This boy’s behavior includes some at-risk aspects. At least three main at-risk behaviors can be identified. These at-risk behaviors are closely connected with each other. That’s why we need a complex of interventions that will interact and influence successfully boy’s development. All interventions should be implemented as integral and correlated system.
The first at-risk behavior concerns boy’s inability of studying. This inability includes two important problems. Firstly, the problem is in difficulties in boy’s studying to read. And secondly, this boy is characterized by attention-deficit disorder. He is just unable to concentrate on what he is studying. Moreover, boy’s behavior has some features of hyperactivity. The matter is that he cannot be still for a long time. He always gets into difficulties with something. This combination is called attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
For this at-risk behavior we should work out the intensive correctional program directed at improving boy’s ability of reading. Firstly, we must attract his attention to studying. In this case we should implement reading of entertaining material. It is very important that this material includes all necessary information about the meaning of words. It can make boy’s reading more understandable and develop his desire for studying.
There can be used two effective methods: some interesting experience. Here we can organize some country excursions, visits to interesting places, exploration of the nature. Boy can be asked to write about this experience. Afterwards he should read what he has wrote down.
Another approach implies the experience of symbolical representation: theatrical performances, music, and dances. These approaches can be really effective. First of all, because they give students the possibility of discussing some events, problems with teachers as well as with their classmates. There is the possibility of expressing their thoughts and feelings in free and easy way. This kind of activities helps students to study, to read well. Such intensive speech activity helps a child to establish connections between what he already knows and what he is reading at the moment. This makes reading more accessible and interesting.
From the first at-risk behavior the second one comes. It concerns boy’s frustration and lack of persistence in studying. The problem is that boy’s inability to study makes him disbelieve in his capacity of studying. As a result he feels frustrated, unconfident, hopeless and helpless. The boy lacks self-control, he is not interested, he is always daydreaming. He does not believe in his abilities. He becomes incapable of carrying his studies through. In this case our intervention is directed at development of boy’s self-confidence and belief in his own capacities. We will pay much attention to his motivation and his desire to be successful. We can conduct some competitions, for instance, contests in reading speed or expressiveness of reading. But these contests will be sure ones, in which no competitor loses. These contests will help in development of children’s desire to be more successful, better than others. These activities can develop boy’s persistence, striving for studying, willingness to study well.
The third at-risk behavior is connected with boy’s family situation. The family factor is still very important for children of boy’s age. Boy’s father was divorced. This fact is really a stressful event for the boy. Boy’s poor studying is the result of his parents’ divorce. The intervention in this situation will consist in psychological help to boy and his father. We will invite a psychologist who will work at creation of spiritual warmth in relations between the boy and his father. Some role-playings, interviews will be conducted. The greater part of psychological help will be conducted with boy’s father in order to make him more attentive to the boy, to his problems in school. We will help father in realization the necessary control of the boy, in their communication and understanding. We will try to create all necessary conditions for boy’s successful studying at home. We are going to point out father’s role in boy’s progress in school, in his good results and proper development.
There can be identified one more boy’s at-risk behavior. It concerns his relations with classmates. They seem to be superficial and inconstant. Our intervention here will consist in the following. We will try to create friendly and benevolent boy’s relations with others. In this case we will implement some tasks presupposing working in groups and collaboration. It is expected to help the boy to make more friends and be closer to the group, to be more self-confident. And at the same time working in groups can make the process of education more easy and interesting for him. These tasks can include some team-work in creating research projects, some theatrical performances, inventing different stories and so on.
