So, I’m helping the kids with their homework during the afternoon homework session at the center. Two of the kids (7 – 8 years old) decide that having a shoving contest with me was a better idea than doing homework. Once we got that settled (I won) they were supposed to sit and read.
One of the pair does not read well, and doesn’t like reading. He didn’t see any point in learning.
The next morning I got a sheet of paper and took it over to him. I told him that for the rest of the day, any time someone asked him how he was doing, he had to reply but could only use one of two phrases. I wrote the following on the page.
I am great!
I am a jerk.
Then I told him to pick which phrase he wanted to use. He said he couldn’t read them.
I sat with him while he worked out what the first sentence said. He thought that was a good phrase. Then we worked through the second sentence. He finally got it.
I said ‘Which one of these do you want to use all day?’
He pointed at the first sentence.
‘And that is why it is important for you to learn how to read.’
Don’t know if it made any impression on him or not, but at least I made the attempt.