Burns _ TP#13

Another long session with David that was very productive.  My sessions with David typically run from 90 to 120 minutes, so they have already exceeded the anticipated hours by at least four.  At first, the extra time was finding ways to encourage David to complete all the work he should accomplish.  He would typically do his math homework, followed by language arts homework, followed by grade appropriate reading of several pages and chapters.   Then he would make entries into his reading journal.  At first, this was a challenging process, but David's evasions revealed a great deal regarding his intrinsic motivation.  His evasions were things to study and understand in order to help him. He is a complex young man.

After the "wonder what happens next?" and making predictions have become internalized, David now reads so much more than he  did at the beginning.  In this session, he made a prediction when he was just two pages from the end of the expectation for this session.  David read six pages to make certain that his prediction was correct.  The session ran well past 90 minutes, but David was working hard throughout the entire time. 

When I showed him an appropriate grade level book that I had checked out for him, his first reaction was, "You joined the library just to check out a book for me?"  He thrives on extra encouragement and special steps taken to assist him; and every time his mom tells him how proud she is of him, he asks, "You are proud of me?"  He took the book I had checked out, looked through it  and then found another book at the same level.  He read the first chapter of that book.  This is the first time that David has picked a spot on grade appropriate book to read.  Until now, he tended to pick books he already knew or at a level too low. 

Many things are going on here as Mrs. Hong and I work together to unlock the keys to David's existing patterns of self-motivation.  See conversation partner summary of conversations with David's mom.  They have changed markedly over the last two weeks  More smiles.  Less frustration.