Sunday, December 05, 2010

Leaps and Bounds

Little has been reading to me from my Nook every day.

The little guy who was having a hard time reading this:

Mac, the pup, naps.
In his nap he acts.
He acts as if he were a man.
He acts as he naps.

a few months ago

is now reading things like this:

Sunlight poured into the room. Through tall windows, the kids could see treetops across Main Street.

Dink looked around the room. The walls were covered with paintings, and he'd never seen so many books!

Mrs. Spivets came in carrying a tray. "Please sit," she told the kids. She handed each of them a glass of milk. Her husband bustled in with a cookie jar shaped like a rooster. He pulled off the rooster's head.

"Cookie?" he said.

Amazing. The cyberschool people had labeled him "at risk" and wanted to start special ed services for him, but we kept reassuring them that when he was ready, he'd do it all at once, just like he has with everything else - doing a puzzle, riding a bike, writing his name... all of that. The next time he reads for his teacher conference, she's going to be stunned.

Little is very comfortable with himself - and he's perfectly happy not knowing how to do something - until he decides he needs to know how to do it. Then he wants to work on it all the time until he reaches the level he wants to reach.

This Education-Through-Fits-And-Starts approach can be a little unsettling at times, but it's so gratifying to see how he takes off once he decides it's time.

Now, if only he'd decide he needs to start paying attention in martial arts class...

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