struggles

So the Monday morning following the fair I received a call from Abby's resource teacher. I just missed getting to the phone so she left a voice mail saying she needed to talk to me asap regarding a program she'd like Abby to participate in. So I called her right back and she outlined the program for me. It's from Toronto Sick Kid's research department and there is pros and cons, she told me.

Pro - this program guarantees success.

Con - this program is intense and requires 4 sixty minute sessions per week. They will not pull her out of a literacy period, so she'll be missing gym, which means no grade in gym this year.

I'm not going to lie to you, by the time she was done I was one weepy Mama. It is no secret Abby has been struggling with her reading since she finished up first grade behind the rest of her class. She had an IEP for second grade and she had improved her reading from a level 10 to an 18 in that school year. I asked the resource teacher how she felt Abby was progressing with the aids we already had in place. Her response was, "how do I put this diplomatically? Abby is following her own unique learning curve. She is getting there, we'd just like to see her get there a little bit faster."

I honestly felt like my heart was being crushed. I mean she's at a great school with really great teachers and I know she'll get there, but I just hate to see her struggle. I mean I see her sitting there with her fairy books and she's flipping through the pages so it looks like she's reading it and she likely is to some extent, but when I ask her what the story is about she tells me she can't remember. I feel bad because clearly she wants to be able to read it.

So she's started the program and there is definite improvement. There's also a lot of tears. She hates missing gym and spending so much time away from her class. Now we add Maya into the mix. Maya who's picking everything up at school with such ease that even Abby's noticed that it's easier for her little sister than it is for her. Gah! So she struggles and pouts and cries and feels sorry for herself. And let me tell you, it is no easy to task to figure out how to be encouraging to both of them. Reports come home in a week or so and parent teacher interviews follow soon after, can't wait to hear what they have to say.