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Dear Dr. Sylvia,
Not until I read your column had I heard
about "pencil anxiety." As I read your description,
I knew immediately that this was what my son had. It was very
evident at an early age that he was extremely bright. He enjoyed
learning about nature and science, and we collected things that
stimulated these loves. He did "fine" in school, but
we knew that he needed different "buttons" pushed to
get results, and the teachers were not able to do that.
In fifth grade, we brought my son's education
home. If I asked him to take his workbook and answer the 40 history
questions for chapter 4, it would take hours for him to write
down the answers, even though we had just gone over the chapter.
However, if I asked the questions orally to him, he answered them
all in no time flat.
I educated my son at home for four years,
focusing more on oral projects than written. This past year, I
sent him to public high school. I was a little worried about what
would happen, but he really wanted to go, so I complied. He did
wonderfully, making A's in all but one class. (All of his classes
were college-prep level.)
Maybe this pencil anxiety is something
that little boys outgrow. My son has discovered that he has a
writer's heart now and is definitely gifted in putting words to
paper.
Please tell the parents out there that
no one (teachers, doctors, or officials) knows a child better
than his or her parents. Sometimes it takes commitment and sacrifice
on the parents' part to get the child over a hump, but in the
scheme of things, it is really such a short while.
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