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The Art of Slow Reading: Six Time-Honored Practices for Engagement
"Tom Newkirk's call to appreciate the value of slow reading is both timely and important, especially in an era where skimming and click-and-go reading have become the norm for our students. Newkirk reminds us that our deepest reading pleasures are often found when we slow down and pay close attention, and this book clearly demonstrates how slow reading deepens the thinking of both teachers and students. A must-read for anyone concerned about the state of reading-you will enjoy reading The Art of Slow Reading slowly." Kelly Gallagher , author of How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It "This beautiful and hugely important book overflows with advice and wisdom about reading-enjoying it, teaching it. Newkirk reminds us why words matter, that words on page or screen are not there just to be 'processed,' but to savor and enjoy, to help us think and see more clearly, to touch our hearts and help us touch the world." Mike Rose , author of Why School?: Reclaiming Education for All of Us
(Read ) "If someone were to ask me who to read, what to read, and how to read it, I would say, without hesitating, they should read Tom Newkirk, read The Art of Slow Reading , and read it slowly, again and again. He is to reading and teaching, literacy and learning what Michael Pollan is to food and eating. Tom Newkirk gives us permission to take our time when we read, to remember why we read, and to take from that reading not just the nutrients and knowledge but the pleasure we sought to cultivate in our students-and ourselves-in the past." Jim Burke , author of The English Teacher's Companion and What's the Big Idea? "This book challenges popular notions of reading-the idea that quick, extractive reading is the goal for students. I argue that traditional acts of 'slow reading'-memorization, performance, annotation, and elaboration-are essential for deep, pleasurable, thoughtful reading." Thomas Newkirk This important book rests on a simple but powerful belief-that good readers practice the art of paying attention. Building on memoir, research, and many examples of classroom practice, Thomas Newkirk , recuperates six time-honored practices of reading-performance, memorization, centering, problem-finding, reading like a writer, and elaboration-to help readers engage in thoughtful, attentive reading. The Art of Slow Reading provides preservice and inservice teachers with concrete practices that for millennia have promoted real depth in reading. It will show how these practices enhance the reading of a variety of texts, from Fantastic Mr. Fox to The Great Gatsby to letters from the IRS. Just as slow reading is essential for real comprehension, it is also clearly crucial to the deep pleasure we take in reading-for the way we savor texts-and for the power of reading to change us. Tom's Washington Post
(Read ) "If someone were to ask me who to read, what to read, and how to read it, I would say, without hesitating, they should read Tom Newkirk, read The Art of Slow Reading , and read it slowly, again and again. He is to reading and teaching, literacy and learning what Michael Pollan is to food and eating. Tom Newkirk gives us permission to take our time when we read, to remember why we read, and to take from that reading not just the nutrients and knowledge but the pleasure we sought to cultivate in our students-and ourselves-in the past." Jim Burke , author of The English Teacher's Companion and What's the Big Idea? "This book challenges popular notions of reading-the idea that quick, extractive reading is the goal for students. I argue that traditional acts of 'slow reading'-memorization, performance, annotation, and elaboration-are essential for deep, pleasurable, thoughtful reading." Thomas Newkirk This important book rests on a simple but powerful belief-that good readers practice the art of paying attention. Building on memoir, research, and many examples of classroom practice, Thomas Newkirk , recuperates six time-honored practices of reading-performance, memorization, centering, problem-finding, reading like a writer, and elaboration-to help readers engage in thoughtful, attentive reading. The Art of Slow Reading provides preservice and inservice teachers with concrete practices that for millennia have promoted real depth in reading. It will show how these practices enhance the reading of a variety of texts, from Fantastic Mr. Fox to The Great Gatsby to letters from the IRS. Just as slow reading is essential for real comprehension, it is also clearly crucial to the deep pleasure we take in reading-for the way we savor texts-and for the power of reading to change us. Tom's Washington Post
224 pages, Paperback
First published December 28, 2011
23 people are currently reading
571 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Newkirk
34 books17 followersThomas Newkirk is a teacher and author who worked for 39 years at the University of New Hampshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 23, 2022
Should be titled The Art of Attentive Reading. Imo. Because when I get interrupted or distracted, I'm certainly reading more slowly. But Newkirk despises distractions.
Now of course there are different kinds of distractions. Right now I'm distracted from actually reading the book, but I am thinking about it, interacting with it, "annotating," and "centering" (etc.) So that's a good thing, right?
I do know that my reviews help me get more out of a book, both more content and more appreciation for style, themes, etc. And they help me "memorize" in a sense. Especially when I come to GR and write comments whilst going along, as I am doing today.
