PROGRESSION

This morning was my son's student-led conference where he showed me some work he has been doing over the past few months. As soon as he noticed me walk into his classroom, he tried hiding a smile. I doubt he knew I was coming to see him today. By the time I left, I could tell he was happy I was there.

He read to me a story he wrote about a cat in the forest that saw a monster. Though a short story, things did not end in a good way for the cat when he chose to open the door to his house after returning from the forest. As the last sentence of his story states: 'The cat let the monster in and the monster ate the cat.' I marveled at his thoughts and was transported to a time when I was not much older than him when I started to write my own stories.

When I was getting ready to leave, I asked my son's teacher whether Sage would get to advance to first grade next school year. She assured me he would and proceeded to tell me how the first thing he chooses to go to in the morning is the 'writing table' and how his handwriting, albeit filled with misspellings, is quite good.

Math is also a strong subject for Sage. His teacher explained to me what I noticed months ago when confronted with having to solve a math problem in alternate ways. He thinks outside the box and does not simply give any answer just to complete his homework. He wants to do a good job and takes pride in his work.

The progress he has made since the first few months of the school year has been significant. My son is now reading and writing but there is still the challenge of his somewhat incomprehensible speech. As his mother, I understand what he is saying but to others his words are not so clear.

In time, my son will overcome the challenge and gain clarity and control of his speech. Most important is his movement forward to success, towards the mastery of a skill he will one day possess. I am proud of how far he has come this year and enjoy watching all three of my children succeed in their young lives.

Next week is Cinnamon's conference and I look forward to seeing what she has accomplished this school year. Progression and growth are fascinating to observe at any age, but particularly at this stage in a child's life when their eyes are full of wonder and amazement. When curiosity abounds and everything seems possible.