Katherine Soto 1

Katherine Soto
Engl 1010 - 40
Prof. Sean M. George
08 September 2015
New Discoveries
Throughout my life, I have had many memorable experiences revolving around literature.
Although some of the most vibrant ones happened when I was in elementary, I had a pleasant
experience again once I reached high school. English and literature have never come easily to me
and I usually struggle with the concepts of grammar and punctuation. The different experiences I
have had with literature have shaped the way I feel and learn about English.
My first memorable experience was when I first attended kindergarten at a public school
in Santa Ana, California. Although there were many bilingual schools in the area, Taft
Elementary was one of the few schools teaching only English. Because my family only spoke
Spanish at the house, it was a completely different transition to start speaking another language. I
was so nave when I was younger, that I thought everyone spoke the same language my family
did. I remember at a young age not knowing the difference between languages.
One day, the class was separated into groups of six, and we would go around different
teachers learning different material. One bilingual teacher was teaching us the colors. She pulled
out the color purple and asked us what color it was. One smart student raised their hand and
answered correctly. For some reason, I had the idea to raise my hand and tell the teacher that the
color is also called morado. She looked at me with a blank expression and agreed with me. The
other children around me were not all Spanish speaking. The school had many mandarin

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speaking children. I remember feeling a bit awkward after that. That is when I started to
distinguish the different languages.
After kindergarten, I still did not know how to read very well. I remember that on the
summer before first grade, I asked my parents for more books to read and also to be read to. At
the time, my mother and father knew very little English. They would read to me in Spanish
instead. I was nonetheless excited since I could escape into the picture books. The only book we
had that my mother could read to me was El Osito Polar. I loved being cradled in my mothers
arms as she gave every character in the book a different voice, tone, and liveliness. She would
read the book so often that I started to memorize the story and a few sentences. I took it a step
further that summer and I analyzed the different letters and spelling when my mother wouldnt
read to me. I was never formally taught to read or write in Spanish, but because my mother read
to me often, I am able to read Spanish literature.
Once first grade started, I loved getting into our assigned reading groups and reading
The Three Little Pigs. I would be one of the few students confident enough to read out loud.
My reading was nowhere near perfect, but I remember whenever I would misread anything at all,
I would shake my little head and reread the word. At the time, I didnt realize I was doing that.
The day for parent teacher conference came, and my father and I attended the meeting. I
was hoping for good remarks on everything. I thought of myself as someone who kept to
themselves and obeyed all the rules. My teacher only spoke English, so I didnt think my father
understood everything my teacher was talking about. My teacher then made me pick out a book
to read out loud. I picked my favorite book, The Three Little Pigs. I read it with confidence
and sure enough I came to a word I misread and corrected myself. My teacher pointed my
mistake out to my father. When I became aware of my reading, I didnt know whether to be

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proud or ashamed. I silently closed the book and walked back to the reading area. The thought
that I had made a mistake in front of my father overwhelmed me so much that I didnt
concentrate on the rest of the conference.
After elementary school, literature had become a mundane topic in my life, something to
fill the day at school. I had no respect for what I now know to be important. Reading was a
chore, writing was difficult, and grammar was insignificant. An incredible woman made her way
into my life named Marsha Shaheen. Marsha loved literature, it was a passion for her and a great
part of her life as an English teacher. Going through her class I learned to look at literature in a
whole new light. I found appreciation for it, the small details in stories that made the whole book
and the words that were so carefully chosen to create a picture.
The best memory I have from that class is when she assigned us a book to read, The
Road by Cormac McCarthy. Every detail in this tale is so wisely written, so precisely placed,
and each word specially chosen. It wasnt just the stories I fell in love with, but the authors,
whose great minds created such magnificent works as well. These authors earned a great deal of
my respect that year. To name a few; Steinbeck, Poe, Melville, and so many others. Stories from
the past came flooding back, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Girl Who Owned a City and
one of my absolute favorites, Of Mice and Men. An incredible experience in my life was the
opportunity to read this novel. The moral still holds true today and so many lessons are to be
learned from such a great piece of work. Ideas that may not stand true forever but will always
hold meaning for generations because of the knowledge they have provided. The greatest lesson I
learned that year was the discovery in myself that literature isnt a task or a chore, but that it
brings pleasure, adventure, insight, and most important, knowledge.

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In conclusion, life carries us through phases, in all aspects. With literature we start with
an appreciation for the tales that feed a growing mind. Over time this appreciation falls to pieces
and we lose the insight we once had. Most people find themselves back in that child-like state
just long enough to rediscover that passion. These words on paper find meaning again and the
once boring books become imaginative tales again. It was in my junior year of high school that I
was that toddler cradled in my mothers arms once again.