My Experiences To Read And Motivation For Reading

With a warm dinner still sitting in my stomach, I tumbled down the wood stairs along with my older brother and sister. Mom sat comfortably on the old white couch with a book in hand, dressed in sweatpants and a plain shirt, flashing a warm smile at us. The huge windows that lined the far wall, curtained by white flowery lace, were now darkened by the night outside. The entire house held the leftover aroma of a sweet cornbread dinner. The two lamps cast a warm yellow glow into the room. My siblings and I found comfortable seats somewhere in the living room: on the couch opposite my mom, accompanied by a pillow on the blue, flower embroidered carpet beneath our sockless feet, on the cushioned and squeaky rocking chair in the corner, or right

Later, in elementary school, I was limited to specific books based on my “reading level.” I was discouraged from reaching for interesting higher level books and stripped of my freedom to adventure through their stories. Experiences like these, both in home and in school, have shaped my outlook on reading in positive and negative ways. A child’s interest in and motivation to read books for enjoyment is not only determined by his or her teacher’s understanding of how they learn, but also by their parents’ attitude toward reading.

As an elementary school student, I was kept from reading the things I liked and reading at my own pace. Restrictions such as these on top of critical thinking questions, standardized tests, and reading comprehension packets led me to wonder how any child could learn to enjoy reading if these methods are used in school. Not only was I too high of a “reading level” for the books I once loved, but I also became too low of a reading level for some of the books my friends were enjoying without me. Being forced to find more challenging books to read also made it hard for me to find books I understood and liked.