, teachers need to create a wide range of re-
the course, attendance was exemplary, with only
sponse strategies. “When there is active partici- A second tool is the literary letter. Similar as-
five who had more than three absences in the
pation in literature—the reader living through, signments have been variously named “written
31 sessions. There were 10 female and 9 male
reflecting on, and criticizing his own responses dialogues,” “teacher-learner correspondence,”
students of diverse backgrounds and ages. They
to the text—there will be many kinds of ben- “literary gossip,” “first draft chat” (Atwell, 1987);
included three Native Americans, six Hispanics,
efits” (Rosenblatt, 1994, p. 276).  “dialectical notebooks” (Berthoff, 1987); and
two African Americans, two Africans, and six
Some aesthetic responses to text have also “booktalking” (Sinagra, Battle, & Nicholson,
Caucasians. Of these students, six spoke English
been described as “elaboration” (Stein, 1989). 1998). The common denominator in these assign-
as their second language and nine spoke more
Elaboration is comprised of “the processes by ments is that genuine communication is written
than one language. There was some diversity in
which relationships are formed between the to an authentic audience with the expectation of
age, as eight students were 17-20 years of age;
reader-writer’s background knowledge and a personal response rather than critical appraisal
seven were 21-25; two were 26-30; and two were
particular written text through inferencing, (Atwell, 1998). Through such correspondence,
over 35. Students were placed in the course be-
analogies, and connection making” (Schlum- an instructor can not only affirm students’ opin-
cause of their reading level as measured by the
berger, 1991, p. 44). These processes are often ions about books but also model effective reading
Compass Reading Test (ACT, 2008), the college’s
required in college work and bear some atten- strategies (Stephens, Corey, & Chapman, 2003)
placement test for newly enrolled students. Stu-
tion in developmental education (Holschuh & and challenge students to think more deeply
dents’ raw scores on this test ranged from 68
Aultman, 2008). The term “elaborative thought about what they read (Paris & Ayers, 1994).
to 79 out of a possible 99 points. Fifteen of the
patterns,” devised for this study, refers to the Of the various assignments available, literary
students were enrolled in developmental writ-
various types of elaboration that emerge when letters seemed to provide the best means for writ-
ing courses, and four were enrolled in freshman
readers respond to text. ten dialogue between the instructor and her stu-
composition courses.
dents. Our introduction to literary letters came
Of the four students who withdrew from the
Pedagogical Tools from Atwell (1984), who described the letters she
course, three did so within the first 2 weeks of
The literature review also revealed examples exchanged with middle-school students. These
the semester without explanation. The fourth
of relevant, interactive pedagogical tools. The letters were first-draft, opinionated reflections
student who dropped did so after completing
first pedagogical tool was self-selected literature. to which the instructor responded. We hoped to
about three-fourths of the course, but he was not
When using self-selected popular literature, expand on the successes of other community col-
keeping up with assignments nor was he attend-
students had the freedom to choose materials lege instructors, specifically Henry’s (1992, 1995)
ing regularly. Two of these students were males,
they found compelling, an essential ingredient work with developmental reading students who
VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 • FALL 2009 5
one Caucasian, and the other African American. completing individual reader-response projects responses into three levels according to the de-
The two female students were both Hispanic. after finishing the books. gree of support provided. Claims with little or
The teacher researchers who participated in the Book III. The procedure for Book II was fol- no support received one point; claims with lim-
study included the course instructor, a univer- lowed for Book III. Students chose books, met in ited support, such as justification, background
sity reading professor, and a graduate student. their respective literature circles, wrote literary knowledge, and/ or examples, received 3 points;
letters (Letters 7-9). claims with extensive support received 5 points.
Instructional Design Book IV. During the last month of the semes- Examples of the three levels follow:
The four-credit course was taught with a liter- ter, students read individually chosen books, Little or no support: When the co-pilot pulled
ature-based component similar to Atwell’s (1987) and each presented a 5-minute Book Talk to the out that briefcase, I think it was a bomb, but
reading workshop. This component comprised class. They continued to write weekly literary I’m not sure (1 point)
approximately 40% of the class time; the other letters (Letters 10-12), but the letters were ex-
Limited support: I wonder if he fell in love
60% of class time was spent learning and apply- cluded from the study because students were no
with someone else and he couldn’t decide
ing reading and study strategies to academic texts longer reading group books, meeting in litera-
what to do so he killed himself and all those
and periodicals. Only the literature-based com- ture circles, and preparing group presentations.
people. Then it was intentional. I really don’t
ponent was part of the study. Course materials
think it was pilot error. (3 points)
included a minimum of four paperback books, Data and Analysis
a subscription to Newsweek magazine, and a 56- Multiple data sources were collected and ana- Extensive support: I am looking forward to
page packet of teacher-designed materials. The lyzed to better understand how students evolved the end to see if maybe Kathryn and Mattie
packet included handouts on a variety of read- as readers over the semester. The data sources and maybe Robert will go down and investi-
ing and study strategies, directions for various included nine literary letters per student, a ques- gate the scene off the coast of Ireland. Maybe
assignments, rubrics for grading, self-evaluation tionnaire with a corresponding focus-group they will find something like Jack is still alive
forms, and record-keeping materials. activity, and a final self-evaluation. This meth- and he is off somewhere drinking martinis
The literature-based component of the on the beach. Maybe he got money out of
course was multifaceted. Students chose from a the deal and he is rich with his mother and
variety of books, wrote personal responses, and Investigators rated the living like a king. That would make this real
participated in discussions with others read- amount of support students interesting. (5 points)
ing the same book. The students wrote literary For both types of subjective analysis--the
provided for each coded
letters and participated in discussions called coding of elaborative thought patterns and judg-
literature circles. The instructor provided each response. ments about the degree of support provided--
student with two late passes that allowed them researchers followed specific procedures to es-
to turn in two assignments up to 1 week late tablish inter-rater reliability. First they discussed,
without penalty. All students began the semes- reviewed, and agreed upon definitions and com-
odology is common among teacher researchers
ter reading the same book, but as they became mon understandings of the criteria for coding
(Short & Burke, 2001).
