What a Difference a School Year Makes

My Last Reader Crosses the Line!

Day 14/Year 3

June 13, 2014

Team Zybko

Our school year began with fresh dollar store ABC flash cards spread out on a clean hardwood floor of a mostly empty house. No cute home school room, bulletin boards, book shelves, dining room table or chairs. Not even a crumby old couch we were comfortably accustomed to for snuggling during our read aloud classic book time. No worries, we rolled with it. Like elementary nomads, discovering new classrooms every week, adding to our list of favorite places to learn and finish our curriculum. My Bag O'Wonders may have changed daily but my MO and determination to teach La La to read did not. Some days better than others, for me anyway. Teaching a kid from scratch was completely new to me. The only one of the six kids with no prior record of any type of schooling. I know this goes on all the time around the world and in the communities near me with out fail. But in my world it was a brand new deal, uncharted waters for this already out of breath momma. No pre-school, no MMO, no public school....no nothing, little La-La's record was clean, white as snow. Oh yea, I better grab a life vest and some snacks, this may be a loooonnnnggg 180 days.

Despite Drexel's futile attempts at correcting me regarding the protection laws of endangered animals, my go to phrase during our learn to read time remained steady.

C'mom La, we can do this!

It's just like eating an elephant. 

One bite at a time. 

One blendy consonant.

 One popcorn word.

One flashcard.

 One long vowel sound.

One journal entry.

One step-up large font book at a time.
One bite at a time.

My six year old was patient with her teacher, always smiling and trying her hardest. Although no official report card is needed for kindergarten, I still give her an 'A' for effort and cuteness. I know, total bias grade there but whose counting. The huge gap left behind as her front teeth exited sometime in late winter proved downright laughable at times. I was spit on more than once.

 Hazards of the job, at least it was family saliva. The rewards of being 110 percent involved in this learning to read process with a child is indescribable. For the first time in my life I truly, truly understand why paid teachers go back for more, sign up each year taking on a whole new bunch of students and challenges. So cool! Similar to watching the transformation process of a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly with wings and new look on life.  Amazing indeed. Thank you Lord for this home schooling opportunity. I am blessed beyond the words written here. Great job Delilah.