It's not that I didn't know how to read, I just didn't know how to read well. When I was in first grade my teacher realized I wasn't reading and that I was having a tough time with it. And this led to me being put in the special reading group. Twice a week a woman who was retired teacher, whose name I cannot remember, would come into my first grade class during free time and gather all the kids who were having a tough time reading. They would always sit in the back of the classroom at a round table and practice reading. I was able to avoid being put in this group for some time but soon my fake reading caught up with me and I was placed in the reading group. I was so upset when I found out, I remember actually crying and being really sad about it. But being put into that group was probably the best thing that happened to me.
In the beginning, my goal was to be a difficult. In my mind, I didn't need to be put in this special group and I thought it was totally unfair that everyone else got to have free time while I had to sit through what I thought was torture. I can still remember the kids who were in this group with me, maybe there's some sort of bond there. Anyway, when the woman in charge of our group would pick on me to read, I refused. I would not read. Perhaps, this was me trying to rebel but looking back I was just being a brat. And soon the the teacher picked up on this and talked to me about it. She basically told me that I didn't have to enjoy reading but that I did need to know how to read because reading is everywhere in life. There was no way to escape it. I was also terribly shy and timid as a child so when she talked to me about this I couldn't help but cry because I thought I was in trouble. So after that I really tried in the reading group and would read and participate.
Then one day the teacher told me I had "graduated" from the reading group and I no longer had to join the group at free time. I was given a bookmark with cats on it for my achievement (even though I hated cats) and sent on my way. At first I was happy about this! I was able to have free time like all the other kids! But then I really missed the reading group and the kids in it. All I had was that generic cat bookmark to remind me of my group.
Once I finished first grade I still wasn't into reading. It was ok and I would read in class just fine but it just wasn't something that interested me. And then I found Harry Potter. And it all changed. I was in second grade when I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and it was the best thing that I had ever read. Forget Arthur or the Berenstain Bears (although those are wonderful children books) Harry Potter is what made me love reading. So after I read the first book, I read the second, and then the third, and on and on. I even remember getting in trouble in class for reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix while my teacher was teaching. I was addicted and it was a problem. Soon I was reading all sorts of books, another of my favorite series was the Nancy Drew books. I also loved comic books, mainly Archie comics.
I became addicted to reading all because of that special reading group. Because let's face it, if I was never put in that group I would have never picked up the first Harry Potter book. Before that group I HATED reading. And while I still didn't like it after the group, I wasn't totally against it.
So my friends this is my little story for you about how I got into reading. I hope you enjoyed it, I certainly enjoyed writing it and the memories that it brought to my mind. How'd you get into reading? Let me know and here's a little throwback picture of me when I was in one my reading moods....I really don't think anything's changed....
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