Thinking About Your Thinking

Metacognitive Reading Worksheet

Convenience Store Woman — Section Two: The Manual

NAME

DATE

A DAY

B DAY

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BEFORE READING: Preparing My Mind

1. Keiko has been working at the convenience store for eighteen years. In this section, you’ll see that she has absorbed so much of the store that she barely feels like a separate person from it. Before you read: what do you think it would feel like to do the same job for eighteen years? Would that be comforting or horrifying? Why?

2. As you read, watch for the moments when Keiko is questioned or judged by people around her — for still working the same job, for not being married, for not being “normal.” Note how she responds each time. What do you predict her reaction will be?

DURING READING: Monitoring My Understanding

Comprehension Check-In: Rate your understanding of each part as you read (1 = confused, 5 = clear).

Part of the reading	1	2	3	4	5
Keiko “made of the store” — the sounds, smells, rhythms of Smile Mart are now part of her body
Keiko absorbing speech, gestures, and attitudes from coworkers: 30% Mrs. Izumi, 30% Sugawara
The party: questions about marriage and dating, the room going quiet, Keiko feeling judged
Shiraha arrives, the uniform doesn’t fit, his contempt for the store — and the “ship of Theseus” ending

Double-Entry Journal: Choose a passage that surprised you or stuck with you. Record it and explain why.

Passage from the text (with page number)	My thinking: why did this stand out?

Tracking Social Pressure: In this section, people keep trying to “fix” Keiko. For each situation, note what is said or implied and how Keiko responds internally.

Situation	What people say or imply	How Keiko responds internally
At the party — questions about marriage and dating
Shiraha is hired — his attitude toward the store and its workers
A situation from the reading of your own choice

AFTER READING: Reflecting on My Understanding

3. Keiko says she is “made of the store” — that the food she eats, the sleep she gets, everything is in service of making her a good store worker. Most people would find this unsettling. Why doesn’t she?

4. Keiko describes assembling her personality from pieces of different coworkers — her speech from one person, her gestures from another. Is this strange, or is it actually how most people develop who they are? Where do you draw the line?

5. At the party, the room goes quiet and people get uncomfortable when Keiko can’t answer their “normal” questions. What does this moment reveal about how social pressure actually works? Who is really behaving oddly here?

6. Making it Personal: Keiko gets her way of talking, her gestures, even her way of being angry from the people around her. Think about yourself: where did your personality come from? How much of “you” was something you chose, and how much did you absorb from family, friends, or the groups you belong to?

Convenience Store Woman — Metacognitive Reading Practice Section Two: The Manual Monitor. Question. Clarify. Connect.