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I grew up surrounded by English, which was the only language I had ever heard, so it naturally became the only language I knew. With English being such a central part of my life, I started to think of it as the "default" language, like the basic way people communicate.

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Growing up as a White American, English has always been a part of my life it’s what felt natural. Having it around me constantly made it quicker and easier for me to grasp and understand the concepts of reading and writing. It’s the language I’ve always known, so picking up those skills came more naturally to me.

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When I was young, I grew up in a very music oriented household. My dad loved music and played it constantly, so I was surrounded by sound from an early age. Because of that, I quickly picked up the ability to remember lyrics and recognize how words sounded. Music played a big role in helping me develop an ear for language, even before I fully understood how to read or write.

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In kindergarten, most of the learning focused on how to pronounce words and describe pictures using language. One of the first big milestones was learning how to spell my name, which gave me an early understanding of how letters sound and fit together. It laid the foundation for my reading and writing skills, even in those early stages.

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From first to second grade, I began practicing and developing phonics skills. I was able to read short stories independently and understand basic plot elements. I also started to grasp the differences between punctuation and grammar, which made room for more advanced reading and writing. This early focus on language helped me build confidence in my abilities, making it easier to tackle more complex texts later on.

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In 3rd grade, I was told that I wasn’t reading at the correct level yikes! But I pushed through it and practiced more. I think the issue was more about how I read, and they were trying to help me improve that. Regardless, it turned out to be a positive experience. The support and guidance I received during that time helped me grow and gave me a foundation for my reading and writing journey.

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When I was in 4th-5th grade, I was really drawn to comic books and anything with pictures. Some of my favorites were Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants. Those books played a big role in shaping how I understood and connected with literature. Writing came relatively easy to me, thanks to my ability to memorize spellings and words. It made writing almost second nature.

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As I moved into middle school, everything started to revolve around writing it felt like that’s all I ever did. The constant flow of writing and reading assignments really prepared me and helped build much of the knowledge I have today.

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Transitioning from middle school to high school was a big leap for me in terms of reading and writing. I wasn’t used to the amount of writing we were expected to do, especially when it came to essays. At first, it was overwhelming, but over time I developed the skills to write more creatively and express myself the way I wanted to. I learned how to shape my writing to reflect my own voice and style.

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During sophomore year, I took my first Spanish class and quickly realized how challenging it was. I’m currently in Spanish 2, and I still struggle with it, but when I do understand something, I use the skills I’ve learned from reading and writing in English to help me translate and make sense of Spanish. It’s a different way of thinking, but it’s definitely been helpful in improving my comprehension.

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Going into sophomore year, I started to really understand what teachers were looking for in writing assignments. My reading comprehension also improved significantly around this time. Some of my biggest writing projects and the most books I’ve ever read happened that year—and those experiences have definitely continued to benefit me to this day.

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Now that I’m in junior year, not much has changed except for the overwhelming number of essays I’ve had to write nearly every other week. Honestly, I’ve never really enjoyed reading, unless it was a fun, picture book from when I was younger. And to be completely honest, I don’t think I’ll ever truly love reading. These days, the most reading I do is probably just the captions on a TV show. But even with that, what’s carried me this far is my willingness to try. My effort in reading and writing classes, combined with the strong foundation I got in earlier grades, has made a big difference.