familiar with literature and the routines of the letters and judging support. Next, the instructor
Literary letters. The first data source was
classroom, a wider degree of choice was intro- and the graduate student independently analyzed
the nine literary letters which students wrote
duced. A description of the procedures used for each student’s letter. Third, the university profes-
as they responded to Books I, II, and III. Let-
each book follows. sor examined each analysis for agreement. There
ters were returned weekly with the instructor’s
Book I. During the 1st month of the semester, was almost complete agreement between the
response, including the coding of elaborative
the students read a teacher-selected book, The Pi- instructor and the graduate student (550/571, or
thought patterns. Letters 3, 6, and 9 were se-
lot’s Wife, by Anita Shreve (1998). They received 96%, for quantity of responses; 556/571, or 97%,
lected for in-depth analysis because the final
directions for writing literary letters as well as for quality of responses). In the few cases of dis-
letter written about each book was most likely
a sample letter and a blank grading rubric. Stu- agreement, the university professor did her own
to show students’ most sophisticated thinking.
dents wrote three letters (Letters 1-3) about Book analysis and then led a discussion with the other
The 17 descriptive codes (see Appendix A and
I. They also studied related vocabulary and read- researchers to decide on a code and/or a level of
B or http://dtc.pima.edu/~mfrailey/DevRead-
ing strategies, met in literature circles twice, and support that all three researchers agreed upon.
ingResources/Index.html) were based on our
completed individual reader response projects During Weeks 3-6 of the course, the instruc-
definition of elaborative thought patterns. The
such as creating collages, writing letters to au- tor provided her class with minilessons on the
codes corresponded to four broad categories:
thors, and designing original book jackets. various elaborative thought patterns and their
(a) retelling/summarizing; (b) evaluation of self,
Book II. During the 2nd month of the course, respective codes. To understand the coding of
author, and text; (c) personal response/reaction;
approximately 30 books were introduced by the thought patterns better, students engaged in col-
and (d) going beyond the text. To analyze the
instructor, and students were encouraged to laborative activities during which they coded
letters, researchers coded phrases, sentences, or
explore others. Students browsed books for 15 sample excerpts from former students’ letters.
paragraphs according to the elaborative thought
minutes in the classroom library. After narrow- After coding and evaluating the responses,
patterns that were manifested, referring to each
ing book choices down to five novel, students researchers next recorded the length of each let-
one as a coded response (see Appendix B). They
selected from these titles, and literature circles ter (Letters 1-9) and noted variations across the
tallied the total number of coded responses.
were formed with each group consisting of three semester. Their supposition was that length might
In addition to categorizing and quantifying
to six participants reading the same book. For indicate the extent of elaboration. The in-depth
elaborative thought patterns, investigators rated
this second book, students followed the same analysis began with Letter 3, the final letter on
the amount of support students provided for
procedure of writing weekly literary letters (Let- Book I, because it was the first one written after
each coded response. They classified individual
ters 4-6), meeting in literature circles twice, and the instructor had begun minilessons on elabora-
6 JOURNAL of DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
NADE Self-Evaluation Guides,
2nd Edition: Best Practice in Academic
Support Programs
Best tool for program improvement; required for NADE
Certification
This 2009 version of the NADE Guidesincludes:
• Guidesfor best practice in teaching and learning, developmental coursework,
tutoring, and course-based learning assistance
• Best practice criteria broken down into essential and recommended practices
• A comprehensive glossary of terms in the field
• References and resources for further study
• Guidesthat are adaptable to uniqueness of programs and institutions
• Easily scored criteria that reveal both strengths and areas needing
improvement
• A format that enables realistic action plans
• CD with Word, PDF, and RTF formats
OrderNADE Self-Evaluation Guides, 2nd Edition, from H&H Publishing Company,
www.hhpublishing.com or [phone], at $50.00 each plus shipping (call for rates).
tive thought patterns. Letters 6 and 9 were com- er. These groups discussed the same questions focus-group discussions, and self-evaluations.
parable to Letter 3, as each was the final letter they had answered on the questionnaire. Us- As these results are presented, we offer our in-
written on a book. Researchers graphed the data ing this dual procedure meant that input from terpretations and reflections.
and analyzed changes in students’ writing as they students who were less fluent in one of the two
moved through the semester. forms of discourse would not be excluded. The Changes in Depth and Breadth of
Written questionnaires and focus groups. discussions were tape recorded, and the re- Literary Letters
Another data source was the tape recordings of sponses were documented and analyzed using First, researchers analyzed the types of elabo-
focus-group discussions about the value of the qualitative content analysis (Merriam, 1998). rative thinking and the amount of support given
literature-based component in general and liter- That is, researchers transcribed the tapes of the for opinions. Then they looked at how these ele-
ary letters in particular. To prepare for the focus three group discussions and summarized the ments changed over the course of the semester.
groups, each student first filled out a question- student comments, noting the number of stu- Type and quantity of responses. The total
naire with the following questions: dents who made similar claims. number of coded thought patterns in the liter-
1. How did the literary letters help you prepare Student self-evaluation. The third data ary letters changed little during the semester.
