Accelerated... What???

Honestly, I couldn’t tell you the exact way I started reading. It probably had to go along the lines of my teacher making us read for a program called Accelerated Reader, which all the students called “AR”.  My family has never been the most active readers so reading was not enforced in my home. The thing I remember the most about reading when I was little is when my mom would sit down with me on the floor and read me Dr. Sues or “Clifford the Big Red Dog”. And I actually remember enjoying that and wanting to read more until the 4^th grade. That’s when everything changed.

In the 4^th grade is when my teachers started to enforce AR. When they told us that we had to read because it was a part of our grade I died inside. I remember it like it was yesterday, every day after lunch the teacher would sit down and make us read. It was like taking the legs off of an Olympic runner. It is just something that you shouldn’t do. As the days passed the reading got less and less dreadful and I eventually got to the point to where I wanted to read. But then again, I got older and I entered Junior High. At the junior high I went to we didn’t have to read AR, but my teachers gave you detention if you didn’t read so you had too.  Reading has always been forced onto me so I have never really enjoyed it. But just like the last time, there was that one book that turned things around for me. That book was “The Light In The Forrest”. I don’t remember who wrote it but it really got me more involved in my readings.

 I don’t want to sound like a recorder stuck on replay but again; there was that one book that was just absolutely horrible. Every time I hear that name I just tremble in its wretchedness. But then, it hit me! I couldn’t just read one type of books and expect me to enjoy every single one of them, I had to expand my resources. That was the year that I read “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens. It was a great book and I Immediately fell in love with it. It was like right up my ally. Mystery with a bit of history is one of my favorite types of stories. Man I can’t explain to you all how much I love that book.

I don’t like the way I learned to read to be honest. I would much rather have my mom or dad come to my bed and night and read me a chapter or 2 of my book. It would be a lot more enjoyable and it would also create some bonding time.

I think that people shouldn’t make their kids/students read. Yes it expands your vocabulary and make you smarter but they will get nothing out of it if you force it upon them. This is coming from a person experience. Thanks for reading! Have a good day.