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The beginning!
Today starts my literacy timeline...let the journey begin! -
Bedtime stories
This point in time began my first experience in the wonderful world of books. I was introduced to books through my parents or older siblings reading short stories to me at night to relax before bed. These stories consisted of the classics such as "The Very Hungry Catepillar", "Goodnight Moon" and of course the Dr. Seuss series. This marked the start of my passion for digging into novels. -
You've got mail!
This was the year Grandma decided to treat me with a subscription of "Highlights" magazine. This magazine is geared for children to help make learning more fun through stories, pictures, puzzles and games. Highlights was the big stepping stone from children's books onto adolescent literature which was to come. Each month was like a birthday in the mail! -
Computer time!
The best time of the day was definitely our mid-daycomputer break. We never used electronic devices to help us read but would rather use them for educational fun. The only time I can recall would be listening to a book on tape as a class and following along in our books. This made the story more intriguing because the narrator used different voices for each character. Other than that our old school desktop computers were put to good use by playing on KidPix! -
Junie B. Jones
If I could sum up my childhood in one book it would without a doubt be the Junie B. Jones series. These goofy stories had me staying up past bedtime because I could not get enough. Usually my mom and I would switch off reading but I felt very accomplished reading a whole chapter each night. At this point, my reading skills were very developed and I did not show any struggle with pronunciation. -
2 Cool 4 School
6th grade was a turning point because I was not really sure if I enjoyed reading anymore. Junie B. Jones was not an option because that was so elementary school, obviously. I never got into the Harry Potter series because I found the books to be way too big. Therefore I was stuck reading those absolutely dreadful books assigned for class. It was a rough couple of years until I discovered the wonderful teenage-girl series known as "The Clique". These books were the bee's knees. -
Book Buds
The high school years were full of exploring new texts and finding what genres I enjoyed best. I was lucky enough to share my passion for reading with young students at the nearby elementary school. Once a week I would work with students at the 1st grade level to make sure their reading abilities were on the right track. I thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity because I not only got to interact with kids, but also help them achieve their literacy goals while having fun along the way! -
College
As busy as college can get, I made sure to find time to unwind and read a book for enjoyment. This is the time in which I realized the real world is just around the corner, therefore I need to work on my other communication skills. I recently trained and now work for the Admissions Office here at Illinois State and give tours to prospective students. This expereince has benefitted my public speaking skills immensly. I look forward to using these skills in my own classroom one day!
