-
The day I came into the world! Sounds would eventually form into phonemes! Phonemes would soon transform into words! Words would soon meld into sentences! The beginning of a great journey!
-
I would watch Sesame Street growing up. I loved Big Bird! When I received a Big Bird doll for Christmas, apparently I got very excited! This is significant because it shows I was interested in characters and story. I interacted with my friend, Big Bird!
-
I had bought a baseball book that I would read over and over. It was about the five of the greatest baseball players up to that point. On player, Honus Wagner, I especially related to because he and I shared the same birthday, though he was born several years earlier.
-
I was not yet in the third grade but I would see the third grade's cursive work posted in the hallway and be amazed! Would I be able to write like that one day? Fortunately, I too did learn to write in cursive too!
-
I had a great 7th grade English Teacher, Mr. Breza, I remember writing descriptive essays which helped my writing so much. I learned to really use a Thesaurus that year!
-
I remember having a subscription to a science/nature magazine in the 7th grade. I loved getting new issues! I loved reading the magazine!
-
My freshman year in college. I took a Modern European History class. I would study for exams by rewriting my notes. Writing things over helped me remember.
-
I was hired to teach at a private school that specialized in working with students who had learning differences like dyslexia. This experience opened up my eyes to dyslexia and other learning differences. I had to rethink my teaching methods, I could not teach reading and writing the traditional way because they were not traditional learners.
-
Radcliffe Creek School sent me to Ortion-Gillingham Training. I learned this systematic method to teach reading. I also learned the blood flow in the brains of dyslexics is different and that early reading intervention can help dyslexics read better!
-
In reading the recent class articles, I am amazed that the science of "teaching reading" is still not shared in classrooms and in many Teacher Preparation programs! Unfortunately, change in this area is coming slowly. So many students are needlessly struggling still in reading where if they were taught systematically, they would be reading so much better!