Choosing to study Laura Ingalls Wilder came as a seemingly easy decision, as I grew up reading her acclaimed books and watching re-runs of the "Little House on the Prairie" television series as a little girl. I loved that she and her sisters all played together with rag dolls, contributed to the process of making and preparing food for their family, and helped to select the fabrics that her mother would use to make their long dresses. Most of all, I could identify with her spirit of adventure and imagination, as well as her love of playing outside. I can now see that these idyllic and sweetly juvenile connections are what made reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's books such a cherished personal memory. I began reading the "My First Little House" book series (which are based on Laura's original series) when I was in kindergarten and I loved playing with my "Little House Paper Dolls". By the time I was in third grade, I had read most of the "Little House" chapter book series and was beginning to read the original "Little House" books. When I was given a book report assignment that included a biographical composition and an oral presentation on a deceased, influential person of my choosing, I selected Laura Ingalls Wilder. I definitely remember my teacher being impressed that I had chosen to study someone from a historic time period, as opposed to a person who had passed away more recently. I was excited because we were told to dress up like the person when we presented to the class, so my mom and I went to a local fabric store and picked out a calico pattern to make a hoop skirt. The simple acts of making the skirt with my mom, baking "Ma's Vanity Cakes" (a treat similar to a powdered-donut, which Laura and her sisters enjoyed), and practicing my oral presentation made the assignment come alive. It was such a fun experience because I felt like I was able to transport myself back in time and share my love of Laura Ingalls Wilder's stories with my class.
Now that I have had the opportunity to take a deeper look into Laura's personal history, I have drawn additional connections and identified several commonalities in our personalities and outlooks on life. Her dedication to hard work and her appreciation for life's smaller moments really resonated with me as I researched some of her inspirational quotations. She shares, "You should never be ashamed of work that you have done, only work that you haven't" (Christian Science Monitor, Laura Ingalls Wilder: 10 quotes on her birthday) and "It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all" (GoodReads, Laura Ingalls Wilder Quotes). I gained a greater understanding of the challenging life that she led as a young girl living on the new frontier, which makes her optimistic and intrepid outlook on life even more impressive. The fact that her books have spanned the course of time and continue to be used in the classroom speaks to her ability to write in an honest and inclusive way, appealing to readers who might have felt isolated from her story because of the difference in setting and time period. I am looking forward to being able to incorporate her books into my future classroom curriculum. I hope to show students how they can relate to her fundamental beliefs in having strong family ties and the importance of creating a sense of home wherever they settle. Additionally, I hope that they will be able to see how the importance of hard work and the day-to-day enjoyment of one's life will contribute to a more fulfilling existence.
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