Lils brought this picture she created for her grandma to me today, folded in an envelope, hoping to send it off to Denver (where Grandma lives). I worked with her to create a second envelope for mailing, as her first had her image folded into a fully 4 dimensional object. I explained the machines, sorting, process, and the need for the letter to be flat and not have pieces or parts that could snag/rip/be damaged.
She found a stamp, learned the format for addressing, and we will follow up with either a trip to our local mail station, or a video for exploring the process. I’d like her to see the machines used, the different steps along the way of identifying address/destination, and for her to see why we had to rewrite a couple of the letters/numbers so that a computer could scan. We did discuss that if a computer cannot determine the address, a human would intervene, and a human could easily interpret her writing. – She is developing her confidence when it comes to writing, as somewhere in there, someone discouraged her I think. She goes on about how her writing isn’t good enough for people to read, and isn’t right.
Given our approach, neither Russ nor I have ever stated to her that she SHOULD do/write/create/form letters or numbers, or anything for that matter, in any specific manner. Same with reading, spelling, etc.. When she has chosen to spell a word in a manner that makes sense to her, regardless whether it is the accepted standard, we acknowledge her work and production. She will often explain her reasons for writing/spelling/creating/reading a word or composition, and they are entirely logical. We read a lot, and when she writes a word in a manner that is logical but not conforming to “standard grammar”, we simply trust that she will continue to see the standard and will adapt her version. We’ve seen her do it time and time again already, and knowing she has knowledge of the concept of phonics (in multiple languages), we trust she will be increasingly cognizant of the difference between the standard and her interpretation, and will produce her communications as she chooses.
This concept is one that the general/conventional educational minds do not accept. It is believed that unless we drill into children the “WAY” we do something, they will develop “bad habits”, “improper or wrong this/that”, and not be able to write (specifically, as this is the topic relevant here, but any topic of choice is applicable) correctly. However, in contrast to this fear based belief held by so many, Russ and I are confident in Lily’s intelligence and discernment. We have already seen over and over how she adapts, develops, increases, expands, filters, and identifies what she needs to do what she wants. We trust her mind, her intelligence, and uphold her right to her life – as she sees fit. We know she will have enough exposure and opportunity to absorb the “standard”, and we appreciate her unique perspective, and relish the opportunity to be observers of her process, as she refines and determines what works for her, and why.
