A few months ago, my little 5 year old monkey started going through one of the most major changes of his life, learning a skill that will probably be one of the most important skills he will need every single day for the rest of his life. He started school and started to learn how to read and write.

I remember when his older sister started school a couple of years ago, I was blown away as I watched her develop the ability to read individual words, write letters and then start to string whole words together to make sentences. Because as an adult we don’t remember learning this skill (at least those of us lucky enough to have received a basic education as a young child), I found it fascinating watching this process unfold in my youngest child.

When Jake started school, I thought I wouldn’t be as enamered  with the process and change in development, given I had already been through it before. But once again, it has blown my mind. His ability to form letters, recognise words, read books (using strategies such as pictures, stretching out the sounds, looking for familiar letters and many others) has astounded me.

I know in years to come this basic skill will seem so mundane, and I have captured a few of these moments on camera as his brain synapses connect, his abilities develop and he undergoes this amazing human change that he has embraced with sheer delight and determination.

Jake Learning How to read and Write from Teri Lichtenstein on Vimeo.