Kim and Ellen, I have a similar story to share. I had a sixth grader that walked into my classroom the first day of class and announced to me and everyone else, "I don't like to read. I don't read. Lots of luck getting me to read Ms. C." I love a good challenge! This young man was smart, creative, technology oriented, and of course I guess goes without saying had a thing for public speaking! Later about November we were having silent reading time in the classroom and mid way through he stood up slammed the book he was reading shut and announced with great enthusiasm, "I just want everyone to know I just finished my first chapter book ever!" Everyone looked up from their books and a moment of silence fell on the room before everyone applauded and "high fived" him. A celebration oh yeah, a pivotal moment without a doubt. Lastly he came to me and said, "I didn't think you could do it!" We smiled at each other and "high fived" and let the road blocks fall away and he read his way through the remainder of the year. I hope, Kim, like your student he never lost the thirst for a good book. Susan
On Sat, Sep 5, 2009 at 10:32 PM, Ellen Schwartz <esch...@myfairpoint.net>wrote: > Kim, > > Thank you for this story! I am always mortified when I hear people say > (authoritatively, no less) that if a child hasn't "learned to read" by the > end of 3rd grade he or she is doomed. Of course that will be the case if we > believe it to be and give up on the child. We need stories like the one you > have shared to counteract all those baseless generalizations about human > limitation. > > --Ellen > > > At 7:24 AM -0400 9/4/09, kim lum wrote: > >> Just the other night as I met a young girl for my new >> group, I remet her dad, a former student of mine. I reminded him that >> he had become a reader during his year in fourth grade with me. He >> smiled, and his wife said "And he hasn't stopped since." I was so >> tickled to hear that statement. I had always thought that if kids >> could not read by fourth grade, that there wasn't much hope. Well >> twenty-seven years later I know differently. Never give up. There is >> always hope. >> >> > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
