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My First Book at School
This was the very first book I remember being presented to me in a classroom setting. It may have even been the first one I ever encountered. I remember my kindergarten teacher would read it out loud for us, then we would go through it again together in a choral reading. This experience made me discover the joy of picture books. -
Phonics Books
I remember that most of my school work in 1st grade consisted mostly of tearing worksheets out of the phonics book and turning it in class. Ms. Franklin would also have small groups sit in the back with her to practice letter sounds and sound blending. I'm sure these activities played a role in the advancement of my reading abilities. -
Butterfly in the Sky...
I loved this show! Levar Burton would always start the episode with some sort of background information that he'd tie over to a book that would be read out loud to the viewers. I'd always look forward to see what book the episode would be based on, and what books would be recommended to me at the end of the show. I was always excited to go to the library and see if I could find the books that were featured. -
My First Chapter Book
I was always afraid of reading through "big", long books. I remember reading through The Velveteen Rabbit (we'd read through it as a class) when I was in 3rd grade, though...and that was the beginning of my interest in chapter books. I felt like I was capable of reading through and understanding longer stories, now. -
Moved Right Beside a Library
Living a block from the library was awesome! I would always go there to get help on my homework. Because my sister worked there, I would help her put away books after I got done with my tutoring. I loved being able to look for books to read on my own, as I waited for my sister to finish her shift. I really got a lot of practice with my reading here. -
Making Connections Between New Vocabulary & TV
I clearly remember learning the word "rapid" in 3rd grade. Coincidentally, that same week I was watching Pokemon and a character on there was called "Rapidash". I was completely mind blown when I heard the name and I started making connections to my new vocabulary word: the flaming horse was called "Rapidash" because he ran rapidly and he dashed. I never forgot that word after that brief aha moment. After that, I would be eager to try and decipher words while reading. -
Where the Red Fern Grows
I remember our 4th grade class was assigned this book to read. This was the very first time I encountered a book that made me cry. It might've been because I was finally understanding what I was reading. My vocabulary was more expansive as opposed to my vocabulary in the lower grades. My reaction to this book made me realize that even letters on a page can stir up emotions. It motivated me to continue reading books and discover the stories hidden within them. -
Spooky Business
When I moved away from the library and out to a different state, I started visiting my middle school's library during lunch to borrow books. I remember that I slowly started getting into reading horror fiction novels, like Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Despite being too chicken to read through these stories at night, I enjoyed dipping my feet into different genres. -
World Literature in 10th Grade
I enjoyed everything we would read in this class. I remember reading through Oedipus Rex, The Odyssey, The Bhagavad Gita, The Popol Vuh, and several other pieces from around the world. When I realized that the things I was reading in the honors class were not the ones my other class mates were reading through, it really motivated me to do well in the class, so that I may be placed again in an advanced course and read through more interesting material. -
More Fun Reading.
I was fortunate to have Mr. Carroll for 2 years in a row in high school. He would print us material, like Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales, and he'd have us read through them, highlight, and make annotations along the edges of the pages. I think these annotations helped me become better at my reading comprehension of larger works or those with unfamiliar words and concepts.
