Dasante Finds his Spark for Books

Dasante* is an energized, outgoing, and talkative 7-year-old. He loves sports, trying new foods, and talking about his feelings.

At school, Dasante often gets into trouble and does not feel safe to be himself. He feels that his teacher likes to pick on him, and he does not trust her. So, Dasante is resistant to literacy instruction in the classroom and has fallen behind. Dasante was perfect for our Summer of Success (SOS) Literacy Program.

He entered the literacy program with a lot of apprehension because it felt like school. He would walk in dysregulated each day and start with what our Education Specialist, Michelle King, called “Dasante’s disclaimers”. These disclaimers included all the things he doesn’t like and would not do that day. Michelle would listen, and then together they would take a walk. During these walks, Dasante would share with Michelle the things that were upsetting him, including how much he did not want to be there, before they would count down together the number of sessions they had left until Dasante completed the program.

Over the summer Michelle built trust and connection with Dasante. She continued to be a safe space for him to bring his authentic self every single day. With time he began to warm to the SOS program and even began to enjoy literacy activities. Journaling and tapping out sounds became his favorite things to do. And as he continued in the program, he told Michelle that he is going to be a teacher when he grows up.

This summer was about so much more than literacy growth for Dasante. This summer was also tumultuous for his family. Michelle noticed that Dasante was very protective of his food and would always ask for extra snacks to take home. Dasante’s mentor David talked to his family about food insecurity and then worked with our Family and Community Engagement Specialists to connect them to a food pantry.

Then one day, on the way to the literacy program Dasante told David that his dad had been shot the night before and was in the hospital. David listened and validated him as Dasante shared all his feelings. Dasante then told Michelle during their daily walk. For the remainder of his dad’s hospital stay, David and Michelle were companions in Dasante’s confusion, anger, and grief. Thankfully, his dad is now recovering at home and doing well.

This summer, the SOS reading program was a safe haven for Dasante. He was reluctant at first, but once he felt comfortable, he thrived in the environment.

On the last day of the program, Dasante could not contain his excitement. He started grabbing books off the shelves and flipping through them feverishly. Book after book he tore through the pages mesmerized.

Michelle saw his fascination and took him to our lending library to find books to read at home. Dasante combed through all the shelves and found 20 books to take home that day. He also asked Michelle if he could take home a whiteboard and marker to practice writing his letters and blending sounds. As he left for the day, Dasante excitedly exclaimed, “I’ll see you next week!” Michelle reminded him the program was over but that he could visit her anytime he came to the clubhouse.

When you spend intentional one-on-one time with a child, listen to them, validate their needs, and make learning a fun, exciting, and safe experience – the possibilities are endless. We can’t wait to see where this school year, and the many years ahead, take Dasante.