The Importance Of Literacy In My Life

Literacy has the power to transform us. By reading we learn new things and we are more likely to express ourselves to others. We can understand another’s language, other cultures, and know the way others way of thought.

I have acquired many literacy opportunities throughout my literacy life my parents, grandparents, and teachers ,I hold them very close to my heart because if it wasn’t for them pushing and encouraging me to read and write I wouldn’t be the literate person I am today. I bear a huge family so there are always many voices going through my head so it wasn’t long until I started speaking, as well as comprehending what all these strange words meant recognizing the words was very difficult before I started practicing them. My parents always encouraged me to read and write in a way no child can resist with toys and candy who could say no to that. Every chance they got to help me read they would read with me. I wasn’t forced to read on my own because I didn’t know how.

Going through life we learn and grow differently in literacy. As a young child, I started off my reading by looking at pictures and then grew into more difficult literacy. Trying to comprehend how much reading would impact my life in the future when I was little, was something I never understood. Being in high school now, I have learned how much reading and writing would impact me and how many opportunities it could provide for me. Since I was that child who could have cared less about my literacy, I soon became the child that got so worked up if I wasn’t as superb as others in reading. Throughout my childhood, my literacy has had its ups and downs, but now being in high school I have worked hard in my literacy which has allowed me to take

It can be said that literacy is hated by many and loved by few, and I would attest to the fact that it’s hated, if I was still the little kid back in elementary school, but even so, literacy is so much more, it opens doors, encourages change, and Inspires many. You see, like a majority of the kids I Knew growing up, I hated English class with a passion, I despised the very thought about writing a paper. But in fourth grade something changed, something in that particular 4th grade class lit a fire that has yet to be extinguished.

Literacy plays a huge role in many people’s lives everyday, whether it is learning how to read and write for the first time or writing a five-page essay for the hundredth time. We experience literacy differently and have our very own unique stories on how it has impacted our lives and had made us who we are today. It is an essential aspect that I use in my everyday life, such as in relationships, daily interactions with others, and learning. It has become such a powerful aspect and human right in which it allows one to speak his/her mind and in some cases express their opinion to the world. My personal literacy history has shaped me into who I am today because without my experiences I would not have been able to gain the confidence and

Literacy is fundamental to all areas of learning from an early age, as it unlocks access to the wider curriculum. Being literate increases opportunities for pupils in all aspects of life and lays the foundations for lifelong learning and work.

I have my journey in learning how to read and write never stops. Understanding the importance of literacy came to me at the high school, when I faced real challenges and understanding how important that is to learn, to create, to dream and to help others.

It’s difficult to imagine being one of the millions of Americans who are incapable of reading or writing as we spend most of our lives doing both. Whether it’s reading the daily newspaper or successfully completing a job application, literacy is essential to living a life with independence. Unfortunately, without the ability to communicate, most illiterates

An astronomer killed my religion. More accurately, reading an astronomer’s carefully chosen and thoughtful words changed my life forever. I was raised in a strict religious home in my early childhood. Both my parents were Jehovah’s Witnesses, and being the good Witnesses that they were, they often chose to shelter their children from the worldly influences surrounding them. There were many things in life forbidden to me, many truths locked away. Unfortunately for my parents, I’ve always been curious about the world and literacy was my key. It wasn’t until I was 13 years old when I first discovered Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space. Reading Sagan’s reflections on the world and humanity ignited something in me that had been smoldering for a long time; the idea that I did not need religion to find purpose and meaning in life, rather I must only look within myself.

In American society, literacy, or the ability to read and write, is taken for granted. In many areas around the world, and even America before public schooling, the power you carried with literacy was priceless. Deborah Brandt, an English professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison said “Literacy like land, is a valued commodity in this economy, a key resource in gaining profit and edge. This value helps to explain, of course, the lengths people will go to secure literacy for them- selves or their children. But it also explains why the powerful work so persistently to conscript and ration the powers of literacy” (Brandt 169). This quote from her publication, Sponsors of Literacy, shows how literacy is power and the people who are in control of it need to influence, or as Brandt would say “Sponsor” (167) those who are illiterate.

I am currently a high school teacher of Living Environment in a public school in the Bronx. Over 80% of the students at my school are on reduced lunch. Additionally, over 98% of my students are Latino/Hispanic and African American. As I come to define what literacy means to me as a teacher, I begin to come to realize that my own definition of literacy is highly influenced by my personal experiences in life. I grew up in a single parent home in a rough part of town and attended a school that was majority Latino/Hispanic and African American throughout my academic career until I reached college. The university where I attended was the complete opposite: most of the students were white with only a handful of students of other ethnicities. While in college, I remember being self-conscious about my ability to both read and speak. Public speaking was one of my phobias during my undergraduate career. I noticed that all of my white colleagues were articulate with their speech and never seemed to stumble over words. Myself on the other hand, I struggled with certain root words and for that reason I never wanted to speak out in class. However, I believe the most frustrating part of this whole experience was the lack of understanding from my colleagues. For them, reading and speaking was something that just

When I was two, my parents relocated us to Muskogee, Oklahoma. It is from these early days that literacy took control of my life. As a younger child, I do not remember a moment when books were not a crucial part of my existence. I eagerly awaited my father’s payday every week because that meant I could go to TG&Y and purchase a new Golden Book. Two of my favorite selections over the years were Little Brown Bear and Grover Takes Care of Baby. I may not have been able to read all the words, but through the pictures and my mother’s encouragement, the stories began to take me away. I did not understand the sacrifice my parents made for this opportunity until I was grown, but as an adult, I am extremely grateful for it. Without their support and encouragement of my literacy adventure, I would not be where I am today.

In Jonathan Kozol’s “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society” and Malcolm X’s “Literacy Behind Bars” they both talk about the advantages of being literate, as well as the hardships that those who are illiterate goes through. Using these articles, we can see that it’s important to be as literate as possible because, a literate person would be more confidant in interacting with others, they’re less likely to be cheated, they don’t have to rely on others, and ultimately their world view is much bigger.

Literacy is defined as being literate, that is, being able to read and write in a language. My personal experience with literacy began at an early age, at the age of 4 when I began to sit and read words and letters in the back of my mother’s car. Soon enough, she would bring me a magazine called “Majed” which, in the 90’s, was a popular magazine. With this, I began even more interested in reading and writing and reviewed every word in the magazine associated with each of the short pictured stories. It was the first memory I deeply recall of literacy and it was what laid the foundation for my personal love of reading and writing. The methodology used for this is an interview. There are three interviews which are analyzed and brought together in the form of a narrative. This narrative serves to better explain the emotions and thoughts that the interviewees had about the idea of literacy.

Reading and writing are two of the most important tools in my life, because without them I would not have an education. They form the basis of a class; for example, completing a lab in chemistry would not be possible without following a written lab procedure. These two skills are taught at such a young age, and as education advances students must continue to strive to reach a higher level. I can remember in elementary school, we were always pushed to reach the next reading level once we had successfully mastered the one we were on. It was always a competition for my sister and I to be at a higher level, I usually won. Even though I was excelling in reading it was the complete opposite for writing. It is something that has never come easy