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This was truly the beginning of learning for me. I remember feeling "smart" because I recognized my letters.
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Shortly after learning my alphabets, my dad would work with me on my sounds each evening after he got out of work. I hated going through each letter sounding it out, and then coupling it with a second sound. I held on to his promise that one day, I would be able to read my own story books.
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I started kindergarten at the age of 4 years old. Even though I was the youngest in my class, I was one of the best readers. I was proud to be chosen to read aloud, but I recall being made fun of because I had a lisp. I became embarrased to read aloud. I was pulled out each day for speech services.
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In 1974, my family and I moved to the island of Guam. For the first time in my life, I heard a language other than English being spoken. It was expected that we be familiar with the written and spoken language, Chamorro. I knew I was a good reader, but recall feeling stupid for not understanding the language.
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I began making frequent visits to the library. I was hungry to learn the language many of my peers spoke.
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By the age of 10, I had developed quite a vocabulary from having read so much. My 6th grade teacher entered me into a Spelling Bee Contest. I took second place.
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As part of an English class I was paired up with students who needed additional help with reading because they were below grade level. Looking back, I believe it was then that I truly began to understand the value of reading.
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I frequented the library on base to read voluntarily to younger children. Some of the reading was in Spanish, so it was helping me to learn also.
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We moved back to the United States, and I was leagues ahead of many of my peers, because of my immersion into reading and language arts. English and Spanish
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Reading opens up the windows of our minds. It transports us to places, many of us would never experience if not for the characters within the pages of a book.
