Adolescent Literacy- Hey, I thought I was done with this blog!

What does it mean to be an adolescent?

The official definition of the word adolescent is: “Adolescence (from Latin adolescere, meaning "to grow up") is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to legal adulthood (age of majority)”

I learned in my adolescent psychology class that the stage referred to as adolescent is a newer word that was created after the industrial revolution placed more young children out of the factories and into school for longer. This lengthening of time for children to learn in school and grow into adults was coined “adolescence”.

Where were you as an adolescent?

As an adolescent, I was timid, shy, and introverted and continued to be so well into early adulthood. I was a bit of an over-achiever and probably became that way because of my lack of self-confidence.

Where were you with literacy as an adolescent?

When I as an adolescent, I was not confident about reading. I read a bit slower than many of my peers and was always terrified when I thought my teacher might make the class read aloud. I would count ahead on other students to try to figure out which page or paragraph I would have to read, so I could practice it over and over in my head before I was called upon to read.  I was so afraid I would mispronounce a word and look foolish in front of my classmates. The problem with my reading aloud prediction ritual was that it caused me to completely miss everything that was being read before me. That caused me to be clueless about what was going on. When given reading assignments on my own, I did fine because I could take the time I needed to absorb the material and I did improve over the year. Today I would consider myself to be a normal/average reader.

What was the literacy expected by your teachers?

I am so old, I don’t recall teachers having many expectations other than normal requirements for finishing assignments, reading books, and being a productive student. I do not remember any teachers attempting to transform me into a good reader who read with confidence or one who enjoyed reading.

Did this literacy support your literate practices in later life? Why? Why not?

When I was in high school, I took British Literature and fell in love with Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I think that was the first time I enjoyed reading a book, so I moved on to Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. This lead me in the direction of Mary Shelley and then to Jane Austin. I could read Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, a million times.