The Witches

I finish to read a book called "The Witches" by Roald Dahl. This story is about a boy and witches who has strange power. Tow mice, Bruno and main character, try to attack the Grand Witch who is head of the witches with poison made by the Grand Witch. Both mice steal the poison from her and put it in dishes for witches. When the witches eat the poison, they suddenly turn into the mice.

I used two strategy called "I predict what will happen next" and "I use dictionary when I have unknown words". These strategy encoursge me to read story. One make me feel insterest to imaginate about what will happen in the story. For example, the main character try to attack the Grand Witch by poison she created, because she use it to him to turn into mouse. The other strategy helps me to read story more deeply. I used it when I do not understand meaning of the word "saucer". After i use this atrategy I can understand it means "dish".

The Witches

I read a book called "The Witches" by Roald Dahl. This story is about a boy and witches who has strange power. One day in the hotel, the boy meets a fat boy named bruno. A main character sees that Bruno is changed into mouse by the Grate Witch who is the head of witches when Bruno enters the meeting room there are many witches who hate children. Then the main character is also changed into mouse by her.

I used two strategies called "I use a dictionary to help me understand what I read" and "I use pictures, drawings, tables, and maps in the text to help me understand better what I am reading". Both strategies are very helpful for me to read the story clearly. TI used "I use a dictionary to help me understand what I read" when I find unknown words. For example, I did not know the word "devour", but I got it means "to eat some thing very quickly". I also used "I use pictures, drawings, tables, and maps in the text to help me understand better what I am reading" when I could not understand what happen in the story, such as when I read the parts which tells Bruno is changed into mouse by the witch.

I pridect the main character and Bruno will try to counterattack to the witches and kill the all of witchese who attend the meeting.

The Enchant Garden

We discussed the setting of the story called "The Enchant Garden". We talked about location of story and we solve it is in Italy because there are some words which sounds like italy such as "villa". Also I think if the charactors are Japanese, they will go into garden. There are two types of japanese, one is the person who is curious to do everything, and the other one is person who act by the rule. Most of cases, one says "lets do it!"and the others follow him/her.

Garden

All the Years of Her Life

I read a short story called "All the Years of Her Life" written by Morley Callaghan. This story is about the unruly boy felt regret of his bad behaviors toward his mother. One night, young Alfred Higgins shoplifted a compact, a lipstick, and two tubes of toothpaste from Mr. Carr's druckstore. Mr. Carr called Alfred's mother and he expected she is confused. However, she was very calm, quiet, and  friendly. After Mr. Carr talked with her, Alfred could go back home without go to jail. Later, when he tried to tell his mother how he was great, he saw his mother's hand was shaking and her lips moved nervously. He noticed for the first time that his mother looked very old and he wanted to cry. 

I used three strategies called "When text becomes difficult, I pay closer attention to what I am reading", "I try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read", and "When I read, I think about ideas and information in both English and my native language". 

I used this strategy, "When text becomes difficult, I pay closer attention to what I am reading", because I confused the sentence of the last paragraph, "The picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth coming to an end." I could understand the meaning of the sentences through this strategy. It means that Alfred realizes he gets older and becomes an adult.

I used this strategy,"I try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read", because I always forget what I have read. Using this strategy helped me to remember and understand what happen in the story. I draw the picture in my mind about Mrs. Alfred's mother come drug store with calm. I draw it because this mother's characteristic changes this story. From doing this strategy, I can still remember how his mother looked like.

I used this strategy, "When I read, I think about ideas and information in both English and my native language", because I think it is easier to understand the ideas in Japanese. I could understand deeply by using this strategy. Before I used this strategy, I can not get what the sentences mean, but I understand these sentences tells us how Alfred's mother looks different from the mother he saw in drug store.

I predict Alfred would never make crime anymore because he felt sorry for his mother.

The Witches

I read a book called "The Witches" by Roald Dahl. This story is about a boy and strange young woman who has strange power.  One day, the boy, main character, and his grandmother had a trip. Then the boy meet the young woman who hate child again. He saw a meeting for witches around the world. Then he saw that the young woman chang to her body to old woman and he notice the witch can chang her body to whatever she want to be.

