109: Pre-Assessment; My History as a Reader

My History as a Reader:

When/how/where did you learn to read and what was it like for you?

I learned to read at the end of Kindergarten. I had two years of preschool under my belt when I entered K. I knew my letters and I knew the sounds they made, but I often struggled to blend them correctly and recognize letter patterns that made different sounds, like "ch" or "oo." I also struggled with understanding when long vowels and short vowels were used. It took lots of practice at home with help from my mother to finally really start to read. Although I would like to say that I learned to read in school, I really learned at home.

What are some experiences with reading that you remember vividly? Why?

I remember that in Kindergarten, my teacher would let kids who knew how to read, read books from home aloud to the class. I was fairly confident in my abilities toward the middle of Kindergarten, mostly because I knew my letter sounds. I volunteered to read the Little Mermaid, one of my favorite books from home. Well, as long as it took from me to stand up, was as quickly as it took the teacher to sit me back down. I started reading, sounding things out and going slowly only zipping through sight words like "the" and "and". The teacher thought I was taking to long, and after the first page, told me to try it again when I really know how to read. I remember feeling pretty embarassed and down on myself. I could read - it just took me time, and really... for me to be reading anything at Kindergarten, that was pretty good, right? But I felt like I was behind, like I wasn't where I need to be. It was not a very good feeling.

How have your feelings about reading developed over time?

I strongly dislike reading, especially fiction. I am not sure if it stems back to that day in Kindergarten, I am not sure. I only read when I have to. Text books, journal articles for research papers - all of that I don't mind. But I never read for pleasure. Perhaps it goes beyond Kindergarten and extends to all of those fiction novels that we read in classes throughout school. I never remember throughout any of my educational career, being given an opportunity to actually enjoy the material we were reading - just quizes and tests for make sure we did the reading, and comprehended it.