Back to UCDS Institute Blog

Reading


Quynh Nguyen returns to the blog to share details about her family and how she developed her love of reading. -Ed.

– – – –

My dad always preferred to read silently. He could sit for hours in his hammock in the backyard with his books about history. At the kitchen table, he would read the sports section for the duration of his pot of coffee. He left notes about his books everywhere in our house. Almost every picture in our family album features my father reading.

My mom always preferred to read out loud. She subscribed to a monthly Vietnamese magazine. She read her poetry with rhythm and grace. My mom can bring any character to life, with her facial expressions and bank of Vietnamese regional accents.

I love reading because of my parents. My dad taught me to read for my own interests. My mom taught me to share my love of reading with others. Every afternoon with my students, I try to channel my mom during Read Aloud.