Hi all, In third grade, our teacher use to spend part of the time reading to us. I forgot which series of books she read to us, perhaps Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing!?! I was so engrossed, I ended up getting the book and finishing the series on my own. This was the first time in my life I got a book to read. Who or what sparked your interest in reading?
I don't exactly recall. I think it was out of curiosity - to see what those things my brother got in such a stress about were. My older brother would often have book throwing tantrums, bemoaning both his inability to understand them, and my mothers attempts to help him. I guess I just picked them up in the wake of these. That's mostly speculative though, I've been reading for as long as I can remember.
Being able to escape into a world of vivid emotions and imaginations. I was able to get my hands on IT when i was about eight or nine( i remember pestering my mum devery page with whats that mean - i must have annoyed her largely), and after that never could really get away wirthout a book for too long. Being scared, frightened, excited and all its emotions is what its about.
My grandpa read to me when I was a kid. And grandpa was a locally published writer too. So he too inspired me to write as well. He always read books with me and it made me love books. Just the good memories and the love a good book could bring two people.
Fourth grade, the book "Wait Till Helen Comes" by Mary Downing Hahn. I read it and just like that, I was hooked.
Up until fourth grade, I was interested in reading. However, despite being a very good reader, I did not read books at my age level. This was due in part to the fact that the public school library (may it burn in Hell) was not stocked with any sufficient amount of informational material at my reading level; it was all poorly written and/or uninteresting fiction. I read Goosebumps as a kid once, and decided I was so put out that I would read factual material at a second or third grade level. Up until the end of my fourth grade year, I hated writing during this entire time, because they would not let me write about the subjects I wanted to write on. At the beginning of my fifth grade year, I began writing creatively. Though I have never (and will never) tell anyone how I got my start in creative writing, it blossomed into poetry by eighth grade. However, to this day, I read mostly informational material, or material based off of factual information. All of this is rather strange, considering I cater toward fictional science and fantasy when I write. As far as reading, I generally drive myself insane because fictional authors often bother me. When I try to sit through a piece of fiction, there is something within me that compels me to tear it into shreds--especially if it has been touted to me as exceptional literature. What compelled me toward the classics was a little book I picked up in sixth grade called Moby Dick.
I did get read to a lot as a kid, I guess my love of reading grew from there. I do remember as soon as I started getting kind of proficient my dad started giving me classic science fiction/ adventure books (Rendezvous with Rama, King Solomon’s Mines, Watership Down, Day of the Triffids, I-Robot) to read.
I loved Sideways Stories from Wayside School. Best ever! You should look it up and see if it's appropriate for your students, I cant remember the age I was when we read it in school. Also, I started reading the Sweet Valley kids books, progressed to the Teens series and on to the SVU series (college). i loved those so much. I read constantly, I lived on a farm and had no neighbors, plus I loved being outside so I always sat on the porch swing with a book. I was called a nerd, but hey I'll take being a nerd anyday. Reading was also a way to bond with my Dad, who loves to read and watch movies like me. Its something we have in common, and I truly looked forward to our trips to the book store on a weekly basis to stock up.
Neil Gaiman's American Gods. Until I read it, I had no idea how powerful and engrossing a book could really be. After that, I got addicted to Neverwhere, and now before you know it I'm in the middle of The Razor's Edge. The funny thing is that my experience in school actually turned me off to reading, mainly because the required books were always atrocious.
It was first to look smart, even though I didn't read much.Truly, there was only one series that I read and actually cared about called "The Ranger's Apprentice." When I had a beach vacation where you could stay up so late, you'd meet yourself waking up in the morning, I was alone at night with 3 books : "Carrie," "Unwind," and "Everlost." All there of these I finished in four days. I suddenly realised that if I read something intended for people over the age of 10, there was actually good writing. Oddly enough, my favorite book-genres changed immediately from fantasy and asian things to creepy things like Neil Gaimain and Stephen King.
