Perseverance

Sitting at Big Blue (my guided reading table) during art and I'm listening to some conversations going on and the topic of perseverance comes up. 

Student A: I was watching my grandpa help my uncle with our horses and he looked like he was having a hard time. I turned to my uncle and said, "It really looked like you were persevering" 

Me: Did your uncle look at you strangely because you used that word? 

Student: Oh yay! He thought it was strange that I knew what that word was. 

Me: Thinking to myself, I think it's great you know the word and you can identify when you see someone practicing it. Smile appearing on my face. 

Then everyone had a story about how their parents looked at them funny when they used the word. I started to question the discussion when Student B said his five year old sister used the word. Hmmm...might have to think about that one. 

The point being, you shouldn't shy away from teaching them important words because they can identify it and use it correctly in their everyday life. I think I'm going to persevere and continue to teach them some bigger words.