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Something That's Always Really Bothered Me

zombieharlot

Some Kind of Strange
I have a really low reading comprehension and it makes me feel completely stupid at times. I'm at about tenth grade reading level and it bothers the hell out of me. It feels to me like I write and speak fairly well, but for some reason I have a hard time with understanding what I read. I'm very literate and can perform the action of reading well. But, again, the part where I falter is in the comprehension. What I always found funny is that, seemingly, I shouldn't even be able to understand my own writing.

I really don't know why I'm posting or saying any of this. I guess I just feel like b****ing about nothing. I don't know. Where's Kat? Isn't she an English major? Why can't I read as well as I can write?
 

Buttercup

Veteran Member
Are you not understanding particular words or the message in the reading material? Or a bit of both?
 

zombieharlot

Some Kind of Strange
Buttercup said:
Are you not understanding particular words or the message in the reading material? Or a bit of both?

Words? They have dictionaries for those things.:p I'm fine on vocabulary and such. It's mainly that the message doesn't quite get across to me. Do you know of any college level books off of the top of your head that I might recognize the name of?
 

Buttercup

Veteran Member
zombieharlot said:
Words? They have dictionaries for those things.:p I'm fine on vocabulary and such. It's mainly that the message doesn't quite get across to me.
Have you tried reading outloud to yourself? I imagine you reread certain parts until they make sense? All of us do this on occasion. I think another thing that's important to note is that people learn in different manners. Some people learn most effectively through hearing, some through doing it themselves and others learn better visually. Have you tried listening to novels or other written works? Many books come n tape.
Do you know of any college level books off of the top of your head that I might recognize the name of?
For what subject?
 

zombieharlot

Some Kind of Strange
Buttercup said:
Have you tried reading outloud to yourself? I imagine you reread certain parts until they make sense? All of us do this on occasion. I think another thing that's important to note is that people learn in different manners. Some people learn most effectively through hearing, some through doing it themselves and others learn better visually. Have you tried listening to novels or other written works? Many books come n tape.

Well, I do know that I'll read lyrics to a song sometimes and be like, "What the **** is he talking about?" And then I'll hear it and understand.

For what subject?

Doesn't matter. Just anything that's well known. Name a few.
 

Buttercup

Veteran Member
zombieharlot said:
Well, I do know that I'll read lyrics to a song sometimes and be like, "What the **** is he talking about?" And then I'll hear it and understand.
You could be an audible learner. There are tests you can take to determine that.

Doesn't matter. Just anything that's well known. Name a few.
I haven't been to college in years. I'm not sure why you're asking is what I mean. I read fictional novels, historical books, religious history, mysteries or true crime mostly.
 

zombieharlot

Some Kind of Strange
Buttercup said:
You could be an audible learner. There are tests you can take to determine that.

Like what?

I haven't been to college in years. I'm not sure why you're asking is what I mean. I read fictional novels, historical books, religious history, mysteries or true crime mostly.

Well, the last book that I read was The Scarlet Letter. Just want to make some kind of ridiculous comparison, I guess.
 

jacquie4000

Well-Known Member
My son has a hard time with this also. He is extremly intelligent has a very high IQ as a matter of fact. He reads out load alot. He has trouble in school with reading if there is any distractions. He feels he needs to be away from everyone else then he is o.k.
 

Booko

Deviled Hen
zombieharlot said:
Well, I do know that I'll read lyrics to a song sometimes and be like, "What the **** is he talking about?" And then I'll hear it and understand.
Maybe your learning style is just auditory, ZH.

Academics and things we regard as "intelligent" are set up for the majority of the population, which lean towards visual learning styles.

What this means is, someone with an auditory learning style will, yeah, feel kinda stupid. And they're not.

My brother is a verbal learner, and big time. He had a tough time in some classes at school. But I've seen him when he meets a person one time for a few minutes, and then TEN YEARS later, he meets them again, remembers their name, family name, hobbies, pets names, anything at all they talked about 10 years ago. It's amazing, but for some odd reason, we don't count that under our culture's defintion of "intelligent."

So, maybe there isn't anything wrong with you. Maybe it's just that you have to find ways to learn playing to your strengths?

In a more verbal culture I'd be a total idiot. I've tried listening to books on tape, and the moment a paragraph goes by, I can't even tell you what it just said.
 

Booko

Deviled Hen
Oh, it might be worth trying to find out if you have mild dyslexia too. If you had a serious case, it would be obvious, but a milder one might pass unnoticed.

Do you do any better with the lights turned lower? The glare off the page will mess up dyslexics.

My husband has very very mild dyslexia, and this works for him.
 

CDRaider

Well-Known Member
zombieharlot said:
I have a really low reading comprehension and it makes me feel completely stupid at times. I'm at about tenth grade reading level and it bothers the hell out of me. It feels to me like I write and speak fairly well, but for some reason I have a hard time with understanding what I read. I'm very literate and can perform the action of reading well. But, again, the part where I falter is in the comprehension. What I always found funny is that, seemingly, I shouldn't even be able to understand my own writing.

I really don't know why I'm posting or saying any of this. I guess I just feel like b****ing about nothing. I don't know. Where's Kat? Isn't she an English major? Why can't I read as well as I can write?

