After being challenged and completing math examples involving division and percentages on which he is working at school, Austin was given 5th grade reading comprehension passages this afternoon. He readily followed directives and worked efficiently and independently. He applied general reading comprehension strategies to optimize his performance and ability to answer questions at the end of the passages. These included: use of prior knowledge, previewing, predicting, identifying the main idea, use of supporting details and summarization. I watched as Austin underlined the main ideas and used inferential reasoning as he answered the questions - and he was able to retell the main points and details of the readings succinctly. We reviewed his incorrect answer and Austin understood why and how the correct answer was derived. We reviewed some vocabulary terms with which he was unfamiliar (e.g., impediment; diligence, intricate, surpassed), and figured out their meanings contextually. I also used them in examples to help him synthesize and integrate the information. When reading a passage entitled 'Beethoven,' Austin was familiar with the composer and hummed one of his most popular and well recognized pieces. Additionally he knew other contemporary composers of the period, as well as artists, indicative of a good wealth of general information. Austin completed a graphic organizer and answered an open-ended question using excellent format, organization, and effectively observing and applying the rules of grammar and syntax. Austin also used details from the passage to support his answer. We used the last 15 minutes to read another chapter from the book by Louis Sachar - one that used a great deal of symbolization and abstraction. Austin responses indicated that he understood the nuanced references, and the author's use of imagery and figurative language to express intent. Austin also enjoyed acting out some of the dialogue of the main protagonist, further demonstrating his comprehension of the character's traits. Austin is not easily frustrated and strives to do well when challenged.