amazing

"Look with your eyes."

That's what Eljo said as he read the poem I just wrote on the computer. I almost fell from my seat. I asked him again to read the line and he did - perfectly! I asked him to read the next line.

"What do you see?"

Wow! I told him I am amazed. Not that it's surprising. I have always sensed that his verbal-linguistic intelligence is more advanced than the average kid. He learned to talk real words just after turning one. He could read books with simple words (e.g., Chika Chika Boom Boom, Freight Train) at age two. He could very well express himself through words and complete sentences.

And we think he really has a very good visual and oral memory. When I read to him, I point out the words and somehow he stores these visual cues (like the first letter, or the form of the words) and access them when he encounters the word again. This is what they call sight reading. He's still learning how to read phonetically in school (where you sound out the letters). So maybe by the end of this school year, his reading vocabulary will expand further.

But I guess what's more important is that he really takes pleasure in reading and learning new words. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

10 Commitments for Parents

1. I will always love and respect my child for who he is and not who I want him to be.


2. I will give my child space - to grow, to dream, to succeed and even sometimes to fail.


3. I will create a loving home environment and show my child that she is loved, whenever and however I can.


4. I will, when discipline is necessary, let my child know that I disapprove of what he does, not who he is.


5. I will set limits for my child and help her find security in the knowledge of what is expected of her.


6. I will make time for my child and cherish our moments together, realizing how important - and fleeting - they are.


7. I will not burden my child with emotions and problems he is not equipped to deal with, remembering that I am the parent and he is the child.


8. I will encourage my child to experience the world and all its possibilities, guiding her in its ways and taking pains to leave her careful but not fearful.


9. I will take care of myself physically and emotionally, so that I can be there for my child when he needs me.


10. I will try to be the kind of person I want my child to grow up to be - loving, fair-minded, moral, giving and hopeful.


- Author Unknown