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Introduction
Being In and Moving Through a text is the point in the envisionment-building
process where readers develop a deeper understanding, all the
while connecting human possibilities and experiences to make
meaning out of the text. Readers in this stance are utilizing
ideas, hunches, past experiences in reading, and life experiences
to build a hearty envisionment. Readers immerse themselves in
the text world, trying on multiple perspectives and posing "what
if" questions to examine all aspects of the story.
>This
is the stage in the reading experience when readers actually
live in the text, trying on characters and their interactions,
totally immersing themselves in the text's words and images.
When readers enter this close transaction with a text, they
often have more questions than answers. Not only is this expected
in the envisionment-building process, it is celebrated. By capitalizing
on the experiences and questions of many, each individual in
the classroom community creates a fuller, but somewhat unique,
vision of the text than what might have occurred without the
company of others in that journey.
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Some of the questions that readers consciously and subconsciously
ask themselves during this stance might include:
- What isn't being told? What would you still like to know?
- Who are these characters and are they like anyone I know?
- How do those people feel about their circumstances?
- How do I feel about…?
- What have I experienced in my own life that is similar
to this? Different from this?
- What if the character…?
- What if it happened this way?
- What other texts have I read that inform this one and
in what ways?
- How have the characters changed over time or across the
story?
- What motivated the characters' behaviors or what led them
to their actions?
- How would you describe the relationships of the characters
in the text?
- How would someone from a different culture or background
interpret the story?
- Do I like these characters? Does what they are doing make
sense? Would I have done the same thing in this situation?
- How is the plot developing?
- What are the characters like? Are they acting as I expected?
- How do the characters feel about and relate to each other?
How will this affect the story?
- How do I think the piece might end?
It is important to understand that Being In and Moving Through
is just one position readers take in relationship to a text.
Readers recursively draw upon all four stances in order to build
a rich understanding. If teachers are aware of what readers
do in this stance and others, it allows them to strategically
design instructional activities, so that students become effective
readers, intuitively asking these questions on their own.
For a complete guide to the workshop session activities, download
and print our support materials.
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