She Workdid in the Garbanzo Beans

That title, my friends, is the sentence which Ava has just read to me. The actual sentence? "She worked in the garden." If you could only hear Ava's reading lesson each day, you would surely giggle. She giggles. She jokes. She misreads words on purpose just so she can giggle and joke some more. 

Monday, Ava's reading lesson was difficult, not because the words were challenging, but because she didn't want to do it. What should have taken us 15 minutes at the most took us closer to 30. To say that I ended the lesson in frustration would definitely be an understatement, but I was able to encourage myself with the fact that she did read, after all, even though I was clearly infringing on her desire to do anything but her reading lesson.

Yesterday's lesson was quite the opposite. She zipped through her lesson as if she had seen those new words everyday. She focused like a pro. Words with "ed" endings were introduced yesterday. Just like today, she read them all as if they had the word, "did," on the end. "Look-did." "Work-did." "Want-did." I explained the rule to her thoroughly and gently corrected her each time she mispronounced them. Today? She did it again.

Today's lesson was somewhere between Monday and Tuesday's lesson in that it wasn't a complete struggle, but it wasn't worthy of a sticker on her challenge chart either. Her focus was somewhat intermixed with those giggles. It took a little longer than it should have, but what mama wouldn't want to hear those giggles? She's enjoying her reading lesson. That brings joy to my mama heart.

Teaching reading was so different when I taught Lukas. He was always very serious and focused. He had a deep desire to read, and the words just flew off the page for him. I was always very proud of him as we journeyed through the reading process together.

I am always very proud of  Ava too. Reading was never something she desired to learn in her pre-school years, but now it is beginning to become more interesting to her. It isn't particularly difficult for her, but it isn't particularly pleasant everyday either. I never know what will happen when I sit down to teach her reading lesson...or her math lesson...or hand writing...You get the idea. My little free spirit keeps school and all of life interesting. I adore her...even if she workdid in the garbanzo beans.