My Influences Of Reading And Writing

When I was little, I always said I didn’t like reading. I never considered myself to be a valuable reader or writer. My parents both loved reading, and I was always told that I would feel differently about it when I was older. As the story often goes, my parents were right. As I grew older and was exposed to people who did love reading and writing. I learned to love it just as they did. The three people in my life who have been influential to my skills as a reader and a writer are my mother, my middle school english teacher, and my best friend. Though I don’t have any specific memories of learning to read, I do know that I was taught by my mother when I was about three or four. I already knew how to read and write my name when started kindergarten. …show more content…
This new found passion was encouraged in middle school by my English teacher, Mrs. Somerville. Mrs. Somerville was one of the most amazing teachers I’ve ever had. She had a deep love for books just like my mother and was excellent at making recommendations. In her class, we didn’t just read, we also learned how to think more intensely about what we read, a skill that I have used everyday since. In Mrs. Somerville’s class we also developed our writing skills. Every year we kept a journal in which we would answer a daily prompt. She would read our journal entries and leave comments in the margins. She would ask us questions and push us to think about how everything we studied related to our lives. In the margins of my journal was the first place anyone ever said I was a better-than-average writer. I remember the joy I felt when I saw that compliment. I kept all the journals from my years with Mrs. Somerville, and I hope looking back at my old writings will inspire me to constantly push myself to be a better …show more content…
Somerville’s class is that it was the place where I met my best friend. Kira and I first bonded in Mrs. Somerville’s class over our immense love for books. She has always been the person I can talk to when I want a book recommendation or writing advice. Though we do not see each other often, every time we do we trade books back and forth. Today, approximately a quarter of the books in my possession belong to her. Kira hasn’t just expanded my library, she has also helped improve my writing skills. When I first started writing original stories, I was self conscious about my capabilities, or lack thereof. She was the only person I would let read them, and she was adamant that I should keep going. Kira has been the one to provide the confidence that has made me a more capable writer. Should I ever write a book, she would be the first person I would ask to read