Literacy Narrative Writing Process

​Draft:

I remember starting to learn to read when I was only four years old. I was home schooled when I was younger so my mother had the chief impact on my reading and writing development. Even before I was reading on my own, my parents would read a story to my sister and I every night when we went to bed. When I started to learn to read my mother would point to the words as she read so I could follow along. The books I remember enjoying the most were Dr. Seuss books that my father would read, because he would tell the story in different voices.
When I began homeschooling I loathed writing with every fiber of my being. I loved art and drawing, so for writing assignments I would use a curriculum where I had to draw a step-by-step picture and underneath there was space to write a couple sentences about the drawing. Of course when I was only five I despised the writing part and often would neglect to complete it. What I detested even more than writing though was spelling. I remember when it came time for my spelling lessons I would immediately dart behind a chair, hoping my mother would not be able to find me. The only time I remember ever enjoying spelling was the time I read the “huge” word fantastic. I could not wait for my father to come home from work so I could show him what I read. Around this time I also began to make up short stories. I would staple a few pieces of paper together and draw illustrations with short narratives at the bottom. These stories often included talking cats or lost puppies, but I made tons of them and this was the only writing I actually delighted in.
Around the month before turning six my parents decided to try enrolling me in school. I started at a small private school for kindergarten mid-way through the school year. In class I remember being one of the only children who could read the “level four” books so my teacher let me take them home to read. They were just simple little learning to read paperback books but I loved them and read them every day when I came home from school. I called them my “homework.” I soon left kindergarten though, only about a month after starting, because my parents believed my behavior was changing for the worse. Apparently I was developing an “attitude” according to my mother.
When I was better at reading my mother would take my sister and me to the library once a week for activities with a homeschool group. We would check out books and every time we finished reading any we would record them a log. Each book was worth a certain amount of points and you could choose to use the points to receive a prize. I had one of the highest amounts of points in the group and took great pride in my success. We still would also check out new books to read at bedtime every night as well to keep up the tradition.
In a few years I was old enough I started reading the American Girl series of books. These were my favorite books for a while and I still have very fond memories of reading them. They also installed a love of history in me. After each one I would have to write about the story, so this is how I began higher level writing. I had just been writing simple, repetitive sentences and responses before. Writing in response to these novels started me in the direction of more comprehensive writing and critical thinking, leading me to my writing in middle school, high school, and now.