Backdated Log: Reading is Fundemental
Dec. 12th, 2024 09:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsLiam starts teaching Kevin to read, Backdated to December 2024
"Okay, so," they were seated in the tree house so they hopefully wouldn't be disturbed, Liam with his backpack full of goodies. "I went to the store and got a bunch of stuff," he pulled out a few sets of flash cards, a set of counter bits and some books for toddlers and children. "I don't think they make learn to read books for adults, so... sorry? But we can go to the library and get stuff, too."
“….whit‘s a library?” Kevin asked. He wanted to be good, Davey had tried to teach him ‘manners’. He needed to be good.
"A library? Oh, it's a place where there's books you can borrow, you just need a library card. You have to return them after a certain amount of time though, so others can borrow them, too. Xavier's has a private library for us to use and there are public libraries where anyone can use them." Libraries were awesome.
Kevin nodded like he understood, but there was really no glimmer of understanding behind his eyes whatsoever. "Yes...books...."
"So," finally, Liam fished out a large paperback workbook and a box of pencils and pens as well as a couple of dorm-door size dry erase boards, "okay, so. Do you know the alphabet? Your letters? I don't want to assume..."
Kevin shook his head. "I dinnae ken what that is."
"Okay," there was no judgement, "so," he opened to one the first pages in the workbook, "this is the alphabet, it is all the letters. We're going to learn them all, but not all today. Each letter has sounds and can be written both big and little. And you put them together to form words, like your name. Kevin." Liam pulled out the flash cards flipping through until he pulled out the K-E-V-I-N. "We'll start with these five. They're your name."
Despite not understanding it, Kevin still felt warm. A kind of satisfaction that went with people calling him by name, recognizing him by his name. His. Nobody could take it from him ever again. He knew it now.
He timidly reached out with a finger to trace the letters, mouthing his name as he stared at them, trying to commit them to memory. "Everyone- everyone has these?"
"Yeah," Liam nodded, "I'm Liam," he shuffled out the letters of his name. "It's short for 'William,' but everyone calls me Liam. And see? We both have an I in our names," he pointed out the letter. "but they make different sounds, because letters can do that. It's an 'ee' for Liam but an 'ih' for Kevin." He hoped this made sense.
".....everyone?" Kevin asked again. He needed to be sure. He knew it was different here but....but he needed to hear it from someone that wasn't Davey.
"Everyone," Liam confirmed, watching Kevin closely. "Everyone has a name and every name has a spelling with letters."
“Good.” Kevin said firmly. His chest felt warm. He didn’t know what that meant or why his body was doing that. Having a body was still so new.
Liam smiled, he wasn't sure why Kevin was so happy, but he was glad he was. "And plants and animals have names, all sorts of things do. Even stuff."
Kevin's foot tapped anxiously against the floor but he listened intently. The things in his cell had had names but he hadn't? "Okay."
Clearly, Liam had said the wrong thing. He just wasn't sure what it was. "Okay, so then, let's go over the letters of your name..."
"Okay, so," they were seated in the tree house so they hopefully wouldn't be disturbed, Liam with his backpack full of goodies. "I went to the store and got a bunch of stuff," he pulled out a few sets of flash cards, a set of counter bits and some books for toddlers and children. "I don't think they make learn to read books for adults, so... sorry? But we can go to the library and get stuff, too."
“….whit‘s a library?” Kevin asked. He wanted to be good, Davey had tried to teach him ‘manners’. He needed to be good.
"A library? Oh, it's a place where there's books you can borrow, you just need a library card. You have to return them after a certain amount of time though, so others can borrow them, too. Xavier's has a private library for us to use and there are public libraries where anyone can use them." Libraries were awesome.
Kevin nodded like he understood, but there was really no glimmer of understanding behind his eyes whatsoever. "Yes...books...."
"So," finally, Liam fished out a large paperback workbook and a box of pencils and pens as well as a couple of dorm-door size dry erase boards, "okay, so. Do you know the alphabet? Your letters? I don't want to assume..."
Kevin shook his head. "I dinnae ken what that is."
"Okay," there was no judgement, "so," he opened to one the first pages in the workbook, "this is the alphabet, it is all the letters. We're going to learn them all, but not all today. Each letter has sounds and can be written both big and little. And you put them together to form words, like your name. Kevin." Liam pulled out the flash cards flipping through until he pulled out the K-E-V-I-N. "We'll start with these five. They're your name."
Despite not understanding it, Kevin still felt warm. A kind of satisfaction that went with people calling him by name, recognizing him by his name. His. Nobody could take it from him ever again. He knew it now.
He timidly reached out with a finger to trace the letters, mouthing his name as he stared at them, trying to commit them to memory. "Everyone- everyone has these?"
"Yeah," Liam nodded, "I'm Liam," he shuffled out the letters of his name. "It's short for 'William,' but everyone calls me Liam. And see? We both have an I in our names," he pointed out the letter. "but they make different sounds, because letters can do that. It's an 'ee' for Liam but an 'ih' for Kevin." He hoped this made sense.
".....everyone?" Kevin asked again. He needed to be sure. He knew it was different here but....but he needed to hear it from someone that wasn't Davey.
"Everyone," Liam confirmed, watching Kevin closely. "Everyone has a name and every name has a spelling with letters."
“Good.” Kevin said firmly. His chest felt warm. He didn’t know what that meant or why his body was doing that. Having a body was still so new.
Liam smiled, he wasn't sure why Kevin was so happy, but he was glad he was. "And plants and animals have names, all sorts of things do. Even stuff."
Kevin's foot tapped anxiously against the floor but he listened intently. The things in his cell had had names but he hadn't? "Okay."
Clearly, Liam had said the wrong thing. He just wasn't sure what it was. "Okay, so then, let's go over the letters of your name..."