I use two strategies called "I take notes while reading to help me understand what I read"and"I read slowly and carefully to make sure I understand what I am reading". Both strategies help me to understand very deeply. The "I take notes while reading to help me understand what I read" helps me to remind what happen in story. The "I read slowly and carefully to make sure I understand what I am reading" helps me to understand what is happen right now in the story.

I pridict that the witch will kill him because the boy saw the meeting for witches. 

The Witches

I start to read new book called "The Witches" by Roald Dahl. This book is about a boy and strange woman who has strange power. The boy heard three strange and scared rumors, which are that children were killed by someone, from his grandmother. One day, the boy met a strange woman and she took snake from her bag and try to kill him. 

I used strategy called "I stop from time to time to think about what I am reading". I use this stategy because this is first time to read this book and I want to understand deeply what happen in the story. Also I used strategy called "I try to guess or make a pridiction what the text is about before I read book". I pridicted that there are a lot of witches and someday these witches have meeting. This strategy encourage me to read the book soon because I had curious to read the book when I image what will happen in the story. 

I pridict the boy remid the three rumors. And he will think the woman killed these children in the rumors. Then he will cry for help. 

Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

One day in Jamaica, there are a mother and her daughter and the mother teachs her daughter what her daughter should do. I quite do not like this passage because it is annoying!! There were a lot of sentences that talking about same things in tone of command. If my mother says to me like a person in this passage, I will run away from my house. By the way, I think if her daughter follows what her mother says, the daughter will be successful lady in the future. I pridect that this daugther will have a rich husband if she becomes like what her mother says. If you are the daughter, do you want to follow what her mother says for your good future?

I Had A Hero

Have you ever had your hero who has special power? The "I Had A Hero" was written by Mike Tidwell. This story is about two man dig their pond for fish. One day, Mike and Ilunga decided to dig pond for fish. Actually, they have only shovel for digging the pond and it was very hard for them to dig with only shovel. Ilunga tried to make pond which twice big as Mike make. After digging pond, Mike thought that Ilunga is one of the his hero.

I used two strategies called "I drow picture on the paper what i just read to help me remember what I read", and "I underline or circle information or ideas in the text to help remember". The first one helps me to remember what I read and to understand easily. The second one also helps me to remember the story well, because I can go back to read again when I confuse what I read. 

I pridict that they will dig other pond again. Mike will work harder than last time because he want to be a man like hero, Ilunga.

This Isn't About the Money

I finish to read the book called "This Isn't About the Money" by Sally Warner. This book is about the two sisters, Janey and Yoyo, and their family. One day, their family had a big car accident and they lost thier parents. After the accident, their grand father and aunt decide to take care them and they would be their new family. Few days later, aunt talked to Janey and Yoyo  about their parent, and then Janey and Yoyo decided to live  with keeping their parent's spirit. 

I used strategy called "I use dictionary to help me understand what I read". This is the first time to use it because I always guess the meaning of unknown words. I think this strategy is helpful for me because I can get correct information when I use this strategy. Sometimes, I cannot get what story tells about when I guess the meaning of unknown words. 

I also use strategy called "I read slowly and carefully to make sure I understand what I am reading" because I sometimes get confuse while read story. It helps me to understand story more deeply and I can read smoothly next sentence.

I predict that both Janey and Yoyo help each other to spend their left life. 

The Wisdom of Toads

"If you were in the prison, what would you do to spend your fun time?" The story called "The Wisdom of Toads" was writen by Puerto del Sol. This book is about a man who spent his life in the Arizona prison. He has three daughters called Jessica, kasondra, Melissa and he taught them to catch toads for fun. The reason of why he was in prison is because he ran away with his 14 years old student and he had sex with her who was under 16 years old. 

I used two strategies called "I use dictionary to help me understand what I read" and "I take notes while reading to help me understand what I read". These two strategies were helpful for me to understand story when I could understand unknown words. The second one help me to remember what story telled me when I finish to read the story. 

I pridict about the next is that the man lick toads more than before and his brain will be damaged by milk of toads. He will do something bad with unconsiously because he will not be able to control his mind. 

Questions to Guide Your Reading
Paragraph 3: What do you learn about the writer? What questions do you have about him?

I learn that the man was in Arizona prison where had toads. I want to ask why the man was in the prison when I read Pr.3

Paragraphs 6 & 7: What do the men do with the toads? Why?

The man lick toads becuase the toads have milk which makes people mind-numbing. It is  like drug. 

