dick, jane and puff...

When we went to Toronto for the week, I asked school for some homework for our kindergartener. So they sent home some maths sheets, some colouring sheets and some sight words.
It seemed an odd collection of words. A few basics like 'they' 'she' 'look' and then 'dick' and 'sally'. I wasn't quite sure why my 5 year old needed to learn the word 'dick' but we went along with the advice and played along making up silly sentences and getting her to tell me what each of the words were.

Now forgive my ignorance but until we sat down to speak to her teachers at the parent teacher conferences a few weeks later, I had never heard of the 'Dick and Jane' books but suddenly it all made sense... Her teachers explained that they use this series of books to teach the kindergarteners to read.

We missed a week of school for Toronto, another for home leave in Nov/Dec, over a week in snow days this month and we have a big trip coming up where the kids will miss over 2 weeks of school.
Now I know she is only a young five kindergartener but I am still keen for her to be able to keep up with her friends so (thanks to a friend who told me where to get one) today I bought a couple of Dick and Jane books for her to read at home.

Her teachers told me that she was doing well with her reading but that she lacked confidence. At home she doesn't really read anything out loud, though one of her favourite pass times is to thumb through a book from cover to cover, looking at every single page. It can be a Princess story book or a travel guide book, she turns each page, looking at the pictures as if she is mesmerised by the feel of the paper or the motion of one page replacing another.

She was very happy to get her new books after school and started looking at them straight away.  But soon she looked up at me with disappointment in her eyes, a look of self doubt on her face and said that she needed help reading as she didn't know all of the words.
So I announced that she was going to read the bedtime stories tonight and that I was going to help her.

We all climbed into our bed and she began to read us the story of Dick, Jane and a cat called Puff. (Can you tell that these books were first published in the 1930s?!). And to her credit, she did so well. There were a few words that she guessed and others that she didn't know, but I had a tear in my eye as I cuddled up to my baby and listened to her read a story.

Precious.

make someone's day...

One thing I remember clearly from my childhood was being taught to be polite. I particularly remember leaving a friend's house after a birthday party - one when I was young enough for there still to be party bags and games of musical chairs - and having to walk back up their (what felt like a really long) driveway to say thank you after I answered my mother "no" when questioned as to whether I had thanked the parents for having me. It was embarrassing but I am glad my parents instilled good manners in me. That day stuck with me and I believe they are a life skill that is ever so valuable.

Please and thank you. Just a few short words that can mean so much.

We are trying hard to teach our kids to say please and thank you. And they are getting there but they are only young so often need reminding. But when they do say please or thank you without being prompted, it makes me so proud of them. I often encourage them to speak to the assistant at the check out in supermarket or coffee shop, trying to teach them to be confident along with how to be polite.

Today was day three of the latest round of snow days (four if you include friday last week!) and we had escaped the house for a few hours to go to Kids' gym and the Chiropractor. We had time in-between for a treat so I pulled up in Biggby's car park and took them in for a hot chocolate and a cookie.

I am paranoid about them in the car park so always make sure they each hold one of my hands. A lady drove round the corner and stopped to let us cross. I asked the kids to wave to say thank you and they did. Pretty enthusiastically. Toby was so engrossed in his wave that he stumbled and I was concerned that we were holding her up as we slowly walked in front of her.

We got in the line at the coffee shop when a lady appeared behind me and said 'Excuse me, I just wanted to tell you how wonderful it was to see your children waving to say thank you to me. I was actually going next door but I just had to come in and tell you. I have always taught my children to do it and my eleven year old and I laugh about how she used to wave and wave at people..."

Well I was floored. I couldn't believe that the lady who had waited patiently for us to cross had now  gone out of her way to come into the coffee shop to tell me how pleased she was!

So what is the moral of the story, apart from the fact that manners do seem to go a long way?
Please think about speaking up and telling that tired looking Mum with the two or three kids in tow, that she is doing a good job. She may well not always believe it herself and those kids may well have  had a massive tantrum in public an hour or two ago, but in that moment you can tell her that she is doing a good job. It made my day and I hope I can 'pay it forward' someday soon.