Readers Sketch

Preschool (Age 5)   

Sitting on my mom’s lap, with a book in hand, in a large tan-colored rocking chair next to a full-length window are where some of my earliest memories with reading were formed. I would lean back on the warmth and comfort of my mom’s chest and turn my listening ears on. My mom’s voice was calm and soothing, and relaxed me with a story every night before bed. My small hands would lay over the tops of my mom’s hands as she held the edges of the thick paper paged books. One of my favorite books to read, The Rainbow Fish, was often the book gripped between our hands. I would run my fingers over the depicted sparkly scales that felt colder to the touch than the rest of the scales that lined the fish's back. My mom would continue to flip through the pages at a steady speed (or else we might never have gotten through the book) reminding me that “there will be more sparkly scales to touch on the next page”. We would read book after book until my eyes felt heavy and my head began to fall. I often would fall asleep before getting to the end of our second or third short book (or maybe fourth? who knows… I was asleep!). This stage in my reading experience was where I developed a joyous and comforting relationship with literature.

First Grade (Age 7)

Flashforward… and reading is now homework. Twenty minutes a day. Every day of the school week. At this point, reading was no longer fun. It didn’t bring joy anymore, and it had become another school task I didn’t want to do. I didn’t get to choose the books I had to read for twenty minutes either… oh no… they’re assigned ones. The assigned books that Mrs. Larson sent home with me covered a wide variety of genres. Some of the books made me laugh, some made me cry, and some were simply unamusing. This was the stage of my reading experience where I developed a hint of resentment for books.

Second Grade (Age 8)

It was the beginning of April and I had finally found a book series that I really enjoyed, The Boxcar Children. My mom had read this series herself when she was younger and thought I too would find joy in the books. She had suggested them to me because I “had to read a book every month this year for school anyway” … and as of that point in time I “was slacking”. She was absolutely right though. I loved these books as soon as I began reading them. I found myself in all the comfy areas of my home, getting lost in the adventures of Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. Hours would pass and daylight would fade, as I was warped into the stories. I imagined I was a part of all the main character’s endeavors, even the scary ones. This book series sparked my imagination and curiosity. I would consistently wonder about the events that took place in the novels, and how I could incorporate aspects of the books into my own life. I was obsessed and wanted my own boxcar for our backyard. This was the stage of my reading experience where I really found myself getting lost in literature. I began to find joy and comfort in it again.

Fourth Grade (Age 10)

A few years go by, and I’m back to hating reading again. This time, it was because I had been informed during conferences that I had to read aloud with a parent listening to make sure I was saying all the difficult words correctly. My dad, who wanted to help me learn and succeed in any way possible, volunteered to read with me every single night. Looking back, this is really a situation of a father who loves his daughter and is looking out for her best interest. However, at the time I didn’t see it that way at all. My dad is a perfectionist when it comes to things like this, and he took this “job” very seriously. We would lay on our stomachs together on the carpeted floor of my bedroom, with the book in the middle of us. The book couldn’t be closer to my side than his because then he “couldn’t see the words” to make sure I was saying the right things. At this point, reading sections that were supposed to take twenty minutes, now took a minimum of forty-five as we would re-read sections until I got them right (and had a good understanding of what they meant). My reading skills did improve during this time, but my enjoyment of reading completely vanished. It had become a chore that I was apparently not good enough at to do on my own. This was a reading stage of academic growth, but no personal enjoyment.

Tenth Grade (Age 16)

Fast-forward and many years have gone by since I was struggling to read complex books in fourth grade. I was now enrolled in Enriched English with Mr. Lundquist where I was fully immersed in literature. After long days at school, I would come home, put on something comfy, and climb into bed with a book in hand. One that swallowed most of my time was The Great Gatsby. I would get so involved in the story, practically sucked into the world depicted. As I flipped through the pages, I was now another girl on her way to attend a glorious Gatsby party. Dressed in my best party attire and surrounded by the sounds of the roaring twenties. This book kept me occupied for hours, forgetting all of my other responsibilities. I looked for symbols, analyzed the text, and was always eager to understand the deeper meanings. This stage in my reading experience was one of intrigue, analysis, and comprehension. I found enjoyment in literature and was fascinated by being a part of the different worlds described. 

Twelfth Grade (Age 18)

This is the present. I have had many ups and downs throughout my reading experience thus far. However, each stage I went through helped me advance and develop the relationship I have with literature today. I now find enjoyment in reading all types of novels and appreciate all that can be learned through various aspects of literature. Through reading books, I have been able to understand situations and world events better, as they provide unique perspectives that have shaped my views and altered my thinking. I am hoping to continue reading literature that makes me curious, skeptical, informed, and aware in my future. Above all else, I am looking forward to reading more books that bring me joy through the most interesting worlds and experiences.