James knows that homework is done immediately after dinner. The adults do the dishes and clean up, and James' job is to head upstairs and do his homework without question. He does this 98% of the time with no issue.
One night I asked James if he would read from one of his returned school assignments. It was an art piece with an attached paragraph in Spanish. I knew he could read it easily and I enjoy listening to his Spanish pronounciation.
Oh boy, what a fit! He absolutely grumbled and stomped his feet about it. I didn't think it was such a big thing to ask, so we held on. We asked nicely. We didn't give in. It was such a simple request.. and James made a stink.
He cried. We were patient. When he was ready he came back downstairs (we banished him to his room to cry), and he said that he was hugging the monkey upstairs and it made him feel better. So the monkey came downstairs with him and gave him the courage to read.
Whatever works, dear boy.
By the way, his Spanish was easy and beautiful. And it took all of 15 seconds to read it, but he took about 40 minutes to get through this whole ordeal. Aye!
His other art pieces.
An invention- a Homework Machine! I'm not sure who wrote that on the top, maybe his art teacher, but James said he made up this invention. Math comes out all done!
Math word problems. I took this worksheet to my middle school to show the 8th graders (who take Spanish). They were flabbergasted at how much he is reading and he's ONLY in 1st grade. Immersion works, people.
A few days later we asked him to read again. He did it without argument. (Phew.)
If you give a monkey a coca cola. By James. Written by James.
If you give a monkey a coca cola, he wants a banana with the coca cola.
He will want a house of wood, and will want another coca cola with a banana.
The End.
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