Miss A's First Essay...

The language arts curriculum ( Good and Beautiful ) we're using is big on writing.  Which I love, and Miss A HATES!  With a passion.  So when this essay came up, we took it very slowly.  We read one page of the article one day, then the next, then did part of the worksheet that helps outline how you can write the essay by listing your two most important ideas from the article.  Anyway, it took us about a week to work up to it, and then yesterday we stalemated on the second paragraph.  She was freaking out because it was impossibly hard.  I was being very calm, I hope, but still thinking, "What is the big deal?  Just write!"  We talked about the scripture that says great things come from doing little steps.  I wrote an example essay, having her read me the instructions from the curriculum while I did it.

I told her all she had to do was write the second paragraph.  (She wrote the intro a few days ago.)  Finally she gritted her teeth, grabbed her clip board, and disappeared.  She surprised me by appearing later with the entire essay completed.

I told B about it last night, and he totally empathizes, because he also hates to write and always has.  But, as I told him, with her, we have a chance to head that hatred off at an early age, and I think that's worth attempting.