Why I'm Literate

 

I can’t recall the exact moment I became literate, or even when I held my first book, but my mom said she knew I would like reading when I gravitated more towards books and educational shows over toys and entertainment. My pre-k teacher also told her that I was the only one that sat still for a 20 minute story while the other kids became restless. I owe it to my sister. She was the first to educate me at a young age.

Although I was born in North Bergen, NJ, a Spanish speaking community, English was my first language. We moved to Arkansas when I was about two or three, which was the complete opposite of North Bergen. When my older sister, Diana, transferred from her school in New Jersey to Arkansas, they put her in ESL classes and was behind compared to her peers. She had a slight accent and would sometimes forget the English translation for certain words, which made things hard. She had no help from our mom either because her first and only language for a long time was Spanish. Diana didn't want the same for me so I sat and listened to books she brought from school, which helped us both. Those moments led me to love reading.

I grew up very shy and quiet with only a few friends, which is yet another reason I was always buried in books and writing. I was fortunate enough to always have teachers that encouraged my writing, but it stood out most to me in first grade when I decided I wanted to be a writer. I went straight to work on my first book. It took about a week, but I did it. I fondly remember it about a bunny that faced problems but found friends different from him that helped. I was so happy with the final result, I had placed it in a binder and created the illustrations myself. I don't have it, but I know that if I did I'd probably cringe at the "masterpiece" I created. I remember the feeling though, a feeling that has always stayed with me. I proudly presented it to my teacher. I had her read it and give me feedback. She placed sticky notes onto pages with comments and corrections, but said she was amazed by the skills I displayed at that age and hoped I'd continue.

Literacy has always been a major part of who I am. Although I don't read nearly as much as I used to, I look back at my past and remember certain books that I loved. It truly allowed me to transport myself to other worlds. As corny as it sounds, it's true. There was nothing else for me to do in the middle of nowhere, but my mom would take me to the library every week. I used to despise reading nonfiction and loved books such as The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson or Infinity Ring by James Dashner (who surprisingly visited Arkansas and signed my book). Eventually, my taste did broaden as I became more interested in nonfiction, with The Dark Side of Innocence: Growing Up Bipolar, an autobiography by Terri Cheney, being one of my favorites. As I got older, I began to make more friends but when I moved back to Jersey,  I was basically alone and relied on books again. My sophomore year, I joined the school's newspaper team to ensure I was always writing. I think if it weren't for that, I would write poorly today. Having the club advisor, Mr. McCoy, being able to engage more in my writing as compared to my English teachers also helped develop my skills. He corrected grammar or writing mistakes I would make, but was impressed. When I first joined, he didn't know what to expect from me, but when I gave in my first article, he told me he was surprised by the few corrections he had to make and loved having me as one of his journalists.

I may not read or write as much as I used to but, at the same time, I'm always doing it. Literacy is what allows me to write this post right now or read my assignments.. Although subtle, it's always being used. I'm happy to have been raised in an environment that encouraged me to further my literacy development, at home and in school, and helping me find a career path that I would love.