RDLG 579: Content Area Literacy Assignment #1

 Personal Literacy History

I definitely grew up in a print rich environment. I wasn't allowed to watch a lot of TV and was encouraged to read instead.  My mother and father read to me all the time, and without fail every evening before bed. It actually became sort of a ritual between my mom and I even until I left for college.  As a result, I remember early on seeing that I could read and comprehend and later finding literary analysis easy and fun!
Strange as it may seem, my mother never really spoke to me in “baby talk.” She talked to me like an adult for as long as I can remember. There’s a particularly humorous video of me as a two year old in which if you only read the transcript, you might think a mini adult was speaking.

When I talk about my own literacy, it is certain I cannot go without mentioning my junior and senior year English teacher, Mrs. Freedman. She spoke with such passion and she certainly infused a desire to delve deeper into literature. She made every passage seem like a precious morsel to be savored. Showing students how words and how literature can be treasures are gifts beyond value. 

Stepping Back – Analysis

The inextricable link between developing literacy skills with oral language and exposure to print, especially in the critical period, is exemplified in my literacy autobiography. I grew up with a plethora of resources, strong readers and attended schools where reading and writing was the lotus of the curriculum. I believe my background undoubtedly fostered a love for reading, writing and language and helped me flourish as a student.

Until I went to college, I didn’t realize the academic support and resources I enjoyed were anything out of the ordinary; nor could I even begin to appreciate the extent to which it’d contributed to who I was as a student. When I began volunteer teaching in a high needs school in Washington, DC I received a shock to say the least. Most of the children lived below the poverty line with limited resources, generally with parents who put little, if any emphasis on education. The stark contrast between their background and my own highlighted the fundamental role of adult engagement/role models in literacy development, especially in the early years.

My subsequent experiences teaching English as a Second Language have further colored the lens I view literacy. I have seen how struggling readers, especially those who already put at a disadvantage, are in desperate need of our support. Lacking strong literacy skills is like a loose thread. If not attended to, it threatens to unravel a student’s experience in school into a frayed spool of frustration.

As teachers and role models for students, I believe by building relationships instilling confidence and inspiring students to become avid readers it helps create the fabric for lifelong learners. With our literacy skills the possibilities to learn, shape who we are or even be transported to another world for a brief moment in time are endless. Truly, reading is a powerful art!