charlotte's classroom

Our first granddaughter Charlotte has a passion for Junie B. Jones.  I might even call it an obsession.  Junie is a fictitious kindergartner/first grader a little like Ramona Quimby and Pippi Longstocking, with a little of Amelia Bedelia’s literalism thrown in.  She’s spunky, mischievous and earnest.  She pretty much thinks the world revolves around her, and her grammar isn’t the greatest.  But, you know, I don’t care about that, because Charlotte is devouring the books like popcorn; and, at this point in her development as a reader, ANY reading is good reading.  I remember when my own daughter was young, people were decrying The Babysitters’ Club series.  But I am quite sure that its devoted readers are reading something else today.  

On a recent visit Charlotte enlisted all of us to be “students” in her “school”.  She organized the classroom in her bedroom.  Class time consisted of a little math, some time to make bracelets in “centers” and a LOT of time being read to from Junie B. Jones by teacher Charlotte…sometimes so engrossed in the story that she would read on silently to herself, oblivious to our presence.  Here she is on her bed, with her sister Chloe nearby making bracelets.  

These girls can play quite happily on their own.  But a grandmother’s job is to be present.  It’s a job I take quite seriously.  Besides, I just love these girls to bits! 

Love, Liz