POEM #26- Proficient

"Proficient"

four kids
all proficient readers
according to the state test

case study #1

he greets me with a polite, "hello, miss"

then hunkers down 

sideways in his seat

always has a book

always has a next book in mind

regularly reads 30-45 minutes without looking up

doesn't mind chatting with me but

shy about presenting books to peers

completed book log is turned in every week

case study #2
he saunters into class
five minutes late
chooses two or three picture books
bumps noisily against several desks
settles with a few noisy thumps and jostles
chomps gum as he opens book
fingers brush against phone
eyes rove constantly
flips a page
when he sees me watching

case study #3

she flings the locker wide
gestures at the top shelf
five thick library books
stacked spine out
i am reading, she says.
why do i have to fill out a reading log to prove it?


case study #4
identified as gifted
brilliant writer and thinker
high proficient, almost advanced on state tests
reads only if Diary of a Wimpy Kid is available
otherwise, stares blankly into space
or doodles on scratch paper

four kids
all proficient readers

not in my book

(C) Carol Wilcox, 2018