How is my service learning?

For my service learning experience, I have spent fifteen hours so far assisting a first grade newcomer at a local school. I haven't worked with a newcomer who had no previous English language skills before. It was a challenge. I'm learning on the go. I like to think I am the solid and positive person in this young girl's life. I know it's a short time but I hope I leave a good impression. I like to think I'm getting the swing of things.

The newcomer has grown so much. She has been in school for six weeks now. She can produce a few words that is her own. Since she is pre-production language acquisition stage, she is learning receptive language and parrot language back. Since she's a very bright girl, I feel she could actually participate in very simple conversations by June.

I have made mistakes along the way. But I do learn from them. Mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow. Anyways, I go there on Thursday mornings. I have fifteen more hours to go to complete my volunteer requirements for my service learning class.

I will share with you what happened two days ago. During double dose of reading, the newcomer read to me. Sometimes she would test me and be the teacher. I would read the word and she usually repeats after me. In the middle of practice reading time, she worked on counting coins and the names of them. I kept saying the names of the coins and she repeated after me. After that quick math practice, I asked her if she wants to go back to reading. She said, "Yes" excitedly. She read aloud the next story. It was exciting that I was able to actually work with her. It's a victory! I feel that I was able to celebrate with this young student in her accomplishments that morning.