My second meeting with J went really well.  Although I was encouraged to take my time with the lesson/activity that I was going to share with J, I really rushed right into the lesson.  I did manage to ask him if he was playing soccer (it was a rainy day and he looked at my like I was crazy, though I meant the question generally), and I asked how his family was, and if he was ready for the TAKS test.  He was very polite and very cooperative.

During the listening and speaking portion of the activity, J was able to answer questions reasonably well, especially when I showed him the text.  I gave him some background knowledge about the piece: I explained that the protagonist and his family were migrant farmworkers who had recently been deported from California.  The piece was an account of the family’s reaction to the good news that their visas had been approved.  J seemed to connect to this bit of information.  I think it was safe to assume that his background knowledge was activated.