Friday, June 7, 2019

(1111) The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon

I read this book quite a few years ago in my niece's house.

It is written in the words of an Asperger Syndrome boy. I have taught a similar but less severe boy in Silver City. He was actually my good friend's student. Despite the many books in the book shelve my friend provided, he was not interested. I told my friend that many boys in that category may be reading on a grade 3 level but do not read for pleasure. She asked me what would be the best thing to do?

I suggested the mum bring him to the town council library and each time I borrow my twenty two books I would supervise him for an hour. The very first time he just stared at me for that one hour. The second time I found him a few wordless book with beautiful illustrations and that occupied him for a few minutes. After that he roamed around the library and after half an hour found a cartoon book. He finished it right when I was done and I took him to his waiting mum. The third time his mum came in to apply for membership cards for him.

All in it took about six visits and he was then on his own. According to his mum, he selected his two allotted books, read them within a week and was always looking forward to the next visit. He progressed from cartoons to books with pictures and then moved on to higher level illustrated books with sentences. Gradually the sentences turned into paragraphs. After three years or so, he started reading books without pictures. Funny thing is : all his other siblings preferred TV to books.

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