It has been so exciting to see the progress that my kids have been showing over the course of one semester. With new corps members on our team, we are able to have more one-on-one time with each child. I can only imagine how much more significant each class time will be with a smaller reading group. One of my partner children started off the year with the ability to spell and read his name. Now, he is able to read the names of his reading group peers, too. One of my other partner children could not tell which one her name was for the longest. Suddenly, in November, she came out of nowhere and picked out her name. It was so great watching her reading group peers support her and feel as excited as she was. I am still working on her behavior during reading. I have started to realize that asking her more questions makes her feel more important to the success of the group. She feels like she has a stake in the others’ learning if she gives them the right answer. My youngest partner is showing a clear improvement in meaning and use of print. He realized that in order to remember what had happened in the book before required turning back the pages to read the words. He still has trouble finding his name, but he has begun to figure out some of the letters. I had one child last semester who has now gone to a different reading group with the addition of two new corps members. He was the little leader in our group, so I am sad that he is not with our group anymore. He showed great improvement both behaviorally and educationally. Even when he did not understand things very well, he would be excited to learn. His zeal encouraged the other kids to participate, too. I am excited to see what this semester will bring. I hope to see all the kids on Tuesday and assess my goals for the semester.
~Leanza Bethel
Corps member
Team Kindness
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