Memory Lane #5-The Three R's

I really enjoy Reading and (w)Riting.  (A)Rithmetic I enjoy less.  When I was at 220 Douglas Street I struggled with reading.  I wasn't a patient child, a character trait that still eludes me.  My parents often told me that I talked too fast and I ate too fast.  "Slow down so I can understand you." and  "If you don't slow down and chew your food, you will get a stomach ache." were very familiar phrases to me.  I don't know if I had trouble with reading because it seemed so slow to me or if it was so slow because I had trouble reading, but either way it was difficult and frustrating and the effort often made me cry.

After I got home from school, but before my parents were home from work, I went down the street a couple of houses to an older woman's house. I don't remember her name, only that she was a grandma type. She was kind and patient and gave me cookies and milk and we read to each other. I remember clearly the day I had a reading breakthrough. I finally read the word "once" correctly!  Think about how many children's stories begin with this word and then think about people telling you, "just sound it out" when you can't read a word. I must have read it as own see a million times before I finally was able to recognize it for what it is; which is a word that you don't/can't sound out.

It was a great day. I was so happy and proud and for the first time confident that I would indeed be able to learn to read. I had conquered "Once upon a time" and felt that nothing could stop me now.