for the literature discussion groups? source was a student self-evaluation. Students For the entire class, the total number of coded
2. Do you think the writing of literary letters responded to a Likert-type set of questions, responses for Letter 3 was 198, the total for Letter
had an impact on your comprehension of reporting their perceptions of themselves as 6 was 184, and for Letter 9 it was 190. The to-
your books? readers (Very poor, poor, average, good, or tal number of responses remained consistent in
3. We taught you codes. How did the knowledge excellent) and their attitudes and interests in each of four broad categories: Retelling; Evalu-
of codes help you with your writing? reading (strongly dislike, moderately dislike, ating Self, Author, and Text; Personal Response;
4. What kinds of changes did you see in your neutral, moderately like, or strongly like) at the and Going Beyond the Text.
letters as we moved through the semester? beginning and end of the semester. Investigators Within the four broad categories there were
5. In what ways did the reading of paperback calculated the mean score for the class and then 17 specific codes, the analysis of which demon-
books and the writing of literary letters im- looked at changes made by individuals. In addi- strated considerable variability. For example, as
pact your interest in reading and/or your at- tion, each student reported the number of books students wrote Letter 3, Letter 6, and Letter 9,
titude toward books? read during the semester, the total number of they used fewer predictions (16, 7, 1); they used
6. What do you think of the letter writing activ- pages read, and the types of books read. fewer inferences ( 29, 25, 18); and they varied
ity as a way to talk about books? What did their use of judgments ( 57, 39, 52). However, in
you think about the literature discussions? Findings and Discussion all three letters, judgments and inferences domi-
During class, the 19 students and three re- nated student responses.
This section provides results of the data analy-
searchers were divided into groups, each com- Although responses in some categories de-
sis, including literary letters, questionnaires,
posed of six or seven students and one research- creased over the semester, in other categories
VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 • FALL 2009 7
they increased. For example, students strength- quality of the responses improved in almost all impact they perceived these experiences had on
ened their focus on evaluating authors (3, 11, 17 categories. Students were not only able to use their understanding of their books and their abil-
8), connecting with other books and media (1, a variety of thought patterns but were now able ity to write and talk about them. Student com-
3, 5), and discussing themes (0, 5, 4). Changes to support their ideas with more examples, de- ments are reported according to categories that
in the focus of student writing might have oc- scriptions, and reasons. emerged from the qualitative content analysis
curred for a variety of reasons. By midsemester, Number and length of letters. Of the 171 let- (Merriam, 1998). These categories included im-
students had gotten more exposure and practice ters assigned during the study (9 per student), pact on (a) reading comprehension improvement;
with the elaborative thought patterns and were 159, or 93%, were submitted. The letters ranged (b) writing skill improvement; (c) self-efficacy en-
becoming more aware of the variety of ways in length from 126 to 964 words, with a median hancement; and (d) attitudes about reading, self-
they could respond to their novels. Also, after of 320 words. Letter 1 tended to be the shortest, selection, and writing.
students had completed a few novels, they had probably because students were unfamiliar with Reading comprehension improvement. The
experienced different genres and authors and the assignment. During the reading of the first 19 students discussed how the writing of liter-
could therefore more easily compare books. In book, students’ letters ranged from an average of ary letters impacted their comprehension. They
some cases, individual students changed their 266 words for Letter 1 to 357 words for Letter 3. By provided a variety of responses that were over-
thought patterns to correspond with changes in the reading of the third book, the average letter whelmingly positive, such as the following: “the
the genre of novels they were reading. In addi- ranged from 309 words for Letter 7 to 361 words writing provided me with the opportunity to
tion, some books seemed to encourage deeper for Letter 9. In general, the length of the letters critically analyze my books,” “it helped me orga-
thinking than others, presenting lessons about increased as students moved to the second and nize ideas,” “it stimulated my thought process,”
life or profound ethical dilemmas that led to third letter of each book. Perhaps they had more “it helped me go deeper into the book and read
meaningful reflection. to write about as they progressed through their between the lines,” and “it helped me question
Retelling was much more of a focus in Letters books and discussed them in literature circles. things more.” One student stated, “the literary
1-2 than in later letters. Initially, an average of 36% letters were the necessary pit stop I had to take
of each letter was devoted to retelling. Analysis Student Perceptions while reading my book to help make sense of all
of these brief retellings revealed that the average Late in the semester, students responded both in the information I was taking in.” Another stu-
percentage of the letter that was retelling actually writing and in focus groups to six questions. Stu- dent claimed, “I used to read a book and I didn’t
declined to 22%. These data suggest that by the dents reflected on the experience of learning and even know what was going on, they just looked
6th and 9th letters 14 students used a range of applying elaborative thought patterns through like words to me and now I’m starting to under-
elaborative thought patterns to respond to litera- the writing of literary letters. They reported the stand the plot and stuff.” Another student re-
ture. Having quantified this range of marked, “literary letters helped me
thinking, the study focus turned to Table 1 understand and keep track more
the quality of the responses. because once I wrote it down on
Quality Points Assigned to Coded Thought Patterns in Letters
Quality of responses. The qual- paper, it’s like a flashback remem-
3, 6, and 9
ity of the elaboration was scored bering more about the book.” Even
with a 1, 3, or 5, depending on re- Quality Points Assigned students who were avid readers
searchers’ assessment of the level of spoke of changes they noticed in
support offered for each response. Thought Pattern Code Letter 3 Letter 6 Letter 9 their reading. One student stated,
There was a pronounced change I have always read books just for
in the quality of responses over Retelling/Summarizing R 14 24 23 pleasure but what I have learned
the semester, particularly in Let- this semester is that every book
ter 6, the final letter for Book II. Evaluating Self and Author has some kind of lesson that you
In Letters 3, 6, and 9 respectively, Metacognition M 7 0 5 learn from. I have read books in
the scores jumped from 155 points Evaluate Author Ev@ 3 14 8 the past but I never stopped to
to 238 points and back down to 182 Evaluate Book EvB 10 27 16 think about what I’ve learned
points (see Table 1). The marked and now that is what I look for.
