The boys discovered a couple of old Garfield comic books we had around the house, and Nathan has become so taken with them that he took one out of the library.
Nathan is a very bright boy, and he's reading at a pretty advanced level, when compared to his classmates, but you know what they say. Reading is one thing. Comprehension is another.
The other morning I overheard him talking to his brothers at breakfast.
Nate - You know, Garfield has a teddy bear. His bear's name is Monday.
Me - Really? I don't remember that. I knew he had a bear...
Nate - Yes, he named his bear Monday. He puts him in a box and puts a helmet on his head, and all this spiky stuff around him and says "Monday, do your worst!"
pause
Me - Nate, I think you're confused. The bear isn't Monday. He's preparing his bear for Monday. Because Mondays are tough and not so nice, and lots of people don't like them. So he's putting his bear behind barbed wire and giving him a helmet and talking to the day of the week, Monday, because now his bear is safe... see?
Nate - no, no, Mom. YOU'RE not getting it. Garfield named his bear Monday, and he puts a helmet on him, and says "Do Your Worst!"
Reading is one thing. Comprehension is another. And confidence in one's own interpretation of a written document yet another.
1 comment:
Reminds me of the kid who thought the old church hymn was about a bear: Gladly, the Cross-Eyed Bear. Maybe the kids can sing it in church -- Nate would love it!
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