This is an engaging book and no doubt useful for many, but I predict, p. 42, end of setup, end of chapter 2, that I won't be getting much out of the actual advice. Maybe reminders to do more consciously, more regularly, that which I already often do.
---
Done. Not sure atm what my overall impression is, or even how much of the detail I'll remember. But I do have beaucoup bookdarts. Thank goodness for voice-to-text, but even so, let's see how many I add here:
"To read slowly is to maintain an intimate relationship with the writer. If we are to respond to a writer, we must be responsible."
He despises DIBELS assessment and he convinced me that I do, too.
Some of his numerous digressions were interesting, at least to this graduate of teacher-training, because his job is to educate teachers. For example, he advises his students to "to be deliberate, to slow down and think through the kind of explicit instructions they might give, to think through front-loading activities that need to precede the work they want students to do. So my motto for them is ;The turtle always wins.' Always."
His "practices" are listed twice, but slightly differently.
"memorization, annotation, quotation, reflection, rereading, performance,"
vs. " performing, memorizing, centering, problem finding, reading like a writer, elaborating."
It would be beyond Fair Use for me to explain what he means by each, as this is the thrust of the book.
He points out that we all have proverbs and adages we know by heart and use regularly, and pass down to our children. I add that lots of us have little stories, like The Three Billy Goats Gruff, that we know well enough to tell without a book. He and I suggest: how's about memorizing some longer passages? It doesn't have to be the kind of epics that British schoolboys used to be assigned, or pieces from the Bible, but anything that we can call up at will. Pieces that will inspire or comfort us in times of difficulty, humorous pieces to give our children a giggle when they have the sniffles or have had a long day, Shakespearean insults to mutter while navigating rush hour traffic. A pieced I almost have memorized is Dust of Snow by Robert Frost.
So, yes, knowing a work well, and if possible memorizing some of it, is slow & attentive reading, and, I agree, valuable.
And of course reading aloud, especially poetry, is important, and helps one slow down and pay more attention. Some ppl use audiobooks to 'get through' more books while commuting or doing housework, and that's fine... but some benefit from listening carefully.
#An exercise I love:
Gary Lindberg,* in Only Connect: Uniting Reading And Writing, advises " four each character involved describe what the character could say or could do in the scene but chooses not to. Explain as clearly as you can why the characters behave as they do do you see any unspoken rules or habits or patterns that are guiding them?
#Inspired by Newkirk, I created this related strategy: consider what words, what syntax, what events, what setting, the author could have used but didn't. Will be especially helpful to in reading books that others love, or that are considered classics, but I'm not appreciating. Like possibly Le Guin. His suggestion was based on a practice called "wrecking the text" as developed by Rebecca Dawson, key step bing:
"Make the fresh writing dull, flatten the active verbs, make specifics general, turn interesting similes and metaphors into clichés, ... make the word choice less interesting...." Also a reader could "wreck" punctuation, for example using dashes in place of parentheses, to emphasize something the author chose to include as an aside.
When raising children, or doing an end of unit review pre-test discussion, or..., ask not "how was your day" or "any questions?" Instead take the advice of Peter Johnston, of Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning, and ask "What problem did you have?"
"When asked as a predictable question this implies that it is normal to encounter problems. Everybody does. This, in turn, makes it normal to talk about confronting and solving problems. It also helps students identify problems and view them as places to learn, and it sets up the possibility of asking, 'How did you solve that problem?' as an invitation to construct an agentive narrative."
The last two chapters before the epilogue are really more for language arts and for ppl who actually want to be better writers. But imo they're still worth reading. If I were writing seriously, I'd consider these three tips:
"Eliminate 10 words that are unnecessary. Find one sentence that can be improved and change it. Find five word choices that could be improved and write in the better choice."
Last (for now) but not least, I am now inspired, by an excerpt, to consider reading The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman and to consider more by the author, given his intriguing titles.
Bottom lines. Do I recommend this book? If what I have already overshared interests you, yes. What do I rate it? Well, I suppose it deserves four stars, given how many 'marks' I made, and given that I did get some advice that I've already started to implement.
*Not sure if that's the right Gary Lindberg.
Now of course there are different kinds of distractions. Right now I'm distracted from actually reading the book, but I am thinking about it, interacting with it, "annotating," and "centering" (etc.) So that's a good thing, right?
I do know that my reviews help me get more out of a book, both more content and more appreciation for style, themes, etc. And they help me "memorize" in a sense. Especially when I come to GR and write comments whilst going along, as I am doing today.
This is an engaging book and no doubt useful for many, but I predict, p. 42, end of setup, end of chapter 2, that I won't be getting much out of the actual advice. Maybe reminders to do more consciously, more regularly, that which I already often do.
