Valentine Cards

 I feel like seeing the kids make out their Valentine cards is a great way to help me realize how they've grown and improved in reading and writing over the course of a year.  Last year, I wrote the names on all of Grace's Valentine cards with a yellow marker, and she traced over my writing with pencil.  I had to tell her what everything said.  We got about half-way through the cards when she became bored, tired, and frustrated.  It was a battle to finish the other half of the cards.

This year, she wrote all of the names on the cards 100% by herself.  She was reading her classmates' names by herself.  There was no frustration or whining about the amount of work involved.  Wow!  Sometimes I just don't realize how much my kiddos have grown up!