Archive for year: 2015

Reading and writing has become an important aspect in our lives. Writing helps us express ourselves, and reading is like an adventure when read. My first memories of reading and writing was when I was about five years old. I was in kindergarten and my mom would sit with me in the living room, she would help me with my ABC’s. She did not know any English at the time. She always tells us that she practically learned English with us. She would sit with us and learn the alphabet letters. I remember we would go over them every night before bed. My father would be watching the Television and my sister, mom and I would be in the table going over the alphabet letters. Just like Sherman I have very vivid memories when I was young, learning to read and write. He remembers his father loving books and that’s why he loved books as well.

In the letter Malcolm wrote he expresses the way he felt when trying to write a letter and not being able to express himself in paper. I feel that this is similar to what my mother felt in a different way. She came to this country no knowing the language. She relied on translators wherever she went out to places such as stores. She became frustrated for not understanding the language. This is one of the reasons she motivated herself to learn English and what better way to do then with her own children when we were starting kindergarten.  I believe that there where many factors that have helped me become the reader and writer I am today.  When I was in elementary my teachers motivated me. At the time I thought teaching was fun, handing out stickers, stamping papers and correcting papers was my favorite. I liked helping my teacher. I remember seeing the class mini library and then wanting one for myself in my house. That is when I started collecting my own books at home.

Malcom mentions how he was not able to express himself in paper. The way you speak is not the same way you right a paper or letter. This is something that I remember learning my freshman year of high school. Before High School I was not aware of that and I remember  that it’s something that I never  forgot. Before that I would just right papers the same way I would talk, and now I understand the difference. Sometimes I still forget so I have to look over my paper and reads as if someone else was to read it.

Juan, I agree reading the article from University of Michigan Health System was great. I found a lot of what they were talking about to be interesting and things I’ve questioned myself. One thing I found interesting was the fact they said “We don’t know yet what effect TV-viewing by babies may have on their development” on the first page. The reason I personally find that interesting was because while I was at Orange Coast College I took a Childhood Development class and we learned that any television before the age of four effects the children’s development. Even though it does discuss it a little more in detail later on in the article I still have a hard time understanding how it affects the young children and babies. I took that class a few years ago so it is possible the information is out dated but I hope to find out more about it through this class.

Although some of the activities the article states kids are missing seem obvious, it did surprise me when I read all the different statistics on kids and television. This article makes me feel and realize that we need to help children realize television should not be a priority and they should go outside and play. When the article stated what happens to some children it really scared me.

 

Jenna, that’s interesting that you read an article about that in high school, that’s also something similar to what I learned in my Childhood Development class. Was anyone else ever asked to go to those groups where a company has a product and ask your option on it? When I was a kid I would go sometimes and I always remember them asking, “As a kid do you find this interesting… would you ask your parents or guardian for this?” or “Does this ad make you want to buy this or not?” It‘s interesting how those focus group questions relate to the article and how to get and convince parents to buy more. I also find it interesting how much our past presidents and government have had such an impact on how kids are and how they get parents to teach kids to buy things/ have their own things. The quote you used from the article was part of what I wanted to talk about. “Through such experiences personality develops” It’s interesting to see how ads, television, and products can affect a Childs personality, belief and more and how the government supports that, even though at times it can be harmful.