Personal Response/Reaction
improvement in Letter 6 was prob-
Writing skill improvement.
ably due to the fact that students Discover New Ideas !!! 0 0 5 Students also reflected on how the
were receiving in-depth instruc- Connect with Books/Media C 3 5 7 knowledge and use of different
tion and practice identifying the Respond Emotionally ☺☹ 10 15 6 thought patterns helped them with
elaborative thought patterns at this Predict/Set Expectations P/Ex 12 7 8 their writing. The most common
time in the semester. As students Personally Identify with Text ID 17 23 18 response they gave was that the let-
began reading Book III (Letters Visualize Vis 2 1 5 ters got them to stop retelling and/
6-9), coding of letters continued
Going Beyond the Text or summarizing the book. It helped
but in-class instruction on the top-
them generate ideas about what
ic was no longer provided. At that Make Judgments J 43 44 34
they read. They became more aware
point the focus was to encourage Draw Inferences I 18 31 16
of different ways they could think
spontaneous thinking and writing. Make Analogies ↓↓ 2 3 2
about their reading. One student
Between Letter 3 (when instruction Question Events/Characters ?? 11 16 10
remarked, “the codes were a good
in the coding of thought patterns Rhetorical Structures RH 3 5 7
began) and Letter 6 (after coding Identify Themes TH 0 17 8
instruction was completed), the Reflect on Personal Impact Per Im 0 6 4 continued on page 8
8 JOURNAL of DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
continued from page 6 pleted 6 books, which is a huge accomplishment whole life, actually.”
for a person like me that used to hate books.” Attitude about self-selection. Students re-
guideline to show me how I was conveying my Students also had new confidence in their ported appreciating being able to select their
ideas.” Students had a new way to define what abilities as readers. One student commented, own books, as it helped them discover what they
they were doing as they wrote. “I used to have to read a few pages and then go liked. The experience of exploring a variety of
Two students stated that they were now able back. I don’t have to reread what I read. I read it books opened their minds to diverse reading
to identify elaborative thought patterns during once. It used to take me forever to read a book materials. The self-selection allowed students
the writing process. Students became aware of before.” Another stated, “I do feel that I have be- the opportunity to read books with which they
their own thinking processes when they read come a stronger reader and a quicker reader. I could identify. They read about issues that were
books and wrote about them. “It was interesting am able to read at a much faster pace and still meaningful to them personally. One student
to read where you have your assumptions and understand completely what I read and get commented on his selection process:
then you go and turn the page and something through more books!” You know the good thing was we got to pick
else happens that makes you sad, angry or just Attitude about reading. Researchers queried what we wanted to read so after reading the
excited about each character. I did something in the students about how the reading of paper- back of books and learning about them and
this class that I haven’t accomplished since the back books and the writing of literary letters reading and liking it, it changed my view on
5th grade which is finish a book.” influenced their interest in reading and/or their reading. It’s not boring. I thought it was inter-
Two students saw the labeling of thought pat- attitudes toward books. In general, students esting. Now if I go to a store and see a book, I
terns as merely a system of evaluation; they felt reported a notable shift in attitude about read- actually pick it up and read the back and see
the coding let them know if they were “getting ing. They demonstrated this change through the what it’s about. Before it was just a book and
things right” or “doing what was expected.” Two number of books they read and the compelling I didn’t even pick it up.
students remarked that they liked the concrete, comments made during focus-group sessions.
After choosing an action-packed book (Run;
specific information that coded letters provided. In both written and oral comments, students
Winter, 2000), another student made the fol-
One student claimed that knowing her letter
lowing statement:
would be coded motivated her to pay attention
and think before she wrote. Two students ac- “Now if I go to a store and This is definitely my favorite book. I liked it
knowledged that the letter writing provided the see a book, I actually pick it so much that I read 150 pages in one sitting.
discipline they needed to keep up in the book, I thought that I would never be able to read
stay focused on the story, and “not get side- up and read the back.” that much because I always had a hard time
tracked.” They kept reading regularly because let- with reading books for a long period of time.
ters were due each week. Only 4 students felt that I used to be able to read only like 20 pages,
the writing and coding of literary letters didn’t re- described the powerful engagement they had and that was the most. It was mostly because
ally cause changes in their writing. Two of these with books. The vast majority (14 out of 19, or the books were just not interesting. Now I
students had the insight that any change in their 73%) of students felt that the experience had a know there are books that I can enjoy read-
letters was based primarily on the amount of time significant or powerful impact on their interest ing and this is sure one of them.
they dedicated to the assignment. One student in reading. Students made the following claims: Attitude about writing. Two students com-
ascribed the change in her letter writing to how “I now have a clearer idea of what I like to read,” mented that they liked literary letters because
much she liked the specific book. The fourth stu- “I learned my favorite genres,” “I discovered a they could develop a friendly, casual dialogue
dent said, “more sophisticated novels got me to new hobby,” “I discovered that books could be with the instructor. They enjoyed relating to
do more in-depth thinking.” fun,” and “reading used to put me to sleep, now their instructor as a friend through letters rather
Self-efficacy enhancement. Students also the right book can hold my attention.” than reporting back to a teacher in the tradi-
exhibited greater self-efficacy. They spoke re- Three students stated that they were able tional book report format. There was more fun
peatedly about new awareness of themselves to complete a book for the first time, and they associated with the informal letter approach as
as competent, capable readers. Further, they found a profound sense of achievement in do- opposed to a formal paper.
