Literacy Narrative

I have always loved stories, but I was not a natural at reading them.

For the first half of my elementary school career, I struggled with motivation for reading, mostly because I failed to comprehend the stories I read. Looking back, I am sure there are a variety of reasons I just did not see as to why I began to be a better reader in the third grade. The factors I can identify were: an amazing teacher who I spent one-on-one time with all her students, emotional challenges in my home life that encouraged me to escape elsewhere, and the discovery of a book that simply held personal enjoyment for me. I read my first "novel" simply for the sake of reading it: not for school, not for a grade, but because I was enthralled in the story. 

I formed a personal connection with the text, something that I believe is integral to encouraging student literacy.

Thus began my love of literacy. 

With an increasing voracity for reading, my vocabulary knowledge strengthened, my critical thinking skills were utilized... but I cannot say that my spelling improved all that much. But I found that I did not have to be the best at reading to have a passion for it. I was able to tear down the whole construct of being a "perfect student" and instead began learning because I enjoyed the subject. This continued into high school and college, where my math and science "literacy" took a back seat to the literature I would read, both inside and outside of class. 

Many important moments that nurtured my growth as a reader happened during my sophomore English class. I read books I hated, books I adored and a few books that I was indifferent about finishing. The common factor: while reading each book, I participated in lively, challenging, engaging, frustrating, critical and complex discussions about the themes and morals from each story. 

I think what really makes me love literature is the inherent quality of communication. People write to form connections with their readers through the transfer of text, and we, as readers, read the text to comprehend and feel that connection. I love literature and want to help increase the literacy of others because I enjoy communicating with others, and believe all should have the same capability of constructing these ever-present, invaluable connections.