What a great experience elementary has been for my middle little.
This past week, several well-known authors were in Delhi to visit the kids' school and how much fun has it been?
Tony has been spouting off names of these authors, as if they are his new best friends ::
These are some PRETTY cool authors ... and it was neat to realize that we already had many of their books.
All last week, the authors visited classrooms and held sessions with the kiddos ... and Tony has been pretty impressed. He told me that he really likes knowing and getting to meet some "real authors" because he wants to write books when he gets older.
This age is really a precious season in his life ... he is full of wonder, a crazy desire to learn, and gets so excited about things (like having his FIRST LOOSE tooth!).
His 1st grade teacher is really hard core about writing and reading ... and creating. He has 'published' three books at her prompting and with her guidance, and they will be treasured and cherished forever.
I'm thrilled to watch his blossoming love for reading, and am continuously impressed with his experience so far at the international school.
Here are some comments that were left with the leadership of the elementary school by the three authors .... sweet ::
"I have never worked with such extraordinary young writers as your students. What they have that other students I have worked with don't have, is a willingness to "go for it", take a risk and put themselves out there. They are not held back by trying to get the spelling right or the grammar right the first time around, but rather getting their ideas down on paper. Too many kids worry about the conventions when it is the ideas that writers are after. Your students are definitely after ideas! They are such creative writers, deep writers really, whose voices come through so loudly and clearly. Their ideas are amazing and you can tell that their teachers have really taught the craft of writing. They get it. In fact they get it more than most middle school students that I have worked with. I would love to come back to AES again. I couldn't believe that they knew every single one of my books. Oh, and did I say what great readers they are?"
"What I have noticed most about your AES students is their ability to express themselves so articulately. I know they still are growing in the art of writing but they have so many skills and techniques that they are using in such powerful ways. Your students are being mentored to be writers. They are developing in ways that I have not seen in other schools I have been to. I have been honored to be here and work with them and your teachers."
"AES is a very special and wonderful school and your students have to be the best that I have worked with. They are so nice to each other and they give compliments!! Not just to me but to each other! They take their writing very seriously and the process you are using is excellent. It builds upon their interests and skill level so well. They tell me how much they like to write. I felt like a movie star being here on campus. Everywhere I went the children clapped for me."
(Hey ... don't forget to join the contest for a great book! Details are HERE)
