Oren 1 How have I become so literate? I think that my solid foundation began with my parents and siblings reading to me as a child. Around bedtime, my family would always let me pick and choose whatever book I wanted to be read, and read it to me. Eventually, we transitioned into having me read the books to them, but at that point, we took a step back in the difficulty of the material. I still remember learning what all of the punctuation marks meant, and I get a kick out of what I did when I came around to a comma or exclamation mark. Whenever I found a comma, I would take a good three-second pause before continuing on to the next word just to show my mom or sister that I knew what it meant. On the other hand, whenever I would find an exclamation mark, I would go back and reread the sentence, but this time I would shout it with as much excitement as I could fit into my little voice. When I was little I read mostly children’s books, and my favorite book was about a child trying to sleep but finding a monster in his closet, and trying to scare the monster away before he could return to sleep. Throughout grade school and into middle school I started to thoroughly enjoy reading fiction/fantasy novels and had a blast reading the Fablehaven series. The only other person in my family that like fiction/fantasy is my oldest sister, Grace, and she recommended that I read a trilogy called the Bartimaeus trilogy, which I read, and later my dad did too. I don’t think I’ve ever tried to write a book, but I have written several short stories as a kid. My friend and I wrote a little mini-series that we eventually printed out and stuck to the refrigerator. If I remember right, we wrote about a wizard that went on a journey through a land called Wakanda (before Black Panther made it cool).
Nathan Popp When I was in elementary and middle school, I read a lot. I read more books than any other student in my class, and I was pretty proud of it. I read to learn and to pass the time, and in doing so I increased my reading ability profoundly. When I was very young, my parents would read to me and eventually, I would read to them. Pretty soon, there were some words that I knew how to spell that my parents were stuck on! Unfortunately, when I entered high school, time got the best of me and there was little time for reading. I have not had the time now like I did in my younger years, and I wish I could spend more time reading and learning more about the world. None the less, the reading that I did when I was younger certainly did help me in the future with many classes and assignments. In my mind, reading books not only help you become a better reader and writer, but it also helps you in all other classes as well as even further on in life.
Rima Pd.1- I have become so literate by reading, writing, and listening in school and in my free time. As a child, my grandparents would take me to the library at least once a week and we would sit and read all types of books. My Parents also read to me every night before bed which I believe has helped me the most to become literate. Throughout my life, I have read many types of books, articles, and essays; however, my favorite is fiction novels. Since I was young I have been a writer. I have always loved to write stories and poems. In fourth grade, I wrote a veteran's poem that won a contest and was presented at the VFW. I also won a poetry contest in 7th grade, in which my piece was put into a book with many other works of poetry. I currently still write a small amount of poetry but I spend most of my time writing essays for class.
Kolbeck 1 I used to see Wilma Kirkeby in the middles school library every day except Friday in middle school. She recommended all sorts of books and I read every one she gave me. It is partly because of her that I have become so literate. The main reason is that I have always loved reading even if I have not read as much recently. My favorite genre is non-fiction, with magic or supernatural as its subgenre. I have read most of Rick Riordan, J.K. Rowling, and numerous others. If I had to pick a favorite series then it would be Harry Potter, I've read the books at least ten times over and still read them. However, my favorite book of all time is "Ender's Game". It was written by Orson Scott Carroll and it is the only book I have read by him at the moment. All of my literary adventures have been by myself, I have never had anyone read to me past my young childhood. It is unfortunate to say that I have not written anything past essays for school. I do not have any interest in writing but I am curious to see what will happen to my interests as I go through this class.
We've become so literate through the years from all our past experiences. For most of us, our parents have been reading to us ever since we were very little. I have read a lot and have had a lot of practice through all our school years. In school, we are required to take English classes which force us to work on our literacy skills. Reading and writing both help our literacy skills. I have read many books in and out of class. By reading books, it helps our communication and literally skills. I have also written essays in the past for classes and that helps us understand the structure of sentences better. Through all the years we build a better understanding of how sentences and words work together. The more practice we get the better understanding we have. I am much more literate now than I was 10 years ago.
Ever since we were babies, before we could talk we were listening to words and most likely trying to understand them. My parents would read books to me when I was very little that were very simple and I would start to understand simple words and sentences. Once I got into elementary school my teachers would read to me and as the years went by I understood more words and sentences. Once I started to understand what I was hearing I could start reading things. I remember the first books I started to read in elementary school were the "Magic Tree House" books. Then I would progress to longer more challenging books. I would have to start taking quizzes on those books to get credit for reading them which helped me understand them. Eventually I would start writing things on the books I read in middle school. We worked on how to write a paper, the development of paragraph structure, and all kinds of things that went with writing. All those things from when the first book was read to me has led me to this point in high school to be able to write.
Geringer 1 I have become literate by being in school and being read to by my parents and grandparents. One of my grandmas was a teacher, so she thought it was very important that I learn to read as soon as I could. The first book I ever read was “Dick and Jane”, it was a pretty large book that had a lot of little stories within, always the same characters, never the same conflict. I remember struggling through that book with her, but I also remember the first time I could read a whole page without any help and I was so happy. I have never been a big reader, I would much rather watch movies, but I read the “Series of Unfortunate Events” books and I couldn’t put them down, and now Netflix created a tv series from the books and I love it. I am currently reading “Think and Grow Rich”, it is not a storytelling book, but more of a life lesson book. I am not very far into the book, but so far it is very interesting and I’ve learned some very valuable life lessons. I haven’t written very much outside of what I had to do in classes, but I do enjoy writing letters. Every now and then my friend and I will pass a journal back and forth. We tell each other how our week went, the fun the things we did, and the stuff we look forward to doing in the next week.
Reading and writing have always been somewhat easy for me. Of course there has been challenging essays I have had to write and challenging symbols I’ve had to analyze but for the most part, I could pretty easily pick up on whatever type of writing style we were practicing. Personally, I would much rather write than read, but I do no it is impossible to be a good writer without also being a good reader. As a child, my older sister, Becca, tried to get a head start on my reading abilities by reading the “Dick and Jane” books to me. She was in 2nd grade and I was just 3 years old, so it was a good way to increase her reading abilities and my comprehension abilities. As I got older I began to read more challenging stories on my own and actually write my own stories. I also have a younger sister, Abbi, and when I was in grade school I also read to her. Instead of reading classic children’s books to her I would read the books I wrote myself. I also loved art so I would illustrate them as well. They were more than likely no good but it was fun for the both of us. As I have gotten older I have continued writing, some on my own, some for school projects. Either way, it has gotten me to the ability I am at now. As far as reading goes, I have kind of lost interest as I have gotten older. I read what I need to for school but that is about it. I always envied my mother who absolutely loves reading. She would read a book every day if she had time, but for myself. I never could get into it as easily as she could. This year I hope to advance my writing skills even further and to jumpstart my interest in reading again.
DeWitt 1 My literacy journey started, as most do, through my parents. Growing up, my mom would read my brother and I the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I remember loving the way my mom would switch voices to signify different characters and struggling to keep my eyes open to listen until the chapter was finished. Surprisingly, the tv show Dora the Explorer also helped me in many ways. I still remember multiple Spanish words from the show and although Dora didn't help me with any English literacy, she did give me a solid foundation in Spanish. Although both of these outlets helped me, it wasn't until 2nd Grade that I found a passion for reading and writing. My 2nd Grade teacher, Mrs. Beesley would always read us stories and encourage us to check out as many books as we could throughout the year. It was during 2nd Grade that I fell in love with reading and if you wanted my attention, you had to pry whatever book I was reading from my hands. Since 2nd Grade, I have read a plethora of books and even tried to write a few of my own. However, I can never seem to finish a book that I have started. My literacy journey started with my parents but has grown to a love for reading and writing that will continue to grow as I do.
Postma 1 - I have become so literate due to a variety of different factors, including what has been read to me, what I have read myself and what I have written. My mother was and still is one of my biggest heroes for reading and writing, because she was the one who would read to me and have me read during my time being homeschooled. She would read Dr. Seuss books all the way up to Harry Potter books to me and would teach me how to say certain difficult words. As I grew older, I would be assigned reading to read during school time and during my free time. I read college level books such as The Adventures of Tom Swift and the Rover Boys. I was also assigned to write essays about various things in my life, yet the most interesting thing I wrote was my book "To Dust Thou Return." I wrote it at thirteen years old and I am very proud of it. All in all, these things and many more things have made me the literate person I am today.
Throughout my years I have been read to, read, and have written a numerous amount of books and papers. My literacy journey started at a very young age with the help of my parents. Ever since I was a baby my parents have read to me. Then when I started school I began to learn from all my teachers how to read and write on my own. I have read lots of books since I was young like Junie B Jones and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. One of my favorite books I have ever read is A Rock in a Hard Place. Not only have I read lots of things but I have also written lots. During my years of school, I have written anything from research papers to papers about my beliefs I feel strongly about. In just 17 short years I have gone from not being able to read or write at all to read and write almost anything.
Bailey 1 - When I was younger, my parents or my two, older siblings would read to me different child books. I've become so literate by them reading to me, and when I was old enough, reading by myself. I'm sure, in elementary school, I read a lot. I don't remember the books but I remember always grabbing a new book when we went. During middle school, I read the entire "Warriors" series by Erin Hunter. My latest book that I read was "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green. I've written many essays for school and some stuff in my free time. As I got older and into high school, I found myself, reading less and less. I've found myself only reading what was required in English classes. I would like to get back in the groove of reading, especially in the summer, because I’m not as busy in the summer than the school year. Softball isn’t as big as a commitment and that’s really the only I’ve got going on other than work.
Christensen 1 I have loved to read and write ever since I was a kid. But, that love and interest didn't just come out of nowhere. It came from many years of learning the English language and becoming more literate. When I was younger, my parents and grandparents always read to me. Almost every day I would ask if we could read a book together and they always said yes. Many, if not all, of my teachers in elementary school, also read to me often. I remember I read a lot in second grade with Mrs. Adams. We read some of the books from the "Magic Treehouse Series" and I loved them. That's when I really got into reading and I ended up reading all of the books in the series. However, I didn't really get into writing until I was in 6th grade. I was homeschooled at the time and my mom had me and my siblings read some books and write an essay about them after we were done. We also wrote essays about people that we learned about in history as well. I wrote about Martin Luther King Jr and many other important people in American history. I enjoyed when I got to write those essays and I remember that my mom ended up having to set a page limit for me because I would just write and write. One of my papers ended up being about eight pages! Since then, I have had a love for writing and reading especially. I am so glad that I have had great parents and teachers to help me through my journey to becoming literate.
Sydney Rau My literacy journey began because of all the books I’ve read throughout the years, both for school and for enjoyment. When I was younger, my mom used to read to me all the time. She mainly read to me children’s books, such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Clifford. Otherwise, as I have grown, I’ve become capable of expanding my own vocabulary and word usage, mainly by mimicking the language that many authors have used. Nowadays, I tend to read and understand the college-level books that have been assigned to me during my high school years. Some of these books include Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet, The Scarlet Letter, and many famous poems as well. While I read at school, I also read my own choices of literature, like The Selection or Splintered. When it came to writing, I’ve learned how to properly write multiple versions of essays, whether it be argumentative, persuasive, or even narrative. I may not be the greatest at it so far, but I hope to continue growing with my essay writing as I gain more experience.
Flanigan 1 I believe one's literacy journey begins as soon as they are born into this world, and continues over an individual's entire lifespan. Even during the stage of infancy, most humans are surrounded by words and language and therefore are subconsciously beginning their journey toward literacy and understanding. My personal journey to intellectual understanding and literacy began when I was a baby; as I have been told my parents read to me frequently. These childish readings, though they may seem irrelevant or unhelpful, are actually very important to a child's development as it helps lay the baseline of one's concept of language, an important base of communication. I also took my literacy journey into my own hands when I began reading at a young age out loud, as well as to myself. As I grew older I began to find enjoyment in reading novels and fictional stories. I especially began to familiarize myself with novels written by the author Nicholas Sparks. I find that he displays an intense amount of emotion in all of his writings, and in my opinion, displays a vast understanding of the necessity of plotline as well as the importance of developing characters. As I have grown up I have also familiarized myself with the actual construction of literature as well. I have written works mostly for school, but do have a few memories of creating short stories for enjoyment, mostly in my younger years. I find writing as an exceptional way to express myself, as well as a way to learn new information and strategize in my mind a way to persuade or promptly inform my audience. I find importance in reading as well as writing, and because of that, I am excited for this semester in Composition!
I have become literate by being read to in my early life and reading throughout the rest of it. My parents probably read to me the most when I was young and helped me learn the basics of reading. Some teachers also read to me and taught me how to read. With that literacy, I was able to read books, papers, and magazines. I started by reading children's books and then moved on to books that were a little more challenging like Magic Treehouse. I then continued to read more and more challenging books. I've written papers and essays. In English classes, I've written short stories. Last year, I wrote an argumentative essay and a couple essays over books that we read. In History class, I wrote several essays about topics that ranged throughout the history of the United States. These history essays weren't heavily scrutinized for their grammar or composition but had to be coherent, and they helped me develop my writing skills.
Walker 1 I believe my literacy journey began at a very young age when my mother used to read Little House on the Prairie to my brother and I every night. Starting with just listening to her reading then, I started following the words while she read them. By the last book in the series, I was taking turns reading pages with my brother. I think this interested me in reading. I began reading to myself every night in bed, at first not gathering all the words but improving slowly. I do remember the first book I learned to read on my own being about stranger danger. Then moving on to Barbie chapter books, then Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Mysteries. My Mom would take my brother and me to the library a lot, and I started branching out to new and more difficult books. I remember my brother would write short stories on half a sheet of paper and then fold it over and draw a picture on the other side, making a tiny paper book. He showed me how to do it and we filled shoeboxes with these little short stories. I’m sure if I pulled out that shoebox now and looked at our stories I would barely be able to understand them through all the spelling and grammar mistakes. However, this is what sparked my interest in writing. I wrote many short silly stories in my notebooks that I do think improved my writing. Going to School was also a very obvious aid to me. I remember writing on a lined paper about daily prompts such as “What would you do if you found a million dollars on your dresser when you woke up?” or “If you could have any superpower what would it be, and why?” These were fun for me because I could share my thoughts with the whole class, then bring the paper home and show my parents. As I got older I wrote in journals and diaries every day alongside with school work. Now today not only do I spend lots of time reading novels and textbooks, and writing papers and blog posts like this at school. I also spend my free time writing and reading for fun. My literacy is a daily skill I am lucky to have.
Olivier 1 My literacy journey started when I was born my parents have always talked and read to me. I remember having my mother read "Goodnight Moon" to me on a semi-regular basis. I learned to talk at a young age and that soon turned into reading and writing. One of my early passions was the Minnesota Twins baseball team, my mom and dad taught me all of the names of the players. I could tell all of my relatives who each person was is they pointed to them on tv or if they held up a baseball card. My grandparents also contributed to a large portion of my literacy. My grandpa has written me birthday letters and I have responded to them since I was 5. I began writing letters to family members for practice and they would always write back to me. Once I began school I started reading The Magic Treehouse series, I finished these stories quickly and moved onto bigger and better books. The books that have had the largest impact on me are the Series of Unfortunate Events books. They have compelled me to read anything and everything, they have put a burning passion for knowledge inside me. Writing has also come to me naturally, I write to my relatives and I compose a lot of essays. All of my teachers', parents', relatives' time has all impacted how I have become such a literate person.
After living on Earth for seventeen years, I would have to say that I have become literate enough to understand basic messages/meanings that books and other pieces of literary work are trying to demonstrate once I have read them. I obviously do not know/understand the meaning of everything I read, but I do whatever it takes to comprehend the message behind every piece of literature I read. Gaining an education through Brandon Valley and other schools has given me the opportunity to become literate at 17. Starting in pre-school in New York, I quickly learned the alphabet and was read stories to by both my parents and my teacher. When I moved to El Salvador, I quickly tried to learn the alphabet again but in Spanish. When I came back to America, I picked up my literacy journey through the Sioux Falls education system and picked up reading books with tons of pictures on them. As I slowly became more literate, I started to read novels/books with no pictures on them and started answering questions about the pieces of work I was reading. When I entered Brandon Valley, I started to become so literate that I no longer found books with pictures on them interesting. Looking back on how literate I have become, I would say that some of the most-liked novels I have read are "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Animal Farm", "Looking for Alaska", "The Girl on a Train", etc. An essay, which I was truly proud of writing, was an argumentative essay about how the DACA program should not be canceled.
My literacy journey began long ago before I even started school. My parents read to me a lot before I could read. After I learned how to read myself, they encouraged me to read a lot. I have improved my literacy over the years by going to school. In elementary school, we had reading goals where we had to read books to earn points towards our goal. I think that the reading goals helped me with my literacy a lot because they gave me a goal that made me read. We also had a different reading goal in Middle School where we had to read a certain number of books and do a little project on them. Constantly learning new vocab in school has also helped me improve my literacy because new vocab allows for better writing along with reading more books. I have read many different books and short stories in my years at school. I have also written many different journals, blogs, and stories of my own. My literacy journey continues every day as I get smarter and improve my literacy.
My literacy journey began long ago with my parents helping me to learn how to do the alphabet. I continued to use the alphabet to learn how to read and write with the aid of school. It also helped that my parents would read to me before I could read myself, as well as, teachers reading to the class. I do really enjoy reading if I can find a good book that has a story that draws me in. I have only really written what is required of me to write for school because I am not very versatile in the way of writing. Writing has never been much of a strong suit for me. I have stories in my mind that I would like to put into words, but I really don't know how to do so. Whenever I have tried in the past, it would never come out like it sounds in my head.
Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I have increased my knowledge and literacy. Before I was capable of understanding words, my parents read to me every night. They told me bedtime stories or read from children's books. Through this process, I became more understanding of words. When I got to preschool, my teacher read the class stories, further increasing my knowledge of words. From ages 4th-7th grade, I became an avid reader. My favorite novels included Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and The Mortal Instruments. These books are what made me understand words more clearly. Currently, I am reading a book about neurosurgeons, proving that I have become a very understanding and capable reader. Another factor that led to my literacy was writing. I learned to write when I was young and haven't stopped since. As a kid, I would create stories and write them down. Through this hands-on experience of using words, I became much more literate. My schooling and practicing are what has led me to be such a literate person.
Swift 2 Since I was little, my mom always read to me at night normally Chicka Chicka Boom Boom since it was favorite. As I got older she gave me the book Dick and Jane, it was a very extensive book that was supposed to help kids learn to read and I was tackling that book before kindergarten. After that, I moved up to the elementary school where you were required to read and they held contests for who could read the most in a year, which I was thrilled to participate in. I read most of the magic tree house books along with other fairly simple chapter books. Middle school, however, my reading slowed to only reading the books we were obligated to in class. I believe I’m so literate because I was reading so frequently at a young age. I also believe though, that my interest died down as the books became more and more serious due to reading so much at a young age. I very seldom write stories or poetry, it’s easier to read and comprehend than put my own thoughts into the correct words.
I have become so literate because I have been constantly challenged to better understand the workings of the English language and to better grasp an understanding of how it functions by family and teachers. I grew up in a household that understood the importance of literacy and of comprehension when applied to literature. My grandmother was a high school English teacher when she was working and she pushed the lessons that she taught in the classroom onto my mother who in turn then passed them onto me. I have been read to countless times by these two people and also by other family members and teachers. I have read numerous genres in my lifetime but have found that non-fiction historical books usually hold my attention the best. I have read science fiction, biographies, autobiographies, and various types of fiction books as well. In the past, I have written formal and informal essays for classes but have not limited myself to only school work. I have written letters to grandparents and have now begun writing for scholarship forms.
Kirkeby 2 My literacy began when I was very young. I cannot recall exactly when I first started to read, but I know it was when I was around three years old. Once I started school, we were required to read. All through elementary school I read books. We would read books in class and also had to read our own books out of class. I read very fast for my age, and even started to read higher level and more advanced books. Going through middle school I transitioned from the sports and fantasy books to reading more historical and entertaining books. During my middle school years, we also had to write our own poems and short stories in English classes. I never enjoyed writing like I did with reading, so I never put much thought into them. The best book I ever read was IT by Stephen King. This was in my Freshman year of high school. Now, in my senior year, I will continue to write essays and other research papers in preparation for college.
I believe I have become literate because of my parents and my sister. When I was little we would always get together as a family and read books. I have seen pictures and heard many stories about how as soon as I was born the first thing my sister wanted to do was read to me. Now our interests have changed quite a bit, so we don’t read many of the same books. My mom used to make me sit down and read books to her. I started out with easy books about animals and fairies, but I eventually started reading things like Harry Potter. Even when I would throw a fit and refuse to read because it was too hard, she always found a way to make me finish the book. I have read many books. Some of my favorites are the Divergent series, the A Dog’s Purpose series, and when I was little I enjoyed the Katie Kazoo books. Right now I am reading a series called The 100. I watched the tv show based off of the books and decided I should read the books too. I am not big into writing things, so most of what I have written are essays for school. I did, however, go through a phase where I attempted to write some songs (it did not go very well).
When I was in elementary school I didn’t read a lot, however, we would have a test about once every month to show how well we were doing on our literacy. My sister, on the other hand, loved reading so much that she would get into trouble at school for reading in class. So, naturally, she read to me when I was young. I loved hearing her read all these stories of fantasy and wonder that I started to enjoy reading. Middle school is when my love for reading really enhanced and because of the giant library, I was able to find numerous books that I found interesting. When I went to high school my freshman year I wasn’t a big fan of books. However, when sophomore year rolled around, I had to start writing more in-depth papers that had to use long complicated words. Finally in my junior year, we had to write poetry; at first, it didn’t seem so bad but as I started to get into it I found myself getting compliments from the teacher about my poems. This boost of self-esteem made me love writing speeches that would give people hope and happiness, however, I still lock up sometimes when I speak in front of a crowd of people.