---
Done. Not sure atm what my overall impression is, or even how much of the detail I'll remember. But I do have beaucoup bookdarts. Thank goodness for voice-to-text, but even so, let's see how many I add here:
"To read slowly is to maintain an intimate relationship with the writer. If we are to respond to a writer, we must be responsible."
He despises DIBELS assessment and he convinced me that I do, too.
Some of his numerous digressions were interesting, at least to this graduate of teacher-training, because his job is to educate teachers. For example, he advises his students to "to be deliberate, to slow down and think through the kind of explicit instructions they might give, to think through front-loading activities that need to precede the work they want students to do. So my motto for them is ;The turtle always wins.' Always."
His "practices" are listed twice, but slightly differently.
"memorization, annotation, quotation, reflection, rereading, performance,"
vs. " performing, memorizing, centering, problem finding, reading like a writer, elaborating."
It would be beyond Fair Use for me to explain what he means by each, as this is the thrust of the book.
He points out that we all have proverbs and adages we know by heart and use regularly, and pass down to our children. I add that lots of us have little stories, like The Three Billy Goats Gruff, that we know well enough to tell without a book. He and I suggest: how's about memorizing some longer passages? It doesn't have to be the kind of epics that British schoolboys used to be assigned, or pieces from the Bible, but anything that we can call up at will. Pieces that will inspire or comfort us in times of difficulty, humorous pieces to give our children a giggle when they have the sniffles or have had a long day, Shakespearean insults to mutter while navigating rush hour traffic. A pieced I almost have memorized is Dust of Snow by Robert Frost.
So, yes, knowing a work well, and if possible memorizing some of it, is slow & attentive reading, and, I agree, valuable.
And of course reading aloud, especially poetry, is important, and helps one slow down and pay more attention. Some ppl use audiobooks to 'get through' more books while commuting or doing housework, and that's fine... but some benefit from listening carefully.
#An exercise I love:
Gary Lindberg,* in Only Connect: Uniting Reading And Writing, advises " four each character involved describe what the character could say or could do in the scene but chooses not to. Explain as clearly as you can why the characters behave as they do do you see any unspoken rules or habits or patterns that are guiding them?
#Inspired by Newkirk, I created this related strategy: consider what words, what syntax, what events, what setting, the author could have used but didn't. Will be especially helpful to in reading books that others love, or that are considered classics, but I'm not appreciating. Like possibly Le Guin. His suggestion was based on a practice called "wrecking the text" as developed by Rebecca Dawson, key step bing:
"Make the fresh writing dull, flatten the active verbs, make specifics general, turn interesting similes and metaphors into clichés, ... make the word choice less interesting...." Also a reader could "wreck" punctuation, for example using dashes in place of parentheses, to emphasize something the author chose to include as an aside.
When raising children, or doing an end of unit review pre-test discussion, or..., ask not "how was your day" or "any questions?" Instead take the advice of Peter Johnston, of Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning, and ask "What problem did you have?"
"When asked as a predictable question this implies that it is normal to encounter problems. Everybody does. This, in turn, makes it normal to talk about confronting and solving problems. It also helps students identify problems and view them as places to learn, and it sets up the possibility of asking, 'How did you solve that problem?' as an invitation to construct an agentive narrative."
The last two chapters before the epilogue are really more for language arts and for ppl who actually want to be better writers. But imo they're still worth reading. If I were writing seriously, I'd consider these three tips:
"Eliminate 10 words that are unnecessary. Find one sentence that can be improved and change it. Find five word choices that could be improved and write in the better choice."
Last (for now) but not least, I am now inspired, by an excerpt, to consider reading The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman and to consider more by the author, given his intriguing titles.
Bottom lines. Do I recommend this book? If what I have already overshared interests you, yes. What do I rate it? Well, I suppose it deserves four stars, given how many 'marks' I made, and given that I did get some advice that I've already started to implement.
*Not sure if that's the right Gary Lindberg.
April 23, 2017
You might expect that this would be "Luddite-ish," but not really. In fact, toward the end of the book, Thomas Newkirk defends the younger generation and opines that dismissing the social changes brought about by all of their techno-treats is counterproductive.
Still, he adds, "As Deborah Brandt has wisely argued in her book Literacy in American Lives, the social change rarely involves the wholesale discarding of older skills; rather the process is additive. The student who creates a digital story must learn new skills involving the integration of music, narration, visuals; she must explore visual means of transition. But she also must tell a story, using detail, dialogue; she must create characters, conflict -- skills as old as storytelling itself."
