The academic career of Richard Rodriguez can be looked at as a very textbook definition of the experiences a student may encounter in their path through the academic system. However, what Rodriguez’s encounters in school cannot be defined as a universal application for all students. Many children begin reading and writing with a similar passion that Rodriguez had, but many students have different experiences that shape their own unique story. Richard Rodriguez did not begin school like any normal student in a predominately English speaking region. Rodriguez grew up in a Spanish-speaking household, so the initial start of school, reading and writing in an unfamiliar language would have been challenging. Once Rodriguez overcame the language barrier, his love for reading began to blossom. At the young ages of either eight or nine …show more content…
Rodriguez argues that reading comes naturally, and that once you have mastered reading, you have also mastered writing. He also claims that reading is not to be shared. Knowledge is supposed to be concealed in one’s mind and not to be handed out to others. Based on my personal experiences of reading and writing, I do not agree with any of Rodriguez’s claims. After going through the public education system, which most people end up accomplishing, I found that reading does not come as naturally as Rodriguez claims. Some people like myself initially struggled with reading and find it a quite difficult task. Also, reading and writing abilities do not coincide. The ability to read and write are two different skills and should be looked at separately. Lastly, reading and knowledge should not be confined to the limits of one person. People are able to grow and relate by being able to share knowledge and have a common interest or idea. Reading should not be a lonely task. Reading is something that brings people together rather than tear them