Khaloudi's results appeared on the Noor system, announcing his success in the first grade of primary school.

The happy family rejoiced at this 'great achievement,' and the news spread like wildfire: WhatsApp statuses, family groups, social media apps—everyone congratulated 'Khaloudi.'

Khaloudi deserves a party!

He deserves a gift!

You're a hero, Khaloudi!

All that remained was for the family to issue an official statement on this historic occasion!

At the toy store, Khaloudi's father met a friend who congratulated him on his son's success, but he didn't stop at that; he pointed to one of the gift boxes placed on the cashier's table and said:

— Read this word, champion.

Khaloudi looked at the word 'Najiḥ' as if seeing it for the first time, then began to negotiate its letters:

— Maa… La… Naa… Ḥayy…

After exhausting attempts and external help from his father, he barely managed to read it.

And then…

Everything was exposed and became clear.

The friend smiled a yellow smile, and the father smiled a red smile, then he said, trying to salvage what could be saved:

— Maybe he's shy… Otherwise, Khaloudi knows how to read!

The friend shook his head and said, while smoothing over the situation:

— May God guide him… May God guide him. Push him during the break.

The father returned home with a face unlike the one he left with; 'the mouse began to play inside him.'

As for Khaloudi, he forgot the situation, or pretended to forget; he is a child who forgets all life's problems with a new toy. He returned to the joy of success, leaving the adults the task of discovering the truth of this success they created for him, then believed in and applauded.

The mother, whose fingers were nearly cramping from responding to so many congratulations and blessings, saw the father's 'electric' face and asked him with anticipation:

— Your face has changed! Is something wrong?

He told her the story.

Her eyes flew above her eyebrows from the shock, and she said:

— Impossible! His grades are all excellent, and the school never once sent us that he is weak! Only once they sent… because he bothered the teacher!

On the father's face, strange expressions mixed: the look of the 'beaten,' the smile of the disappointed, a bit of sadness and anger, and a lot of blame.

The family decided to form an emergency committee to evaluate Khaloudi in the subject 'My Language,' then the task expanded to include the rest of the subjects.

The committee was formed as follows:

Father: Committee director.

Mother: Rapporteur.

Elder sister: Discussant and expert who does not accept the answer 'I don't know.'

Khaloudi was called from his toy world and sat before the committee, everyone repeating in their heart:

'O Lord, let him have been shy!'

The assessment began:

Read this word.

Write this sentence.

Analyze the word.

Assemble the syllables.

What did you understand from the text?

The result was shocking and painful.

Khaloudi knows some letters, stumbles on others, reads few words with effort, is weak in phonological analysis, confuses spelling, and as for reading comprehension, it was waiting for reading to come first!

The committee reached a result that needs neither stamp nor signature:

'Khaloudi… is in trouble!'

Khaloudi carried his backpack for a whole year, went to school and returned, opened and closed his books, but the image of books carried without yielding skill brought to mind the Almighty's saying:

'Like the donkey carrying books' (Surah Al-Jumu'ah, verse 5).

Books carried, clear silence from the school and family, and basic skills that did not reach him by the end of the year.

Yet, Khaloudi is not the accused.

He is a child.

He will not run after his mother or teacher saying:

— I think I have a gap in phonological analysis, and I need a gradual remedial program!

Nor will he knock on his teacher's door asking for a re-explanation of a skill he did not even realize he had not mastered.

A child may memorize the lesson's shape, imitate his classmates, or succeed in passing some easy questions, but he cannot alone discover his weaknesses or build a remedial plan for himself.

Here comes the role of adults:

A family that follows up.

A teacher who explains.

A school that communicates.

Not that everyone remains silent until a small word on a gift box screams.

A child's success in 'Noor' is nice news, but it is not the end of monitoring, especially in cases like Khaloudi's.

Grades and reports are indicators that may sometimes be inaccurate, but the truth appears when the child reads, writes, is dictated to, analyzes, and understands what he read.

So if you have not followed up with your child during his school year and are not sure of his mastery of skills, through cooperation with the school and regular home review, his success may be fake!

And here we do not accuse the child, nor whip him, nor turn the break into a punitive camp.

Rather, we calmly evaluate, identify the starting point, then build a program that suits his real need.

The gist of the matter

Children passing from first to second grade are of three types:

First: A child who has mastered the skills

He reads, writes, dictates, analyzes, and understands what he reads at an appropriate level.

This one does not need a remedial program, but a light summer program to reinforce and develop his skills, through appropriate stories, short daily reading, and gradual introduction to the 'My Language' textbook for second grade.

Do not overload him, and do not let the skill rust.

Second: A child with weakness in some skills

He may read well, but is weak in spelling.

Or knows letters, but stumbles in word composition.

Or reads the text, but does not understand its meaning.

Here we need to precisely identify weaknesses in: phonological analysis, reading, spelling, writing, and reading comprehension.

Then we set up a moderate program that treats weaknesses and strengthens strengths, instead of repeating everything as if he learned nothing.

Third: A child who has not mastered basic skills

This one needs a structured and relatively intensive remedial program, starting from his real level, not from the grade name he moved to.

The child may be enrolled in second grade while some of his skills are still at the beginning of first grade.

Starting from his real level does not mean belittling him; rather, it is the shortest way to save him before the gap widens.

Before concluding

Do not give in to the children's desires, and be firm in making use of the break; you may face stubbornness and refusal from the child, who sees it as days for eating, drinking, and playing, with no place for a book or pen!

But do not make firmness into screaming, punishment, or deprivation.

Use reward and encouragement when building skills and reinforcing strengths.

And if the child refuses to comply or tries to evade the program, deal with him with calm firmness and appropriate educational consequences.

Do not punish him for mistakes, nor for slow learning, nor for a skill he has not yet mastered.

True firmness is to set a clear program, a short fixed time, follow up calmly, and encourage progress even if it is small.

Do not punish a child for a gap created by the silence of adults, and do not make him pay the bill for a whole year alone.

A party does not teach a letter.

Gifts do not compose a word.

WhatsApp statuses do not create a reader.

You gave Khaloudi a box with 'Najiḥ' written on it, and the truest gift you can give him is to teach him how to read it himself…

Before a stranger at the cashier asks him to read it.

Keywords

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#FamilySchoolCooperationInEducation

#MyLanguageSkillsFirstGradePrimary

#ReasonsForStudentSuccessWithoutSkillMastery