became aware of the process of metacognition. ing so. Students mentioned that they began to Two students reported that letter writing
They described themselves as “making predic- look for books when they were in stores, and helped them apply some of the principles they
tions,” “confirming inferences,” and “drawing they tried to talk to people outside of class about were learning in their writing classes. Three
conclusions.” Also, students were surprised by what they were reading. Three students were mentioned that the extra practice with writ-
how much they read. The discipline involved surprised to find that they were motivated to try ing was good for them as they were develop-
in keeping up with their groups and the large new books after they had already read the num- ing college-level writing skills. More than half
amount of assigned reading forced them to read ber required for the course. One student com- of the students felt more confident and at ease
much more than they would have read on their mented, “I didn’t own no books before and now with writing by the end of the semester. The
own. One student, who was completing his 2nd I do. I have, like, three at home and I want to only negative comment came from a student
semester in a course with a literature-based read them after this one. It’s a change in the way who deemed letter writing to be useless. He was
component, stated, “I wish I had taken a class I think about things.” Another claimed, “before uncomfortable communicating on paper and
like this in high school. I might have finished I would never just stop and buy a book. Now ev- would have preferred talking in person about
high school. I’ve gone through 12 novels since I erywhere I go, I buy books.” One student stated, his book. He did admit, though, that the letters
had this instructor and I find reading enjoyable. “I’ve actually started to pick up books more, be- helped him rethink his book, analyze the facts,
I used to hate to read.” Another said, “Usually I lieve it or not. I’ve started to read more maga- and remember what happened.
would fall asleep after a few pages and struggle zines. I read the newspaper more since I’ve been
to read the rest of the book. But now I have com- in this class. I’ve read more than I have in my continued on page 10
10 JOURNAL of DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
continued from page 8 pleasurable experiences with books” (Atwell, coding experience and/or the dynamics of on-
2007, p. 18) that self-selected authentic material line peer correspondence through literary letters
can offer. In other content areas, such as history, might also be explored in future research.
Student Self-Evaluation reticent readers might be better engaged in their This study focused on changes in students’
As a final course activity, students completed a readings and exhibit improved comprehension written responses (literary letters) and their self-
self-evaluation by responding to a Likert-type if more current readings, including historic nov- reported changes in reading and writing. A next
scale assessing their self-perception and attitude els, are used along with course texts. step would be a controlled experimental study
toward reading and reporting on the number of A current issue facing the field of higher investigating students’ changes when compared
books read. Students compared their percep- education is the retention and success of male with classes using other instructional designs.
tions of themselves as readers at the beginning students (Manno, n.d.; Mortenson, 2007). Al-
and end of the semester. At the beginning of the though not part of our original study. We found Conclusion
semester, students perceived themselves to be male students completed this course at an un-
This study provided persuasive evidence of
“average readers,” with a mean score of 2.89 on a expectedly high rate, with 9 out of 11 finishing
the value of a literature-based component in a
5-point Likert scale. At the end of the semester the course, including 5 of the 6 minority males.
developmental reading course, instruction in
they believed themselves to be “good readers,” In general, the male students responded en-
elaborative thought patterns, and the use of a
with a mean score of 3.94. Almost all students thusiastically to self-selected reading materials
coding system with literary letters. Both data
showed a positive shift. and literary letters. In fact, many of the com-
and anecdotal feedback from this study reflected
Students also reported changes in their at- ments quoted in this paper regarding the value
an improvement in students’ processing of text
titudes toward reading. At the beginning of the of books were provided by male students. For
and an increase in their quantity of reading. Fur-
semester, their average score was 2.78, or a little the last 12 years the instructor has included a
ther, students claimed to enjoy reading more. All
below neutral. At the end of the semester, the literature-based component, and she has no-
these outcomes in the literature-based compo-
average score was 4.52, about halfway between ticed consistent improvement in the retention
nent of the course demonstrated improvement
“moderately liking” and “strongly liking” reading.
in reading abilities for underprepared students.
Individual changes in scores were as follow: three
Students’ experiences in This instructional design illustrates an ap-
students reported no change, nine students shift-
proach that can provide students with the tools
ed up by 1 point, five students up 2 points, one this course provided them
they need to become not only confident, compe-
student up 3 points, and one student up 4 points.
with a much-desired taste of tent readers but also “skilled, passionate, critical,
Students reported reading an average of 4.28
habitual” readers (Atwell, 2007, p. 12). Given the
books (R = 3.5-9.0); the average number of pages success.
pervasiveness of deficiencies in reading for col-
they reported reading was 1308 (R = 859-3,325).
lege-bound students (Wirt et al., 2002) and the
This evidence suggests that students will com-
impact that extensive reading has on academic
plete extensive amounts of reading when given of males, particularly minority males.
success (Atwell, 2007), such an approach should
the opportunity and motivation. Several students The apparent positive impact of a personal-
be more widely implemented. This instructional
commented on exceeding their expectations ized student-teacher relationship and weekly in-
design could be utilized with developmental
about how much reading they could do in a se- teraction between students through groups could
readers in community college, university, and
mester. Perhaps this realization will help them be applied to other courses and learning environ-
even in middle school and high school. In any
feel less threatened by the world of academics. ments. Specifically, it could be integrated into
case, students’ experiences in this course provid-
The changes students reported in self-efficacy programs designed for at-risk students, includ-
ed them with a much-desired taste of success in
and attitude, as well as the substantial amount of ing minority males, who need to improve their
the academic realm; replicating this instructional
reading reported, highlighted the importance of reading prior to enrollment in college courses.
design might provide the same successful expe-
providing opportunities for free reading of inde- Further study might shed light on the impact of
rience to other underprepared, resistant readers.
pendently chosen books. As Atwell (2007) stated, a literature-based component on male develop-
“it’s reading that makes readers…frequent, volu- mental readers, particularly minority males.
