Remembering what you read!

[~Palomino~]

We are reading this book in school, and I think its name is Devils Arithmatic(or somthing like that) and sometimes we read along with a tape, and sometimes we are saposed to read on our own(usually on the weekends) Well, I have a HUGE problem with remembering what I read, The only time I can remember what I read, is when I read about what I love, ''horses''. I wouldnt care if I couldnt remember, but she TESTS us on what we read, and I am like ''I dont know''. I could read the book a MILLION times, ans STILL I wouldnt remember what I read, I am just going to hope and pray that I can get some points! Its VERY important to get good grades in this class, cause the teacher maybe puts 15 or 16 Assignemts in for the trimester, so if you get one or two REALLY bad grades, it Drops you!!

I actually have a ''D'' in her class (and thats the lowest I have EVER had during a trimester for FOUR years) I missed the first test she did on the book, so I will have to take it again, but I looked at the kid's paper who sits next to me, to see what they were and seen the questions, so I know what to study for to take that test, but we are most likley to have the second one THIS Monday!

This is the grades I have right now in her class! remember that I mostly have ''A'' in ever class, its because she dosent give us enough assignments(okay I really dont know how to spell that) and we just BARLEY past the one half way mark through this trimest (wich means we are ONE HALF way done through school, YEAHHHHH)

12/06/2005 DAILY WORK SSR12/6 10/10 100 A

12/08/2005 DOL QUIZZES DOL Quiz6 4/9 44.44 F

12/09/2005 DAILY WORK You Bag NHI/20 0 F(forgot it)

12/14/2005 DAILY WORK Reading Disclosure 20/20 100 A

12/14/2005 DAILY WORK SSR12/13 10/10 100 A

12/19/2005 DAILY WORK Daily Log 30/30 100 A

12/20/2005 DAILY WORK SSR12/20 10/10 100 A

12/22/2005 DOL QUIZZES DOLQuiz7 8/12 66.67 D

01/03/2006 DAILY WORK SSR1/3 10/10 100 A

01/09/2006 DAILY WORK Devil's Arithmetic Quiz1 NHI/30 0 F(Abbsent)

01/10/2006 DAILY WORK SSR1/10 10/10 100 A

the ''you bag'' we were saposed to bring in a sack a few things that represent our selfs, YAH, like I am going to remember that, or I have the extra hand to take a silly little bag to school, and then to SHOVE it in my locker, and half it fall out evertime I open my locker! SHEESE! and She WONT let us bring that in again! Oh well!

The DOL Quizes are Stupid, you miss maybe 4 little things that I know I know, and I get an ''F'' on it! About everyone had a D in our class too, whats funny is we all have A's in Science and Math and History, but we have a D in a class where all we do is read, and learn our to learn proper lauguage ect.

I now have a D with 65%

Last trimest I had and A- With 93%

Gage

 

[KrisP]

I do very well with reading and remembering no matter what it is I'm working on (except algebra!). Now my husband on the other hand will not remember anything if he doesn't have an interest in it, it just confuses him. I've NEVER seen him read a novel in all the years we've been together but give him a tractor manual and you'll lose him in it for hours.

What is the subject matter of the book? Is there something you can associate it with that you do have an interest in?

And the one thing that does NOT work for me is algebra, I've tried and tried and tried but to me numbers and letters they just don't go together, they don't add up to anything and they don't spell anything

:

krisp

 

[mininik]

Do a quick search Online for memorization tips. For starters, remove the word "can't" from your vocabulary. I had the same problem as you when I was in school not wanting to learn about or remember anything not relating to horses or animals in general. It's not easy or fun but what you are trying to learn is still important and yes, you CAN do it.

:

 

[Ashley]

Believe it or not that is considered a learning disabilty.

