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Books on Tape - positive
parents would play books on tape in nursery in order to promote early literacy. -
Bedtime Stories - positive
parents would read to me nightly, encouraging me to try to sound out words as i began to learn letter sounds -
Hooked on Phonics - positive
parents invested in the widely popular hooked on phonics program. I recall enjoying the extra time together as we did the review activities. -
Pokemon Cards - positive
A very fond memory is collecting Pokemon cards, and my mother sitting with me and helping me sounds out different names on the cards. -
Cooking - positive
my father was an avid cook, and he would often encourage me to read aloud recipes to him in the kitchen, or ask me to "help" him check words or ingredients listed. -
Library - Positive
We did not have A/C in the house growing up, so going to the library to cool off in the summer became a treat. there was a very positive association formed by going to read, cooling off, and relaxing with snacks from the vending machines. -
Email Exchange - Positive
My grandfather would send me an email weekly at my father's house, with a random animal name. I was to research that animal and write him back with the most interesting things I learned. When I went to visit, we would print off those facts and create a field journal together. -
Spelling Trouble - Negative
Spelling was always (and still is) a great struggle for me. I remember a lot of tension around this time because teachers were giving me poor marks on assignments, and my parents could not figure out how to help me. Being grounded over spelling errors certainly put a damper on my enthusiasm to write. -
Magazine Clippings - Positive
My grandpa would always clip interesting magazine articles that he thought I would like to read , and mail them to me. We would talk on the phone about whatever he sent. -
NANOWRIMO - Positive
I was encouraged to enter NANOWRIMO, a competition where you write a full length novel in the month of November, by a creative writing teacher. My mother was very interested, and enjoyed helping me brainstorm . -
Spoken Word - Positive
I had close friends through high school, and up to today, that enjoy poetry. I would often write with them and perform spoken word at open mic nights.
