Baylon, Melvie Mar R.

(2008-44523) BLL 103

A, B, C… Zhdanov

I have tried reading anything from the shelf but how was I able to? I can’t actually remember

how I began to learn decoding and deciphering written symbols. The images are either blurry or

totally cut off to what I remember.

I was born on March 18, 1992. As early as 2 years old my mom was teaching me to read the

English alphabet. She would make a chart, which she says I frequently ripped, and then I would

read each letter in their sequential order. As an assessment my mom would point letters on the

chart and let me pronounce them. I learned the alphabet on the same age—with patient and

rigorous repetition of my relatively boring bonding with my mother.

I practiced pronunciation mainly with the abakada. It was quite easy for me to have learned

reading Filipino but not English. When I was in the preschool, mom bought these books with

illustrations—below them are their morphophonemic symbols. This method worked significantly

for me up to my late elementary grades. I think I was dependent, even, with what I can infer at

every illustration.

I usually read fairy tales when I was just starting in elementary. My aunt gave me these little

books which relate the story of Beauty and the Beast, Jack and the Beanstalk and others alike. It

was at the same time fun and educational—at least if I’m with Mr. Webster.

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Reading was then enjoyable, until school came into the context. Reading for pleasure and not

reading to pass a requirement was my thing. For an energetic kid then like me reading was out of

the question. That did not mean I stopped totally. I read books not concerning schools stuffs.

High school came. I hated my Makabayan series. It’s not only that we have to read lengthy

readings but the fact that I am not patriotic or nationalistic at any sense. And who would want to

learn History on a traditional setting delivered by a Physical Education teacher? English subjects

compensated to these matters alike the latter which was packed with stories. I guess the only

serious reading that I had in that period was trying to make out what my classmates’ text

messages means—I was learning to use the mobile phone but I thought I’m learning German.

Read or suffer the consequence—that’s how it is to me. The latter is what college, inevitably, has

taught. I had embarrassed myself when I can’t answer my teachers question and, ultimately,

failed examinations on Math 17 because of not giving sufficient time to read. College education

has been reinforcement for me, either negative or positive, to make most out of reading. I rarely

go up pass the interpretation level—still in a working progress. I guess.