References
minous, happy experiences with books” (p. 18). The teaching methodology described in this
paper could be applied to alternate systems: For ACT. (2008). Compass®. Iowa City, IA: Author. Re-
Implications for Practice and example, instead of corresponding with an in- trieved from ACT website: http://www.act.org/
structor, students could correspond with peers. compass/tests/index.html
Future Research
Individual students could be responsible for ACT. (2006). What the ACT reveals about college
The shifts in quality and quantity of literary let- coding the letters they receive before respond- readiness in reading. Iowa City, IA: Author.
ters along with the changes in self-perception ing to them. This adaptation would reduce the Atwell, N. (1984). Writing and reading literature
and attitude suggest profound implications for amount of coding the reading instructors face from the inside out. Language Arts, 61, 240-252.
both practice and research. The literature-based and, thereby, make the approach less formida- Atwell, N. (1987). Building a dining room table:
component represented only 40% of the reading ble. In addition, it would provide more oppor- Dialogue journals about reading. In T. Fulwiler
course. Therefore, we do not claim that a litera- tunities for students to develop and apply their (Ed.), The journal book (pp. 157-170). Ports-
ture component of a college reading course can understanding of the various thought patterns. mouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.
be used to replace instruction and practice ap- This added dimension of peer-to-peer corre- Atwell, N. (1998). In the middle: New understand-
plying reading and study strategies to academic spondence could work effectively not only in ings about writing, reading, and learning (2nd
texts. However, we do argue that, within the con- brick-and-mortar classes but also to create op- ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.
text of a developmental reading course, it is es- portunities for meaningful interaction in hybrid
sential to provide time for “frequent, sustained, and online classes. The impact of the student continued on page 12
12 JOURNAL of DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
continued from page 10 workshop approach on reading achievement
and attitude toward reading of community
Atwell, N. (2007). The reading zone: How to help college developmental students (Doctoral Dis-
kids become skilled, passionate, habitual, critical sertation, University of Houston). Dissertation
readers. New York: Scholastic. Abstracts International, 56, A4711.
Beach, R. (1993). A teacher’s introduction to reader- Mortenson, T. G. (2007). Enrollment rates and
response theories. Urbana, IL: National Council educational attainment by age and gender:
of Teachers of English. Bachelor’s degree attainment by gender for
MICHIGAN DEVELOPMENTAL
Berthoff, A. E. (1987). Dialectical notebooks and 25 to 29 year olds, 1950 to 2006. Postsecond-
EDUCATION CONSORTIUM
the audit of meaning. In T. Fulwiler (Ed.), ary Education Opportunity, 181. Retrieved
Presents... The journal book (pp. 11-18). Portsmouth, NH: from http://www.postsecondary.org/archives/
Boynton/Cook. Reports/181_707pg1_16.pdf
25th Annual Spring Conference
Crismore, A., & Busch, K. M. (1984). Landscapes: Paris, S. G., & Ayers, L. R. (1994). Becoming reflec-
THEN & NOW, A state-of-the-art assessment of reading compre- tive students and teachers with portfolios and au-
hension research 1974-1984: Final report. Bloom- thentic assessment. Washington, DC: American
25 YEARS OF
ington, IN: Language Education Dept., Indiana Psychological Association.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION University. Reinking, D., & Bradley, B. A. (2008). On forma-
April 8th & 9th, 2010 Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Literacy and intrinsic tive and design experiments. New York: Teach-
motivation. Daedalus, 2, 115-140. ers College Press.
Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center
Flurkey, A. D. (2008). Reading flow. In A. D. Flur- Rosenblatt, L. M. (1994). The reader, the text, the
at Michigan State University
key, E. J. Paulson, & K. S. Goodman (Eds.), poem: The transactional theory of the literary
Scientific realism in studies of reading (pp. 267- work. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois Univer-
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
304). New York: Erlbaum. sity Press.
Rita Smilkstein
Gee, J. (2004). Situated language and learning: Schlumberger, A. (1991). The effects of elaboration
North Seattle Community College
A critique of traditional schooling. New York: on community college students’ execution of a
How the Brain Learns:
Routledge. reading-writing task. Unpublished doctoral dis-
Natural Learners, Natural Learning
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery sertation. University of Arizona, Tucson.
of grounded theories: Strategies for qualitative re- Short, K. G., & Burke, C. (2001). Curriculum as
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
search. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. inquiry. In S. Boran & B. Comber (Eds.), Cri-
Goleman, D. (2006). Emotional intelligence: Why it tiquing whole language and classroom inquiry
We welcome proposals in
can matter more than IQ (10th anniv. ed.). New (WLU Series; pp. 18-41). Urbana, IL: National
any area relating to
York: Bantam. Council of Teachers of English.
developmental education including
Henry, J. (1992). Belles lettres: A qualitative study Shreve, A. (1998). The pilot’s wife. Boston: Little,
teaching, counseling/advising,
of student-teacher exchange in literary letters. Brown and Co.
learning support and administration.
(Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincin- Sinagra, M. D., Battle, J., & Nicholson, S. A. (1998).
