Literacy Autobiography
Literacy has played a significant role in shaping my identity as an individual and educator. As a child, I grew up with stories and language games in my Jamaican home, and even in school, education was an important component of my learning. These experiences have endowed me with fundamental communication skills, as well as enhanced my perception of the cultural and individual factors in the teaching of literacy. This literacy autobiography demonstrates how my home and school literacies developed, how they still affect my present practice as an adult, and how those experiences shaped my teaching of literacy in a culturally diverse classroom.
Home Literacies
My first experience with literacy and the first time I remember reading was at the age of approximately six, and it was linked to some games and rhymes I learned with other children on my residential block. In such a close-knit community, we played patty cakes, chanted and recited several rhymes in which we felt united. These activities were not just for fun but also used to practice language. I was two years old when my family and I migrated from Jamaica to the United States, and Jamaican Patois was employed in home literacy. This was the language I heard in our home, and it is the language that formed my first language experience.
In addition to patty-cake games and chants, another part of early literacy I noticed in my home environment was storytelling. Growing up, storytelling was a big part of my family since my grandparents and parents were Jamaicans who narrated folktales in Patois. These were usually short stories that conveyed an important value or some historical tale that was then passed from one generation to another. This exposure also assisted me in gaining awareness of the storytelling nature of my positional conceptual framework and, furthermore, enriching my cultural identity. These early experiences contributed to my understanding of how culture and community are embedded in literacy, which has helped me understand home literacy brought by children in school.
My earliest memories related to reading and writing go back to when I was in kindergarten, when I started learning to write my first and last names and the alphabet. My parents helped me learn to read. I remember them reading Patois to me as they both had heavy Jamaican accents. I can still recall when my parents made sure I followed the words in the book and finally read on my own.
In my family and community, people often read and write for fun. We would also formulate our games, poems, and even riddles. These experiences assisted me in gaining the perception that literacy is fun and something to look forward to. Thinking about these memories, I would like to stress how crucial the role of home literacies children can bring to the classroom. Notably, such practices or experiences can be understood to help teachers build the bridge between home and school literacy experiences.
School Literacy Experiences
In school, I could not find an actualization of the literacy practices in my family and community. Jamaican Patois, which formed the basis of my formative years, was not recognized or integrated into institutional classrooms. On the one hand, I developed fluency in English at home, but on the other hand, the language used in school differed from what was taught at home.
During my early schooling, I recall teachers who influenced the growth of literacy in my learning process. I always enjoyed some activities that were centered on literacy—some included group reading sessions, where we read short stories. One type of fiction that I liked used my imagination and provided me with a means for adventure through books. However, organized literacy experiences emerged in middle and high school as I grew older. Looking back, I chose creative writing as my subject, which I was somewhat interested in, and other activities involving creativity. Writing seemed to be the method of expressing myself, my thoughts, and my feelings, while reading seemed to be my introduction to other ways of thinking.
This made me realize a gap between literacy practices in the home setting, which were way more relaxed and playful as compared to the literacy practices expected from me in school settings as I progressed through the elementary and middle grades. While I could navigate school literacy quite easily, I would sometimes not relate to the texts and activities that did not consider the home culture or language. For instance, I was good at reading English, and there was no regard for me being Jamaican and speaking Patois; it was as if I was less or lacked something. This made me more conscious of culturally responsive teaching. Now, it is clear to me how important it is for teachers/schools to accept students’ language differences and also use them in a classroom in order to foster multiculturalism.
Although I enjoyed referring to certain types of reading and writing, there is a clear distinction between the use of literacy inside and outside school. At home, children text, read, and write for fun, while the same practices when they are in school become more learning activities. With regular practice, I mastered the art of reading and writing and thought of myself as a competent reader and writer.
These experiences have helped me develop a perception of literacy education. It has only dawned on me that students in the classroom need to be understood and allowed to bring their home language and literacy practices into the classroom learning context. Thus, it will be possible to foster a learning environment that acknowledges and respects the learners’ diverse literacy experiences.
Reflection on Current Literacy Practices as an Adult and Educator
I consider myself a competent reader and especially a competent writer. Literacy occupies an important place in my everyday life, both at work and in leisure. Notably, at home, I use literacy for many tasks, including reading for pleasure, writing emails, and even writing lesson plans.
