On this, the eve of her third birthday, Jarrah has picked up a preschool standard or two:
She can count to 20. That is, if you're not fussy about 14-18. She calls out "12, 13, 19, 20!!" Although we "parrot" back the unabridged version, she still shuns the all-important middle. Fingers crossed this is not some grim harbinger of how we'll wish to remember her teen years.
She knows her ABCs, even the confusing "won't you sing with me?" That syntax really nags at me. "WON'T you sing with me?" What's wrong with "Please sing with me?" or its ilk? I guess it must be British or something.
Anyway, there is a spot where she gets stuck, but I am loathe to correct her because I love it. Here's how Jarrah's ABCs go:
"A, B, C, D, E, F, G!!!!
JAKE-EYE, JAKE-EYE
L,M,N,O,P!!!!
Q,R,S!
T,U,V!
W,X, Y and Z!
Now I know my ABCs!
Next time won't you
sing wit me!"
Now, I could understand tripping up on LMNO. Probably because that part confounded me for years. I remember the following incident (next time I see my mother she'll tell me this never happened):
Sam: (at 4-years-old, outside the closed bathroom door): Dad!
Dad: What?
Sam: I need to talk to you!
Dad: I'm taking a shower!
Sam: I have a question!
Dad: What is it?
Sam: What's an elemeno?
Dad? What?
Sam: An elemeno? What is it?
Dad: WHAT?
Sam: How come the alphabet is mostly letters but has a word right in the middle?
Dad: WHAT?
Sam: What IS an elemeno and what's it doing in the alphabet?
Dad: I'm taking a shower!
Alas, I got no enlightenment. It was another 20 years before I found the truth. By then, the damage was done, and I was embittered and disillusioned for life.
Wait. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, learning stuff. Jarrah also, suddenly, mysteriously, knows the difference between boys and girls. Now, now, get your mind out of the gutter, Readers. I don't mean in the anatomical sense. Or do I? Because, you see, it's a mystery. But a couple of nights ago David and I quizzed her over dinner on the students in her class, and she knew them all:
Sam: Alex?
Jarrah: She's a gull.
David: Ruben?
Jarrah: He's a boy.
David: Barbara! (her teacher)
Jarrah: She's a gull.
Sam: Levi?
Jarrah: He's a boy.
And so on. It was truly bizzare. How do kids learn that kind of thing? I guess I should have asked her, "And how do you tell the difference?"
But maybe that's a lesson for another day.
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9 comments:
Okay, Laura's system is the most awesome thing I've ever heard. :)
14-18 are superfluous here too. She'll say 14, 15, 19, 14, 16, TWENTY!!!
I've never thought about the last part. It is wonky syntax. As a child, I always sang "Aren't you very proud of me"
See, even then I was all about the external validation
I LOVE the way she says the alphabet. No way can you correct that! :)
When I taught kindergarten and completing the end of the grading period assessments, I found many of my students skipped 15. I had to check myself the next time we were doing some math activites and morning calendar routine to make sure I wasn't leaving out 15. ha! Thank goodness, I wasn't! Another more experienced kinder teacher told me that many young children leave out some of the "teen numbers"...so I guess it's common.
Jennifer
Hi there! What a smartie you have! You know, it used to be "tell me what you think of me" instead of "next time won't you sing with me?" But in the Sesame Street era the song was changed. My mom believes that Sesame Street was the first to use the self-esteem protecting "sing with me" version - I am not sure they were the very first but that's where I learned it. As for your more polite suggestion of "please sing with me" there aren't enough syllables. Unless you carry on the please for several notes. ;) Jared only counts from one to "wee-weh-vin" but then goes right back to 9 and then just randomly says numbers after that. I'm so proud!
The gender identity thing is altogether fascinating, isn't it? Gender identity is generally formed around ages 2-3 so Jarrah is right on track! Jared mentions boys and girls now, too, and that's fairly recent for him. I really like Laura's system, though. It seems effective and straight forward. If only all of life could be figured out with a checklist-like procedure!
Joshua used to say H-I-J-K....N-N-N-N-P...like a keyboard programmed to repeat too quickly. It was adorable and I hated to see it go. Fortunately he has one remnant of little-one talk left. He still says "hotelo" when he means "hotel." I know I'll cry the day I hear him say "hotel." Enjoy the Jake-eye as long you can and try to catch it on video so you can show her later in life. I miss you guys lots and can't wait to see you in January.
XOX,
Robyn
jake-eye! :) love your recent posts and the fun new format and name! :) miss you! xxx lix
Oh, Sam. What would Judith Butler say about this sex identification system? I'm going to have a little talk with Jarrah next week and get her all riled up on my special edition of "Gender Trouble for Children: A Gull's Guide to Smashing Binaries." - Bianca
Hee hee, Bianca. I'll look forward to that. ;)
Jennifer, that is fascinating about kindergartners (sp?) skipping the teens! Also, I didn't know you taught kindergarten! Have you checked out my friend Mary's blog, Jump for Joy? She's a kindergarten teacher, too. :)
Robyn, I learned so much from your comment! About the Sesame Street history, and about gender identification! :) And I laughed pretty hard about the repeating keyboard. That is priceless. See you soon at the Hotelo California!
That is too darn cute!
I just wish she could come to MY kindergarten, "for reals-ez," as the kinders say!
OXOX,
Mary
Ha! Too funny! Elemeno is Yea-Yea's favorite letter in the whole alphabet :). She practically mumbles the rest of it but shouts LMNO at the top of her lungs, and as fast as possible. Who needs the other 22 letters I guess :).
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