The Way You Talk To Your Kids Or A Child Matters.

Just a reminder, that the way you talk to your kids or a child matters. When I was in third grade, my mother was working on an ancient Greek play with her students called “ Orestes”. I went down to the library at school and asked the librarian if she had any ancient Greek books. She told me yes, they did, but it was in the eighth-grade section, not the third-grade section. I asked her to show me, and she took me over to the eighth-grade section and helped me read the titles of each book. I asked her why they had so many ancient Greek books, and she said something that changed my life. She told me, “For smart girls like you who want to read them.” For a child like me who was struggling with dyslexia, this made all the difference in the world. Being called smart by a teacher or a librarian made me feel like I could do anything I put my mind to. Once I checked out my book, I brought it up to the classroom. While attempting to read my book, I caught the attention of one of the teachers. As I had memorized some ancient Greek names and knew a few words, I was able to piece some things together. The words out of her mouth were something like, “That book is too advanced for you, Anna. You need to be reading something else.” I replied, “Oh, I know the story of this book. I can make out some words. I’m doing okay.” Luckily, that teacher got distracted and did not make me put it away. However, she said it so loudly that I felt very embarrassed and uncomfortable. I don’t remember that librarian’s name. I only remember that she had brown hair and brown glasses, and I often wonder if I’d be the person I am today if it weren’t for a librarian in third grade, telling me the reason why they had so many Greek books was for smart girls like me who want to read them. Not everybody can pinpoint or remember the moment that their academic life changed as a child, I’m lucky that I can.