Paragraph 10: What have you learned bout the writer? Why does he teach his children about the toads?

I learnd the man has three daughters called Jessica, Kasondra, and Melissa. The reason of why he teach  them about toads is because he would be at most just a weekend presence in their lives 

Paragraph 11: What kind of teacher is he? What kind of father would you say he is?

He was a teacher who teach games for fun. I would say he is the one of nice father because he makes his children feeling happy to play with them. 

Paragraph 14: What did he do that was wrong? Do you think he is sorry? What questions do you have about him?

He ran away his student and she became his wife even only 14years old. I want to ask  why they ran away?

Paragraph 15: Do you think he has been punished enough? How do you feel about him?

I think he has been punished enough, because he spent eight years in prison. I feel sorry about him because he is allowed to go back home once but he have to go back prison again. 

This Isn't About the Money

I still read the book called "This Isn't About the Money" as a independ reading. The book is about an American sisters who lost their parents. 

After the great aunt's story, borth Janey and Yoyo knew the fact that their parents loved them so much before they died. Then Yoyo and Janey started to weep because the story reimded their memory about their parents. At night, Janey's memory let to her have a dream about her parents. Janey was learned that elder sister has to take care young sister insted of parents. From then, she decided to be a person who has responsibilty to take care her sister, Yoyo.

The story reminds me about my memory that I had dream about my grandfather. My grandfather died 2 years ago and i came back Japan for his funeral. After his funeral, I had the dream which showed that I played with grandfather in his house. I think I could see the dream because playing with him was special for me and it impacted in my memory. 

Reading for the Theme

"Have you ever heard any rumours which make you afraid?" The story "The Summer the Sun Did Not Blow Up" was written by Birnati Lakhan. This story is about the children who afraid of the rumour, showers of sun and glowing splinter would fall during Christmas holidays, that spread among them. The children talked how to escape from it and finally their parents figured it out that the thing that their children afraid was just a rumour. The rumour was getting more serious when the story went from mouth and mouth the time changed from "millions of ears" to "next month". I leaned that the rumour will be changed if it pass mouth to mouth many time.

I used three reading strategies called "Before I read, I look over the text to see things like pictures, charts, maps, how long it is and how it is organized.", "I read slowly and carefully to make sure I understand what I am reading.", and "I underline or circle information or ideas in the text to help me remember it." I used these three strategies and knew the theme of this story. For example, "The rumour was getting out of hand","The story went from mouth and mouth the time changed from "millions of ears" to "next month"." I agree that rumour can be changed easily and it makes people scared, so we have to be careful to talk something to the others. It's easy to fool people, especially children.

I like to use these three strategies especially "I read slowly and carefully to make sure I understand what I am reading." let me to be able to have deeper understanding of the story. "I underline or circle information or ideas in the text to help me remember it." did not work well for me because I underlined most of the passages. I want to still use "I read slowly and carefully to make sure I understand what I am reading." because it will help me to understand the story more deeply.

Theme of the book I read

I think "This isn't about the Money" want to tell me that the unexpected events and happening will change your life. 

According to chapter 2,  the story shows the both main charactors, Janey and Yoyo, get new parents because they lost their parents by big car accident. It tells me that the car accident will change totaly their lives. 

 Therefor I think the "This isn't about the Money" tells me that unexpect events will change your life. 

This Isn't About the Money

I continue to read the book called "This Isn't About the Money" by Sally Warner. This book is about the two American girls, Janey and Yoyo.

FinallyJaney could discharge from hospital. One day, their new family was jacked around by Yoyo. Yoyo could not forget about old family and she always talked aunt and grand father about her old family. The aunt decided to talk about Janey and Yoyo's family to them.

It reminds me about my memory about my friend's story. When I was 12 years old, I have a friend who do not have his father. He said that his father dead when he was 5 years old by car accident. So, he did not know much about his father. Then I felt sorry to him about his family.

The Lady or the Tiger

Today, I read the story called "The Lady or the Tiger" by Frank Stockton. One day, a King accused  his daughter's lover and the king put him into the prison.  The man have to choose one of the two door in an arena for his trial. One of the doors has hungry tiger and the other one has beautiful woman who he has to marry.  The princess knew which door has tiger or woman, so she will tell him which door he should open. On the Trial day, she give him signal to open right door. 

