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The Group With the Blue Folders

Chapter 1Two groups

In Rebbi's class, reading time has two groups.

The green folders sit at the front table. The blue folders sit at the back. Zevi is in the green group. His friend Avrumi is in the green group too.

On Monday, Rebbi stands by the board and reads from a list.

"Avrumi, please bring your folder to the blue table. You are ready for the next group."

Avrumi grins. He grabs his folder and walks past the front table.

Zevi watches him go.

Chapter 2The empty chair

Zevi sits at the green table with the empty chair beside him.

The words in his book look the same as they did on Friday. They are small and a little jumpy. He reads slowly, one finger under each line.

At the back, the blue group laughs about a funny part in their story. He can hear it from across the room.

His throat feels tight. He wants to say something mean about the blue folders. He wants to say reading is boring anyway.

He keeps his mouth closed and stares at the page.

Chapter 3At the door

At dismissal, Avrumi waits for him by the coat hooks.

"Want to walk out together?"

"I don't care," says Zevi, and he pulls on his coat too hard.

Avrumi looks surprised. "Are you mad?"

Zevi shrugs. His eyes sting. "You got the blue folder."

"I know. I'm sorry it feels weird."

"It isn't fair," says Zevi.

Avrumi does not argue. He stands there holding his backpack, and for a moment neither of them says anything.

Chapter 4Rebbi

Rebbi is still in the classroom, stacking folders.

"Zevi, do you have a minute?"

Zevi nods slowly.

"I saw your face this morning. Moving to a new group can feel like a ladder with someone else already at the top."

"I want the blue folder."

"I know you do. Do you want to know what steps get you there?"

Zevi thinks about this. His chest is still heavy, but a small, curious part of him wants to hear.

"Yes," he says.

Chapter 5Three steps

Rebbi takes out a card and writes three lines.

"One: read a page aloud, slowly, every evening. Two: when you get stuck on a word, point and ask instead of guessing. Three: come show me on Fridays and we will check."

"That's all?"

"That's all. It is not magic. For some children it takes a couple of weeks, for some longer. Everyone is different."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Then we look at the card again and change one step. A card is only a plan, and we can keep changing it together."

Zevi takes the card. It is a little crumpled, because he squeezes it.

Chapter 6Practice

That evening, Zevi sits on the couch with his book and Mommy.

He reads one page aloud. He gets stuck on the word "journey" and points to it.

"Jour-ney," says Mommy.

"Journey," says Zevi. He reads the sentence again.

When he finishes, he checks the first box on the card.

His brother makes a face. "Why are you reading so quietly?"

"I am reading with Mommy," says Zevi, and keeps going.

Chapter 7The first Friday

On Friday, Zevi shows Rebbi the card with five checks.

"Good start," says Rebbi.

Avrumi stops by his desk at recess. "Do you want to hear what the blue group is reading? There's a dragon."

"Maybe later," says Zevi. "I'm still finishing my page."

He is not ready for the blue folder yet. But the card is full of checks, and he knows what comes next.

Under his desk, he opens the green folder and starts to read, one finger under each line.