The children’s accumulated vocabulary became a book they could organize, illustrate, and keep.
This week, each learner created a personal “My Word Book” while solving picture-based math problems. Visual countdowns also prepared the group for the approaching end of the program.
“A personal book turns learned words into a visible story of growth.”
Children selected words from previous sessions and placed them into categories such as family, colors, actions, school, and favorite things. They copied or traced each word and added a picture, symbol, or sticker.
In mathematics, simple illustrated situations became word problems. Learners counted objects added to or removed from a picture and explained the answer by pointing, drawing, or using number cards.
We also began discussing the program’s ending. A visual countdown showed that one session remained, and children reviewed what the final celebration would include. This preparation helped reduce uncertainty and supported emotional closure.
The Word Book became both a literacy resource and a record of how far each learner had traveled.g experience. for identity and choice.Each successful step helped replace learned helplessness with a growing sense of agency.
- Location: City Hope Community, Clarkston, Georgia
- Learners: Refugee children in Grades 1–5 facing trauma, language barriers, and limited prior literacy or numeracy instruction
- Schedule: Once a week, 2.5–3 hours per session
- Learning framework: Safety and grounding → non-verbal and sensory communication → scaffolded literacy and mathematics