Noticing when we stray from inner conversation

I talked about the times when I am reading a book and then realize I have reached the bottom of the page and had no idea/memory of what I just read. I asked the students if they have ever done this and they were hesitant to admit...as if a trick question and would get in trouble. I explained it happens to the best of readers. They all were nodding their heads! I asked what are some ideas of why meaning would break down while we're reading. I wrote their ideas up on the chart paper: bored, can't understand the words, tired...and then I added some more they may not have thought of, using the book's ideas. Then I drew another column next to it and had them brainstorm what we should do when this happens. Many of them said focus harder or get a new book. So, I had to steer them into some more probable things they could do...especially when they are home reading: get up, go to the bathroom, drink something, even picking the right time of day to read a book (not waiting til real late at night when they are too tired to focus or reading on the bus). Then they added more of their ideas. All of this really went back to when I taught Good Fit Books, and I was impressed that many of their answers repeated what I had taught them in that lesson. Yay!