Reading is My Hobby (?)

A 13 year old girl was recently asked by an older friend,

"What are your hobbies?"

"I like to swim."

"But that's not often." Knowing that this child's parents were not the sort to take her to the pool nor the beach. Swimming was clearly an occasional experience that she had when visiting her grandparents, who lived quite a distance away. "What do you like to do when you're at home?"

"Um..."

"Please don't say television!"

"Oh no!" She lied.

"Well then, do you like to bake, read, do art?"

Responding a little too quickly, "Read...I like to read".

"Really?" a little suspiciously. "What type of books do you like to read?"

"Storybooks."

"Yes, but what type of storybooks. I loved Mary Poppins when I was your age. Do you know those books?"

"No."

A brief explanation was then given. Continuing..."You should check your school library. They might have it. Are you able to borrow books from your school library?"

"Sure."

"Have you ever borrowed a book from your school library?"

"No."

"But you like to read."

"Yes."

"So tell me...what was the last good book that you read."

"A book about the Greek Gods."

Huh? "That was a book that you had to read for Literature in school wasn't it?"

"Uh...yes."

"Do you know how I know? Most 13 year old girls would hardly choose a book about Greek Gods when they want to read."

The teen smiled sheepishly.

Reading is her hobby...um ...quite interesting.

There was once a primary school teacher who played games with her students. Chatted with her students. Created interactive games with her students. Delved into projects with her students. And most of all got them to write, write, write. Things they played they wrote their own thoughts about. Things they chatted about they wrote their impressions on. Games they played they wrote their feelings about. Projects they explored they wrote what they learnt about. And where their imagination carried them they wrote their creative tales about. They wrote, wrote, wrote.

There was once a primary school teacher next door to the first. She gave them notes on the board and her students obediently copied them. She gave instructions and her students obediently followed them. She gave them new ideas in point form and her students carefully numbered them. She gave them sentences to complete and her students filled them in NEATLY.

How proud the latter teacher was that her students completed each assignment in easy to follow packages and well within the expected framework...Not like her neighbour who seemed so 'all over the place'!

How proud the former teacher was that her students completed each assignment progressively at their own pace and some with intriguing results.

Soon enough the school decided to embark upon a creative writing competition. "Students write what Mother's Day means to you," the Principal instructed them. Only the best submissions were to be considered for the competition.

Both teachers encouraged their charges to participate in the competition and all students did. The former teacher's students had numerous pieces of such a high standard that they were willingly considered for the competition. The latter teacher however only had two articles that could have been considered. But one of the two was so good that the young female author of the article easily won for her year level.

How proud the former teacher was! Her method of teaching was surely the best. After all it was one of her students that had won the competition.

How proud the latter teacher was! Her method of teaching was surely the best. After all she may not have won but the majority of her students shone.

Food for thought...Tell me what you think.

A Tid-Bit from Hopalonglearning.com

Hey!

Take a look at one of my phonic songs. If you like it and want to see and hear more, become a member of my education website, hopalonglearning.com. You get an entire on-line reading programme. It's so easy to use and a 100% sure way of teaching your child to read!!!

Don't forget that you get loads more than just a reading programme, but lots of other teaching/learning resources for the primary school child.

Make a game | Balloons In a Basket | Free games | Pictogame

I was having a discussion with an elderly friend of mine when she began talking about her now grown grandson. She told me that when he was about five years old he excitedly approached his grandmother with a grand observation.

"Granny," he said, " do you know that half of eight is three?"

His grandmother - my friend - laughed, "you're too bright for me, yes!" as she continued what she was doing.

"Wait granny," he persisted, "you have paper?" She good-naturely obliged.

Her little grandson promptly wrote the number '8' on the paper and drew a line down the middle. "You see granny...the number 3!"

So the next time a child comes forward with strange observations or seemingly inaccurate comments, rather than dismiss the young one why not dig deeper and find out the reasoning behind the view? You may realize that you actually have a bright spark on your hands!