Thus the need for old-fashioned skills. Newkirk divides these by chapter: Reading Goes Silent (Performing); Learning by Heart (Memorizing); Making a Mark (Centering); The Pleasures of Difficulty (Problem Finding); A Writer's Choice (Reading Like a Writer); and Opening a Text (Elaborating). Some of these chapters are stronger than others, especially if "strength" be judged through the addition of practical ideas for the classroom. That is, like his last book Holding On To Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones, this text tends more toward theory than practical ideas.
Also, the book is not strictly focused on reading, as Newkirk ventures over to the writing side of the aisle to make some of his points about reading (clearly, they're so intertwined that it's hard to fault him, but some people who expect a pure reading theory book could be disappointed by these jumps).
Two things I like about the book: It's richly documented and is not afraid to tap into some of Tom's favorite classic writers like Erasmus and Montaigne. Secondly, the voice is compelling and natural. You get a real sense of "person" talking to you in this book. Friendly, reasonable, intelligent. For readers who have run into more than one pedant in professional development books, it's a treat to spend 200 pages with this writer.
Still, he adds, "As Deborah Brandt has wisely argued in her book Literacy in American Lives, the social change rarely involves the wholesale discarding of older skills; rather the process is additive. The student who creates a digital story must learn new skills involving the integration of music, narration, visuals; she must explore visual means of transition. But she also must tell a story, using detail, dialogue; she must create characters, conflict -- skills as old as storytelling itself."
Thus the need for old-fashioned skills. Newkirk divides these by chapter: Reading Goes Silent (Performing); Learning by Heart (Memorizing); Making a Mark (Centering); The Pleasures of Difficulty (Problem Finding); A Writer's Choice (Reading Like a Writer); and Opening a Text (Elaborating). Some of these chapters are stronger than others, especially if "strength" be judged through the addition of practical ideas for the classroom. That is, like his last book Holding On To Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones, this text tends more toward theory than practical ideas.
Also, the book is not strictly focused on reading, as Newkirk ventures over to the writing side of the aisle to make some of his points about reading (clearly, they're so intertwined that it's hard to fault him, but some people who expect a pure reading theory book could be disappointed by these jumps).
Two things I like about the book: It's richly documented and is not afraid to tap into some of Tom's favorite classic writers like Erasmus and Montaigne. Secondly, the voice is compelling and natural. You get a real sense of "person" talking to you in this book. Friendly, reasonable, intelligent. For readers who have run into more than one pedant in professional development books, it's a treat to spend 200 pages with this writer.
November 27, 2011
The Art of Slow Reading by Thomas Newkirk contained, for me, one of these experiences we all have...when there is an idea skirting the edge of your consciousness, teasing you, staying just out of your reach. And suddenly there it is, in print! Dear God, what a relief! Someone put it into words. I fall a little in love with writers who can meet me at the edge of my thinking and take me a manageable distance along that same path. Tom Newkirk did this for me when he wrote about "the generative ways in which writers read... Fluency in writing, as in speech, comes from being responsive to what is happening. It involves a special conversational way of reading, of allowing writing to invite more writing--a process Don Murray called "listening to the text."...This was not reading to comprehend, but reading to create." (p.171) This is what I want for my students! I want them to be responsive in their reading, and then to put pencil to paper, be responsive in their writing, following the path of their own thinking. Listening to their own thinking. Questioning themselves. Asking, So what? What does it mean? What are the implications? What questions do I have? Where might I find the answers? How does that connect to what I already know and to what I'm beginning to know? What's next?!
I'm thrilled to have The Art of Slow Reading to help us along this path!
I'm thrilled to have The Art of Slow Reading to help us along this path!
April 29, 2013
This was a bit more about the pedagogy of reading than I was expecting, but I still found it a rewarding book.
My knowledge of the classics is truly dismal, so imagine how delighted I was to find that in the very first century CE Quintilian expressly addressed the issue of purple prose in m/m fanfics written by teen girls:
"Let that age be daring, invent much, and delight in what it invents, though it be often not sufficiently severe and correct. The remedy for exuberance is easy: barrenness is incurable by any labor. That temper in [young writers] will afford me little hope in which mental effort is prematurely restrained by judgment. I like what is produced to be extremely copious, profuse beyond the limits of propriety" (p. 175).
Nor did I realise that 15th century monks totally understood the feeling you get on reading How to Repair a Mechanical Heart for the very first time:
"Take a book into thine hands as Simeon the Just took the Child Jesus into his arms to carry him and kiss him. And thou hast finished reading, close the book and give thanks for every word . . ." (p. 40).
Newkirk may have even presuaded me to try reading poetry again.
3.5 stars, rounded down.
