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My Literacy Journey
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SAT - Standardized Test
The SAT was introduced and is widely used for admission into college. As I took this test my junior year in high school, I realized my vocabulary was limited. -
Dick and Jane
These books were used in schools to encourage comprehension through its reading selection. Along with these books being used at schools, I had Dick and Jane books around my house. -
Scholastic Book Club
Scholastic entered the school book club business. Books were available in paperback and could be purchased through schools. I loved receiving the scholastic book form and choosing books that I wanted to buy and read. -
Theodor Seuss Geisel
Dr. Seuss published and illustrated books that contained around 225 sight words. I love and still love Dr. Seuss books. As I read and reread these books as a child, my confidence in reading grew. -
IDEA
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a federal law that requires schools to serve the educational needs of eligible students with disabilities. -
Apple II C - Personal Computer
My family had an Apple II C computer which I would use to play math games. I also had a computer class when I was in eighth grade. We learned to type and we played Oregon Trail. -
Board of Education v. Pico
The Supreme Court stated that the First Amendment limits the power of junior high school and high school officials to remove books from school libraries because of their content. -
100 Books
In first grade, my teacher had a circle with our name in the middle. Each time we read a book, we got to place a gold star in the circle. When we reached one hundred books, we received a special prize. -
How to Eat Fried Worms
In third grade, my teacher read chapter books to us as a class. I vividly remember sitting on the carpet listening to her read and wondering if reading was always this entertaining. -
Space Shuttle Challenger
In fourth grade, during school, I watched the Space Shuttle Challenger launch. On board was Christa McAuliffe, who would have been the first teacher in space. -
5th Grade Poetry
My English teacher mispronounced my name for the entire year., but to this day I still remember all of the prepositions we had to memorize. Each marking period, she gave us a poem to learn and we needed to repeat it for a grade. -
Me, an Author??
Eighth grade, the year my confidence in reading and writing increased. My English teacher took me from feeling inadequate as a student to a confident one willing and wanting to write more stories. -
World Wide Web
Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web. -
It's downhill from here
Ninth grade English was the exact opposite of eighth grade English class. I felt uncomfortable with the teacher, and I didn't feel like I could ask questions without getting ridiculed. We studied Shakespeare, and I struggled throughout the course. -
Contemporary Literature
A love of reading was reborn! I took a contemporary literature class and fell in love with books again. I forgot that there were books outside of Shakespeare that were less difficult to read. Some books I could relate to and others were just enjoyable to read. -
Academic Reading
As a freshman in college, I thought I wanted to study psychology. I felt slightly illiterate once again since a lot of the language in the psychology books was new. I had to readjust my way of thinking and understanding as I learned new concepts. -
A Baby
My first child was born. I began reading with her at 2 months old. She developed a love of reading. We spent every week at the local library. I rediscovered children's literature. -
No Child Left Behind
NCLB holds schools accountable for student achievement and mandates high - stakes testing. -
Family History
I found a journal from my Aunt Jane. She passed away when I was in first grade. I discovered that she and I had a lot in common. Reading her story opened up my mind to the importance of personal narratives. I began writing my story. -
The Circle of Life
At this point, I have had the opportunity to share my love of children's books with students. Since I didn't learn to love to read until I was older, I want to instill a message to my students that there is power in books. I also continue reading for pleasure and learning.
