today, ella kate came home from preschool with her very first homework assignment. i tried to explain to her what homework was, and she got really excited!
she was supposed to fill a paper sack with ...
1.) a picture of her family
2.) a magazine clipping/empty wrapper of her favorite food or snack
3.) her favorite toy
4.) her favorite book
5.) a picture or item representing what she wants to be when she grows up
so first, bill and i sat with her in her room and asked her these questions. her reply to her favorite food was, "french fries and chicken!" i said, "ella kate, are you sure? i thought you loved cheese, popcorn or maybe strawberries..." but no, she wanted french fries and chicken...
next was her favorite toy, "ella kate, so do you want to bring a baby as your favorite toy? or maybe a dancin' shoe, or your tea party (tea set), or a barbie, or your little people?" she stood up and tapped her chin like she was thinking really hard, then walked to her bed and picked this stuffed pink hippo that she has NEVER played with. she brought him to me and said, "i fink i wanna bring fumbelina to school and show all my friends!" "who is thumbelina, ella kate?" bill asked. she looked at him and said, "dis pink hippo is my favorite toy! her's fumbelina!" so, obviously there in no changing her mind... and apparently all of her favorite things are new to us!!
but the next question was her book and we had a hunch which one she would choose. bill and i thought that it would be one of her princess books or her story time bible that we read every night, or possibly a gorilla book that nonny had given her. (she has a bazillion books, but these are the ones that she asks us to read to her every night.) so bill asked her to go to her book basket and pick out her most FAVORITE book of all time. she scurries over there and runs back to us with a potty book, that we have had for over a year and only read maybe 5 times! "are you sure this is your favorite book, ella kate?" i ask, and she nods yes! so.. last question. i ask her what she wants to be when she grows up... "would you like to be a mommy, or a teacher, or a baker who makes yummy cupcakes, or what?" she smiles and says, "i fink i'm gonna be baker girl! no, wait! wait! i fink i'm gonna be a princess and 'siah is gonna be a mail man!" so.. fair enough! the girl dreams big... what can i say?? :)
this 'homework' assignment was fun!!
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Yay! This kind of family interaction is exactly what I had in mind when I planned this homework assignment. It was not intended to simply be busy work but to have families work together; to have children think and make decisions, even for just a brief moment in time. And it's intended for the children to have a bit of time in the "spotlight" during circle time as they share the contents of their bags. I am so pleased, and Mrs. Ann will be as well, that Bill, Ella Kate & you enjoyed this.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Mrs. Hope
How funny!!!! You learn things about them every day.
ReplyDeleteMy son wanted to be the trash man until he was almost 11 years old!!!! And only because he wanted to hang off the side of the truck as it drove down the road....imagine that???