I have become literate because of many things. When I was very young, my parents and grandparents read to me almost every day and night. My grandmother still has all of the books she read to me and even my father when he was a child. Growing up, everybody is exposed to a language. You learn a language from a young age because you hear what the people around you are saying and, therefore, you learn how to use the language as well. Once you get old enough to use tablets and computers and eventually have your own phone, you exposed to an infinite amount of words and things to read. Texting and looking through social media are done with ease and this helps you understand a language or a language trend. People check their phones or emails at least every hour and this requires you to be literate. Throughout my years of school, I have read many books. Some I had to read for a class and some I just wanted to read on my own. The level of the books you read complicate the older, and more literate you become. I think we become literate mostly because of other people, and not just ourselves.
Taylor 2 I think that everyone’s literacy begins right away as a baby because we hear adults speak, listen to music or watch a show, and we hear our parents read to us, whether we know what they are saying or not. All of that sits in our brains as a foundation for speaking and writing well. As I was growing up I noticed that I was reading a lot more than other people my age, especially during elementary and middle school. I would challenge myself and read far above my grade level because I enjoyed doing it. Throughout middle school I mainly read crime novels and mysteries, every day I would be in the library asking Wilma for a new suggestion because she always knew the right book to suggest. Reading these books, to me, was a way of passing time and a way of living vicariously through whatever character the book was about. As high school hit, I kept reading but my genre changed significantly. I began to read a lot of books on studies in psychology and sociology, such as any book by Malcolm Gladwell. I believe that my literacy began right away as a child, but also developed prominently as I grew up because of my mom always challenging me to read a certain amount of books a week, almost making it seem like a game or a challenge that I couldn’t turn down, and because of having such easy access to books.
2 Reinschmidt I have become literate by reading, writing, and focusing in school. Throughout my life, my mom has played a huge role in my literacy journey. With her being an English teacher she has consistently stressed the importance of reading and writing out of school. She has filled our home with all kinds of books. She began reading to my brother, sister, and me at a young age nearly every night. When I was younger, and the only child at home, she would test my spelling ability as well. I remember yelling out random letters to her hoping I was spelling out a new word. Since reading was expected at my house, at a young age I learned that I enjoyed reading fiction the most. I am not a huge writer, I really only focus on writing when I have an essay due in a class or a short answer question. The help at home and in school has led me to where I am now with my literacy and I hope to advance that even more this year!
Talcott 2 said... My literacy journey began when I could barely talk. My parents would read me stories so that I could fall asleep. When I got older my parents taught me to read. They encouraged me to read a lot. In the summer they signed me up for the summer reading program at the library. This encouraged me to read every day because at the end of the program I would win prizes if I completed it. From elementary school to high school I continued reading books, but they started getting longer and more difficult to read. My personal favorite series that I have read so far is the Harry Potter series. These books intrigued me and kept me reading for hours straight. My writing is very similar to my reading. I started writing simple things, like my name, when I was in preschool. Now as a high schooler I have written many essays and stories. I have even written sentences in Spanish. I have become so literate thanks to my parents and teachers who have helped me learn all that I know today.
I have become literate over the years by reading various genres and writing. I strongly believe that attending school and paying some sort of attention in English and reading classes makes students literate in different ways. I don’t ever remember anyone in my family reading to me regularly, but I am aware that reading has always been an easier task for me. In fifth grade, I read a very large variety of books. Mrs. Strand set my AR goal at a decently high number so I had to read a lot to be apart of the AR party and you know I wasn’t missing that. I remember reading the entire Conspiracy 365 series during that school year. My favorite genres to read include nonfiction, specifically biographies or autobiographies, and fiction novels. Writing is a different story for me though, I have always struggled at writing essays and papers. Of course, I’ve written essays and research papers during my past three years of high school, but it has never been easy. It takes me a lot of time and I am always rethinking the direction that I want the writing to take. It is somewhat difficult for me to put what I am thinking onto paper, especially while typing and I have never figured out why it’s hard for me to do so.
In my opinion, I think that my literacy journey began the day that I was born. From that day on me, like everybody else in the world, is immediately surrounded by letters, words, and sounds in which do not have a meaning to them yet. As you grow older you began to start understanding why being literate is so important. At first, my parents, grandparents, and other people that I was surrounded by started to teach me how to read and write. I can remember first grade was the time when I was able to really start reading small amounts of books and other everyday things on my own. In elementary school, my favorite books to read were "The Series of Unfortunate Events," along with lots of "Junie B Jones" and "The Magic Treehouse." Today, I enjoy reading books that are written or based off of true stories and real-life events. I would say that I have always been a decent writer but I am taking this class to further expand my writing skills because it is something I will be able to take with me for the rest of my life.
Thompson 2 My journey started when my mom read to me at a very young age. She would read me all sorts of books that we had at our house or ones we got from the library. A couple years later, I began to look at books on my own and eventually started to read. My ability to read has gotten better throughout years of schooling. We had to read a certain number of books each quarter, and then there would be a party at the end. I have read numerous amounts of books, but I think my favorite would be "To Kill A Mockingbird" from English 11 last year. I like books that are set in the past because the world was different back then, and there have been so many advancements in technology that we will never experience how these people lived. I have written essays, blogs, and journals in school that has helped to improve my literacy. I will continue to write and read going forward past high school and into college.
Cushing 2 I have become literate due to a variety of things. As a child everyone who could read, read to me, My mom, my dad, my grandparents, and aunts. When I was younger many small children's books were read to me, as I got older the books got longer and longer. Then when the day came that I should start to read, the size of the books got smaller and they became less difficult. From there, I slowly started to read books with more difficulty one by one, and to this day the, I still find one book that was more difficult than the last. I have read Dr. Seuss books, Junie B Jones series, Between the Shades of Gray, A Tale of Two Cities, and many others. In learning to read I also began to develop the skill to write, just as reading, I started off easy and gradually began to write essays and papers that are much more complex. Most of what I have written has been for school, I have written essays over the Odyssey, A tale of two cities, and several other books we have read in class. In conclusion, becoming how literate I am today took a long time with a progression of multiple skills allowing me to take in one at a time in order to understand the English language.
Grode 2 The question of how I have become so literate is a quite broad one. When I was a child, my dad would read to my brothers and I every night. The books included works from famous authors such as Doctor Seuss and Roald Dahl. As I grew older, I obviously no longer needed my dad to read to me anymore, so I began to read books myself, and eventually book series. In elementary school I was reading series such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. In middle school I read books ranging from The Hunger Games, to many different war novels. As I kept growing older, and school kept growing more difficult, I was required to write more essays and speeches. Over the years of middle school and high school, essays required more effort and research than ever before. Classes where the most effort was required were AP World History and RS US History. While these essays were annoying at the time, when I look back I am glad to have been required to write them as I have become a better writer with each and every one. So while my literacy journey is not even close to over, and never will be, the books I’ve read and the essays I’ve written have gotten my literacy to where it is today.
My literacy journey began when I was very young. Similar to many, I was raised in an English speaking household. I was read to countless times when I was young, but as I grew older, the extensive vocabulary that my older brother and parents possess assimilated into my thoughts and helped improve my literacy skills by giving me a broader understanding of the language. My parents taught me how to write but it was not truly introduced to me until my first few years of schooling. Throughout many English classes, my writing ability, grammar, vocabulary, and reading ability have all increased. However, I am a terrible reader. I have never enjoyed reading books especially when they come from school. I really struggle with staying engaged in stories and because of that I really dislike books in general. I would much rather listen to a book or lecture rather than read it. If I had to choose something that I have read and somewhat enjoyed in the past it would be the Magic Treehouse series. In school, I have written many essays, many speeches, and read many books which all contribute to my literacy knowledge today. School is definitely the biggest stepping stone in my literacy journey as it has taught me almost everything.
Huntimer 2 When I was little, I was not skilled at reading. In elementary school, I would read to my parents and have little study sessions with teachers to get better at reading and spelling. Around fourth grade, I didn’t need to read to literary teachers to prove I was at a grade level reading standard. When I started high school, I noticed my writing was progressively getting better. I was always in normal, non-honors, English classes until junior year, when I decided to challenge myself and enroll in Honors English 11. My writing has benefited a lot from that class. While taking that class, I wrote one of my favorite essays. I didn’t know I could enjoy an essay that much! I wrote about fine arts in schools and how important they are, and how they are similar to sports and other core subjects. I don’t remember my grade on that essay, only the feeling of accomplishment after I was done writing and proofing. I have read a lot of novels, essays, and writings over the years. My favorite book that I have read outside of school is Agatha Christie "Murder on the Orient Express". The movie was about to release in theaters, however, my mom (who is a big fan of Agatha Christie) persuaded me to read the book first. I finished the book in two days, and the movie matched the book perfectly! My favorite works that I have read in school are usually written by Edgar Allan Poe. I love his works: House of Usher, Mask of the Red Death, and The Tell-Tale Heart. I hope to learn a lot from this class towards my writing, just in time for scholarship forms, and college applications!
When I was in sixth grade, I was able to read a book that as thick as the last Harry Potter book within two days. I would read at least three books in a week, which is why I had a ninth-grade reading level as a sixth grader. The types of stories that I would read would range from Divergent to The Giver, and I learned different perspectives pertaining to specific topics which, I think, helped me become more literate. In eighth grade at Harrisburg North Middle school, my advanced English teacher worked for the Springboard company. She told our class that by the time we completed her course, we would be at the eleventh-grade literature and reading level. Mrs. Olinger made our class enticing by incorporating the requirement for us to read and act out plays written by Shakespeare. Our class also read To Kill A Mockingbird out loud during class time and broke down the lessons within the book to help us better understand what the author was trying to portray to the targeted audience. Additionally, our class took grammar quizzes in the beginning of each class period, which improved my grammar and writing skills. I think that having the excellent writing skills helps improve the literacy of an individual because it provides the background of understanding different writing methods. Throughout the course of my high school career, I have written many essays, speeches, and responses, all of which have helped me progress in my advanced English classes. Without my eighth grade English teacher, I would not be able to read or write as well as I do today.
Roe 2 I feel that everyone's literacy journey starts as soon as they are born. As you age you start to make sounds which then turn into words, sentences, paragraphs, essays, or even books. When I was younger my parents both read to me and once in a while, my parents would let my older sister would read to me. My mom has always said that as soon as I was old enough that she would let me pick the book and I would always pick “Goodnight Moon”. In elementary school we would have to read books to meet our AR goals which was a good way to get people like me, who don’t like reading, to read. The books I like to read are books that I can picture in my head so the best ones are books that have movies and I tend to cheat and watch the movie first. I have not written a lot of my own material but my best friend and I have a journal that we pass back and forth in which we can write whatever in and have fun with.
My journey of literacy began when I was very little before the time I could speak. My mom is an elementary school teacher and my family has a respect for education. When I was about two years old, my parents would read me stories every night. Most of the time the stories were either “Thomas the Tank Engine” books or books from my mom’s school. Throughout my years of schooling, I have read many different types of books. In elementary school, I read the “Percy Jackson” and “Warriors” books. The “Warriors” series is about a group of cats living in the wild, and at the time I wanted to be a veterinarian. During middle school, I read about fifteen “Star Wars” books -- and I’m still adding to that number. Recently I have finished reading the book “It”. Writing is a whole different story. While I have been in school, I have written different essays and answered questions through writing, but I do not write often outside of school and homework. Last year, I wrote a few poems for Honors English, and I think they are my best works of writing yet. I would say that I have become literate over the years through school and classes like most kids do and that will continue throughout my life as I move onto college.
Law 2 My literacy journey started when I was a little peanut. My mom would read to me at night before I went to bed. As I got older and became able to read on my own I would now be the one reading to my mother. When I would read I would love to pretend like I was the librarian reading to the class, holding up the book so the kids can see the illustrations as you read. Although never really loved to read, unless it was a really good book that peaked my few interests. Those would consist of spy novels, love stories, or inspiring stories based on true events. My favorite was the Conspiracy 365 series. Growing up I did struggle with reading just because I wasn’t the fastest at it and would rather be playing outside than having my nose stuck in a book. On the other hand, I do enjoy writing. Now I don’t have the biggest vocabulary out there or know how to organize my words out on paper. Writing for me is more of a way to get my thoughts out on paper and no longer have them bouncing around in my brain. I have this journal that I started for my parents' freshman year. It was going to be my experiences throughout high school because as a teenager it’s sometimes hard to tell your parents everything. This way when I head off to college they will have something of me and my experiences to hold close to them.
Knutson 2 Ever since the day I was born there has been words everywhere I go whether they were spoken to me, read to me, or read by myself. As a baby, my parents would help me understand their spoken language by reading to me. They would also practice saying words with me to help me learn what they were saying. Literacy is all around us and we learn more about it by just hearing or seeing it. As I got older and started school I began to learn how to use my literacy more properly and formally. During this time we would also learn how to spell more difficult and challenging words. Once I was out of elementary and into middle school I began to read much more. During these years I would read books like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Divergent. Reading helped me to understand and comprehend literacy at a higher level. As I moved into high school we transitioned more into works of literacy coming from ourselves. I have written many things throughout my high school career whether it was a book report, an argumentative essay, or even a poem. Writing has always been challenging for me but I feel that I become better at it every day just by involving myself in the literacy all around me and using that to help me become more literate.
My literacy journey began when I was only three years old. At this age, my mom taught me about the alphabet and how letters represented sounds. By the time I had reached kindergarten, I was already reading at an impressive pace for a 5-year-old. My teacher, Ms. Ernste, recognized this and would eventually give me opportunities to read in front of my peers. These events helped me to gain confidence in speaking to and leading my classmates. As Elementary school went on, I continued to grow in my knowledge of the English language. By the time I was in 4th grade, I had taken a test that diagnosed that I was reading at a 12th-grade reading level. Whether or not this was an accurate representation of my comprehension, it was enough to give me immense confidence going onto the next chapter. Reaching middle school, it became obvious that English class was much different. Now, instead of looking just at the surface of a book and its contents, we would actually start to dig into the deeper meanings that the author may be trying to convey. Middle school English class with Mr. Sturgeon helped me grow as a writer as well. For the first time in my life, I was taught how to implement a consistent structure to my writing. Although this class led to many frustrations in the sixth grade, I came out a much better writer than I had ever imagined being at 11 years old. In my time in the Brandon Valley school district, I have grown my literacy skills from nothing to something and I am confident that it won’t stop here.
My literacy journey began when my parents would read to me before I went to bed. One of my favorite series of books that my parents would read to me was Magic Treehouse. The stories in these novels were exciting and imaginative. My mom would read these books with such enthusiasm and would make listening to her read very enjoyable. Then I began to read by myself, and loved when I could comprehend the adventures of novels on my own. In school, English teachers began to give writing tasks. The tasks required one to formulate their own arguments, stories, and informatives. My skills in writing and reading began to accelerate greatly because of these exercises. I started to gain interest in the health careers, and my writing became very fact based. I now write informative papers on diseases and their cures, medications, and the body systems. I also have to write reports on labs that I have performed, and what its data means for the experiment. This year in composition class, I hope to grow in my ability to write so that I will be able to communicate lab results in med school.
All throughout my childhood, I read a lot. Reading was my favorite pastime. All of the books taught me new words, growing my vocabulary. It all started with my mom frequently reading to me, even before I was in kindergarten. She taught me how to read, write, and, most importantly, formed my love of learning. Once I began school, my love for reading flourished even more. I loved English and reading classes, where I learned more about words, stories, and what everything meant. In second grade, I was even awarded for reading more books than anyone else in my class. I read everything from the Little House on the Prairie series to Harry Potter. I mostly read science fiction and historical fiction books. Writing is also something I enjoy because it allows us to have our own voice and produce our own stories. We have been told to write all kinds of essays and stories over the year. Writing narratives, persuasive essays, and book reviews have all helped us become more literate.
My literacy journey began before I could speak. My mom and dad would read to me every night before bed, instilling in me a love for books. One of my first memories is of my dad reading "Sleepy Bears" to me; it was my favorite bedtime story. Soon the reading turned into writing, and by the time I was two, I had already ruined one of the chairs in the living room by scribbling "RAT" on it with a permanent marker. When I got a little older, I would make up stories and write them down to show my family. In elementary school, my first grade teacher read the Magic Treehouse series out loud to our class. The Hunger Games trilogy became popular when I was in fifth grade, and by the end of middle school, I had read all of the books. Throughout high school, I have written mostly informative and persuasive essays. I know that my literacy journey is not done and that I will continue to become a better reader and writer every day.
I would say my literacy journey began when I was a small child. I didn't really like to read so my parents had to push me to do it. We would sit down and read picture books with only a few words on each page. I spent hours sitting just sitting there going page by page trying to sound out words and make sense of these picture books. When I went into elementary school we had reading goals that we had to meet in order to get an award at the end of each quarter. I still didn't enjoy reading very much so this gave me the motivation to keep reading through elementary school. As I went into middle school we no longer had reading goals but instead the teachers just made us read different books. I started to enjoy reading more during middle school because the books got more elaborate and had more meaning to them than the books I read in elementary school. We also started doing vocabulary in middle school. This helped improve my literacy by expanding the words that I can put into writings and allow me to understand more of what I am reading about. When I entered High school was pushed to write longer essays and read all different book. Unfortunately, I stopped reading books for enjoyment because I ran out of free time. So the only books I have read lately are the ones we read in class. Hopefully, this year I continue to expand my literacy skill so I am fully prepared for college.
Bowar 5 Even before most of us started schooling, we were being read to or trying to pronounce words that others would speak. Once we started to become educated on the language and how to speak it aloud, the door to literacy opened wide. Books became somewhat of a fascination. My parents would always read to me and then challenge me to read to them. My grandparents read to me when I visited and usually kept my favorites out for my return. As I started to expand my vocabulary, I was able to read all by myself. I read many books and series throughout my years. Everything from Magic Treehouse and Judy Bloom, to Divergent and Unbroken. Writing is something I’ve been told seems to come naturally to me. When I was younger I would write short stories about my toys or my family. These days, most of my writing is for school in the form of essays, poems, or blog comments.
My literacy journey began when I was just a little kid. My parents would read to me for 2 hours every day. They would take turns doing it, that’s how they spent time with me growing up. For preschool, they sent me to a private school nearby where I was read to even more. After my 6th birthday, I was able to read most things fluently, so I began to return the favor. I would babysit my cousins with my grandma. Any chance I got and would read them any book they brought to me. I had read some books so many times I had them memorized. It was a great thing to be able to read books to them and show them the magical worlds that are out there. I have a passion for reading and writing, not that I am very good. I have read the Harry Potter series three or four times. I have also written a few short stories, and I have always had the secret passion to become a writer. I hope that in this class I can improve my skills and maybe start to fulfill that dream.
Michael Poncelet 5 Type 150+ words about your literacy journey. How have you become so literate? Who has read to you? What have you read? What have you written?
I have became so literate by reading books that excite me and that I am very interested in. Otherwise, I would definitely not have read them. The list of people that have read to me is a very long list if I were to type them all. But the most significant person that has read to me would have to be my mom. My mom would spend hours a night reading little children's books to me. By the time that I could read I would read to her and she would read to me. My mom would read children's books to me like Rabbit Stew and much much more. I would want her to read the same book over and over and over every night because I liked the characters and the plot of the story. Obviously I did not know what plot was back then, I just like the story. I have not written much as of books or stories, I just write essays or short little stories that my teacher has assigned to me.
I have always loved reading. Starting out as a little kid, my mom would take me to the library after school a couple times a week and I would pick out close to 20 books I wanted to read. I remember vividly being in the reading class that was the grade above me all throughout elementary school. I’m not quite so sure who taught me, but I believe it is safe to assume that it was a combination of my parents, my preschool and kindergarten teachers, and various billboards and signs around our town. My mom and I used to sit down and read books together until I was old enough to read them on my own. I was also part of a program in middle school, where during lunch we would sit in the library and have books read to us by the librarian. I have always loved to read fantasy books, including Harry Potter, The Maze Runner, and The Book Thief. Although I loved reading in my free time, writing was never really my strong suit. I struggled with grammar and creating poor sentences all throughout school. I was also part of an iPad pilot program in Chicago in 7th and 8th grade, and because our grammar books didn’t work on the iPads we weren’t taught grammar. Reading has always been one of my favorite pastimes, but writing is something I’ve come to struggle with and dread.
How have I become literate? I suppose there are many ways but I think that the main factor is repetition. When I was little my parents would simply just say short things like baba, mama, dada that would get me associating words with sounds. Then as I got older they would go letter by letter holding these colorful flashcards that had animals that started with the corresponding letter. These got me to put together the sound and the shape of the letters which eventually led to writing. Along with these things my family read a lot. My mom ran an in-home daycare for a number of years so we had tons and tons of books floating around the house. She would read to me every night before bed as well. Soon after I wanted to be able to read books to her and through practice, I was able to read them all by myself. I could even read books to my three younger siblings. I don’t read books as much anymore but I have read a lot about preparing for the future and possible career fields. I used to be really into the Hunger Games and Harry Potter though! After reading and reading I wanted to create my own stories and this lead to writing. I have creatively written from time to time but mostly I have just written for school functions such as essays, poems, and short stories.
My literacy began as soon as I could start to talk as a young child. My parents read to me every night and eventually, they taught me to read those books. I think growing up has a tremendous role in how literate people become. If you are around speaking and writing a lot, you will gain a talent for it. If you are not around it as often, you may be behind people in terms of skill. Going into schooling, you learn the parts of writing and the rules of it. This allows you to learn how to create a piece of work that sounds intelligent and shows that you know what you’re talking about. My mother has been one the best writers in my life. She has taught me a great deal about writing and reading. If I needed help on a writing assignment, she would be the first person I would get help from. She opens my mind and thought process to new levels. My mother tells me to look at things in a different perspective and that allows you to lay out your thoughts in a vibrant fashion. That has been one of the most influential parts of my literacy and writing skills.
