Definition of a picture is worth a thousand words
—used to say that it is often easier to show something in a picture than to describe it with words𝆛
“a picture is worth a thousand words,” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20picture%20is%20worth%20a%20thousand%20words. Accessed 5/28/2022
This picture shows my son at school. I swear he is smiling under his mask. If you could peek under it you would see a look of accomplishment and pride ( It is a fierce allergy season, so we are masking prn). It is worth a thousand words to me but could be easily overlooked as another cute picture the teacher sent.
Look closely, do you see anything outstanding?
He is leading the class at the calendar area in third grade.
What is the big deal? By third grade most kids beg to do the calendar or any job for that matter. They are seasoned veterans at these highly sought after class positions.
The teacher went out of her way to send me this picture. She took time out of her busy day to email me this simple picture. Why?
It’s about building relationships and not with just me. She wasn’t checking the “must contact a parent box,” when she sent this picture. She built a bond with my child. In this picture she is his biggest cheerleader.
The picture shows the countless hours his team put in. It shows the regular education teacher creating a climate to take risks, his special education teacher getting his program right, and his speech teacher building a program to make him confident.
Above all, they are all his cheerleaders. Sometimes, I don’t care if his progress monitoring scores went up, if his formal testing looks amazing or if the programming is perfect.
Are you thinking…How can you say that? You are a reading consultant! You should be ashamed of yourself…
Because what he has learned and what they have taught him does not show up in a test.
They taught him to overcome his speech based reading difficulty, read aloud at the calendar and talk in front of the class. This is what the true purpose of education is. Taking a risk. I’m sure he did not pronounce every word correctly or maybe he missed something in the number talk but he did it! Actually, they all did.
As you go forward as a parent, navigating your kid’s educational path,
- build relationships-share stories and interests.
- celebrate the victories in the classroom and share the ones that happen outside of the classroom.
- give teachers the freedom to build a real relationship with your kid. The hours of instruction, the reading programs or services will get you to the forty yard line. However it’s the caring, connection and cheerleading that will win the game.
Melissa Saliva has been a teacher for over 19 years and is a Reading Consultant. For over a decade she has been teaching kids of all ages that struggle with reading. After spending years supporting students in a classroom setting she founded Beacon Valley Literacy Support Services to help parents navigate the long confusing journey.
Melissa Saliva is a Reading Consultant and founder of Beacon Valley Literacy Services. She helps parents help kids with dyslexia.