My knowledge of the classics is truly dismal, so imagine how delighted I was to find that in the very first century CE Quintilian expressly addressed the issue of purple prose in m/m fanfics written by teen girls:
"Let that age be daring, invent much, and delight in what it invents, though it be often not sufficiently severe and correct. The remedy for exuberance is easy: barrenness is incurable by any labor. That temper in [young writers] will afford me little hope in which mental effort is prematurely restrained by judgment. I like what is produced to be extremely copious, profuse beyond the limits of propriety" (p. 175).
Nor did I realise that 15th century monks totally understood the feeling you get on reading How to Repair a Mechanical Heart for the very first time:
"Take a book into thine hands as Simeon the Just took the Child Jesus into his arms to carry him and kiss him. And thou hast finished reading, close the book and give thanks for every word . . ." (p. 40).
Newkirk may have even presuaded me to try reading poetry again.
3.5 stars, rounded down.
November 2, 2020
Books about reading, if that's what you're looking for, then pick up this book. In addition to that, however, The Art of Slow Reading is written mainly for teachers, yet for someone who wants to improve their understanding of how we can read better, then it will be worth your time.
It's refreshing to read a book that's not about reading faster. As the title suggests, it's about getting the most from the books you read whether that's a fiction or a nonfiction book. Similar rules apply. Even as an avid reader myself, I was able to pick up on some tips I wouldn't have thought of before. The major one for me was memorizing. Not memorizing the whole book, but memorizing the best passage from the book. The one you connect with deeply. By memorizing the quote you make it part of your being.
Thomas, the author, lays the book out nicely, each chapter focusing on one of the six practices. His focus as a writer, in my opinion, sways off course a few times with unnecessary examples unrelated to the topic of the book. This is the only reason why I don't give it a perfect 5/5 stars. One other aspect you might consider to either be of use or not is the focus on how to write better. Even though the book is about reading, several of the tips relate closely to writing. In my opinion, this isn't such a bad thing as the writer mentions that 'While reading can make us better writers-writing can make us better, more discerning, more human readers.'
This may very well be one of my favorite quotes from the book. So as the author suggested, I will memorize it word-for-word.
It's refreshing to read a book that's not about reading faster. As the title suggests, it's about getting the most from the books you read whether that's a fiction or a nonfiction book. Similar rules apply. Even as an avid reader myself, I was able to pick up on some tips I wouldn't have thought of before. The major one for me was memorizing. Not memorizing the whole book, but memorizing the best passage from the book. The one you connect with deeply. By memorizing the quote you make it part of your being.
Thomas, the author, lays the book out nicely, each chapter focusing on one of the six practices. His focus as a writer, in my opinion, sways off course a few times with unnecessary examples unrelated to the topic of the book. This is the only reason why I don't give it a perfect 5/5 stars. One other aspect you might consider to either be of use or not is the focus on how to write better. Even though the book is about reading, several of the tips relate closely to writing. In my opinion, this isn't such a bad thing as the writer mentions that 'While reading can make us better writers-writing can make us better, more discerning, more human readers.'
This may very well be one of my favorite quotes from the book. So as the author suggested, I will memorize it word-for-word.
November 10, 2013
I hope that it doesn't invalidate my thoughts that I read this in under a 24 hour elapsed time, while also reading half of The Great Gatsby and sleeping. This is also the first book that I read on the Nook Study app. The author sees reading as a constructive process; John Dewey is referenced often. The Six Practices are each given a chapter. They are adding aspects of performance and oral reading to silent reading, memorizing some passages from reading material, centering (e.g. reading actively with much annotation and marking),analyzing the problem solving aspect of the text, connecting with the author by reading with writing in mind, and (finally)increasing your appreciation of text by expanding on it or making changes in it. The process of paying attention is given a lot of play, and it is described as one of the toughest tasks related to reading and thinking. The term critical thinking is deconstructed, to involve being critical of something (maybe everybody means that by critical thinking, but I hadn't gotten the connection). What Newkirk means you can be critical of is the status quo. He mentions being critical of routine, common sense, habit, superficiality, accepted wisdom, consensus, niceness, decorum, tradition, and laziness. I hope that we can find a common piece of ground between his negative feelings about timed assessments such as DIBELS and the fact that they do measure reliable and important differences between children. I've never met a teacher who complained of having too much time. As the author is in my area, I loved his references to such places as Newicks and Mill Pond Road. Finally, I liked the list of things involved in revising. They are adding details, adding dialogue, dealing with internal reactions of individuals, considering alternative opinions to your own, adding whole new episodes or anecdotes, making connections to other things, and adding new evidence for points you are trying to write. Thumbs up - two of them.
March 12, 2019
Wise and just real nice to read.