My literacy journey started at a very young age. I was the second born child so my parents started reading with me before I could even speak. I remember growing up with a cabinet full of books that my parents got my older brother. I spent many hours looking through that cabinet finding books that sparked my interest. My mom read all types of genres to me. Anything from nonfiction to fiction I loved! I quickly fell in love with realistic and science fiction. These two genres are what fueled my reading crave in elementary school and middle school. At a very young age, my favorite series to read was The Magic Tree House. Since my mom is a teacher she would always drop us off at the library and go up to her room to work. My brother and I would spend hours in the library soaking up knowledge through reading. By far my favorite series I read was Harry Potter. I fell head over heels for J.K. Rowling and her descriptive writing. I read the whole series in fourth grade in less than a month. Growing up I was a great reader but sometimes struggled to write. My mom quickly noticed this and made me practice every day during the summer. I used to dread writing but ended up somewhat enjoying it! In third grade, I even wrote a short story and entered it into a contest. I did not win but writing that story helped me enjoy writing more! I have many ideas in my head when writing and I am hoping this year I learn how to put them on a page well.
Harvison 5 Becoming literate in terms of reading as well as writing has been a long journey, one that is still not over with. To pinpoint where it originated from I would have to go back to when I was a young disobedient child. When I was a little kid, getting me to bed would be quite the challenge for my parents, however, usually, they could persuade me to lay down with a story. I’d pick a book every night from my bookshelf, often the same ones repeating, and would lay on my bed as my parents read it. After years of hearing stories read to me, I began wanting to be the one to read them myself. Nothing would change, I would still lay in my bed with my parents close by, except I would be the one reading. Then came school, where reading and writing no longer became a relaxing time, but rather a chore. This is how I felt about reading and writing until high school, where we were granted more literacy freedom and allowed to write how we wanted, not just with a prompt. This also reflects on my choice of books to read. With becoming older and taking certain classes along the way, I found books that related to topics I enjoy, for example, history with WWII books. At the point I’m at in my life right now, my literacy journey is an enjoyable path, however, there have been annoyances in the past, and there will surely be some in the future as well.
There are many ways a child becomes literate. In my opinion, I think I became literate throughout my schools years and my parents teaching me. I become literate because my teachers taught me how to read, write, have correct grammar, etc. I also became literate because every summer my parents made us read for one hour and do math problems for one hour every day in the summer. I feel like those two things really contributed to me becoming who I am today. One group of people who read to me were my teachers from Elementary to Middle school. Every time we would read a book in class in Elementary school we normally took turns and the teacher and students would read. Some other people who read to me were my parents. When I was younger my parents would read to me before I went to bed every night. The last group of people who read to me was my family(Grandpa, Grandma, cousins, etc). The read to me every time we would have holidays. We normally read things like a Christmas carol, fun holiday books, Dr. Seuss, etc. These books and my many teachers helped me become literate in today's world. Some books that I have read through the years that were my favorite would be The Great Gatsby, Divergent, Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and The Kite Runner. The things have written in the past years would be a remix of the Odyssey story freshman year, poetry, Great Gatsby essay, and my multiple story remix Sophomore year.
Scherb 5 My literary experience, as a child, started slow. When I was little, I had a lot of books in my room and my parents read to me often. When I started in elementary school, I hated reading. I was not a strong reader, and struggled to meet the reading goals. I remember having my teachers tell my parents that I needed to be reading every night to get better. My mom would take me to the library and have me pick out books I thought I would like. I practically refused to read until I switched schools to Brandon. Once I got to Fred Assam Elementary, I loved to read. I would beg my mom to get me chapter books from the library. In fourth and fifth grade, my reading level was always at least one if not two grades ahead. My love for reading continued into middle school and high school. I still love to read for fun and enjoy finding new books or series. My writing experiences were most likely the same as most other children. I learned to write in elementary school and we did some grammar and such in middle school. The first writing assignment I remember showing me how much I loved to write, was freshmen year in Mrs. Sittig’s honors English class. She had us add a short story into the Odessey and we had complete creative control. That short story was the first thing in High School that made me realize that writing was fun and not as hard as people had made it out to be. I continued writing in my other English classes and have realized I really enjoy writing and perfecting my essays and stories.
Brummels 5 The people that first started reading to me as a child were my parents. My grandparents and teachers have done some reading to me as well. In middle school, I read a lot of books and was into reading many series. I used to come to the library and pick out books every week using my own library card. As I have grown up, I have read many books in classes and written many essays to help become more literate. Reading and writing help a lot with our communication skills. Without these things, we wouldn’t be able to talk to each other very well. Over time, from reading and writing on my own to reading and writing in the classroom, I have become more literate. I am hoping that this class prepares me for college and other classes, later on. I know that my literacy will keep on improving throughout my college experience.
I, personally, would contribute my literacy to my days in elementary school. My parents did not have the ability to read in English because it was never something they had a chance to learn. I thought that the best way to learn was to go to the library and start with small, basic books. For example, The Very Hungry Caterpillar was the first book I remember reading completely on my own. Although, I can’t contribute my literacy solely to myself because I had great teachers who were willing to help along the way. Reading became my favorite past time and I started to become quite advanced for my age. My writing, however, can all be accredited to my teachers. Without hardworking, patient teachers I do not believe I would ever be able to construct a well-written document. I am still growing as a writer and still learn new techniques and ideas from my instructors to further improve my ability to write.
Literature has been a part of my life since before I was even born. My dad would read and sing to me while my mom was pregnant with me. In elementary school, I read “Junie B. Jones” like no other. My last year at Brandon Elementary was filled with the series “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”. I never wanted to put the books down. I received the first book for Christmas, and the obsession took off. I had to purchase a book every time the Book Fair came to our school and I participated in every book club the school had to offer. As I transitioned into middle school, my love for reading began to decline. I didn’t find reading amusing anymore. I was more into sports, music, and friendships, rather than expanding my vocabulary by reading novels. High school brought me back to appreciating books. My favorite book I have ever read is “Night” by Elie Wiesel. I read it in my English 10 class with Ms. Rowe. I am looking forward to increasing my abilities in literature so that I am prepared for college.
Laabs 5 I started reading at a young age. It started off with my mom signing my brother and me up for a book program. Every week we would get a new book in the mail to read. At the start, my mom read to us both and she pointed to the words as she said them out loud. My brother and I eventually caught on and we didn't need her help anymore. During elementary school and middle school, I didn't see AR reading as a chore or homework. I found out it’s kinda fun if you found the right book to read. I read a lot of science fiction and fiction books growing up. Once I reached high school I pretty much stopped reading and continued on doing other things. I eventually just didn't have time for reading. I have written a lot of essays for school but I haven't written outside of school much at all. At some point, I want to write a book about my outlook on life and how the world works through my eyes. It won't be something that I expect to be published. It will be more about expressing my thoughts and feeling down on paper and seeing what the outcome looks like.
I have become so literate because the people around me wanted the best for me. My mother wanted her children to grow up and have a good life. This meant that we needed to be able to read and write. When I was younger I always loved to read books. My mother and father would help me with the words I did not know. They would also read to me. When I would spend with my grandparents we would read all kinds of storybooks and nursery rhymes. My favorite books were by Dr. Seuss because of the fun pictures and made up words. Things that take the imagination to enjoy and understand are the best kinds of books. That’s why I now love science fiction books. They are my favorite because nothing like them has ever happened before. There are so many different kinds of science fiction stories. It amazes me how people can come up with stories that are so different, yet still categorized the same. I don't write unless I’m forced to in school. It's not necessarily something I am good at, so I just don't. I am excited to get better with my writing abilities in this class and to see how much my it grows. Maybe then I will write more often outside of school.
Keegan I have become so literate through being read to, reading, and writing many things in my life. My parents have been reading to and making me read ever since I was a baby. When we went on road trips they would have me read all the signs we came across. Around bedtime, my mom and I would read many books. The books started out small, but as I got older the books got much bigger. I started to learn how to read really well and stay away from a monotone voice. My parents started making me read to them and I remember them always correcting me for not having any excitement. Reading has helped me expand my English and overall knowledge. I enjoy reading but do not read as much as I used to. I used to read to pass time and for my enjoyment. My favorite series as a kid was the Percy Jackson series. I loved every one of those books and actually learned a lot from them. As of now, I read books more for learning and school purposes, but I still enjoy reading books.
The question is, “How have you become so literate?.” My answer to that is pretty simplex. I have always found a talent in writing without even knowing it. I have been told that I am very smart in the way I word things or convey my messages across to people. I’ve been told I have good word choice and positioning of words when portraying what ever I seem to be writing about. Even when it came to simple things like apologies or texts to someone, I would always be above and beyond, but also unique in the way I was saying it. I had never read books in elementary school or middle school unless it was mandatory in doing so. I would always find a path of boredom in doing things that involve books. I never really had a singular person or person(s) read to me. The only thing that I can remember is just in school read time, or reading books to other children. I don’t remember a specific book, just a series I used to read back in elementary school. The series was call Magic Tree House. Those books were so interesting to me at the time. I recall being on book 12 when I had stopped the reading binge. Well besides school things i have written letters to family members before, detailed birthday messages, influential messages to teammates, and love letters to my girl Carlee. Other than that im a typical, well or normal teenager being involved with learning how to use more proper writing tools for college.
Hailey Pieper 5 I have always loved to read. It has always been something I’ve enjoyed doing and I have been reading from a very young age. Before I was even born my mom told me she would read to me in the womb. Once I was born my mom and dad continued to read to me every night. We started off reading picture books like Dr. Suess; I specifically recall my dad reading me this big Scooby Doo picture book. As I got older I started to read the smaller chapter books like Junie B. Jones and The Magic Tree House books. My teachers growing up were also a big help with this because I remember them every day reading a chapter of a book to us while we followed along. As I continued to age, the books I read became bigger and bigger. I remember when I first read all the Harry Potter books I thought I was so cool that I could read that many pages. Now I enjoy reading Stephen King books and my favorite is "IT". I love to read because I find it interesting to learn about different lifestyles and experiences, but also to be transported to a different world is fascinating and it’s like watching a movie in your mind. I have become literate from growing up reading every day and from having teachers and parents that have taught me how to read. I haven’t written a whole lot outside of English class, but from that, I have written stories and journal entries. From elementary school to now we have always had to write something for English class. I don’t mind writing and find it kind of fun sometimes.
Bickley Pd.5 My parents and grandparents read to me from a very young age. I enjoyed the stories they told me, as well as the “movie” I could create in my head of the story being read. My mother is a first-grade teacher, so she always encouraged me to read. Although, my kindergarten teacher had the biggest impact on how I now am an avid reader. She had a love for reading that I eventually was able to capture. Reading was made intriguing through her kindergarten class. She had big books, pointers, and individualized book boxes that made it fun for our class. Ever since kindergarten, I have read in any spare time I could find. On the other end of the spectrum, I had to gradually become more acclimated to like writing. As a young kid in elementary school, I would write in the required journals for school. However, I never had a love for writing as much as I had for reading. Throughout my elementary school years, my teachers and my mom have helped me to become a fluent writer. They have shown me how to write from my head and my heart. The personalization along with the practice of writing has helped me to better appreciate it. Over the years, I have found that my favorite novels to read are romance and mysteries. Throughout those years, I have also discovered that I do not enjoy writing poetry. I prefer “free writes” or essays.
I achieved literacy from a young age when my mother used to read books to me like Clifford’s First School Day. I became so literate from a combination of my surroundings and my burning curiosity. I always used to wonder what these symbols meant. My mother and father read to me before my schooling years. To me, books felt like a pleasure and it never felt educational, at least when I was younger. Throughout my elementary years, I became interested in the Magic Treehouse series and the Harry Potter novels. Moving forward into my middle and high school years, I read what the teachers assigned me. My most recent reads have been novels like The Odyssey, Of Mice and Men, and The Maze Runner. In Middle and High school, I wrote more than I ever have before. I wrote what the teachers assigned to me. I never have minded writing, but I never wrote outside of the school setting. All of the reading and writing that I have done in the past have brought me to the level of literacy that I am at today.
My literacy journey started with my parents. They read me many books, helped me write, helped me read, and would send me to school so I could get better at it. The books that I remember reading the most with my parents are Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In elementary school I hated reading. The only books I wanted to read where the Cam Jansen books but they were never enough points to meet my AR goal. My parents forced me to read every night just so I could meet that goal, which is why I hated reading so much. In 7th grade, I started to enjoy reading. I think this was because it was the first year I wasn’t forced to read a lot, I could read at my own pace and when I wanted to. Nowadays I wish I could read more. I find that with homework, extracurricular activities, and work I don’t have time to read and when I do have some free time I usually want to go to sleep. Writing is a different story for me. I have always not enjoyed writing. When I write I never know what to write about or how to write it. My mind spends to much time trying to think of the perfect words and not just writing. This also means that when I think I am done writing something I have to go back many many times because it doesn’t make sense as one piece of writing. For these reasons the only time that I ever write is when I have to for school.
1 Erck My literacy journey began when I was young. I have a brother who is four years older than I am, and when he would have to study for his spelling tests I would often try to spell the same words and other words with him. I would get my own sheet of paper and a pencil, and try to write down the words he was spelling, or if they were too difficult I would ask my parents to give me a different word to spell. I’m sure he didn’t enjoy me pestering him and his studying, but I think that it helped me when I began to read on my own. When I was little, I loved reading and I still do. I read above my grade level in elementary school, and that led me to feel much more comfortable when reading and writing my own stories. I loved writing assignments when I was young and loved the creativity part of it. My family used to always joke with me when I was younger about how much I read, and although I don’t remember people reading to me very much, I’m sure they did. I have written poems and different essays for competitions throughout my schooling. When I was in fifth grade, I wrote a poem about being a nurse for a competition through SDSU and got second place. In seventh grade, I wrote a poem and was featured in a poetry book with many different students around the country. Otherwise, I have just written essays and poems for school use. The only thing I do not enjoy about reading in school is that the books are assigned to me. I understand that you have to read them, I just find it more difficult to read books I did not personally pick out myself. I still love reading and writing and am hoping to get a lot out of these classes for college as a writer.
How did I begin the journey of my literacy, you ask? My grandmother comes to mind when I think about first beginning to read. From the time I was two years old, she would read to me out of the same book that she read to my mother and aunts. Sometimes I would call her on the phone just to hear her read the same story again. This sparked my own love of reading and as I got older, I began to challenge myself with more difficult books. In recent years, I have not had much time for leisure reading because of the workload in past classes, but over the summer I try to set aside at least small amount of time for reading. On the other hand, I have not been someone to write very much. Outside of English classes over the years, my only writing consists of journaling on the rare occasion. I use this as a space to let out any frustrating or exciting parts of my day.
Burchill5 I’m literate because it comes easily to me. As a child, reading a book was no problem. I had words too; frankly, they never stopped coming out of my mouth, so I should think that putting them on paper wasn’t all too difficult. My mother must have read to me, along with my first-grade teacher and probably my kindergarten teacher. In elementary school, I liked to write stories about made up heroes. “The Adventures of…”, “Super...”, “ ...and the Evil…” those kinds of things. Middle School became the beginning of reflectional writing. In middle school, I liked to write about an everyday student who represented me, but usually had things that I wanted during that age, such as great friends, cool hair, girlfriend, and a humorous personality. In high school, I still enjoy writing personal reflections of what I’m thinking, but I don’t like to put my life into a sick illusion. I write realistically, the world isn’t perfect, I’m not, and I feel that it’s important for me to reflect on how I actually am feeling so I know how to respond to life and relationships. Writing is fun as you make it, and to me, it’s just fine.
My literary journey began as a small child looking at picture books while my mom or dad read to me. Even though I had no idea what they were saying at such a young age, reading books with them was one of my favorite things to do. All throughout elementary school, my mom would take me to the library and the bookmobile for special kid story times or programs they were having. This made reading fun for me and helped me to continue to discover my reading abilities. One series, in particular, I remember reading in my late elementary years was The Hunger Games. This was one series I was extremely intrigued by and led me to keep reading throughout middle and high school. I think my parents played a big role in my childhood with helping me to become so literate today. As I grew better at reading every day, I began to write and share my own voice. Discovering the impact I could leave with my words led me to write every day, from my assigned essays in class to my daily journal I keep. I spend a lot of time composing my thoughts and ideas to create something I am very proud of.
How did I begin the journey of my literacy, you ask? My grandmother comes to mind when I think about first beginning to read. From the time I was two years old, she would read to me out of the same book that she read to my mother and aunts. Sometimes I would call her on the phone just to hear her read the same story again. This sparked my own love of reading and as I got older, I began to challenge myself with more difficult books. In recent years, I have not had much time for leisure reading because of the workload in past classes, but over the summer I try to set aside at least small amount of time for reading. On the other hand, I have not been someone to write very much. Outside of English classes over the years, my only writing consists of journaling on the rare occasion. I use this as a space to let out any frustrating or exciting parts of my day. Reposting because I realized my name didn't safe the first time.)
I believe my literacy journey began the day I was born. I was subconsciously beginning to learn language skills by hearing the people around me for years. My journey continued through the early parts of my childhood when my parents would read to me. I can remember my parents reading short stories to me each day, and then they would later pass that task on to my daycare provider. This simple act set the foundation for my communication and reading skills. As I began school, my literacy would only continue to grow. I would learn things every day, consciously or not, from listening to and watching the largest components of the journey, my teachers, and peers. I loved when I was able to read books like “Junie B. Jones” all by myself and it would make me feel so successful to understand bigger books with more comprehensive aspects. As I moved through school, that feeling of success would follow me through each step. The skills I developed through reading were the basis of my developing writing skills that would later be required of me. The first time I wrote a story in elementary was very short and basic, but in the last school year, I was able to write a coherent essay using so many different writing techniques. I have become literate through a variety of ways, and I will continue to progress on my literacy journey for the rest of my life.
Education has always been the priority in my household, largely influenced by my mother. As a teacher, she believed that education was important and that it would open many doors for me throughout my life. She passed this belief onto me and it has drastically impacted my life and formed me into who I am today. This emphasis on education has driven me to be a better student. Reading has come easily to be throughout my years of school; regardless, my mother used to have me read and study words each night to fully comprehend all my schoolwork. At the time, I may have resented studying when I could have been playing with dolls, but I am now extremely grateful to my mother for this. My mother used to read to my sisters and I every night before bed. Our favorite series to read was Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books, which we reread countless times. Because my mother read to me during my childhood, I grew to enjoy reading more as my schooling progressed. In elementary school, my favorite series was Harry Potter, and I have read it many times since. Although reading has played a large role in my life, I have always disliked writing. Writing has never been something I liked to do, so I only write when I am required for school.
Graber 7 There are many people and tools that have contributed to my literary knowledge. I remember when I was younger my mother bought me a LeapFrog. This device read to me and allowed me to click on words to hear them. It joined education with fun and those two factors ultimately made me want to read. This tool was very influential in my journey to becoming the reader I am today. My mom and dad have also contributed to my literary experience. My mom would take me to the library almost daily and let me pick out books. My favorite books were picture books with very little words. I felt so special and responsible! I would sit on the crisp floor of the SiouxLand Library and amaze my mom with what little I knew. She would correct me sometimes, but she mainly encouraged me. My dad would read to me every night before bed. I had the books memorized in just a few weeks. Yes, dad, I know when you skipped sentences. :) From there I would participate in summer reading challenges at the library and compete for prizes. It was so fun!
My literacy journey began when I was a young child, influenced by my grandfather. As a former teacher and business owner, he believed, that my education was at the top of his priority because he never got the best one growing up. He wanted me to use all the new tools I was given to become a well-educated person and to be ready for the workforce someday. We used to read books about many different topics some about fairy tales, folktales, and some with not so happy endings. He wanted to show me that life wasn’t like a fairytale and not everything was going to work out for me. Also that he wanted me to become a hard worker in life and not get everything handed to me. I have written many essays about varieties of topics in school, none that interest me very much. The letters or essays that I enjoy writing the most are the ones where I get to personalize them and make them about my life experiences.
Literacy has been something we have been improving since the time we were deemed illiterate. The people around us at the time we were first learning how to form words and sentences instilled in us the literacy they have acquired over the years. They do this by reading stories and simply having a conversation in our presence. We later began our years of schooling only excelling our literacy further. In our earlier years, they taught us the alphabet, how to write our letters, and how to read books. Throughout our later years of school, our teachers taught us the correct grammar usage, how to write fluid sentences, and how to use common English sentence structure. All of which strengthened our literacy and brought us to the next level. We were also given assignments by those teachers to write things on our own, such as essays, poetry, and short stories. This urged us to find our own understanding of literacy. From the moment we were born to this very moment, we have been on our literacy journey and we will continue to better our literacy as time continues.
I have found myself interested in writing ever since I was little. One Christmas break when I was little my sister and I worked on a Christmas play to perform to our family. We spent many days working on it. When that was finished we loved writing it so much we decided to write another one the next year. Take note we never performed these plays because Jada was too scared to. Sometimes we would pretend we worked in an office and write random things. Before school started each year, I remember I would just get so excited to learn so I would start reading and writing poems. When I was in elementary school, the librarian introduced me to one of my favorite books, Cracker. I would spend hours in my room after school reading it. My sister fell in love with it as well because of my recommendation. My love for writing and reading has mostly been because of my sister I believe. She has just been a huge part of my life and I’ve always just wanted to impress her with my skills. Lately I have not been writing anything because I have not been inspired. But, when I am inspired, I love to sit outside on my deck and write a story, poem, or whatever comes to mind.
Johnson 7 I became literate at a very young age. My mother is a stay at home mom who does daycare so growing up I was always around kids my age and we always had reading time before lunch and before nap time which I think helped me grow into reading. Reading books and being literate has always come pretty easily to me and I have always been reading books that are ahead of my level of where I am supposed to be. However, I never really was a fan of just reading for fun or because I enjoyed it, I would only read at school if it was mandatory because otherwise reading was just really boring for me. There is one series that I did enjoy and that was the Harry Potter series because they were very long and they used very intense vocabulary which helped push my thinking to be broader and it really challenged me unlike any other books had before. I read all the books in the series and after that, I really never read many books or other series because they were not as interesting and made me bored really fast. Throughout school, I have written plenty of essays and letters but I am not a huge fan of writing so I do not do it very often unless I am required to in a certain class.
