Reading Auto Biography

This was a harder task than I had originally thought. I had to call my mom and ask her how I learned how to read. We are both truly stumped on how exactly I learned to read; we are thinking it was just the school that thought me. I know I didn’t have any problems learning how to read because I was a great speller. I enjoyed spelling everything. I think that I made the connection quickly that each letter had a specific sound that then created words. Some of the books that I read as a kid were the classics like Beatrice Potter, The Velveteen Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, and The Bernstein Bears. I wasn’t very interested in reading for fun it was for academics for me. I know that I didn’t enjoy reading till I was an adult. I was a very active child that had many after school sports and siblings that were always on the go.

 Once I was an adult, I had a friend share a Nicholas Sparks book with me and basically said “it’s an easy read with an interesting love story, you’ll like it.” So I took a chance and really enjoyed the book. I realized that it increased my vocabulary and my writing skills. If the book wasn’t an assigned book to read then I did really enjoy getting involved in the characters and the plot. Now, that I am an adult (not including this time at Vanguard because I am to busy to read. J) my friends and I will exchange names of must-reads. We then will get together and discuss our favorite parts and the best scene etc. kind of like a book club but not as serious. Most of the time I will receive book recommendations from friends that will hand me the book or they tell me to check them out at the library. I do have a kindle application that I share with my mom so we will recommend and share books that way as well.

Some of my personal experiences that influence the beliefs I have today about teaching reading come from me being an aunt and being employed by the school district for the last eighteen years. Watching the students in the schools today, I see what a huge impact reading has on them it is a deciding factor on if the student understands the concept or not. I love to watch them read for fun not always for academics. I love to see them get involved in the novels and feel as if they are one of the characters. For instance, they were reading the Divergent series and we sat down and had a discussion about the novel and I asked, “if they could pick a faction which one would they pick and why?” It was fun watching them come up with what faction they would be and why. It showed great understanding of the novel and their comprehension. As an aunt, I hope to inspire my nieces and nephews to read and truly love it. When I sit them down to read with them, I always ask them questions about what is being read to enhance their understanding of the concepts and make sure that they are using forward thinking and problem solving techniques.

            My personal history about reading I hope inspires me to make reading fun versus a chore. I want my students to be able to lose themselves in the books that they are reading. I don’t want my thoughts as a child become the same excuses that they will use with me. I will have to make reading challenges and games that encourage them to read. An idea could even be having a mini book club so other students can help and encourage the other students to read, plus they could discuss it for further understanding. I feel by me taking these extra steps to make reading more fun it will transfer over into my teaching and hopefully encourage my future students to feel the same was as I do now as an adult.