 

[mininik]

I don't understand what the point is in labeling someone's ability to remember something that isn't of interest to them a disability? Ray Charles went blind as a child. That is without a doubt a disability but he didn't let it him stop him from becoming an amazing musician. I once saw a picture of a girl without most of her LIMBS riding her Arabian Horse. Disease can be a disability, too, and I just finished reading about a woman who set sail across the world with her family after being diagnosed with malignant melanoma. They weren't sailors but wanted to see it all with eachother before it was too late and she did die upon their return 34 countries and four years later. Disabilities are what you make them. Unfortunately, in this country it seems that it's become the norm to sit back and let them stop you...

 

[Ashley]

Sometimes, you should really think before you speak. Starting to get the impression your perfect and think your everything..........

I ment nothing bad by it, nor was I saying anything you said. Just simply saying that is a learning disability, they take more work to at least work at a normal level.

 

[runamuk]

I do very well with reading and remembering no matter what it is I'm working on (except algebra!). Now my husband on the other hand will not remember anything if he doesn't have an interest in it, it just confuses him. I've NEVER seen him read a novel in all the years we've been together but give him a tractor manual and you'll lose him in it for hours.

What is the subject matter of the book? Is there something you can associate it with that you do have an interest in?

And the one thing that does NOT work for me is algebra, I've tried and tried and tried but to me numbers and letters they just don't go together, they don't add up to anything and they don't spell anything

:

krisp

Are you positive we weren't seperated at birth? :bgrin

My husband and my one son have the same problem...my son has learned techniques that help him immensely....he has had to work really hard at reading comprehension........you need some help...there are plenty of techniques that your teachers, counsellors can employ to help you.

 

[Marty]

You most likely have a learning disorder. Your school can test you for this. Please consult your guidance counsellor about it right away.

You are having trouble with focusing in on the subject and staying with it.

I have ADD

My son has ADHD

Neither of us can focus in on somethings very well on "demand" and like you, we have trouble comprehending what we read, until we read it over and over again a few times. I've trained myself over the years how to focus and do it and be able to "get it" after a couple of times.

I believe the name of the book you are reading is "Devil's Advocate"

PS: the reason you can comprehend when you read about horses is because that is what you like and what you can easily relate to, and what can hold your attention.

 

[CAM]

Gage, maybe you are a visual person. I'm a visual person. If I read and don't visualize in my mind a picture of what I am reading then it goes in one ear and out the other. A classic example was when I took Anatomy and Physiology of the head and neck in Dental Hygiene school. The teacher that taught the class was a PhD and actually wrote the book AND drew the illustrations for the book. I should have known that was trouble.

Well, we had a midterm scheduled for Tuesday and it was late Saturday night. There was one midterm and one final in the class so for the midterm she wanted you to learn the first half of her book and the final was over the entire book. I had exactly 2 1/2 days to learn the pathways of all the nerves and what they innervated as well as all the blood vessels in the head and neck. Oh yeah, and I had to learn every hole in the skull and what nerve and blood vessel went through it. Our lab required us to go from station to station looking at arrows on a skull and answering questions related to this with a 1 minute time restriction before we moved to the next station. The written test was all essay; absolutely no multiple choice. You had to know your stuff.

By Saturday night I knew I would fail the test. I sat down and wrote out on paper every Cranial Nerve, what pathway it took through the skull and what it innervated as well as the pathway of every blood vessel related to the head and neck. I had a skull model to study with and had to visualize the entire thing on paper, on the skull and form a photo in my head of all this nonsense. Well, by Tuesday I had crammed all this junk into my head and aced the test. It was ONLY because I had a visual photograph in my head of everything, otherwise it was all a bunch of words and numbers that meant nothing. I never would have made it through school without visually memorizing everything. I had friends that would call me on the phone and ask me something about our notes from class on the syllabus and I would say, "Oh yeah, that is on page 7 on the top left hand side of the page".

I wonder if you have to visualize a picture of what you are reading in your head to make it stick. If I don't have a visual memory of doing something then I can't remember if I did it. I don't know if that is a hinderance or an asset because if I forget to commit it to my memory with a picture, it doesn't stick. Period!

Good luck!

