Akailah Mason Professor Wolcott English 1102 23 January 2013 Literacy Narrative Ever since I can remember, reading

has played a significant part in my life. Whether it was inside the class room or not, there have been many influences on the development of my literacy. Literacy is understood as the ability to read and write, as well as the ability to understand. As a teacher, my mother understood the importance of becoming literate. She also has seen the effects of what illiteracy can do to individuals. As told to me by mother, I was taught to read at such a young age by using sight words, flashcards, learning the basic phonics by watching phonics videos, and A Beka Curriculum. Because of A Beka Curriculum I was put into kindergarten one year earlier than the children my age. Some literary sponsors where my mother, my teachers, as well as my friends. With my friends, we created a library of books. Each of us would all read the same book, and afterwards we would discuss what we liked, didnt like, and our most favorite parts. This event was important because it allowed me learn to analyze books without feeling like it was something that I was forced to do. When reading, whenever I wasnt sure of what I word meant, I would ask my mother. Her first response was to always say go look it up. While I hated it at that time, it kind of made me take initiative in my learning, similar to that of Malcolm X, but not quite as extreme. I dont really remember how I learned to write per se but I do remember, vividly, one incident when I was complaining to my mother that I was bored. I was in 2nd grade, and this time

she began to notice that writing was an area I was lacking in. So she instructed me to come up with a creative story that tied in elephants, teacups, paint, and cameras. At first, I was completely surprised because I was thinking there was no way I could think of a good story, I thought it was such a ludicrous task, and also partially because I didnt really want to do it. In an attempt to get out of, I began to cry, hoping that she would forget about it. I was wrong, I sat at a table for hours until it was completely finished. As I began to write my creative story, I realized it wasnt as bad as I thought it was going to be, I actually started to enjoy it a little. After I was finished, in an attempt to lift my spirits, my mother told me that she actually enjoyed reading my story, however, looking back on it, Im sure this was completely biased statement. The writing of the creative story forced me to think outside of the box and tap into my creative side. Writing hasnt really been something that I enjoyed. Most of my writing is usually done in school or at home when doing homework. Reading, on the other hand, is leisure activity that I like to do for fun, completely different than reading done for school, for example, an English comp class. Before high school, where I became extensively involved in extracurricular activities, I used reading as an escape from reality. Understanding the sources and sponsors of my literacy allows me to examine what makes my literacy different from every other individual. It also allows me to evaluate how my literacy has developed over time.