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The Book Closet
My fondest memory of being a reader is that of my father, who was not handy at all, building me a floor to ceiling book closet. That bookcase was a standing testament, literally and figuratively, as to the importance of being a reader. My parents and grandparents were not college educated, but they understood the value of a post-secondary education. Therefore, as the first born, a burden of accomplishment was placed upon me at an early age. -
Cherished Memories
As far back as I can remember, reading was an integral part of the most cherished moments in my upbringing. My father was entertaining in his character renditions of various picture books. My mother created nurturing experiences with books, from cuddling and going on bedtime story adventures to looking for answers to questions about the “birds and the bees”. My grandmother, an avid baker, would insist that I read her the ingredients to bake a cake or churn homemade ice cream. -
A Bright Start
The support from my immediate family, made it natural for me to blossom as an emergent reader. I didn’t hesitate to pull out a book and ask for someone to sit and read with me Even when we had guests, I was known to run and get a book, ready to prove to them that I could “read”. I would crack open the text and recite the story from memory. These early experiences created a love of literacy that carried into my initial interactions with reading instruction at the start of school. -
The "Blue Bird" Group
Because I had so much exposure to books, sounds, and letters, I was prepared as a beginning reader at the start of elementary school. I remember being so proud to be in the “Blue Bird” group (a.k.a. beyond level) in kindergarten. I loved library day and my book bag would be bursting at the seams with picks from our school and class library. When I learned we would take walks to the public library, I was overjoyed and brought along my very own library card. -
The Book Nook
By third grade, I was well into reading chapter books and found myself obsessed with the Ramona Quimby series. I could relate to the character, who was the same age as me, and was drawn to her many mis-adventures. At this stage, I could be found in my princess tent, curled up with a chapter book, reading for hours. Text connections and personal interests began to drive my selection of books, versus eye-catching illustrations and the soothing rhythm of rhyming patterns. -
Reading for Comprehension
By fifth or sixth grade, I noticed that choice wasn't an option when it came to reading. That's about the time when teachers began to tell me what to read. I read the imposed chapter books out of necessity, but I didn't always enjoy them. Instead of reading to make a connection, II was reading to answer questions about the story. As this trend continued to progress into middle school, my fervor for reading began to wane. -
Writing to Read
In middle school, I was accepted into a magnet program called POWER English. We had extended instruction in reading, writing, and grammar. Here is where I was introduced to the pleasures of writing. Since I had to spend my reading time on text books and prescribed chapter books, I started to write. I wrote poems and short stories to read for my own enjoyment and often shared them with friends and family. Reading had given me a vocabulary bank which was an advantage as a writer. -
The Novel Takeover
As an adolescent, I made time for my love of reading once again. I still had to read from the mandatory reading list at school, but I was introduced to many non-fiction books revolving around the topic of the black experience. I was intrigued by the information I was absorbing and this phase of reading changed my outlook in several ways. -
Reading to Live
I carried my new outlook into my college years. I participated in ethnic clubs. Took courses that focused on the sociology of the black experience and chose to major in psychology. I feel like that phase of my literary experience has shaped my beliefs, expectations, and interaction on a personal level. In addition, it has greatly influenced my professional life. -
The Reading Teacher
My literacy journey has brought me full circle. I now teach reading to first grade students of an urban demographic. I use what I learned from my studies in sociology to build relathionships. I am excited to introduce them to fun picture and chapter books that they can make a connection to, just as I did as a child. In addition, I enjoy watching their minds open from discovering new facts on preferred topics through non-fiction. Reading has been at the core of my development.
