School 4

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qCeT7KkBxcU

This link is a youtube video about Ani's school.   I had found it a few months ago when trying to figure out where she was.   We showed it to her after not being able to get into the school.   She really likes to watch it.  Something familiar and comforting. Watching it, we can see how she has been able to develop her musical talent. 

At this school she finished the second grade.  I do not know how that matches our grades, though.  She was worried that she had to go into the 4th grade,  or school 4 as she refers to it.   Frankly, I was pretty worried as well. 

However, today she eased those worries for both of us.   Looking for something to do on this rainy day, she got out the letter flash cards I pulled out of a neighbor's Little Free Library right before we left. I laid them out and she put them in order with a little help.   

Then she took a handful and began copying the letters over and over.   She writes incredibly well and very small for someone who can't see that great.   She then pulled out a book and copied the title and the first couple of pages.   (Yesterday she told me she didn't like books,  well she did like braille books, but not books for your eyes. )

And then she said "black" and proceeded to write that along with a bunch of other colors in English!!  She has been holding out on us!   

Numbers were next.  She wrote numbers to

100. I wrote 1 + 1 = to see what she would do.  Yes,  she knows all her math facts including multiplication and division.  She got one 2 digit multiplication problem wrong because I think she wasn't seeing it correctly so she gave herself a 99% and a star when she was done.   

School 4, Mom?? Yes?  Yes,  Ani, you can do school 4!  She have me a big smile. 

On another note regarding school,  towards the end of this video, you can see a girl following a raised pattern in the walk.  About a week ago,  Ani showed me this in the subway and said school.   I figured out this is the pattern they teach the kids for getting around the city.  Now I see it everywhere.   It is a bunch of raised dashes and then dots when you come to a possible change in direction or a crosswalk.  Before we met her,  I just saw it as an annoying surface to walk on. Now, I know it is a way for the blind to be independent. 

I think being in the school was a much better place for her than being in the orphanage.  

Marnie