One Bulb Short of a Full Pack

Oh, boy. Danny is one bulb short of a full pack, if you know what I mean. As I get used to the abilities of second graders, he is beginning to stand out that there is something a little...um...different about him. Not sure what yet. His mother has commented that she loves how smart he is, and that if things are too easy, he appears dumb. We'll see. Read the following conversation I had with him recently, and see why I wonder: The second graders have weekly reading logs. The expectations are that the students must read for 30 minutes a night and record the book title on their log. They must also get their parent signature each night. Each day, the student must bring in their reading log. First thing in the morning I rotate around the room, checking reading logs and initialing them. Danny went all week without bringing in his reading log. On the Monday that the reading log was due with a whole week's worth of recorded readings, Danny had nothing for me. "Danny," I said. "Where is your reading log? I don't think you brought it in all week long for any signatures." He just peered up at me through his coke-bottle glasses. "Danny," I continued, "What happened to your reading log?" "I guess I lost it," Danny replied. "When did you realize you had lost your reading log," I probed further. "The day you gave it to me," he said. I let out a long, labored sigh. "Well, Danny, what should you have done as soon as you realized that you had lost it?" I asked him in a patient tone, or as patient as I could muster. "Ummmmm....Find it quick?" he asked hopefully. "OK..." I said. "And what if you couldn't find it quick?" I asked. "Put it in my back pack?" he suggested. "How could you put it into your back pack if you weren't able to find it?" I inquired. Danny shrugged his shoulders. "Danny, who could you have asked for another reading log?" Danny stated that he didn't know of any possible person he could ask. "Danny," I said. "Who IN THIS ROOM gave you the reading log in the first place?" "You did," Danny replied. "Good, Danny. So who could you have asked for another reading log when you lost the first one?" I asked. "I don't know..." Danny replied. I gave another long, labored, and slightly exasperated sigh. "Danny," I explained slowly and patiently. "In this classroom, we will be using reading logs every week all year long. Now concentrate on my question. The next time you lose your reading log, who can you ask for another one?" I held my breath. Was he connecting the dots here? Was it sinking through? Danny concentrated on my question. He pondered it. He opened his mouth to respond. I was hopeful. "I don't know..." he replied.