Reading
Years ago I used a blend of two systems and began teaching our two younger sons how to read. Eighteen months later, our youngest son was the only child in his kindergarten class who could actually read well. (In fact, he read so fluently that the other children wanted him to read stories to them rather than having the teacher do it.) Even more surprising, our middle son was tested and found to be reading at 7th grade level …in the 2nd grade. How did this happen?
Large Advances Are Made Up of Small Disciplines
One of my favorite Aesop’s Fables is the story of the thirsty raven (or crow) who, when he finds water he cannot reach in the bottom of a narrow vase, begins picking up pebbles and dropping them into the jar. His patient repetition of this small task causes the water level to gradually rise until it is within the reach of his shorter beak. As a child, the moral I learned from this story was: “Little by little does the trick.” I was exposed to the fascinating idea that small actions, repeatedly done, could produce larger good effects.
And so it was with teaching my sons to read. I remembered this story from my childhood and wanted a reading method that I could incorporate into our daily routine. It had to be doable and it had to be a small task—as small of a task as picking up and dropping a pebble into a jar. The method I decided on was easy. It only took five minutes a day. But the method I decided on was also very difficult…because it took five minutes a day. In other words, it required a commitment to consistency with a confident expectation that my sons would have a greater “good thing” in the end.
Your Success in Any Large Endeavor
Your success in any large endeavor will be greatly impacted by your willingness and ability to commit to small disciplines. Do you want your home to be a supportive sanctuary for the renewal of your spirit and the pursuit of your creative endeavors? Then make your bed every day and be sure you wake up to a clean kitchen every morning. Do you want to function better at school or work? Then turn the TV or computer off and get to bed at a decent time each night.
Taken separately, none of these actions are any more difficult than dropping a pebble in a jar. It is not hard to pull a sheet smooth across a bed, tuck in a blanket, or plump up a pillow and arrange it nicely. It is not hard to wash a dish and put it away. It is not hard to click a button or push a switch and get out of a chair. What is hard is being committed enough to the end result that you are willing to do the small actions and to be consistent in your efforts.
Imagine you are the raven and terribly thirsty and there is a vase with water in the bottom, too far down for your beak to reach. Wouldn’t you be willing to put some little pebbles in the jar so you could get a drink?
You want better things for yourself or your loved ones? Then remember that: “Large advances are made up of small disciplines.”
Remember the power of “Little by little does the trick.”
