Exposure.

“I can’t wait to tell your mom how smart you are at your conference Andy,” I said after Andy read his writing to me.

I meant it too. Andy is what I like to call an ‘exposure sprout’ – meaning when he started kindergarten, he feel into the basket of students who knew very little. No letters, no numbers, no name recognition, and no handwriting skills… you get the idea.

Unlike some of his counterparts though, Andy has taken off. And not like an airplane, but more like a rocket. For whatever reason, he’d simply never been exposed to the information in a way that allowed him to access and retain it. Within days he knew his name. A few days later, he could write it. Now he knows almost all the sounds and is writing words and sentences that are easily read.

I’d like to take all the credit. I suppose Mrs. D. deserves some too. The reality is Andy deserves most of the recognition. From the first day, he’s worn a smile and shown a genuine enthusiasm for learning. He’s become a learning junkie. Each morning he arrives awaiting his knowledge fix.

I meant what I told Andy about expressing my joy at his progress to his mother in a few weeks at his conference. I don’t know her very well, but I’m sure she’s going to be as ecstatic at his growth as I am. It just took a little exposure.