Part II

 

"Some school districts, like New York City, offered adult classes, special classes for children with disabilities" 

Something I saw that was lacking in School: The Story of American Public Education up until now was the lack of history of special needs kids and even though it was only one sentence, it was nice to see how they were a part of the conversation when developing public schools. A child should not have to be left out due to their disability. The purpose of special education is to enable students to grow to their fullest potential by providing a free appropriate public education designed to fit their unique and special needs. Even though that's the intentions behind special classes, till this day there are many cons to it. Special education lacks integration and due to that students may only learn and interact with peers with special needs, they then won’t be exposed to a wide range of influences. Not to mention special needs programs/schools tend to be much more expensive than other general schools which makes it much more difficult and unfair for both the students and families. 

My Literacy Autobiography

My journey to literacy started when my mom bought some picture books home one day, and the rest was history. I did not have a single clue what the words on the pages said at the age of two, but my imagination instantly took off as I created my own storylines with the pictures in the books. Every time I picked up a book, I could feel myself drifting from reality to a different world where I met new friends such as Elmo, Max and Ruby, and the Magic School Bus gang.

As I grew older and learned how to read, my enthusiasm for reading grew as well. Learning how to read was no problem for me, I was always, as my mom would say, an “eager learner” so when I would come home I would show my mom the new letter I learned, then the new words I learned, then the new story I read, and it continued on and on.

Before we moved, I used to live in a house that had a library at the beginning of the street and I spent nearly all my summers there. The library had a summer book club and encouraged countless children to sign up. The book club encouraged you to read books and write summaries on the books and at the end of the summer, all the kids are rewarded with a trip to a fun place such as amusement parks. I can confidently say that the two kind librarians were a cornerstone in my journey to literacy because without them encouraging me to read more and recommending me books, I wouldn't have excelled so far in reading. At the age of 11, I was able to finish two-hundred-page books in under a day.

Once I reached middle school, the books I read became less for my own enjoyment and more for academics, and with the pressure of school, reading no longer became something I look forward to. I've lost my love for learning and reading and became apathetic towards learning and my education and that reflected on my grades. The pressure made me despise learning and for a long time, I stopped reading.

Now though, I've learned to cope with the pressures of academics, and with that, I've made time for both school readings and personal reading times. I'm never going to let myself lose my passion for learning and reading again. “Knowledge is power." So as I continue to read, the more I become conscious. With everything I read whether it is a book, article, tutorial, or even subtitles for a movie, I hope to become just a bit wiser than I was before reading it.