Mommy Rewards!

After having so much trouble with reading, Ryan's small improvements are so rewarding. Just a small note of improvement from his teacher brought so much joy to both Ryan and myself. He ran from his bus to the door with excitement in his face. He lit up the room as he told me that his teachers had praised him for working so hard at reading. He leaped at me with the biggest hug ever. It made me so happy to share in his happiness with himself and his accomplishment. This small step might give his confidence level a boost also. I am hoping that his struggle will get lighter and his confidence stronger as the weeks go by. With half the year gone by, bringing home straight C's doesn't get a kid into the second grade. The word "retention" passed the lips of the teacher and principal, and I was starting to get worried. And of course I also wondered if I had something to do with his failures. Is it too much television or video games? Am I paying enough attention to his schooling? Is it genetic? Should he be tested? I think this is one of those situations where I have to let him go a little, and let him figure it out on his own. The principal had said that his brain is just a bit immature to grasp the concept of reading right now. She also explained that this is not his fault or mine. Hearing that helped me to stop blaming myself for his struggles with reading. Since that conversation with the principal, he has recieved two notes from his teacher indicating that he has been improving in reading. I hope this is real improvement, and not improvement brought on by my meeting with the principal. We all know that those things happen!! In a sea of 25 children in one classroom, Ryan might actually be getting a bit more of the individual attention that he requires. This also could be a result of that meeting!! As a parent, I want my children to enjoy school and not wake up in the morning dreading the events of the day. Getting help as soon as learning problems appear can prevent a snowball effect in years to come. If they are not understanding the material now, as the years go on their stuggles will become even harder to overcome. My children don't have to get all A's and B's, I just want them to be able to understand what they are being taught.