Mallory Weast Emilia Fuentes Grant English 1101-74 September 20, 2013 itera!

y Memoir "hroughout our li#es, e#er sin!e $e $ere !hil%ren, litera!y e#ents ha#e shape% the $ay $e #ie$ rea%ing an% $riting& "hings su!h as personal e'perien!es an% our en#ironments at home ha#e %etermine% ho$ $e $ere taught to rea% an% $rite& "hese e'perien!es !an start as early as $hen $e $ere to%%lers an% e#ents still ta(e pla!e to%ay& ) *e$ e'amples $oul% be boo(s that $e rea% as !hil%ren, +ible stories that $e rea% in Sun%ay s!hool, the *irst series o* no#els $e rea% in%epen%ently, an% so!ial me%ia sites that are popular to%ay& ,ot only ha#e litera!y e#ents shape% our e'perien!es but litera!y sponsors ha#e also !ontribute%& So $hat e'a!tly is a litera!y e#ent an% ho$ %o litera!y sponsors enri!h our e'perien!es)!!or%ing to Eli.abeth War%le an% /oug /o$ns, litera!y is not 0ust the ability to rea% an% $rite& 1t in!lu%es the *luen!y in !ommuni!ating $ith others& "his means that litera!y !an in!lu%e being literate in hobbies, an% being able to spea( in %i**erent languages& E'amples o* litera!y outsi%e o* s!hool $oul% be Fa!eboo(, te'ting an% S(ype 23234& itera!y e#ents e'plain ho$ you be!ame the literate person you are to%ay& )n in%i#i%ual5s !ulture, hobbies, an% religion !an %e*ine their litera!ies& /eborah +ran%t says that all o* our e'perien!es $ere shape% by litera!y sponsors& itera!y sponsors !an be people, i%eas or institutions that helpe% us be!ome literate 23304& 1t is e#i%ent that the situations people e'perien!e !an %etermine their litera!y e#ents& 1n an arti!le on Mal!olm 6 $e learne% that he himsel* ha% litera!y e#ents& Mal!olm 6 $as an orphan an% %roppe% out o* the eighth gra%e, be!ause he $as tol% he $oul% not *ul*ill his %ream

o* be!oming a la$yer& 7e $as senten!e% to prison, be!ause he $as in#ol#e% in !riminal a!ti#ity& 7e spent his time in prison learning to rea% by rea%ing the %i!tionary& "hroughout his li*e he ha% positi#e an% negati#e litera!y sponsors& )nger an% *rustration playe% huge roles in Mal!olm 65s litera!y& 7e $as not able to e'press $hat he $oul% ha#e li(e% in his letters to Eli0ah Muhamma% be!ause he $as not e%u!ate% enough& "his en!ourage% him to e%u!ate himsel* 2 6 3844& )nother e'ample o* litera!y sponsors an% e#ents $oul% be noti!eable in Sherman )le'ie5s li*e& Sherman )le'ie $as an 1n%ian an% gre$ up in a li*e o* po#erty& )le'ie5s *ather lo#e% boo(s an% sin!e he lo#e% his *ather he %e!i%e% to lo#e boo(s also& )t the age o* three he starte% rea%ing Superman !omi! boo(s& )le'ie $as tol% that 1n%ians $ere suppose% to be stupi%& 7o$e#er, )le'ie re*use% to *ail& 7e $as rea%ing something all the time no matter $hat it $as& )le'ie be!ame a $riter an% tea!hes !reati#e $riting to 1n%ian !hil%ren 2)le'ie 392-3984& i(e Mal!om 6 an% Sherman )le'ie, 1 also ha#e litera!y e#ents an% sponsors that e'plain $hy 1 rea% an% $rite the $ay 1 %o& 1 $as raise% in the small !ountry to$n o* /allas, ,orth :arolina& My *amily spo(e English an% $e all ha#e a noti!eable !ountry a!!ent& 1 atten%e% publi! s!hools *rom ;in%ergarten to the t$el*th gra%e& <ne o* my earliest litera!y e#ents in my li*e $as $hen my mom $oul% rea% nursery rhymes to me& 1 !an re!all listening to mother rea% 7umpty /umpty, 7ey /i%%le /i%%le, Mary 7a% a ittle amb, =a!( an% =ill an% many more& 1 began to noti!e rhyming $or%s by listening to these stories& 7earing those ,ursery >hymes an% seeing the pi!tures ma%e me thin( 1 !oul% some$hat rea%& 1 !an remember in the *irst gra%e $hen 1 $as learning to rea% on my o$n, 1 $as not the best rea%er& )t the beginning 1 %i% not ha#e the patien!e to sit %o$n an% rea% a boo(& 1 hate% to rea% but my tea!her an% parents helpe% me along the $ay& )s 1 got ol%er 1 began rea%ing small

