Kennedy - December '17
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“Can I make a pillow?” asked Kennedy while I was re-assembling the sewing machines bobbin case after removing one of the largest tangles of thread I have ever encountered. “Of course – choose the fabric you want from the cupboard and decide how large you want your pillow.”
She proceeded to make five pillows that day, after being shown the basics. She also learned how to take the bobbin case apart, put it together again and re-thread the machine, after she had knotted it up multiple times throughout the day. The following Friday, she showed a SLU volunteer how to sew and they worked together to fill the pillows with rice instead of fiberfill. A few days later she assisted several other students with their sewing projects and made an attempt to fix the machine when it was tangled. |
We love Kennedy because she “harasses” us on the daily with her brilliantly sassy responses. Her originality, and her ability to connect on a deep level with every single person who walks into DRC is inspiring. She has also been overwhelming consumed by, what we call, “de-schooling” mode.
Kennedy, up to that day, had spent a fair amount of time sitting in a chair with her phone, actively avoided any attempt to get her engaged in anything that even remotely resembled a class or lesson.
You see, Kennedy has difficulty reading, and at age 11, she has internalized the stress, fear, trauma, and disappointment that can be associated with any learning disability, but especially one that is so highly visible. As with most people who have trouble decoding, she has been brilliant at masking her reading deficits.
To be clear, Kennedy is an intelligent and bright girl. She has an above average vocabulary for an eleven-year-old, but beyond what we would call book smarts; Kennedy has an abundance of common sense and confidence. She is funny and one of the kindest people I have ever met.
Kennedy simply needed time and a safe space filled with caring people before she could allow those feelings to come to the surface – to recognize them and honor them. Now, she is ready to move forward, probably with baby steps, by discovering interests she didn’t know she had and engaging in the activities that swirl around her every day.
If we had forced her to sit through reading and phonics lessons, made her read books, or even coerced her into taking classes, it would have backfired. She would have pushed back, stuck in her heels, and refused to do anything.
Since that day, she has spent very little time sitting in the chair with her phone. Besides her sewing projects, she has been motivated to take on new challenges like baking cookies, making real mac and cheese, pizza, and helping the Seedlings with their many projects. She has read Dr. Seuss books with Chris and she spends a great deal of time cleaning up – doing dishes and scrubbing the utility sink till it sparkles.
I have every confidence that Kennedy will learn to read. She won’t do it because she is supposed to, but because she has discovered it is important to her and she wants to.
Kennedy, up to that day, had spent a fair amount of time sitting in a chair with her phone, actively avoided any attempt to get her engaged in anything that even remotely resembled a class or lesson.
You see, Kennedy has difficulty reading, and at age 11, she has internalized the stress, fear, trauma, and disappointment that can be associated with any learning disability, but especially one that is so highly visible. As with most people who have trouble decoding, she has been brilliant at masking her reading deficits.
To be clear, Kennedy is an intelligent and bright girl. She has an above average vocabulary for an eleven-year-old, but beyond what we would call book smarts; Kennedy has an abundance of common sense and confidence. She is funny and one of the kindest people I have ever met.
Kennedy simply needed time and a safe space filled with caring people before she could allow those feelings to come to the surface – to recognize them and honor them. Now, she is ready to move forward, probably with baby steps, by discovering interests she didn’t know she had and engaging in the activities that swirl around her every day.
If we had forced her to sit through reading and phonics lessons, made her read books, or even coerced her into taking classes, it would have backfired. She would have pushed back, stuck in her heels, and refused to do anything.
Since that day, she has spent very little time sitting in the chair with her phone. Besides her sewing projects, she has been motivated to take on new challenges like baking cookies, making real mac and cheese, pizza, and helping the Seedlings with their many projects. She has read Dr. Seuss books with Chris and she spends a great deal of time cleaning up – doing dishes and scrubbing the utility sink till it sparkles.
I have every confidence that Kennedy will learn to read. She won’t do it because she is supposed to, but because she has discovered it is important to her and she wants to.