 

[~Palomino~]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for responding,

It could be a learning disability, but I really think it is just BORING, and it just dosent catch my atention, and that is why I am not remembering it, I really have a hard time understanding it when one thing jumps to another in this book, thats the bigest thing that confuses me! I just think I need to just sit down, and focus on the book and read slowley, and I should be able to remember a little bit!

It is called Devils Arithmatic, and it is about the hollicost! And its about a story where some girl living in our day and age switches back to then, and she knows its going to happen, so she is trying to get everyone to beleive her, her name in this day in age was Hannah, and then she switched the Chaya, and it still calls her Hannah somtimes, its just all confusing, and defenetly not that intresting, now if it was true, It would be a whole diferent story, cause I am Jewish myself! there are about a thousand(I swere, (exagerating)charechters in the book and I dont know half of them!!

Math, oh goodness gracious, I HATE math LOL, but that comes pretty easy to me, if someone will just sit down with me, and EXPLAIN it, I cant just look at how to do a math problem, and do it, I have to have someone explain it to me! i am in Algebra one right now, and I am with your Krispy, letters just SHOULDNT be in math, when in the WORLD our we going to need to know this? Almost all the adults I know, havent took Algebra one, my dad (who is a superintendant)cant do some of the stuff I have to do!! oh well, I will just keep fighting through till I get to it!! Luckly, I dont think we will be reading to many books, so I will just do my best, and I know I can get that grade at least up to a B!!

Thanks again! I will let you know if I improve!! I am sure going to try~!

Gage

 

[KrisP]

Ok first, some DO use algebra :bgrin My brothers amazing math brain has done wonders for him, he co owns a corporation that designs and installs radio antennas all over the world and uses more advanced math daily than I learned in all my years of schooling so yes, many do use it :bgrin It didn't help that he's 10 years older than I am and he attempted to tutor me but I'm the rebellious kid in the family

:

Second the holocaust is very interesting and very important, we must never forget it, find a way to tie it in to other things you know about the holocaust.

Third, I HATE labels but they do call this a form of ADD, I spent a long time trying to figure out ways to help hubby. One day I saw an interview with Henry Winkler and he has exactly the same problem and handled it just like CAM, you have to find a way to visualize things. Now with hubby when I need something done rather than just tell him and frustrate both of us I try to visually show him, it works much better. My poor hubby spent almost all of second grade stuck in a reading karell because watching the road crew working in front of the school, watching how things worked was MUCH more interesting to him. I'm sure this is where his love for large equipment came from, he can fix anything from a tractor to a locomotive usually just by looking at it.

krisp

 

[CAM]

This book was made into a tv movie on Showtime but appears you can also buy the movie or rent it from Blockbuster Video. You should see if your local video store has it to rent. It might help you to see the movie and understand the book. Just a thought spoken from a visual person here.

: This is the link to purchase the video: Devils Arithmatic Video or through Amazon.com at: Devils Arithmatic

Again...Good luck!

 

[~Palomino~]

Ok first, some DO use algebra :bgrin My brothers amazing math brain has done wonders for him, he co owns a corporation that designs and installs radio antennas all over the world and uses more advanced math daily than I learned in all my years of schooling so yes, many do use it :bgrin It didn't help that he's 10 years older than I am and he attempted to tutor me but I'm the rebellious kid in the family

:

Second the holocaust is very interesting and very important, we must never forget it, find a way to tie it in to other things you know about the holocaust.

Third, I HATE labels but they do call this a form of ADD, I spent a long time trying to figure out ways to help hubby. One day I saw an interview with Henry Winkler and he has exactly the same problem and handled it just like CAM, you have to find a way to visualize things. Now with hubby when I need something done rather than just tell him and frustrate both of us I try to visually show him, it works much better. My poor hubby spent almost all of second grade stuck in a reading karell because watching the road crew working in front of the school, watching how things worked was MUCH more interesting to him. I'm sure this is where his love for large equipment came from, he can fix anything from a tractor to a locomotive usually just by looking at it.

krisp

yes, thats true, but for the things I want to do, wont need it, I know I WILL need it to go through schooling if I want to be a vet, but what does math have to do with giving shots? Okay, I gues you would need to know math, but its still crazy LOL!