!hapter boo(s on my o$n& 1 !an re!all rea%ing the =unie +& =ones series& +y about the thir% boo( in that series 1 (ne$ the boo( $as going to start by saying, ?7i, my name is =unie +& =ones& "he + stan%s *or +eatri!e, e'!ept 1 %on5t li(e +eatri!e& 1 0ust li(e + an% that5s all&@ Sometimes 1 !oul% *inish the boo( in t$o %ays& +eing able to rea% these boo(s Aui!(ly an% un%erstan% $hat $as going on helpe% me gain !on*i%en!e& )*ter rea%ing the boo( 1 $oul% ta(e an )> test& "he )> test moti#ate% me so 1 !oul% atten% the )> party at the en% o* the month& 1n the *ourth gra%e my tea!her ha% a passion *or rea%ing& "hat year $e rea% numerous no#els an% by the en% o* the year 1 ha% the thir% highest )> points in the s!hool& )s you !an imagine, 1 $as burnt out on rea%ing an% no longer en0oye% it& ) *orm o* litera!y that is popular among teenagers to%ay $oul% be so!ial me%ia sites& )s young a%ults $e !an all re!all the %ay $e 0oine% a so!ial me%ia site $hether it be Fa!eboo(, "$itter, or 1nstagram& 1 remember the %ay my mom *inally tol% me 1 !oul% get a Fa!eboo(& 1 ha% $aite% so long *or her to *inally gi#e in& 1 sat %o$n at the !omputer an% (eye% in all my in*ormation an% uploa%e% pi!tures until 1 ha% !omplete% the pro!ess o* be!oming a Fa!eboo( user& 1 $oul% !ome home e#ery %ay *rom s!hool an% get on Fa!eboo( to see $hat $as happening in my *rien%5s li#es& 1t $as all about being popularB $ho ha% the most *rien%s an% the most li(es on statuses or pi!tures& "his ma%e me *eel the nee% to ?*it in@ $ith e#eryone else& )nother e'ample $oul% be $hen 1 $as in high s!hool 1 $as on the yearboo( sta**& 1* you ha#e e#er opene% a high s!hool yearboo( you $ill see that there is a lot o* $riting in#ol#e%& ,ot only %i% pi!tures play an important role, but so %i% !opy an% !aptions& While being on the sta** 1 learne% ho$ to $rite !opy an% !aptions& 1 (ne$ that $hate#er 1 $rote the $hole s!hool $oul% e#entually see $hen the boo( $as publishe%& "his moti#ate% me to %o my best& "he yearboo( a%#isor al$ays pushe% me to %o my best an% she ma%e it e#i%ent that she belie#e% in me& 1t is

sa*e to say that some o* my best $riting $oul% ha#e to be !opy on a yearboo( page& "he en!ouragement an% moti#ation she ga#e me inspire% me to be a tea!her, be!ause 1 $ant to moti#ate my stu%ents an% bring out the best in them& itera!y e#ents an% litera!y sponsors play a huge role in the li#es o* in%i#i%uals& )ll these e'perien!es ha#e in*luen!e% my li*e in one $ay or another& My parents an% tea!hers ha#e helpe% me along the $ay an% al$ays belie#e% in me& "hese e#ents ha#e ma%e me reali.e $hat litera!y really is& "hey ha#e helpe% %e*ine me as a $riter an% rea%er&

Wor(s :ite%
Wardle, Elizabeth, and Downs Doug . Writing About Writing. Boston, MA: Bedford !t.Martin"s, 2#$$. %rint.