the reading notebook

Maddy explains a bit from her Italian reading notebook to friend Matteo, who is momentarily distracted by an ape. This part of the notebook dates back to September 2008.

Her Italian, though imperfect, has indeed come a long way this school year. Mr. Duncan and I are beyond pleased with her progress & are especially excited about the early literacy. In the recent end-of-year meetings with teachers, the excuse of "maybe she just doesn't understand" was not voiced. In fact, the teachers have spoken quite positively of her progress and see a marked improvement in her involvement and confidence in the daily activities. The reading has not yet totally clicked for her, but we are seeing progress nonetheless. Grazie Dio.

The only thing holding Maddy back, they report, is her inability to appropriately express her emotions. Translation -- she cries over everything. (Yeah, we know. Anyone who knows Maddy well is aware of this. It is a very trying aspect of her character.) The good news is that everyone involved acknowledges the problem and is working together to make a change, AND there has been a bit of improvement since December. I appreciate the individualized attention she receives in her school. I appreciate that the folks looking after my child genuinely care for her.

Next year will mark her final year in the asilo we love so much. Marzia will again be her primary teacher in her little class of 8, but the program for the 3rd year of asilo will be stepped up a notch. The English teacher returns, as does the reading teacher, Ermenia -- oh, how we love Ermenia! There is not word yet on the massage or yoga -- we skipped those end-of-year meetings. Shameful, I know.

School is out for summer! Yippee! (At the suggestion of Ermenia, we have purchased a few specific Italian books for summer reading. Maddy tires of it quickly, and we just don't believe in pushing it too much. We plan, hopefully, to spend at least 10 solid minutes a day with Maddy engaged in reading Italian. Plan.)