I believe I have become literate mostly because of my grandma and my mom. My grandma and mom both love to read, and when I was younger I would always see and watch them read. I think I learned partly by example, and partly just from my personality. I have always enjoyed reading, and used to be advanced at it. When I was younger and just learning how to read I would use one of my moms books and find all the words I knew, and even try to learn new ones. Once I got to elementary school I was usually ahead of my other classmates in the levels, and reading a couple grade levels above. I don’t think I have been read to much, but my dad used to read me the same two books every night when I was young. I’ve read all different kinds of books but I think my favorite genre is science fiction. For some reason the supernatural stuff really interests me, and always have. In 4th grade I used to read all the Grimm Sisters Fairytale books, and now I’m on a trilogy called Brilliance. I’ve never been super big into, I always felt it was difficult for me to write things with a good flow, or know the right words to put together. Most of my writing has been essays and papers for school.
I think that I became literate at a young age because of my family. My parents read to me every night before I went to bed when I was very young. I enjoyed listening to my parents read to me, even if was only short little books like Goodnight Moon. My brother is two years older than me, so when he learned to read, I wanted to learn how to read as well. Teachers in school also helped me learn how to read by giving me books they thought I would like. In first grade, my favorite book series was Junie B. Jones because those were the first chapter books I could read on my own. As I grew older, I started reading the Harry Potter books and I think those books were a huge part of why I enjoyed reading so much growing up. I haven’t written anything outside of essays or stories that I was required to write for school, but I think writing is also an important part in a literacy journey.
I have become very literate through the 18 years of my life. This reason being is that I’ve had a very good schooling program here at Brandon Valley. The funny thing is that I hate reading and writing. I never do these things unless I am told by a teacher. I also have to give credit to my parents for teaching me the basics of reading and writing. They taught me the alphabet and told me what letters make what sounds. My parents would always tell me stories when I was little or read me books to help me learn different types of words. Writing is always fun when you can write about something you’re passionate about. Most people have that problem. They hate writing because they’ve never actually written about something that they are passionate about. I am looking forward to being in this class because I know it will help me expand my literacy and also better my writing skills.
TeKrony 7 One of the main reasons I have become so literate is through my family members. When I was in kindergarten, after school I would spend my time at my grandparents' house till my parents were off work. Every day we would do my homework and then they would read to me. They had a huge variety of books that always kept me interested. Some of my favorite books that they read to me were by Dr. Suess. My sister Morgan would also read to me a lot. She is two years older than me so she was better at reading than I was. She would always sit by me and read me some of the books she checked out from the library at school. Another reason I have become literate is through school. There was always a mandatory amount of books you had to read during the school year. After being forced to read during school, I actually started to enjoy reading. A lot of the books I read in middle school and elementary school were from A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Magic Tree House, and Junie B. Jones. Now I like reading books by Nicholas Sparks in my free time, which isn’t very often anymore. Whenever I write anything it is most likely for school. I don’t enjoy writing as much as I do reading. However, I am hoping that this year I will better myself in writing and also make more time for reading.
Ever since day 1 of my kindergarten school year I have been learning how to comprehend the English Language. I remember starting off easy by learning how to properly spell and pronounce 3-4 letter words like "Cat." From there my classroom activities consisted of singing the Alphabet in the mornings, reading short stories with my peers, and later writing my own stories. Thanks to the help of my mother reading me whatever book I wanted before bed, I have gained this much needed skill. By the time I was in 5th grade teachers were making students create their own short stories like those we had read before. We would make "sloppy copies" for one another to edit/proof read which in turn taught us about grammar errors that everyone accidentally makes. What I can recall writing about is of fairy tale stories with lots of talking animals similar to the Narnia novels. Those being my favorite kind of books to read I would take inspiration from. My love of animals and unlimited freedom to create something of my own nature gave me excitement. Encouraging guidance from my parents and school made me literate along with the everyday reading one needs to get through the day.
I become more and more literate as I age, but it all started when I was a young child. Every night before bed I was read a bedtime story by my parents which gave me an opportunity to look at words and pictures as well as hear the words being said. During the story time, I would put everything together and I would figure out how to read words and what they meant with pictures. I started reading simple children books in daycare, only because I had to. I then grew up and found out that I don’t really enjoy reading, because of that I would only read the summaries of books just to get me through the test. When it came to high school, however, I started reading books again because I found out that the summaries just weren’t in-depth enough to pass the tests. Reading words did help me learn to spell words and put them together to make a message clear. Starting in elementary school when I got my first phone I started composing text messages to friends and family. The texts then grew into essays in middle school, leading me now to papers in high school. Now that I look at it everything thing I have read or written in my 17 years of life has made me become a more literate person.
Reading and writing has been a part of my life almost since birth. My parents have been reading to me and speaking around me my entire life. As my parents spoke to me my brain began to make connections with words and objects. The connections soon developed far enough that with practice I was able to repeat what i was hearing which allowed me to communicate with the world in a way that i hadn’t been able to before. I then learned that these words that I was speaking can be placed on a page so that i can communicate with someone without the need to speak at all. My ability to write these words has grown much over the years due to various things. School has helped me to compose these words in such a way that I am able to communicate clearly with others what I am attempting to say. Reading has been another reason that I can contribute to my degree of literacy today. If it wasn’t for me reading different words that I at first didn’t understand, my vocabulary would be much weaker than it currently is and i would not be as literate as i currently am. Reading has also helped me understand how words can flow and complement each other in different ways. All of these aspects have led to the degree of literacy that I currently possess today.
Kocer: Throughout my life, there have been many people who have helped me become literate. Starting at a young age, my mom would read to me almost every day. Eventually, I would begin to read to her. During the summer, she would bring me and my brothers to the library every week where we would check out our own books to read and sometimes listen to others read. My mom wasn’t the only one to help peak my interest in books. My grandma and sometimes my aunt would read me many books. For my birthday or Christmas, I would often receive books as presents. Many of my elementary school teachers made reading enjoyable with designated times to read around the room in bean bags. Also, in class, the teacher would read to us or we could read in groups. One of my favorite book series in elementary school was the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. I have also written many papers ranging from my third-grade poems to my high school speeches and essays.
How have I become so literate? My parents have read to me for a very long time. When I was very young, they read children’s books from authors, such as Dr. Suess. When I reached elementary school, I began to read my first chapter books with the help of my parents. By the time I was in 2nd grade, I read my first short chapter book on my own. When I was in 4th and 5th grade, I graduated to longer books, such as the Harry Potter series (which was a favorite at the time). Throughout middle school and high school I have read books assigned in school, and I have also read a handful of books for my own enjoyment. I started to enjoy writing at a very young age. My writing skills blossomed at some point during the 2nd grade. My teacher (Wanda Logan) encouraged me to continue writing because she believed that I had to the writing level of a 5th grader at the age of 7, which gave me a drive to keep writing. I have written a number of essays and research papers throughout middle school and high school. Out of many writings, I think the most enjoyable papers to write are informational papers. I love researching topics and then providing the readers with understandable information without making the amount of information too overwhelming. I have become so literate from the help of my parents and teachers throughout the years.
As a baby, my parents would constantly read and sing to me. I think that that was where my literacy all began. I was constantly absorbing the words that my parents would say and read to me. Before I was old enough to attend school, my dad would read comic books with me on the couch. Going to school and doing my homework also assisted in my understanding of literature. During my elementary school years, I loved reading. My favorite book series was Harry Potter and I read that series more than once. Another popular series that I read during elementary school was Magic Tree House. I also had my teachers reading to me in class and helping me write letters to my parents for school projects. Another thing that I think helped me strengthen my understanding of literature is signing up for and taking honors English classes in high school. I think that those classes helped me a lot because of how much writing we had to do with essays and poems. For example, I had to write an essay comparing The Odyssey to the movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? We used a variety of literary tactics to help us compose the essays and I feel like I have a better understanding of literature because of it. I enjoy writing and am looking forward to the opportunity of improving my writing this semester.
My literacy journey began at a young age as my parents frequently read small picture books to me. As I grew older, I began taking over the daily task of reading. My parents would correct my mistakes but somehow alwasy tried to make this time a fun experience for me. I always loved Dr. Suess, likely because of the creativity and color that went into each story. The picture books slowly turned into longer, harder books. I remember reading the Junie B. Jones series and even had the first page memorized starting with "My name is Junie B. Jones.." . I read nearly all of this series until I outgrew them. Reading was becoming easier and easier and eventually I was reading the Hunger Games series as well as many others. However, during my late Elementary and Middle School years I began to hate reading and writing. I dreaded attending these classes and they even began to frustrate me. I frequently had trouble finding books I was interested in and took very few visits to the library. My writing consisted of whatever my teachers assigned and nothing more. Today reading and writing is still not my favorite subject and certainly not my best, but I have started to find an interest in it. I have started to find a passion for literature again and now see the significance and beauty of it. I will continue my literacy journey for the rest of my life and hope one day I will fully rekindle my love for literature that I once had.
Kellogg 7 I have become very literate throughout my life in many ways. I have always loved to read, even when I was very young and I couldn’t read well. I was fascinated with books to the point where I would pick them up and just flip the pages, pretending I was reading. Every day in 6th grade for about 2 weeks, I would walk into Mrs. Grieve’s 6th-grade classroom and pick up the next book in the Series of Unfortunate Events collection. I would read the book for that day, finish it, and grab the next book on the morning of the next day. My parents never did read to me as a child. I always just read things by myself or to them and they would help me with the words that I couldn’t pronounce or didn’t know the meanings of. I have read many a book series including all Percy Jackson books, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Goosebumps, Magic Tree House, The Boxcar Kids, Diary of A Wimpy Kid, Little House on the Prairie, Junie B. Jones, and more. I have read many books not within a series as well. Books by Ruth Ware, Agatha Christie, John Green, Paula Hawkins, Beth Revis, along with others. When I was younger, I used to write stories constantly and was fairly good at it. For a time, I wanted to be an author of some sort. I was told by certain relatives that I have beautiful descriptions and was a talented writer, which fueled the fire for awhile. English classes have always come naturally to me in the ways of grammar and writing. I have written letters to my aunt Jules in Kansas, and am still writing them today. This has been going on for maybe 6 years now. I continue to write to her rather than texting just because we think it’s more fun this way.
My journey to literacy commenced as a very small child, perhaps smaller than most. The slow, rhythmic words of Dr. Suess flowed from mother’s mouth into my ears, lulling me to sleep. “One-fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.” By the time I understood these strange combinations of noise, I had developed an appetite for them. Frequent trips to the Brandon library fueled the addictions of an avid reader such as I. Subsequently, I graduated from the nonsensical masterpieces of Dr. Suess and latched on to new prey like a thirsting parasite. Knowledge sucked from a vast array of non-fiction works adorned the inner workings of my adolescent mind with very enjoyable, albeit useless scientific facts. Upon entering the teenage years, my hunger for science had been satiated and I fixed my gaze to fantastical worlds of adventure, mythology, and history. The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy enthralled me for longer than most, standing in my memory as the best series I have read to date. Delving into writing on occasion, I was infuriated by my inability to transplant the whimsical worlds of my mind to paper. The only evidence of my attempts was tattered and buried in the dark recesses of the trash bin. Today, I find most interest in dystopian novels such as “Brave New World,” but still harbor a frustration with my lack of writing tact.
Growing up I was antisocial. I never really liked to go outside, so I emerged myself in movies and books. My mom was/is an elementary teacher and she emphasized on how important reading is. In elementary school, I excelled the average literacy rate for my class every year and had the opportunity to read higher level books. I also believe that not only did reading help me become so literate, but when watching something like the Harry Potter series you have to stay focused and remember every detail in order to get the ending. After watching and reading everything there is to offer, one would think that I would be a great writer––i’m not. I often struggle with writing essays in school because it never really comes from the heart. It’s always based on research and there is always a guide that you have to follow that makes it confusing. But I have been told that in birthday letters or in a journal my mom forced me to have, I can put words into perspective. I would love to only read books in this class, but I know I need to understand and learn how to write too.
Eifert pd 7 How have I become so literate? My aunt kelsey is who I can thank for literacy. As a young student in elementary I struggled most with reading and writing causing me to fall behind in school. My aunt seen my struggle and told me that she would make sure that I don’t fall behind, and that I become the best reader I can be. Everyday after school from 3rd grade all the way to 5th my aunt would come to my house and read to me. I would pick out the book most the time, but sometimes she would suggest a book that she loved when she was my age and read that to me. We started out with a book series called Biscuit that was about a dog who would go on many adventure. These books were very simple and taught the basics of reading. Once I got to fourth grade my aunt began to introduce chapter books to me, and she suggested that I try the Junie B. Jones books series, as that was what she read at my age. I absolutely loved these books as the little girl in the books reminded me of myself. Fourth grade was also the year that we began reading books, and having to take test over them. My aunt helped me by having me read a chapter to her and after each chapter she would ask me questions on what happened, and ask about small details in the chapter. This helped me tremendously because now I would think a little more about the book as I read it. I started to notice that I could read just as fast as everyone in my class finally, and I wouldn’t mispronounce words as often as I used to. Once I got to fifth grade we now had to right journals, type papers, and we had spelling test. I struggled a lot because I realised how bad I was at coming up with things to write and I was horrible at spelling words. My aunt came up with a plan, she had me write all my spelling words 10 times in a row then she would quiz me on them every single night until my test on Friday. She would also spend time with me writing paper, and often she’d make it seem super fun to write. She showed me that there isn’t really a wrong way to writing as long as you make the reader really enjoy reading it. By the end of fifth grade I became a pro at reading and writing. Without my aunt I would have never became the hard working student I am today, and I wouldn’t of found my love for books. She is who I thank for making me become so literate.
Ellingson: I understand someone’s literacy journey usually begins with their parents reading to them. When I was a little girl my parents read at least three books to me before I’d fall asleep. Soon enough, it was me who was reading to them. My mom would find me setting up my stuffed animals and reading to them like the teacher did to my class. When my sister Kazi was born reading was something we could do to bond together. During elementary school when we had our “AR” goal, I’d read all the time to try and have the highest points in the class. In my elementary and middle school years, I had gotten to know the librarian well and she would show me an interesting book series. I have read all of the “Divergent” and “Hunger Games” books, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and many others. At night during the summer, I sometimes sat in my hammock and read my mom’s old Danielle Steel books. I have become so literate from being read to, reading to others, in school, and reading just for fun. My friends and I used to write little stories and plays together. I enjoy reading and writing and I’m excited to learn how to polish my thoughts better and study new books this semester.
My journey to literacy began when I was exceedingly young; my dad was reading Winnie the Pooh stories to me before I was even out of the womb! Throughout the rest of my childhood and into early elementary school, my mom taught me to read from a combination of reading to me and eventually teaching me using a book she had bought. Being homeschooled greatly facilitated my journey to being able to read well. I began to love it so much that I would not only complete my reading for school but also read various different stories in my free time. I was never much of a writer throughout elementary and middle school, but I absolutely devoured books. Some of my favorites include(d) books by Dr. Seuss, the Magic Tree House series, and, later, The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Ranger’s Apprentice series, and The Martian. As aforementioned, I really began focusing on writing my freshman year of high school. Hence, I am much newer to writing well than I am to reading well. However, even in that short time, I have come to particularly enjoy persuasive and argumentative essays. I am still developing many of my writing skills, but I do tend to enjoy it and I hope to improve significantly in my last year of high school and going into college.
My literacy journey was a struggle. I don’t ever remember my parents reading to me when I was a little kid, I just assumed the did. The one thing I know for sure was that my grandma and grampa read to me all the time when they would come over. When I started school though my parents figured out that I couldn't see the words on the pages and because of this I couldn’t put the letters with sounds to make words. Once I got glasses though reading became easier, at this time I was already behind the other kids in school. I was enrolled in other programs to help me read and understand English as a whole. My parents got me tutors that would make me read out loud to them so I would continue to get better at reading and pronouncing words. I didn’t just read to a tutor though. My parents would make me read every book out loud to them, most of these books were from the Junie B. Jones series. After getting help for Reading and English, the classes became a little easier again. When it came to writing it was a train wreck. I was already behind in reading skills, so to start writing was like learning another language. I didn’t understand grammar (still don’t know some of it today) so when I had to write essays in school I failed terribly. I do not remember what I wrote about I just know the outcome was not good. I am working my hardest though to do everything I can to get better in Reading and English because I know when I get to college it will be a helpful tool. I am also excited to learn how to write better this year so I can be prepared for the future.
My journey of becoming literate has not always been an easy one. I must admit I do not remember being taught how to read and write. However, there are a few things I can recollect from a young age pertaining to my success in reading. The Biscuit series, about a little yellow dog, was always my favorite. I remember finding them in the elementary school library and being in awe. When I found out that the authors' name was Alyssa, like me, I fell in love even more. I’m not entirely sure if I was read those books by someone or if I read them myself, but they were number one in my heart. As elementary school progressed I had improved on my reading skills but not well enough. I was the student who always fell behind in our reading goals. Making me push myself even more to read. Doing so by checking out bigger books from the library and reading as much as I could. I worked hard in training myself to be able to read well. Unfortunately today, reading has not been a favorite task of mine. I am fully capable of reading things, but not as fast as other students. For example, in class, when the teacher gives us a little bit of quiet time to read a paragraph or two in a textbook before moving on, I read only halfway through before we continue on. In order to retain all of the information, I have to read slowly and carefully, or else my mind will wander. The thrill of stories are amazing and I wish I would read more frequently. Often times I begin a book, and never finish it. During middle school, I would try to pick up some books such as the Fault in Our Stars, my favorite novel. However, the only novels I read now are those that are assigned through school. Even then, if I’m able to, I listen to an audiobook of the novel while following along. Some people may look down on audiobooks, but it’s the only way I can focus. Without it, I will read paragraphs multiple times in a book and never actually understand what it is saying, or begin to think about something else going on in my life. I admire the people who are constantly reading. Though I know I will never be one of those people, I am still proud of the accomplishments I have made in my ability to read.
My journey to becoming literate started when I was young. My parents read to me starting at a very young age. They also started to teach me letters and words at a young age to get me ready for school. My mom is a second grade teacher so she mostly taught me. When I started school is when I really started to learn to read and write. Once I got the hang of reading, I started reading all the time. I read out loud to my cat, my little brother, and anybody who would listen. My mom likes to read a lot, so when she would sit in the living room and read, then I would sit in the living room and read. When I was younger my mom would pick out my books for me. She would pick out books she liked when she was little, and books that kids in her classes liked. When I started being able to read higher level books she would pick out books that she really enjoyed. She did this so that I would always have something interesting to read, and so that I would consider to read throughout the summer. She also signed me up for all of the library reading challenges to keep me engaged. Currently, reading is one of my favorite things to do in my free time.
Amanda pd. 5 My journey to becoming literate started when I was young. My parents read to me starting at a very young age. They also started to teach me letters and words at a young age to get me ready for school. My mom is a second grade teacher so she mostly taught me. When I started school is when I really started to learn to read and write. Once I got the hang of reading, I started reading all the time. I read out loud to my cat, my little brother, and anybody who would listen. My mom likes to read a lot, so when she would sit in the living room and read, then I would sit in the living room and read. When I was younger my mom would pick out my books for me. She would pick out books she liked when she was little, and books that kids in her classes liked. When I started being able to read higher level books she would pick out books that she really enjoyed. She did this so that I would always have something interesting to read, and so that I would consider to read throughout the summer. She also signed me up for all of the library reading challenges to keep me engaged. Currently, reading is one of my favorite things to do in my free time.
I have not always been so literate. My parents read to me when I was younger. I loved this little book with a poem called “Over in the Meadow” that my parents would sing. My sisters and I loved this book when my parents read it to use before we went to bed at night. I was in speech from kindergarten to 4th grade because I could not pronounce s or r. I pronounced spoon as “poon”. I struggled with this for quite some time and now I hear it now and then in my speech. I think that I really came more literate when I started reading more often. The Ruby Red Trilogy was my favorite series when I was in 6th grade and still is today. I love the way the author just plots out the story in the series. It is just a different point of view in literature for me. It impressed me at the time how the main character, Gwendolyn Shepherd, thoughts were similar to my own thoughts. I started reading more after this series because I understood what it was like to have fun and read. Also, I have written a lot in class and last year for band I wrote to letters to all the trumpet line member for being such a great section. Their responses to the letters were amazing. Some gave hugs, thank yous, awws, and much more. It just warmed my heart to show them I appreciate them and they feel the same way as I do too. I love writing and reading in many different ways. I hope to learn more about my writing this year too.
Growing up I was not always the most literate but eventually, I became much more skilled. When I was young my mom and dad read to me a lot but my favorite thing was always when my grandma read a book titled, "Rolie Polie Olie." This book was based on a children's cartoon tv series. I remember every time I visited my grandma I insisted that she read that book to me. My grandma still brings me books to read that she gets from the local treasure chest in her town. She brings me a lot of sports-based books. The book I am currently reading is, "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis. Another great sports book I have recently read is called "The Final Four" by Paul Volponi. I have learned most of my writing skills from my dad. I usually go to my dad to edit papers or letters I write and while he critiques it I try to pick up on the tips he gives me and apply it on my own. In the past, I wrote a lot of letters to my pen pale from South Africa. With the very little experience I have with writing I hope to get much better at it this year.
