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How I learned to Read and Write

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How I learned to Read and Write
Cesar Bucio
Ms. Monson
Aug 20 2013

How I Learned to Read and Write

For me, learning to read and write was long and felt like a drag to me; I took reading and writing for granted and never thought of the great advantages that every book had. It all started at home when I was five years old and my mom was teaching me how to write my name. In my head, I had trouble understanding on what I wrote but as far as I know that was my name. Finally the day came and it was time for me to go to school. I was scared; I did not know where I was, and I did not know a single word in English. There was no way my mom would stick me in an English classroom. They moved me to a Spanish one; there I had a more clear idea of what I was learning. The teacher was a sweet, calm lady; she had patience with bad writing, to this day I have not figured out whether she understood it or not. Once I learned my ABC’s here came the small words of animals and things like for example “oso” which means bear in Spanish. Learning to read and write seamed so boring. I had to sit down and do homework which required my attention, but I preferred to draw and play. Learning was torture; I would read very slowly, even when I tried to read those small picture books for small kids, I was useless by that time.

In second grade I had a fair level of Spanish reading, but what was difficult for me was to learn English and it it took me two days to learn the ABC’s in English. I understood nothing of writing English. My teacher started giving me small lessons on it; I loathed English so much I wanted to give up. In fourth grade, I started to write essays that took me forever, and I was so deeply embarrassed, because I would get my papers basically all in red of corrections. As time passed I hated books more and more, every time I would have to read I would get pissed or thought, “oh great… more reading.” I needed to change. I am not very sure how the change occurred but I know it happened; it was about

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