New “attitude”

Aaron recently started a new session of literacy at the playhouse after a couple years of a hiatus.  The first thing all students do when the begin literacy is create a family book with photos.  Now that Aaron is older, his tutor requested that we make a couple new books as well.  We made one called “The Places I Go” with pictures of places we frequent and another called “My Favorite Foods” with pictures of all his favorite things he likes to eat.  He displayed great interest in these books when Hope, his current tutor presented them to him.  When I present anything school related at home, I get responses of “NO”, “all done”, or “quiet” – so I sent them into school for them to use.

I received letters from the teacher almost immediately telling me how great the little books were and that he read one during author chair time in front of the whole class and how very proud of himself he was.

Every week I observe him reading with Hope.  He is actually pointing at the words and saying them out loud.  He tells her the same “NO”, “all done”, and “quiet” as well as climbing under the table to avoid the work.  She takes that as an invitation to join him down under the table and read on the floor.

Aaron has mountains of energy and changes focus quickly, but she patiently sits, waits and then reengages him.  Both of his teachers are noticing a difference.  Here is note I recently received from one of them:

“I just wanted to tell you about Aaron during our writing time.  He is always present, but may be a reluctant participant. (Sometimes he puts his head down and may cover his face.)  Today he got up when it was his turn and helped tell a story for me to write on the board.  I had a farm picture and he told me each animal.  He pointed and indicated that the horse was next to the pig.  When I asked what else he could tell me about the animals he told me each one that had a tail (Horse tail.  Pig tail. Chicken tail.) while he pointed at them.  Afterwards he reread it with me (copying my words), as he pointed to each word.   He was amazing!!  Great progress!”

I don’t know the reasoning behind his new “attitude”, but I am attributing it to the literacy program at GiGi’s Playhouse McHenry County! ​