113 comments:
Oren 1
How have I become so literate? I think that my solid foundation began with my parents and siblings reading to me as a child. Around bedtime, my family would always let me pick and choose whatever book I wanted to be read, and read it to me. Eventually, we transitioned into having me read the books to them, but at that point, we took a step back in the difficulty of the material. I still remember learning what all of the punctuation marks meant, and I get a kick out of what I did when I came around to a comma or exclamation mark. Whenever I found a comma, I would take a good three-second pause before continuing on to the next word just to show my mom or sister that I knew what it meant. On the other hand, whenever I would find an exclamation mark, I would go back and reread the sentence, but this time I would shout it with as much excitement as I could fit into my little voice. When I was little I read mostly children’s books, and my favorite book was about a child trying to sleep but finding a monster in his closet, and trying to scare the monster away before he could return to sleep. Throughout grade school and into middle school I started to thoroughly enjoy reading fiction/fantasy novels and had a blast reading the Fablehaven series. The only other person in my family that like fiction/fantasy is my oldest sister, Grace, and she recommended that I read a trilogy called the Bartimaeus trilogy, which I read, and later my dad did too. I don’t think I’ve ever tried to write a book, but I have written several short stories as a kid. My friend and I wrote a little mini-series that we eventually printed out and stuck to the refrigerator. If I remember right, we wrote about a wizard that went on a journey through a land called Wakanda (before Black Panther made it cool).
Nathan Popp
When I was in elementary and middle school, I read a lot. I read more books than any other student in my class, and I was pretty proud of it. I read to learn and to pass the time, and in doing so I increased my reading ability profoundly. When I was very young, my parents would read to me and eventually, I would read to them. Pretty soon, there were some words that I knew how to spell that my parents were stuck on! Unfortunately, when I entered high school, time got the best of me and there was little time for reading. I have not had the time now like I did in my younger years, and I wish I could spend more time reading and learning more about the world. None the less, the reading that I did when I was younger certainly did help me in the future with many classes and assignments. In my mind, reading books not only help you become a better reader and writer, but it also helps you in all other classes as well as even further on in life.
Rima Pd.1- I have become so literate by reading, writing, and listening in school and in my free time. As a child, my grandparents would take me to the library at least once a week and we would sit and read all types of books. My Parents also read to me every night before bed which I believe has helped me the most to become literate. Throughout my life, I have read many types of books, articles, and essays; however, my favorite is fiction novels. Since I was young I have been a writer. I have always loved to write stories and poems. In fourth grade, I wrote a veteran's poem that won a contest and was presented at the VFW. I also won a poetry contest in 7th grade, in which my piece was put into a book with many other works of poetry. I currently still write a small amount of poetry but I spend most of my time writing essays for class.
Kolbeck 1 I used to see Wilma Kirkeby in the middles school library every day except Friday in middle school. She recommended all sorts of books and I read every one she gave me. It is partly because of her that I have become so literate. The main reason is that I have always loved reading even if I have not read as much recently. My favorite genre is non-fiction, with magic or supernatural as its subgenre. I have read most of Rick Riordan, J.K. Rowling, and numerous others. If I had to pick a favorite series then it would be Harry Potter, I've read the books at least ten times over and still read them. However, my favorite book of all time is "Ender's Game". It was written by Orson Scott Carroll and it is the only book I have read by him at the moment. All of my literary adventures have been by myself, I have never had anyone read to me past my young childhood. It is unfortunate to say that I have not written anything past essays for school. I do not have any interest in writing but I am curious to see what will happen to my interests as I go through this class.
We've become so literate through the years from all our past experiences. For most of us, our parents have been reading to us ever since we were very little. I have read a lot and have had a lot of practice through all our school years. In school, we are required to take English classes which force us to work on our literacy skills. Reading and writing both help our literacy skills. I have read many books in and out of class. By reading books, it helps our communication and literally skills. I have also written essays in the past for classes and that helps us understand the structure of sentences better. Through all the years we build a better understanding of how sentences and words work together. The more practice we get the better understanding we have. I am much more literate now than I was 10 years ago.
Ever since we were babies, before we could talk we were listening to words and most likely trying to understand them. My parents would read books to me when I was very little that were very simple and I would start to understand simple words and sentences. Once I got into elementary school my teachers would read to me and as the years went by I understood more words and sentences. Once I started to understand what I was hearing I could start reading things. I remember the first books I started to read in elementary school were the "Magic Tree House" books. Then I would progress to longer more challenging books. I would have to start taking quizzes on those books to get credit for reading them which helped me understand them. Eventually I would start writing things on the books I read in middle school. We worked on how to write a paper, the development of paragraph structure, and all kinds of things that went with writing. All those things from when the first book was read to me has led me to this point in high school to be able to write.
Geringer 1
I have become literate by being in school and being read to by my parents and grandparents. One of my grandmas was a teacher, so she thought it was very important that I learn to read as soon as I could. The first book I ever read was “Dick and Jane”, it was a pretty large book that had a lot of little stories within, always the same characters, never the same conflict. I remember struggling through that book with her, but I also remember the first time I could read a whole page without any help and I was so happy. I have never been a big reader, I would much rather watch movies, but I read the “Series of Unfortunate Events” books and I couldn’t put them down, and now Netflix created a tv series from the books and I love it. I am currently reading “Think and Grow Rich”, it is not a storytelling book, but more of a life lesson book. I am not very far into the book, but so far it is very interesting and I’ve learned some very valuable life lessons. I haven’t written very much outside of what I had to do in classes, but I do enjoy writing letters. Every now and then my friend and I will pass a journal back and forth. We tell each other how our week went, the fun the things we did, and the stuff we look forward to doing in the next week.
Reading and writing have always been somewhat easy for me. Of course there has been challenging essays I have had to write and challenging symbols I’ve had to analyze but for the most part, I could pretty easily pick up on whatever type of writing style we were practicing. Personally, I would much rather write than read, but I do no it is impossible to be a good writer without also being a good reader. As a child, my older sister, Becca, tried to get a head start on my reading abilities by reading the “Dick and Jane” books to me. She was in 2nd grade and I was just 3 years old, so it was a good way to increase her reading abilities and my comprehension abilities. As I got older I began to read more challenging stories on my own and actually write my own stories. I also have a younger sister, Abbi, and when I was in grade school I also read to her. Instead of reading classic children’s books to her I would read the books I wrote myself. I also loved art so I would illustrate them as well. They were more than likely no good but it was fun for the both of us. As I have gotten older I have continued writing, some on my own, some for school projects. Either way, it has gotten me to the ability I am at now. As far as reading goes, I have kind of lost interest as I have gotten older. I read what I need to for school but that is about it. I always envied my mother who absolutely loves reading. She would read a book every day if she had time, but for myself. I never could get into it as easily as she could. This year I hope to advance my writing skills even further and to jumpstart my interest in reading again.
DeWitt 1
My literacy journey started, as most do, through my parents. Growing up, my mom would read my brother and I the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I remember loving the way my mom would switch voices to signify different characters and struggling to keep my eyes open to listen until the chapter was finished. Surprisingly, the tv show Dora the Explorer also helped me in many ways. I still remember multiple Spanish words from the show and although Dora didn't help me with any English literacy, she did give me a solid foundation in Spanish. Although both of these outlets helped me, it wasn't until 2nd Grade that I found a passion for reading and writing. My 2nd Grade teacher, Mrs. Beesley would always read us stories and encourage us to check out as many books as we could throughout the year. It was during 2nd Grade that I fell in love with reading and if you wanted my attention, you had to pry whatever book I was reading from my hands. Since 2nd Grade, I have read a plethora of books and even tried to write a few of my own. However, I can never seem to finish a book that I have started. My literacy journey started with my parents but has grown to a love for reading and writing that will continue to grow as I do.
Postma 1 - I have become so literate due to a variety of different factors, including what has been read to me, what I have read myself and what I have written. My mother was and still is one of my biggest heroes for reading and writing, because she was the one who would read to me and have me read during my time being homeschooled. She would read Dr. Seuss books all the way up to Harry Potter books to me and would teach me how to say certain difficult words. As I grew older, I would be assigned reading to read during school time and during my free time. I read college level books such as The Adventures of Tom Swift and the Rover Boys. I was also assigned to write essays about various things in my life, yet the most interesting thing I wrote was my book "To Dust Thou Return." I wrote it at thirteen years old and I am very proud of it. All in all, these things and many more things have made me the literate person I am today.
Bunker 1
Throughout my years I have been read to, read, and have written a numerous amount of books and papers. My literacy journey started at a very young age with the help of my parents. Ever since I was a baby my parents have read to me. Then when I started school I began to learn from all my teachers how to read and write on my own. I have read lots of books since I was young like Junie B Jones and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. One of my favorite books I have ever read is A Rock in a Hard Place. Not only have I read lots of things but I have also written lots. During my years of school, I have written anything from research papers to papers about my beliefs I feel strongly about. In just 17 short years I have gone from not being able to read or write at all to read and write almost anything.
Bailey 1 - When I was younger, my parents or my two, older siblings would read to me different child books. I've become so literate by them reading to me, and when I was old enough, reading by myself. I'm sure, in elementary school, I read a lot. I don't remember the books but I remember always grabbing a new book when we went. During middle school, I read the entire "Warriors" series by Erin Hunter. My latest book that I read was "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green. I've written many essays for school and some stuff in my free time. As I got older and into high school, I found myself, reading less and less. I've found myself only reading what was required in English classes. I would like to get back in the groove of reading, especially in the summer, because I’m not as busy in the summer than the school year. Softball isn’t as big as a commitment and that’s really the only I’ve got going on other than work.
Christensen 1
I have loved to read and write ever since I was a kid. But, that love and interest didn't just come out of nowhere. It came from many years of learning the English language and becoming more literate. When I was younger, my parents and grandparents always read to me. Almost every day I would ask if we could read a book together and they always said yes. Many, if not all, of my teachers in elementary school, also read to me often. I remember I read a lot in second grade with Mrs. Adams. We read some of the books from the "Magic Treehouse Series" and I loved them. That's when I really got into reading and I ended up reading all of the books in the series. However, I didn't really get into writing until I was in 6th grade. I was homeschooled at the time and my mom had me and my siblings read some books and write an essay about them after we were done. We also wrote essays about people that we learned about in history as well. I wrote about Martin Luther King Jr and many other important people in American history. I enjoyed when I got to write those essays and I remember that my mom ended up having to set a page limit for me because I would just write and write. One of my papers ended up being about eight pages! Since then, I have had a love for writing and reading especially. I am so glad that I have had great parents and teachers to help me through my journey to becoming literate.
Sydney Rau
My literacy journey began because of all the books I’ve read throughout the years, both for school and for enjoyment. When I was younger, my mom used to read to me all the time. She mainly read to me children’s books, such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Clifford. Otherwise, as I have grown, I’ve become capable of expanding my own vocabulary and word usage, mainly by mimicking the language that many authors have used. Nowadays, I tend to read and understand the college-level books that have been assigned to me during my high school years. Some of these books include Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet, The Scarlet Letter, and many famous poems as well. While I read at school, I also read my own choices of literature, like The Selection or Splintered. When it came to writing, I’ve learned how to properly write multiple versions of essays, whether it be argumentative, persuasive, or even narrative. I may not be the greatest at it so far, but I hope to continue growing with my essay writing as I gain more experience.
Flanigan 1
I believe one's literacy journey begins as soon as they are born into this world, and continues over an individual's entire lifespan. Even during the stage of infancy, most humans are surrounded by words and language and therefore are subconsciously beginning their journey toward literacy and understanding. My personal journey to intellectual understanding and literacy began when I was a baby; as I have been told my parents read to me frequently. These childish readings, though they may seem irrelevant or unhelpful, are actually very important to a child's development as it helps lay the baseline of one's concept of language, an important base of communication. I also took my literacy journey into my own hands when I began reading at a young age out loud, as well as to myself. As I grew older I began to find enjoyment in reading novels and fictional stories. I especially began to familiarize myself with novels written by the author Nicholas Sparks. I find that he displays an intense amount of emotion in all of his writings, and in my opinion, displays a vast understanding of the necessity of plotline as well as the importance of developing characters. As I have grown up I have also familiarized myself with the actual construction of literature as well. I have written works mostly for school, but do have a few memories of creating short stories for enjoyment, mostly in my younger years. I find writing as an exceptional way to express myself, as well as a way to learn new information and strategize in my mind a way to persuade or promptly inform my audience. I find importance in reading as well as writing, and because of that, I am excited for this semester in Composition!
I have become literate by being read to in my early life and reading throughout the rest of it. My parents probably read to me the most when I was young and helped me learn the basics of reading. Some teachers also read to me and taught me how to read. With that literacy, I was able to read books, papers, and magazines. I started by reading children's books and then moved on to books that were a little more challenging like Magic Treehouse. I then continued to read more and more challenging books. I've written papers and essays. In English classes, I've written short stories. Last year, I wrote an argumentative essay and a couple essays over books that we read. In History class, I wrote several essays about topics that ranged throughout the history of the United States. These history essays weren't heavily scrutinized for their grammar or composition but had to be coherent, and they helped me develop my writing skills.
Walker 1
I believe my literacy journey began at a very young age when my mother used to read Little House on the Prairie to my brother and I every night. Starting with just listening to her reading then, I started following the words while she read them. By the last book in the series, I was taking turns reading pages with my brother. I think this interested me in reading. I began reading to myself every night in bed, at first not gathering all the words but improving slowly. I do remember the first book I learned to read on my own being about stranger danger. Then moving on to Barbie chapter books, then Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Mysteries. My Mom would take my brother and me to the library a lot, and I started branching out to new and more difficult books. I remember my brother would write short stories on half a sheet of paper and then fold it over and draw a picture on the other side, making a tiny paper book. He showed me how to do it and we filled shoeboxes with these little short stories. I’m sure if I pulled out that shoebox now and looked at our stories I would barely be able to understand them through all the spelling and grammar mistakes. However, this is what sparked my interest in writing. I wrote many short silly stories in my notebooks that I do think improved my writing. Going to School was also a very obvious aid to me. I remember writing on a lined paper about daily prompts such as “What would you do if you found a million dollars on your dresser when you woke up?” or “If you could have any superpower what would it be, and why?” These were fun for me because I could share my thoughts with the whole class, then bring the paper home and show my parents. As I got older I wrote in journals and diaries every day alongside with school work. Now today not only do I spend lots of time reading novels and textbooks, and writing papers and blog posts like this at school. I also spend my free time writing and reading for fun. My literacy is a daily skill I am lucky to have.
Olivier 1
My literacy journey started when I was born my parents have always talked and read to me. I remember having my mother read "Goodnight Moon" to me on a semi-regular basis. I learned to talk at a young age and that soon turned into reading and writing. One of my early passions was the Minnesota Twins baseball team, my mom and dad taught me all of the names of the players. I could tell all of my relatives who each person was is they pointed to them on tv or if they held up a baseball card. My grandparents also contributed to a large portion of my literacy. My grandpa has written me birthday letters and I have responded to them since I was 5. I began writing letters to family members for practice and they would always write back to me. Once I began school I started reading The Magic Treehouse series, I finished these stories quickly and moved onto bigger and better books. The books that have had the largest impact on me are the Series of Unfortunate Events books. They have compelled me to read anything and everything, they have put a burning passion for knowledge inside me. Writing has also come to me naturally, I write to my relatives and I compose a lot of essays. All of my teachers', parents', relatives' time has all impacted how I have become such a literate person.
After living on Earth for seventeen years, I would have to say that I have become literate enough to understand basic messages/meanings that books and other pieces of literary work are trying to demonstrate once I have read them. I obviously do not know/understand the meaning of everything I read, but I do whatever it takes to comprehend the message behind every piece of literature I read. Gaining an education through Brandon Valley and other schools has given me the opportunity to become literate at 17. Starting in pre-school in New York, I quickly learned the alphabet and was read stories to by both my parents and my teacher. When I moved to El Salvador, I quickly tried to learn the alphabet again but in Spanish. When I came back to America, I picked up my literacy journey through the Sioux Falls education system and picked up reading books with tons of pictures on them. As I slowly became more literate, I started to read novels/books with no pictures on them and started answering questions about the pieces of work I was reading. When I entered Brandon Valley, I started to become so literate that I no longer found books with pictures on them interesting. Looking back on how literate I have become, I would say that some of the most-liked novels I have read are "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Animal Farm", "Looking for Alaska", "The Girl on a Train", etc. An essay, which I was truly proud of writing, was an argumentative essay about how the DACA program should not be canceled.
-Betanzo
My literacy journey began long ago before I even started school. My parents read to me a lot before I could read. After I learned how to read myself, they encouraged me to read a lot. I have improved my literacy over the years by going to school. In elementary school, we had reading goals where we had to read books to earn points towards our goal. I think that the reading goals helped me with my literacy a lot because they gave me a goal that made me read. We also had a different reading goal in Middle School where we had to read a certain number of books and do a little project on them. Constantly learning new vocab in school has also helped me improve my literacy because new vocab allows for better writing along with reading more books. I have read many different books and short stories in my years at school. I have also written many different journals, blogs, and stories of my own. My literacy journey continues every day as I get smarter and improve my literacy.
My literacy journey began long ago with my parents helping me to learn how to do the alphabet. I continued to use the alphabet to learn how to read and write with the aid of school. It also helped that my parents would read to me before I could read myself, as well as, teachers reading to the class. I do really enjoy reading if I can find a good book that has a story that draws me in. I have only really written what is required of me to write for school because I am not very versatile in the way of writing. Writing has never been much of a strong suit for me. I have stories in my mind that I would like to put into words, but I really don't know how to do so. Whenever I have tried in the past, it would never come out like it sounds in my head.
2 Ziegeldorf
Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I have increased my knowledge and literacy. Before I was capable of understanding words, my parents read to me every night. They told me bedtime stories or read from children's books. Through this process, I became more understanding of words. When I got to preschool, my teacher read the class stories, further increasing my knowledge of words. From ages 4th-7th grade, I became an avid reader. My favorite novels included Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and The Mortal Instruments. These books are what made me understand words more clearly. Currently, I am reading a book about neurosurgeons, proving that I have become a very understanding and capable reader. Another factor that led to my literacy was writing. I learned to write when I was young and haven't stopped since. As a kid, I would create stories and write them down. Through this hands-on experience of using words, I became much more literate. My schooling and practicing are what has led me to be such a literate person.
Swift 2
Since I was little, my mom always read to me at night normally Chicka Chicka Boom Boom since it was favorite. As I got older she gave me the book Dick and Jane, it was a very extensive book that was supposed to help kids learn to read and I was tackling that book before kindergarten. After that, I moved up to the elementary school where you were required to read and they held contests for who could read the most in a year, which I was thrilled to participate in. I read most of the magic tree house books along with other fairly simple chapter books. Middle school, however, my reading slowed to only reading the books we were obligated to in class. I believe I’m so literate because I was reading so frequently at a young age. I also believe though, that my interest died down as the books became more and more serious due to reading so much at a young age. I very seldom write stories or poetry, it’s easier to read and comprehend than put my own thoughts into the correct words.
I have become so literate because I have been constantly challenged to better understand the workings of the English language and to better grasp an understanding of how it functions by family and teachers. I grew up in a household that understood the importance of literacy and of comprehension when applied to literature. My grandmother was a high school English teacher when she was working and she pushed the lessons that she taught in the classroom onto my mother who in turn then passed them onto me. I have been read to countless times by these two people and also by other family members and teachers. I have read numerous genres in my lifetime but have found that non-fiction historical books usually hold my attention the best. I have read science fiction, biographies, autobiographies, and various types of fiction books as well. In the past, I have written formal and informal essays for classes but have not limited myself to only school work. I have written letters to grandparents and have now begun writing for scholarship forms.
Kirkeby 2
My literacy began when I was very young. I cannot recall exactly when I first started to read, but I know it was when I was around three years old. Once I started school, we were required to read. All through elementary school I read books. We would read books in class and also had to read our own books out of class. I read very fast for my age, and even started to read higher level and more advanced books. Going through middle school I transitioned from the sports and fantasy books to reading more historical and entertaining books. During my middle school years, we also had to write our own poems and short stories in English classes. I never enjoyed writing like I did with reading, so I never put much thought into them. The best book I ever read was IT by Stephen King. This was in my Freshman year of high school. Now, in my senior year, I will continue to write essays and other research papers in preparation for college.
I believe I have become literate because of my parents and my sister. When I was little we would always get together as a family and read books. I have seen pictures and heard many stories about how as soon as I was born the first thing my sister wanted to do was read to me. Now our interests have changed quite a bit, so we don’t read many of the same books. My mom used to make me sit down and read books to her. I started out with easy books about animals and fairies, but I eventually started reading things like Harry Potter. Even when I would throw a fit and refuse to read because it was too hard, she always found a way to make me finish the book. I have read many books. Some of my favorites are the Divergent series, the A Dog’s Purpose series, and when I was little I enjoyed the Katie Kazoo books. Right now I am reading a series called The 100. I watched the tv show based off of the books and decided I should read the books too. I am not big into writing things, so most of what I have written are essays for school. I did, however, go through a phase where I attempted to write some songs (it did not go very well).
When I was in elementary school I didn’t read a lot, however, we would have a test about once every month to show how well we were doing on our literacy. My sister, on the other hand, loved reading so much that she would get into trouble at school for reading in class. So, naturally, she read to me when I was young. I loved hearing her read all these stories of fantasy and wonder that I started to enjoy reading. Middle school is when my love for reading really enhanced and because of the giant library, I was able to find numerous books that I found interesting. When I went to high school my freshman year I wasn’t a big fan of books. However, when sophomore year rolled around, I had to start writing more in-depth papers that had to use long complicated words. Finally in my junior year, we had to write poetry; at first, it didn’t seem so bad but as I started to get into it I found myself getting compliments from the teacher about my poems. This boost of self-esteem made me love writing speeches that would give people hope and happiness, however, I still lock up sometimes when I speak in front of a crowd of people.