In the age of speed and plenty, this is a good push-back.
I like a good philosophical edge, and this book has it covered.
In the age of speed and plenty, this is a good push-back.
I like a good philosophical edge, and this book has it covered.
June 3, 2013
There are many things I appreciate about this book -- and some things I'm not so sure about. He talks about how even silent reading is auditory. I think it depends on your learning modalities. I do NOT 'hear' myself read, even when I slow down to read more deliberately...but that's about the only place I deviate from his message.
Slow, deliberate, real reading. Why are we all about speed? Why are reading tests timed? How does that cripple our kids? And what could we be doing instead?
Newkirk gives concrete ideas and practical suggestions for the classroom teacher. He makes an important case for reading slowly for pleasure, and reading slowly when we're reading for information. He encourages teachers to do 'cold' readings of works with students -- if students ONLY ever see us teaching works we've studied and prepared, they'll never really know what an experienced reader does when faced with a new piece. I really like that idea, and wish I could do that.
Close reading, but aesthetic reading too...he honors them all.
Slow, deliberate, real reading. Why are we all about speed? Why are reading tests timed? How does that cripple our kids? And what could we be doing instead?
Newkirk gives concrete ideas and practical suggestions for the classroom teacher. He makes an important case for reading slowly for pleasure, and reading slowly when we're reading for information. He encourages teachers to do 'cold' readings of works with students -- if students ONLY ever see us teaching works we've studied and prepared, they'll never really know what an experienced reader does when faced with a new piece. I really like that idea, and wish I could do that.
Close reading, but aesthetic reading too...he honors them all.
June 11, 2023
As an English teacher and reading specialist, I am intentional about teaching my students what good readers do to make meaning of words that struggling readers do not do. Good readers pay attention to the text, they notice things, they ask questions, and they slow down when they feel their comprehension breaking down. Newkirk talks about the value of slow reading and recommends to teachers that we revive six time-honored practices of reading to help readers engage in thoughtful, attentive reading: performing, memorizing, centering, problem-finding, reading like a writer, and elaborating. Each is explained and examples from a variety of texts–memoir, research, examples of classroom practice–are provided. Tom reminds us that when we slow down and pay close attention our thinking, as well as our enjoyment deepens; words matter, and like good food, they should be savored and enjoyed.
One of the things I like about reading books by this and similar authors is that although I agree with much of what they say and often fold their ideas into my practice, there is always something that challenges me. The notion of reading slowly in and of itself gave me pause because I’ve always pushed myself to read faster even though I know that speed more often than not inhibits comprehension. Tom encourages readers to take their time, to remember why they’re reading, and to take from that reading not just nutrients and knowledge but pleasure as well.
I was also challenged by what he calls “traditional acts of slow reading,” particularly memorization as I had dismissed it years ago as something having little value in my class. I simply never considered how many rote items I have rolling around in my brain that pop out of my mouth (or onto the page) as a means of explanation like my grandmother’s maxim “pride has its pinch” or my mother’s “where there’s no sense, there’s no feeling.” There are also quotes books, movies, songs, and the Bible that bring comfort in times of distress such as, “Be still and know that I am God.” I am left with much to think about and reconsider. 4.5
One of the things I like about reading books by this and similar authors is that although I agree with much of what they say and often fold their ideas into my practice, there is always something that challenges me. The notion of reading slowly in and of itself gave me pause because I’ve always pushed myself to read faster even though I know that speed more often than not inhibits comprehension. Tom encourages readers to take their time, to remember why they’re reading, and to take from that reading not just nutrients and knowledge but pleasure as well.
I was also challenged by what he calls “traditional acts of slow reading,” particularly memorization as I had dismissed it years ago as something having little value in my class. I simply never considered how many rote items I have rolling around in my brain that pop out of my mouth (or onto the page) as a means of explanation like my grandmother’s maxim “pride has its pinch” or my mother’s “where there’s no sense, there’s no feeling.” There are also quotes books, movies, songs, and the Bible that bring comfort in times of distress such as, “Be still and know that I am God.” I am left with much to think about and reconsider. 4.5
November 22, 2024
This was pretty good; freely available on the internet archive; take your time, slow down, take it all in, savor it, don't skim; for more on the 'slow movement'; In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout, Slow Medicine: The Way to Healing and my personal favorite by Carl Honoré; SLOWER: 50 Ways To Thrive In A Fast World.
December 24, 2021
This book helped me reevaluate my current reading style. Many adults tend to read faster and faster because every single day work takes way too much of their time. I will certainly use many of the tools suggested in it to deepen my reading experience. The author is an experienced academic and a college professor, an active participant in the ongoing debate withing the American community of educators. I liked his embracing, affirming approach to continuous change, as well as his reassuring traditionalism. I am a musician by profession and much of the materials from this book about reading can be applied to the listening experience, particularly listening to classical music.
