As a teacher I totally understand the need for some children to receive extra help in something, and in 15 years of teaching I've never thought twice about it... until Blondie went to school. This past Friday as I was handing out letters for a special program that my students can receive for extra help in math and reading it suddenly occurred to me that Blondie might qualify.
Hmmmm.... I thought. She left Kindergarten reading basic words, and continues to work on it, and I know she could read more than others, but I wonder.......
Blondie trooped into my classroom after school and was very excited to hand me a letter from the school saying she qualified for this same program. I have to admit my heart dropped. This was coming a day after she cried in the morning because she didn't want to wear her brace to school because she is tired of answering questions from all of the kids who didn't know her last year. I'm tired. I'm worn out. It's only September.
I'm of two minds with the program. On the one hand she is going to be pulled out of class for small group instruction using a program that has been very researched by people I respect. On the other hand it makes her different, she misses small group instruction in reading in class, and although she isn't the only one, she will have to get up and physically leave class to receive this instruction. Now I know this is a child who would cry last year because by November she decided that she wasn't as smart as other kids and I don't want her to struggle, but I always want her to be able to complete work on an appropriate level.
Sigh.
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