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I have always had it pretty easy when it comes to literacy, but that is why I
always challenged myself. Ever since I was a young child whether it was my
Grandmother or my Dad, there was always someone I could turn to when English was
the subject of choice. This foundation that was laid down for me has allowed me to grow
and develop in my literary ability. From the times where I just listened to my Dad talk
with such a great eloquence to when my Grandmother would quiz me, I always found
preschool, but rather sat around the dining table for hours on end working my way
through English books from the late 60s. I still remember to this day the spelling tests,
where I cut my way through hours of repetition to simply earn a bright red star on my
paper. It never came across me at the time but I worked very hard just to get that star, it
almost felt like the impossible, yet somehow I managed it. By the time elementary
school came around, I continued to work through my classes but never felt like I had
learned much until I returned to that dining table where my Grandmother continued to
work with me. It was only once I reached middle school where my literacy started
becoming less formulaic and became more about what I wanted it to be.
In this weird position in-between elementary school and high school, as a writer I
was given many chances to explore my own mind and what it could create on paper. It
was during this time that I stumbled across the book Eragon by author Christopher
Matthew
A Lucky Start Summers
Paolini. While it didn't serve much of a purpose as far as factual knowledge, it truly
taught me how to read and read a lot. I continued to reach each of the books until I had
completed the entire book series. For me this was a big achievement, reading books
with over 860 pages from front to back. I was then able to take what I had learned from
reading the series and turn it into useful skills when writing narrative assignments.
Something that proved to be useless once high school came around and only formulaic
High school literacy proved to be the most difficult period of my English so far. It
was when I challenged myself the hardest because I felt as if I wasn't working very hard
up to that point. It was then when the classical literature began to feel like watching
paint dry to me. And it wasn't truly to read and enjoy the books, it was more to critique
and discuss the authors' techniques. I wasn't allowed to enjoy the work for what it was, I
was required to look for devices and drill things into my memory that took away from the
rewarding experience of reading. Then the writing, all the writing, the excessive and
repetitive motions of breaking down an author's work to discuss how they were able to
write such a strong piece. I didn't mind it, but I didn't think I was learning much either, all
of these little devices that we learned about, they should flow naturally from the author's
hand and not like a checklist how the teacher would've wanted it.
literacy, it was truly my Dad who taught me how to learn and apply literal ability from all
places. I remember being a little kid and listening to my dad talk on the phone, or even
visiting his work with him and listening to the words he used. Working as a salesman
Matthew
A Lucky Start Summers
allowed my dad to grow and develop his own skills, that I very quickly picked up on for
myself. I would hear the whole process from start to finish, watch the reactions of his
buyers, all of which ended on a positive note based on the strength of his language.
many essays, you try to “sell” your ideas and pass them onto the reader, and this is
exactly what I learned to do thanks to him. It's one thing to understand how the words
work, but it's another to understand how to make them effective. Years of listening to my
Dad talk has allowed me to understand how literacy is a tool and can be used just like
any other.
Over time I have learned that when it comes to reading and writing, if you feel
something close to heart that you should enjoy it and remember it. It is through the
things that you enjoy that you truly learn skills that you will remember for a lifetime.
Through all of my educational experience so far the things that I remember the most,
are the things that I enjoyed the most. Not the heinous repetitive motions of highschool
English, but rather the enjoyment I received out of simply reading for fun in middle
school. All of these experiences shape each part of my literacy journey, the fun times
shape the creative side of my experience, and the difficult times form the structure of my
speech, all of which aim to create one effect and coherent piece of writing.