Literacy Is Super
Children have access to a variety of literature, and each
child knowingly or unknowingly may be drawn to a certain literary medium in
which to develop his or her literacy. As a child, my chosen medium was comic
books.
I
remember a sunny July day wherein I lay silently in a hammock, shaded beneath
our mulberry tree, allowing the sweat to evaporate slowly from my skin, and
reading from my Green Lantern comic book. He was my favorite hero in
those days. While my neighbors and siblings cavorted around, finding activities
to pass the time until dinner and possibly getting into a little trouble, I lay
there.
"Come and hide with us, so mom
thinks we ran away!" my brother Jake shouted. "Maybe later." I
responded, "Why don't you guys hide from one another for a bit, and I'll
catch up later?"
I
could hear the sparrows chirping, smell the sweet aroma of honeysuckles, and
enjoy the precious, rare summer breeze waft by as I delved deeper into another
exciting super-hero journey. Summer was coming to an end, but I reassured
myself after figuring I had a little over four weeks left. Overall, I hadn't a
care in the world, save having to get up to retrieve a fresh comic.
My mountainous comic collection was escalating
quickly and showed no signs of deceleration. Drawers, storage containers,
shoeboxes, and spare space under the bed were rapidly being consumed with story
after story of super villains attempting to rule the world. The villains could
never succeed in the world domination arena. Although, I am certain they had
effectively dominated my room.
Those insurmountable piles of paper were where
I truly began developing a taste for the literary arts. There was something
about those rich ink tones radiating from the pulp that finally drew my
attention away from the mindless chatter of the television and held it. Was it
the characters' invincibility or the spotlight projected on them by the
grateful citizens? Or was it the notion that their world was composed of more
than chores and schoolwork? Today, I believe it was mostly likely a combination
of each. Reading comics provided an outlet for escaping the responsibilities of
reality and a needed hobby for my otherwise routine life.
Nonetheless, something had done it, and it
certainly wasn't my mother's suggestion to read Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues
Under the Sea. I was not the type of eight year old that would appreciate a
classic simply because of the status put on it. No, I had a very discerning
palette for literature. If the main character could not fly, or see through
walls, I was not interested. I had my own list of what I called classics. The
Flash, Superman, Batman, Martian Manhunter, Spider Man, Wonder Woman, The Hulk,
Silver Surfer, and the entire Justice League; these were classics
for a child who refused to believe that man could not fly. One taste of these
fantastical adventures, and I was hooked.
On birthdays and Christmas, these were the
gifts of choice. I remembered begging and pleading an already overworked mother
to add yet another errand to her busy schedule, already awash with chores. That
errand was making a stop at the local comic book store.
"Please
mom?" I'd ask, trying to be polite.
"Well, alright. Only if you promise
to do some extra work around here,” she said, her face looking as caring as it
was exhausted. I could have spent my time on more consequential activities, but
to me, this was where the fun was.
Although, I didn't know it at the time, I was
gaining literacy by the shoebox load. Each page turned was yet another step closer
to a deeper understanding of literacy. I could feel my heartbeat and my pulse
race as I read faster through each comic to reach the dramatic conclusion at
the end of each book. Although I hadn’t realized at the time, comic after
comic, I was on my way to an understanding of literacy that I had not yet
believed possible. It is only now that I understand, that as I continually
practiced my reading, my comprehension was becoming stronger and allowing me to
read faster through subsequent comic books.
In retrospect, I feel there is no wrong
entrance into the world of literacy. Some children, start by reading magazines,
some newspapers, and others novels. In my case, it was comic books. I simply
connected to the characters displayed on those magnificent, glossy pages. It
was this connection that held my interests long enough to pick up some new
words and view how those words are spelled. Although I had spoken English for
years, the comics helped me become fluent in the written word. Through practice
and repetition, the words on the pages were assimilated into my eight-year-old
brain, and spoken forth eloquently from my maturing lips. The learning took
place on what seemed like a subconscious level.
Had I merely been forced to read texts
that did not interest me, I would have never developed an appreciation for
literacy. I have a theory that this is the reason many children never take
interest in reading, grammar, or English studies, preferring instead to view
countless hours of television. The key to actually enjoying literacy is that
first small spark of interest and initiative. The content of the materials absorbed
is as important as the grammar, spelling, and punctuation themselves. An
interest in that first material eventually sparks an interest in reading
itself. It is often only after such interest has been established that children
go on to eventually read the classics such as Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, John
Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, George
Orwell’s 1984, and countless others.
Unbeknownst
to me, I'd continue my love of reading and writing on a deeper level still.
Now, I read books that are a bit more advanced. I write stories that are of my
own creation. I study websites and software manuals. My walls are lined with
shelves of novels, biographies, how-to books, and textbooks; the most of which
I have read several times. I study ways to make literature more aesthetically
pleasing by typography. I also study college level English. Yes, that day in
the hammock has long passed, but the joys of literacy are here to stay, love,
and to share with others. Oh, by the way, I still pick up the occasional comic
book.
