c c

Brittany MayesMayes 1 Œ



Ñ
c
ccc c
c
cc
c
 c  
cc
 c

Dr. Jan Rieman

Honors English 1103

14 September 2010




cc c 
c c ccc  cc cc
c ccc 
c ccc

   ccc  
ccc 
cccc cc
cc
 cccc c Œ



c

c
c  cc
c

 c

 
c 
c c 
c  c c 
ccc
cc 
cc 
c
cc

ccc

c
c
c 
ccc
c
 c
c 
ccc cc cc

c 
c

c c

cc 
c Œ




cc
c c

c

cc

A Life of Literacy

The way in which a person views literacy can greatly alter the direction of their life. For

many, literacy is necessary and vital for day to day life, but for others, literacy could not be any

less significant.Both of these mentalities can affect a person¶s life, whether it is in a negative or

in a positive way, because of the value that our society has put on literacy today. There are

various meanings associated with literacy, some of which include the ability to read and to write,

the possession of education or knowledge, and a proficient use of language. Each of these

interpretations is equally correct, along with many other definitions of the word. Literacy has Œ



c
c


  
 c
c
 cc

influenced my own life tremendously, especially through people and institutions, or sponsors of

literacy.a Œ


 cc




c


c
c
 c
 c  cc

 c

Throughout my lifetime, I have been directly affected by many sponsors of literacy.

Some of these sponsors include parents, teachers, pastors, school systems, and so forth. One
c c

Mayes 2

pivotal moment where I was influenced by a sponsor of literacy was when I was in first grade. I

had already learned how to read basic books, most of which had pictures in them. It was time for

a challenge, and my first grade teacher, Ms. Moen, proved ready to provide me with this. Not

only did she speak with the administrators, the principal, other teachers, and my parents, but she

also addressed me about her latest ideas concerning my literacy. She felt that it was time for me Œ


Hmmm͙c
c
c
c
c
m c
 


cc cc

to read novels, even though the other children in my class would not attempt this task for another

year or two. I sat in the hallway reading V , thoroughly enjoying its contents. From that

point on, I knew I would never read another picture book again. All I wanted to do was read Œ


cc
c

novels. Œ


ccc
cc
mc

c
c

cc
c
 c
c m c
 c
c

c

c
c
Another sponsor of literacy that I have experienced during my life is my pastor. Every

Sunday morning, I would sit quietly in my chair at church, intently listening to the sermon being

preached to the congregation. The pastor would tell us to open our bibles and turn to a certain

book. I would do precisely as he said, and it never left the watchful care of my lap as my eyes

scanned the pages diligently, wanting to learn more. I consider him a sponsor of literacy in my

life because he encouraged me to read my bible and to gain understanding from it. He was very

supportive and wanted me to succeed in this task. Œ



c
c
 m
cc
 c
ccc

c
c  c
c

c
c
 cc
c
c
cc  
c
  c
My parents have been positive sponsors of literacy as well. They have provided me with

an education, presented me with all the books I could ever wish for, given me access to

computers, and encouraged me throughout the years to excel in school. If there is something I

do not understand, I know I can present the topic to my parents and they will answer at the best

of their ability to improve my knowledge of the subject. My mother and father have played a

fundamental role in my literacy.

c c

Mayes 3

I have been tremendously blessed to have access to most literacy without struggle. The

sponsors of literacy that I have encountered in my life have truly made every effort to support

and urge me to continue with my pursuit of literacy and to strive to learn more. I would not be at

the point I am today without these inspirational and influential sponsors in my life. I have truly

experienced a life of literacy.

Brittany,

You show great appreciation for the literacies that you have cultivated thus far. As you

can see from my marginal comments, there are several places in your paper where you could

provide more details or go in more depth about this topic. As you revise, please consider my

marginal comments and re-read your into aloud to see if it does what you want in terms of

bringing your reader into the topic (there¶s a piece of me that finds it a bit vague).