what he learned

I was having hard time with 7 yo. He refused to do his writing. I suggested doing it outside, on the deck. He brought his workbook out, barefoot (our temperatures are in the 70s). With one-on-one attention, he did one page. He wrote sentences, ordering pictures, and he asked for the words that he was not sure how to spell. I even pulled out a dictionary, showing him how I was not sure myself how to spell something.

So he finished the page. Supposedly, he learned how to use time order words: "first", "next", "last" in his writing. However, there were the intangibles, not reflected on that page. He learned that he can break up a task into manageable chunks and do it. He learned that if he runs out of space on a line, it is not the end of the world; he can either write below or in the margin. He learned that it is OK to make mistakes, erase, and not be sure how to spell something. He learned that a change of scenery is good for concentration.

He also learned what sound a cardinal makes. He learned the serenity of sitting outdoors. He learned that he can relax.

Only time will tell which of these lessons he'll remember, and which ones will make a difference in shaping him as a human being. I suspect that his slightly sloppy sentences will not be the essence of what he learned.