I have become literate because of many things. When I was very young, my parents and grandparents read to me almost every day and night. My grandmother still has all of the books she read to me and even my father when he was a child. Growing up, everybody is exposed to a language. You learn a language from a young age because you hear what the people around you are saying and, therefore, you learn how to use the language as well. Once you get old enough to use tablets and computers and eventually have your own phone, you exposed to an infinite amount of words and things to read. Texting and looking through social media are done with ease and this helps you understand a language or a language trend. People check their phones or emails at least every hour and this requires you to be literate. Throughout my years of school, I have read many books. Some I had to read for a class and some I just wanted to read on my own. The level of the books you read complicate the older, and more literate you become. I think we become literate mostly because of other people, and not just ourselves.
Taylor 2
I think that everyone’s literacy begins right away as a baby because we hear adults speak, listen to music or watch a show, and we hear our parents read to us, whether we know what they are saying or not. All of that sits in our brains as a foundation for speaking and writing well. As I was growing up I noticed that I was reading a lot more than other people my age, especially during elementary and middle school. I would challenge myself and read far above my grade level because I enjoyed doing it. Throughout middle school I mainly read crime novels and mysteries, every day I would be in the library asking Wilma for a new suggestion because she always knew the right book to suggest. Reading these books, to me, was a way of passing time and a way of living vicariously through whatever character the book was about. As high school hit, I kept reading but my genre changed significantly. I began to read a lot of books on studies in psychology and sociology, such as any book by Malcolm Gladwell. I believe that my literacy began right away as a child, but also developed prominently as I grew up because of my mom always challenging me to read a certain amount of books a week, almost making it seem like a game or a challenge that I couldn’t turn down, and because of having such easy access to books.
2 Reinschmidt
I have become literate by reading, writing, and focusing in school. Throughout my life, my mom has played a huge role in my literacy journey. With her being an English teacher she has consistently stressed the importance of reading and writing out of school. She has filled our home with all kinds of books. She began reading to my brother, sister, and me at a young age nearly every night. When I was younger, and the only child at home, she would test my spelling ability as well. I remember yelling out random letters to her hoping I was spelling out a new word. Since reading was expected at my house, at a young age I learned that I enjoyed reading fiction the most. I am not a huge writer, I really only focus on writing when I have an essay due in a class or a short answer question. The help at home and in school has led me to where I am now with my literacy and I hope to advance that even more this year!
Talcott 2 said...
My literacy journey began when I could barely talk. My parents would read me stories so that I could fall asleep. When I got older my parents taught me to read. They encouraged me to read a lot. In the summer they signed me up for the summer reading program at the library. This encouraged me to read every day because at the end of the program I would win prizes if I completed it. From elementary school to high school I continued reading books, but they started getting longer and more difficult to read. My personal favorite series that I have read so far is the Harry Potter series. These books intrigued me and kept me reading for hours straight. My writing is very similar to my reading. I started writing simple things, like my name, when I was in preschool. Now as a high schooler I have written many essays and stories. I have even written sentences in Spanish. I have become so literate thanks to my parents and teachers who have helped me learn all that I know today.
I have become literate over the years by reading various genres and writing. I strongly believe that attending school and paying some sort of attention in English and reading classes makes students literate in different ways. I don’t ever remember anyone in my family reading to me regularly, but I am aware that reading has always been an easier task for me. In fifth grade, I read a very large variety of books. Mrs. Strand set my AR goal at a decently high number so I had to read a lot to be apart of the AR party and you know I wasn’t missing that. I remember reading the entire Conspiracy 365 series during that school year. My favorite genres to read include nonfiction, specifically biographies or autobiographies, and fiction novels. Writing is a different story for me though, I have always struggled at writing essays and papers. Of course, I’ve written essays and research papers during my past three years of high school, but it has never been easy. It takes me a lot of time and I am always rethinking the direction that I want the writing to take. It is somewhat difficult for me to put what I am thinking onto paper, especially while typing and I have never figured out why it’s hard for me to do so.
In my opinion, I think that my literacy journey began the day that I was born. From that day on me, like everybody else in the world, is immediately surrounded by letters, words, and sounds in which do not have a meaning to them yet. As you grow older you began to start understanding why being literate is so important. At first, my parents, grandparents, and other people that I was surrounded by started to teach me how to read and write. I can remember first grade was the time when I was able to really start reading small amounts of books and other everyday things on my own. In elementary school, my favorite books to read were "The Series of Unfortunate Events," along with lots of "Junie B Jones" and "The Magic Treehouse." Today, I enjoy reading books that are written or based off of true stories and real-life events. I would say that I have always been a decent writer but I am taking this class to further expand my writing skills because it is something I will be able to take with me for the rest of my life.
Thompson 2
My journey started when my mom read to me at a very young age. She would read me all sorts of books that we had at our house or ones we got from the library. A couple years later, I began to look at books on my own and eventually started to read. My ability to read has gotten better throughout years of schooling. We had to read a certain number of books each quarter, and then there would be a party at the end. I have read numerous amounts of books, but I think my favorite would be "To Kill A Mockingbird" from English 11 last year. I like books that are set in the past because the world was different back then, and there have been so many advancements in technology that we will never experience how these people lived. I have written essays, blogs, and journals in school that has helped to improve my literacy. I will continue to write and read going forward past high school and into college.
Cushing 2
I have become literate due to a variety of things. As a child everyone who could read, read to me, My mom, my dad, my grandparents, and aunts. When I was younger many small children's books were read to me, as I got older the books got longer and longer. Then when the day came that I should start to read, the size of the books got smaller and they became less difficult. From there, I slowly started to read books with more difficulty one by one, and to this day the, I still find one book that was more difficult than the last. I have read Dr. Seuss books, Junie B Jones series, Between the Shades of Gray, A Tale of Two Cities, and many others. In learning to read I also began to develop the skill to write, just as reading, I started off easy and gradually began to write essays and papers that are much more complex. Most of what I have written has been for school, I have written essays over the Odyssey, A tale of two cities, and several other books we have read in class. In conclusion, becoming how literate I am today took a long time with a progression of multiple skills allowing me to take in one at a time in order to understand the English language.
Grode 2
The question of how I have become so literate is a quite broad one. When I was a child, my dad would read to my brothers and I every night. The books included works from famous authors such as Doctor Seuss and Roald Dahl. As I grew older, I obviously no longer needed my dad to read to me anymore, so I began to read books myself, and eventually book series. In elementary school I was reading series such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. In middle school I read books ranging from The Hunger Games, to many different war novels. As I kept growing older, and school kept growing more difficult, I was required to write more essays and speeches. Over the years of middle school and high school, essays required more effort and research than ever before. Classes where the most effort was required were AP World History and RS US History. While these essays were annoying at the time, when I look back I am glad to have been required to write them as I have become a better writer with each and every one. So while my literacy journey is not even close to over, and never will be, the books I’ve read and the essays I’ve written have gotten my literacy to where it is today.
My literacy journey began when I was very young. Similar to many, I was raised in an English speaking household. I was read to countless times when I was young, but as I grew older, the extensive vocabulary that my older brother and parents possess assimilated into my thoughts and helped improve my literacy skills by giving me a broader understanding of the language. My parents taught me how to write but it was not truly introduced to me until my first few years of schooling. Throughout many English classes, my writing ability, grammar, vocabulary, and reading ability have all increased. However, I am a terrible reader. I have never enjoyed reading books especially when they come from school. I really struggle with staying engaged in stories and because of that I really dislike books in general. I would much rather listen to a book or lecture rather than read it. If I had to choose something that I have read and somewhat enjoyed in the past it would be the Magic Treehouse series. In school, I have written many essays, many speeches, and read many books which all contribute to my literacy knowledge today. School is definitely the biggest stepping stone in my literacy journey as it has taught me almost everything.
Huntimer 2
When I was little, I was not skilled at reading. In elementary school, I would read to my parents and have little study sessions with teachers to get better at reading and spelling. Around fourth grade, I didn’t need to read to literary teachers to prove I was at a grade level reading standard. When I started high school, I noticed my writing was progressively getting better. I was always in normal, non-honors, English classes until junior year, when I decided to challenge myself and enroll in Honors English 11. My writing has benefited a lot from that class. While taking that class, I wrote one of my favorite essays. I didn’t know I could enjoy an essay that much! I wrote about fine arts in schools and how important they are, and how they are similar to sports and other core subjects. I don’t remember my grade on that essay, only the feeling of accomplishment after I was done writing and proofing. I have read a lot of novels, essays, and writings over the years. My favorite book that I have read outside of school is Agatha Christie "Murder on the Orient Express". The movie was about to release in theaters, however, my mom (who is a big fan of Agatha Christie) persuaded me to read the book first. I finished the book in two days, and the movie matched the book perfectly! My favorite works that I have read in school are usually written by Edgar Allan Poe. I love his works: House of Usher, Mask of the Red Death, and The Tell-Tale Heart. I hope to learn a lot from this class towards my writing, just in time for scholarship forms, and college applications!
Glen 2-
When I was in sixth grade, I was able to read a book that as thick as the last Harry Potter book within two days. I would read at least three books in a week, which is why I had a ninth-grade reading level as a sixth grader. The types of stories that I would read would range from Divergent to The Giver, and I learned different perspectives pertaining to specific topics which, I think, helped me become more literate. In eighth grade at Harrisburg North Middle school, my advanced English teacher worked for the Springboard company. She told our class that by the time we completed her course, we would be at the eleventh-grade literature and reading level. Mrs. Olinger made our class enticing by incorporating the requirement for us to read and act out plays written by Shakespeare. Our class also read To Kill A Mockingbird out loud during class time and broke down the lessons within the book to help us better understand what the author was trying to portray to the targeted audience. Additionally, our class took grammar quizzes in the beginning of each class period, which improved my grammar and writing skills. I think that having the excellent writing skills helps improve the literacy of an individual because it provides the background of understanding different writing methods. Throughout the course of my high school career, I have written many essays, speeches, and responses, all of which have helped me progress in my advanced English classes. Without my eighth grade English teacher, I would not be able to read or write as well as I do today.
Roe 2
I feel that everyone's literacy journey starts as soon as they are born. As you age you start to make sounds which then turn into words, sentences, paragraphs, essays, or even books. When I was younger my parents both read to me and once in a while, my parents would let my older sister would read to me. My mom has always said that as soon as I was old enough that she would let me pick the book and I would always pick “Goodnight Moon”. In elementary school we would have to read books to meet our AR goals which was a good way to get people like me, who don’t like reading, to read. The books I like to read are books that I can picture in my head so the best ones are books that have movies and I tend to cheat and watch the movie first. I have not written a lot of my own material but my best friend and I have a journal that we pass back and forth in which we can write whatever in and have fun with.
My journey of literacy began when I was very little before the time I could speak. My mom is an elementary school teacher and my family has a respect for education. When I was about two years old, my parents would read me stories every night. Most of the time the stories were either “Thomas the Tank Engine” books or books from my mom’s school. Throughout my years of schooling, I have read many different types of books. In elementary school, I read the “Percy Jackson” and “Warriors” books. The “Warriors” series is about a group of cats living in the wild, and at the time I wanted to be a veterinarian. During middle school, I read about fifteen “Star Wars” books -- and I’m still adding to that number. Recently I have finished reading the book “It”. Writing is a whole different story. While I have been in school, I have written different essays and answered questions through writing, but I do not write often outside of school and homework. Last year, I wrote a few poems for Honors English, and I think they are my best works of writing yet. I would say that I have become literate over the years through school and classes like most kids do and that will continue throughout my life as I move onto college.
Law 2
My literacy journey started when I was a little peanut. My mom would read to me at night before I went to bed. As I got older and became able to read on my own I would now be the one reading to my mother. When I would read I would love to pretend like I was the librarian reading to the class, holding up the book so the kids can see the illustrations as you read. Although never really loved to read, unless it was a really good book that peaked my few interests. Those would consist of spy novels, love stories, or inspiring stories based on true events. My favorite was the Conspiracy 365 series. Growing up I did struggle with reading just because I wasn’t the fastest at it and would rather be playing outside than having my nose stuck in a book. On the other hand, I do enjoy writing. Now I don’t have the biggest vocabulary out there or know how to organize my words out on paper. Writing for me is more of a way to get my thoughts out on paper and no longer have them bouncing around in my brain. I have this journal that I started for my parents' freshman year. It was going to be my experiences throughout high school because as a teenager it’s sometimes hard to tell your parents everything. This way when I head off to college they will have something of me and my experiences to hold close to them.
Knutson 2
Ever since the day I was born there has been words everywhere I go whether they were spoken to me, read to me, or read by myself. As a baby, my parents would help me understand their spoken language by reading to me. They would also practice saying words with me to help me learn what they were saying. Literacy is all around us and we learn more about it by just hearing or seeing it. As I got older and started school I began to learn how to use my literacy more properly and formally. During this time we would also learn how to spell more difficult and challenging words. Once I was out of elementary and into middle school I began to read much more. During these years I would read books like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Divergent. Reading helped me to understand and comprehend literacy at a higher level. As I moved into high school we transitioned more into works of literacy coming from ourselves. I have written many things throughout my high school career whether it was a book report, an argumentative essay, or even a poem. Writing has always been challenging for me but I feel that I become better at it every day just by involving myself in the literacy all around me and using that to help me become more literate.
Sedric Barton pd.2
My literacy journey began when I was only three years old. At this age, my mom taught me about the alphabet and how letters represented sounds. By the time I had reached kindergarten, I was already reading at an impressive pace for a 5-year-old. My teacher, Ms. Ernste, recognized this and would eventually give me opportunities to read in front of my peers. These events helped me to gain confidence in speaking to and leading my classmates. As Elementary school went on, I continued to grow in my knowledge of the English language. By the time I was in 4th grade, I had taken a test that diagnosed that I was reading at a 12th-grade reading level. Whether or not this was an accurate representation of my comprehension, it was enough to give me immense confidence going onto the next chapter. Reaching middle school, it became obvious that English class was much different. Now, instead of looking just at the surface of a book and its contents, we would actually start to dig into the deeper meanings that the author may be trying to convey. Middle school English class with Mr. Sturgeon helped me grow as a writer as well. For the first time in my life, I was taught how to implement a consistent structure to my writing. Although this class led to many frustrations in the sixth grade, I came out a much better writer than I had ever imagined being at 11 years old. In my time in the Brandon Valley school district, I have grown my literacy skills from nothing to something and I am confident that it won’t stop here.
Van Hulzen 2
My literacy journey began when my parents would read to me before I went to bed. One of my favorite series of books that my parents would read to me was Magic Treehouse. The stories in these novels were exciting and imaginative. My mom would read these books with such enthusiasm and would make listening to her read very enjoyable. Then I began to read by myself, and loved when I could comprehend the adventures of novels on my own. In school, English teachers began to give writing tasks. The tasks required one to formulate their own arguments, stories, and informatives. My skills in writing and reading began to accelerate greatly because of these exercises. I started to gain interest in the health careers, and my writing became very fact based. I now write informative papers on diseases and their cures, medications, and the body systems. I also have to write reports on labs that I have performed, and what its data means for the experiment. This year in composition class, I hope to grow in my ability to write so that I will be able to communicate lab results in med school.
All throughout my childhood, I read a lot. Reading was my favorite pastime. All of the books taught me new words, growing my vocabulary. It all started with my mom frequently reading to me, even before I was in kindergarten. She taught me how to read, write, and, most importantly, formed my love of learning. Once I began school, my love for reading flourished even more. I loved English and reading classes, where I learned more about words, stories, and what everything meant. In second grade, I was even awarded for reading more books than anyone else in my class. I read everything from the Little House on the Prairie series to Harry Potter. I mostly read science fiction and historical fiction books. Writing is also something I enjoy because it allows us to have our own voice and produce our own stories. We have been told to write all kinds of essays and stories over the year. Writing narratives, persuasive essays, and book reviews have all helped us become more literate.
Sonju 2
My literacy journey began before I could speak. My mom and dad would read to me every night before bed, instilling in me a love for books. One of my first memories is of my dad reading "Sleepy Bears" to me; it was my favorite bedtime story. Soon the reading turned into writing, and by the time I was two, I had already ruined one of the chairs in the living room by scribbling "RAT" on it with a permanent marker. When I got a little older, I would make up stories and write them down to show my family. In elementary school, my first grade teacher read the Magic Treehouse series out loud to our class. The Hunger Games trilogy became popular when I was in fifth grade, and by the end of middle school, I had read all of the books. Throughout high school, I have written mostly informative and persuasive essays. I know that my literacy journey is not done and that I will continue to become a better reader and writer every day.
I would say my literacy journey began when I was a small child. I didn't really like to read so my parents had to push me to do it. We would sit down and read picture books with only a few words on each page. I spent hours sitting just sitting there going page by page trying to sound out words and make sense of these picture books. When I went into elementary school we had reading goals that we had to meet in order to get an award at the end of each quarter. I still didn't enjoy reading very much so this gave me the motivation to keep reading through elementary school. As I went into middle school we no longer had reading goals but instead the teachers just made us read different books. I started to enjoy reading more during middle school because the books got more elaborate and had more meaning to them than the books I read in elementary school. We also started doing vocabulary in middle school. This helped improve my literacy by expanding the words that I can put into writings and allow me to understand more of what I am reading about. When I entered High school was pushed to write longer essays and read all different book. Unfortunately, I stopped reading books for enjoyment because I ran out of free time. So the only books I have read lately are the ones we read in class. Hopefully, this year I continue to expand my literacy skill so I am fully prepared for college.
Bowar 5
Even before most of us started schooling, we were being read to or trying to pronounce words that others would speak. Once we started to become educated on the language and how to speak it aloud, the door to literacy opened wide. Books became somewhat of a fascination. My parents would always read to me and then challenge me to read to them. My grandparents read to me when I visited and usually kept my favorites out for my return. As I started to expand my vocabulary, I was able to read all by myself. I read many books and series throughout my years. Everything from Magic Treehouse and Judy Bloom, to Divergent and Unbroken. Writing is something I’ve been told seems to come naturally to me. When I was younger I would write short stories about my toys or my family. These days, most of my writing is for school in the form of essays, poems, or blog comments.
Morrigan Crapser 5
My literacy journey began when I was just a little kid. My parents would read to me for 2 hours every day. They would take turns doing it, that’s how they spent time with me growing up. For preschool, they sent me to a private school nearby where I was read to even more. After my 6th birthday, I was able to read most things fluently, so I began to return the favor. I would babysit my cousins with my grandma. Any chance I got and would read them any book they brought to me. I had read some books so many times I had them memorized. It was a great thing to be able to read books to them and show them the magical worlds that are out there. I have a passion for reading and writing, not that I am very good. I have read the Harry Potter series three or four times. I have also written a few short stories, and I have always had the secret passion to become a writer. I hope that in this class I can improve my skills and maybe start to fulfill that dream.
Michael Poncelet 5
Type 150+ words about your literacy journey. How have you become so literate? Who has read to you? What have you read? What have you written?
I have became so literate by reading books that excite me and that I am very interested in. Otherwise, I would definitely not have read them. The list of people that have read to me is a very long list if I were to type them all. But the most significant person that has read to me would have to be my mom. My mom would spend hours a night reading little children's books to me. By the time that I could read I would read to her and she would read to me. My mom would read children's books to me like Rabbit Stew and much much more. I would want her to read the same book over and over and over every night because I liked the characters and the plot of the story. Obviously I did not know what plot was back then, I just like the story. I have not written much as of books or stories, I just write essays or short little stories that my teacher has assigned to me.
I have always loved reading. Starting out as a little kid, my mom would take me to the library after school a couple times a week and I would pick out close to 20 books I wanted to read. I remember vividly being in the reading class that was the grade above me all throughout elementary school. I’m not quite so sure who taught me, but I believe it is safe to assume that it was a combination of my parents, my preschool and kindergarten teachers, and various billboards and signs around our town. My mom and I used to sit down and read books together until I was old enough to read them on my own. I was also part of a program in middle school, where during lunch we would sit in the library and have books read to us by the librarian. I have always loved to read fantasy books, including Harry Potter, The Maze Runner, and The Book Thief. Although I loved reading in my free time, writing was never really my strong suit. I struggled with grammar and creating poor sentences all throughout school. I was also part of an iPad pilot program in Chicago in 7th and 8th grade, and because our grammar books didn’t work on the iPads we weren’t taught grammar. Reading has always been one of my favorite pastimes, but writing is something I’ve come to struggle with and dread.
Morgan 5
How have I become literate? I suppose there are many ways but I think that the main factor is repetition. When I was little my parents would simply just say short things like baba, mama, dada that would get me associating words with sounds. Then as I got older they would go letter by letter holding these colorful flashcards that had animals that started with the corresponding letter. These got me to put together the sound and the shape of the letters which eventually led to writing. Along with these things my family read a lot. My mom ran an in-home daycare for a number of years so we had tons and tons of books floating around the house. She would read to me every night before bed as well. Soon after I wanted to be able to read books to her and through practice, I was able to read them all by myself. I could even read books to my three younger siblings. I don’t read books as much anymore but I have read a lot about preparing for the future and possible career fields. I used to be really into the Hunger Games and Harry Potter though! After reading and reading I wanted to create my own stories and this lead to writing. I have creatively written from time to time but mostly I have just written for school functions such as essays, poems, and short stories.
Jazmyn 5
My literacy began as soon as I could start to talk as a young child. My parents read to me every night and eventually, they taught me to read those books. I think growing up has a tremendous role in how literate people become. If you are around speaking and writing a lot, you will gain a talent for it. If you are not around it as often, you may be behind people in terms of skill. Going into schooling, you learn the parts of writing and the rules of it. This allows you to learn how to create a piece of work that sounds intelligent and shows that you know what you’re talking about. My mother has been one the best writers in my life. She has taught me a great deal about writing and reading. If I needed help on a writing assignment, she would be the first person I would get help from. She opens my mind and thought process to new levels. My mother tells me to look at things in a different perspective and that allows you to lay out your thoughts in a vibrant fashion. That has been one of the most influential parts of my literacy and writing skills.
