Tuesday, April 4, 2023

 Tuesday, April 4, 2023

    I had to get up early today because I had an 8:15 a.m. Zoom session with a student in California. This would be our first session. I knew this first-grade child personally; that's how his mother knew about me. He was way ahead of his grade in math; he was doing fourth-grade work. However, he's behind in his reading, particularly in contrast to his advanced math skills. I was nervous about working with him. I am before I meet most students for the first time. I don't have a prepared script, and I don't know the student's needs. His mom sent me lists of words for astronomy, his latest passion.

  I started with his name, Steven. (Not his real name.) I asked him, "How many bounces are in your name?" after explaining how to determine the number. I teach students to put their thumbs under their chins and say their names as if they are calling someone at a distance. It is often difficult to feel the bounces if the name or word is said in a normal conversational tone. I did not tell him each bounce represented a syllable. I didn't introduce that term. I wanted to keep his focus on the physical experience, not some abstract concept. It took a minute to get him to understand what he had to do.

  When he was clear, there were two bounces. Then he said, "Six divided by three is two." There are six letters in his name and two bounces. He viewed reading through the lens of math. Math does come into play in reading; understanding probability is vital when reading English. However, using math as he did is a little like learning to swim using your outstanding tennis skills. It doesn't work that well.

  After a few rounds, he got it. Then, we identified the number of bounces in every word in a long list of words related to astronomy. He got all of them right. He had some number flash cards. He wanted to work on those. I had him tell me how many bounces were in the numbers. With any luck, he will drive his mom crazy for the rest of the vacation, announcing how many bounces are in each word.

  I texted his mom, asking her to call me. I told her what I had learned about his learning style and what I had worked on. While I was teaching syllable division, the lesson's main objective was grounding him in his senses to determine the sounds in words. I hope I have accomplished that. The lesson took fifteen minutes, about the right length for Steven.

  His mom and I discussed when to meet again. I proposed tomorrow, then changed my mind. He needs more time to let the lesson percolate. We decided on Thursday morning at seven-fifteen. I wanted to introduce hearing the individual sounds within the syllables. Then, we will spend a few sessions going through the astronomy words his mom sent me, followed by words that use the same pattern to have him apply his knowledge. Finally, I will have him decode words in a story and use inferencing skills to figure out what they are, even if he doesn't have the perfect pronunciation.

   I called Utah Valley University. Paulette reminded me that some states reciprocate with others, offering students reduced fees so they don't have to carry the burden of out-of-state tuition. Yes, UVU is in the consortium, but it doesn't lessen the tuition as much as in-state residency does. If a student plans to get a full degree with them, they are better off paying the full fee the first year and applying for in-state residency. It will save them more money. I also checked if they had a theater arts department and a law enforcement one. These are the two areas of study B's grandson is interested in.

  I called Kia to say that my electric charging port was broken. The first time I tried the new plug, it worked. The second time, it didn't. I had to pop the hood and pull on the emergency release. I thought the problem was with the port, not the plug. I called Kia. The guy asked me if the car was locked. No. It wasn't. I never lock my car. Again, he told me to press the button twice. This time, he was clearly referring to the fob, not the button on the plug. When he said to press the button twice before, I thought he was referring to the release button on the plug. What would the fob, used for unlocking the doors and starting the car, have to do with an electric port? Well, it does have something to do with the electric port. I plugged in the charger. I pushed the open car door button twice, and the plug came right out. I hope this continues to work.

   I finally did laundry. It was the first day in a while that promised enough sunshine so the clothes could be line-dried. It threatened rain in the afternoon, but a few hours of Hawaiian sun would dry the clothes. I was out walking when it started to drizzle. I rushed home and got the mostly dry clothes off the line. Ah!

   I had a session with third-grade KPS this afternoon. We worked for an hour. We were supposed to work on reading for half an hour and talk for the second half. We went back and forth. The teacher and her grandma told me there were problems with her comprehension. She deviates too far from the text with her answers. I used the Four Sources of Information model I developed with third-grade K. With children who already demonstrate linguist competence, I don't need to use the WbyW method, asking detailed questions about each sentence. I can use the Four Source model.

  The passage was about how parent birds taught their babies what to eat. KPS said it was about teaching the baby birds how to eat. She said their mother demonstrated how to chew. She balked when I asked her to reread the passage and see if it described the parents doing something like that. One excuse after the other: I was nervous; I misread it. I said her teacher and her grandma noticed a problem with her comprehension; she said she had never heard her read. I spent time getting her to admit she had a problem. I told her she had to choose between improving a skill or spending time arguing she didn't have a problem in the first place. It made her think. I also reminded her this is what her mother did whenever you told her you didn't like something she did. KPS said, "My mom is getting better."

   At one point, KPS said, "Am I being mean to you?" She was being evasive and uncooperative but not mean. I told her what mean would sound like. Let's see if she tries to use it. I suspect this child may take comfort in hurting others. No, I would not take it personally. I have great confidence in my teaching ability, enough confidence that I trust myself even if I do make a mistake.

  I offered to model the process for her. That's a perfectly adequate way of teaching. Next time, if she can handle it, I will ask her to classify my processing; which one of the four did the answer fit into:

1.                       Exactly what the words say.

2.                       A good guess of what the words mean using words already in the story.

3.                       Using background knowledge.

4.                       Using imagination or thinking skills.

These are the four categories of knowledge I've developed so far. I modify the list each time I use it.

    In the end, KPS said, "This is fun!" You'd better believe it's fun. It's a game to decode other people's words and figure out precisely what they mean. It is also one of the hardest things to do well, particularly when you're in conflict with another person you care about. This isn't just a reading skill; it's a life skill.

 For the second night, there was no Lutz. I called him to check if he was okay. He said he had a 'two-day' cold he had caught from his son, and it had been raining. He wanted to lie low to get over the cold quicker.