Reading Differently

We were given this big Sesame Street ABC book which we've taken to reading to our son before bedtime.

I will go through the alphabet with him, saying the letter, sounding the letter, and fingerspelling the letter. Then we'd go through each letter and the pictures for each letter. Sometimes i'd make stories, say connections, ask him to point out something to me, and sign the picture to build his signing vocabulary. I also keep fingerspelling. If there's an animal, I ask how it sounds like.

Pappie, on the other hand, asks questions. He goes, "What animals do you see?" or "What do we use to open the door that begins with the letter K?" or "What do we love eating when it's hot, we put it on a cone and lick it like this."

I couldn't help but smile last night watching them read together because I was really happy for my son. He's being loved differently and taught differently. We are not even trying to really teach him letters and numbers yet, rather, we're just letting him learn them on his own terms. But he is learning them. Some better than others. And all we see is a thriving boy with a thriving mind.

It really is a privilege seeing someone unfold.