teach your children well

In addition to enjoying our days in the Italian sun, Graham and I are spending some time with these books.

 This one is awesome, so far. It keeps Graham's attention really well, and he seems to be grasping the concepts, little by little. The best part for me, a mom who has no idea how to be a teacher, is that it is scripted. It tells me exactly what to say to him, and he responds really well to me when I go into my "teacher mode." This book also includes some writing exercises, which are a struggle for my little guy. He doesn't seem to enjoy learning to write letters. He puts up with it for about five minutes and then just wants to draw circles. I'm hoping that every little bit will help and one day he will enjoy it...

Optimism and persistence are the keys, right?

The Easter Bunny brought these books. Graham really likes them, but it is difficult for me to get him to read them by himself. He just likes to look at the pictures while I read, because that is what he's been doing his whole life. It's a weird transition for him to start sounding out the letters. Another problem I'm finding with these books is that they are so simple that he just memorizes them, so it's hard to tell if he is really getting it. What I love about them is that they use the same concepts as the 100 lessons book, so Graham can see it all come time life.

I tell you what. This is quite an adventure teaching a kid to read. I had tears in my eyes today as he truly read some of the words on the pages. It's an incredible process.

Thanks to my dad always singing around the house, I can usually think of a song to go with my thoughts during the day.

Here is the song I've been singing in my head today (you can click on it to listen):

"Teach the Children Well."