Literacy History

 When I think about my earliest experience of becoming literate, I think about when I was in Pre-K. When I was about four years old in school, we would be able to bring one book home a week to practice our reading. I remember my mother helping me read by using my finger to follow each word from left to right. We would also play sound games and “I Spy” which helped me become more aware of what words mean. Rhyming and repetition was also used to help develop better vocabulary and a better understanding of what words mean and how to use them in a sentence. I also remember being a little girl and my parents asking me a billion questions about my day. Parents tend to do this to broaden their children’s vocabulary. My mom would pick me up from school and ask questions about my day and what I learned to initiate responsive conversations. I feel like my mom and teacher helped me the most when it came to reading and understanding vocabulary. I was usually excited to go home to read my weekly book, which made me a better reader. I began to feel literate when I was in the third grade. That is when I started reading a lot more, and understanding what I was reading. Third grade is when I started to read chapter books like Judy Blume. When it came to writing, reading, speaking, listening, and viewing activities, I enjoyed many different areas. I loved journaling and expressing my thoughts and emotions in my personal diary. I also enjoyed getting teen magazines and staying up to date on current celebrities and events. I joined a lot of extra curricular activities since I was in second grade which helped me with public speaking skills and being able to engage in structured debates as well. Whenever I tried to read a difficult book, I would buy the audiobook to help me understand the text a little better and help me pronounce words the correct way. These are a few examples of things that I did to help my literary skills. I remember getting frustrated whenever I would get a vocabulary list and I couldn’t remember the definition or whether it was a noun, verb, adjective, etc. That was the most frustrating time for me while I was trying to become a better reader and writer. I feel like literacy is a crucial skill when it comes to communication. Literacy is empowering because it allows you to expand your knowledge and help you engage in critical thinking and allows you to express how you feel effectively. Reading and writing is essential when it comes to everyday life, including writing papers correctly, communicating well, and participating in digital communication platforms. Literacy is also very important because it promotes personal growth and lifelong learning. There is always new vocabulary to learn and words are forever changing overtime. There is such a thing as semantic shifts which means that words can change overtime. It is important to keep up with reading and researching to become more aware of how literacy is changing over time. I continue to use literacy in my personal life by being an English major. I take about five English courses a semester and I am always reading and writing to help me with my skills. Being an English major has helped me develop better skills with reading and writing and I think I can thank my peers for that. Hearing and reading my peers' work has made me work harder than I ever have.