Echo's "progress report"

Ok, so Echo's school (a part-time, progressive, private school - with very small, mixed-age classes, and no tests, grades, or real "report cards", but lots of hands-on, child-centered, interactive learning experiences) sent out Fall narrative reports for each child. Read up!

Math: I am really enjoying Echo in our math group- she is such a ready and willing participant in all our activities. Echo has a good grasp of patterns and recognizes them both visually aurally and has no difficulty building them. She has a solid grasp of skip counting, I anticipate multiplication facts will come easily for her. She needs to keep practicing her math facts (adding) and we’ll continue to work on place value. Echo can get frustrated when her answers are incorrect. When she can work though a problem using manipulatives, she most often finds her error and can move on. We’ll be working on double checking skills soon which should really appeal to Echo’s independent nature!

Reading: Well...the reading fairy visited Echo pretty early!!! She's doing great in her reading group...she's got a solid grasp of all of her 'trick words', her vocabulary is fantastic, and she's a whiz at using context to make sense of what she's reading. As the year progresses, I'll be encouraging Echo to 'read to learn', since she's already 'learned to read'. We'll be working more and more on comprehension and getting deeper into literary elements.

Writing: Echo has a great time in our Writing Workshop! She's got so many things she wants to share...sometimes she spends so much time making elaborate drawings, we've got to squeeze in some writing at the last minute to remember her thoughts! We've finished our creative writing unit, and now we are focusing on our 'naturalist journals'. Our afternoon time has a bit more direction in writing...some non-fiction elements as well as poetry and journal entries. Echo has made the transition beautifully and doesn't seem to have difficulty with either style.

Science/Soc. Studies: Echo seemed to have a lot of fun with our social studies unit. She loves working with her friends and drawing comparisons between the different cultures we learned about. She is good at inferring what kind of life someone might lead if they lived in a certain terrain. She showed a lot of concern for people who weren’t treated respectfully during the history component of our lessons. Echo has a great attention span and can absorb a lot of information at a time. She enjoys doing crafts and is helpful and takes other children under her wing who need assistance.

General: We’ve really enjoyed getting to know Echo this year. She’s a friend to one and all! She cooperates well with her friends and when conflicts arise, she can very clearly articulate her expectations! Echo enjoys group activities- especially music! She’s an eager student and throws herself into every endeavor! She is proud of her abilities and never hesitates to let us know when she thinks some work is beneath her! Being the dutiful student, she complies with our requests and is able to move on to grander tasks! She has a well developed funny bone and loves entertaining and being entertained by silly friends and teachers.

Eliza's Corner: Echo has such a curious and, at the same time, analytical mind. She is always thinking about the 'big' picture and how all of the pieces fit. She loves to be introduced to new ideas and has good critical thinking abilities. She is eager to improve her handwriting skills and works at it consistently. She is focusing on mastering the lower case letters. Echo is considerate of her classmates and will go out of her way to help them. She has a wonderful sense of humor!

(Warning: Philosophical rambling to follow).

Ok, so I know that they probably praised each child like this. But, still. C'mon! Does my child rock or what? I'm not at all the sentimental type, but this gave me the quintessential warm fuzzy :) Not just the evaluation of performance, but the comments on her character, her nature. I am pretty darn proud of what a thoughtful, kind, bright, fiesty, curious, joyful, passionate, determined, witty, and sensitive human being this first child of mine has become. It's becoming more apparent each passing day what a gentle spirit and well-developed sense of empathy she has. Along with a mind that is always searching, creating, never quenched by the status quo. I can't help but internally squeal a little in delight when I read those words, seeing just a little validation for the many years of consciously parenting her in a way that has not always been easy - and with decisions and styles which were questioned by some - but which, I knew, in my heart, was what would allow her to fearlessly unfold, before our very eyes, into a Very Amazing Person.

Not that's she's done "becoming" by any means! But her turning 6 last month has, in fact, given me pause and an opportunity for reflection, esp. on those slippery infant and toddler years. It's like we're at a checkpoint, if you will, to assess the 2000+ days of parenting her so far, and see how successful we have or have not been along the way in nurturing her toward independence.

It's really a reflection on how much one selflessly pours into one's child in those first really early years - all the sacrifices, all the lost sleep, all the times you think, "Argh! I should just wean her/leave her to cry/ignore her/spank her/ship her off to preschool - that would make my life easier! Other people do it! .... But no, that's not what I want for her. I want better. " So you keep truckin', keep meeting their needs, and choose to ignore the naysayers who think you are spoiling your child, letting them get away with too much, not "teaching" them the right "discipline", and so on.

All while hoping and praying that you are not screwing up and going to wind up with an out-of-control brat (and God lovingly re-confirms each time that He knows what He's doing when He guides you, and you won't!). All in hopes of it all paying off.

And it seems it already has.