March 16, 2018
Though somewhat more autobiographical (and, by extension, less practically oriented) than expected, Newkirk does a nice job of explaining the history of reading practices and how certain types of readings come to be valued. As a compelling argument for slow reading, I would say the book leaves a bit to be desired. But as a book that helps to define slow reading and understand it in contrast to other types of reading, this book is comprehensive.
July 10, 2020
An insightful look at going back to some “traditional” practices of reading. Celebrating reading for expression and transformation, rather than speed. There were some practical ideas on how to do this in a classroom context.
November 3, 2020
Best ending of a professional book ever:
Reading instruction should always make this slowness possible. We need to put away the stopwatches and say in every way possible-“This is not a race. Take your time. Pay attention. Touch the words and tell me how they touch you.”
Reading instruction should always make this slowness possible. We need to put away the stopwatches and say in every way possible-“This is not a race. Take your time. Pay attention. Touch the words and tell me how they touch you.”
September 29, 2024
This book has made rethink what I'm aiming for when teaching reading fluency.
May 22, 2016
If a composer imagines and then notates a musical work, we can easily consider that creator to be an artist. Similarly, if a musician decodes and performs that work expressively, that musician is also an artist. The same relationship exists between choreographer and dancer. But does the analogy extend to writers and readers? If a literary artist puts work down on a page, is it possible for the reader to approach it artfully? In The Art of Slow Reading, Thomas Newkirk unequivocally argues in the affirmative.
Newkirk is concerned that educators have subverted the natural and most rewarding aspects of reading by trying to measure it from various angles. He makes the case that reading was originally an oral art that was then driven into silent reading, which was then speeded up so that we have something to measure and compare.
Although these pages include numerous classroom examples of how to guide students toward meaningful and artful reading, I most enjoyed Newkirk’s articulation of the processes, struggles, and avenues of fulfillment in his own reading life. Newkirk’s writing style is conversational, humorous, and unapologetically ardent in his defense of “time honored” reading-related activities such as memorization and annotation.
I especially like the idea that there is no such thing as a “main idea” in what we read. Yes, the author may have had a focus and a point to make, but an artful reader can take away and create whatever is most relevant (or needed) for himself. The concept of “main idea” thrives in study guides and test questions—again, we see reading being twisted for the sake of data production—but what if instead of requiring students to see a pre-determined main idea we encourage each reader to cultivate her own main idea(s) based on the text and her own experiences and perspectives?
The only weak spot in this book for me was the chapter dealing with how readers can use various texts as springboards for their own writing. Newkirk successfully describes the possibility of such a leap but doesn’t quite show how to make it happen for ourselves or our students.
Newkirk is concerned that educators have subverted the natural and most rewarding aspects of reading by trying to measure it from various angles. He makes the case that reading was originally an oral art that was then driven into silent reading, which was then speeded up so that we have something to measure and compare.
Although these pages include numerous classroom examples of how to guide students toward meaningful and artful reading, I most enjoyed Newkirk’s articulation of the processes, struggles, and avenues of fulfillment in his own reading life. Newkirk’s writing style is conversational, humorous, and unapologetically ardent in his defense of “time honored” reading-related activities such as memorization and annotation.
I especially like the idea that there is no such thing as a “main idea” in what we read. Yes, the author may have had a focus and a point to make, but an artful reader can take away and create whatever is most relevant (or needed) for himself. The concept of “main idea” thrives in study guides and test questions—again, we see reading being twisted for the sake of data production—but what if instead of requiring students to see a pre-determined main idea we encourage each reader to cultivate her own main idea(s) based on the text and her own experiences and perspectives?
The only weak spot in this book for me was the chapter dealing with how readers can use various texts as springboards for their own writing. Newkirk successfully describes the possibility of such a leap but doesn’t quite show how to make it happen for ourselves or our students.
July 25, 2012
page 16-19
So I just loved it when Thomas Newkirk proposed that fluency included “auditorizing” and awkward word which he coins to mean creating an internal sense of the sound of the language, developing an inner ear for the way writing is told- that the literate person derives pleasure from finding this appropriate tempo of reading. He says sometimes to be more fluent, one slows down.....
page 197
We read for pleasure and meaning-and to do so, we must be able to control the tempo of our reading. and that by slowing down, be refusing to see reading as a form of consumption of efficient productivity, we can tend to word meanings and sound, building a bridge to to the oral traditions that writing around out of. We can hold passages in memory, we can come to the view that good tests are inexhaustible, to the belief that the white spaces always invite us to reflect and expand.
