Reading as a child...

I can't remember learning to read, but I do know I learned to read and write before pre-school. My mom and grandma taught me how to read and write. I was a smart child and loved learning. My grandma was an assistant teacher and my mom was a secretary at the elementary school I attended. I loved to read and couldn't get enough books. By first grade I had reached a sixth grade reading level. Although I was a head in my class, that didn't stop me from finding more books to read. I read anything and everything. Reading came natural to me. I loved Shel Silverstein books and the Judy Blume books. They were my favorite authors and read almost every book that came out with. I remember in k-1 we had reading day and would bring our favorite books and pillows and read all day. The whole school did it, but it stopped when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade. In kindergarten we also had partners with 5th graders; we would read to them and they would take turns reading to us. But again by the time I was in 5th grade they had stopped partner reading with the kindergarten students. Our school was still focused on reading, but it was busy work reading, book reports after book reports. School had made reading a hassle instead of showing children reading was fun and enjoyable. By 5th or 6th grade books began to bore me and I didn't read for fun any more. I guess it was because of all the books the school had picked out for the curriculum, they just didn't interest me and they weren't a challenge. I did pick reading for fun back up in 11th grade, but that was five years wasted. I want to change that for my students, I want to make reading fun again. Reading isn't just for education and book reports, it's to show children a different world, a different culture, a different way of thinking, or a different time period. Books to help educate children, but they do more, they spark their imagination. I want to show children that reading is fun, enjoyable, while educating them in the meantime.