The Michel family received a very special gift this holiday season.
Their daughter Kristy, 12, learned to read.
This accomplishment was no small feat. Kristy, a student at Syre Elementary school, has cerebral palsy, which makes it especially hard for Kristy to do many of the things other kids her age do without much thought, such as walk, run, write and learn.
At a young age, Kristy’s parents were told it would be best for her to be put in a special education classroom, but the Michel family worked out a plan with the school to keep Kristy with mainstream students.
“We didn’t want Kristy in a self-contained special ed class because she would not get the inclusion and encouragement and modeling from other kids her age,” Kristy’s mom, Eugenia Michel said.
And with the support and encouragement of her family, Kristy soon began receiving help from local tutor Lisa Lawson several times a week for more than an hour to help with her school work load.
The Michel family credits her learning to read to the work Lawson has done with Kristy.
Over the past three years the two have worked together, Kristy’s abilities have grown immensely, Lawson said. When she first came to see her, Kristy could barely hold a pencil steady on a piece of paper. Today, she is writing short stories and reading chapter books.
“My goal for her is to just learn something new every time she comes,” Lawson said.
Where before she was frustrated at just trying to read, she now enjoys stories about Junie B. Jones and the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and dreams of one day becoming a kindergarten teacher, Eugenia Michel said.
But the results of the tutoring sessions are clear not only in her academic successes, but in her self esteem as well.
“She no longer says ‘I’m stupid, Mom,” Eugenia Michel said.
Kristy’s positive attitude also has played a big role in her success. Several times she has had a fever or a bad cold and still begged her mom not to make her miss a session with Lawson.
“She’s always had a good attitude towards learning, and that makes a big difference for any child,” Lawson said.
And that trait, combined with Kristy’s determination, is what will help her continue her success in the future, Lawson said.
“You’ve got a lot of spunk,” Lawson said to Kristy during a recent tutoring session. “You just don’t quit — you keep going all the time.”
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