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Learning how to talk
By the age of 1, I was learning to talk. I learned how to say small words. My first word was "milk". -
Tagalog
When I first arrived to the Philippines, I was experiencing a culture shock. I went to preschool there and eventually adapted to the new environment. When I came back home to the US, I was speaking fluent Tagalog. At that time, I could understand English as well, but it was hard for me to speak both English and Tagalog. When I went to preschool in MD, I remember some of my students were saying they couldn't understand what I was saying. It was hard for me to socialize in preschool. -
Back to English
Around the time I started Kindergarten, I could no longer speak fluent Tagalog. My siblings and classmates were all speaking English, so I spoke less Tagalog and eventually "lost" it. To this day, I can only understand some words and phrases. -
Preschool Writing
By the end of preschool, I knew how to write letters and my name. -
Kindergarten
In Kindergarten, I learned how to read small words, write letters and numbers, and learned Spanish words. My Spanish teacher's name was Senora Galindo and I learning how to count in Spanish. -
Love for Reading
By the age of 7, I knew I loved to read books. My mom used to take me to the library and I would pick out books for her to read to me before going to sleep. My favorite books were Clifford the Big Red Dog and Arthur. -
Cursive
By the end of second grade, I learned how to write in cursive. I remember we practiced writing cursive everyday. We had a workbook where we traced letters multiple times. I actually enjoyed learning how to write in cursive. -
3rd Grade Spelling Bee
I won first place in my 3rd grade spelling bee. This was my first time entering a spelling bee. I really enjoyed spelling. Entering the spelling bee was an act of "bravery" for me, because I was really shy at the time. I remember the word I correctly spelled was "conscious." -
7th Grade Spelling Bee
In middle school, I decided to enter my second spelling bee. I won first place. I remember how much time I spent practicing many words before the contest. I felt really proud of myself at this moment. -
AMSL
I took AMSL 101. I learned how to sign my name, the alphabet, numbers, colors, and more. I also learned about deaf culture. This was a great experience. I loved the class itself and my professor. I plan on learning more.