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I started speaking
Neither my parents or I remember exactly when I started to speak or what my first word was, but they think that I started to speak before I turned two years old. This allowed me to start expressing myself verbally. -
My parents read an alphabet book to me
My parents read a book to me that taught the alphabet when I was around two years old. Learning the alphabet is crucial for learning to read and write. -
My Dad began teaching me to read
When I was four years old, my Dad started teaching me to read. He went through a book called "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons". Going through this book with my Dad gave me an advantage when I started going to elementary school because I already had some experience with reading. -
I participated in my library's summer reading program
When I was in first grade, I participated in my library's summer reading program for the first time. For this program, I would read books on my own and record the books I read as well as how much time I spent reading. As a reward, I received various coupons and toy prizes. I would continue to participate in my library's summer reading program for the rest of my years in public school. This program led me to practice reading a lot. -
I first started to learn Spanish
I took my first Spanish class when I was in sixth grade. In this class, I learned some basic greetings in Spanish such as Buenos Dias and Hola. I also learned how to say numbers in Spanish and conjugate verbs in the present tense. This allowed me to communicate very basically in a second language. -
I gave my first speech
I had to give my first speech in my eight grade English class. I had to give a two minute speech in front of my class with nothing but a few flashcards to jog my memory. My speech was about the importance of freedom of speech. This helped me practice my public speaking skills. I had to speak loudly and make eye contact. -
I completed a History Day project
When I was in ninth grade, I completed a History Day project with my sister. We researched the Lewis and Clark expedition, and we each had to find twenty five sources, some primary and some secondary. We had to create a display board about it which we presented and write a research paper with an annotated bibliography. This project gave me practice researching a topic, citing sources, and writing a research paper. -
I read my first book in Spanish
I read a book in my 11th grade Spanish class called El coronel no tiene quien le escriba (No One Writes to the Colonel). When we were reading the book we would look up key vocab words and take quizzes on the plot. We also had to make a comic strip of the main events. This book was challenging for me, but I learned to focus on the main idea rather than worrying about every little detail. We even had to come up with an additional chapter, which gave me practice writing a detailed story in Spanish. -
I took the English Language and Composition AP test
I took the English Language and Composition AP test when I was in eleventh grade. For part of the test we had to read several passages and answer multiple choice questions. We also had to answer three free-response prompts from these categories: synthesis question, rhetorical analysis, and argument. Preparing for and taking this test gave me a lot of practice analyzing a writer's techniques and constructing an argument. -
I took the Spanish Language and Culture AP test
I took the Spanish Language and Culture AP test in my senior year of high school. I had to answer multiple choice questions drawn from print and audio texts. I also had to read and reply to an email message and write an argumentative essay based on three sources. In the last part of the test, we had to participate in a simulated conversation and deliver a two minute presentation in response to a prompt. This advanced test required me to practice reading, writing, and speaking in Spanish.
