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William Brody Thomas

Professor Lynn Raymond
UWRT 1101-E01
September 13, 2014

My Literacy Narrative

Everyones literacy began at different times in their lives and in different ways. My
literacy started at a very young age. My mom said that when I was in utero she would read every
night and also play music to me. After I was born, she would read to me multiple times every
day. This continued throughout my childhood from infancy through my toddler years. My mom
also taught me to read and write at a very young age. Around the age of three or four, she started
to use the Riggs Institute Phonics Program. The Riggs program used the principles of Sight,
Sound, Voice, and Writing to teach reading and writing skills. (Riggs Institute) Along with
Riggs, I was also taught with A Beka, a Christian homeschool curriculum, and Sonlight, another
curriculum that focuses toward the learning of young children.
Along with these programs, my mom also had me read many books like Frog and Toad
and Little Bear. These books were my favorites as a child. In addition to these books, I also read
many Trade Books. I kept a daily journal when I was homeschooled which helped improve my
writing skills. With the daily journal I also drew many pictures. I can remember after I finished a
drawing my mom would have me explain and describe what was happening in my pictures. This
continued my expansion of literacy because it required me to use my words and describe
something to the best I could. When it comes to the foundation of my literacy, I know I was
given a good one. My mom was and still is a Certified Virginia teacher for Kindergarten through

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Eighth Grade. Knowing this and knowing how seriously she took me having a good education, I
know she helped me start my literacy off right.
In 2003, I entered into the second grade at Fuqua School, one of the local independent
schools. The curriculum at Fuqua School reflects the 21st Century skills of critical thinking,
collaboration, writing, and information literacy. Students are also encouraged to work past
traditional expectations beginning in lower school. (Fuqua School) These are just a few of the
reasons I was enrolled into Fuqua School. Since I had been home schooled, I was already
accelerated in all of my subjects. Fuqua was the right choice because it allowed me to pick up
where I left off from being homeschooled. Another great thing about Fuqua was that it put me
with kids that had been brought up similar to me. This helped all of the students at the school
because they already had a similar background as others, thus the teachers could continue a more
advanced learning and improvement of our literacy.
As I stated, early writing and literacy are a big part of Fuquas curriculum. In lower
school we were all taught writing skills by journaling every day and learning paragraph
formation. We were required to write daily and to always answer in complete sentences or restate
questions. I also remember our vocabulary books, Wordly Wise 3000, we used. They required
the spelling and memorization of the word and definition, as well as the knowledge to use it
correctly in context. This continued on through middle school except the workbook became more
advanced. Overall, the three years in lower school, Fuqua added even more of a foundation to
my literacy and really prepared me for Middle School and High School.
Once I was in middle school, there really wasnt much of a big change regarding my
literacy besides the intense grammar instruction and some literary studies. One nice benefit was
that I was now able to use the library at the high school. Having access to the large library only

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fueled me wanting to continue reading for pleasure. I was also able to go to the Scholastic Book
Fairs when they were held. I enjoyed the book fairs because I always was allowed to get a few
book to read and if they ended up not interesting me, my mom would always put them in her
classroom.
When I entered High School I had three very great English teachers who taught me a lot
of what I know today. In my composition class freshman year, I learned a lot about writing and
grammar. I was required to write multiple essays for that class along with doing extensive
grammar exercises. These two things hand in hand really helped me become a better versed
writer than I was before the class. Junior year I had an English class where we learned to write a
proper research paper the first semester, and then studied the many years of American Literature.
The one assignment that I benefited the most from was the research paper. I was able to choose
the topic to research and then put the paper together and present for my final grade. I was able to
do my research paper on Henry Ford and The Ford Motor Company. Because I was able to do a
topic about something I have a great passion for, it made the time on the paper very enjoyable. I
was learning new things about Ford Motors and some of the first automobiles, and while I was
learning I was also learning the proper way to write a research paper. The second part of the
class was on American literature where I learned more about American Literature than I could
ever remember. This part of the class really broadened my literacy by exposing me to literature I
probably would have never picked up if it wasnt for that class. My last high school English class
was all British Literature. In this class I studied everything from Beowulf to Macbeth. Like my
other English class consisting of Literature, I read many pieces of literature that I wouldve never
read if it wasnt for that class. When it came to the literature that was covered in high school I
enjoyed the majority of it for the most part.

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When it comes to my literacy, I can say that it is one of a kind. It is hard to find someone
who has read, written, or experienced the same thing with schooling as I or anyone else has. I
was lucky enough to be brought up in a family that gave me many opportunities and experiences.
Without these, my literacy would not be what it is today. Whether it be being home schooled
until the second grade or going to an independent school, the opportunities my parents gave me
helped me when it came to schooling which entails literacy. Homeschooling helped because I
was able to work at the pace I needed which was much faster than that if I went into the local
public school. It also helped my mom to teach me more effectively and for me to also learn more
effectively. The One on One was something else I and others have benefited from. (Sonlight) My
time at Fuqua also gave me the opportunities to broaden my literacy even more with the options
to work ahead because I was advanced. When it comes to my literacy, I believe it had a pretty
strong start, and I plan on adding and building it more over my years at UNC Charlotte.

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Works Cited
"Why Choose Fuqua School?" Fuqua School. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fuquaschool.com%2FRelId%2F624992%2FISvars%2Fdefault%2FWh
y_Choose_Fuqua_School3f.htm>.
"Who We Are, What We Teach, and Why." The Riggs Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.riggsinst.org/AboutUs.aspx>.
"Sonlight Curriculum - Christian Homeschooling." Sonlight Curriculum - Christian
Homeschooling. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2014. <http://www.sonlight.com/benefits-ofhomeschooling.html?utm_expid=15966129.5GC0yKg1QEOolxhGIrfpnw.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F>.