Year 2, my teacher read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to us until Chapter 9, and the year ended... so I stole into my sister's room and took the book. It was only last year when I re-read the entire series that I ever read the first 8 Chapters of that book for myself
My grandmother taught me to read at a very early age, and it sorta snowballed from there. Although I have to admit in my early teens I all but stopped reading, although probably because looking back I was reading some really terrible things. Then came high school, and English Literature, and I learnt to look at books in a whole new way, gave up the trashy world of popular fiction and dove headfirst into the infinitely rewarding world of Literature and haven't looked back (except to laugh at the sh!t-lit, of course)...
My early years were spent in a houseful of readers. My mother and I lived in my grandfather's house. She was a college graduate, and loved to read after work. My grandfather, although he didn't finish high school (kicked out for smoking), was largely self taught and quite knowledgeable. I had no brothers or sisters, and saw how much pleasure everyone around me took from rerading. So before long, I was rummaging through boxes of paperback books in the attick. The day my mother found me up there, reading Perry Mason novels from my grandmother's collection, she headed out to the book store, and returned with half a dozen books for teens: Ken Holt mysteries, The Hardy Boys, Tom Swift Jr, and Rick Brant Science Mysteries. After that, she could hardly keep up with the demand.
nobody did... what did is probably just that what i read, make me want to read more... that started back with the little golden books, such as my favorites, 'the poky little puppy' and 'the little red hen'... the fact 'the book of knowledge' was prominent on our LR bookshelf is part of what kept me 'having to' read, since it was loaded with so much nifty stuff, in all areas of human endeavor... however, since i was the only one of us [sibs were 3 sisters] who read it cover to cover, more than once, i think that probably helps prove there has to be an inborn desire/talent/whatever for reading/writing that only a few are gifted/cursed with...
My mom made it a big deal to read to me when I was a kid (something I'm thankful for, because I am the biggest bookworm now!), so I learned to read at 4 years old. I was reading fluently before anyone in my preschool knew how. Of course I kept the love and still have it. I just feel bad that she didn't do the same with my 2 siblings.
I wouldn't say "cursed with." Enjoying reading is without doubt a blessing, not a curse. Reading some of the replies, it seems as if loving to read can be inculcated in a person. Some may be born with the love reading gene while others end up loving to read because of some experience, or a culmination of experiences they've had. Of course some may never like reading, no matter what. Maybe I'm just may be saying all this because I'd want all my kids to be readers.
My mother was an especially good story-teller when I was a little girl; she did all of the voices perfectly and would sometimes act out the story for me. I didnt see her much when I was very young (I spent most of my days with my grandmother), but every morning and every evening she would tell me a story. I guess since children almost always want to imitate their parents, and the only time I ever saw my mother was usually when she was telling me a story, I had this desire to be just like her and read just like she did. So I did. "The Nightingale" was my favourite short bedtime story, and it was also the first story I ever read all by myself. I still have that bedtime storybook and look back on it from time to time. ...Of course, I think the fact that I was an especially good liar and enjoyed making up stories of my own as a little girl also contributed to my love of stories. :redface:
I don't really remember what initially got me interested in reading, but from some of the stories that I've heard about other things (like potty training), it could very well have started when my older sister was learning to read. Apparently when she started learning new things, I would get jealous of all the attention she was getting and rush to learn it before she could.
I always read children's books when I was little. Just the short little picture books- like what is read on Reading Rainbow. My mother introduced me to The Chronicles of Narnia in first grade and I read the entire series- and have read them all over again every year since.
please note that i was referring to 'reading/writing' and not just 'reading'... and i'm sure many writers will agree that being born 'having to write' is both 'blessing' and 'curse'... ;-)
I was reading at a kindergarden/first grade level when I was in third grade. It took me a long time and a lot of special reading classes to catch up with my class. I always enjoyed hearing stories and trying to read though. Towards the end of third grade I was finally starting to catch up and found a Baby-Sitters Club book in the class, which I checked out and through that series I was finally able to catch up and even surpass the 'standard' reading level for my class.
