• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • 1
    CommentGo Back
Download
 
Literacy Autobiography“You have asked me what I would do and what I would not do. I will tell you what I will do andwhat I will not do. I will not serve that in which I no longer believe, whether it call itself myhome, my fatherland, or my church: and I will try to express myself in some mode of life or artas freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defence the only arms I allow myself touse-- silence, exile, and cunning.” -
 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
, James Joyce
1
It is an understatement to say that
 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
is my favoritenovel. I remember the first time I read the novel - how the pages felt on my fingertips and howmy eyes rolled effortlessly from page to page. When I first read the above quotation, I felt astrange exhilaration that only literature provides us. This quotation marks a new beginning for Stephen. Language is no longer a tool used by his church, parents, or politicians to indoctrinatehim into worlds outside of himself. Now, language is his method of creation. He wants toredefine what it means to be an Irishman and what it means to be himself. I realized that Stephenand I share the same moment. As a Sophomore in college, my literacy was transforming in thesame way. I learned I am no longer a passive consumer of novels, philosophies, histories, andnews. Instead, I am a creator. Social justice - the reconstruction of political, social, and economicrealities - begins with how I use language. I can add new voices to outdated narratives, expressdiscontent, and reconstitute the meanings of words. Stephen and I believe that our literacy canchange the world. Although I try not to succumb to world views as naive and bold as this one, I believe that this mindset is fitting for an aspiring teacher in her 20s. I want my students to growup with the audacity to challenge the realities established by age-old narratives and rejuvenatethe world with their dissent.
Preschool and Early Elementary Years
Candace Williams
1
Source of all quotations (http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext03/prtrt11.txt)
 
“Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the roadand this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named babytuckoo...His father told him that story: his father looked at him through a glass: he had a hairyface.”My oldest memories are of my mother reading to me. She would come home late fromwork and I would try to stay up to see her. No matter how tired she was, she would let me pick out a book from my shelf, and read it out loud to me. I always begged for a second story and shealways obliged. My family members took an active role in the development of my literacy. Theyengaged me in conversation, labeled the world around me, and made sure that I could read andspell simple words before I entered Kindergarten. My sister would teach me how to spell myname as we watched television. My mother would point out objects during outings and helpedme remember their names. My father bought me a black chalkboard and a desk. He would giveme reading and spelling lessons before dinner. One of the few memories I have of Kindergartenis of my boredom during a reading lesson. My Kindergarten teacher would say words like ‘car’,‘dog’, and ‘cat’, and ask the class to identify the first sound. Not only could I identify the firstsound, but I could identify the first letter, and spell most of the words. I loved learning and booksmore than recess. I do not remember any struggles with literacy in the early grades.
Late Elementary Years
"His evenings were his own; and he pored over a ragged translation of 
The Count of MonteCristo
. The figure of that dark avenger stood forth in his mind for whatever he had heard or divined in childhood of the strange and terrible. At night he built up on the parlour table animage of the wonderful island cave out of transfers and paper flowers and coloured tissue paper and strips of the silver and golden paper in which chocolate is wrapped. When he had broken upthis scenery, weary of its tinsel, there would come to his mind the bright picture of Marseille, of sunny trellises, and of Mercedes."Candace WilliamsBLIS IPosition Paper Due: Monday July 7, 2008
 
I grew up in rainy Seattle. In the winter months, my bus would reach my house in near darkness. This meant many hours indoors spent with books. I remember when I graduated myself to chapter books in the second grade. My mother and I were walking around the mall. She wouldalways let me pick out a book from the bookstore. I saw the grand Goosebumps
 
display andknew that I had to have one. The titles and covers seemed so interesting and profound. I chosethe red one - Goosebumps number four -
Say Cheese and Die
. I started reading the book in thecar on the way home. I took my book to school the next day for my classmates to see. They were jealous. Their moms would not let them read Goosebumps. I finished the book and bought a newGoosebumps each month - all the way through number 31. I remember finishing a few books aweek in the 3rd grade - my teacher scrambled to keep our classroom library stocked. In the 4thgrade, I loved historical fiction (
Time Enough for Drums
,
 Johnny Tremain, My Brother Sam is Dead,
and
The American Girl Series
(Addy)), biography and autobiography (
The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
), every Jules Verne novel ever written, and non-fiction books aboutspace travel (I aspired to be an astronaut in elementary school). By the 5th grade, I was hookedto John Grisham and Michael Crichton novels (my 5th and 6th grade teacher, Mr. Foley, wouldask to borrow my hardcopies when I was finished reading them). Mr. Foley let me doindependent reading assignments and gave me access to a special library in the corner of theroom. I did not fit in at my junior high school (grades 7 - 9). I continued to read every night andexplore new genres. Classes were a breeze - all of my teachers wanted the five paragraph essayformat.
High School Years
Candace Williams
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
lwoods3

Extraordinary talent and gifted insight.

reply11 / 01 / 2009
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...