Platt Discovery Cottage

Fuss is ‘reading’

September 22nd, 2007

I really like the ‘Bob’ book for phonics and reading ‘awareness’, however we were at the local teachers store and I happened upon the Innovative Kids Now I’m Reading series.  The books are so cute and Fuss just loves them.  So I picked up the first set, All About Me, which contains a wee book for each letter of the alphabet.   Since this goes along with our one letter per week that we are doing at the moment, I could justify the purchase price!

Fuss immediately read the ‘A’ book without prompting.  He was so pleased with himself.  The books come with small alphabet stickers to place in the front of the book once it’s been ‘read’.  Since Fuss is such a sticker guy, this really got him excited.

We are going to do the ‘B’ book tomorrow.  I wonder if he’ll enjoy it as much or if the novelty will have worn off.

Fuss also had his first Suzuki group lesson today.  Since he’s at the beginning of the beginning he was only able to join the very start and the very end of the class.  He sat through the rest of it.  The class was an hour and 15 minutes.  AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES.  My son is 4!!!!  Luckily he really loves his violin so he was able to sit through it.  However, I struggled…and I’m a musician.  Ugh. 

The other parents were so picky at their kids.  Silently motioning to them to hold the bow properly or stand up straight.  I just wanted to stay out of it and let the teacher do his thing.   In fact, the teacher had told the kids to put their bows down in front of them.  Fuss was either not listening, or did not understand.  I knew that he would figure it out once he saw what all the other kids had done.  Instead, one of the other mothers came over and put it down for him.  At first I was embarrassed that I had not done it, but then I was just kind of offended that he wasn’t allowed the time to figure it out.

I’m wondering if Suzuki is for me, although I do like his private teacher.  Also, Fuss really seemed to enjoy it today, and that matters more than what I think.  At one point, he asked when he could play like the other kids (more experienced) were playing.  I whispered that he would have to work and practice and he just quietly nodded his head.

We’ll see how it goes.  I’ll certainly not push it if he loses interest.  I’ve been working with him a bit on the piano, again not pushing, and if he flakes out on the violin, we’ll just continue with the piano until he decides what he wants to do musically.

Bug really sprouted some new words today.  She’s got the parts of the face down and she said ‘home’. 

She really seems to like dolls, something I was hoping to avoid.  However, we do have a Waldorf doll here - which I LOVE.  After looking at the plastic varieties available in our local independent educational toy store, I was not impressed, so I got out the Waldorf doll.  It was given to Fuss by us when Bug was born, but he lost interest very quickly.  I handed it to Bug and she really got into it.  She pointed to all the parts and wanted to know the names of them, and then gave the doll a kiss. 

Unfortuantely, the doll’s name is the same as what we were going to name Bug had she been a boy (the reason for the being another post entirely).  Also the name of a future boy should that occur.  I’m hoping to encourage her to rename it, if she ends up taking to the doll at all, however Fuss may not allow a name change.

Enjoying the journey,  Amanda

Entry Filed under: This N That