My Little Sponges

Grant has always been a quick learner. Because he has always been super verbal, he was quick to pick up letters and sounds and reading. Don't misunderstand this post to think that I think Grant is super special for being an early reader; I believe that most kids catch up somewhere around the second grade, leveling the field. So, Grant's just early.

But, his reading skills are out of control; he's reading words like "balloon," "paralyzed," and "their"--complete sentences (if he wants to do so; he's often reluctant to sit down and to work on reading--there won't be any homeschooling going on here!). But, Gracie. Well, she was a bit of a different story. I remember thinking (several times over several months) that she was going to be the only kid who entered kindergarten not knowing her colors. We'd walk around the house finding everything red, and then, a minute later, after pulling out an apple, I'd ask for the color, and she'd tell me yellow. Same with shapes. Letters. You name it.

But, then, in the last few months, something has happened. The colors and shapes were first. Then counting... she's up to 50. Then, letters: The Letter Factory strikes again (thank you, Kathy--those DVDs are amazing!). And, then this week, she read her first word: BED! I couldn't believe it!

In the end, I don't put much stock in any of this early adoption of letters and numbers. Like I said, they all (for the most part) catch up in the early grades. But, it's so amazing to watch as a parent, especially when little Gracie struggled so much to get it all nailed down!

I would love it if my kids were successful in school; it sure opens up a lot of possibilities, but--ultimately--I want to make sure that I raise kids of faith and sincerity and generosity. Now, does anyone have a DVD I can use for those?