last dayof the literacy tutoring...

... was sort of anti-climatic. The kids read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" book by Eric Carle. The one I remember reading to my kids was a smaller version, a board book easily managed by small chubby hands with chunky fingers. It also had severely frayed yarn that represented the caterpillar as it went from page to page, feeding it's way through a variety of foods. After hatching from a tiny white egg, it ate a hole through an apple, two pears, three plums, four oranges, and a variety of other items including a hot dog, a cupcake and a wedge of watermelon.

My two little readers had two other adults come this week and read the book to them, complete work sheets designed to reinforce some part of what they learned: letters, colors, beginning word sounds. And there will be two more for the last two days of the week. One of my girls said she did not like to color, which is what the reinforcing work required, so we were done in record time. I told her I would not be seeing her again, as the last day of the assigned eight weeks for me would be on Veteran's Day when schools will be closed.

Sadly, I am not convinced that the concerted efforts of five different individuals coming to the school for five mornings over a period of two months has had much impact. But I do not know how the possibility of improvement is evaluated, so not sure whether they have improved their skills or not. If there are learning disabilities or the desire to learn to understand written language is not there, I'm not sure how would go about instilling the curiosity and desire to develop skills necessary to decipher the baffling symbols.

I just got an email today from someone who is involved with the local Ferst Foundation, that provides reading materials for children to help improve literacy: a book a month for the first five years. They feel like the intervention being done with kids who are pre-K, Headstart and Kindergarten is not occurring at a young enough age, as well as insufficient to improve skills and break the cycle. And therefore are making a effort to partner with other groups who have similar goals with a desire to unify efforts and become more efficient at delivery of programming.