My Reading History

Bedtime Stories

Jan 10, 1980

My mom exposed me to language by reading Arthur’s Bedtime stories to me. The book was written by my grandpa Spaulding.

2nd Grade Teacher

Mar 30, 1982

Mr. Piedmont came over for dinner and brought me a book. I was motivated to read the book that was given as a gift by my 2nd grade teacher.

Ping

Apr 20, 1983

I read my favorite book “Ping” over and over again. It was about a Chinese duck that boarded a ship at night when it was time to sleep. He was late one evening and afraid to get spanked for being last to board so he spent the night alone.

Inspiration

Jul 13, 1984

My mom taught me how to imagine I was part of the story. She told me I could be anywhere in a book. I learned how to identify with the characters. I tried to relate to what they were experiencing.

Book Club

Sep 7, 1985

I received a free personal pan pizza when I read 10 books outside of school. So I read a lot of books from different genres. I read a couple of Spiderman comic books that my brother had. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the action and colorful illustrations.

Book Series

Aug 14, 1986

I began reading my first book series, Nancy Drew mysteries. I began to predict what was going to happen by paying attention to the supporting details.

Field Trips

Feb 27, 1988

My father bought me National Audubon Society Field Guides for trees, wildflowers, and animals. We read descriptions for hundreds of species to identify what we were observing in nature.

Vocabulary

Jun 2, 1989

I wrote down words I learned from books to use when I played scrabble with the family. My mom and I still play whenever we have the time.

Advanced Reading

Feb 3, 1993

I took an advanced reading course my senior year of high school to learn strategies for being a more effective reader. I could read a lot faster and my comprehension improved.

British Literature

Oct 24, 1993

I learned new language from reading, discussing and writing about British Literature. I read “Lord of the Flies” and “Great Expectations”.

Poems

Mar 20, 2005

I read “The Essential Rumi” and discovered my favorite author. I did not realize I liked poetry until I discovered a quote from Rumi that helped me understand the meaning of non-judgment. “Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.