Literacy

One of my early experiences with reading that stands out the most was when I young I use to take my books out and read to my dogs. I use to take my Mickey Mouse story books outside into the dog run area and sit on the stairs. My dogs whose names were Buddy and Sammy both were black labs, would join me by lying down around me. I felt that they were listening to very word that I was saying or trying to sound out. The best part of reading to my pets was there was no wrong way of saying something, so there was no stress about it.

When I moved into first grade, I was pulled out of class during English time because they believe I was a level behind everyone. Since I was pulled out of the class during that time my English never improved any. I was always seen as one level lower then my fellow students in the class. After one year of being told that I was less of reader then my fellow students and missing out of project that went on during my time with the private tutor. I began to hate reading as a whole, so I would make up words instead of trying to sound them out or just plain stay away from books. This continued for another year until I had to move with my family to Dublin, Ohio outside of Columbus. The moved caused me to leave my dear friends and the only house I had lived in so far.

When my first day of class started in Dublin at Thomas Elementary, I was so nervous about being behind the rest of the class in reading. After sometime had passed, it was time for parents-teacher meeting and at this age it was ok to go with your parent. When we sat down to talk to my teacher my mother informed him that I had reading problems in my last school and acquired if it was affecting my learning. My teacher just smiled at the mother and told her that he hadn’t noticed anything wrong with my reading and that I was at the same level as everyone else. I was so excited about this news and was happy that I wasn’t terrible at reading but really at the level I should be at.

Each of these experiences impacted my life in a different way. Since all but one was positive view on reading my overall feeling towards it was a positive one. Reading to my dog impacted me because it helped me see that reading was something to enjoy not just a school related thing. There were never harsh words and they were all ears and happy to listen. When I was taking out of class it caused me to feel like an outsider and gave reason for people to pick on me. Even with all the time I spent in that help session my reading never seemed to improve in their eyes and I was there for about 2 years. When I finally moved away and into a new school and my whole life seemed upside down. I finally was equal to everyone else and begin to enjoy reading. I started to read books for fun and not only for school. Even now I read for enjoyment and journaling about the themes and ideas in them.