Introduction (Literacy History)

 Hello everyone, my name is Jasmine Reese. I am from Jersey City born and raised. I am a senior here at New Jersey City University, studying criminal justice. With my degree I plan to seek a career in the criminal justice field by becoming a parole or probation officer. I am also a member of the women's basketball team here at NJCU. I love basketball and is one of the things I am passionate about. Lastly, I decided to take this course to expand my knowledge on the impact and purpose of literacy around us.

I was introduced to the practice of literacy at a very early age. At just 18 months old I was able to read and identify different words, phrases and sentences. My mom was the main person who would read to me every day and teach me how to pronounce words, phrases, as well as reading sentences during my early stages of development. She would also purchase books and learning devices such as toys which made learning more fun and entertaining as a child. Being able to read and write at a very early age, gave me a head start when I became old enough to attend school. I began to understand education and its role it has played in my life and development. That began when I was first able to attend school. As a result, I also understood through years of learning that there is a plethora of ways to learning. For example, through songs, objects, and people. These are considered the different ways in which literacy is displayed and practiced. As a child I enjoyed how my teacher would incorporate songs to teach. For example, songs that would be a useful mechanism to remember things being taught in the classroom. 

 These songs were useful whether it was numbers or the alphabet song. In addition, during my stages of development, nothing really frustrated me when it came to learning because I was determined and excited to learn new things. In addition, growing up I also enjoyed different activities at school such as spelling bees. Besides reading, spelling bees was one of my favorite events because not only was I good at them, but it had also introduced me to new words and allowed me to test my ability to hear, identify, and spell different words in which assisted in expanding my vocabulary. 

Fast forward to now, as a college student, I feel that literacy is a key factor in development and the way we operate, whether it is in our daily routines, school, and even in our workplace. Literacy has become a major factor because it can also be a coping mechanism. For example, people who may be going through something in their lives may express those emotions through literacy by writing songs or even poetry. Literacy can also coincide with journaling which is also another way to express yourself through writing. 

Lastly, besides my family, I inspire myself to obtain more knowledge because literacy is the key factor in communicating, speaking, understanding, and learning. It is essential for me because it will assist in working toward my degree while improving skills that may be required by a future position within a job or career etc.