From the time I was only six months old, books have opened up a whole new world for me. My Mother and Grandmother played a significant role in inspiring me to learn how to read and write. They would often read bedtime stories to me and introduced me to the wonders of the library, creating some of the most precious moments in my life.
By the age of two, I had already developed speech and communication skills that allowed me to engage with my favorite book, PJ Funny Bunny. I would spend countless hours looking at its pages, imagining that I was reading them myself. This love for reading continued as I explored other works by Dr. Seuss, Smurf pop-up books (which made me feel like a part of the story), scratch-and-sniff books, and sensory books. This early exposure to literacy laid the foundation for my educational journey.
I always had a fascination watching my Mother and Grandmother write with their neat handwriting or read something. As a toddler, I wanted to write just as well and started writing on my games, play tables, and toy boxes (despite it being against the rules). My Mother also wrote out bills and used a calculator, so I imitated her. However, none of this satisfied me. I desired something more. I remember eagerly waiting to start school. It felt unfair that the bigger kids who lived nearby got to go to school while I didn’t. Jealousy grew as I watched them returning home with their happy school faces from the front window of our house.
The experience of starting Kindergarten made me realize how enjoyable school could be and made me feel like I was missing out on something great. It seemed unfair that I wanted to learn too! When I began Kindergarten, I already knew how to spell my name and could recite and write the letters of the alphabet. I could also spell a few simple words like CAT and DOG. Our teacher, Mrs. Lowler, motivated us to continue developing our literacy skills by helping us sound out letters or words, providing us with more words to practice spelling, reading to us aloud daily, letting us take turns on the typewriter, encouraging us to recite poems and songs, allowing us to read to each other, and even writing a few short sentences ourselves. Additionally, we had an exciting competition where the person who read the most books would win a complimentary pizza from Pizza Hut.
Mrs. Lowler utilized two methods to foster my literacy skills. Firstly, she assigned us a task of painting a picture and subsequently presenting them before the entire class. During these presentations, we were instructed to fabricate a brief narrative related to our artistic creations. Eventually, this exercise stimulated my creativity in relation to reading. Additionally, our teacher bestowed upon us books as Christmas presents. I vividly recall receiving a book entitled A Mouse House. Within its pages, Mrs. Lowler inscribed praise for my reading proficiency and encouraged us all to return after the holidays having mastered the content of our respective books, in order to explore any literary material of our choosing. I wholeheartedly trusted her guidance and diligently practiced my designated book throughout the winter break. This act imbued me with optimism for the pursuit of knowledge.
During my Kindergarten years, I enjoyed creating my own short stories with illustrations, such as the Oddor Beast and The Witch And Too Two Many. These stories fueled my imagination and made me feel like a talented author. It was always exciting to receive a Very Good (VG) in the Reading box on my report card, which motivated me to read even more.
In the beginning of my Elementary school years, we focused on developing literacy skills through writing creative stories accompanied by illustrations. My story, The Girl Who Had The Magic Finger, reveals my struggles with spelling and completing sentences. I also had a tendency to rush through tasks and end sentences abruptly with phrases like “And that’s the end of that.”
I continued my learning journey by assembling little books like the Little People Book. These books were helpful in improving my reading comprehension as they included short questions at the end to reinforce what I had read.
During my time in First Grade, I achieved the ability to create my own Christmas List independently. Additionally, I have made significant improvements in my handwriting skills, even without using lined paper provided by the school. Furthermore, I have shown progress in proper letter formatting and spelling. These advancements can be attributed to the continuous instruction in grammar, spelling, and handwriting that I received during school.
In Second Grade, our class was divided into different reading groups. However, I believe this approach is flawed as it causes individuals not in higher reading groups to focus more on those specific groups rather than their own group’s activities. Unfortunately, this posed a problem for me personally resulting in a decline of my reading grade to a G (Good) according to my report card. Consequently, I started losing interest and noticed a deterioration in my literacy skills.
In Second Grade, we were given a task to write about Columbus Day using the words from a worksheet. I didn’t follow the instructions and even made up parts of Columbus’ voyage. My teacher noticed that my skills were declining, so she placed me in the highest reading group which helped me improve. When I wrote “If I Wrote The Constitution,” both my handwriting and spelling got better again. As a result, I started writing longer paragraphs like “The Missing Cents” where I let my imagination run wild with a story about a lost quarter. However, towards the end of the story, I rushed to complete it and it didn’t make sense.
In the Third Grade, we were taught cursive writing, and I was eager to showcase my skills in a Mothers Day Card. Additionally, we had a Weekly Spelling Words Sheet and a test at the end of each week to improve our spelling. For each word, we had to write it multiple times, construct a complete sentence using the word, and provide its definition. Furthermore, we started incorporating computers into our education. In one assignment, called the Dandy Song, I honed my literacy skills and gained proficiency in using computers. This assignment also taught me how to adapt and create my own lyrics to a pre-existing tune, similar to Yankee Doodle.
One of my most vivid memories from third grade is when I created my very own library. I would collect all the books from the bookshelves and arrange them alphabetically throughout the playroom. To complete the library experience, I even had a checkout station equipped with a typewriter to add the due-back dates inside each book. Additionally, I dedicated time to write and publish my own book titled “What Ifs.” This endeavor allowed me to utilize all the skills I had been taught in school, including those related to library management.
The passion for teaching and obtaining an English degree sparked within me thanks to my fifth grade English teacher. She made literacy incredibly enjoyable, and one of our monthly assignments was to complete a book report.
For the book report, we had to create a cover and follow the writing format instructions of Round Trip Space Ship. The most enjoyable aspect of this project was presenting our book reports in class while dressed up as one of the main characters. In my case, I had a great time dressing up as a cute little alien, which allowed me to truly embody the character. Additionally, our teacher, Mrs. Paris, encouraged us to keep journals in class. She would provide a topic and give us about fifteen minutes to write down our thoughts. I loved the fact that she took the time to respond to our entries, as it made me excited and motivated to continue writing in my journal. This experience inspired me to establish a pen pal relationship with one of my friends from church.
Throughout my years of learning literacy, I have engaged in various experiences that have allowed me to combine my knowledge. These experiences range from writing papers and newspaper articles to reading to younger children and more. As a teacher, my personal philosophy is to serve as a Reading Mentor for my students. My aim is to demonstrate to them that learning literacy can be enjoyable and can ignite their imagination. Recognizing the significance of books, I believe that they are responsible for the ideas and thoughts we possess today. Without them, creativity would be nonexistent, consequently resulting in the absence of places like Disney World. Each teacher I had played a significant role in shaping my learning, from whom I acquired a great deal of knowledge. One crucial lesson that I intend to pass on is the importance of making learning a pleasurable and pleasant experience. Just like Mrs. Paris, my Fifth Grade teacher, I aspire to exhibit my love and enjoyment for teaching to my students.
