Supriya's Reading

Supriya is reading very well. She picked up Aseem's current favorite bedtime book ("Rainbow Fish & Friends: Hidden Treasures") and read it to him. From the ease and speed with which she read it I thought she had read it recently. But no! It was her first time reading it. It just made me realize that she has indeed become an excellent reader.

Aseem's Phonics

Aseem is on a roll with sounding out letters. Sort of like Phonics 101, except that he is teaching himself. "Drops begins with a D and ends with S." he goes around observing. "Temperature ends with an R." I am not going to bother correcting him for a good while as he builds up his basic model and gains confidence in his own abilities.

More Drumming

Supriya and I have been making music. I sing, with a tambourine in hand, and she drums. She really wants to be in a band. I explained to her that she needs to master three basic beats and she will be able to play 90%+ popular songs. She has already mastered the basic 4/4 rock beat. After looking up an online drumming website I came up with a basic 6/4 rock waltz beat. And Supriya got it immediately.

When we go this Thursday I will be taking along 2 Beatles songs to drum to (as her instructor suggested): "Here, There and Everywhere" for the 4/4 beat (to add intro, fills and ending) and "Norwegian Wood" for the 6/4. This is getting really exciting.

More Drumming

Yesterday I said to Supriya's drum teacher, "What you are teaching Supriya - the basics, focusing on the snare drum - is fine. Could you also teach her a basic rock beat so that she and I can make music together?" It was as if he was waiting for me to ask that question! He promptly drew a basic rock beat in her notebook, left hand on the high-hat (closed), right hand on the snare and right foot on the bass drum. This is by far the most difficult thing Supriya has encountered in drumming - and she mastered it just like that! He guided her through the pattern beat-by-beat and by the end of the half-hour session she had it under her belt. I made her practice it after we got home - with me singing the ending refrain of "Hey Jude" - and also a couple of times today. She owns it now.