Rousing Readers

In addition to Lwandlekazi high school, I also have spent quite a bit of time at Ben Sinuka primary, an elementary school just down the street.  I really had some reservations about this because of last year’s fiasco at Pendla.  There was a whole lot of playing with my mlungu hair, and playing hopscotch at recess, but not a whole lot deeper connection.  Lwandlekazi has been the opposite of that this year.  I have 15 or so students who are like my brothers and sisters.  They call me at night to make sure that I’m coming the next day.  I’ve taken them to the doctor when they need to go.  We go to the beach, we go hiking, I visit their families.  I know them, like I really know them.  Their interest in me isn’t because I have blonde hair that they like to play with, it’s because they know me.  Anyway- I was nervous because I just wasn’t sure that I would be able to have that fruitful (and frustrating) relationship at the primary school level.

To some degree I was right, but on another level, the shift is what I needed.  When I started at Lwandlekazi, I was so amped to make this difference, and inspire kids, and change lives!  Whatever that means…..  Ya, so that isn’t realistic.  But at Ben Sinuka, I really am able to see academic improvement.  YESSSSSSS!

Basically, Blake and I have launched this reading program with a grade 3 class to provide intensive, one on one, extra help for each learner.  It’s this well researched program out of the University of Utah that has won all kinds of fancy awards for its success, so we were like, well shoot, let’s try it!  We each have a handful of kids who we meet with every other day for 30 minutes at a time.  We work on the alphabet, then read a few short stories, play some memory games, and work on pronunciation.  The first few times were mediocre at best.  The kids would just stare at me, and hold my hand, and call me mlungu (white person).  They would repeat what I would read, without looking at the page.

We are now in our second month, and I must say, my girls are getting better.  They are less fascinated with me, probably because they are more comfortable with me now.  We can focus on the lesson, which is going swimmingly.  The grade 3 teacher has commented to me that their comprehension is getting better and better. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS tangible success! And it feels good.

Then we open up the library to the other kids, who FLOOD in with excitement.  Literally 50 kids in a small room, all looking to color, or play puzzles, or read with us.  It’s quite entertaining.