Wiliford 1
Adam Williford
Professor Rebecca Agosta
UWRT 1101
6 February 2017
Literacy Memoir
Literacy is introduced to everyone, if even introduced, at various ages. Some people are
granted the opportunity to learn literacy at the start of their learning career, while others struggle
with literacy for many years into their lives. For myself, I recall starting my track to literary
success at about five years old, around the first few weeks of kindergarten. Although I had some
previous literary experience before entering grade school, the introduction to real books rather
than just childrens books, played a huge role in my posterior love for reading.
Entering grade school, I was equipped with very little literary experience. As most
kindergarteners do, I started off reading a multitude of childrens books, but that seemed to pose
minimal challenge to the developing brain. Soon within the next few months with the help of my
kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Lipp, I was reading short chapter books at a first grade level, which
surprised many people. My parents never seemed to push reading at home, so when I took an
interest in reading a few people were surprised.
In kindergarten every week my teacher, Mrs. Lipp, would take each individual out in the
hallway to practice reading. Each week I went out into that hallway, I was so excited to read and
notice the progress I made with each little story we read. As the school year went on, I started to
develop a real liking for reading, and actually was better at it than most subjects that one endures
in the American education system. Being a young boy, no one ever pushed me to read, and many
boys my age werent big on reading. After getting acquainted to the reading given in a
Commented [AR1]: I didnt receive a cover letter, so Im
not sure how this draft went for you and what feedback
youd like. Ill approach it from my reader perspective.
As you revise, come up with a unique title for your piece.
Commented [AR2]: I wonder about this line I dont
think we escape literacy practices, even if we are not
formally taught them. All societies talk/read/communicate,
and, therefore, have literacy practices.
Commented [AR3]: yes
Commented [AR4]: interesting are you defining real
books as childrens books?
I think your intro would benefit from some information on
how you are defining literacy. It seems that you are thinking
about it in terms of reading only, and your sentences make
more sense with that in mind. Because we know there are
multiple literacies, it was hard for me to get on track with
this, so defining it earlier in the paragraph would be helpful.
Commented [AR5]: What about this chapter books
caught your attention that the other books couldnt do?
Did Mrs. Lipp make it a big deal that you read these, giving
you some motivation? Was it just that the content was
more interesting? If so, what was the content like (maybe
you can remember a book you liked)?
Essentially, what was your motivation like? We can see
whats happening but not why.
When I was little, I looked to my older sister like she was the
perfect person. I wanted to do everything like her, including
reading the books she was reading, etc. It definitely made
me select content beyond my age and reading level because
I was eager to grow up and be the same as her.
Commented [AR6]: Which really makes it come across as
self-motivated. I wonder if this impacted the kinds of books
you read.
 Wiliford 2

kindergarten curriculum, I was hooked and had to learn more. Instead of reading the assigned

books to every kindergarten classroom, I wanted to venture out and read books that were actually

interesting. My five-year-old self aspired to read chapter books like The Box Car Kids and Harry

Potter Series. So, instead of just sitting around listening to my teacher sit around and repeatedly Commented [AR7]: I suggest deleting the first use of this
phrase
read to me, I took some initiative. My mother recalls me coming home asking to go to the library Formatted: Highlight
Formatted: Highlight
for some big kid books and she was shocked. Neither her, nor my dad, had much faith in their

sons ability to read, but I intended on proving them wrong.

As the school year went on I invested more and more time into learning how to read,

going to the library weekly, and checking out books that posed a challenge. I read books like

Magic Tree House, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and The Box car Car kids Kids to get introduced to
chapter books. By the middle of the year I was already reading at a first grade level, surpassing
many of my kindergarten colleagues. This innate motivation to impress my teachers and parents
with my improved reading skills played a huge role in my success in literary subjects, and
continuing my motivation to read even in my life today.
This keenness for reading has stuck with me throughout my education, and has helped me
Commented [AR8]: One thing that is common in young
kids reading is that they dont fully understand what they
are reading even if they are noticing the words/images and
making some sense of what is being said. Diary of a Wimpy
Kid is advertised as being appropriate for a 5th grade reader,
which makes it seem so far fetched for this story of a
kindergartener, even for one reading at a 1st grade level.
I will leave it to you to make sure that this is really what was
happening at 5 years old because perhaps you were reading
these, but know that the books you are mentioning, at least
some, are well above 1st grade reading level, which then
makes a reader of your essay wonder how in depth you
were reading.

to prosper in many subjects. In school I always did my better in subjects such as an English and Commented [AR9]: So even though your parents didnt
stress reading, it still impressed them. How did they show
you positive affirmation for your reading?
History class, because the reading attracted me to actually try in those classes. This subjectivity

for reading showed in my grades as I always struggled in math, especially when letters were

mixed into the equation. As reading plays a huge part in the education system today, I did not

limit myself to only what the system allowed me to read. While in school, my frequent trips to

the library eventually always got geared towards a certain genre. Growing up when Harry Potter

was popular, I became more inclined to gravitate toward the fantasy genre books. After spending

almost all of elementary school reading the Harry Potter series, I then moved onto Percy Jackson
 Wiliford
and the Lightning thief. My ever-lasting love for the fantasy genre has persisted as I am still
reading books that fit into this genre today.
Today, I continue to read books such as the Game of Thrones series, and articles for my
classes. If I never was taught to read, and motivated to impress the people around me I wouldnt
be the person I am today. Literacy is something you cannot ignore in life, so to start at a young
age and be so motivated, I helped myself in the long run. Now when I read for classes, even if I
am uninterested, I find a way to make the reading connect to my life, or something I enjoy to
proceed in the learning process.
Literacy has ever-lasting effects on peoples lives. For me, it was my elementary school
teacher who sponsored my kindergarten-selfs newfound love for reading. If it werent for those
experiences in elementary school, I may not have developed a love for reading, done well in as
many classes, and continued reading as an adult. Every little experience shapes us into the
people we are today, while some hold bigger impacts than others., Wwithout literacy my life
would feel lifeless.
3
Commented [AR10]: I did these through audiobooks. I
think each one was 46 hours :-O. A big commitment.
Commented [AR11]: Example?
Commented [AR12]: Perhaps edit to show more of her
responses to you reading.
Also, you narrate this as pretty much positive once you got
started. Were there any times where you interest in reading
waned or you struggled with reading?
I think you have an interesting essay, but you still have a
good deal of content to include. The biggest suggestion I
have right now is to complicate this literacy. It feels very
easy for you to have gained this literacy, and perhaps it was.
If so, complicate how you experienced it at different ages
and with different teachers supporting or withholding, etc.
Did you end up reading things outside of novels (magazines,
comic books).
As I noted in the assignment sheet: Be wary of telling a
story that only captures early childhood literacy events.
Your memory of these moments is limited, and this time
emphasizes explicit instruction of readingnarrowing your
ability to come to conclusions about literacy.