Jacob 5
My literacy journey started at a very young age. I was the second born child so my parents started reading with me before I could even speak. I remember growing up with a cabinet full of books that my parents got my older brother. I spent many hours looking through that cabinet finding books that sparked my interest. My mom read all types of genres to me. Anything from nonfiction to fiction I loved! I quickly fell in love with realistic and science fiction. These two genres are what fueled my reading crave in elementary school and middle school. At a very young age, my favorite series to read was The Magic Tree House. Since my mom is a teacher she would always drop us off at the library and go up to her room to work. My brother and I would spend hours in the library soaking up knowledge through reading. By far my favorite series I read was Harry Potter. I fell head over heels for J.K. Rowling and her descriptive writing. I read the whole series in fourth grade in less than a month. Growing up I was a great reader but sometimes struggled to write. My mom quickly noticed this and made me practice every day during the summer. I used to dread writing but ended up somewhat enjoying it! In third grade, I even wrote a short story and entered it into a contest. I did not win but writing that story helped me enjoy writing more! I have many ideas in my head when writing and I am hoping this year I learn how to put them on a page well.
Harvison 5
Becoming literate in terms of reading as well as writing has been a long journey, one that is still not over with. To pinpoint where it originated from I would have to go back to when I was a young disobedient child. When I was a little kid, getting me to bed would be quite the challenge for my parents, however, usually, they could persuade me to lay down with a story. I’d pick a book every night from my bookshelf, often the same ones repeating, and would lay on my bed as my parents read it. After years of hearing stories read to me, I began wanting to be the one to read them myself. Nothing would change, I would still lay in my bed with my parents close by, except I would be the one reading. Then came school, where reading and writing no longer became a relaxing time, but rather a chore. This is how I felt about reading and writing until high school, where we were granted more literacy freedom and allowed to write how we wanted, not just with a prompt. This also reflects on my choice of books to read. With becoming older and taking certain classes along the way, I found books that related to topics I enjoy, for example, history with WWII books. At the point I’m at in my life right now, my literacy journey is an enjoyable path, however, there have been annoyances in the past, and there will surely be some in the future as well.
Ask 5
There are many ways a child becomes literate. In my opinion, I think I became literate throughout my schools years and my parents teaching me. I become literate because my teachers taught me how to read, write, have correct grammar, etc. I also became literate because every summer my parents made us read for one hour and do math problems for one hour every day in the summer. I feel like those two things really contributed to me becoming who I am today. One group of people who read to me were my teachers from Elementary to Middle school. Every time we would read a book in class in Elementary school we normally took turns and the teacher and students would read. Some other people who read to me were my parents. When I was younger my parents would read to me before I went to bed every night. The last group of people who read to me was my family(Grandpa, Grandma, cousins, etc). The read to me every time we would have holidays. We normally read things like a Christmas carol, fun holiday books, Dr. Seuss, etc. These books and my many teachers helped me become literate in today's world. Some books that I have read through the years that were my favorite would be The Great Gatsby, Divergent, Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and The Kite Runner. The things have written in the past years would be a remix of the Odyssey story freshman year, poetry, Great Gatsby essay, and my multiple story remix Sophomore year.
Scherb 5
My literary experience, as a child, started slow. When I was little, I had a lot of books in my room and my parents read to me often. When I started in elementary school, I hated reading. I was not a strong reader, and struggled to meet the reading goals. I remember having my teachers tell my parents that I needed to be reading every night to get better. My mom would take me to the library and have me pick out books I thought I would like. I practically refused to read until I switched schools to Brandon. Once I got to Fred Assam Elementary, I loved to read. I would beg my mom to get me chapter books from the library. In fourth and fifth grade, my reading level was always at least one if not two grades ahead. My love for reading continued into middle school and high school. I still love to read for fun and enjoy finding new books or series. My writing experiences were most likely the same as most other children. I learned to write in elementary school and we did some grammar and such in middle school. The first writing assignment I remember showing me how much I loved to write, was freshmen year in Mrs. Sittig’s honors English class. She had us add a short story into the Odessey and we had complete creative control. That short story was the first thing in High School that made me realize that writing was fun and not as hard as people had made it out to be. I continued writing in my other English classes and have realized I really enjoy writing and perfecting my essays and stories.
Brummels 5
The people that first started reading to me as a child were my parents. My grandparents and teachers have done some reading to me as well. In middle school, I read a lot of books and was into reading many series. I used to come to the library and pick out books every week using my own library card. As I have grown up, I have read many books in classes and written many essays to help become more literate. Reading and writing help a lot with our communication skills. Without these things, we wouldn’t be able to talk to each other very well. Over time, from reading and writing on my own to reading and writing in the classroom, I have become more literate. I am hoping that this class prepares me for college and other classes, later on. I know that my literacy will keep on improving throughout my college experience.
I, personally, would contribute my literacy to my days in elementary school. My parents did not have the ability to read in English because it was never something they had a chance to learn. I thought that the best way to learn was to go to the library and start with small, basic books. For example, The Very Hungry Caterpillar was the first book I remember reading completely on my own. Although, I can’t contribute my literacy solely to myself because I had great teachers who were willing to help along the way. Reading became my favorite past time and I started to become quite advanced for my age. My writing, however, can all be accredited to my teachers. Without hardworking, patient teachers I do not believe I would ever be able to construct a well-written document. I am still growing as a writer and still learn new techniques and ideas from my instructors to further improve my ability to write.
Literature has been a part of my life since before I was even born. My dad would read and sing to me while my mom was pregnant with me. In elementary school, I read “Junie B. Jones” like no other. My last year at Brandon Elementary was filled with the series “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”. I never wanted to put the books down. I received the first book for Christmas, and the obsession took off. I had to purchase a book every time the Book Fair came to our school and I participated in every book club the school had to offer. As I transitioned into middle school, my love for reading began to decline. I didn’t find reading amusing anymore. I was more into sports, music, and friendships, rather than expanding my vocabulary by reading novels. High school brought me back to appreciating books. My favorite book I have ever read is “Night” by Elie Wiesel. I read it in my English 10 class with Ms. Rowe. I am looking forward to increasing my abilities in literature so that I am prepared for college.
Laabs 5
I started reading at a young age. It started off with my mom signing my brother and me up for a book program. Every week we would get a new book in the mail to read. At the start, my mom read to us both and she pointed to the words as she said them out loud. My brother and I eventually caught on and we didn't need her help anymore. During elementary school and middle school, I didn't see AR reading as a chore or homework. I found out it’s kinda fun if you found the right book to read. I read a lot of science fiction and fiction books growing up. Once I reached high school I pretty much stopped reading and continued on doing other things. I eventually just didn't have time for reading. I have written a lot of essays for school but I haven't written outside of school much at all. At some point, I want to write a book about my outlook on life and how the world works through my eyes. It won't be something that I expect to be published. It will be more about expressing my thoughts and feeling down on paper and seeing what the outcome looks like.
I have become so literate because the people around me wanted the best for me. My mother wanted her children to grow up and have a good life. This meant that we needed to be able to read and write. When I was younger I always loved to read books. My mother and father would help me with the words I did not know. They would also read to me. When I would spend with my grandparents we would read all kinds of storybooks and nursery rhymes. My favorite books were by Dr. Seuss because of the fun pictures and made up words. Things that take the imagination to enjoy and understand are the best kinds of books. That’s why I now love science fiction books. They are my favorite because nothing like them has ever happened before. There are so many different kinds of science fiction stories. It amazes me how people can come up with stories that are so different, yet still categorized the same. I don't write unless I’m forced to in school. It's not necessarily something I am good at, so I just don't. I am excited to get better with my writing abilities in this class and to see how much my it grows. Maybe then I will write more often outside of school.
Keegan
I have become so literate through being read to, reading, and writing many things in my life. My parents have been reading to and making me read ever since I was a baby. When we went on road trips they would have me read all the signs we came across. Around bedtime, my mom and I would read many books. The books started out small, but as I got older the books got much bigger. I started to learn how to read really well and stay away from a monotone voice. My parents started making me read to them and I remember them always correcting me for not having any excitement. Reading has helped me expand my English and overall knowledge. I enjoy reading but do not read as much as I used to. I used to read to pass time and for my enjoyment. My favorite series as a kid was the Percy Jackson series. I loved every one of those books and actually learned a lot from them. As of now, I read books more for learning and school purposes, but I still enjoy reading books.
Isaiah Campbell
The question is, “How have you become so literate?.” My answer to that is pretty simplex. I have always found a talent in writing without even knowing it. I have been told that I am very smart in the way I word things or convey my messages across to people. I’ve been told I have good word choice and positioning of words when portraying what ever I seem to be writing about. Even when it came to simple things like apologies or texts to someone, I would always be above and beyond, but also unique in the way I was saying it. I had never read books in elementary school or middle school unless it was mandatory in doing so. I would always find a path of boredom in doing things that involve books. I never really had a singular person or person(s) read to me. The only thing that I can remember is just in school read time, or reading books to other children. I don’t remember a specific book, just a series I used to read back in elementary school. The series was call Magic Tree House. Those books were so interesting to me at the time. I recall being on book 12 when I had stopped the reading binge. Well besides school things i have written letters to family members before, detailed birthday messages, influential messages to teammates, and love letters to my girl Carlee. Other than that im a typical, well or normal teenager being involved with learning how to use more proper writing tools for college.
Hailey Pieper 5
I have always loved to read. It has always been something I’ve enjoyed doing and I have been reading from a very young age. Before I was even born my mom told me she would read to me in the womb. Once I was born my mom and dad continued to read to me every night. We started off reading picture books like Dr. Suess; I specifically recall my dad reading me this big Scooby Doo picture book. As I got older I started to read the smaller chapter books like Junie B. Jones and The Magic Tree House books. My teachers growing up were also a big help with this because I remember them every day reading a chapter of a book to us while we followed along. As I continued to age, the books I read became bigger and bigger. I remember when I first read all the Harry Potter books I thought I was so cool that I could read that many pages. Now I enjoy reading Stephen King books and my favorite is "IT". I love to read because I find it interesting to learn about different lifestyles and experiences, but also to be transported to a different world is fascinating and it’s like watching a movie in your mind. I have become literate from growing up reading every day and from having teachers and parents that have taught me how to read. I haven’t written a whole lot outside of English class, but from that, I have written stories and journal entries. From elementary school to now we have always had to write something for English class. I don’t mind writing and find it kind of fun sometimes.
Bickley Pd.5
My parents and grandparents read to me from a very young age. I enjoyed the stories they told me, as well as the “movie” I could create in my head of the story being read. My mother is a first-grade teacher, so she always encouraged me to read. Although, my kindergarten teacher had the biggest impact on how I now am an avid reader. She had a love for reading that I eventually was able to capture. Reading was made intriguing through her kindergarten class. She had big books, pointers, and individualized book boxes that made it fun for our class. Ever since kindergarten, I have read in any spare time I could find. On the other end of the spectrum, I had to gradually become more acclimated to like writing. As a young kid in elementary school, I would write in the required journals for school. However, I never had a love for writing as much as I had for reading. Throughout my elementary school years, my teachers and my mom have helped me to become a fluent writer. They have shown me how to write from my head and my heart. The personalization along with the practice of writing has helped me to better appreciate it. Over the years, I have found that my favorite novels to read are romance and mysteries. Throughout those years, I have also discovered that I do not enjoy writing poetry. I prefer “free writes” or essays.
I achieved literacy from a young age when my mother used to read books to me like Clifford’s First School Day. I became so literate from a combination of my surroundings and my burning curiosity. I always used to wonder what these symbols meant. My mother and father read to me before my schooling years. To me, books felt like a pleasure and it never felt educational, at least when I was younger. Throughout my elementary years, I became interested in the Magic Treehouse series and the Harry Potter novels. Moving forward into my middle and high school years, I read what the teachers assigned me. My most recent reads have been novels like The Odyssey, Of Mice and Men, and The Maze Runner. In Middle and High school, I wrote more than I ever have before. I wrote what the teachers assigned to me. I never have minded writing, but I never wrote outside of the school setting. All of the reading and writing that I have done in the past have brought me to the level of literacy that I am at today.
My literacy journey started with my parents. They read me many books, helped me write, helped me read, and would send me to school so I could get better at it. The books that I remember reading the most with my parents are Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In elementary school I hated reading. The only books I wanted to read where the Cam Jansen books but they were never enough points to meet my AR goal. My parents forced me to read every night just so I could meet that goal, which is why I hated reading so much. In 7th grade, I started to enjoy reading. I think this was because it was the first year I wasn’t forced to read a lot, I could read at my own pace and when I wanted to. Nowadays I wish I could read more. I find that with homework, extracurricular activities, and work I don’t have time to read and when I do have some free time I usually want to go to sleep. Writing is a different story for me. I have always not enjoyed writing. When I write I never know what to write about or how to write it. My mind spends to much time trying to think of the perfect words and not just writing. This also means that when I think I am done writing something I have to go back many many times because it doesn’t make sense as one piece of writing. For these reasons the only time that I ever write is when I have to for school.
1 Erck
My literacy journey began when I was young. I have a brother who is four years older than I am, and when he would have to study for his spelling tests I would often try to spell the same words and other words with him. I would get my own sheet of paper and a pencil, and try to write down the words he was spelling, or if they were too difficult I would ask my parents to give me a different word to spell. I’m sure he didn’t enjoy me pestering him and his studying, but I think that it helped me when I began to read on my own. When I was little, I loved reading and I still do. I read above my grade level in elementary school, and that led me to feel much more comfortable when reading and writing my own stories. I loved writing assignments when I was young and loved the creativity part of it. My family used to always joke with me when I was younger about how much I read, and although I don’t remember people reading to me very much, I’m sure they did. I have written poems and different essays for competitions throughout my schooling. When I was in fifth grade, I wrote a poem about being a nurse for a competition through SDSU and got second place. In seventh grade, I wrote a poem and was featured in a poetry book with many different students around the country. Otherwise, I have just written essays and poems for school use. The only thing I do not enjoy about reading in school is that the books are assigned to me. I understand that you have to read them, I just find it more difficult to read books I did not personally pick out myself. I still love reading and writing and am hoping to get a lot out of these classes for college as a writer.
How did I begin the journey of my literacy, you ask? My grandmother comes to mind when I think about first beginning to read. From the time I was two years old, she would read to me out of the same book that she read to my mother and aunts. Sometimes I would call her on the phone just to hear her read the same story again. This sparked my own love of reading and as I got older, I began to challenge myself with more difficult books. In recent years, I have not had much time for leisure reading because of the workload in past classes, but over the summer I try to set aside at least small amount of time for reading. On the other hand, I have not been someone to write very much. Outside of English classes over the years, my only writing consists of journaling on the rare occasion. I use this as a space to let out any frustrating or exciting parts of my day.
Burchill5
I’m literate because it comes easily to me. As a child, reading a book was no problem. I had words too; frankly, they never stopped coming out of my mouth, so I should think that putting them on paper wasn’t all too difficult. My mother must have read to me, along with my first-grade teacher and probably my kindergarten teacher. In elementary school, I liked to write stories about made up heroes. “The Adventures of…”, “Super...”, “ ...and the Evil…” those kinds of things. Middle School became the beginning of reflectional writing. In middle school, I liked to write about an everyday student who represented me, but usually had things that I wanted during that age, such as great friends, cool hair, girlfriend, and a humorous personality. In high school, I still enjoy writing personal reflections of what I’m thinking, but I don’t like to put my life into a sick illusion. I write realistically, the world isn’t perfect, I’m not, and I feel that it’s important for me to reflect on how I actually am feeling so I know how to respond to life and relationships. Writing is fun as you make it, and to me, it’s just fine.
Wright 5
My literary journey began as a small child looking at picture books while my mom or dad read to me. Even though I had no idea what they were saying at such a young age, reading books with them was one of my favorite things to do. All throughout elementary school, my mom would take me to the library and the bookmobile for special kid story times or programs they were having. This made reading fun for me and helped me to continue to discover my reading abilities. One series, in particular, I remember reading in my late elementary years was The Hunger Games. This was one series I was extremely intrigued by and led me to keep reading throughout middle and high school. I think my parents played a big role in my childhood with helping me to become so literate today. As I grew better at reading every day, I began to write and share my own voice. Discovering the impact I could leave with my words led me to write every day, from my assigned essays in class to my daily journal I keep. I spend a lot of time composing my thoughts and ideas to create something I am very proud of.
How did I begin the journey of my literacy, you ask? My grandmother comes to mind when I think about first beginning to read. From the time I was two years old, she would read to me out of the same book that she read to my mother and aunts. Sometimes I would call her on the phone just to hear her read the same story again. This sparked my own love of reading and as I got older, I began to challenge myself with more difficult books. In recent years, I have not had much time for leisure reading because of the workload in past classes, but over the summer I try to set aside at least small amount of time for reading. On the other hand, I have not been someone to write very much. Outside of English classes over the years, my only writing consists of journaling on the rare occasion. I use this as a space to let out any frustrating or exciting parts of my day.
Reposting because I realized my name didn't safe the first time.)
I believe my literacy journey began the day I was born. I was subconsciously beginning to learn language skills by hearing the people around me for years. My journey continued through the early parts of my childhood when my parents would read to me. I can remember my parents reading short stories to me each day, and then they would later pass that task on to my daycare provider. This simple act set the foundation for my communication and reading skills. As I began school, my literacy would only continue to grow. I would learn things every day, consciously or not, from listening to and watching the largest components of the journey, my teachers, and peers. I loved when I was able to read books like “Junie B. Jones” all by myself and it would make me feel so successful to understand bigger books with more comprehensive aspects. As I moved through school, that feeling of success would follow me through each step. The skills I developed through reading were the basis of my developing writing skills that would later be required of me. The first time I wrote a story in elementary was very short and basic, but in the last school year, I was able to write a coherent essay using so many different writing techniques. I have become literate through a variety of ways, and I will continue to progress on my literacy journey for the rest of my life.
Education has always been the priority in my household, largely influenced by my mother. As a teacher, she believed that education was important and that it would open many doors for me throughout my life. She passed this belief onto me and it has drastically impacted my life and formed me into who I am today. This emphasis on education has driven me to be a better student. Reading has come easily to be throughout my years of school; regardless, my mother used to have me read and study words each night to fully comprehend all my schoolwork. At the time, I may have resented studying when I could have been playing with dolls, but I am now extremely grateful to my mother for this. My mother used to read to my sisters and I every night before bed. Our favorite series to read was Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books, which we reread countless times. Because my mother read to me during my childhood, I grew to enjoy reading more as my schooling progressed. In elementary school, my favorite series was Harry Potter, and I have read it many times since. Although reading has played a large role in my life, I have always disliked writing. Writing has never been something I liked to do, so I only write when I am required for school.
Graber 7
There are many people and tools that have contributed to my literary knowledge. I remember when I was younger my mother bought me a LeapFrog. This device read to me and allowed me to click on words to hear them. It joined education with fun and those two factors ultimately made me want to read. This tool was very influential in my journey to becoming the reader I am today. My mom and dad have also contributed to my literary experience. My mom would take me to the library almost daily and let me pick out books. My favorite books were picture books with very little words. I felt so special and responsible! I would sit on the crisp floor of the SiouxLand Library and amaze my mom with what little I knew. She would correct me sometimes, but she mainly encouraged me. My dad would read to me every night before bed. I had the books memorized in just a few weeks. Yes, dad, I know when you skipped sentences. :) From there I would participate in summer reading challenges at the library and compete for prizes. It was so fun!
My literacy journey began when I was a young child, influenced by my grandfather. As a former teacher and business owner, he believed, that my education was at the top of his priority because he never got the best one growing up. He wanted me to use all the new tools I was given to become a well-educated person and to be ready for the workforce someday. We used to read books about many different topics some about fairy tales, folktales, and some with not so happy endings. He wanted to show me that life wasn’t like a fairytale and not everything was going to work out for me. Also that he wanted me to become a hard worker in life and not get everything handed to me. I have written many essays about varieties of topics in school, none that interest me very much. The letters or essays that I enjoy writing the most are the ones where I get to personalize them and make them about my life experiences.
Literacy has been something we have been improving since the time we were deemed illiterate. The people around us at the time we were first learning how to form words and sentences instilled in us the literacy they have acquired over the years. They do this by reading stories and simply having a conversation in our presence. We later began our years of schooling only excelling our literacy further. In our earlier years, they taught us the alphabet, how to write our letters, and how to read books. Throughout our later years of school, our teachers taught us the correct grammar usage, how to write fluid sentences, and how to use common English sentence structure. All of which strengthened our literacy and brought us to the next level. We were also given assignments by those teachers to write things on our own, such as essays, poetry, and short stories. This urged us to find our own understanding of literacy. From the moment we were born to this very moment, we have been on our literacy journey and we will continue to better our literacy as time continues.
I have found myself interested in writing ever since I was little. One Christmas break when I was little my sister and I worked on a Christmas play to perform to our family. We spent many days working on it. When that was finished we loved writing it so much we decided to write another one the next year. Take note we never performed these plays because Jada was too scared to. Sometimes we would pretend we worked in an office and write random things. Before school started each year, I remember I would just get so excited to learn so I would start reading and writing poems. When I was in elementary school, the librarian introduced me to one of my favorite books, Cracker. I would spend hours in my room after school reading it. My sister fell in love with it as well because of my recommendation. My love for writing and reading has mostly been because of my sister I believe. She has just been a huge part of my life and I’ve always just wanted to impress her with my skills. Lately I have not been writing anything because I have not been inspired. But, when I am inspired, I love to sit outside on my deck and write a story, poem, or whatever comes to mind.
