Learning from Mistakes

When Bee, my oldest, was in the 2nd or 3rd grade, I bought a book called Word Ladders for grades 2-3.  You start with one word and then follow clues, changing one or two letters to make new words. 
 I thought they looked like fun word puzzles that would help Bee remember how to spell words and learn about the relationship between words.  So, I would print a page and have him do it, although I would offer help and encouragement as needed, and he would complain about how much he hated them.  

When we switched to All About Spelling as our spelling curriculum, I decided that was enough, and since he didn't like the Word Ladders, I would drop them.  

Now, Bug is in 1st grade.  I thought he might like the Word Ladders, so I bought him the one for grades 1-2.  However, I took a completely different approach with him.  At the end of our All About Spelling lesson, I said, "Now we're going to do a fun puzzle together!"  He did the puzzle, but I did the writing as dictated.  Bug LOVES them, and Bee asked me to get him the one for his level.  So, I am getting him the one for grades 4-6. 

When I first started homeschooling, I frequently couldn't "see the forest for the trees."  Bug and I might have had a lot of fun and learned through those Word Ladders, if I had simply offered to be his scribe.  But instead I insisted that he do it the way I would have done it in school, sitting with a pencil. 

I remember why I did this.  I was having a lot of trouble getting him to practice writing letters and numbers, so I was trying to squeeze every opportunity for him to practice.  In retrospect, it would have been better to do a little bit of handwriting practice each day, but not let his reluctance to write (which probably had something to do with his ADHD) interfere with other learning activities. 

When his new book comes, we will do them together, unless he asks to do them on his own.  These days, forming letters and numbers isn't such a big deal, and his handwriting is very legible.  He would still prefer to use a keyboard rather than write, but it isn't an obstacle. 

I don't want to beat myself up over my mistakes, since that is futile, but I did want to share what I have learned.  Poor oldest children; they teach us so much.