When I was a kid, I Loved Reading
Deborah Brandt brings up a valid point when she suggests that literacy begins with a mentor. A mentor can be any person, it can be a parent, a teacher, or even a corporation. The way in which she backs up her argument is by presenting personal accounts of people whom she has spoken with, and they write their personal accounts for her explaining their mentors and memories of learning literacy.
She also discusses the history of literacy and its emergence in America. She builds up to the point that literacy is based through an economy. Different economical devices either shield or yield the development of literacy that each individual person may have access to in a society. For example, a Spanish speaker may have access to information but may have trouble increasing his or her socio-economic status in comparison to a dominant white male, with the family background of business. Needless to say, these are mere examples that Deborah Brandt offers the reader, not mere fact.
There is always that one person that seems to make it to the surface of literacy whom goes above and beyond the typical “stereotype” for their lack of or gain of access to resources within the economy. For instance, Malcom X in his (name of document) becomes so powerful, that the elite that he essentially networks with are afraid of him. (Consider revising or quoting the document here). He becomes respected and an expert in literacy of his time.
In knowing the information presented at hand, it seems reasonable that my literacy ended the way it did. I began reading at about age three and remember taking a book into my hands and trying to read it. Just the exposure was enough for me, to understand, how important literacy was and how much of a close connection I had with wanting to learn, and learn more about books.
In Deborah Brand’s research, her collection of twentieth century Americans, creates an image that all learning of literacy is written. Although written language is the backbone of literacy, other language devices are also set in place. A person can learn language by speaking, by listening, by watching television. But literacy, literacy is learned by learning to read the words that appear onto the page.
English was always my favorite subject when I was growing up. When it was time to read I was always excited to read if it were in two conditions: if it was the book of my summer reading or if it was a book I had chosen, or a book that had been chosen for me that I happened to take interest in.
When I was in fifth grade we were assigned the task to help second graders read. By fifth grade I had a good sense of reading and way much before then. In third grade I had read the entire Charlotte’s web book and I was proud of myself. I also remember going into the library and taking interest in the poem book “Falling Up,” by Shel Silverstein. I knew how to read other books but I liked poetry.
Not only was literacy learned through poems or novels that were written by writers, but a lot of my literacy came directly from my school text books. In earlier grades our literacy books were workbooks. They were writing books in which we followed assignments, learned to copy letters, and learned simple writing fundamentals like a capital letter verses a lowercase letter.
In second grade I recall knowing how to write because I wrote for my Indian project in which I made a vest out of a paper bag. I remember writing words and symbols on it. I also remember being read to by my teacher during letter time. The teacher would have our parents write letters to us and she would read them to us. My mom use to write these beautiful letters and I loved her hand writing.
Summer reading was my favorite time to read. It would be just one novel and we were required to had had the book finished by time we started school. This was throughout High School and in earlier years I worked more with book reports. In the readings of Deborah Brandt, often times learners of literacy had learned through an institution, parents, and books. I agree that these three fundamentals, and the mentor are very capable of cultivating literacy.
Meanwhile, learning became something that I had enjoyed doing on my own. I did the most extensive amount of personal reading in High School. I found that there were different types of books that I enjoyed, books that I found my mom reading, I would find immediate interest in. If she was finished with reading a book, she would hand it over to me and I would jump in bed and begin reading, until the book was over.
I always loved reading and always had support from my parents. They ended up buying so many books for me we ended up storing them in a different room. There I had access to encyclopedias and novels in which I could utilize for school projects or just reading just to read. I loved reading one of the books called “Mrs. Piggle Wiggle’s Magic,” by (Look up the Author). I knew at the time that the book had seemed kind of silly but it had to do with kids my age so I loved reading it.
When I was in school my favorite type of book to read was my history book. I was obsessed with history and it was my favorite subject. So I did a lot of reading from history texts and very well enjoyed doing my history homework. I hated science, loved English, and had average skills in math. As my interests shifted, so did my knowledge in different subjects. For instance, my background in history is not extensive, is somewhat extensive in science, English, and math but completely lacks anything but a barely passing grade of one course I took in history (in college). This ties back into the economy that Deborah Brandt brings to our attention in the beginning of her research, what is necessary for the economy? And how does the economy impact what we learn?
