Teacher Tech: One Reluctant Reader

      She entered class ready to fight.  Jennifer informed me straightaway that she hated me, my school and my class.  At recess she was seldom out of trouble for hitting, name calling or both.  She refused to do any of the activities the other students performed, pronouncing each undertaking “for babies”.  After two weeks of this I was able to find a quiet table in the library with just her and me.  It was there, her chin quivering and her chest heaving with emotion, that she told me she couldn’t read and she knew she was stupid.

            I had to teach her to read.

            My approach with Jennifer had four components: 

            •Using her own words, I would write them on strips and have her read them back.  We collected these in a log that she illustrated.

            •She participated in our class reading lessons pretending to read.  Sometimes I'd set her up with a memorized paragraph that I'd ask her to "read" to the class.

            •Reading an easy, but high-interest book with me, I gave her the support to read parts of it back to me and, eventually with peers.

            •Reading great children’s books from the easy book section of the library, she soon discovered a world that was safe and alluring.

            Although I saw steady changes in Jennifer’s reading skills, she still seemed defeated, angry and reluctant to try.  Every lesson was a struggle between us.  Frustrating my efforts was that she would not work with peers or other adults.  And like a steady rain, the behavior referrals continued to drown out the sounds of her progress.

            Why did she continue to resist my efforts to teach her?  Perhaps she did not see the progress so evident to me.  Soon, part of each lesson included recognizing her progress and learning how she should be expected to feel about it.  In essence, I had to force her to be successful, then compel her to notice it.  The result was like watching a tropical flower bloom in time lapse.

            Jennifer changed.  First I’d notice she was reading with another student.  Then, she’d read with my parent volunteer.  I’d see her read for pleasure during her free time.  She’d check out library books and bring them back the next day to exchange for more.  Her shiny nose was constantly in a book.  Her progress became less of a trickle and more like a roaring waterfall, breathtaking in its beauty and significance. 

            Like a tap shutting off abruptly, the behavior referrals stopped.  Jennifer was reading.  Jennifer liked to read, and she was proud of herself.  Her self-esteem was so high, she could learn other things as well, like how to play nicely with others.

            The rest of that school year was not without problems for Jennifer, but she had gained the key to future success.  She could read.

            I’ve been teaching for 35 years, and have received many kind notes from students and parents, but the one I treasure most is the lopsided note that Jennifer wrote thanking me for teaching her how to “read and be good”.  For Jennifer , reading was everything.