Prior to this assignment, I had never really given much thought to my own literacy journey. Going back in time to find out what that journey looked like was very complicated. However, by taking some of my mother’s memories and mixing them with some of my own, I believe I have connected the dots and learned about myself. To share that information with you, I will need to share more than just my discoveries about my literacy journey, I also need to share some background information.
My mother and father were in a car accident when I was five years old. That accident ended my father’s life, and substantial injuries hospitalized my mother for approximately six months. During that time, my siblings and I lived with our grandparents in Sheboygan, …show more content…
I wouldn’t have known who she was, but she approached me and introduced herself. During that chance meeting, she told me that I still stood out in her memory because I was her first student that was unable to read, and she couldn’t figure out what my problem was. She said none of her methods worked with me (Pfeiffer, personal communication, date unknown). I evidently challenged her tried and true teaching styles, and it was the first time she had had to look for advice and different strategies. I remember her talking about how much ‘trouble’ I gave her, but I also remember her determined attitude. She was not willing to just say it was impossible. Unfortunately, I don’t remember all of what she did, but she talked about how difficult it had been for her to find time to work with me one on one. Based on what she said, I believe she had to focus on phonics …show more content…
Her diligence, instruction, and willingness to try new strategies not only allowed me to become a reader and writer, it also let me experience the pleasure to be found in those two areas. Based on my conversations with my mother and my memory of that chance meeting, I would have to guess that Mrs. Pfeiffer was presented a child who had very little exposure to writing or reading, little to no knowledge of the alphabet, phonological awareness, or concepts of print. Whatever her strategies were, she found a way to get through to me and send me into second grade well prepared. From that point on, my grades were always As and Bs, and positive
My mother and father were in a car accident when I was five years old. That accident ended my father’s life, and substantial injuries hospitalized my mother for approximately six months. During that time, my siblings and I lived with our grandparents in Sheboygan, …show more content…
I wouldn’t have known who she was, but she approached me and introduced herself. During that chance meeting, she told me that I still stood out in her memory because I was her first student that was unable to read, and she couldn’t figure out what my problem was. She said none of her methods worked with me (Pfeiffer, personal communication, date unknown). I evidently challenged her tried and true teaching styles, and it was the first time she had had to look for advice and different strategies. I remember her talking about how much ‘trouble’ I gave her, but I also remember her determined attitude. She was not willing to just say it was impossible. Unfortunately, I don’t remember all of what she did, but she talked about how difficult it had been for her to find time to work with me one on one. Based on what she said, I believe she had to focus on phonics …show more content…
Her diligence, instruction, and willingness to try new strategies not only allowed me to become a reader and writer, it also let me experience the pleasure to be found in those two areas. Based on my conversations with my mother and my memory of that chance meeting, I would have to guess that Mrs. Pfeiffer was presented a child who had very little exposure to writing or reading, little to no knowledge of the alphabet, phonological awareness, or concepts of print. Whatever her strategies were, she found a way to get through to me and send me into second grade well prepared. From that point on, my grades were always As and Bs, and positive