Room for (much) improvement
If the question today is, “How are my reading skills?” the answer is, in a word, mediocre. Obviously, I can read, but speed and long-term retention have always been my weak points. Even just this week, I picked a book off my working bibliography and began to read it. After about 30 pages, I realized that I’d already read this book. Nevertheless, I continued reading to the end because I couldn’t recall its main ideas or conclusions.
That said, I’ve already benefited from the shift toward reading better and reading smarter, as we’ve been learning from Adler[1]. The method of inspectional reading offers a certain freedom; I can’t count the number of times in the past when I have slogged through a book to the end because there might be a great nugget of learning buried beneath a mountain of dullness. I also expect that the process of analytical reading (and taking notes as I walk through that rather elaborate process) will be invaluable. As the analytical reading dovetails with the practice of taking smart notes (to one degree or another) I anticipate fruitful and, hopefully, original reflection.
Beyond simply reading and producing essays, I hope to grow in my capacity to reason well. I don’t recall having ever studied logic as such or any sort of argumentation, so I feel a bit behind the eight ball this area. In terms of reasoning and writing, I am struck by two of the essential intellectual standards as presented by Paul and Elder[2]. I will have to pay particular attention to breadth and fairness. “Sympathetically representing the views of others” does not come naturally[3]. If I’m honest, my own convictions and viewpoints often seem so evident to me that I have a hard time accepting the validity of others’ perspectives.
Finally, I hope to learn to connect seemingly distinct ideas to synthesize a coherent whole. A multi-disciplinary approach to solving a problem attracts me; I find it both interesting and likely to produce the most effective solution. Already in my area of research it seems like I need to quickly become an expert in at least 4 or 5 different disciplines. Digging into such topics as the theology of the family, emotional intelligence, developmental psychology, and historical changes in child discipline can feel overwhelming. At the same time, it’s inspiring to imagine that insights from these seemingly disparate fields could come together. It motivates me to think well and reason with excellence.
In the end, will we read and reason perfectly and produce perfect essays? Most definitely not. Happily, perfection is not the goal. Growth is the goal and there is no doubt that growth in our reading and writing skills this semester is guaranteed.
[1] Adler, Mortimer Jerome, and Van Doren, Charles. How to read a book. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2014)
[2] Paul, Richard, and Elder, Linda. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools. (Blue Ridge Summit: The Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2019)
[3] Ibid. 21.
About the Author
Kim Sanford
9 responses to “Room for (much) improvement”
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A few weeks ago I read an entire book, and upon getting to the last chapter, a realization dawned on me that I had read it before.
Are you finding (or thinking you may find) “Smart Notes” a helpful tool for retention? I am intrigued by it and certainly want to land upon a tool or resource that will assist me in capturing, congealing, and recalling information.
Yes, I think so, although I haven’t yet put much of the concept into practice. I have been using LogSeq instead of Obsidian and it’s been pretty easy to use. My next big step is to go back through all my accumulated notes and start to link/cross reference ideas.
After retiring from the US Army (23 years), I became a missionary in Hungary (10 years). I thought my academic career was over until I discovered a need for learning English as a Second Language was a real entry point into the lives of Hungarians around me. So I started a Masters in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). What a mess that was. The ability to read, take notes and to get the GIST of what was being said, eluded me. Not much has really changed, so I was kind of jazzed with Ahren’s how to take smart notes. The method seemed rather intentional and served as nice guide. Adler also helped me to put a “name to the face” of the different types of reading types. I too believe we will be stretched in new reading and note directions this semester….Shalom, Russ
Well-written, Kim!
Oh, the liberation of inspectional reading. There are many books that I begin and by about the third chapter, boredom sets in. These tools of scoping the warrant for the “read” are extremely beneficial.
I also resonated with your thoughts on “sympathetically representing the views of others.” Paul and Elder’s essential intellectual traits seem to resemble Godly virtues on so many levels. Embodying these virtues would radically change the divisive tone of our society.
Proverbs 11:2 comes to mind – “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (NIV)
Adding on to this string of thought… it seems that we have all been battling the drive to read every word to get that “nugget.” Overcoming boredom and the realities of time scarcity. But I think I also have been battling with a subconscious belief that there is something moral about finishing that book. Am I the only one? I have a pile of books by my bed that, honestly, I will probably never finish, but I keep them because I feel I SHOULD finish them. And I do not think this compulsion is from wanting to extract every last nugget, as Kim describes, but from something else. Maybe waste-fullness? Anyone else identify with that?
Kim,
Your thinking and writing are so clear. I resonate with how you anticipate growth in all these new skills we are learning. I am also appreciating the freedom which comes from reading a book inspectionally. I do that when picking out a new book to purchase but have been a slave to reading every last page as student. My eyes are paying the price! Considering the multi-disciplinary research work ahead of you, what key features of a book help you choose to read it?
Good question, Jenny. Honestly I’ve had trouble finding academic resources that are directly relevant to my topic. There’s a lot out there about emotional intelligence for example, but not necessarily connected to parenting. Or if there’s research on parenting, it’s not studying Christian families specifically. So at this point, I would snatch up any resource I see that makes links between these ideas.
Kim, you said that perfection was not the goal. How will you apply that thinking to the way in which you feel like you need to become an expert in four or five disciplines in a short amount of time? I’ve had a tendency to want to know everything about a particular subject. I’ve also had a proclivity to attempt perfection in my endeavors since I was young (obviously that never happened – ha!). There is no way I am going to be able to know EVERYTHING about my NPO, nor am I going to be able to apply perfectionistic tendencies toward my reading and writing in this chapter of life and career. I appreciate Adler’s inspectional reading and the charge to not read every word of a book. I will be curious to learn what you conclude and what you choose to ignore or “forget” with your project. I wonder what will be “good enough.” I am asking myself the same question, even as I attempt to synthesize my thoughts and learnings in a way that will be helpful to those I serve. Synthesizing / organizing different parts into a coherent essay every week will be a good training ground.
I align with your thoughts, especially about the goal of reading and writing as somewhat a growth than perfection. Regarding your research in 4-5 different disciplines, in my opinion, it’s very challenging. It brings you to compare and analyze diverse texts and topics and then construct a new perspective as the research result. Not many people can do that, Kim. I think you are already in the fourth level of reading competence in the Adler category. If you make this your habit, you will improve your synoptical or comparative reading skills and experience growing proficiency in reading. I believe your research will become the spectacular one.