Journal 1

1. What do you remember about your earliest reading and writing experiences?
a. What I remember about my earliest reading and writing experiences was that we
would trace then copy letters, copy short words, sound out the letters, and
practice our vowels.
2. As a child, did someone read to you? If so, what do you remember about it?
a. I only remember my teachers reading to me as a child. They would read to the
class during circle time. I also remember my mother would help me read stories
we had as homework in kindergaten. They were more like story songs. I
remember one song from the book which was called “el osito” and we would sing
it in the “frere jacques” lullaby tone.
3. For what purposes (e.g., studying, for information, enjoyment) did you see people
reading and/or writing in your home?
a. In my home, I would see my mom read her letter mails and magazines. My
mother would also read and write to practice her English.
4. Did you visit the library? If so, what types of materials did you bring home?
a. I would only visit the library at school. I wouldn’t take anything home.
5. Which teachers, learning experiences, and/or materials can you recall that had an
impact (positive or negative) on your literacy development? In what ways did they
influence you?
a. I felt like my early childhood teachers had a positive impact in my literacy
development since it was engaging and fun. However, I felt like it was harder for
me to improve in 4th grade since it was a major change for me. My classes were
Spanish, which is my first language, and by 2nd grade I was in a bilingual class
(English & Spanish but mainly Spanish) which I felt comfortable. When I reached
4th grade I was put in a “gate” class meaning an advance class. That class was
only English and my teacher did not speak Spanish. I actually spoke English fine
but I didnt feel comfortable yet. Not only that, I didn’t know anyone in that class it
was like moving to a new school since that class was a 4&5th grade class, we
would attend lunch and recess with the 5th graders which I didn’t get to see my
friends again. That kind of made me loose confidence, I was alone, and became
very shy, and embarrassed which lead me to have a fixed mindset.

At the end of the entry, include a bulleted list of literacy experiences that you think have
influenced you on your journey to your current status as a literate individual. These may be
repeated from the narrative part of the journal entry. (You will want to add to this list throughout
the course as you will need 20-30 experiences for your Personal Literacy History due in Week
7).

● Talking
● Singing
● Reading
● Print awareness
● Letter knowledge
● Vocabulary
●