We Have A Disease

History and Symptoms: The transition to a Christian classical school has been hard for Matthew. Well, not really, he's happy and content. It's been hard on his mama, because the teacher keeps telling me how behind he is on reading and math. Yes, thank you. I've figured that out. Unless God gives us a miracle, the struggle with reading will not disappear overnight. However, we did get an 85 on our spelling test, a 100 on our history test, and we would've had a 100 on our Bible test if he hadn't forgot to write his name on the paper. He is so absent-minded. Here's some of the symptoms. They were copying a title from the board the other day. Cherokee Hills. He wrote slliH eekorehC and then for his name he wrote wehttam. He's never done that before, but it concerned his teacher. She obviously hasn't had Matthew in class long enough yet, because Matthew does what Matthew wants and he likes to be difficult just to make life exciting. Any of you that have taught Matthew or observed Matthew, you can completely relate? I'm thankful for his teacher's many years of experience though, otherwise Matthew may have already been kicked out! He's having trouble copying sentences from the board. I explained to her that he never had to copy sentences from a board in kindergarten. Elizabeth is already copying things from the board (3 weeks into kindergarten), so you can see that Matthew is at a disadvantage, but he'll survive because he's all about some competition.


Diagnosis: Is he behind or possibly dyslexic? I think he's just behind and creative. Yes he reverses some of his letters and can't read as well as his other first grade friends, but he was never taught to read the way they were taught. That's part of why we made the switch.

Matthew made his own diagnosis when he declared to his teacher yesterday "I am word blind." Not number blind, just word blind. If the word's too big, he can't see it. This is reading according to Matthew. Poor Mrs. W., I'm sorry, but this is just the beginning of what you're going to experience with Matthew.

Cure: Lots of prayer. Lots of patience. Lots of reading. Lots of phonics and spelling rule flashcards (which mama doesn't even know or understand for that matter) Will daddy please hurry and get home soon?

Side Effects: Mama's learning phonics and spelling rules. I never knew why sometimes "y" says i and sometimes it says e like in by and baby, but did you know that there are rules as to why this happens? I've learned more about the Cherokee Indians in Tennessee than I probably ever did. I can now sing the twelve tribes of Israel in order of their birth. I know that on the 7th day, God westid. (okay, I already knew that, but not spelled this way) I will have all the 7 days of creation down for sure by the end of next week. I get the seas and land and the sun, moon and stars mixed up. Elizabeth has it down already. Ah, to have the mind of a child.

My mom laughed today when she picked Matthew up for a sleepover and I had papers and books spread all over the kitchen table, but no kid was to be found. I was checking homework...seriously!

We are very happy at the school. Don't misinterpret my post. This is what we signed up for and I am thrilled at what my kids have already learned. To God be the glory!

Here's a picture, just because he's so stinkin' cute and goofy! These are his homemade 3D glasses.