Phoebe is asleep upstairs. She is five years and one month old. All Sheffield schools are currently on their half term holidays.
Late this afternoon, she showed keen interest in what Grandma was doing on her laptop. In her capacity as secretary of the local Women's Institute, Grandma was writing up some minutes. Phoebe began to help and under close supervision did a line or two of typing.
I invited her into the study to practise her growing writing skills on my desktop computer. I brought up a fresh "Word" page and we agreed that she would make a short Christmas wishlist.
Though I guided her closely, I did not actually touch the keyboard. It was all her own work. This was the very first piece of writing that she has ever done with the aid of a computer keyboard.
When it was done, I turned our printer on and explained to her what she needed to do to create a print off of her work.
Very soon the page was churned out and I showed it to her. With wide eyes, she asked, "How did it do that?" It was a moment of revelation.
As writers, we all have to start somewhere and it seemed to me that those few lines will be the first of thousands to come during the course of her life. It's a significant step forward from slowly writing her own name with a pencil.
The other day I was quite surprised when she used the words "camouflage" and "nocturnal" perfectly correctly. Again her little face lit up when I praised her about this.
An hour ago, I read her a bedtime story as she settled down for the night. It was, "There's No Such Thing As Monsters" by Steve Smallman and Caroline Pedler. I don't know about you but I am not totally sure about the premise of that story. However, at five years and one month old you don't need to learn about the real monsters of present times and history. Not yet anyway. That can wait.
You only get a wee loan of them.
ReplyDelete"Camouflage" and "nocturnal"? Holy moly! Phoebe is one advanced 5 year old! And I hope she gets everything on her Christmas list!
ReplyDeleteIt's a poem! Haven't read a line as good as "New felt tips" since "Cheap tin trays."
ReplyDelete(Maybe the rhythm falls off a bit towards the end.)
PS: I've just remembered that there are two films which riff on this idea, starting with the Israeli 2014 film The Kindergarten Teacher and then the 2018 US remake of the same title.
DeleteK pop demon hunters dress ...
DeleteAmerican poet laureate Amanda Gorman could have written that line.
Marcellous remembers ' cheap tin trays ' ...
It carries an echo of John Masefield's 1903 poem, Cargoes.
An overloaded British vessel puffing black smoke -
With a cargo of Tyne coal
Road-rail, pig-lead
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.
That's quite an interesting and diverse wish list! I hope she gets them all. Not only were they Phoebe's first digital words but with the printout she also learned something new in the tech space. I remember my son, may be when he was around five or so, saying, "The sky is overcast," when I thought he would say something like, "It's going to rain." Every generation is ahead of their previous ones!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing how quickly they pick up new skills? Phoebe will be starting her own blog soon!
ReplyDeleteYour Grand daughter is a very lucky girl to have some one take time and encourage here to write something. Keep at it Grandpa.
ReplyDeleteShe's a very clever girl and already writes so well. I know nothing about K Pop Demon Hunters. I'm familiar with Sponge Bob and I'm with her on the chocolate, as long as it's good quality. :)
ReplyDeleteI am agreeing with Debra, those are advanced words for a five year old to use correctly. And now I have to watch the K-Pop demon hunters movie to see what that yellow outfit looks like. I have it on a hard drive.
ReplyDeletePhoebe has been watching wildlife docos.
ReplyDeleteYou had a lovely moment with her, its nice when you see the lights go on!
While I'm not keen on demon hunters, I am completely with Phoebe when it comes to yellow outfit and Chocolate Santa!
ReplyDeleteLearning to write on a computer keyboard and printing off what you have written is a big step from playing around on my Mum's old mechanical typewriter - my sister and I loved to type up little stories, poems or fictitious letters and newspaper articles. Thanks to my Dad working at a printer's, there was never lack of paper in our house; he was allowed to take home the cut-offs that were too small for the printing press but great for us to draw and write on.
Before I started school, I learned to write but not to spell - I spelled everything I wrote exactly the way I heard it in my Swabian dialect. Therefore, Frau (German for woman or Mrs.) became "Vrao". That Phoebe can already correctly spell words such as camouflage and nocturnal is more than some adults with English as their native language can do!
A five year old knowing those words is remarkable. She is going to be smarter than you. You are quite right about monsters. She doesn't need to know about Epstein and Trump at her age.
ReplyDeleteI didn't ask the question but it was with some wonderment as I watched our first printer back in the 90s slowly ease out a sheet of paper with whatever was required.
Maybe she'll be blogging in years to come. Where on earth did she learn 'nocturnal' and 'camouflage'?
ReplyDeleteClever girl.
ReplyDeleteI thought K pop was a breakfast cereal until I looked it up.
Phoebe is a clever little girl!
ReplyDeleteThat is indeed impressive. I could not have written that at here age - to be honest I am not sure I could have written that at age of seven years and one month.
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever little girl Phoebe is, make sure she keeps her writing up as well. I wonder by the time she becomes a teenager whether she will have her nose down furiously texting on her phone or will their use have been banned?
ReplyDeleteShe's better at her age than I am at mine!!!
ReplyDeleteWell done Phoebe! Jack shocks me sometimes with his words, used correctly.
ReplyDeleteVery sweet. Soon it will be time for her first computer. I like my simple Chromebook.
ReplyDeleteShe's a glory, that one!
ReplyDeletePhoebe is going "up, up, up" and she's "gonna be golden!" (those are lyrics from the K-Pop song in case you didn't know)! ;)
ReplyDeleteWow, that's some impressive spelling at that age. In spite of that, I don't know what half of those items are, though! Hope Santa is keeping up better with the wishlists of the young generation...!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet, sweet post - it is lovely to read of such a learning experience for your little granddaughter, YP.
ReplyDeleteCuriously, that bears a strong resemblance to my Christmas list this year. Phoebe is off to a great start, no doubt aided by your excellent tutelage.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, being a grandparent is so rewarding.
ReplyDelete