The school year is almost half over. It has been a good year for both our children. Our daughter left the elementary school behind as she became a fifth grader at the middle school. The excitement over attending a new school faded quickly. She adjusted well to the new building, teachers, changing classrooms and the homework schedule.
Back to school and my parental bragging rights. Yesterday was our daughters’ first day back to school after her surgery. I knew it would be a long day for her. She was tired by the time I arrived home. She was excited to see all of her friends but not so excited about hitting the books and assignments again. A typical middle school child! We don’t worry much about her as she is self-disciplined (sometimes too an extreme). That doesn’t mean we don’t ask her about her classes, what they are studying, if she has any tests or projects that she should be working on. We are involved and have been since her first day of school. She had a pile of homework but she managed to get it completed before bed time. She also pulled out another, yes, this is her second, Student of the Month award. She has been the November 2010 and January 2011 student of the month. I knew she would make high honor roll again as the lowest grade on her report card was an A. It was a lonely A, and it was the lowest grade on her report card. The other grades, all eight of them, were A+’s. She has set the bar high. Now our expectations are high. The best part, she won’t disappoint us!
Like sister does, brother does also. He has followed her path. At seven, he is reading all the time. He sits in mass and reads the hymnal. He reads, and has started to send, emails. I don’t correct his spelling but if he asks how to spell a word (like recommend-yes, he asked how that was spelled), I spell it for him. He doesn’t want our help. We can only help when asked. I feel like he is shutting the door on me. He is reading a chapter book series. The Magic Tree House series. He reads it to himself. Not to his father. Not to me. Definitely not to his sister. Instead, he wants to know if we can have another reading club night? I cannot say no to that. So after dinner, his sister, him and I, go sit in a room, get comfortable and read. I love it! [Here is proof that reading to your baby from the start builds a great foundation. I am sure the classical music helped too!] The television is not on. Instead, they are exercising their brain. They are developing their reading skills and learning more with every page they turn. He has even spent two mornings before school reading. It is wonderful and rewarding to see them take off on their own, even if it hurts a little. Honestly, I feel pushed aside at times but when they share with me what they have read, I am healed. He is also spelling his way to 100% every week. They have ten spelling words that they are tested on every Friday. He has spelled his way to 100% eleven times. One time he earned a 90% as he wrote a b instead of a d. That happens. He said he should have checked. We make mistakes, we learn from them, we move on. This Friday, there is extra credit (she is testing their retention). I can’t wait to see his test.
So I am bragging that we must be doing some things right. By golly, our children are smart! (and I'm not afraid to tell you about them.)
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