LTS Literacy Lessons | Session 2
Name of Tutee: Jayven
1. Jayven’s engagement in the literacy lessons with regards to:
a. Attention to
the lesson and tasks
Jayven was
wholly responsive in every aspect of our session. He had a presence of mind and
concentration which he only locked on what we were doing. He never once looked
at the other cluster of people surrounding us nor entertained a few of his
classmates who would pass by and take a peek at our activity. The only time
that he stopped doing an activity and looked around was when his neck ached
from crouching in order to write on the ground. He then asked me if we could go
to the side of the covered court where there is an elevated floor for him to
use as a makeshift table. Unfortunately, that side of the court was greatly
exposed to the sun’s harsh rays. So I just urged him to endure writing on the
ground in the meantime and assured him that I will bring own travelling table so
that he will not have any trouble next time.
b. Effort to accomplish a task
I see Jayven as a naturally determined child. Unlike some other
kids, he does not seem to force himself or even “try” to exert effort because
it is already natural to him. He is relaxed and at ease during our session
which made me consider that maybe these kinds of activities is in his comfort
zone. Although there were some details during the session that he sometimes missed,
these were literally too small to take note and would not debunk my impression
that he generally never had any difficulty finishing the tasks at hand.
c. Attitude towards task, teacher, and others
Until now, it still surprises me how well-behaved Jayven is. He
has this sense of understanding towards himself and his environment. He knows
what kind of behavior is appropriate during a particular moment and what is
not. He also does not take advantage of me and would always insist for me to
buy him just enough food when I offer to buy him a lot.
Last session, when we finished early, I saw how Jayven interacts
with his classmates. Even then, he was still a sweet boy. He would smile and
wave his hand at them and that would be it. He did not ask me if he could go
play tag with them. He also did not force me to play tag with him unlike the
other groups. He did not become envious of what the other groups were doing
which is what I expect from an 8-year old boy. Personally, I think Jayven’s
psychological maturity is quite unique and is something that I adore.
2.
Jayven’s display of:
a. Understanding of the lesson
It is apparent that Jayven already has the knowledge of the lesson
outcome. He has shown this by going through each activity smoothly and by
accomplishing each task correctly and independently. Thus, the only matter that
I have to emphasize during the session was the simple directions of the
activities that he has to accomplish. Having said this, my primary goal last
session was not to make him understand the lesson but to go beyond that. This
means, to reinforce and refine his knowledge of the lesson and to somehow
expand it.
b. Motivation and interest in learning literacy skills and
others
Jayven demonstrated his drive and interest to learn the lesson and
to learn more than that by actively participating in the session. He did not
just do the activities because I ask him to, but because he wanted to. He
validated this by asking to do more activities when he managed to finish
everything already. He also offered to play some riddle and word games during
his snack time.
Jayven enjoys and is very interested in stories. He likes
reading and being read to. I think reading comprehension is one of his
strengths. But more than that, he also thoroughly enjoys when I ask him to draw
or color something during an activity. I think this gives him a break and helps
him to think of the session as fun and exciting.
3. Initiative
in literacy (reading, understanding & writing) learning
Jayven revealed to me last session
that he likes reading books at home. He especially likes riddle books and even
shared some of what he can remember with me. I see this as an initiative in his
part because not all children are curious enough to read on their own. Reading
riddle books is a great start for Jayven because as he grows older, I know that
his interest will expand to other types of books.
4. Challenges and strategies during
the literacy lesson:
The most prominent challenge that I
can remember during our session is my struggle with using the right words and
language that he can understand. I am not used to speaking in straight
Filipino. And most of the time, when I teach literacy lessons to kids, I use
terms in English because I was more exposed to it. For example, I don’t use the
word “titik.” Instead, I use the word “letter.” This little detail is a
nuisance to me because I mostly have to pause while speaking and think of the
right Filipino word. Sometimes it also distracts me from my train of thought
and causes me to not explain things properly to him. This is why I’m grateful
that Jayven is very patient and sensitive to my difficulty because he usually
tries to guess what I was trying to say, making it easier for us both.
Honestly, the only solution that I can think of in response to this challenge
is continued practice. Maybe apart from daily conversations, I should start
using Filipino more often in my academic performance.
Another thing that I realized during the session is how important
variety is. This is in order to maintain the child’s enthusiasm towards the
lesson. Ensuring a smooth transition is also important to keep the child’s
focus within our own little bubble.
5.
Changes in my teaching and in the student’s learning
From last week’s session, I’ve
learned that emphasis in teaching goes a long way in the child’s learning.
Before, I thought teaching the sound of each letter of the alphabet doesn’t
need a lot of time. But because of this session, I realized that it actually
has to be established to the child so that he wouldn’t be confused in the later
stages of his academic life. Creativity also matters. In presenting a lesson to
a child, I realized that you have to think of different ways in presenting
them, and not just sticking to one.
With regards to the child’s learning,
I can say that even though he already knows the lesson, reinforcing it still gives
him progress in terms of his vocabulary and phonological awareness. Last time,
we played a game wherein we have to take turns in saying a word that starts
with the letter M. This game really urged him to think through and I believe, really
improved his literacy skill.
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