Tell us your story: Part I

NCFL is proud to roll out the first post from one of the attendees at our conference.  Jessica completed the Tell Us Your Story survey last week, and we are excited to share with you her earliest literacy memory.  If you are interested in seeing your own story on the Literacy Now blog, we want to hear from you!

Thanks for sharing your story, Jessica!

“I can remember sitting and reading with my mom and my dad. We read often — all kinds of books. My mom taught me how to read before I went to kindergarten, and from then on I always had a book in hand. Now that I am teaching, she shares my joy when I tell her about moms who are reading to their 5-year-olds for the first time.

“My dad was always reading too. I was always amazed that he could talk to just about anyone on just about any topic because he was always reading. He built a special floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, and it was always filled and double-stacked. It was only one of many bookshelves in the house. Now, as an adult, I have books in almost every room of my house.

“One of my favorite memories, though, was Saturdays. My school had a pizza rewards program, and so, every Saturday, we biked to the local public library, which was teeny-tiny. After selecting our books, we biked to Pizza Hut, and read books and ate pizza.

“Both of my parents gave me a wonderful love of reading, and I am so privileged to be able to help instill that in my students now. I can only hope that they learn to love to read as much as my family does!”