World Read Aloud Day Blogging Challenge - Week One

Ok, I admit. I've been really bad about this whole blogging thing. Then along came my colleague Mrs. Fernandes who introduced me to +LitWorld and World Read Aloud Day.

I am empowered again! And ready to blog it out for the next four weeks! Let my voice be heard in support of global literacy! Over the mountaintops, across the valleys....(ok, ok, I admit - I'm easily carried away)

We all have the right to learn, to read, to write and let our words change the world. I hope I can help empower any of you reading to do the same.

Week one's question asks: What is your earliest or fondest memory in which someone read aloud to you?

I'm sure my parents read aloud to me. I'm SURE they did. (but I don't remember it...sorry!)

What I do remember quite vividly however, is my grade 4/5 split teacher Mrs. Sudicky who read aloud to us every day. Why is it that I remember this most vividly? I'm sure other teachers read aloud to us, I'm sure my teacher librarian did. Why this one? Why, why, WHY?

Well, uh...for starters I remember being fascinated with the books she began reading aloud to us. I remember being disappointed when she would end a chapter and tell us we had to go on to our regular school work. I remember her asking the class if we had books we loved - we could bring them in to be read aloud. Maybe that's because I brought one of my own in and we read it out loud to the class. I remember it was about this boy - he was a redhead - who got into modeling. He was very sporty and was photographed for an underwear commercial - and everyone teased him for it. (While I may not remember my parents reading to me, I distinctly remember how readily my father would fork out money to buy me books. Our house was FILLED with books. As is my house today :)

I remember hearing her read "Call of the Wild" by Jack London. I remember "Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl. Maybe I remember this one as well because I remember reading to the class from it. I distinctly remember some words in the book that didn't make sense. I stopped reading and told her this...I remember her saying back..."Now you know what it's like to read Justin's printing sometimes".

Looking back, read aloud time got us excited about stories and about sharing stories. Reading aloud gave everyone the  same opportunity to access texts no matter our reading skill or level. Reading aloud was just plain fun to listen to and helped shape me into the reader I am today.

So thank you Mrs. Sudicky ... wherever you are.

Now I'm off to read Captain Underpants (which I secretly love) to my son. I hope he remembers this 30 years from now.