If the question today is, \u201cHow are my reading skills?\u201d 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\u2019d already read this book. Nevertheless, I continued reading to the end because I couldn\u2019t recall its main ideas or conclusions.<\/p>\n
That said, I\u2019ve already benefited from the shift toward reading better and reading smarter, as we\u2019ve been learning from Adler[1]<\/a>. The method of inspectional reading offers a certain freedom; I can\u2019t count the number of times in the past when I have slogged through a book to the end because there might <\/em>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.<\/p>\n Beyond simply reading and producing essays, I hope to grow in my capacity to reason well. I don\u2019t 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]<\/a>. I will have to pay particular attention to breadth and fairness. \u201cSympathetically representing the views of others\u201d does not come naturally[3]<\/a>. If I\u2019m honest, my own convictions and viewpoints often seem so evident to me that I have a hard time accepting the validity of others\u2019 perspectives.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s inspiring to imagine that insights from these seemingly disparate fields could come together. It motivates me to think well and reason with excellence.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Adler, Mortimer Jerome, and Van Doren, Charles. How to read a book<\/em>. (New York: \u00a0<\/em>Simon and Schuster, 2014)<\/p>\n