Today was "Smallsteps Day" - a day where Smallsteps mostly got to choose what we did for the entire day. It is Autumn holiday week, but she has been sick for it all, whilst we have had to work most of it. I took yesterday and today off, and my wife had today off, so to make up for a crappy week, we allowed her to plan the day, with a few suggestions thrown in from us.
Whilst she could have slept in, she woke up at seven and when I questioned this, she added "That is the normal time to get up on Smallsteps Day".
Fair enough.
She wanted us to treat it like a weekend, where I make her a snack for while she watches some cartoons in the morning, and leave a note for when she wakes up. I have been doing this for a year and a half now, and she really enjoys it. She reads it (normally in Finnish, but I add English in too), and then does the tasks I have set her, which might be some math problems, something to draw, or for her to write me a poem.
Then after that, she wanted to do a "treasure hunt", where I draw a map of the house and then send her on an adventure. She likes this a lot, so after lunch and before we went into the city to run some errands (not her choice) and have sushi for dinner together, she wanted to do it again.
This time I designed a different game and introduced her to something new.
Riddles!
Now, I am not good with riddles and I have never, ever done this kind of thing before, but it was a lot of fun. I wrote the rhyming clues on squares of paper, with each one hinting toward the next. There were only four clues, but it took her about 15 minutes to read them and understand them, before going to the next. The "treasure" was just one of her toys, but that is beside the point - she loved the game.
So, normally when we are driving all together, we will play Eye Spy, or some kind of word game. For instance, we play a game where we have to make a coherent sentence from the letters on a number plate. Or, we play another one where I get her to list five words that start with, end with, or are somehow connected, like different feelings, or types of trees. We can play these games for ages.
However, as we were driving into the city, walking, eating dinner and driving home, Smallsteps wanted more riddles, so I was trying my best to make some up, based on the random things I was seeing along the way. For me at least, it isn't easy to make these up on the fly and get them to rhyme, so I figure it is good for my own mental growth or maintenance too.
Here are some that I remember (there were dozens)
Up and down
Thick and thin
Underneath,
Only skin.
It says many things
And adds a price,
Hoping you will find
Something nice.
Cut me down
And take a look,
You can make from me
A house, a fire, a book.
Remember, these are for a seven year old, so they can't be too challenging, yet I still wanted her to be challenged. At first, she was struggling with the first couple I had mentioned, as she was taking the words too literally, and not thinking laterally enough. But after a bit, I had to increase the difficulty as she got accustomed to the format.
There is a difference between learning a language, and learning a language as a native, and since the majority of Smallsteps' life is lived in Finnish, I take opportunities where I can to support her English development. She is pretty good, though now she is getting older, it is harder to keep her up to speed for her age, as she isn't reading much in English. This is so she can get her head around reading and writing fluently in Finnish first, which she is getting through ahead of the curve.
But, perhaps more importantly than the language itself, is the thought processes behind language, and the imagery it can create. People who speak well, aren't the ones who are able to "know all the big words", it is those who are able to take ordinary words and use them in imaginative constructions, and still make it coherent, and impactful. Whilst a language learner learns the correct grammar and structure, a talented speaker uses these as a suggestion, but not a rule, turning language into jazz music.
In Finnish, my wife is talented and is able to play with words heavily, not that it has an impact on me at all, since I don't understand, much to her chagrin. But, she is glad that Smallsteps has taken after her in this respect and can bring flair to her language with such ease and grace at times. As she matures, it is going to be a gift of hers, to either enter politics, or become a standup comic. I hope the latter.
It is interesting, as while a lot of people learn an instrument, they don't necessarily see their voice as one. While I wish I could sing even averagely, it is not just the tone and rhythm that counts, it is also what we say and how we say it. The timing, the words used, the wit, the sharpness and the ability to listen to the way others speak too, because it gives away a lot. In a world where we are encouraged to speak our mind, the valuable skills become speaking well, and listening to what is said.
These games are so much fun to play with kids and pretty much any language lesson can become a word game with a little thought. I used to create random games for my students, and now it comes in handy for Smallsteps too, so that she can have her own day, and still choose to learn something new - because it is fun, challenging, and makes her think.
I consume nothing of worth
Creating nothing between death and birth
Burning it all and leaving none better
I do what I'm told to the letter.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]