It’s summer vacation in Ecuador, but here at the Mission Home, learning continues! Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have hired part time teachers to provide personalized tutoring to the kids at the Mission Home. The teachers come to the home from 8am-12noon Monday through Friday, and work with groups of kids ranging in size from one-on-one to 12 students. 

The summer teaching schedule is especially beneficial for the children that arrived at the Mission Home never having gone to school before. These children continue to receive reading, writing, and arithmetic classes in an effort to advance their learning before entering the mission school. One of our teenage girls who did not know the alphabet before she arrived at the Mission Home is now sounding out simple words on the path to learning how to read. It is amazing to see their progress! 

In addition, the teachers are working with children who underperformed or had educational deficits throughout the past school year. They have created personalized lesson plans to ensure that next year the children are better equipped for success. 

Finally, the teachers are opening doors for children with developmental or learning disabilities. Resources for children with significant disabilities is limited in our area and most are left out of the traditional schooling system. The teachers provide one on one classes for a few hours weekly to these children in order to work on motor and cognitive skills. You might find them cutting out shapes, putting together a simple puzzle, or matching pictures with the correct color. Not only are these lessons educational but they also make these children feel included.