"A Response-Based Approach to Reading Literature

Judith A. Langer in “A Response- Based Approach to Reading Literature” states that there are two types of reading, ‘horizon of possibilities” and “point of reference,” while each has a different approach and characteristics, they both are just alternate versions of “sense making.”

The “horizon of possibilities” is all about living though the experience and identifying with what it means to be human. This way of reading is very common in literary focused classes. These classes usually focus on point of view reading and writing. The students are encouraged to “explore the possibilities involved in the worlds they create.”

The exploration of horizons of possibilities lies at the heart of a literary experience. Here, use of the word "horizon" is critical, referring to the fact that horizons never lead to endings but continually advance; whenever a person (reader) takes a step towards the horizon (moving toward closure), the horizon itself shifts (and other possibilities are revealed for the reader to explore). Continually raising questions about the implications and undersides of what one understands (and using those musings to reconstrue where the piece might go) precludes closure and invites ambiguity.

Unlike the “horizon of possibilities”, the “point of reference” is all about questioning what is known. It is the “heart of discursive thinking” and encourages initial questions to lead to other questions. In history and science classes, many students feel they need to know all the information to understand the material. When literature is introduced into the classroom students use them to mine information instead of gain insight. One suggestion the article uses is to incorporate “horizon” questions into historical and classical texts.

I liked that the goal was to help encourage teachers to use thought-provoking literature in class where students are encouraged to find their own meanings and possible understandings from multiple perspectives. I think it is important to stress the student based approach and helping students take an active role in their own learning. Each student has a different life view of experiences to share when reading and writing.  If we can mix the horizon of possibilities with the point of reference, hopefully students will be able to come up with their personal thoughts on the text as well as details to validate their opinion.

http://www.albany.edu/cela/reports/langer/langerresponsebased.pdf