Yes, the hollicost is VERY important, and my great grandpa could have been in it, but he lived in America thank goodness, BUT we could have had relitives in it! BUT this story in Fiction, I dont really like made up story's, when I READ, I want to learn somthing from it, for me, its just a waste of time!

Yes, I am like you alot CAM!

But I will finish typing tomarrow, got school in the mornin! OHHHH I still need to read three more chapters of that book and its almost 11:00 whoops LOL!

Thanks for showing me that vidio, I might just be looking for it!!

Gage

 

[Jenn]

Everyone learns differently. For myself, my reading comprehension has always been off the charts (I apologize for being one of those obnoxiously smart people who never has to study).

However, there are people who learn by reading, some by hearing, and some by writing. Obviously, reading and hearing the book aren't working for you, so try taking notes about the book as you read it. You might remember the story better if you are writing it down in short version in your own words.

I do sympathize with you, though. I have always HATED Shakespeare and can't understand a darned thing he's trying to say. So in high school, for our Shakespeare assignments, I would rent the movie version if available and watch it, THEN read the book. It made a lot more sense that way!

 

[KrisP]

Oh you'll need math! Conversions, dosages, etc, etc. You'll use math daily :bgrin And I'm sure you'll do well with it.

I have a friend that both she and her husband have whole branches of their family that were lost during the holocaust, not a single member that was imprisoned survived. It's a horrible time in the history of the world.

But I've got to tell you that being such an avid reader now you've peaked my interest and I'll have to look for the book the next time I go to the library. I loved clases such as science fiction, short fiction, mythology, etc. I'm an avid reader and never without at least one book open around the house.

krisp

 

[justaboutgeese]

Guess I am in the old school. Doing basic math, algebra and geometry along with reading comprehension can be equated with trying to teach a horse dressage movements before teaching him what a bit in his mouth feels like. Without the basics a higher education is virtually impossible to attain. It was once said that we live life backwards. Its to bad we cannot appreciate whats infront of us when we are young enough to alter its path.

 

[KrisP]

Guess I am in the old school. Doing basic math, algebra and geometry along with reading comprehension can be equated with trying to teach a horse dressage movements before teaching him what a bit in his mouth feels like. Without the basics a higher education is virtually impossible to attain. It was once said that we live life backwards. Its to bad we cannot appreciate whats infront of us when we are young enough to alter its path.

Oh I agree completely, I just honestly have a mental block to algebra, geometry and calculus, lordy knows they tried, I've even tried learning as an adult it just scrambles my mind, hubby can do any of them easily and uses them often in his machining work. Now I can do figures and fractions in my head without even trying but don't even think about throwing an x in there, I go numb. So I handle the checkbook and hubby handles the machinery and equiptment and we do just fine.

:

krisp

 

[Robin1]

I don't think its a learning disability at all. :no: I believe it is absolutely NORMAL to have difficulty retaining something you are reading that you have NO interest in.

: It would be a learning disability if you had trouble with things you are interested in.

Robin

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I too do not believe this is a learning disability- we are FAR too quick to label things nowadays, and let me tell you it is NOT normally so we can deal with them, especially in the Schools system, it is so we can categorise them and forget them. Oh he's Dyslexic- stick him in the "Special" class and forget him!!!

It would worry me far more that this particular Teacher is not doing her job- NOW theres a radical thought!!!

If half her class is not making the grades they make in other classes- well, for goodness sake how hard is it to change the book they are reading???????

Too often we label the child.

Too often it is just plain old fashioned bad teaching that is actually to blame.

 

[jdomep]

Gage - I totally understand the boredom of some books. I didn't learn to study until I got to college - got by fine in high school and was happy being an average student. Then college was a rude awakening - learn good habbits now LOL Try some little changes don't try to tackle reading for hours - take it in 15 minute intervals and then take quick notes on what you read (just words to help you remember what it was about) Also try reading outloud or taping it. I would tape myself reading then play it back while I was driving etc. Don't know if that will help but it is an option. Good luck you can do it.