Assignment #1: Literacy Narrative

Write a literacy narrative that explores a meaningful memory (or memories) of reading and/or writing, and relate those events to your current relationship with language and literacy.

Rough Draft Due: Thursday 9/19           Final Due: Thursday 9/26

Length: 3 -4 pages, double spaced

Font Size: 12

Font: Times New Roman

Heading: Your Name, My Name, Composition 1 Fall 2019, The Date

 

Create a purpose or focus for your essay. Although this is a personal narrative assignment, you should aim to come to some sort of larger idea about writing/reading/language or literacy, even if you reveal that idea through a personal lens. This assignment is more than a story, it is an exploration and reflection as well. Another way of thinking about this is to question why someone would be interested in reading your essay. It is your story, but it must address ideas (either directly or indirectly) larger than yourself in order to appeal to your reader.

Create a progression of thought for your essay. Your paragraphs should be in a logical sequence,  and each paragraph should bring something new (like a stepping stone) to your essay.

 

Answer the following within your essay:

• What does literacy mean to you?
• What is your current relationship with your own literacy? This could include answering the following:
  • Do you enjoy reading and/or writing? Does reading/writing intimidate you? Is your literacy something you appreciate? Do you feel that your relationship with language brings value to you as a whole? In what ways? Why or why not?
• How did the early experiences you choose to write about shape your current relationship with reading/writing/speaking?

Keep in mind:

1)In your brainstorming or planning phase, think carefully about which memory to choose. Not every memory you have will work towards your larger purpose. Be sure to describe an experience that you feel will relate well to your current feelings towards your literacy.

2)Describe your memory of these events with significant (but selective) detail, using interesting and purposeful word choice, varied sentence structure, and your own voice.

3) Use this paper to explore your relationship with writing in a way that you may not have thought of before. You may not know where your essay is going until you finish it. Once you’ve reached the end, go back and revise your narrative to fit as well as possible with whatever the overall purpose of your paper turns out to be.

4) Be creative and personal, but keep your audience in mind.

 

An exemplary (A, 90-100) essay will include:

1. Clear, concrete language with varied sentence structure and minimal grammar mistakes.
2. A voice and tone that is compelling, entertaining, and fitted to the task at hand; not too formal, but not too casual.
3. A logical progression of thought that creates an organized flow of ideas throughout the paper.
4. A focused purpose: a narrative that connects the memory and present ideas of the speaker in a clear, logical way. There is broad appeal to this essay, a clear reason why someone would want to read this paper.