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Learning the Alphabet
When I was probably 2-years-old, I learned the alphabet. I have home videos of my mom and dad helping me recite the ABCs. This experience helped me to appreciate the different sounds that the letters make. -
Dr. Seuss Books
I grew up with lots of books in my household. My favorite books as a child were written by Dr. Seuss. Whenever I had trouble sleeping, my mom or dad would read his books to me. This experience contributed to a love of reading because I liked the way words rhymed. -
Kindergarten
All the activities I used to do in kindergarten really made me love reading. My teacher used to have us create our own picture books using crayons, markers, and paint. I specifically remember making a numbers book using pictures of spiders. We created the spiders using our fingers and black paint. It was so much fun. -
Third Grade
I was in third grade when I began learning how to look up words in the dictionary. For me, this was a very difficult task. However, I think it is important to add this experience to my timeline because it contributed to my understanding of new words, and although it was tough, it eventually became very easy for me. -
D.A.R.E Program
During the D.A.R.E program in fifth grade, our class had to write an essay discussing why drugs and alcohol are bad. We had to read our essays in front of the class and then vote on whose essay we thought was the best. The winner got to read their essay at the after school assembly. Surprisingly, I won. When it was all said and done, I was really proud of myself for reading my essay in front of tons of people even though I was terrified. -
Favorite Books
As I got older, my favorite books transitioned from Dr. Seuss to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I absolutely loved these books and if I still owned them I'm sure I'd read them all the time. These books really encouraged me to want to read during my free time, not just in school. -
Writing Notes
When I was in middle school, my best friend and I used to write notes and pass them to each other in the hallways on the way to our next class. Eventually, we started a best friend notebook that we would write in instead of writing individual notes. This experience shaped me as a reader because, although our notes were just for fun, we were reading and writing constantly which I believe is a very good thing. -
Of Mice and Men
In my tenth grade English class, we had to read the book Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck. This book pulled on my heartstrings and I was hooked. We also watched the movie and had to do a project on it. In a way, this book changed a lot of my perceptions of life - in good ways and bad. -
The Twilight Saga
When all of the Twilight books came out I immediately jumped on the bandwagon and began reading them in my spare time. The funny thing is when I would start reading I didn't want to put them down. The books were just that good. Reading all of the Twilight books really contributed to my love of reading because I realized how easy it is to indulge yourself in a good book and actually visualize what you are reading. -
My Nephew
My nephew is almost 3-years-old and he loves when people read to him. When I read to him, I am able to see the pivotal role that reading has on our minds because when he reads along with me I can see and hear how much he has learned.
