ChristinaCervantes

ProfessorJones
College1
11/23/14
CollegeReadingReflection
InmyfirstsemesterinCollege1,wehavereadabookcalledMadonnasofEcho
Park,byBrandoSkyhorse.Thisbookwassuchandamazingandwellwrittennovel.He
describeshowMexicanslivedintheUnitedStatesaftertheyimmigratedfromthere
country.WhilereadingthestorywehadtowriteRRJseverychapter.TheRRJshelped
myreadingskillsandhowtounderstandthebookbetter.Oneoftheassignmentsasked
ustoTalktotheTextandwritedowneverythingwesaidwhilereadingthejournal.We
wouldwriteourthoughtsabouttheeventshappeninginthestorywhileweread.It
helpedmebecause,itwouldletmethinkoutsidethestory.Also,thefeelingsIhad
towardstheeventsorthecharacters.Writingdiscussionquestionshelpedmerealizethe
meaningofthestory.Itwasquiteexcitingtotalktomyclassmatesaboutmythoughts.
WewouldlookupGoodWordsfromthebook,tohelpuswithourvocabulary.Since
wehavedonetheRRJsIhavedevelopedmorereadingskillsformyotherclasses.
HectorEsperanzamademethinkoutsidetheboxwhilereadinghisstoryin
Chapter1ofthebook.WhenIreadthathecheatedonhiswife,Felicia,andlefthis
daughterAurora,mademefeelangertowardsthecharacter.Becausewhatkindofman
wouldcheatontheirwifeandleavetheirchildwithoutanything.Thepersonhecheated
onwithFeliciawasawomannamedCristina.Shehadachildandhedidn'tcareabout

thatchildeither.Ididn'tlikethewayhetreatedhisfamily,nooneshouldeverhavetogo
throughthat.Angie,helpedmerealizethatnothingisforever,shemotivatedmeto
followmyheart.SincethenIhavedonewhatshethoughtwasrightnomatterwhat
peoplesay.IalsolikedhowDuchesswouldsayWhychaseabuswhenanotherones
rightaroundthecorner.(Skyhorse130)Eventhoughshedidn'tknowit,shewas
followingthatquotethewholetime.
Duringthispastsemester,readinghaschangedsinceenteringcollegebecause
allIknewhowtodoisannotateandhighlightmainideas.Ifoundnewstrategiessuch
asfindingGoldenWordsandlookthemupinthedictionarytounderstandthestory
better.TherewasonearticlethatwasdifficultformetoreadthatwascalledAfrican
AmericanStudentsPerceptionsofDifferentialTreatmentinLearningEnvironments:
ExaminingtheModeratingRoleofPeerSupport,ConnectiontoHeritage,and
DiscriminationEfficacy.SinceIdidn'tunderstandthearticle,Ihighlightedafewwords
thatweren'tfamiliartomeandlookedthemupInthedictionary.Thathelpedalot,
especiallywhenIhighlightedthemainideas.Ifeellikeanoutsiderwhenitcomesto
CollegereadingbecausesometimesIneedtoimproveonmyreadingskills.Ineedto
readalotmoresothatmyvocabularywillimprove.NowIwillbeabletoreadstories
fromthelibraryandlookupGoldenWords,writethemdownandtheredefinition.I

thinkthiswillhelpmewithmycollegereadingtechnique

anystrategies.

ThebeginningoffirstsemesterandhowIjustreadinsteadofusing


Theendofmyfirstsemester.Ifinallyendedupusingthereadingstrategiesand
makeiteasierformetounderstandthematerial.