My use of reading and writing has changed compared to how I used reading and writing in my childhood home and school. During my childhood, practices were casual and more of games, while now, my literacy practices are more formal and intentional. Nonetheless, fun and imagination remain a common aspect. Even now, I still cherish the element of fun and imagination that came with being a child, and I hope to bring this feat into my classroom. These experiences and personal literacy history have inspired my decision to become a teacher. From my experience, I learned that literacy is a strength that can change people’s lives and provide them with opportunities to excel in life. I also acknowledge the difficulties that accompany the interaction of multiple languages and literacies, especially for students from different backgrounds.
Accordingly, it is crucial to use students’ first languages and resources found in communities that will help them learn literacy and have a personal interest in literacy. In order to incorporate these factors in the classroom, I would develop activities that prompt students to discuss their home literacy practices, such as telling a story or writing poems in their first languages. In addition, I would ensure that the books read in class relate to different cultures, which would help students identify with the books they read.
As an educator, I ensure that I embrace the diversity of literacies in class as well as the freedom of students to read and write. When choosing books to read, I am keen to note the cultural background of students in my class, and while planning my class, I aim to nurture creativity and enhance critical thinking skills. Drawing from my experience, I know students would appreciate and feel valued when home language and cultural diversity are valued at school. I also actively apply my literacy experience and the experiences of other students who may have felt excluded from traditional forms of literacy so that they find their voice, as I did with the help of my passion for storytelling and reading.
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Question 
Literacy Autobiography (10 Points)
The Literacy Autobiography allows students to reflect on their own history with learning to read and write. Reflection and self-awareness are critical to good practice; this assignment links the good and challenging elements of students’ own experience to their present-day teaching practice. (4-5 pages)
Literacy Autobiography
The Literacy Autobiography allows you to reflect on your own history with learning to read and write. Reflection and self-awareness are critical to good practice; this assignment links the good and challenging elements of your own experience to your present-day teaching practice. This assignment is a personal narrative responding to the following prompts:
Home Literacies:
· What do you remember of storytelling, songs, lullabies, chants, patty-cake games, folktales, etc., in your early childhood? Do you remember any other language practices that your family engaged in?
· What are your earliest recollections of reading and writing?
· Were you read to as a child? In what languages? By whom? What do you remember about being read to?
· What purposes did people in your community and family use reading and writing for? Did they read and/or write for enjoyment?
What have these experiences made you consider about the home literacies that children bring to the classroom with them?
School Literacy Experiences:
· How were your family’s home literacies regarded at school? Were aspects of your family’s home literacies included in the curriculum?
· To what extent were the languages/language practices used at school reflective of the languages/language practices you used at home and the ways your family/community used these languages? How were your family’s languages/language practices regarded at school? Were aspects of your family’s languages/language practices included in the curriculum?
· Can you recall teachers, learning experiences, or educational materials from your early childhood and/or childhood education? How did these influence your literacy development? Was there a type of book or literacy activity that you enjoyed the most?
· Can you recall teachers, learning experiences, or educational materials from your middle school and high school years? How did these influence your literacy development?
· Was there a type of book or literacy activity that you enjoyed the most?
· Do you remember reading and writing as pleasurable experiences? If so, in what ways? If not, why not?
· Were there differences in the ways you used reading and writing inside and outside of school?
· As you grew, did your reading and writing ability affect your feelings about yourself as a person? If so, how?
What have these experiences made you consider about the ways children learn and are taught about literacy?
Reflection on Current Literacy Practices as an Adult and Educator:
· Describe yourself as a reader and writer now. What type of literacy practices do you engage in your household and for what purposes?
How are the ways that you use reading and writing as an adult similar and/or different from the ways you used reading and writing in your childhood home and the ways you were encouraged to use literacy in school? Why do you think this is the case?
· How has your personal literacy history affected your decision to become a teacher?
· Based on your own experiences, what do you think are two important factors in encouraging the literacy development of diverse populations of children? How would you incorporate each of these factors in your own classroom? Provide specific examples.