Visit the MDEC website for nati, 1992). Dissertation Abstracts International, E-mail “Booktalking”: Engaging developmen-
more information on what is required 54, A0875. tal readers with authors and others in the aca-
and how to submit a proposal. Henry, J. (1995). If not now: Developmental read- demic community. Journal of College Reading
ers in the college classroom. Portsmouth, NH: and Learning, 29(1), 30-39.
For questions please contact
Heinemann. Stein, V. (1989). Elaboration: Using what you know
Karel Asbury
Holschuh, J. P., & Aultman, L. P. (2008). Compre- (Reading-to-Write Report No. 6; Technical Re-
[email protected] hension development. In R. F. Flippo & D. C. port No. 25). Berkeley, CA: Center for the Study
Caverly (Eds.), Handbook of college reading and of Writing. (ED306596)
www.mdec.net
study strategy research (2nd ed.; pp. 121-144). Stephens, J., Corey, J., & Chapman, I. (2003). Be-
New York: Routledge. tween the lines: Reading and misreading stu-
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS
Kletzien, S., & Hushion, B. (1992). Reading work- dent writers. Journal of College Reading and
February 10, 2010
shop: Reading, writing, thinking. Journal of Learning, 33(2), 197-213.
Reading, 35(6), 444-451. Tashlik, P. (1987). I hear voices: The text, the jour-
MDEC Board Members
Kramer, B. B. (1984). Bequest of wings: Three read- nal, and me. In T. Fulwiler (Ed.), The journal
ers and special books. Language Arts, 61(3), 253- book (pp. 157-170). Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/
Ann Iseda, President
260. Cook.
[email protected]
Manno, A. J. (n.d.). Male retention at the com- Wink, J., & Putney, L. G. (2002). A vision of Vy-
Debra Daiek, President Elect munity college. Retrieved from http://www. gotsky. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
[email protected] raritanval.edu/departments/English/full-time/ Winter, D. (2000). Run. New York: Penguin Put-
Manno/Male%20Retention%20at%20the%20 nam Books.
Karel Asbury, Membership
Community%20College%20.doc Wirt, J., Choy, S., Gerald, D., Provasnik, S., Rooney,
[email protected]
Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case P., Watanabe, S., & Tobin, R. (2002). The condi-
Joe LaMontagne, Membership study applications in education (2nd ed.). San tion of education (DHHS Publication No. NCES
[email protected] Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2002-025). Washington, DC: U.S. Government
Morris, L. A. A. (1995). The effects of a modified Printing Office.
14 JOURNAL of DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
K K
31st31st elloegllgo ggT HE KELLOTGHGE KINESLTLIOTGUGTE IENXSPTEITRUIETNEC EEXPERIENCE
The four-weekT ohne -fcoaumr-pwuese rke soind-ecnacmy:pus residency:
I I •  a living/lea•rn  ina gl icvoinmg/mleuanrnitiyn ge ncvoimromnmuneintyt environment
nsntisttuittue te•  informal ne•t w ionrfkoirnmg/ailn nfoertmwaotrikoinn gs/hinarfoinrgmation sharing
•  four week-•lo n fgo user mwieneakrs-l oonng c suermreinnta trosp oicns current topics
•  state-of-the•-a rst tsattrea-toefg-itehse -foarrt  esftfiractieegnite os pfoerr aetfifiocni eonf t operation of 
developmentadl eavnedlo lpeamrnenintagl  aasnsids tlaenacrne ipnrgo agsrsaimstasnce programs
•  faculty has• in cfalucdueltdy  rheacso ignncilzuedde edx rpeecrotsg nsuizcehd a esx Jpaemrtess s uch as James 
for the tfroarin tihneg  taranidn icnegr taifincda ctieornti fiocf ationA nodfe rson, DaAvindd Aerresonnd,a Dlea, vBiadr bAareran dBaolneh, aBmar,b Haruan Bteorn Bhoaymla, nH, unter Boylan, 
Nancy CarriuoNloa,n Mcya Crtahrar iCuoasloa,z zMaa, rFthraan Ck aCsharzizsta,,  SFurasannk  Christ, Susan 
developdmeevnetlaolp emdeunctaatlo ersducators Clark-Thayer, CClhaurkc-kT Chalayxetro, nC,h Auncikt aC Glaexotorgne, ,A Gneitnae G Keeorrsgtiee,n Gs,e ne Kerstiens, 
Georgine MatGerenoiargki,n Me aMrtahtae rMniaaxkw, Mella,r Rthoas sM MaxawcDelol,n Ralods,s  MacDonald, 
June 2Ju6n-eJu 2ly6 2-J3u,l y2 2031,0 201E0d Morante, JaEnde M Noeruabnuter,g eJar,n Ge eNneeuvbieuvrgee Rr,a Gmeirneezv, iJeovhen R amirez, John 
Roueche, GladRyosu Sehchawe,,  GPalat dSyms iStthlea,w B, aPrabta Sram Sitotlleo,m Baanrb, aMrail tSoonl oman, Milton 
Spann and NwSapcahnin T aanfadr iNwachi Tafari
31 yea3rs1  oyfe ars of  •  recreation •am  ridecstr ethaeti osnce anmici dbset atuhtey  socfe tnhiec  Bbeluaeu tRyi dogf eth  e  Blue Ridge   
Mountains Mountains
professpiroonfeasl stiroaninailn tgraining•  optional cr•ed iot pletiaodninalg  ctroewdaitr dle athdein Mg .tAo.w oarr dE dth.Se.  Min .HA.i gohre Erd .S. in Higher 
Education at AEpdpuaclaatciohnia ant  SAtaptpea Ulancihviearns iStyta aten dU tnhiev e rsity and the  
Ph.D. programP ha.tD G. rparmogbrlainmg  aStt aGter aUmnbivlienrgs iStyt,a LteA University, LA
For applicatioFno/ri nafpoprmlicaatitoionn, /winrfioterm oar tcioanll,: write or call:
Director, KellDogirge cIntostri,t uKteel logg Institute  The supervisedT hper ascutpiceurvmis epdro pjeracct:ticum project:
•  completed •a t hcoommpe lceatemdp aut shome campus
ASU Box 320A9S8U Box 32098
•  uses learnin•g  fursoems  ltehaer nreinsigd fernocmy the residency
Appalachian AStpaptea lUacnhiviaenrs Sittyate University
•  impacts the•  inismtitpuatciotsn athl ed einvsetliotuptmioennatla dl epvreolgorpamme/lnetaarln pinrogg ram/learning 
Boone, NC 2B86o0o8n-e2, 0N9C8 28608-2098 center center
(828) 262-30(58728) 262-3057
www.ncde.apwpwstwat.en.ceddeu.appstate.edu
Appendix A Appendix B
Abbreviated List of Elaborative Thought Patterns & Examples Sample of Coded Letter (The Pilot’s Wife, Letter 3)
Dear____,
Evaluating Self & Author
Iamcurrentlyonpage252of“ThePilot’sWife.”Atthispointinthe [R]
M—Metacognition I have some questions about the book but I’ll keep reading.
