If I were to compare my reading and writing at the time I would say it was equivalent to that of a student from another country. It's funny how living in two different states, in the same country, can significantly affect a person's reading and writing skills. I was originally born in Staten Island, New York, my parents tired of the crazy New York lifestyle decided to move to New Orleans, my father's hometown, right after my kindergarten year. Once he arrived in New Orleans in early August, school was already in session. First grade was a very interesting year for me, it was around that time that I learned I had a serious reading and punctuation problem. My teacher, Mrs. Freals, dictated some simple words for us to write on a sheet of paper, copying them ten times each. Among these words were “cat, that, me,