PAC

Priscilla Carlson

Section 06

9/25/07

Comparison

Let Me Pronounce It            

Do you have a story about yourself as a child? I know I do. Is your story personal, and you don’t want to share it with anyone else? Or do you have a learning disability, and you don’t like one thing about it? Well, we all have some kind of story that we have dealt through grade school, middle school, or even high school. My story goes all the way back to grade school.             

 Let me tell you some background information before I entered grade school. I had a speaking problem, since I was three years old. I went to preschool in Superior, Wisconsin at Head Start One. My first month there at the preschool the teachers watch for things very carefully, and they noticed some things about me. What they did notice was that I am extremely shy, and I talked a little funny. The teacher I had was named Sue. What Sue did was that she talked to my family, and told them about my problem. After Sue talked to my family she called Cooper Elementary school, and told the representative of the speech program that they have a student with a speaking problem. The representative was happy to help, and told Sue to send her on Monday. Cooper Elementary was a grade school, that also had a preschool in it too. This preschool dealt with kids that needed some extra help. After that happened I went to two preschools per day. I would go to head start from 8am until lunch time. After lunch, I would take a bus and go to Cooper, and get the extra help that I needed. I would work with this teacher named Mrs. Rhunke, every day at Cooper. I did this for two years until I reached kindergarten.             

What happened after preschool? After preschool I attended Blaine Elementary in Superior, WI for kindergarten. Mrs. Rhunke followed me to Blaine Elementary. She became my official speech teacher from there, until I passed the speaking test. The speaking test isn’t a verbal test. It’s like any other test I read what they have down on paper, and put the answer that I thought was correct. Mrs. Rhunke would check to see if I was correct. I also had another kind of test. She would say a word, but then I would have to say the opposite of the word, or the past tense. This was very difficult for me.            

  During grade school my speaking got a whole lot better. I saw Mrs. Rhunke once a day, and still participated in some things in class. I loved to participate in the class discussions. I wouldn’t really say anything, but I loved listening to the discussions. I remembered that the teacher would read in front of class; then some of us would get off track, and she would want us to read out loud. I hated that. Everyone in class would have to read. It looked so easy to everyone. It looked like my classmates just quickly skimmed through the passage and read it, and they didn’t even mess up on one word. It would get close to my turn, and I would read ahead. What I would read wouldn’t look so bad, until I reached some words that I couldn’t pronounce. Then all of sudden the teacher would say,” Priscilla it’s your turn.” I would start reading and I would get to a word that I couldn’t pronounce. I would try to pronounce it; the teacher would just cut me off, and pronounce it for me. It would get me so mad; I would just feel so embarrassed. I would start thinking about what the other kids thought in my class. I would think that they were saying that she is so dumb, look at the special kid, or she should just not read out loud. I felt horrible each time I had to read. I would feel like I am reading extremely slow, and I can’t pronounce these words. In other words; I didn’t like reading, and my confidence wasn’t the best. 

            In grade school it was hard for me. I had a difficult time on pronouncing words, and pronouncing them correctly. In grade school, when we had discussions I would listen and wouldn’t say a word. Now being in college, I’ve improved a lot. I can pronounce words that I couldn’t pronounce before. I can speak very clearly, and if I can’t pronounce a word I would try to pronounce it for myself. I don’t care what others think of me anymore, and I talk through the discussions instead of listening. When I read out loud now it looks so easy, and I don’t really mess up, but if I have to stop and pronounce a word. I would try it for myself and try my best at it; if I can’t I always will have my classmate and teachers to help me out with that. 

            Mrs. Rhunke helped me through these hard times, until I was fourteen. I’ve had some great accomplishments in overcoming these problems, and through time I’ve managed to overcome the few bumps in the road that I’ve had. But through all these good and bad times, I’ve learned a few great things. I’ve learned that keep trying, and don’t think of the worse. If I didn’t have Mrs. Rhunke to help me with my speaking problem, I don’t know where I would be. If I didn’t have that teacher I wouldn’t pass the speaking test, or even be in college. I am thankful every day that I am who I am today.