Sophie TS #6

Yesterday Kiki and I did an academic reading that was slighly above her level (i+1). We started with a more extensive background reading and a discussion about civil disobedience. Kiki then read one paragraph at a time. She would stop reading and I would ask her what she just read, and then I would ask her to find evidence in the text to explain her summary. She had to point out key words to me, such as "however" and "yet," as these words explained the contradictions within the piece. If she didn't understand any words, we used surrounding context and root words to figure out what they might mean before looking them up. The reading communicated some complex ideas about social unrest and the tangible impact it has (or lack thereof). The first paragaph of the piece made much more sense once one has read the last paragraph; this set-up challenged Kiki to comprehend a non-linear, subtle connection established throughout the piece. I believe this encouraged her to establish a firm comprehension of the reading and frequently check in while reading to make sure she understands the author's point. After finishing the reading, we discussed our thoughts on it and summarized what we learned. Kiki noted that she felt accomplished after having understood a piece that made little sense to her at the beginning of the session. 

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