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Pre-K
I attended Pre-K in 1991. While in Pre-K, we learned beginning literacy skills such as memorizing the alphabet. This is a photograph of my dad, sisters, and me at Pre-K graduation. -
Kindergarten and First Grade
I learned how to read in Kindergarten. The focus in Kindergarten is letter and letter-sound recognition. My literacy progressed as our school utilized the phonics program to teach us to read in first grade. Phonics taught us how to decode words and "sound it out." I remember reading the decodable mini-books such as "Pat a cat." These books use repetitive phrases and word families to teach reading. I included a photo of my Kindergarten report card. -
My First Diary
After acquiring the basic skills for reading and writing, I began writing in a diary. I would write about my daily activities, mostly describing my day at school. During my daily writing sessions, I was practicing my literacy as well as expressing myself. -
Developing a Love for Reading
My dad loves to read. I remember admiring the stacks of books on his bedside table and by his chair. He loved to read western novels, and I think he owned every Louis L'Amour book created. He would often describe his love of reading to me, and how he those books made him feel like a pioneer transported through time. I included an image of my dad's favorite book, The Walking Drum. -
The Incredible Journey
My dad would always read to my sisters and me every evening. The first book I remember is The Incredible Journey. Every night we would sit and wait with anticipation to hear about the adventures he would read to us. -
Writing Apprehension
In fourth grade I experienced my first standardized test for writing. This was the first year we were expected to write for different audiences and purposes. I remember being taught "how-to" writing by writing how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Although I practiced writing in my diary, I never had to write for an audience. I remember feeling nervous about being presented with a prompt and expected to write under time constraints. -
Read-Alouds
I don't remember learning how to add or subtract, but I do remember the read-alouds. In third and fourth grade, I had teachers who used read-alouds to captivate our interest and engage us in reading. I particularly enjoyed Where the Red Fern Grows and Encyclopedia Brown. Encyclopedia Brown contributed to my growing interest in book series. -
Harry Potter
In middle school, I discovered my favorite book series of all time, Harry Potter. I love the Harry Potter series. I devoured the first 3 books and anxiously awaited the new releases. I continued reading the series up until the last book was released when I was in college. Since then, I have always been a sci-fi/fantasy lover! -
Reading Teacher
In 2010, I began my first year teaching in Kindergarten. I found that teaching the basic skills had not changed much since I was in Kindergarten. Although a major focus was on developing reading skills, I found that my favorite time of the day was story time. I was finally the teacher who was behind the book taking my students on an adventure. This is my yearbook picture from my first year of teaching. -
My First Graduate Class
I haven't had to use my writing skills since I graduated with my first degree in 2010. My first course required several APA formatted papers. At first it seemed daunting, however, I discovered it was easier than I perceived. My initial fear of writers block did not occur, and I was able to complete my assignments with ease. Those assignments helped me channel my inner academic writing skills. I included a picture that I had to take of myself for my first assignment. -
Refrences
Burnford, S. (1961) The Incredible Journey. Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.ca/books/view/the-incredible-journey L'Amour, L. (1985) The Walking Drum. Retrieved from:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/327548.The_Walking_Drum Rowling, J.K. (1997) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Retrieved from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3.Harry_Potter_and_the_Sorcerer_s_Stone?from_search=true -
Refrences cont.
Sobol, J. (1984) The Best of Encyclopedia Brown. Retrieved from:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31224868-the-best-of-encyclopedia-brown?from_search=true
