Running head: MY PATH TO LITERACY 1

My Path to Literacy

Damon M. Irwin

Los Angeles Pacific University

MY PATH TO LITERACY 2

My Path to Literacy

From an early age, I have always wanted to be heard. If it was my position in the bologna

in the fridge as a toddler or as an adult out with friends trying to come up with the funniest thing

to say. I have always been a boisterous and outgoing person, but to this day, my late father’s

words still stand very strong in my heart. “It is always better to listen than to speak and when it is

your turn you do not have to be funny or loud to grab the attention” is what he used to tell me

regarding life. It was not telling me to be a different person but to listen to the world around you

and make an educated decision on the words coming out of my mouth. Words are very powerful

and the lesson I was taught is that you can not go back on what you have said. I also learned the

value of listening and learning from that experience.

This is important because this was always told to me before my memories of it come in.

It is also important to state this for the fact that as long as I have been “aware” of communication

around me, I had an early start on taking statistics as Patricia Kuhl mentions in her TedXRainier

speech (Kuhl, 2010) My parents also raised me in a Christian background and the school I

attended up to fourth grade, Foothill Christian School, stressed an earlier development of

learning a language. Speaking and writing were first and foremost the most important aspect of

my early schooling. I also knew at an early age that of the advantage I had over other children

my age by having this exposure to language learning. Beyond the educational side of my story,

there is a side that I feel is stronger and more influential to my understanding of the English

language. The people I was immediately surrounded by. My parents told me later that they

refused to baby talk to me. They spoke to me as if I was an adult. They did not quite demand it

from others as well, but they frowned upon the idea of talking down levels from an educated
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voice. I believe that this alone set me up for a positive outcome and a set of standards within my

speaking and writing skills.

My mom ruled quietly but carried the big stick and my father was stubborn but easily the

nicest person in the room. They always prioritized my sister and me in every facet of life. They

also knew that having a quality education was important. Although it became a “nuisance” as I

got older, I still appreciate the care for my betterment. I now carry this down to my children who

know I can not stress the importance of their schooling enough. They know I expect quality

effort and hard work because, in the end, it will pay its dividend. I believe my literacy has led me

to some great opportunities and will continue to do so. M children have almost the same

opportunity as I did, being in a great school district that can pave a fantastic future for them. I

want them to use this time to become the best they can be and it starts with my leadership and

their follow-through.

The advancement in my reading, writing, and literacy all came from uncomfortable

situations. Like the English workshop, my dad had my sister and I do one summer before high

school. It was odd being in a college setting and very uncomfortable because it did not include

anyone I knew except my sister. But the information I consumed from this class helped me

significantly and helped shape my scholastic world. As I am now in my 40’s, I see exactly why I

was introduced to a good school when I was young, why listening skills are just as important as

speaking skills, and why my parents stressed that reading was vital to my overall knowledge. I

also see why literacy and language learning are still vital to me to this day.

The world needs literacy and someday hopefully everyone will have the same or better

opportunities than I did in their advancement in language learning. I have always had the want to

help others and even though becoming a math teacher is my goal, language, and understanding
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of it is vital for them to excel in math. Having so many different experiences in life will help me

become an effective teacher. Experiences that still resonate in my brain today inspire me to

inspire others. Math is just a subject I would be teaching but it would be my responsibility

beyond that as an instructor to help a student in need of any type of situation. That takes the

experience I have faced in my life.

I can not stress how important it is to expose a child to language as early as possible. I

began when my son was in the womb. Playing music, all kinds, and always speaking to him. In

my mind, I thought I was building my connection with him, but in reality, it is much more than

that. I was exposing him to the English language. I was teaching him how to form words, how to

listen, and what the world around him means. I feel this has paid off for him because he is now

on a good path in school, he loves life, and always wants to do good. This is an example of early

exposure to language.

As it has carried on with me and has only gotten stronger, I feel the earlier a human is

exposed to language the better the chance that it will carry on with them for their entire life. I

believe as the brain weaves its paths and forms knowledge structures, it is vastly crucial to insert

positive experiences around language learning. Our brains get all the wiring done early and this

is the most important time to expose them to language.

Language acquisition is predisposed to our biological makeup. Even before we can

remember what is happening around us we are extremely sophisticated language users (Yule,

2017) I truly feel that every living thing has some type of language or communication process

built-in. Our existence needs to communicate and losing this ability will be devastating to life.

Literacy is a big deal for me. Everyone needs to be able to read in their native tongue and speak

as well. Without these abilities, we will cease to grow and mature as a species.
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References

Kuhl, P. (2010, October). The Linguistic Genius of Babies. Retrieved from Ted.com:

https://www.ted.com/talks/patricia_kuhl_the_linguistic_genius_of_babies#t-113193

Yule, G. (2017). The Study of Language. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University

Press.