Dipsiner1 Evan Dipsiner Leslie Wolcott ENC 1102 27 August 2012 Literacy Narratives

Prior to entering grade school my mother and I sat down at the living room couch everyday during dinner to teach me how to read. The room was brightened by the sunlight creeping through the window sill which created the perfect reading environment. My literary experience began with picture books such as My dog Carl to develop thoughts of what the writer would say if he/she had written a story. Soon after, I discovered that the key to literacy was to learn how to read phonetically and of course have a healthy meal prior to focusing on a possibly difficult subject. This required sounding out the alphabet and additionally understanding what was written. Dr. Seuss played an immense role in my childhood literacy education. The rhyme schemes of the books made reading interesting and the pictures enhanced my understanding of what the writer was developing through the text. Within weeks of reading simple books I was able to move on to more complex stories by using the same concept. Without a doubt, the sponsor of literacy will always have an important role in my literacy discovery and improvement thereafter. Furthermore, watching educational television programs such as Franklin, Arthur, and the Magic School Bus was a crucial part of my learning experience. It taught me how to interact with other peers in the class room and gave me a plethora of words to add to my vocabulary. Playing computer games such as Spelling Bee and Reading Explorations enabled me to enjoy learning even more. Since that point in my life, reading and writing has had a large influence on my character. I would read signs on car rides, write stories in my journal, and read whenever there was time available. As time is now limited between academics and athletics, I no longer have the same amount of time to

Dipsiner2 enjoy these activities, but, when I do I always crack open a book and endure the adventure that the author creates for me. Whether it is enjoying a novel on a plane ride, interpreting a writers style through an analytical approach, or creating a document of my own, literacy is an important tool that should not be taken for granted. Unfortunately, Dr. Seuss could not be a part of my daily literary routine after elementary school, it was mandatory to elevate the difficulty of reading to increase my knowledge. In spite of the fact that most of the books read in class have a tendency to be rather mundane, there are always lessons to be learned through them. After entering the chaotic, inadequately air-conditioned room of portable 912, my perspective on literacy transformed dramatically. No longer was I in elementary school, writing five-paragraph expository essays' for the FCAT, I now had no form of guidelines for the length of the paper. Due to taking all honors and Advanced Placement classes, the majority of people in the classroom were in there for the same purpose as me, to receive an excelled education and enhance their knowledge. This made my learning environment more stable then if I choose to take regular classes where at most threequarters of the class are looking at education passed High School. Furthermore, the paper was based on article analysis and explications of what I read. Several hours after completing the first assignment I felt relieved that the new form of writing came to me a lot easier than expected,. However, less than 24 hours later I was crushed by rude awakening, there was a D in purple gel pen that illuminated the top of my paper. My teacher did not approve of my style and quickly broke my habit of summarizing. Even though it was difficult to change the way I wrote, she gave me the knowledge to be critical and argue instead of regurgitating what the writing stated. The next paper that I wrote went from a D to a solid A. Since that moment, I continued to apply the same guidelines that my sponsor taught me to all of the tests she assigned and later the long awaited AP exam, which, with her help I passed. The sponsors that helped me along the way, along with the materials that guided me through these experiences are the reason that I am a successful reader and writer today. I was able to compete in

Dipsiner3 speech contests, pass advanced level courses, and even return the favor by teaching students in my class, along with my family members with the education I received.