Selina Pena

Draft #2
Process of Improvement

I remember driving by Maya Angelou Library and always seeing many kids walk in and
out the doors. This library was on my way home from school so I would always look out the
window as we passed by. After school my mom would regularly take my sisters and I to pick out
a book and read it there for 30 minutes. We would do this regularly and were soon handed a map
where every book we read got us closer to the treasure, which was a free ticket to John's
Incredible Pizza. Getting the ticket was my motivation to read as a child, but throughout time it
has helped me improve my literacy skills. Reading as a child really impacted me because
Spanish was my first language, and reading allowed my vocabulary in the English language to
expand. From the moment I began to speak, read, and write, I've had many sponsors that have
impacted my improvements on literacy such as my home and school environments.
From when I was born until the age of 5 I lived in Pittsburg, CA with my parents and
uncles who spoke nothing but Spanish, and my older sister and cousins who knew Spanish and
English but would rarely speak English. This was my environment for my first 5 years but it
wasn't until I started attending day care that I was obligated to start learning English. I remember
my mom going to En--glish classes daily and my sister and I would be next door feeling lost
because we were not accustomed to our surroundings. However, eventually we began playing
games and learning songs which were the first steps in practicing the English language.
As soon as I turned 6 my family decided to move to Stockton where I first attended a
Elementary school. In kindergarten through second grade is where I first began to read and write.
I remember the first step in learning how to write, which was by learning the alphabet theme
song. Then, the teachers began handing out a thin brown paper with lines, and a thick yellow
pencil where I would have to trace the dotted lines. I first began to write words and it later lead
to sentences, then rewriting them multiple times in order to memorize the words. I found this
method to be very beneficial because Id written words that I never knew were in the
world..[and] I also could remember what many of those words meant. (121) Then, after learning
the alphabets I remember having to learn the sounds of each letter, eventually helping me read
children's books.
Once I reached 3rd grade I moved to another elementary school until 8th grade, which
was a huge turning point in improving my literary skills. This time period was a turning point
because it was when English became my primary language and I began reading regularly.
However, even though English became my primary language I still struggled on reading and
writing. For this reason, I was put in the English Language Development Program (ELD)..
Being in this program made me feel unfortunate because I wasn't in the smart class even
though I knew I belonged there. I knew I belonged there because most of the white kids would
sound out the words to spell them, and I couldn't. It was at this period of time that I realized
being Mexican American had put me at a disadvantage. Since English was now my primary
language I felt like I neither reached the English nor Spanish language expectations. I found
myself lost because I began to forget Spanish due to the lack of use, but I also didn't know
enough English. Like Gloria Anzaldua, I also felt uncomfortable speaking in Spanish to Latinos
because I wouldn't want to be judged or laughed at for pronouncing words wrong or not rolling
my rs appropriately. Till this day I feel like I don't really reach the expectations and my dad
always jokes around that I'm going to end up mute, not knowing either Spanish or English.
However, I have not allow being bilingual put me at a disadvantage. For example, when I was
learning to read in English my mom would aslo teach me to read and write in Spanish. In
addition, I also continued learning Spanish throughout high school which has helped me
communicate with either Spanish or English speakers..
Before entering high school I learned the American structure essay format (intro, body,
conclusion) but it was until high school that writing became a challenge. In high school I entered
the Middle Years Program (MYP) which is to prepare for the International Baccalaureate
Program (IB). These programs main goal is to get students prepared for college by focusing on
interpreting the readings and writing essays. (MYP) consisted of my first two years of high
school and (IB) were the last two, which caused a huge improvement in my reading and writing
skills The best way I would describe this program is like taking all AP classes but much harder
and having to do not only hw assignments and projects for my classes, but for the program as
well. Some of the assignments that are required are the Individual Oral Commentary (IOC),
Internal Assessment (IAs), Extended Essay (EE), and much more. It was all these assignments
that really impacted my literacy which I will explain later on.
My first two years of High school (MYP) was when I first learned to really interpret the
readings. During my freshman year I would regularly read and have quizzes forcing me to really
pay attention to all the specific details. Freshman year required me to study spelling words
regularly which helped my writing skills. I would have to use the words throughout my essays
which helped me memorize them. Throughout my Sophomore year I began reading many more
chapter books such as (1984, How to Tame a Shrew, Hamlet, Fahrenheit 450, Lord of the Flies)
improving my literacy skills. In addition, the teacher would assign a 1000 word count limit
essays regularly focusing on either a theme, motif, symbol, or character.
After sophomore year I enter the (IB) Program which was a challenge for me because the
teachers had higher expectations.During my junior year, like in previous years I continued
reading many books and interpreting them, but now I was required to do 1500 to 3000 word
essays weekly. I found doing these assignments really difficult because I couldn't write a lot
about one theme or motif that I had found in 2 chapters.For this reason, I would frequently get
writers block, but all that practice has made it easier to avoid. Doing these essays was a
challenge because the teachers grading rubric was based off only the introduction and one other
paragraph she chose randomly. For this reason, I found this assignment difficult because all of
the paragraphs had to be perfect. . In addition, the main focus was on the (IOC), which is
interpreting a poem from either Robert Frost or Walt Whitman. For this test I was timed for 10
minutes to annotate,then I was recorded for another 10 minutes to discuss. Before this test I
didn't know how to interpret poems but after so much practice I now know that in order to
interpret a poem I have to focus on the structure, sound, rhythm, repetition, mood, or tone.
Another thing I focused on my junior year were the (IAs) which are like a research essay for
every class. However, these essays are not the typical 5 paragraph essay, instead I had to learn a
new format (plan of investigation, summary of evidence, evaluation of sources, analysis, and
conclusion). By doing these (IAs) it has helped my writing skills by keeping my writing
organized and by helping me pinpoint what aret he most important parts of the readings.
Lastly, during my senior year my main focus was on writing essays that followed a Jane
Schaffer paragraph format, topic sentence, concrete detail, commentary, commentary, concrete
detail.. Using this format has helped my writing skills because it helps me eliminate irrelevant
information that is repetitive.. In addition, during senior year I learned how to keep an essay
organized by using transition words and literary devices (juxtaposition, hyperbole, diction).,
During senior year I was also expected to complete an extended essay on any topic with a page
limit of 10. For this assignment I choose to read a novel in Spanish, Pedro Paramo that I would
then focus on a theme. This assignment put my skills into practice ,but was also quite a challenge
since it was written in Spanish. As I did the (EE) I ran into writer's block every so often,but I was
eventually able to overcome it since I've had so much practice.. In addition, during my senior
year I had to take the History and English exams which required me to write a response or essay
under a certain time limit. Preparing for these exams helped me further improve my writing skills
because it forced me to write fast, while also staying well organized.
Overall my home environment,school environment, and being bilingual really influenced
my literacy. However, I personally feel like my school environment especially high school
played a bigger role. My home environment (parents, siblings, cousins) were the first ones to
influence me by Spanish being my first language. but my school environment helped me practice
reading and writing. After all a lesson that Ive learned is that multilingual students are not put at
a disadvantage,but an advantage because they have the ability to read and write in multiple
languages like myself. Spanish and English are the main languages spoken around the world so
hopefully one day I can travel with the advantage of knowing both.