I am the same way, I just don't read quickly and I don't catch the deeper meaning behind things. Sighs... :hug: I'm there with you
 

CDRaider

Well-Known Member
zombieharlot said:
Well, I do know that I'll read lyrics to a song sometimes and be like, "What the **** is he talking about?" And then I'll hear it and understand.

OMGosh yes... I feel you there. I love an artist named Jack Johnson but his lyrics are so confusing to me.

I acutally have a job interview that requires I take a math and reading comprehension test.. I'm so scared!

I completely understand. *cheers* Heres to the smart people that look dumb on paper!!!
 

Terrywoodenpic

Oldest Heretic
I can learn skills just by watching.
I can learn from a book usually with a single read.
I am bad in lectures, I need to hear things a few times to take them in, and remember them.

Learning styles differ, luckily most of us learn our best way early, and make the most of it.

I am a very fast reader...and can recall details in books I read years ago ( I can not read a novel twice It all comes flooding back), but I am an equally bad speller.

I have an excellent memory for "things" and how to do things. but I can't remember "Names" of people but usually can remember their Job or what they do.

I am just thankful for the abilities I do have.
 

zombieharlot

Some Kind of Strange
Booko said:
Oh, it might be worth trying to find out if you have mild dyslexia too. If you had a serious case, it would be obvious, but a milder one might pass unnoticed.

Do you do any better with the lights turned lower? The glare off the page will mess up dyslexics.

My husband has very very mild dyslexia, and this works for him.

No, I don't think so. Like I said before, I can read perfectly fine and at a pretty fast pace too. It's more about taking in what I'm reading. I'll read something and have no idea what the hell it's talking about, but then someone will say, "It's about blah blah blah." And then I'll understand it perfectly fine. And wouldn't dyslexia have an effect on my writing abilities too?
 

standing_alone

Well-Known Member
Another thing that may be a problem is how fast you read over things. People seem to think it's awesome to be able to speed read, but speed reading isn't as good as people seem to like making it. It's best to read things slow and, preferably, more than one time. Another thing that helps me is highlighting and taking notes in the margin. Maybe that would help you, too.
 

Booko

Deviled Hen
zombieharlot said:
No, I don't think so. Like I said before, I can read perfectly fine and at a pretty fast pace too. It's more about taking in what I'm reading. I'll read something and have no idea what the hell it's talking about, but then someone will say, "It's about blah blah blah." And then I'll understand it perfectly fine.

Hm...do you mean you are more literarily-challenged when reading, then?

That I can certainly identify with. That's one of the reasons why I married my husband. He can read and write great literary works enough for both of us. :D

Maybe you're reading *too* fast? In some subjects, I had to train myself in college to stop every paragraph and try to explain to myself what I just read, or I'd just not get it.

I still do that with religious texts. ;)

And wouldn't dyslexia have an effect on my writing abilities too?

In really mild forms, no.
 

zombieharlot

Some Kind of Strange
CDRaider said:
OMGosh yes... I feel you there. I love an artist named Jack Johnson but his lyrics are so confusing to me.

I acutally have a job interview that requires I take a math and reading comprehension test.. I'm so scared!

I completely understand. *cheers* Heres to the smart people that look dumb on paper!!!

The funny thing is that I always tested advanced in my writing skills and below basic in my reading skills. One year I even wrote an essay that scored higher than 99% (the highest percent available) of the kids my age in America. But on that same test, my reading comprehension was only better than 30% (I scored below basic). So, it seems to me like I have a hard time understanding anything that goes on outside of my own head.:shrug:
 

zombieharlot

Some Kind of Strange
Booko said:
Hm...do you mean you are more literarily-challenged when reading, then?

Yes, that is what I'm saying.

Maybe you're reading *too* fast? In some subjects, I had to train myself in college to stop every paragraph and try to explain to myself what I just read, or I'd just not get it.

I still do that with religious texts. ;)

Perhaps.

In really mild forms, no.

I'd rather not find out if it's dyslexia. Everyone I've ever known that has it tells me that it gets worse once they understand that they have it.
 

Gentoo

The Feisty Penguin
zombieharlot said:
I have a really low reading comprehension and it makes me feel completely stupid at times. I'm at about tenth grade reading level and it bothers the hell out of me. It feels to me like I write and speak fairly well, but for some reason I have a hard time with understanding what I read. I'm very literate and can perform the action of reading well. But, again, the part where I falter is in the comprehension. What I always found funny is that, seemingly, I shouldn't even be able to understand my own writing.

I really don't know why I'm posting or saying any of this. I guess I just feel like b****ing about nothing. I don't know. Where's Kat? Isn't she an English major? Why can't I read as well as I can write?

Maybe you and a friend (one who doesn't have the same problem) could read the same book, and when you're done, then you two can have a discussion on it. You can take it a chapter at a time if need be. Have your friend tell you what he thought first, and then see if you can formulate the same reasoning before you come up with your own.

That's how I'm getting over it :)
 

CDRaider

Well-Known Member
zombieharlot said:
I'd rather not find out if it's dyslexia. Everyone I've ever known that has it tells me that it gets worse once they understand that they have it.

I went to reading and speech therapy when I was little because I would confuse the words the and the word and.
 
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