In The Best Interest--"Mark's First Lesson"
**Okay hopefully that cleared up any confusion**
Mark sat glumly at the docks when Kristin walked up next to him. "Hey, Mark," she said. Mark was so surprised he almost fell into the water, but he grabbed hold of the pole and paced himself.
"Hi." he answered. "It's time for our first lesson...We have a test next week, and it'd be cool if you passed, right?" she asked, trying to find the right words. "Why don't you just say it? It'd be nice if you can read it?!" he exclaimed.
"That's not what I was trying to say, Mark. I don't CARE that you can't read, okay? You could be the dumbest person and it wouldn't matter. People like Sammy, they get kicks out of making fun of people like you. And you KNOW that, and that's why you let it bother you." she said stubbornly. "No it's not." he snapped, just as stubbornly.
"Listen, I havea newbie to show around later PLUS a whole lot of other stuff I could be doing than teaching you how to read, okay? So either do it or NOT so I can tell Peter that I tried so he will get off my back." she said.
"FINE. I will!" he mumbled an answer. "Okay," she said, calming down, and opened a reader. "What's this?" he asked, frowning at the large writing. "A book." she answered. "Gee, genius!" he snapped. "THis one in my hand is a book called One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. Have you heard of him?" she asked. He shrugged, "Ronica may've read some, but I don't remember any." "Green Eggs and Ham?" she suggested. "Yeah..I know that one. IT was funny."
"Yeah, well this is, too. And this," she said, taking out the second reading workbook, "is a series called 'Be a Better Reader'. THis is level A, the first level, and they go up to level G. We'll be working on them in class, some will be on C but most will probably be on D or F. Only a few of us are on G. You'll probably start in this one." she admitted to him. "Are you in G?" he demanded. SHe shrugged with an embarassed look. "I guess."
"It would figure. Oh well. WHat is this series about?"
"'Be a Better Reader' is a reader. It has passages from a story written, or stories written specifically for the series. Then, you have questions on it. Some are true/false, but most are locating main ideas, and answer-type questions." she explained.
"Have you done thisbook?" he asked, taking it into his hands. "No. I started in C, in the fourth grade when everyone was on that..." she said, again getting embarassed. She didn't want to seem as if she was bragging.
"Oh," was all he answered. "Let's read this one first," he said, pointing to the bright yellow covered book, the Dr. Seuss classic, and he tossed the Be a Better Reader aside. "Okay." she agreed.
By the third page, they were both giggling at the antics at the fishes, and the silly rhymes. "You read this page," she said. He swallowed. "I don't think I can," he said. "Just try." she said.
He did, even though it took him twice as long as it should've if he were able to read. "It's not that you can't read, Mark, it's that you're not on the level you should be." she said when they were finished with the book. "What are you talking about?"
"You're fourteen. The average kid has a reading level one or two years below their age. You should be on a sixth grade, maybe fifth grade level, but by the looks of this, you're probably on a..." she configured it in her head, "a first, maybe a second, maybe even an early third."
He wasn't as happy as she thought he would be. "What's wrong? You should be happy." she said.
"I know, it's just..I feel so stupid compared to you. You're so SMART, and then you trying to teach me how to read, or, excuse me, read on level, makes me feel dumb." he admitted.
"Don't." she snapped, "I'm not that smart, it's just I studied, because I didn't have TIME to do anything else but study fi I wanted to survive with my dad, so don't give me that crap about feeling dumb compared to me, becuase I'd be where you were if I let him control me like you let your parents control you. You have to get past them, because you're going to be no one, which is what they expect you to be!" she finished angrily. "So quit WHINING because I'll get you a real genius to do this..I'll get you Kat, she's real smart. She's the one you should be feeling dumb compared to." she added.
"I didn't mean it that way." he snapped, just as furious. "Whatever. Do page one." she commanded, throwing him the book, stood up, and walked/stomped off.
**Okay hopefully that cleared up any confusion**
Mark sat glumly at the docks when Kristin walked up next to him. "Hey, Mark," she said. Mark was so surprised he almost fell into the water, but he grabbed hold of the pole and paced himself.
"Hi." he answered. "It's time for our first lesson...We have a test next week, and it'd be cool if you passed, right?" she asked, trying to find the right words. "Why don't you just say it? It'd be nice if you can read it?!" he exclaimed.
"That's not what I was trying to say, Mark. I don't CARE that you can't read, okay? You could be the dumbest person and it wouldn't matter. People like Sammy, they get kicks out of making fun of people like you. And you KNOW that, and that's why you let it bother you." she said stubbornly. "No it's not." he snapped, just as stubbornly.
"Listen, I havea newbie to show around later PLUS a whole lot of other stuff I could be doing than teaching you how to read, okay? So either do it or NOT so I can tell Peter that I tried so he will get off my back." she said.
"FINE. I will!" he mumbled an answer. "Okay," she said, calming down, and opened a reader. "What's this?" he asked, frowning at the large writing. "A book." she answered. "Gee, genius!" he snapped. "THis one in my hand is a book called One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. Have you heard of him?" she asked. He shrugged, "Ronica may've read some, but I don't remember any." "Green Eggs and Ham?" she suggested. "Yeah..I know that one. IT was funny."
"Yeah, well this is, too. And this," she said, taking out the second reading workbook, "is a series called 'Be a Better Reader'. THis is level A, the first level, and they go up to level G. We'll be working on them in class, some will be on C but most will probably be on D or F. Only a few of us are on G. You'll probably start in this one." she admitted to him. "Are you in G?" he demanded. SHe shrugged with an embarassed look. "I guess."
"It would figure. Oh well. WHat is this series about?"
"'Be a Better Reader' is a reader. It has passages from a story written, or stories written specifically for the series. Then, you have questions on it. Some are true/false, but most are locating main ideas, and answer-type questions." she explained.
"Have you done thisbook?" he asked, taking it into his hands. "No. I started in C, in the fourth grade when everyone was on that..." she said, again getting embarassed. She didn't want to seem as if she was bragging.
"Oh," was all he answered. "Let's read this one first," he said, pointing to the bright yellow covered book, the Dr. Seuss classic, and he tossed the Be a Better Reader aside. "Okay." she agreed.
By the third page, they were both giggling at the antics at the fishes, and the silly rhymes. "You read this page," she said. He swallowed. "I don't think I can," he said. "Just try." she said.
He did, even though it took him twice as long as it should've if he were able to read. "It's not that you can't read, Mark, it's that you're not on the level you should be." she said when they were finished with the book. "What are you talking about?"
"You're fourteen. The average kid has a reading level one or two years below their age. You should be on a sixth grade, maybe fifth grade level, but by the looks of this, you're probably on a..." she configured it in her head, "a first, maybe a second, maybe even an early third."
He wasn't as happy as she thought he would be. "What's wrong? You should be happy." she said.
"I know, it's just..I feel so stupid compared to you. You're so SMART, and then you trying to teach me how to read, or, excuse me, read on level, makes me feel dumb." he admitted.
"Don't." she snapped, "I'm not that smart, it's just I studied, because I didn't have TIME to do anything else but study fi I wanted to survive with my dad, so don't give me that crap about feeling dumb compared to me, becuase I'd be where you were if I let him control me like you let your parents control you. You have to get past them, because you're going to be no one, which is what they expect you to be!" she finished angrily. "So quit WHINING because I'll get you a real genius to do this..I'll get you Kat, she's real smart. She's the one you should be feeling dumb compared to." she added.
"I didn't mean it that way." he snapped, just as furious. "Whatever. Do page one." she commanded, throwing him the book, stood up, and walked/stomped off.