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Luke Shamoun

Professor Gonzalez

ENC1101

21 September 2023

Multimodal Literacy Narrative

Literacy has become an important part of everyday life for everyone. Rates of literacy

have risen exponentially in recent years making it a necessity in the modern world. Without these

skills it is extremely difficult to obtain a job and make an income for yourself or provide for a

family. Literacy has become “one of the great engines of profit and competitive advantage in the

20th Century” (Brandt 166). Everyone has a different journey in the path of literacy, some

starting in the early years with family members and some not beginning until schooling. My

journey started at an early age with my parents and grandparents. Although they did not teach me

everything that I know today, they gave me a solid foundation to grow upon in the school

system. My literary journey will continue throughout my whole life, but there have already been

many notable events that have shaped my understanding.

When I was first able to talk around the age of and talk my mom began to teach me the

alphabet. She would play the alphabet song in the car and in the house and make me sing along

to it. Once I knew the alphabet, she started teaching me how to read and write. She would read

short stories to me and teach me the words. After a few weeks of this I was beginning to read

short stories on my own. My mom was an especially important part in the development of my

literacy from an early age. This is like the Amish families in “Heritage Literacy” as their parents

read them “the e Bible, nonfiction books, and some fiction, and writing functional texts”
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(Rumsey 575) Without her teaching me I would have started writing much later and could not

have developed the way that I did in my writing journey. The idea of parents teaching their

children literacy skills from an early age is addressed in “Heritage Literacy,” discussing the idea

that children who are taught from an early age are more likely to become better readers and

writers than those who start later in life. These principles can be seen in the lives of many, being

taught skills from the generations before them. The things my mother taught me in my youth

were the same things her grandmother taught her. Many things are passed down through

generations such as wealth, education, and literacy.

Throughout my early childhood I loved to read and write thanks to my mom. She was

always encouraging me to write about the things I loved and would read my writings and

compliment me. My mom loved to write about the things she was interested in as well. She

would write narratives and read them to my brothers and me. Around fifteen years old I began to

fall out of love with writing. It became a burden on me, and I was only writing when it was

assigned for class. My relationship with writing was becoming much less healthy and I hated the

thought of it. My mom noticed that I was not writing the way that I formerly had. I never drafted

stories or listened to her writings anymore. She tried to help me enjoy writing again but I could

not do it. Every time I sat down and tried, I got bored within ten minutes and began something

else. Heritage literacy is about passing down values through generations. My Grandma taught

my mom how to write and she taught me. She loves writing so she was persistent in making me

write. This is like the Amish people as they pass down traditions that are important to them such

as “thing, hairstyle, and head coverings” (Rumsey 576). After a few months I began to enjoy

writing narratives again and it did not feel like a chore anymore. Thanks to my mom I was able
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to continue progressing in my writing and literacy skills. She was also a sponsor of literacy for

me in this case as she pushed me to continue pursuing writing.

It has been many years since these events took place and they still have a substantial

impact on me as a student. Literacy is important in every class that I take in school. It does not

matter whether it is an English class or a math class, every class involves literacy. Since I have

been taught and practiced from such an early age, I do not have to think about words when I read

or hear them which makes learning much easier. I do not have to think about each word

individually when I am writing, rather the point that I am trying to address. My writing has

progressed due to my mom always pushing me to write and read. Heritage Literacy is important

and has had a significant impact on me. I now consider myself to be a decent writer, not the best,

but not the worst. I can convey my thoughts fluidly through words and share my ideas. Even

though I am not the best writer, I am confident that without my mother’s help, I would be a much

worse writer than I am today. I have fallen back out of love with writing, and it is difficult for me

to sit down and complete an assigned essay. I may need another push from my mom to help me

fall back in love with writing and continue to progress.

Literacy sponsors also play a key role in a person’s progress. Many people have been

sponsors to me such as my mom when I hated writing. My teachers were always there for me to

tell me an excellent job, give me a push, or even to criticize me and help me improve. The people

around you are some of the most important people when it comes to growing in any field.

Without these sponsors that teach and nurture you as a student it is extremely difficult to

progress. I would have never found my love for writing again if it were not for my mom pushing

me. Family can be there to support you in every way whether it is helping you find the wording

for your writing or just encouraging you to do it.

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One’s literacy can be influenced in many ways including their family, teachers, friends,

and resources of the individual. I am blessed enough to have access to all the materials that I

need to become a better writer. It is easier to accomplish things with money, but there is always a

way to progress with limited resources.

Literacy will continue to be one of the most important skills in the modern world. There

will not be a time when the importance of it is devalued. With that said it is important for those

in one’s life to support their literacy journey the way that I have been supported through mine.

Without nurturing and teaching it is much more difficult to have progress. I have grown

personally through both Heritage literacy and sponsors of literacy. I am now a much better writer

than I was without help and will continue to improve through the help of those around me.
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Works Cited

Rumsey, Suzanne Kesler. “Heritage Literacy: Adoption, Adaptation, and Alienation of

Multimodal Literacy Tools.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 60, no. 3,

2009, pp. 573–86. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20457082. Accessed 25 Sept.

2023.

Brandt, Deborah. “Sponsors of Literacy.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 49, no.

2, 1998, pp. 165–85. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/358929. Accessed 25 Sept. 2023.

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