There are few more head banging, frustrating, pull-out-your-hair UGGHHH moments than trying to teach your child a SIMPLE concept and them positively, absolutely, rapturously and completely NOT getting it.
Ren and I have spent 3 hours¹ teaching Kelly to read the word the.
THE is a black-hole in the neurons of Kelly’s mind. She uses it every day. Correctly. She just can’t read it. It becomes THIS, THEY, and (weirdly) WHATHOW.
We strategize. We plead. We threaten (I know, bad parents). I come up with funny faces and song notes (this helps, a little). We praise when she gets close (whathow).
But sometimes that mental block just ain’t moving.
So we try again tomorrow. And she’ll get it right on the first knock.
__
¹This is not an exaggeration.