30/30

I should have taken a picture - so proud!

When it comes to pretty much any concept in school, Gavin is a little slow when a new one is introduced.

Case in point - spelling. The first few weeks of spelling were brutal; he had a hard time memorizing and learning how to spell the ones that he had missed on the pre-test. But after just a few weeks, he was getting 100% on his end of week test, even though he may have missed up to 50% of them on the pre-test. His brain started building those connections.

School isn't just about learning stuff. It's about learning how to learn.

Math seems to be even stronger in this way. Helping him with homework on new math concepts is frustrating. For one, he wants to rush through the work and not listen to the explanation. He doesn't fully grasp the concept, so he rushes to the wrong answers. They have these new fangled methods of teaching math that I can't get through my old school "black and white" way of thinking. Usually our math homework sessions end in him crying and me declaring "we're hiring a tutor!". I wish I was kidding.

This weekend I did the routine backpack clean out.

Math paper. Double digit subtraction (second graders do that??)

30/30 - with a big note from his teach - "Awesome!!"

So proud of that kid. It doesn't always come easy for him (or us), but as we continue on this school journey together, as I start to understand the way his mind works and how he learns, I hope it will only get easier.