Maws Rocit by Ez, Age 5

This week Ez wrote her first book. It was her own idea, and I had minimal involvement, apart from as a sounding board for her to run each stage of the story past me before she settled down to write and illustrate it in her own words, and to enunciate words for her when she asked. To see her confidence grow as she laboured on it, and her all-encompassing pride when she’d finished it was something incredibly special, and I wanted to cement that memory here with her book in photographs. She wrote Maws Rocit (it started out as Maws Roct, but she changed her mind about the spelling of ‘rocket’ at the end and went back through the whole book to correct herself) last weekend and has since requested it for her bedroom story each night (she marks the chapters with a bookmark) and has been found reading it to the cat one evening.

Maws Rocit
(Mouse Rocket)
chapt wun1 The maws wontid toogoo toothe moon
(Chapter One 1. The mouse wanted to go to the moon)
the maws billdte rocit awt ovchees
(The mouse built a rocket out of cheese)
the maws set ofon the rocit toothe moon
(The mouse set off on the rocket to the moon)
chapt too2 wenthe rocit land onthe moon it brookc
(Chapter Two 2. When the rocket landed on the moon it broke)
the maws coold Hr frendson hrfoon
mawsusckt Hr frens too buillda rocit awtovmetllandflI toothe moon
(The mouse called her friends on her phone. Mouse asked her friends to build a rocket out of metal and fly to the moon)
chapt three3 soothey did
(So they did)
the maws ckimd intoo the rocitan dittoock offfrHoom
(The mouse climbed into the rocket and it took off for home)
chapt froo4 shee got Hom in tim foor dina
(She got home in time for dinner)
it woz chees foor dina
(It was cheese for dinner)
the end

I never in a million years thought that before the end of a single term at school, Ez would be able to write a book, but she is so engaged with reading and writing that it really is all that she’s interested in at the moment. I haven’t posted this here to brag – please don’t read this and worry that your own child isn’t doing the same thing. One of the joys of having twins is that I get to see first-hand how different each child’s learning journey will be. Ez’s obsession with letters and sounds is her own obsession. Her brother isn’t ready to sit down and pen his first story, and that’s absolutely fine because he’s enjoying school and is learning in his own way. There’s no point comparing them because I know that they are individuals who will develop at their own pace.

Part of the reason I write my blog is to preserve my memories of the constantly-changing stages in our family life. I hope that I can look back at the pictures of Maws Rocit by Ez, Age 5, and remember the look of pride and wonder in her eyes. Kids really are awesome.