I think the princess decided to lead him to open the door which has the tiger because if she choose the opposite one, she will regret forever to see him get marry with the woman who she hated.

I used the strategy called "I try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read" while I was reading it. When I finished reading the story, I still can remember the whole story. I think this strategy is very good for me because I can remember step by step very cleary as I was one of the characters in the story. 

This Isn't About the Money

I continue to read the book called "This Isn't About the Money" by Sally Warner. This book is about the two American girls, Janey and Yoyo.

 After the car crash, Janey waked up in the hospital. Her face was completely bandaged by last car acciedent which claimed Yoyo and Janey's parents from Janey.  Some time later, Yoyo, their grandfather, and their aunt came to visite in hospital. Then, Janey learnd that both grandfather and aunt would be ney family member. I think the auter makes me some imagenation from the sentence. For example, "Her face was completely bandaged, except for her eyes, and under a blue cotten blanket, something was squeezing each of her legs with rhythmic wheezes." makes me imagenation that she injured terribly when she had the car crash. 

This book reminds me about my memory.  When I was six years old, my mother had sister's birth. My parents let me to stay grand parents' house because both father and mother do not have enough time to take care me.  I spent a mounth with them  in their house and we could know deeply about each other. 

Iphone Girl

Today I read about "Iphone Girl" on the website. It shows that there is a picture which shows  a chinese woman and iphone spread to the world throgh internet. The picture was taken in her company during she work to creat and check her business product (iphone) as testing. At last sentence, the news said "The woman was not fired". 

I was wondered why the news said "The woman was not fired". I used a one of the strategies called "Influencial Thinking". I use this strategy to guess why news said that. I remember about my father's talking. He said "The company have to seacret about own business, because if some companies know how to make product, they might make same product. " so, it lead her to be fired. However she had already well knowen in the world. Thereby, the woman can escape from her fired. This strategy lead what was happen in the story or event when I read books or news. 

I think this problem gave people, who bought iphone, a schock. As you know, the cost of iphone is very expensive about 30,000baht. If I was a customer who want to buy it, I would not buy it even if I want it because I know that iphone was made in China where company can make their product cheaply. I leand how important to keep seacret about business.

The Telphone

Using reading strategies to read excerpts of "The Telephone" by A.F Anciman

I used two strategies of Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS), when I read the "The Telephone". One is "I stop from time to time to think about what I am reading", the other one is "I read slowly and carefully to make sure i understand what I am reading". The reason of why I used these two strategies because I do not care about these before when I read books. After I read the story, I think I could deeply understand what story tells us.

The "I stop from time to time to think about what I am reading" is helpful for me to know what is happen in the story. It gave me some imaginations from sentences. For example, "That was the year of the whirlwind during which fish and oranges fell from the sky" (P2) gives me image that tornado which passed sea and land comes one place which auteur talks. It gives me and lead me to image what is going on the story.

The "I read slowly and carefully to make sure I understand what I am reading" is also helpful for me when I can not get what the sentence tells me about. I tried to reread slowly the sentence which I can not get what story tells me, when i can not understand the sentence. I think if I do not do this strategy and keep going to read next sentence when I can not get what the sentence tells about, I might get confuse and I probably can not understand whole story.

Both "I stop from time to time to think about what I am reading" and "I read slowly and carefully to make sure I understand what I am reading" are very helpful for me when I read stories. I want to still use these strategies when I read books.

This Isn't About the Money

I start to read a book called "This Isn't About the Money" by Sally Warner. The story is about two grils called Janey and Yoyo, and Janey is Yoyo's elder sister.

One day, the Janey's family have a accident that car which they ride flipped over in desert. Fortunately, Janey and Yoyo can escape from the car but the car burn with Janey's parents. Thereby Janey and Yoyo lost thier parents then. I feel very sorry when i read this book because both Janey and Yoyo lost thier parents when they are young. I can not image if i lost my parents when I was young, because parents always support me when I need some help. Also I think the main character is very gritty girl because she does not cry even her parents are gone.

It reminds me about my memory. When I went to old school in Japan, I saw big car crash. It made me very scary because one of drivers bleed heavily. I and my friends tried to help the guy who injured but we could not help him because we did not have much skills to help him. A little while later, our school teacher help him and he could escape death. It is my worst accident which I saw.