A Reading Success Story
Juan Dean comes out of his shell
Juan-Dean attends Pinelands North Primary and was identified as a struggling learner when he was in Grade 1. He was paired with a volunteer, Wendy, who has been working with him for just over a year. In the beginning, she was faced with a shy and withdrawn boy, afraid to read and lacking in confidence and self esteem.
“Juan-Dean was at first apprehensive and nervous about reading, and wasn’t willing to try,” says Wendy. She had to initiate most of the interaction and had to give him guidance on what to do during the reading sessions.
Mind shift allows enthusiasm and confidence to shine through.
Juan-Dean is making tremendous progress as a result of the help2read sessions. One-to-one reading time provides him with a safe environment for learning and space to flourish. Now that books are no longer scary and there is no pressure to get everything right, Juan-Dean tells Wendy what he wants to do in their reading time. He is enthusiastic about picking the books which he now reads with confidence and expression.
“He has shown improvement in reading and numeracy, especially problem-solving,” his teacher says joyfully.