Matthew Ferber's Literacy History

My earliest experience of becoming literate was trying to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? My mother and I would sit together on my bed, where I would try to pronounce the words her finger traced over. I would follow along, saying the words aloud, making multiple mistakes, but I would continue pushing forward. When I did not know a word, I was discouraged, but my mother would help me sound it out. Her encouragement allowed me to learn from my mistakes and build off of them. What frustrated me most was when I would peek at my older siblings' books and homework and could not understand them. This frustration turned into motivation catch up to my brother and sister so I would be able to understand their world. 

I began to feel literate between kindergarten and first grade. In kindergarten, we learned the basics of letters, sounds, and common phrases but by first grade, we began practicing unfamiliar words and phrases for weekly spelling tests. I would spend evenings with my mother practicing, where she would say the word aloud, and then I would have to spell it back to her. I wanted to get a perfect score to please my mom, who held me to a high standard, the same one she held for my older brother and sister. That pressure made me into a person who always tried to give my best effort. One of my favorite ways of practicing literacy was through books tied to my favorite shows. My mother bought me SpongeBob SquarePants books, which I loved, and grabbed my attention right away. Reading about characters I already loved made reading feel less like schoolwork and more like entertainment. 

My role model throughout this process was my mother. She worked with me one-on-one, patiently waiting as I sounded out words and encouraging me when I failed. Her guidance taught me that getting better at literacy was about persistence, not perfection. With every mistake I made, she reminded me that they were part of the process. Teachers also played an important role later, especially my English teachers, who challenged me with essays and writing assignments that pushed me to improve. They introduced me to more advanced techniques and taught me how to write under pressure in preparation for the AP test. Unlike my early reading, these tests showed me that literacy was also about critical thinking under a time restraint.  

Today, literacy is an everyday part of my life, something I often use without thinking about. It is one of the most essential skills a person can have. Literacy shapes how someone learns, communicates, and navigates the world. I sometimes take for granted my ability to read, write, and speak, but I should think of it as something to be grateful for, and thankful that I had the support and opportunity to develop it. The combination of my my mother’s influence, my motivation, and my teachers helped me build a foundation that I still rely on every single day.