A little more time can make all the difference

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A little more time can make all the difference

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I have been “I’s” reading /phonics teacher since I started teaching at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran School a little over a year ago.  Of all my students, she is the one who struggled the most. I saw her daily and she worked really hard, but nothing came easy for her.  She struggled with alphabet names and sounds, and putting the sounds together seemed next to impossible.  The end of the school year was approaching, and a meeting with her parents was scheduled to discuss plans for the upcoming year.  Knowing that the parent’s preference for keeping “I” with her current class and age group, I turned to God, praying that we would have the right words and the best outcome for her.  

After concerns were voiced by both teachers and parents, the meeting resulted in the agreement that, with “I’s” best interests in mind, repeating 1st grade would provide more time to gain missing skills.  Hopes were high that with time and continued intervention, she would be able to catch up.   

The gains “I” has made this year are nothing short of amazing.  Everything has been just clicking for her.  What was once confusing is no longer a struggle. She has gone from reading short Consonant-Vowel-Consonant words to learning some basic vowel teams and has expanded her sight-word vocabulary weekly. This has enabled her to read sentences and short stories, sometimes sound by sound but always with determination!  Her mother recently made a post on her Facebook page with a picture of “I” reading a Pete the Cat book over Christmas Break.  Her overall confidence in other subjects has also grown. Most importantly, the fear of her not being with her classmates from previous years has been replaced with hope and expectation that she will continue to progress and will be prepared to move forward at the end of the school year.