{photo by Jenny Bischoff}
Today I (Jenny) thought I'd share a small wonder that happened a couple of weeks ago on our first home day.
One of the assignments on my Intermediate student’s grid was to look for SLOCA character traits in our literature reading (Ox Cart Man), and we had done that and had some great discussion around that book. The simple story and beautiful illustrations provided an easy way to talk about the hardworking lives of famers in early America. My son was eager to point out the family’s resourcefulness and diligence, and the farmer’s kindness and stewardship. It was a sweet conversation, but not necessarily surprising, since that was the assignment and the book readily facilitated that discussion.
Later when we sat down to read history, he started pointing out all the character traits he noticed in the lives of the colonists, Pilgrims, and Native Americans. We had another great (and fun) discussion about the courage of the Pilgrims, the kindness of Squanto, the resilience and resourcefulness of all the colonists, and the respect some of the French showed toward the Native Americans. He was tuned in on looking for character traits, and it made our discussion of history that much richer.
I thought this was encouraging to see that our students are being trained to notice virtues, both in fictional and historical characters, even when it’s not necessarily “assigned on the grid.” From the youngest levels on up, our kids are analyzing what they read and hear, and taking more from the readings than we might realize. I just had to stop and appreciate that. And I bet I’m not the only one who has had (or will have) a moment like this! Thank you, SLOCA.
Do you have a similar story from one of your home days, or a comment your child shared with you from class? It can be anything that makes you thankful for the lifelong learning happening at our school. Moments like the one above occur all the time, but we often don’t take the time to capture and share them. Somehow it's more natural to share our frustrations with each other, and while that is certainly helpful and healthy as well, let's also rejoice in the magical moments and share those with each other too. It’s so good for us! And see how easy it is?
Email Down Home anytime to share your “Wednesday Wonder” on the blog!
