Reading Journey Essay PDF

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Instructor asked us to write about what the journey for reading has been like for us....

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Harmony Bates English 105.009 Professor Humphrey 9 April 2018 My Reading Journey As a child, my parents never enforced any kind of reading. My grades were adequate for that of a student in elementary school and I did my homework every night. Nevertheless, my mother and father found no need in making mandatory for me to read. Therefore, instead of reading every night like many of my friends were told to do by their parents, I sat eating dinner in front of the TV. In school, I would love to write, but writing did not have priority over more vacuous activities like throwing the ball around at recess or drawing during free time. Needless to say, it took time for my interest for reading to develop. In fifth grade, I was given a book by my teacher Mr. Harsema. This book was not like any other piece of writing that I had ever read. It was deeper than the common fifth grade level book and also held a deeper message. The book Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach delivered a message in such a unique way and opened my eyes to the true reader experience. Every day, I would lose myself reading about the life of a Seagull named Jonathan who had the yearn to fly like a hawk. All of the other seagulls mocked Jonathan’s dream, but that didn’t stop him from attempting to dive into the ocean at full speed. Jonathans journey taught the lesson to never give up on something that you are passionate about, even if there are others who doubt you. After reading this book every day in fifth grade, I finally began to visualize myself as a reader. While some of my friends who enjoyed reading as many books as they can within one

month, I desired a book with meaning and more complex message. When I entered sixth grade, I read Free Market Economics by Steven Kates which took me months to finish because of the book’s complexity and my need to ask my dad about unfamiliar terms like “equity”. I became excited thinking about how I had finally found my passion for reading. But, mid-way through middle school I lost focus due to my life becoming more complicated. My parents got divorced and my mom moved out of town. Plus, I was the victim of bullying to which I was sent to hospital for stitches and soon after moved from my old school to a private school. When I transferred schools, I had lost my passion for reading. As a part of my middle school curriculum, I had to read academic books like Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. My seventh-grade teacher, Mr. Matteson who assigned the reading for Heart of Darkness struggled at clarifying the message of the book, which then lead me to struggle to find the passion of reading the book. These uninteresting books seemed to push me further from the joy of reading. I read because I had to not because it was something that I craved. Accordingly, for two years, I read what was assigned but did not go beyond to find the message of the books. When I entered freshman year of high school, I thought that nothing would change. I had the mindset that I would only read because I needed a good grade and that disliking any book I read was inevitable. This was until I was assigned to read Lord of the Flies by William Golding. While reading this book, my passion for reading was awaken. I immersed myself in the journey of a group of boys stuck on an island after surviving a plane crash and found myself again enjoying the written word. The excitement of the power struggle between the main characters, Jack and Ralph, also triggered my excitement for reading. Not only was I getting my assignments done but I was also finding more value in the material I was reading.

After finding my love for reading again, I came to the conclusion that I was going to occasionally dislike assigned books, but I would have to persevere in order to keep my interest in reading. In order to keep myself vested in academic reading, I created a system that allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of the material. I would read the book while taking notes, then after I finished the book, I would watch the movie (if one was available). I was also given academic reading assignments that I quite enjoyed. To Kill a Mocking Bird and its sequel Go Set a Watchman both written by Harper Lee were both books that helped me develop more as an academic reader. In addition to my new academic reading style, my teachers were also valuable resources that assisted me in expanding my appreciation for reading. My English teacher Ms. Gebhardt pushed me to look into different genres and kinds of writing. With her, I read Henry IV written by William Shakespeare as well as poems like Beowulf. Ms. Gebhardt pushed me to read different kinds of writing so I could develop a better idea as to what kind of writing I liked best. Today, I continue to read for pleasure. Although I may have limited time to read for fun with how busy my life is, I still hold a deep appreciation for the moments that I can relax and read a book. I am currently reading the Red Queen by Aveyard which is expanding my interest with young adult fiction. Because of my journey with reading throughout my childhood, I have an easier time with academic reading. I have the ability to annotate as well as find and dictate the author’s message. I am grateful for the journey, as without it, I would not have the love that I currently do for reading....