at home reading tutoring part 13

Thursday SJ had his other reading tutoring session.  He was a little crabby when Mrs. Banks arrived, but I reminded him of their deal.  He seemed to settle down quickly after I reminded him.  Mrs. Banks told me she was going to be doing Martin Luther King Jr. activities.  I wasn't sure how much he knew about MLK Jr., but Mrs. Banks said he knew quite a bit.  He told her he remembered watching a video about him in 2nd grade and he listed off some facts about him to her. 

She started out the session with a Reader's Theater called "Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." by Beth Beutler.  There were only three characters and only one was a boy.  SJ chose to read the role of Joseph (he told Mrs. Banks that was his middle name).  The three kids were assigned to do a project about MLK Jr.  They decided to focus on his role in the bus boycott. 

Next, they read a story called "What Desegregation Meant to Margaret" by Brenda B. Covert.  It was a story told from an African American girl's perspective.  It was set in 1957.  It told of how the Little Rock Nine got into an all white school.  The little girl's parents wanted to get her into a white school too. She knew it was unfair that there were separate schools, but she just wanted to go to school with her friends. 

After the story, SJ had to answer 6 questions.  He needed to find the date the Little Rock Nine got into Central High (September 24, 1957), whether Margaret wanted to get a better education (yes), what was wrong with Margaret's school (walk not good, bathrooms out of order, ceiling peeling off), why Margaret and her friends didn't ride the bus (whites ride the bus, blacks don't) and how he would feel if people who looked him had to go to worse schools and ride in the back of the bus (I would feel ashamed).  I know it is a part of history, but it makes me sad to believe things like that actually occurred. 

The last thing they worked on was a story about SJ.  He had to fill in answers about our family, his favorites, his activities and his dreams.  Here are some of my favorite answers.

Favorite Song:  Gangham Style

Favorite Book:  The 39 Clues

Favorite Music:  Rock

Favorite Food:  Pizza and spaghetti

Favorite Drink:  Kool-aid

Favorite Movie:  Planet 51

Sports:  Basketball

Club:  Lego Club

Hobby:  To play outside

Entertainment:  Kennywood

After school I:  eat food

On the weekends my: Dad buys donuts on Saturdays or Sundays

I wish:  I was an adult

I Really Want to:  not do chores

I Hope to Learn:  Many things like learn how to be a cop

When I Grow Up I'd Like to:  Stay at my house and be a cop

At first, he told Mrs. Banks that he wasn't in any clubs, but then he remembered the Lego Club.  When he said he didn't want to do chores, she told him that no one likes to do chores.  When he said he wished he was an adult, he said then I wouldn't be telling him what to do (but if he is still in my house he will still have to listen to my rules).  He told her he didn't want to go to college and that is why he wanted to be a cop. She reminded him that cops go to the Police Academy, which is still school.  He didn't know how to take that.  I still love that we now have a permanent reminder of what he loved at this age.  That is priceless, so thanks Mrs. Banks.