Its something that after almost thirty-eight years I take completely for granted. Like most I don’t have to think about reading — what is that word? what does it mean? — or writing — how does it look? how did I form that letter “a” ?
For my six year old son, its an entirely different story. Kindergarten, and learning to read. Not something I remember from way back when in kindergarten, about the most I can muster from those days is a memory of a prop hatchet that my Dad made for a class play and the fact that it wasn’t returned much to my dismay.
What I find myself struggling with is how I can best help him with learning to read and write. His teachers are great, and their teaching materials are amazing. But it doesn’t change the fact that right not its hard for him, and he get frustrated easy.
Through the praise and encouragement I asked him today if he had ever heard the phrase –
“Practice Makes Perfect.”
He shook his head no and I went on to tell him that it means that we only get better at things by practicing. I brought up his experience riding the bike, how when he started he kept falling and was having a really rough time with it.
But he stuck with it, and before he knew it he was riding his bike with relative ease. He succeeded because he practiced. The correlation worked well, and I could tell by his eyes that he understood what I was talking about. But it didn’t make it any easier.
I just can’t wait for him to be able to unlock the secret worlds and adventures that await him in the book world. With an imagination like his it will be as much of a candy store for him as it is for me.
Tags: Candy Store, Correlation, dad, Different Story, Dismay, Encouragement, frustration, Hatchet, imagination, kindergarten, learning, Learning To Read, Memory, phonics, Phrase, practice, reading, Rough Time, Teaching Materials
September 30th, 2007 at 8:33 am
Annie is going through the same thing. If I try to help or push she pushes back so I am just going to let her figure it out, just like everything else with her. In the meantime I still get to read her all her books! Love the new look.
September 30th, 2007 at 11:08 am
Thanks for the comment Mary! Its one of those things that I guess I will just have to trust the teacher and go slow. It amazes me how much more detailed their classes are these days.