First Blog Post

My first memory of learning to read is my second grade teacher who made a large impression on me. She would begin our day by reading an exert from a Beatrix Potter book and sharing a piece of her Beatrix Potter Collection. By the end of the school year I was able to read the text and understand the old English in the writing. We had also filled up the classroom with the different pieces from her collection.
From second grade until fifth grade I do not remember much. During the fifth grade we moved to a new school district and I was tested for class placement. During the testing it was determined I had poor spelling skills, but I tested average on my reading comprehension. Because of the discrepancy I was placed in a remedial reading class while my peers began foreign languages. During the time in the reading class I lost interest for reading because I felt as if I had been placed in the wrong class. Most of the lessons that were being taught I already comprehended. I just could not spell all of the words.
I have since decided that spelling is more of a skill versus something that is explicitly taught. I feel some people are great spellers, while others are not. In my classroom I plan on taking a different approach to spelling than it being something that is dreaded each Friday.