I’m terrible at being bad at things. Do you know what I mean? It’s definitely more fun to engage in things at which we excel—or at least at which we aren’t awful. Given the choice between playing “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat” on the piano and doing a Calculus problem, I’m going to row that boat oh so gently out to sea every time, because I wouldn’t even know where to start with the Calculus problem.

I think many people feel that way. While some may be attracted to a challenge and will puzzle through the most demanding of tasks, others are more comfortable leaning toward the option more likely to lead to success. If I’m not particularly good at something, I tend to give up on it and move on to something else. I admit I can be a bit more of a giver-upper—especially if I think the task makes me appear goofy in some way. Oh, I’ll give it the old college try, but if it doesn’t seem like it’s going to come naturally to me, I’ll likely be moving on soon.

Recently though, I have committed to being okay with being bad at something until I actually do get better at it. Why am I willing to do this? It isn’t going to be easy. It is going to take hours of practice. It’s going to take mental and physical stamina. And the part that is hardest for me to reconcile? It’s going to mean looking quite unskilled and awkward in public while I am learning.

Here’s why: I have figured out through some experiences that the end result IS worth it. There are so many benefits I’m finding from this activity, that the hours of practice clearly outweigh any downsides of the awkwardness. When I am successful at the task, it’s rewarding. I sincerely enjoy the community that I’m part of when I am engaging in this new activity. Most importantly, I have a great support team encouraging me. They focus on what I’m doing right and help me minimize the things that are not helping me to make progress.

So, what does ANY of this have to do with LITERACY. It has everything to do with literacy. What child wants to spend time doing something at which they don’t feel successful?

What child wants to look awkward and unskilled in front of their peers?

What child wants to have someone constantly point out only what they are doing wrong?

What child is going to pick a calculus problem over a simple tune on the piano (so to speak)?

Success breeds success. We can’t expect kids to want to read and write when it is not something they are finding in any way enjoyable or meaningful to them. The process of engaging in literacy pursuits must bePleasant, Interesting, Engaging, and Challenging Enough. We will explore how to make that happen in future posts.

And the activity I’m pursuing, despite how awkward I look?

More on that later too.