Sunday, March 16, 2014

Education at Any Age---just a story

Hello,

Towards the end of 2013, I came across an article from India---a 62-year-old, widowed mom restarted her education with her 32-year-old daughter. The mother started from the first grade and the daughter was in the fifth. Today they are both in the ninth grade, they sit at the same desk and study from one book.

Education is very important to make a living as well as to broaden our minds and get to know the world. We are not alone to live in this world!

Meera


Education at Any Age


Eleven-year-old Sapna called out her fifteen-year-old brother, "Bhaiya, will you please come and help me figure out how to get our little brother learn his alphabet?"

Sagar continued to work on his homework, "I have faith in you, you have worked with the twins, you'll figure out how to handle just one of him."

"He just runs away when I try to teach him the letters."

Seven-year-old, twin Suchi said, "Didi, remember ? You taught us our colors first and---"

Her twin, Soori completed her sentence, "Yeah, Didi, we leaned colors and numbers---just counting different things."

Sapna frowned, "I know that, but Sohan is a smart boy, he can learn his letters."

Sagar joined his sisters, "You are absolutely right, on the other hand, if he's not interested in letters, let him learn other things---count his lego pieces with him, or the number of times he can jump on the trampoline or even the plates we set for dinner! I've seen him take apart his toy truck and put it together. He is smart."

Soori added, "Yeah, Didi, we are seven members when we sit down for our supper."

Suchi, "Yeah, Didi, seven is a good number---seven days in a week. Perhaps he can count the parts of the truck!"

Sapna crinkled her nose, "Yeah, Suchi-Soori, you can teach him all that. I'll wait and then teach him the alphabet when he's ready at the age of ten or twenty! Right?"

"Hey, girls, stop arguing! Stop being nasty to each other. We'll figure out Sohan's brain and take him from there!"

Sapna said, "Well, I guess, you're right Bhaiya. What do we do now?"

Sagar nodded and said, "Sapana, We have all learned from one another as well as from our parents and teachers. I know, the three of you together will figure it out."

Sapana put her hands on the twins' shoulders, "He's not going to help us. Let's all be his teachers before..."

One of the twins said, "Or just leave to his school to teach him."

Sapna said, "As I was saying, before he goes to his teachers not knowing anything-nothing-nada-zilch. Let's put in him a spark for learning with games of numbers, colors, letters and more. We can do it."

The twins shouted, "Yeah, we can do it. That's three right there-nothing, nada, zilch and he has three sisters! One, two and three! We don't want him to turn into a dad and then go to school with his kids!"

Sagar joined them, "Girls, education at any age is good. Go with nothing-nada and zilch."

They found Sohan, napping, surrounded by his cars and trucks.

Sapna said in low voice, "Poor baby, needs his nap before he learns... we'll let him sleep."

And they snuck out of his room.


The End


© 2014, Meera Desai Shah














2 comments:

  1. Nice. Totally true how essential siblings are in teaching/learning, consciously or not. (Typo: Again watch Sapna/Sapana)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for telling me about the spelling error. I remember my older brother teaching me math. Meera

    ReplyDelete