Johnson 7
I became literate at a very young age. My mother is a stay at home mom who does daycare so growing up I was always around kids my age and we always had reading time before lunch and before nap time which I think helped me grow into reading. Reading books and being literate has always come pretty easily to me and I have always been reading books that are ahead of my level of where I am supposed to be. However, I never really was a fan of just reading for fun or because I enjoyed it, I would only read at school if it was mandatory because otherwise reading was just really boring for me. There is one series that I did enjoy and that was the Harry Potter series because they were very long and they used very intense vocabulary which helped push my thinking to be broader and it really challenged me unlike any other books had before. I read all the books in the series and after that, I really never read many books or other series because they were not as interesting and made me bored really fast. Throughout school, I have written plenty of essays and letters but I am not a huge fan of writing so I do not do it very often unless I am required to in a certain class.
I believe I have become literate mostly because of my grandma and my mom. My grandma and mom both love to read, and when I was younger I would always see and watch them read. I think I learned partly by example, and partly just from my personality. I have always enjoyed reading, and used to be advanced at it. When I was younger and just learning how to read I would use one of my moms books and find all the words I knew, and even try to learn new ones. Once I got to elementary school I was usually ahead of my other classmates in the levels, and reading a couple grade levels above. I don’t think I have been read to much, but my dad used to read me the same two books every night when I was young. I’ve read all different kinds of books but I think my favorite genre is science fiction. For some reason the supernatural stuff really interests me, and always have. In 4th grade I used to read all the Grimm Sisters Fairytale books, and now I’m on a trilogy called Brilliance. I’ve never been super big into, I always felt it was difficult for me to write things with a good flow, or know the right words to put together. Most of my writing has been essays and papers for school.
I think that I became literate at a young age because of my family. My parents read to me every night before I went to bed when I was very young. I enjoyed listening to my parents read to me, even if was only short little books like Goodnight Moon. My brother is two years older than me, so when he learned to read, I wanted to learn how to read as well. Teachers in school also helped me learn how to read by giving me books they thought I would like. In first grade, my favorite book series was Junie B. Jones because those were the first chapter books I could read on my own. As I grew older, I started reading the Harry Potter books and I think those books were a huge part of why I enjoyed reading so much growing up. I haven’t written anything outside of essays or stories that I was required to write for school, but I think writing is also an important part in a literacy journey.
I have become very literate through the 18 years of my life. This reason being is that I’ve had a very good schooling program here at Brandon Valley. The funny thing is that I hate reading and writing. I never do these things unless I am told by a teacher. I also have to give credit to my parents for teaching me the basics of reading and writing. They taught me the alphabet and told me what letters make what sounds. My parents would always tell me stories when I was little or read me books to help me learn different types of words. Writing is always fun when you can write about something you’re passionate about. Most people have that problem. They hate writing because they’ve never actually written about something that they are passionate about. I am looking forward to being in this class because I know it will help me expand my literacy and also better my writing skills.
TeKrony 7
One of the main reasons I have become so literate is through my family members. When I was in kindergarten, after school I would spend my time at my grandparents' house till my parents were off work. Every day we would do my homework and then they would read to me. They had a huge variety of books that always kept me interested. Some of my favorite books that they read to me were by Dr. Suess. My sister Morgan would also read to me a lot. She is two years older than me so she was better at reading than I was. She would always sit by me and read me some of the books she checked out from the library at school. Another reason I have become literate is through school. There was always a mandatory amount of books you had to read during the school year. After being forced to read during school, I actually started to enjoy reading. A lot of the books I read in middle school and elementary school were from A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Magic Tree House, and Junie B. Jones. Now I like reading books by Nicholas Sparks in my free time, which isn’t very often anymore. Whenever I write anything it is most likely for school. I don’t enjoy writing as much as I do reading. However, I am hoping that this year I will better myself in writing and also make more time for reading.
Ever since day 1 of my kindergarten school year I have been learning how to comprehend the English Language. I remember starting off easy by learning how to properly spell and pronounce 3-4 letter words like "Cat." From there my classroom activities consisted of singing the Alphabet in the mornings, reading short stories with my peers, and later writing my own stories. Thanks to the help of my mother reading me whatever book I wanted before bed, I have gained this much needed skill. By the time I was in 5th grade teachers were making students create their own short stories like those we had read before. We would make "sloppy copies" for one another to edit/proof read which in turn taught us about grammar errors that everyone accidentally makes. What I can recall writing about is of fairy tale stories with lots of talking animals similar to the Narnia novels. Those being my favorite kind of books to read I would take inspiration from. My love of animals and unlimited freedom to create something of my own nature gave me excitement. Encouraging guidance from my parents and school made me literate along with the everyday reading one needs to get through the day.
I become more and more literate as I age, but it all started when I was a young child. Every night before bed I was read a bedtime story by my parents which gave me an opportunity to look at words and pictures as well as hear the words being said. During the story time, I would put everything together and I would figure out how to read words and what they meant with pictures. I started reading simple children books in daycare, only because I had to. I then grew up and found out that I don’t really enjoy reading, because of that I would only read the summaries of books just to get me through the test. When it came to high school, however, I started reading books again because I found out that the summaries just weren’t in-depth enough to pass the tests. Reading words did help me learn to spell words and put them together to make a message clear. Starting in elementary school when I got my first phone I started composing text messages to friends and family. The texts then grew into essays in middle school, leading me now to papers in high school. Now that I look at it everything thing I have read or written in my 17 years of life has made me become a more literate person.
Reading and writing has been a part of my life almost since birth. My parents have been reading to me and speaking around me my entire life. As my parents spoke to me my brain began to make connections with words and objects. The connections soon developed far enough that with practice I was able to repeat what i was hearing which allowed me to communicate with the world in a way that i hadn’t been able to before. I then learned that these words that I was speaking can be placed on a page so that i can communicate with someone without the need to speak at all. My ability to write these words has grown much over the years due to various things. School has helped me to compose these words in such a way that I am able to communicate clearly with others what I am attempting to say. Reading has been another reason that I can contribute to my degree of literacy today. If it wasn’t for me reading different words that I at first didn’t understand, my vocabulary would be much weaker than it currently is and i would not be as literate as i currently am. Reading has also helped me understand how words can flow and complement each other in different ways. All of these aspects have led to the degree of literacy that I currently possess today.
Kocer: Throughout my life, there have been many people who have helped me become literate. Starting at a young age, my mom would read to me almost every day. Eventually, I would begin to read to her. During the summer, she would bring me and my brothers to the library every week where we would check out our own books to read and sometimes listen to others read. My mom wasn’t the only one to help peak my interest in books. My grandma and sometimes my aunt would read me many books. For my birthday or Christmas, I would often receive books as presents. Many of my elementary school teachers made reading enjoyable with designated times to read around the room in bean bags. Also, in class, the teacher would read to us or we could read in groups. One of my favorite book series in elementary school was the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. I have also written many papers ranging from my third-grade poems to my high school speeches and essays.
Risty 7
How have I become so literate? My parents have read to me for a very long time. When I was very young, they read children’s books from authors, such as Dr. Suess. When I reached elementary school, I began to read my first chapter books with the help of my parents. By the time I was in 2nd grade, I read my first short chapter book on my own. When I was in 4th and 5th grade, I graduated to longer books, such as the Harry Potter series (which was a favorite at the time). Throughout middle school and high school I have read books assigned in school, and I have also read a handful of books for my own enjoyment. I started to enjoy writing at a very young age. My writing skills blossomed at some point during the 2nd grade. My teacher (Wanda Logan) encouraged me to continue writing because she believed that I had to the writing level of a 5th grader at the age of 7, which gave me a drive to keep writing. I have written a number of essays and research papers throughout middle school and high school. Out of many writings, I think the most enjoyable papers to write are informational papers. I love researching topics and then providing the readers with understandable information without making the amount of information too overwhelming. I have become so literate from the help of my parents and teachers throughout the years.
As a baby, my parents would constantly read and sing to me. I think that that was where my literacy all began. I was constantly absorbing the words that my parents would say and read to me. Before I was old enough to attend school, my dad would read comic books with me on the couch. Going to school and doing my homework also assisted in my understanding of literature. During my elementary school years, I loved reading. My favorite book series was Harry Potter and I read that series more than once. Another popular series that I read during elementary school was Magic Tree House. I also had my teachers reading to me in class and helping me write letters to my parents for school projects. Another thing that I think helped me strengthen my understanding of literature is signing up for and taking honors English classes in high school. I think that those classes helped me a lot because of how much writing we had to do with essays and poems. For example, I had to write an essay comparing The Odyssey to the movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? We used a variety of literary tactics to help us compose the essays and I feel like I have a better understanding of literature because of it. I enjoy writing and am looking forward to the opportunity of improving my writing this semester.
My literacy journey began at a young age as my parents frequently read small picture books to me. As I grew older, I began taking over the daily task of reading. My parents would correct my mistakes but somehow alwasy tried to make this time a fun experience for me. I always loved Dr. Suess, likely because of the creativity and color that went into each story. The picture books slowly turned into longer, harder books. I remember reading the Junie B. Jones series and even had the first page memorized starting with "My name is Junie B. Jones.." . I read nearly all of this series until I outgrew them. Reading was becoming easier and easier and eventually I was reading the Hunger Games series as well as many others. However, during my late Elementary and Middle School years I began to hate reading and writing. I dreaded attending these classes and they even began to frustrate me. I frequently had trouble finding books I was interested in and took very few visits to the library. My writing consisted of whatever my teachers assigned and nothing more. Today reading and writing is still not my favorite subject and certainly not my best, but I have started to find an interest in it. I have started to find a passion for literature again and now see the significance and beauty of it. I will continue my literacy journey for the rest of my life and hope one day I will fully rekindle my love for literature that I once had.
Kellogg 7
I have become very literate throughout my life in many ways. I have always loved to read, even when I was very young and I couldn’t read well. I was fascinated with books to the point where I would pick them up and just flip the pages, pretending I was reading. Every day in 6th grade for about 2 weeks, I would walk into Mrs. Grieve’s 6th-grade classroom and pick up the next book in the Series of Unfortunate Events collection. I would read the book for that day, finish it, and grab the next book on the morning of the next day.
My parents never did read to me as a child. I always just read things by myself or to them and they would help me with the words that I couldn’t pronounce or didn’t know the meanings of. I have read many a book series including all Percy Jackson books, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Goosebumps, Magic Tree House, The Boxcar Kids, Diary of A Wimpy Kid, Little House on the Prairie, Junie B. Jones, and more. I have read many books not within a series as well. Books by Ruth Ware, Agatha Christie, John Green, Paula Hawkins, Beth Revis, along with others.
When I was younger, I used to write stories constantly and was fairly good at it. For a time, I wanted to be an author of some sort. I was told by certain relatives that I have beautiful descriptions and was a talented writer, which fueled the fire for awhile. English classes have always come naturally to me in the ways of grammar and writing. I have written letters to my aunt Jules in Kansas, and am still writing them today. This has been going on for maybe 6 years now. I continue to write to her rather than texting just because we think it’s more fun this way.
My journey to literacy commenced as a very small child, perhaps smaller than most. The slow, rhythmic words of Dr. Suess flowed from mother’s mouth into my ears, lulling me to sleep. “One-fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.” By the time I understood these strange combinations of noise, I had developed an appetite for them. Frequent trips to the Brandon library fueled the addictions of an avid reader such as I. Subsequently, I graduated from the nonsensical masterpieces of Dr. Suess and latched on to new prey like a thirsting parasite. Knowledge sucked from a vast array of non-fiction works adorned the inner workings of my adolescent mind with very enjoyable, albeit useless scientific facts. Upon entering the teenage years, my hunger for science had been satiated and I fixed my gaze to fantastical worlds of adventure, mythology, and history. The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy enthralled me for longer than most, standing in my memory as the best series I have read to date. Delving into writing on occasion, I was infuriated by my inability to transplant the whimsical worlds of my mind to paper. The only evidence of my attempts was tattered and buried in the dark recesses of the trash bin. Today, I find most interest in dystopian novels such as “Brave New World,” but still harbor a frustration with my lack of writing tact.
Poppenga
“How have you become so literate?”
Growing up I was antisocial. I never really liked to go outside, so I emerged myself in movies and books. My mom was/is an elementary teacher and she emphasized on how important reading is. In elementary school, I excelled the average literacy rate for my class every year and had the opportunity to read higher level books. I also believe that not only did reading help me become so literate, but when watching something like the Harry Potter series you have to stay focused and remember every detail in order to get the ending. After watching and reading everything there is to offer, one would think that I would be a great writer––i’m not. I often struggle with writing essays in school because it never really comes from the heart. It’s always based on research and there is always a guide that you have to follow that makes it confusing. But I have been told that in birthday letters or in a journal my mom forced me to have, I can put words into perspective. I would love to only read books in this class, but I know I need to understand and learn how to write too.
Eifert pd 7
How have I become so literate? My aunt kelsey is who I can thank for literacy. As a young student in elementary I struggled most with reading and writing causing me to fall behind in school. My aunt seen my struggle and told me that she would make sure that I don’t fall behind, and that I become the best reader I can be. Everyday after school from 3rd grade all the way to 5th my aunt would come to my house and read to me. I would pick out the book most the time, but sometimes she would suggest a book that she loved when she was my age and read that to me. We started out with a book series called Biscuit that was about a dog who would go on many adventure. These books were very simple and taught the basics of reading. Once I got to fourth grade my aunt began to introduce chapter books to me, and she suggested that I try the Junie B. Jones books series, as that was what she read at my age. I absolutely loved these books as the little girl in the books reminded me of myself. Fourth grade was also the year that we began reading books, and having to take test over them. My aunt helped me by having me read a chapter to her and after each chapter she would ask me questions on what happened, and ask about small details in the chapter. This helped me tremendously because now I would think a little more about the book as I read it. I started to notice that I could read just as fast as everyone in my class finally, and I wouldn’t mispronounce words as often as I used to. Once I got to fifth grade we now had to right journals, type papers, and we had spelling test. I struggled a lot because I realised how bad I was at coming up with things to write and I was horrible at spelling words. My aunt came up with a plan, she had me write all my spelling words 10 times in a row then she would quiz me on them every single night until my test on Friday. She would also spend time with me writing paper, and often she’d make it seem super fun to write. She showed me that there isn’t really a wrong way to writing as long as you make the reader really enjoy reading it. By the end of fifth grade I became a pro at reading and writing. Without my aunt I would have never became the hard working student I am today, and I wouldn’t of found my love for books. She is who I thank for making me become so literate.
Ellingson: I understand someone’s literacy journey usually begins with their parents reading to them. When I was a little girl my parents read at least three books to me before I’d fall asleep. Soon enough, it was me who was reading to them. My mom would find me setting up my stuffed animals and reading to them like the teacher did to my class. When my sister Kazi was born reading was something we could do to bond together. During elementary school when we had our “AR” goal, I’d read all the time to try and have the highest points in the class. In my elementary and middle school years, I had gotten to know the librarian well and she would show me an interesting book series. I have read all of the “Divergent” and “Hunger Games” books, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and many others. At night during the summer, I sometimes sat in my hammock and read my mom’s old Danielle Steel books. I have become so literate from being read to, reading to others, in school, and reading just for fun. My friends and I used to write little stories and plays together. I enjoy reading and writing and I’m excited to learn how to polish my thoughts better and study new books this semester.
My journey to literacy began when I was exceedingly young; my dad was reading Winnie the Pooh stories to me before I was even out of the womb! Throughout the rest of my childhood and into early elementary school, my mom taught me to read from a combination of reading to me and eventually teaching me using a book she had bought. Being homeschooled greatly facilitated my journey to being able to read well. I began to love it so much that I would not only complete my reading for school but also read various different stories in my free time. I was never much of a writer throughout elementary and middle school, but I absolutely devoured books. Some of my favorites include(d) books by Dr. Seuss, the Magic Tree House series, and, later, The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Ranger’s Apprentice series, and The Martian. As aforementioned, I really began focusing on writing my freshman year of high school. Hence, I am much newer to writing well than I am to reading well. However, even in that short time, I have come to particularly enjoy persuasive and argumentative essays. I am still developing many of my writing skills, but I do tend to enjoy it and I hope to improve significantly in my last year of high school and going into college.
Spencer 7
My literacy journey was a struggle. I don’t ever remember my parents reading to me when I was a little kid, I just assumed the did. The one thing I know for sure was that my grandma and grampa read to me all the time when they would come over. When I started school though my parents figured out that I couldn't see the words on the pages and because of this I couldn’t put the letters with sounds to make words. Once I got glasses though reading became easier, at this time I was already behind the other kids in school. I was enrolled in other programs to help me read and understand English as a whole. My parents got me tutors that would make me read out loud to them so I would continue to get better at reading and pronouncing words. I didn’t just read to a tutor though. My parents would make me read every book out loud to them, most of these books were from the Junie B. Jones series. After getting help for Reading and English, the classes became a little easier again. When it came to writing it was a train wreck. I was already behind in reading skills, so to start writing was like learning another language. I didn’t understand grammar (still don’t know some of it today) so when I had to write essays in school I failed terribly. I do not remember what I wrote about I just know the outcome was not good. I am working my hardest though to do everything I can to get better in Reading and English because I know when I get to college it will be a helpful tool. I am also excited to learn how to write better this year so I can be prepared for the future.
DeCurtins 7
My journey of becoming literate has not always been an easy one. I must admit I do not remember being taught how to read and write. However, there are a few things I can recollect from a young age pertaining to my success in reading. The Biscuit series, about a little yellow dog, was always my favorite. I remember finding them in the elementary school library and being in awe. When I found out that the authors' name was Alyssa, like me, I fell in love even more. I’m not entirely sure if I was read those books by someone or if I read them myself, but they were number one in my heart. As elementary school progressed I had improved on my reading skills but not well enough. I was the student who always fell behind in our reading goals. Making me push myself even more to read. Doing so by checking out bigger books from the library and reading as much as I could. I worked hard in training myself to be able to read well. Unfortunately today, reading has not been a favorite task of mine. I am fully capable of reading things, but not as fast as other students. For example, in class, when the teacher gives us a little bit of quiet time to read a paragraph or two in a textbook before moving on, I read only halfway through before we continue on. In order to retain all of the information, I have to read slowly and carefully, or else my mind will wander. The thrill of stories are amazing and I wish I would read more frequently. Often times I begin a book, and never finish it. During middle school, I would try to pick up some books such as the Fault in Our Stars, my favorite novel. However, the only novels I read now are those that are assigned through school. Even then, if I’m able to, I listen to an audiobook of the novel while following along. Some people may look down on audiobooks, but it’s the only way I can focus. Without it, I will read paragraphs multiple times in a book and never actually understand what it is saying, or begin to think about something else going on in my life. I admire the people who are constantly reading. Though I know I will never be one of those people, I am still proud of the accomplishments I have made in my ability to read.
My journey to becoming literate started when I was young. My parents read to me starting at a very young age. They also started to teach me letters and words at a young age to get me ready for school. My mom is a second grade teacher so she mostly taught me. When I started school is when I really started to learn to read and write. Once I got the hang of reading, I started reading all the time. I read out loud to my cat, my little brother, and anybody who would listen. My mom likes to read a lot, so when she would sit in the living room and read, then I would sit in the living room and read. When I was younger my mom would pick out my books for me. She would pick out books she liked when she was little, and books that kids in her classes liked. When I started being able to read higher level books she would pick out books that she really enjoyed. She did this so that I would always have something interesting to read, and so that I would consider to read throughout the summer. She also signed me up for all of the library reading challenges to keep me engaged. Currently, reading is one of my favorite things to do in my free time.
Amanda pd. 5
My journey to becoming literate started when I was young. My parents read to me starting at a very young age. They also started to teach me letters and words at a young age to get me ready for school. My mom is a second grade teacher so she mostly taught me. When I started school is when I really started to learn to read and write. Once I got the hang of reading, I started reading all the time. I read out loud to my cat, my little brother, and anybody who would listen. My mom likes to read a lot, so when she would sit in the living room and read, then I would sit in the living room and read. When I was younger my mom would pick out my books for me. She would pick out books she liked when she was little, and books that kids in her classes liked. When I started being able to read higher level books she would pick out books that she really enjoyed. She did this so that I would always have something interesting to read, and so that I would consider to read throughout the summer. She also signed me up for all of the library reading challenges to keep me engaged. Currently, reading is one of my favorite things to do in my free time.
Vogel 7
I have not always been so literate. My parents read to me when I was younger. I loved this little book with a poem called “Over in the Meadow” that my parents would sing. My sisters and I loved this book when my parents read it to use before we went to bed at night. I was in speech from kindergarten to 4th grade because I could not pronounce s or r. I pronounced spoon as “poon”. I struggled with this for quite some time and now I hear it now and then in my speech. I think that I really came more literate when I started reading more often. The Ruby Red Trilogy was my favorite series when I was in 6th grade and still is today. I love the way the author just plots out the story in the series. It is just a different point of view in literature for me. It impressed me at the time how the main character, Gwendolyn Shepherd, thoughts were similar to my own thoughts. I started reading more after this series because I understood what it was like to have fun and read. Also, I have written a lot in class and last year for band I wrote to letters to all the trumpet line member for being such a great section. Their responses to the letters were amazing. Some gave hugs, thank yous, awws, and much more. It just warmed my heart to show them I appreciate them and they feel the same way as I do too. I love writing and reading in many different ways. I hope to learn more about my writing this year too.
Peyton 7
Growing up I was not always the most literate but eventually, I became much more skilled. When I was young my mom and dad read to me a lot but my favorite thing was always when my grandma read a book titled, "Rolie Polie Olie." This book was based on a children's cartoon tv series. I remember every time I visited my grandma I insisted that she read that book to me. My grandma still brings me books to read that she gets from the local treasure chest in her town. She brings me a lot of sports-based books. The book I am currently reading is, "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis. Another great sports book I have recently read is called "The Final Four" by Paul Volponi. I have learned most of my writing skills from my dad. I usually go to my dad to edit papers or letters I write and while he critiques it I try to pick up on the tips he gives me and apply it on my own. In the past, I wrote a lot of letters to my pen pale from South Africa. With the very little experience I have with writing I hope to get much better at it this year.
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