One of the ideas that stuck out to me when trying to come up with literacy sponsors was my being the oldest child. I’m the eldest child of five, so growing up came with its fair share of competition. I found out early on that I was never going to fulfill my Oldest Child Duties through sports, so I turned to school. I still have to suppress a smug smile when I think back on all of the times that my mom praised me for reading whatever I could get my hands on while my brother refused to indulge in anything other than Sports Illustrated. While this form of sponsorship is abstract in nature, it was undeniably a huge motivator when it came to me becoming literate and falling in love with the written word. The stress placed on success in our household and the pressure that came with being the oldest not only aided in my literacy, but also pushed my siblings to work hard, and gave my parents the satisfaction of knowing that their time and money were being put to good use.
