Observing My Literacy Practice

As the last words escaped my lips, a burst of applause echoed through the room. The bright smiles of my audience, be it family, friends, teachers, or colleagues, never failed to keep me writing. Being able to pique someone's interest enough to show them even just a small piece of the world of imagination inside my head was the very concept that drew me to writing. Creative writing was one of the key factors in developing my literacy skills because I learned to communicate ideas to my audience efficiently and effectively, expand my vocabulary, and broaden my scope of interpretation to discern themes.

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.

My literacy narrative first unfolded in the playroom of my childhood home when I was an inquisitive two-year-old. My parents would sit down with me on the carpet and patiently teach me sight words. Every time I would

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.

When I was a child I truly detested reading. I thought reading was dull so I never wanted to do it. I remember my 2nd grade teacher would have us read a specific number of books each week. I would always try to sit in the back in the classroom behind everyone so the teacher could not see me all that well. I did this so when it came time to read I would be able to switch between doodling in my notebook and pretend to read when the teacher walked by me. I would never meet that goal so my teacher contacted my parents. I remember hearing my teacher talk to my parents over the phone and a feeling of dread took over me. On my way home on the bus my stomach felt like knots knowing with each passing moment I would be closer to my destination. When I got home my parents scolded me and gave me a lecture on the importance of reading. They told me that if I wanted to be successful then I should take the opportunities that they themselves did not have as children. They also told me that being able to read and write would mean I have the chance to get the job of my dreams. The next day I woke up with the words that my parents shared with me still on my mind. I got dressed and went outside to wait for the bus. When the bus arrived, I got on and sat down the usual noise of laughter and chatter was drowned out by my intense focus on my future. when I arrived at school the very first thing I did was head straight toward the library. The library had an enormous selection of books I had no idea where to start. I wandered around the library for what felt like hours not really sure what I was looking for. The librarian must have noticed my confusion because she came straight toward me

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.

My earliest memory of literacy is being in kindergarten. Sitting in front of my teacher listening to her read to the class. From that point on I have been reading anything I can get my hands on, sports-related materials or just world news. I think literacy plays an important part of everyday living. My sister is 10 years older than myself (I am 39) and she is a teacher, so she played a huge role in teaching me the importance of being literate. I can still remember my elementary days when she was in highschool and would practice her teaching skills with me. Once I grew older I understood how important reading and writing was in order to be able to function in and out of school. The very first time I came home to visit during my freshman year

The agency that I chose to observe is The Literacy Council. The Literacy Council is an agency that provides tutoring, small classes, and support services for adults who need help with basic reading and writing skills and to those who are learning English as their second language (www.literacycouncil.org).

My placement, at Alexander Goode Elementary School, is in Kindergarten and does not have a Science curriculum. While talking to my cooperating teacher, Ms. Gifford, she informed me they are so focused on getting behavior under control in the beginning of the year. Also, students enter the classroom with little phonemic awareness and prior knowledge to literacy concepts.

A classroom far away from my own, listening to a robot abbreviate. My life as a young student always seemed to confuse me because I felt that I did well enough in school, that I didn't need to go and do that. So my question as a child was, why once, sometimes every two, weeks need to go to a different to a classroom to help me read/write? This was my mindset through all of my beginning years of school.

When and where my practices in literacy began was slightly difficult to pinpoint, though I guess I could say it began with my favorite television show as a kid, Between the Lions. It was a children's show that promoted reading, spelling, and writing and aired on the PBS kids network. On the show, there were numerous educational segments that featured real life people, puppets, and cartoon characters that taught about words, spelling, vowels, vocabulary, definitions, and pronunciation. For example, there was a segment that featured a song about the sound, “op”, and by learning how to read “op”, you could read words like, hop, mop, or chop. The lessons on the show were often taught in fun games or in song, so it would be enjoyable for kids. In

My literacy skills have grown and progressed throughout this course in the way that there have been a lot of things that I have learned and that I have been continuing to learn. When I first started this course, I did not know how to write an essay, I learned to use the before, during, and after reading technic, and I learned what a summary paragraph was. But now with this course, I have written a couple of assignments which have helped me keep learning.

During my childhood my comprehension of the word “literacy” was not as developed as it is now. Back in those days I thought literacy was a person’s ability to read and write, but as I progressed in age that understanding augmented. Today my grasp of literacy is far more intricate. Literacy expands further than just reading and writing; it is the foundation of how everybody learns and processes certain information, it also has even been integrated with technologies of the modern world. Thanks to the internet we have access to any information that we want, but you need literacy to understand it in the first place. Personally I feel as if literacy cannot be mastered it has no end, you learn more about it until you die. My justification for this

My very own literacy experience starts at the age of five when my grandparents bought my parents, a cabin for their tenth wedding anniversary. It was a dark cabin somewhere near Island Park, I vividly remember the drive up there, the outside environment, and the inside smell of the cabin. The drive up there was long and cold, when arriving at the cabin. I thought to myself that it looked old. When we went through the dark maroon colored door frame to see the walls filled with color; my parents told me when I was older that the previous owner built bookcases into the wall. The books were perfectly aligned cover to cover and organized by author’s name; they were grouped into the walls by genre. The

My relationship with writing, reading, and speaking has developed throughout the years. I acquired my knowledge in writing and reading from my parents, and I was able to improve it with the help of my teachers when I was growing up. Since my first language is Spanish and I suddenly had to move to Brownsville,Texas, I felt like I had to start again. Furthermore, I had to put extra effort to obtain the sufficient literacy skills to succeed in a new country.