My mother sent my brother to K because she thought he needed it. Money was an issue for my parents so she didn't send me. She thought I would be ready for first grade without it, which I was.
I don't enjoy being read to now because I have trouble focusing when the input is only auditory. I did fine in school because I took lots of notes. Somehow the act of putting words on paper allowed me to focus and helped with my retention. I often used to write out my notes a second time at night. I really enjoy reading aloud to S4. I often read things that I find interesting to cac as well.
I can't get anything out of an auditory book unfortunately. I tried listening to tapes in the car when I commuted to work and I would just daydream and couldn't stay focused on what I was hearing. That's great that it's such a wonderful experience for you.
Why did I love school? Interesting question and one that I've never really pondered. The teachers always liked me too because I could sit still and I was quiet and compliant. My first grade teacher was a sweet and kind young woman and I still remember attending her wedding ceremony the day after school let out for the summer.
I suppose I liked it for some of the same reasons you did. I'm sure it also had to do with getting the teacher's approval. I just loved the schoolwork and even "played" school when I was out for the summer. Then when I was in the 4th grade my father told me I could go to college and be a teacher like our neighbor had done, which was not so common in our blue collar part of town. Well I thought that was just the greatest thing and I decided right then that I would go to college and be a teacher. I started pursuing music ed in college but I changed my mind midway through and switched programs. I still toy with the idea of teaching, though, in some way.
Leaving typos and misspellings? That is a scary thought. Maybe I'll just not do the final proofing of this post and just hit submit.