story Kathryn is still coping with the loss of her husband. In the midst of dealing
I must say that this book has lots of words in it that i do not
withtheloss,sheisfacedwithmanyquestionsaboutherlatehusband.
know but I have a dictionary to look things up.
Personal Response/Reaction As I suspected the rabbit’s hole got deeper. I don’t think I was prepared for how [↓↓]
!!!—DiscoverNewIdeas Thisbookshowshowbadwaris,whatstruggleskidsfaced deepitwent.IwassurprisedwhenKathryndecidedtogotoLondon. Iwaseven []
fighting and killing people they didn’t even know. They fought more surprised when Robert said he would go. I think Kathryn was a very brave [ J ]
inawarnoonesupported.Thebookletyoulearnaboutstuff persontomakethischoice. Notonlydidshegetonanairplanebutwentto
we never faced first hand. The Things They Carried London to confront her biggest fears. Robert seems to be the only one supporting
C—Connectwithbooks/media IexpectedthisbooktobeasweetromancelikeaDanielle Kathryninherdecisions. WhenKathrynwenttoMurieBoland’shouseandsaw
Steel novel. I wanted the guy to get the girl back in the end. her holding the baby, I felt horrible for her. Never once did I think Jack would go []
TheReaderwasaverydifferentkindofbookandtheending tosuchlengthstohaveasecretlife. Theauthorofthebookdoesanexcellentjob [Ev@]
was perhaps more realistic than a typical romance novel but of putting characters [sic] feelings in perspective, however the book overall is [EvB]
itwasnotaspleasant.TheReader quitedepressing. IamcurrentlywonderinghowKathrynwilltellMattieabout [?]
Vis—Visualize Even when they talk about the food they are preparing, not Jack’s secret life. I also wonder how Mattie will take the news about her
onlycanIpictureitbutIcanalmostsmellitandmymouth deceptivefather.EvenmorethanIthoughtbefore,Jackisacompletejerk. Ican’t
starts to water wanting A taste of the savory food that Tita believe he would do that to Kathryn, let alone Mattie. [ J ]
makes.LikeWaterforChocolate Muriestrikesmeasanextremelycoldheartedperson.Neveroncedidshe [J]
Going Beyond the Text
consider calling Kathryn to inform her of Jack’s deception.  This says a lot
RH—Rhetorical Structures I always felt that way about the south. That beneath the
about whattypeofpersonMuriewas. Thischaracterremindsmeofmy [ID]
smiles and southern hospitality and politeness was a lot of
ex-girlfriend.  Both my ex-girlfriend and Murie show no concern for another person’s
guns, liquor and secrets. A lot of secrets would end up float-
feeling.Whilereadingthispartofthebook,Istartedtogetveryangry.Icouldn’t []
ing down the Nansemond river. Midnight in the Garden of
believe what I was reading.  At one point, I had to put the book down and smoke
Good and Evil
acigarette. IfeltlikeKathryn’sstressandangerwerebeingtransmittedtome
TH—Identify Themes After finding out that love was a burden and since that ring
like a radio station.  With all of this going on, the cause of the plane crash still [↓↓]
was a symbol of that love, throwing it in the ocean was a
eatsatme.Ican’twaittofindoutwhatactuallyhappenedinthecockpit. Now
cleansing act. The end of the book showed us how you say
that Jack’s secret life’s been exposed, I find it hard to believe that Jack would [ I ]
goodbye to a relationship that isn’t there anymore. The Pi-
commitsuicideknowinghewasleavingthreechildrenbehind. Ifhedidhowever,
lot’s Wife
it only shows he was extremely selfish. I’m still hoping that Robert and [ J , P/Ex]
Per Im—Reflect on Personal Impact This particular quote has made me realize how important a
Kathrynwillhookup. AlsowhatwilltheimpactbewhenKathrynfinds [?]
true relationship with God is. Just the thought of being left
out what really happened on the plane?  Well, I can’t wait to find out what happens .
behind scares me. I feel that now is the time to make myself
Sincerely
right with God. Left Behind
VOLUME 33, ISSUE 1 • FALL 2009 15