My Literacy Experience

We were asked to write a literacy narrative in English class and at that moment I was tracing through my memories where language or listening had any influence on me. I was stuck. I have a few instances where I could see how language at a specific moment in life influenced me, but I just could not decide what to write about. Then it hit me, it was like a bulb lit up. The most influential event that involved some aspect of literacy, was when I attended the McHenry College fair. There are many events that led to this day and I could not imagine how my life would have turned out.

Literacy enriches our lives in an outstanding manner. From a young age, we are eager to sit by our parent’s side and listen to bedtime stories. As our love for reading and writing grows, our wealth and thirst for knowledge does as well. The ability to entertain and enlighten our world through literacy is exponential.

In “Literacy in Three Metaphors,” Sylvia Scribner tries to define and explain what literacy really is. Scribner says that literacy as a notion may be defined in many different ways, and I agree with this statement. She states that it depends on a particular society and certain standards of this society. Scribner offers the solution to the problem of defining literacy. This solution consists of examining and discussing the three metaphors: literacy as adaptation, literacy as power and literacy as a state of grace. In these three metaphors literacy is defined in different contexts. Also, she supposes that we need to examine the problem of definition from different angles, provide a deeper examination, and combine these three metaphors together

In the essays, “Reading to Write” by Stephen King, “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie, “Learning to Read” Malcolm X, and “Learning to Write” by Frederick Douglas have three things in common. In each essay Reading has contributed towards the authors life leading to benefit from learning to read, allowing them to leave a legacy behind. In each essay the authors has thought their self how unlike Frederick Douglass.

As I was reading Melissa Duffy’s “Inspiration, and Craig Vetter’s “Bonehead Writing,” I found myself connecting with Vetter’s paper more than Duffy’s. I found that the presentation in “Bonehead Writing” to capture my attention, and that Vetter’s feelings about writing was similar to my opinion on writing. Through his wording and humor, I think Craig Vetter wrote the best essay.

What made me the literate person I am today consists of 3 events from my childhood. To start off my reading career, the summer before 4th grade I stayed the night with my grandma. She was my best friend and introduced me to a lot of things, including Mid-Continent Library. The next morning we went to the Burr Oak Woods off 7 highway and had an awesome time! Afterwards we stopped at the library just down the street, I picked out 2 books a magazine and most importantly a movie. At the time I never knew a library would have those types of things so I was pleased. Instead of just using her Mid-Continent Library card to check out everything I had chosen she let me setup my very own! That was so exciting for me, I felt like a grownup, I even bought

For as long as I can remember I have loved reading. Fiction, non-fiction, biographies, it doesn’t really matter to me. I remember my mom trying to teach me how to read when I was three. I started off reading small Dr. Suess books and then it was on to newspapers and chapter books. One of my all-time favorite books when I was a kid was Junie B. Jones. I read all of the books with her name at the beginning of the title. Reading was a way for me to escape from reality. It’s like I would get lost in the books. I’d spend hours reading. At times I felt like I was the characters in the book. Reading exposed me to many different situations and outcomes, and it broadened my vocabulary. In a way reading helped me prepare for the real world. People usually

The history of my literacy has been a long road of a frustration and learned lessons. As a child, I was a bit of a loner so reading and writing were the closest thing to a social life for me. The things that I bottled up inside came out through my writing and it became somewhat of a pass time for me. As long I could remember literacy as has been an important value for me in my life because from very young age I got express my true self without being judged by the outside. Even though in my later years I would deal with some heartaches and set back that lead me to give up on my love for reading. I would always come back to my real first love.

My interest in literacy education ultimately derives from my goal to teach highly effective instruction to students while considering their diverse

Reading and writing is a tool everybody needs in their lifetime the basic reading and writing skills are used on a daily base no matter what field you plan to study. Reading and writing are taught at a young age. I personally was taught by preschool I noticed on how I grew with my writing and how I became a better reader and writer throughout my life I personal love reading and writing it’s a way for everyone to express themselves through their choice of words.

Since I was young, I have been passionate about lending a hand, to a person I felt needed support and this passion helped shape what my future may hold. An event happened that has been instrumental in developing my character and guiding my choices ever since. It was a late summer night and it was almost midnight when my soccer game ended, After the game, I ran into the washroom because I was dying to ease myself. I took an excessive time and missed my ride home; they must have thought I had another ride home. My situation made me become bewildered at what to do next then, I thought to myself on giving my mother a call. My bag was by my side so I reached into my bag for my phone and tried turning it on but, it was unresponsive so I figured my phone battery was dead.

When someone is guided in their literacy development and they are impacted in a positive way, they often can become more successful in the field of literacy, which can lead you to a successful life with good social standings, understandings, and power. When someone has what literacy scholar Deborah Brandt calls a “literacy sponsor” they will tend to become more successful in their experiences with literacy. Sponsors of literacy, according to Brandt, are beneficial because they are well educated, have experience in the field of literacy, and are willing to help others improve and let them into the world of literacy. Specifically, Brandt states in her scholarly article “Sponsors of Literacy” that “Literacy as a resource becomes available to ordinary

Knoblauch, C.H. “Literacy and the Politics of Education.” The Right to Literacy. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford, Helene Moglen, and James Slevin. New York: MLA, 1990. 74-80. Print.

In my past years of writing I have seen myself develop into a well disciplined and patient writer. However, I have seen myself significantly improve and mature as a writer over the past few months more than I have in the past four years. I view writing as an open doorway full of ideas, feelings, and thoughts weaved together simply for creating a masterpiece. Before entering college English 1010, high school students are conditioned to write required papers and assignments without having the ability to “put you’re your own opinions and feelings in a paper.” Fortuantly,I have been given the opportunity at The University of Memphis to express myself in writing

During my elementary years, I don’t recall being interested in reading, but I do remember the first time I fell in love with it. I was in my 7th-grade reading class. I just completed a quiz when my teacher realized that I had nothing to do after. She offered me a book that I will remember for the rest of my life because it is the book that basically started my reading journey. It was called Tears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper, I loved the book so much that I read the whole entire series. When I first met someone who didn’t like the book I was beyond shocked. Right at that moment, I realized that reading has its own effects on me. Reading has changed my writing skills, it has improved my knowledge and lastly, it has helped me manage my stress while going through hard times. Without reading I wouldn’t be the person that I am today.