Kendra Power

Ms. Tori Hamby

UWRT 1101 - Section 19
September 10th, 2014

Connecting Lifes Dots

Literacy is defined by Webster dictionary as the possession of education. For me
literacy started in the womb. Every night for nine months my mom would read a story to
my big sister and I. Once I was born, everyone from my sister to the nursery keepers at
church read stories to me. When I became big enough to grip a crayon, I wrote my name
on everything from preschool papers to the kitchen wall. Although neither of my parents
had higher education than an associates degree they pushed me to never quit learning. My
sister or I couldnt even get in the car without one of my parents pulling out Brainquest to
quiz our knowledge. From games, to books, to TV shows, I constantly read and became
more educated. My life has transformed drastically since the simple times, but a love for
reading has been instilled in me forever.
The first memory I have of reading is reading the book Don't Cut My Hair. At
three years old my mother had recited this book to me so many times, Id practically had
it memorized. The little dog passionately resented having to go to the groomer and get his
hair cut, much like me at that age. I read that book forward, backward, and even upside
down. Sometimes I would even copy down the words onto a blank sheet of paper and
recite them again. It wasn't my favorite thing to do, mostly because I had no picture to go
along with my text. I hadnt yet learned how important writing was to a young reader.

Reading was still an activity for pure enjoyment. In addition to my mother reading to me,
my grandmother would read Goodnight Moon every Wednesday when she babysat me.
Goodnight Moon was the epitome of an American bedtime story. I would read along the
rhyme at the end shouting Goodnight room, Goodnight moon,Goodnight cow jumping
over the moon. Goodnight light, and the red balloon My family members roles as
readers enhanced my reading and literacy in extraordinary ways. They turned their love
for me into my love for reading.
The most valuable educators in my life were my parents. They taught me
education was an invaluable and irreplaceable asset. Bedtime stories became a ritual
during my childhood. The book shelf in my hall occupied hundreds of books by the time
I was five. When kindergarden came around, my parents had taught me to read, write,
and recite my own address. I remember being one of the only students to receive candy
after reciting my full name and address week after week. Because I was so prosperous in
my education, I read on a third grade level in first grade. By this point my parent
emphasized the reason for reading and writing. Literacy was for education. Like
everything else in life, more education came with more responsibility.
By the time I became a third grader, I was placed in AIG. AIG stands for
academically gifted Students. It was a way for students who were more prosperous in
learning to get ahead. The AIG classes Id been placed in gave students extra assignments
or books so we could further grow our knowledge. Unlike some of the other students in
my class, I brought in my homework every day, completed. I obviously owe my success
in grade school to my parents. My mom would pick me up everyday after school, ask
about my day, and then ask if I had homework. Of course, as a fourth graders Id say no

and think of every excuse to get out of more school work. My mother knew better and
wouldn't sign my agenda until all my homework had been completed. Reading
assignments were always passed over to my dad because I favored his help over my
moms. Dad was the ultimate storyteller, thus he became my favorite reading helper.
Without the steady home life and caring parents, education would have never been my
main goal in life.
Although reading was a favorite pastime of mine, I always despised writing.
Writing always felt like a chore. Writing was just a regurgitation of the story I had just
read. Majority of students dont like writing for the simple fact that it is harder. Writing
requires more brain power and thought process than reading words on a page. An
additional reason I despised writing is because it was taught separately in school. We
aren't taught that reading and writing are stepping stones to each other. Writing combines
different skills like connected events, personal thought processes, counterarguments,
building vocabulary, and many more. Anytime I look back on writing it was Imagine a
fairy came and knocked on your door. When you answered it she gave you a key to
This took away from what I considered creative writing. I didn't give me the opportunity
to write about an original idea. I didnt connect me with anything I had ever read. I was
writing just for the sake of writing, which I never felt was beneficial. Students should be
taught to connect. Once students understand the importance of connections and utilize it,
success in literacy is inevitable.
Although I understood what it took to be a good writer, I couldn't ever seem to
elaborate my thoughts into a sentence that made sense and appealed the reader. I knew I
had to connect the dots, I just didnt know which one to draw from first. And then there

was the fact that there is never a right answer in writing. Its a free for all and one
couldn't ever pin point an exact answer. How was I supposed to figure out what that
answer was? Then when I did find an acceptable answer, I had to find facts to support it.
Then I discovered a link between reading and writing. The more I did it, the better I was.
Writing and reading went hand in hand. I couldn't do one without the other. Writing, still
considered a chore, has become easier because I have done it obsessively. I can now
correlate papers Ive written with what Ive read. Mistakes and a little extra brain power
just became part of the game.
During my senior year of high school, Mrs. Walker, my English teacher, gave me
a document I will never forget. This document was called The Forever Document. It
taught me how no book or story was ever original. There is always a certain piece of
writing you can take out and connect to another. One example from the document was
water. Water was meant to cleanse anything and everything it touched. In the Lord of the
Rings, the trees are pulled away from the dam of Isengard and releases the water that
washes away the corrupt city. Likewise, when Moses parts the Red Sea in the bible, water
washes away the Egyptians giving the Israelites the victory. The document illustrated the
importance on connecting readings together to understand the deeper meaning within the
story. The Forever Document made writing more tolerable. I was able to connect stories I
didnt even think could be related. When I started reading the texts and implementing the
document into my writings, my papers became successful. Successful papers meant I had
effectively established my perspective.
Throughout my childhood, I was frequently asked the question what do you want
to be when you grow up? The answer varied drastically over the years, but they all had

one thing in common. College. At a young age, I was instilled with the dire need to be
highly educated. The first thing I remember wanting to be, when I grew up, was a singer.
Then realistically thinking, I decided to be a veterinarian. Becoming a vet made since
because I am passionate about animals. But after an internship at my local vet for a
semester, that idea quickly changed again. May 2013, Mr. Rollins, my AP United States
History teacher, persuaded me into the field of law. September 2013, my senior year of
high school, I applied and was accepted into the Belk College of Business at the
University of North Carolina - Charlotte. I knew that to give self the greatest chance of
being successful, I had to go to college. Every paper I wrote, book I read, or note I took,
attributed to me now being a successful student at UNCC. Im attending Charlotte
because I want to continue my literacy and education further beyond a high school level.
College has already taught me new ways of writing and discovering new ideas. Anyone
who wants to invest in their literacy and education should absolutely attend college.
College is the door to my future and my future success.
Once I allowed reading to structure me as a writer, writing helped me as a reader.
From the floor in my pre-k class to the lecture halls at college literacy has always been
my educators the main goal. Reading will always be my favorite literary element because
it allows me to explore. Readings will always open doors in my imagination that writings
wont be able to touch. Writing attributed to my ever-growing education by allowing me
to connect the dots. Writing has given me an entirely knew way of viewing what I read
and how I implement it into my story. Parents, family, and teachers all played a role in
my education and love for knowledge. Without them, I wouldnt be successful in my

education or my literacy. Nothing beats the ocean breeze, a good book, and being
educated in the process. Its a proven fact, life and literacy, are all about connections.