Reading instruction should make this slowness possible . We need to put away the stopwatches and say in every way possible-"This is not a race. Take your time. Pay attention. Touch the words and tell he how they touch you.
So I just loved it when Thomas Newkirk proposed that fluency included “auditorizing” and awkward word which he coins to mean creating an internal sense of the sound of the language, developing an inner ear for the way writing is told- that the literate person derives pleasure from finding this appropriate tempo of reading. He says sometimes to be more fluent, one slows down.....
page 197
We read for pleasure and meaning-and to do so, we must be able to control the tempo of our reading. and that by slowing down, be refusing to see reading as a form of consumption of efficient productivity, we can tend to word meanings and sound, building a bridge to to the oral traditions that writing around out of. We can hold passages in memory, we can come to the view that good tests are inexhaustible, to the belief that the white spaces always invite us to reflect and expand.
Reading instruction should make this slowness possible . We need to put away the stopwatches and say in every way possible-"This is not a race. Take your time. Pay attention. Touch the words and tell he how they touch you.
August 10, 2014
It took awhile for me to get into this book. For the first 60 pages it was slow reading indeed! Newkirk's style in this teaching text is much more languid, more anecdotal and tangential, and while there are many 5 star ideas embedded throughout, I never quite got into the rhythms of his structure.
That said, there are some important information here, along the lines of his more focused predecessor, Holding On to Good Ideas in the Time of Bad Ones. When the book gets most practical, it is at its most inspiring. Newkirk has the right vision for getting English teachers back on track with all the upheaval going on pre- and post- Common Core.
That said, there are some important information here, along the lines of his more focused predecessor, Holding On to Good Ideas in the Time of Bad Ones. When the book gets most practical, it is at its most inspiring. Newkirk has the right vision for getting English teachers back on track with all the upheaval going on pre- and post- Common Core.
December 10, 2011
Superb argument for reading in a more deliberate manner. Newkirk offers excellent teaching ideas and traces the history of annotating back to Erasmus. When I showed my students FDR's first draft of the "Day That Will Live in Infamy" speech, they finally understood why glossing one's paper leads to better rewriting. A complete lesson for using the FDR draft is in Slow Reading.
I'm a slow reader so appreciate an argument against speed reading. I like to take my time and notice not just what an author says but how s/he says it.
One of the best professional texts I've read.
I'm a slow reader so appreciate an argument against speed reading. I like to take my time and notice not just what an author says but how s/he says it.
One of the best professional texts I've read.
September 7, 2015
Newkirk's purpose for writing this book - to encourage more slow and deliberate reading in schools and in life - is a master class in both reading and in writing. He makes his case with quotes, personal experience, humor, and research. Newkirk is certainly not anti-technology. Instead, he promotes more mindfulness in our literacy endeavors. It is a much-needed message in our overly connected world.
August 31, 2013
The Art of Slow Reading was a lot heavier on reading pedagogy than I expected, but Newkirk's message was clear. In a culture full of distractions we should not be afraid to slow our reading down, take our time, and enjoy the words so we can hear the authors voice "this is not a race, take your time. Pay attention. Touch the words and tell me how they touch you".
March 18, 2014
One of the most amazing books I've ever read-- totally opens your perspective to a whole new way of taking in literature.
I am actually taking a class with Newkirk this semester, he's great. I would totally recommend this book!!!
I am actually taking a class with Newkirk this semester, he's great. I would totally recommend this book!!!
May 6, 2012
An interesting read with many useful examples in the call to slow down, appreciate, and engage with texts. On occasion, Newkirk attempts to link writing practices with reading approaches and struggles to get back to his main point.
March 10, 2013
I have a hard time enjoying a book about reading that isn't, itself, a pleasure to read. This is pseudo-philosophy, pseudo-literary criticism, pseudo-pedagogy. Better writers have written far better books on this topic. Not worth the time it took to read it.
December 27, 2011
Thoughtful and thought-provoking, Newkirk builds on the arguments he shared in Holding onto Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones. He continues to push my thinking and teaching.
April 5, 2013
Great arguments for more deliberate, thoughtful, and reflective approaches to teaching reading and writing.
August 7, 2012
Full of great ideas!
June 2, 2013
Thomas Newkirk offers reflections on how reading habits have changed and outlines practices to recover savoring the written word. Thoroughly engaging and thought-provoking.
September 2, 2013
Fast is not always better. A thought-provoking read!
January 26, 2014
Thank you Cindy Fitzgerald for recommending. I just finished reading this and can't wait to have my book group at school. A must read in my opinion for teachers.
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