Play to Learn AND Play to Read!

Recently, I read chapters from Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum by Julia Moor.   Combining what I read about "Introducing Books and Reading" with my literacy background inspired me to reinact a story I read with my 2nd grade tutee on the Autism Spectrum.  We read the book, Pup and Hound Stay Up Late by Susan Hood.  My friend (we'll call Sam) shared the reason he chose this book was because it reminded him of the times he and his younger brother stay up late.  After reading the story, I asked Sam if he wanted to reenact the story.  He wasn't sure what that meant so I rephrased it by saying, "Let's play the story! One of us will be Hound and the other will be Pup.  Who do you want to be?"  

In our reenactment, I noticed the tension in Sam to try and reenact the story with me, but also desperately wanting to show me what he and his brother do when they stay up late.  Looking at our schedule, I gently reminded him we would act out this story first, then play what he and his brother do during the "break."  

(Yawn and Stretch) "Where is Pup? It's so late! What could he be up to?"  Not word for word, but enough prompting to see if Sam is catching on or even into this idea.  He stops to look at me as if I'm in the spotlight.  "Hmmmm... Could he be out playing with another animal? A fox? A bear?"

"No! A opossum! He's playing with a opossum!" 

I learned that close-ended questions like that helped prompt his thinking and direction in play.  I led the dialogue mostly this time, but I hope to see him lead the play, at least more equally in the future.  It was our first time reenacting a story together.  I also realize this is not an example of free play or Floor Time, but more so using play to help facilitate reading comprehension.  

During our play/reenactment of the story, I found myself getting a little emotional deep inside.  As I tried to engage Sam with the story plot, I had a flashback to when we first met. I was on the floor playing with him, trying to get his eye contact, that same gleam in his eye when he was just two years old.  Those big eyes and chubby cheeks are much smaller and slimmer now.  The fact that he is talking to me, engaged with me and interacting with me, still amazes me to this day.  I am so thankful to be a part of his life again.  Two old friends reunited to play again, but this time the goal is to help with reading comprehension.  To go from that gleam in the eye to working on reading comprehension brings me such joy that I do everything I can to hold back the emotions and focus on how play can help him today, at age seven.  

During our "break" (where we could have some flexibility with the schedule), Sam lead the play by playing himself and instructing me (the role of the younger brother) on how they play a game he created when they stay up late called, "Indoor Exploding Golf."  

This adventure lead to our next literacy lesson: Language Experience Approach.  I used our experience of playing "Indoor Exploding Golf" for the LEA.  More on that lesson in the next post!