The Best Way To Engage Young Minds by Xochi

The Best Way To Engage Young Minds by Xochi - June 2014 Scholarship Essay

If I were to write a book it would be a compilation of short, fun, and exciting educational stories for children. Reading is a necessary and valuable tool in our society. Unfortunately, many people lack the skill and/or interest in this area, which in turn, can affect their future education and everyday living. I strongly believe that acquiring the skill for reading begins at a very young age. The best way to engage young minds is by giving them books which paint vivid pictures in their heads, while giving them valuable knowledge.

My personal experience with reading began at a very young age. Fortunately, it was a positive experience. I began by learning how to put letters together to make words. Shortly after that point, I was able to complete my homework on my own just by reading the instructions. Then I began to read ahead and complete future assignments. I was young when I learned that reading was a great deal of fun. It was through fun, short, and exciting educational books that upheld my desire to keep reading. Movies? Who needed them when all I had to do was read a book and turn it into a movie in my mind as I was reading! On one occasion my mother caught me reading “The Secret of NIMH” out loud using different voices for the characters in the book. This is a very entertaining memory! I can’t imagine where I’d be in life had I not gained the skill to read.

Growing up in a small migrant town I’ve witnessed firsthand how lacking the skill to read affects young people as well as adults. Many of my class peers were sent to summer school, held back, or simply dropped out. I didn’t understand this at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense that it was connected to lacking reading skills. How do you answer questions when called upon in class if you’re unable to read the class content? How do you complete homework when you can’t read instructions? Outside of school, who do you ask for help in learning how to read if no one else you know can read? Sure, you can scrape by not knowing how to read, but most adults I know personally who can’t read, have hard labor jobs, get paid minimum wage, and haven’t advanced much in their line of work for years, if at all.

At the age of twenty, I became a mother. Being young I was scared at the thought of raising a child. But I was certain of one thing. I knew that I wanted to read to my son every day. I wanted to use silly voices, to laugh at the silly stories, to sing all the jingles throughout the book. I wanted to make reading fun, exciting, and educational for my child. I wanted him to have the same positive experience that I had. I knew that without this tool he could possibly fall short in life. Today, my son is six years old and is ranking far beyond his class peers. Today, he has transitioned into reading me bedtime stories. He uses silly voices, knows the difference between a character and a narrator, and asks me questions if he doesn’t know the meaning of what he reads. Fall short he will not, all thanks to the skill of reading.

In summary, I would say that a book of short, fun, and exciting educational stories can play a major role in learning the skill of reading. I believe it is of utmost importance in a person’s life. I also believe that it is important to start at a very young age and it needs to be a positive experience.