Does an orphan have a mother too?

I have started to listen to some of the children read. I have been given a list of a few children who have been identified as having reading problems. Kelvin is a lovely boy from grade five. On our first encounter, I find out that he is reasonably new to Grace and his reading difficulty is that he has very little solid education and is therefore a beginning reader. So I look through a collection of books and find a few beginning reader books for him to choose from during our second session.

While looking for suitable material, I am ensuring that the text is reasonably large, simple and repetitive. And of course that the book is a little interesting for a child in year five. I find an Eric Carle book with all sorts of interesting animals.



Kelvin chooses this book from amongst the few suitable books I could find. His confidence grows as he reads...aided by the repetition "Does a kangaroo have a mother too? Of course..." As Kelvin's confidence grows, mine begins to faulter. I am beginning to realise where the book is heading. And I am thinking,  "That's right, this kid probably doesn't have a mother and so the inevitable comment at the end about having a mother who loves him could be rather upsetting."

A brief cry for help to God and I continue. We get to the final page. Kelvin has read reasonably well and also been introduced to all sorts of wonderful animal mothers and babies along the way....and as he reads about the animals having a loving mother just like me and you...I give him a big hug and exclaim "Just like Kelvin has Mama Susan who loves him very much!" He smiles.

(Susan Chalkias the co-founder of Grace is called Mama Susan by all of the children.)