A Real Encourager

I’ve written before about what an encourager EA is. She is constantly giving out praises and compliments in the sweetest way.

Last week I saw a perfect example of encouragement in an interaction she had with her sister during homeschool.

After both of their phonics lessons, I decided it may be fun to play a game with their Short A word cards. It was a smiliar game to something I would have played with my students when I was teaching school. It went like this….the girls stood side by side at one one of our living room, I would show them a word card and they were to sound it out and read the word to me. If they correctly read the word, then they could take a step forward. The first one to read the window at the other end of the living room won the game.

MC struggles a big more with phonics than her sister. She also has many, many perfectionist tendancies (like her mother) and I was trying to make it more fun for her.

Unfortunately for me, I didn’t take into account the competition factor. She quickly began to get discrouaged as she fell behind her sister in the game.

And then I noticed something…

when EA read a word, she took the tiniest steps forward

and

when MC correctly read a word, she started taking larger steps forward.

MC slowly began creeping up to her sister.

And as she got closer, her confidence grew.

She began enjoying the game more.

She started sounding out more and more of her words correctly.

As she was just one step behind her sister, EA looked back and they smiled so sweetly at each other.

And when MC made the final step up and caught up to her sister, the two of them hugged and laughed. EA patted MC on the back and was truly happy for her.

In the end, MC reached the window first and “won” the game. With just one turn left, EA read her last word and reached the window so that she could “win” too.

And we all cheered, laughed, and they congratulated each other.

As I think about our time playing a simple learning game, I am so proud of EA. She didn’t gloat in her abilities as her sister struggled.

She showed restraint in taking smaller steps forward so as not to leave her sister in the dust.

She cheered her partner on, holding back her own success to motivate and encourage.

In that interaction I saw an example of what a real encourager is.

A real encourager brings other with them and holds their hand as they are traveling the same road.

A real encourager seeks the good of others above their own.

I feel pride in knowing that I have seen this lived out in the lives of my own children.

And I am thankful for the privilege of homeschool that has allowed me to witness this truly finer thing!

Visit Finer Things Friday at Amy’s Finer Things for more “finer things” to celebrate and be thankful for.

Tagged as: Education, Games, homeschool