The teacher sent me a note saying that Michael has no interest in learning to read and when called upon to attempt reading, guesses words and makes no real attempt to work them out. I went to talk to her and dutifully promised to work on his reading over the Easter holidays (has this happened? alas no but a small reprehensible part of me feels that he’ll read when he’s ready and no point in torturing him). “On the plus side,” said she, “he’s the fastest in the class at maths, whenever I give them a sheet, he’s first up with the answers and always right.” I have to say that Michael has hidden his light under a bushel – this came as a complete, and clearly welcome, surprise. And I happen to know that he’s the youngest in the class by 20 minutes. Mr. Waffle suggests that a career without much writing might suit him, civil engineering perhaps?
Civil engineer – nah, get him to be an actuary or stock broker – then maybe you can stop paying into the pension fund
Quite a lot of report writing in most forms of engineering. My other half has a MChemEng, but for the new job he’s got they’re sending him to a report writing training course…
He’ll get there, I’m sure. Maybe when the maths questions change from the ‘x+x=’ type to the ‘Susan has x apples’ type and he can relate reading to something else he’s already good at.
Perhaps Michael and Daniel are planning on forming a team, with Daniel doing the reading and writing and Michael the adding up…
Sibling, what pension fund?
Sarah, oh dear
TM, now you’re talking.
As a child in class I just said ‘new word’ every time there was a word I didn’t recognise. Wasn’t a fan of sounding out.
Over here, Waldorf schools believe waiting until children are 7 before they start with phonics/reading.
Maths being strong is good for counting his money. He’ll be just fine.
Practical!