John Koehler Ms. Fuentes English 1101-074 12/3/2013 My Literacy Literacy is crucial in todays modern world.

Statistics show that 43% of adults at level one literacy live in poverty compared to the 4% of adults that live in poverty at level five literacy. ( Literacy Statistics) This statistic shows how important it is to become literate. There is a lot that goes into literacy and education. Among the most important aspects are literacy sponsors, defined as people, ideas, or intuitions that help others become literate in specific ways.(Wardle) Some of my literacy sponsors in my life include family and teachers, my economic background, speech therapy, and being diagnosed with dyslexia also played a role in my literacy development. Literacy sponsors can incorporate a lot of things including ideas, people, and events. Everyone has different literacy sponsors, resulting in a unique literacy history. For example, some of Malcolm Xs was influenced by going to jail. Malcolm X said that he would spend upwards of 15 hours reading, and he went on to say that he learned more in jail than he would have in college. (Wardle) Literacy sponsors can be almost anything and are different for everyone. Among the most important aspects of a childs literacy development are their early childhood literacy sponsors. Some of my literacy sponsors include my parents, siblings, teachers, and counselors. Researchers have found a strong correlation between childrens academic success and their early childhood professionals. (Zerotothree) Their research has shown that with

a firm foundation children will become more academically successful. I attribute much of my academic success to my elementary school teachers and family for teaching me basic literacy skills such as reading and writing. An important aspect in childhood literacy development is family engagement. My family was very involved in supporting me and it was one of the key factors of my literacy development. Research shows that when families share songs, stories, and books with their children, they will develop stronger literacy skills, but more importantly, it motivates children to read and write. (Zerotothree) Specifically, I remember my family members reading me Goodnight Moon over and over again as a bed time story. A few of my siblings say they have the book memorized because of how many times they read it to me. The interaction between a child and his or her caregivers essential for the development of that childs brain as it forms connections and develops literacy. Personally my family used to read to me every night before I went to bed this kept me interested in learning about reading. Research has shown that between 16 and 18 months, while a child is acquiring a larger vocabulary much of their development depends on economic background. (Zerotothree) Coming from an upper middle class white family I feel as though my education was valued highly and therefore, during that time, I may have learned a larger vocabulary than someone from a different economic background. Economic status is one of the bigger factors in literacy development, because it often influences many things about someones life. How much money someone makes often correlates to where they live, what they do, and how they live. My family places a very high value on education. All of the members of my immediate family attended and finished college. Being the youngest child I had to follow in everyones footsteps and being illiterate or unsuccessful wasnt an option.

Growing up, I had a stuttering issue which I now attribute to my dyslexia, which wasnt diagnosed until a later age. This was a major challenge in my literacy development. In order to compensate, my parents enrolled me in speech therapy classes with a speech pathologist. The goal of these classes was to improve my fluency and reading abilities. My personal literacy and fluency in speech was greatly influenced by the speech pathologist. Without attending the speech therapy my fluency would still be poor and my reading ability would not be as strong. When attending these classes I would spend time reading and speaking. Often times, it involved flashcards with pictures or words. Eventually, after attending the speech therapy classes I was able to overcome the stuttering problem. It wasnt an easy process I took speech therapy classes for 2 and half years. I kept with it though and overcame the stuttering problem. Overcoming my stuttering problem allowed me to become more fluent and communicate what I want to say with ease. This affected development of my literacy development allowing me to say what I want to say when I want to say it gave me a great deal of confidence. In the fourth grade I was diagnosed with dyslexia. This diagnosis became a large part of my literacy history. Dyslexia is said to account for 80% of all diagnosed learning disabilities. (Signs & Symptoms) I had to work hard to overcome learning differences that could have negatively affected my path to success. However, I worked diligently with private tutors and teachers to learn how to compensate for my learning differences. I challenged myself to reach my fullest potential by gradually taking harder high school courses. I could have taken an easier course load and been allowed modifications for test taking, but I chose not to use my disability as an excuse. I put extra time and effort into my studies outside of class and challenged myself to become successful even in the face of adversity. It was not the easiest way to go about it, but by challenging myself I have become a better student and a stronger and more literate person.

Dyslexia is defined as Developmental reading disorder is a reading disability that occurs when the brain does not properly recognize and process certain symbols. (Board) This learning disability can have an effect on the individuals reading comprehension, writing, spelling and sometimes speaking abilities. (NCLD) This reading disability affected the way I learned how to read, write and speak. Specifically dyslexia affects the area of the brain that is responsible for phonological processingthe ability to analyze, sort out, or sequence sounds heard in spoken language. (Signs & Symptoms) Not allowing the brain to analyze words prevents or hinders the dyslexic individual from understanding the material affecting the persons literacy abilities. Dyslexia makes it hard for me to read and comprehend material in a timely manner. This made reading more challenging as a child because everything took longer. Research has shown that while individuals with dyslexia have difficulty with reading and writing excel in other areas such as reasoning, problem solving, spatial, motor skills and athletics.( Signs & Symptoms) I think this describes my experience; I am weaker in areas such as reading and writing but excel in the sciences, spatial, and motor skills. My experience with dyslexia was a major factor in my own literacy history because it made reading and writing more difficult. In summary, my literacy history was influenced by my family and teachers, my economic background, speech therapy, and being diagnosed with dyslexia. Statistics show that two-thirds children that cannot read proficiently after the 4th grade end up in jail or on welfare. (Literacy Statistics)This shows the importance that it is to become literate in the modern world. People that are not literate in this era often do not succeed in life.

Work Cited 1. Board, A.D.A.M. Editorial. "Developing Reading Disorders." Developmental Reading Disorder. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 01 Apr. 2013. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002379/> 2. "Literacy Statistics." Literacy Statistics. Begin To Read, 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. <http://www.begintoread.com/research/literacystatistics.html > 3. NCLD Editorial Team. "What Is Dyslexia?" National Center for Learning Disabilities. National Center for Learning Disabilities, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. <http://www.ncld.org/typeslearning-disabilities/dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia> 4. "Signs & Symptoms of Dyslexia." Smart Kids With LD RSS. Smart Kids With LD RSS, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2013.< http://www.smartkidswithld.org/ld-basics/signs-symptoms/dyslexia-article > 5. Wardle, Elizabeth, and Doug Downs. "Chapter 3/ Learning to Read Malcolm X." Writing about Writing: A College Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. 353+. Print. 6. "Early Language and Literacy Development." Zerotothree. Zero to Three, 2011. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. <http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/policy-toolkit/early-literacywebmarch1-6.pdf>.