There are unique times in our lives that are remembered ever after.  During the 2005 school year, at the School Center of the Totolco community in Chalatenango, El Salvador, the life of Little Juan, an eight-year-old boy, changed quite dramatically.  

Since he was a very little boy, Little Juan had shown symptoms of paralysis.  His legs were unable to support the weight of his body. His parents had taken him to several doctors and a rehabilitation center to improve his condition, without much result.  They also sent him to preschool at a nearby school, but it was hard for Little Juan, according to his father, because the children made fun of him because he could not walk and only dragged himself on the ground.  To avoid Little Juan being subjected to the constant teasing of other children, Don Juan, Little Juan’s father, took him out of school.  He did not want his son to be psychologically damaged by all the teasing. 

Later, the family moved, which is how Little Juan arrived at the community of Totolco, where there was a small school with two teachers that taught preschool to second grade.  Little Juan went back to school, and Gladis López became his teacher.  She taught first and second grade together.  Gladis was working with the CETT program and, applying what she learned, held dynamic reading and writing workshops in her classroom.

Gladis' new teaching style really helped Little Juan because the methods she learned with CETT facilitated his having a lot of interaction with his classmates.  She is a true believer in the CETT approaches.  She says, "Working with the CETT interactive methodology allowed Little Juan to become motivated, participate orally and in writing, and his companions did not reject him, but rather they liked being with him because he was best at reading stories."

Learning to read and write seemed to go hand-in-hand with the process of Little Juan's physical recovery.  Each day, each week, and each month, Little Juan's reading and writing improved.  After several months, he started to take steps without help and later to walk with some difficulty.  The community was surprised by Little Juan's seemingly miraculous recovery.  All of them were happy for him, but no one moreso than his father, Don Juan, who at the end of the school year, said with tears in his eyes, "It is a marvel to see Little Juan walking, reading, and writing.  I thank the teacher and the [CETT] program that she works with."
 
Juan's story ends with a flourish—he won second place in a contest that CETT held in El Salvador.  The children of CETT were asked to make a drawing related to Christmas.  The two best drawings were used to design a Christmas card that was sent to different institutions, people, and teachers across the country.  This was a very positive and motivating experience for Little Juan.  Now that he knows how to read and write, he has the foundation he needs to succeed in school and build a better future for himself and his family.