Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Compound Words


My son Oliver is currently being tested for learning difficulties. He is smart as a whip, to use a cliche, and quite the perfectionist, but he struggles mightily with reading and spelling. No one is more surprised than I given his incredible perceptions and ability to articulate deep and mysterious feelings. But...

He told me today that a couple of people at school have been taking him out of class and administering these tests and that they're sort of fun. I haven't told him what they're for, just let him know that they're trying to see how exactly his mind works and these tests will help them to figure that out. In any case, the boys, Sophie and I were eating dinner tonight when he described a test that involved him closing his eyes while the adult said the beginning of a compound word and he had to complete it.

I said, Like what?

Oliver said, Like tree....house.

Henry said, Oh, I get it. Here's one. Sun...

Oliver said, of a gun!

We all cracked up, no one laughing harder than the Big O, himself.

16 comments:

  1. If one of these days he is gone, you know where to find him. Just call before you come so we can hide him...

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  2. Allegra is going to have to beat me to it!

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  3. love him.

    and you are awesome for not bringing the testing to his attention. because seriously.

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  4. One of my kids had a reading disability which was PROFOUND and because of early testing and because her school had an amazing special ed teacher and because she herself had a spirit that NEVER QUIT (like Oliver himself, I'm thinking), she not only learned to read but learned skills which have helped her tremendously in her life. She's got one more year of nursing school- which is not an easy course of study!- and I am so proud of her.
    All will be well.

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  5. That is seriously funny! Thanks for making me smile today!

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  6. seriously,
    we are so cut from the same cloth.

    if only they tested for "right brained" capabilities.

    a whole new sector of genius would be identified.

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  7. He's got the concept--and his mother's sense of humor.

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  8. totally love him. learning disability blah blah blah. delish to the core.

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  9. creative thinker that one :)
    in my family we call it "learning differently."
    probably in many ways "learning better"
    :)

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  10. he's such a riot!

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  11. telling on myself: i might have said 'of a bitch'

    p.s. did you make it out to lunch the other day?

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  12. Oh, I'm still laughing! That's a great one!

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  13. Oh my goodness - that is SOOO funny. Thanks for the cheer.

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  14. I love him, and I haven't even met him.

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