I Was Going to Write About the Nation’s Reading Report Card (NAEP)…But “My Mother Let Go of the Grass”

Most recently, the release of the new NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress–often thought of as the Nation’s Report Card) scores reveals that our nation’s 4th and 8th graders’ reading and math scores remain dismal and have not risen since the past administration in 2022. The aftermath of the pandemic is real and our nation’s children have not recovered. 69-71% of our nation’s 4th and 8th graders achieved reading scores below what would be considered ‘proficient’. Math scores are hardly better, particularly for the nation’s 8th graders. This pains me greatly.

I had planned on writing about the NAEP, but the events of the past month necessitated a detour.

What does “letting go of the grass” mean?

I am quoting a phrase from Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. Ms. Polacco is a prolific children’s author and illustrator. She also happens to have dyslexia. Ms. Polacco writes about her literacy struggles in more than one of her books. Thank You, Mr. Falker is perhaps the most autobiographical of all of her books.

So here is the scene: Trisha is lying on the ground with her grandmother looking up at the star studded sky.

Here is the text:

“Trisha’s grandma used to say that the stars were holes in the sky. They were the light of heaven coming from the other side. And she used to say that someday she would be on the other side, where the light comes from.
One evening they lay on the grass together and counted the lights from heaven. “You know,” her grandma said, “all of us will go there someday. Hang on to the grass, or you’ll lift right off the ground, and there you’ll be!”
They laughed, and both hung onto the grass.
But it was not long after that night that her grandma must have let go of the grass, because she went to where the lights were, on the other side.”

Patricia Polacco, Thank You, Mr. Falker

And here is the image.

Image by Patricia Polacco; screenshot by Lori Josephson

My own mother let go of the grass this month, and is now on the other side. She was 94, thus living a very long life. Unfortunately, she passed away from pneumonia, due to Covid and Influenza. She also struggled with dementia. So…I am relieved she is on the other side, and is no longer suffering. Her passing made me think of Ms. Polacco’s beautifully written passage describing passing away in a way that is palatable to both children and yes, even adults.

More About Thank You, Mr. Falker

As I mentioned, Thank You Mr. Falker, is perhaps Ms. Polacco’s most autobiographical children’s book. Her books are designed for children 5-9; however, the last time I read this book aloud to a group of teachers while conducting a Professional Development session, there was not a dry eye in the house!

Not only do Ms. Polacco’s words resonate, but also her illustrations convey empathy and emotion far beyond her words.

Thank You, Mr. Falker tells the story of Ms. Polacco’s literacy journey–and a journey it was. You see, little Trisha did not learn to read and write easily. See the text and image below, which more than convey the trauma she experienced:

It wasn’t until her real Mr. George Falker appeared on the scene two years later when Trisha was in fifth grade that she received any intervention. He recognized Trisha’s other gifts: drawing, painting, and thinking. Mr. Falker was Trisha’s hero, as he did not allow ANYONE to tease and even bully Trisha about her poor reading skills or incorrect answers to questions. He told Trisha that she had gotten through school literally ‘fooling’ her previous teachers. Do you know any students like this?

Mr. Falker and a reading teacher, Miss Plessy, worked with Trisha after school every day for months. Here is the text and the image:

Empathy, Concern, Optimism…Mr. Falker’s Specialties

Can’t you see and feel the empathy, concern, and optimism in Mr. Falker’s entire body language, as well as the shame and stress conveyed in the illustration of Trisha? I sure can.

I worked with countless students over the past few decades who experienced the very same emotions as Trisha. In fact, I often read Thank You, Mr Falker to my own tutoring students early on in their literacy journeys to help motivate them and help them to understand their own struggles. In 1999, I traveled about 90 miles each way to attend an Author Talk in a school district where I had conducted a Professional Development session. The author was none other than Patricia Polacco. Thus, I have a signed copy of Thank You, Mr. Falker. Here is how she signed my copy of the book when I told her I taught teachers to work with students with dyslexia, as well as working directly with my own dyslexic students::

Image by Lori Josephson

The “Promise” of Learning to Read and Write – Every Child’s Right

I want to share with you the very first page of Thank You, Mr. Falker. The promise of learning to make sense of print is nearly every 5 year old’s wish. In fact, I have this illustration and text hanging in my office as a framed piece of art. What is important to me is the following text referring to the sweet taste of honey::

“Yes, and so is knowledge, but knowledge is like the bee that made that sweet honey, you have to chase it through the pages of a book.
The little girl knew that the promise to read was at last hers. Soon she was going to learn to read.”

Patricia Polacco, Thank You, Mr. Falker

Image by Patricia Polacco; screenshot by Lori Josephson

It is my fervent wish that all children learn to chase knowledge through the pages of a book. Let’s all try to hold on to the grass tightly for as long as we can.

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