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Reading Rainbow
“Take a look, it’s in a book, a Reading Rainbow!” Reading Rainbow sparked my first interest in reading. Watching the show made me want to read featured books and go to the library. I loved the connection LeVar Burton made between the books and real life, like when he visited a coastal lighthouse and highlighted Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie (Roop & Roop, 1985). -
John Steinbeck Library
I frequented my local library as a child. I usually split up from my dad to look for intended books, freely browse, and read by myself in the children’s area. Eventually, my dad or I would find each other when we were ready to go home. Exploring books in a relaxed setting made reading enjoyable. -
Sunday Newspaper Comics
As an emerging reader, I liked to look at the Sunday comic strips and imagine what was happening based on the illustrations. Learning to read added to their enjoyment. -
The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs
Jillian Jiggs sews a company of crafted pigs with names, personalities, and roles. The book was my first exposure to learning how to sew, a hobby I still do to this day. I realized reading can help me learn how to do new things. -
Reading in Spanish
I was placed in bilingual Spanish-speaking classes as one of a handful of native English speakers. Instruction was implemented in English and Spanish. It was the first time I was challenged to read in a secondary language. The experience reshaped how I see learning new words and a new language. -
Baby-Sitters Little Sister
Baby-Sitters Little Sister was the first novel series I read. It was the first time I was engaged in reading a “page-turner” while invested in characters and their development. -
Mario is Missing!
Luigi travels around the world as he searches for his brother in Mario is Missing! Up until then, most video game dialogue was inconsequential to gameplay. However, game advancement requires players to study characters’ scripts for later recall. Playing this game is when I started to learn how to read for information and take notes. -
Assigned Fictional Reading
Over school breaks, my mom would choose and check out multiple fictional novels from the library for me to read and report to her. The experience fostered my distaste for being assigned to read. I carried a negative attitude towards reading assigned fictional reading into junior and high school and loathed it whenever I was required to do so. -
Encyclopedia Set at Home
My stepmom came home with an encyclopedia set from a garage sale. Before internet searches, having an encyclopedia at home was the best way to learn about random topics without going to the library. I became intrigued with how reading could teach me about topics and things I had never heard of. -
Competitive Speed Reading
At the library, my mom would choose and give me and my cousin the same book. We were to see who could read the fastest, like to the end of a chapter or being timed for five minutes. I always lost, and my cousin would be celebrated for her victory. I didn’t, and still don’t, like the competitiveness and urgency. The experience made me decide that I only like reading non-competitively and at my own pace. -
Cujo
I selected the novel Cujo by Stephen King for an English assignment that involved comparing a novel and movie of the same name. I was underwhelmed by the movie after reading the novel. King’s writing descriptively captured build-up, emotions, and intensity. I realized reading could offer more depth than the limitations video and audio production hold.