A reflection on ‘reading recovery’
A child enters the room.
He is Kandy by name.
A sweet little boy
Who will one day have fame.
He cannot understand
What clue to look for.
He doesn’t get the language,
“Wat dat?” he would roar.
A prompt from the teacher
And then he would know.
His confidence slowly
Beginning to grow.
One day he lit up.
A word that he saw.
He recognized it
From somewhere before.
“That was in Dinosaur book.”
He jumped up and ran to have a look.
The teacher smiled. He got the connection.
There even was a self-correction.
And Kandy was on his way.
He would graduate
One day.
That day arrived.
The teacher cried.
“I’ve made a difference to a child.”
Tentatively back to the selection.
To the classroom for the collection.
“Not me this time.”
He proudly calls, “I’m fine.”
A huge smile appears.
I’ve made a difference
To go on for many years.
by Paula Cardenzana
