Lora TS#14

I had my third session with Astin on July 29^th.  We met at the main library this time and he was super excited as he loves coming to the main library (we met at his house and the Stone building previously).  I think it was a good choice to choose a place that made him excited and I think we should continue to meet here.  His mother had brought some new workbooks for us to work with.  We spent the first half doing phonics work and he seemed to struggle with knowing the sounds – he could sound it out but when deciding that it was a short e, i, o, etc he seemed to feel unsure about it.  We will continue to work on this in the future.  The second half I let him pick out a book and he wanted me to read to him.  I read to him while he followed along and stopped and asked comprehension questions every so often.  There were a few moments throughout the session that he seemed to want to unfocus but I was able to bring him gently back into focus or redirect.  He seemed to engage in our session and I think the keys to keeping him engaged are to gently redirect or refocus him when needed, take his input into consideration and allow when able (so it is a two way street and he feels part of the team), and to notice when it is time to shift focus to another activity before he shuts down.  I really enjoy working with this sweet and enthusiastic boy.