Natural Learner, Nurtured Writer Emily Holland

“E is for EMILY!”

To most, this statement is obvious. But to a two-year-old learning her letters using colorful wooden blocks lined up in a shoebox, the realization that her first name starts with a specific vowel is extraordinary.

Several studies show that children’s learning capacity is genetic, and I see this phenomenon in my own life. I inherited not only my mother’s brown eyes and my father’s fair skin, but also their determination to inquire, to learn more about the world around them.

But, my parents also supported early education. As soon as I learned to talk and walk, I started learning my letters and numbers on placemats during meals and playing with wooden puzzles and electronic toys that taught everything from basic shapes to farm animals. My parents noticed how easily I learned these new concepts, so they decided to teach me to read. I made frequent trips to the local public library with my mom, and my bedroom became like a second library--the shelves held that many books. By the time I started preschool, I could read fluently, and I was the first student in my kindergarten class to start reading chapter books.

Because of my parents’ nurturing, I developed a love for reading that lasted throughout my childhood and...