Literacy Narrative
Over the course of my life, I have had many influential moments that have taught me about the way that I read and write. Some of these moments have been wakeup calls to try harder and do better, while others were just a reinforcement that I have been doing well and can always keep improving. Without some of these incredibly important moments, I’m not sure where I would be today as a writer, and if I would have been as successful as I am today. Although we originally looked at three literacy moments, one really stood out to me.
When I was a baby, my mother would read to me every day. She would read me “Winnie the Pooh” and “Make way for Ducklings” until I fell asleep in her arms. As I grew, she started trying to teach me how to read, showing me all the words and sounding them out for me as I looked on with fascination. I was like a sponge, trying to seep up every bit of knowledge that I could while I still could. I wanted to know how I could read the stories that she was reading me, so she began to teach me. Without my mother, I’m not sure I would be the writer, or the person, that I am today.
Because of my mom, I started reading at a very young age. I started reading and writing at age 4, which was ahead of most of my classmates in preschool, and my reading level was always higher than my grade because of this. I credit my mom with inspiring me to be a learner, a thinker, and a scholar, and it all started at a young age. However, I credit a certain book with being the inspiration I had to read and write stories.
The first book that I could ever read was a book called “Make Way for Ducklings.” As someone who lives close to Boston, “Make Way for Ducklings” is kind of a staple story of the city. There is even a statue to commemorate the book in the Boston Common, which shows how important to the city this story is. I was able to read this book because I had practiced it many times, and my mother had read it to me many times. It was my favorite childhood story, and if you haven’t read it I would strongly recommend it. “Make Way for Ducklings” is about two ducks, a mom and a dad, looking for a place to make their nest. They decide on a small island in the Charles River, which is the most well known river in Massachusetts. The two ducks then molt, which is to shed their flight feathers, and then the mother duck lays 8 eggs. The 8 eggs hatch, and they need to learn about how to be a duck. A week after they hatch, they are supposed to go meet their father in the Boston Public Garden, but first they have to cross Beacon Street. In the end, the ducks get across the street and they live happily ever after.
I know that story might not seem very important, but to me it was. That was the first story that I was ever able to read and grasp, and I credit that book for both my love of the city of Boston and for teaching me how to read a full story for the first time. I’m not sure where I would be from a reading standpoint without both my mom and “Make Way for Ducklings,” but I’m really glad that I don’t have to find out. Because of my love of the first story I ever read, I was able to create stories as a kid. I used to write tiny books and novels, which I would never share with anyone, but was always very happy with. I give full credit for this to my mother and to the stories of my childhood, and I don’t want to think about a life that started any differently than it did.