(Untitled)

[maxthemonkey]

[at the table, concentrating on homework]

Comments

[maxthemonkey]

[returns to the table after looking at Charlie's picture book; picks up his pencil and writes his last word]

I am done! [gives Garrett a big grin]

[garrett_cain]

You are? [grins] Well done, kiddo! Does Mommy or Mel check your work?

[maxthemonkey]

[reaches for his juice and nods] Yup. All of the time. Some-times, they both check it. [makes a face] Mel say-s it is 'cause Mommy thinks she does not know how to spell. [laughs]

[garrett_cain]

[he laughs along with Max] Grandma would check Grandpa's reports when he was sheriff because she believed he couldn't write a complete sentence.

[maxthemonkey]

[grins] She checked my 'ports too. [granted, his reports weren't much more than crayon scribble, but he wanted to do his deputy job properly]

[looks at his page] You wanna check it?

[garrett_cain]

[he nods] Okay, if you want, I'll check it.

[maxthemonkey]

[smiles brightly and shifts in the chair so he's sitting on his knees; pushes the paper over to Garrett]

[the instructions at the top of the page ask that the students complete the list on their own. Once the list is finished, they can have help with corrections, but the original list needs to stay as-is, so the teacher can know where she needs to focus their lessons]

[garrett_cain]

Okay, let's have a look. [pushes his book aside; glances at Max's list] You picked some good words. I also see that you tried to spell them by soundin' them out, which is good.

[maxthemonkey]

[smiles proudly] I picked words I do not know how to spell. This way, I will learn new words. [reaches up to rub his nose] My teacher say-id we have to tell our words to ev-ery-one. And then we have to spell these words, too. [lets out a pleased sigh] So I will learn lots of new words.

[garrett_cain]

Ah, I see. [this makes him smile] That's a good idea, and I'm proud of you for pickin' words you don't know how to spell. A lot of adults would be too afraid to try somethin' like that; they're afraid of making mistakes.

[maxthemonkey]

[makes a face and moves from his chair to the chair next to Garrett] Daddy. I gotta tell you a truth. [gives him a guilty frown]

[garrett_cain]

[knows that look] Okay. What is it?

[maxthemonkey]

[glances at the table] Um.. [glances up slightly] I sneaked to the cup-berd be-fore I write-wrote jel-ly. [winces and slumps his shoulders] I wished for one word to be right.

[garrett_cain]

[shakes his head] That's okay, Max. I'm not mad at you for doin' that. [smiles]

[maxthemonkey]

[gives him a smile; points to the page] Are they really wrong? Or just a little bit wrong?

[garrett_cain]

[he gives Max a big grin] I would say, on most of them, you were a little bit wrong. You're missing one letter on a lot of them.