•9:59 PM
August 25, 2009 10:25 p.m.
Baby Girl really takes delight in books. A commonplace sight in our family is to see her in the back seat of the car with a big grin, talking about something she just read in a book. She loves, with all her heart, to read, and especially to read aloud to all of us. She can often be heard reading while I am driving: books about The Littles; Magic Tree House books; and Boxcar Children books. Books, generally fiction ones, bring her seemingly limitless glee.
You see, this is Baby Girl's gift. Whereas Little Son is gifted in music, Baby Girl is gifted in language. This is a girl who could speak her first Korean word by age 4 months. On her first birthday, we observed a Korean custom in which a tray of objects was placed before her, each object signifying a possible destiny / calling / future career. Items like a dollar bill, a thread, etc. signified wealth, long life, etc. So she chose.... a pencil. Of course, we believe all is in the hands of Providence, but from that day on, we casually joked that she might become a writer.
As of now, she is six years old, a young six, not yet 6-1/2, and all she wants to do is write, read, and read aloud. And then write again! On the days when I don't work through a Calvert lesson with her (usually Mondays) I have taken Self-Reliant Man's advice and assigned her a book report. While I am working with her brother, I have her read a book and write a summary of it. For some kids, the idea of this might reduce them to tears. Not so for Baby Girl, because I am asking her to do the two things she loves best, read and write.
So you can get an idea of the type of writer we have in Baby Girl, I am re-typing here the report she wrote on Monday. She decided to write about the first Boxcar Children book, a book she had read a week earlier. I have typed it exactly as she wrote it, spelling included, although I did add in a couple of missing periods for clarity.
Baby Girl really takes delight in books. A commonplace sight in our family is to see her in the back seat of the car with a big grin, talking about something she just read in a book. She loves, with all her heart, to read, and especially to read aloud to all of us. She can often be heard reading while I am driving: books about The Littles; Magic Tree House books; and Boxcar Children books. Books, generally fiction ones, bring her seemingly limitless glee.
You see, this is Baby Girl's gift. Whereas Little Son is gifted in music, Baby Girl is gifted in language. This is a girl who could speak her first Korean word by age 4 months. On her first birthday, we observed a Korean custom in which a tray of objects was placed before her, each object signifying a possible destiny / calling / future career. Items like a dollar bill, a thread, etc. signified wealth, long life, etc. So she chose.... a pencil. Of course, we believe all is in the hands of Providence, but from that day on, we casually joked that she might become a writer.
As of now, she is six years old, a young six, not yet 6-1/2, and all she wants to do is write, read, and read aloud. And then write again! On the days when I don't work through a Calvert lesson with her (usually Mondays) I have taken Self-Reliant Man's advice and assigned her a book report. While I am working with her brother, I have her read a book and write a summary of it. For some kids, the idea of this might reduce them to tears. Not so for Baby Girl, because I am asking her to do the two things she loves best, read and write.
So you can get an idea of the type of writer we have in Baby Girl, I am re-typing here the report she wrote on Monday. She decided to write about the first Boxcar Children book, a book she had read a week earlier. I have typed it exactly as she wrote it, spelling included, although I did add in a couple of missing periods for clarity.
Edventures Mysterys
First there was four children who had no parents. so they had run away from there grandfather becuse they thougt he was mean. But when they came to the woods to sleep it started to look like it was going to rain. Jessie got up and went away from the others to find somewhere to sleepin and stay dry from the rain. sudenly in the woods there was a boxcar. she hurried Back to the others to tell the others about the Boxcar. they followed her trew the woods intil they came to an Old railroad track and on it sat an old Boxcar with vines all over it with a stump for a step. Henry helped Jessie open the Heavy door to the Boxcar. When they got in they made Pine needle Beds. And they lived very happily for a long time and when Henry went to find a Job He found a docther mowing the grass. And he got a job with the Docther and one day when Benny Jessie Violet and Henry were at the Docters house there grandfather came and took them to his own home where they mist the Boxcar. and that evening he said go Back to the Docthers house and when you come Back there will be a surprise for you. When they came Back the Boxcar was in a garden.
The End
How about that for Baby Girl's book report?
First there was four children who had no parents. so they had run away from there grandfather becuse they thougt he was mean. But when they came to the woods to sleep it started to look like it was going to rain. Jessie got up and went away from the others to find somewhere to sleepin and stay dry from the rain. sudenly in the woods there was a boxcar. she hurried Back to the others to tell the others about the Boxcar. they followed her trew the woods intil they came to an Old railroad track and on it sat an old Boxcar with vines all over it with a stump for a step. Henry helped Jessie open the Heavy door to the Boxcar. When they got in they made Pine needle Beds. And they lived very happily for a long time and when Henry went to find a Job He found a docther mowing the grass. And he got a job with the Docther and one day when Benny Jessie Violet and Henry were at the Docters house there grandfather came and took them to his own home where they mist the Boxcar. and that evening he said go Back to the Docthers house and when you come Back there will be a surprise for you. When they came Back the Boxcar was in a garden.
The End
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3 comments:
I think it's a lovely book report. I really should duplicate Mark's report on inviting a famous person to dinner - he chose Thomas Jefferson! Ryan wails about writing, Mark loves to write. He just doesn't like doing rough drafts, but we'll work through that. May of my kids have loved the Boxcar children, too. Mark really enjoyed the Magic Tree House and A to Z Mysteries. BTW, Baby Girl's room came out really pretty! I remember you writing about re-doing it last year. It's so girly; what a wonderful retreat.
wow! a 6-yr-old wrote that? i am very impressed! baby girl did a great job!
I don't know the Boxcar books, but this report would entice me to read them!