Literacy Narrative - Essay Example

1. Introduction

Literacy is one of the single factors that enhance people’s lives. It enables people to interact with others from different cultures, exchanging ideas that are crucial for enhancing the quality of life. The ability to read and write makes people effectively manage their socioeconomic affairs, thus improving their lives (Meier 17). This paper presents a literacy narrative that examines the path I have taken to reach where I am in life.

Origin

About 25 years ago, I was a toddler trying to learn how to talk and identify people in my environment; my parents were keen to ensure that they taught me better ways of identifying objects and people that were in my immediate environment. When I reached the school-going age, I enrolled in an elementary school, where my teachers taught some of the simple aspects of language and pronunciation. I developed a keen interest in reading picture stories; I could easily connect the pictures to form coherent stories.

 My elder brother was very supportive and could often help me collect several picture books, which I could read and narrate the stories to him and my parents. Sometimes, they were very excited not because I could tell the stories well, but because I could spell and pronounce some words in a comical way just because I had developed proper literacy skills.

The bookshop incident

I remember a day when my brother took me for a walk in the nearest town, I forced him to take me to the bookshop and see if I could find some nice storybooks. Though he was reluctant, he agreed to take me on condition that I would not cry for a book because he did not have enough money. However, the carving for a certain interesting book at the bookshop made me hide it in my shirt, thinking that no one would know about it. When we reached the door, I was surprised when the door scanner sounded an alarm; the attendant smiled at me and asked my brother to pay and never to scold me since I was just a small boy. I was very embarrassed and vowed never to do it again.

 I went home and was happy to have the book inasmuch as it had disappointed my elder brother. During a function at school, I was chosen to make a presentation to the visitors who were gracing the occasion. I received great applause from the audience and encouragement from my teachers, who noted that my literacy skills had really improved.

The love for reading and research

 My love for reading has propelled me to excel in my passion for research. So far, I have written various novels that explain my life in written literature and research and others that are mere fiction. I can comfortably attribute the success I have experienced to the encouragement and guidance that I got from my teachers and parents, who supported me immensely in my literacy journey. As Whitehead (2002) puts it, the ability to read and write provides a key to opening many doors of opportunities in an individual’s future. Therefore parents and teachers should take the responsibility to guide their children into this important life’s journey.