"R" is for Robert

Each summer across America, young kids go to school. Four year olds who need to catch up and get ready for school. Kids who for various reasons, language, poverty, or whatever, need an extra boost to get ready. This is the fictional story of one such student.

When Robert came to school the first day, he was pretty nervous and shy. He was assigned to Annie as his teacher. She had two students. Robert of all the kids only knew one letter, R. When the kids sat in a circle, Robert sat on the letter R.
"R" is for Robert, he said.

Annie, who was a top college grad and who was great at languages, wondered how Robert would ever catch up. On the second day, however, when the kids all sang the days of the week to the "Adams Family" song, although Robert didn't sing any of the verses, he was very animated and chimed in perfectly for the chorus, "Days of the week." In fact, he even added some hand motion to provide a zestful emphasis to the chorus. "Days of the week!"

In the first few days, it was tense as students for one reason or another had trouble getting to school. Sickness, no money for gas, babysitters etc. Annie worried that maybe she had done something in her teaching to make them absent. Soon she relaxed as kids and families got adjusted and all were coming.

As the second week began, the art lessons began. The kids began to draw with glee, Annie noticed something unusual about Robert. Rather than choose a crayon, he had chosen a pencil, and was using very detailed shading, which was a skill way beyond his age. Furthermore, he seemed to be drawing something very large. Then Annie gasped. Robert was drawing with shading, the picture of a face. In fact, it was her face. Just as he was drawing her mouth, Annie began to beam with delight. Robert had begun to draw the mouth with a large frown. Then he glanced up and, seeing Annie smile, quickly erased the frown and replaced it with a large smile. Then he laughed. Then they both laughed.

The next letter Robert learned was A. He was to learn 13 letters that summer. And he loved school and the kids. The kids all crowded around at art time to see what new creation Robert was up to. Robert was excited about school and so was Annie.