Archive for year: 2015

The development of literacy in today’s society has decreased due to the lack of participation, the lack of understanding, and the lack of sponsors. According to Deborah Brandt, “Sponsors, as I have come to think of them, are any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract, who enable, support, teach, model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy– and gain advantage by it in some way” (Brandt 166). Sponsors are your mentors who can help you in any way whether it being religiously, support in reality, or in this case the development of literacy. In Deborah Brandt’s article, she thoroughly explains that through sponsors, you can learn so much more than you expect to, and those who don’t have sponsors are unaware of their capabilities. Growing up, I looked up to my sister as a sponsor. Through her strong will in teaching, support, and strong influence, I consider my sister as my biggest sponsor in life.
Growing up in a household with two Filipino parents, I always felt so disadvantaged. My friends growing up had a parent that was an English teacher at our local High School or a professor at a nearby University. On top of that, my parents were busy working every day 8am-6pm and after they would come home tired but they still had the energy to cook for my sister and I. After dinner, they usually would watch television and relax before heading to bed. At a young age, my parents wanted my sister and I to be involved in our community and understand the concept of giving back. So in my younger days, my sister and I were apart of different clubs and outside activities such as Girl Scouts, Concert Band, Piano lessons, and Youth Group. My parents only wanted the best for our family. However, they failed to realize my struggles with school at a young age. Every time I asked my parents for help with homework, writing assignments, or just to study, they would always say, “Go ask your sister”.
In elementary school, I always struggled with comprehension in English class. Every night, I remember being embarrassed to ask my sister for something she didn’t technically have to help me with since it wasn’t her job. However, every night she would sit with me and help me do my homework and improve my comprehension skills. I had a hard time with understanding what I read without having to reread the text multiple times. My sister inspired me to try harder and gave me some tips on my reading skills. We would constantly do small exercises using the books or toys our parents would buy us. I remember using the Leap Frog books that when you press the pen on the text of the book, it would read it out loud for you. We would use that concept through every sentence I would read in my regular books and then I would have to give my feedback to my sister to let her know that I understand and if I didn’t give a good enough answer, she would have me reread the text again. In Malcom X’s article Learning to Read, he states, “Anyone who has read a great deal can imagine the new world that opened” (X 2). Knowing that reading was a big necessity in every day life, he knew he had to learn. Being able to read and write is what makes life crazy. Reading can teach you so much and help you become more knowledgeable whether it being the dictionary or just a simple street sign. Malcolm X used his time in prison wisely to further his education and picking up a dictionary and becoming literate. Through my sister’s strong will in teaching me, I truly look up to her as one of my sponsors of literacy and helping me understand what I was reading.
Much like Sherman Alexie, I was clueless on reading and comprehending. Whenever I read a text, I had no idea what I had just read and resulted in just looking at the pictures. In The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me, Alexie states, “I cannot read the words, but I assume it tells me that ‘Superman is breaking down the door” (Alexie 12-13). With the aspiration of being like his father, I much wanted to be like my sister. In the article, Alexie claims to have taught himself to read through the love his father had with books. He took his knowledge and placed it in the hands of other children as well to help them succeed and become educated with an everyday tool. Instead of becoming a Pediatrician, he decided to write novels and short stories and shared it with young children. Although they refused his education away, he still continued to force his knowledge to help them. With the dedication of my sister, I realized that I must give my all for her. Growing up with my sister, I looked up to her for helping me when my parents weren’t able to. She inspired me to also help others which is why I’m now majoring in Psychology to help children with disabilities.
Reading and writing is very essential for society today. Through the hardships of reading and writing, I learned to put my knowledge on paper. Recently I have enjoyed writing my feelings down on paper to help me appreciate my life more. Whether it being writing why I’m mad or writing about what I’m thankful for, I find writing as a getaway from reality. Putting my thoughts down on paper, helps me to organize my life out. In Donald Murray’s All Writing Is Autobiography, he claims, “Writing autobiography is my way of making meaning of the life I have led and am leading and may lead” (Murray 69-70). Writing about my own life helps me find meaning. Without the sponsorship of my sister, I would probably still be struggling with comprehension.
Bibliography

Alexie, Sherman. “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me.” The Most Wonderful Books: Writers on Discovering the Pleasures of Reading. Eds. Michael Dorris and Emilie Buchwald. Minneapolis: Milkweed, 1997. Web. 29 May 2015. http://www.pasadena.edu/files/syllabi/stvillanueva_39386.pdf
Brandt, Deborah. “Sponsors of Literacy.” College Composition and Communication. 49.2 (1998): 165-185. Jstor. Web. 29 May 2015.
Malcolm X. “Learning to Read.” The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Random House, 1964. Web. 29 May 2015.
Murray, Donald M.. “All Writing Is Autobiography.” College Composition and Communication. 42.1 (1991): 66-74. Jstor. Web. 29 May 2015.