International Literacy Day

International Literacy Day is being celebrated this year on September 8 all over  the world. Although the holiday may only come once a year, literacy and the love  of reading and writing is recognized every day and everywhere- in every country,  every home, and every family worldwide.  

Some people say literacy starts in the womb. Research suggests that by reading  to an unborn child, the child will develop a love of reading even before entering  the world. Unfortunately, not every mother has access to books and reading for  her child. However, every mother can “read” through oral storytelling. Before the  printing press was invented around 1436, stories were already being passed down  by word of mouth from generation to generation.  

When I think of my love of reading, I think of my mother, my grandmother, and  my grandfather. My mother always has a book on the table in the living room, or  on her nightstand next to her bed. And my grandmother was a night owl- she  would go to her bedroom and read until all hours of the night. But the one I really  reminisce about is my grandfather. He must have had every issue of National  Geographic that he read from cover to cover, and then saved in boxes in the  basement.  

Hence, I remember transitioning from reading to writing poetry when I was a  teenager. I would go to my room at night and start putting my thoughts and  feelings into words, until I eventually had a notebook full of poems and short  stories. It served as an outlet for my emotions. For me, putting feelings  into words was a form of therapy- it was a release that enabled me to let go and  be happy. Throughout high school and college I could not get my hands on  enough books. I remember in college; I would often go to a beach or a park in my  free time and just read.  

And then, when my children were born, I read to them constantly. Both of my  sons are highly intelligent young men, although they never really liked reading. I  would get books on tape for my older son to listen to, but I told him to read along  with the books just to make sure he fully comprehended the storyline. As for my younger son, who is an athlete and loves every aspect of sports, I would always  get him books about famous athletes to keep his interest. And then there is my  daughter. She is an avid reader and an unbelievable writer. In her senior year of  high school, she took AP Literature. At the end of the year, she gave me a book of  about 50 poems she wrote. Wow- talk about talent! I was so taken back by the  poems she wrote. In fact, I have the book on display in my living room, and I often  pick it up and re-read it. I think the thing that really impressed me was when I read her thesis from college. She majored in Spanish and had to write a 60-page  thesis on the history and wars in Colombia- written in Spanish! That just blew me  away!!!  

And so, my love of literature continued and expanded throughout my career as  an English teacher. I relished the conversations with my students as we delved  into required readings in class. My favorite novel to teach has always been The  Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. Year after year, I would discover something  new in the book-maybe it was a symbol, character trait or just a new perspective.  Even my students who did not really enjoy reading novels, somehow developed  an appreciation for literature by the time we finished reading the book. I recently  ran into a former student of mine, and he told me he remembered my class and  reading Lord of the Flies. He told me it was his favorite book. That made my day! 

Recently, I was with a lovely young girl who just loves to read, and she was  talking about going into 10th grade and anticipating reading Lord of the Flies. I  immediately got a copy of the book for her, although I waited until she expressed  an interest in getting a jump start on it and reading it before school starts. She’s  one of those bright, smart, talented, enthusiastic girls who is just full of life. She  always has a book in her hand and seems to finish it before I even have a chance  to ask her what book she is reading. In fact, she and her sister introduced me to  my new favorite place- The Book Barn in Center Moriches. Her sister is also an  avid reader, although they have different tastes in genre and storylines. She is a  smart and musically talented young lady. During a recent conversation, she  pointed out to me that literacy is not just reading and writing in the traditional  sense. It can also be music, science, math- and so much more. I mean, who says  musical notes, graphs and numbers can’t be considered reading? I guess I never really thought of it that way, but she is right. After that, a friend and  I were together listening to Santana playing on the radio, and he made a  comment that Carlos Santana speaks through his guitar. Isn’t that another  expression of literacy?  

Finally, it is safe to say that literacy comes in all forms and from all parts of the  world. We need to make sure that every child is given the opportunity to express  him/herself in whatever way is comfortable for them. Once we do that, the world  will become a more literate place to live in, and as societies, we will become more accepting of others and their learning styles. Let us take the time to discover and  unveil everyone’s passion for learning. This will eventually lead to acceptance in  the world, therefore creating an environment conducive to learning and literacy.  

How wonderful a world we live in! Isn’t it time to give everyone the ability to  shine? As educators, we help children learn to read and write, but as human  beings, we help individuals believe in themselves. Happy National Literacy Day  2022.