Mother Monkey

The Monkey Lesson Number 1 forms the basis of the VocaBOOM program. We use words in the classroom session and teach application with situations the child can connect the word with. We then handover the reinforcement of the word to the parent, who uses the word in casual conversation throughout the week. That's where Monkey Lesson No. 1 takes over. The parent does not ask the child the word and meaning. H/she just uses the word - amongst spouses, amongst friends, amongst family members. The child emulates. The word becomes part of his vocabulary bank.

This is part of our 'nurturing' method of teaching. The teacher nurtures and gently introduces the word. The parent nurtures and gently embeds the word in the child's vocabulary.

Last weekend, I was watching some 'monkey business' on the wall across my building. A mother monkey hopped on, with a banana in hand. In seconds, she gulped down the whole of it. Then, she peeled a second banana, leaving the skin of the first one next to her. Her child hopped onto the wall and sat next to her, looking longingly at the banana she was eating. He gestured, that he wanted part of it. She gestured back, that he should eat the skin of the earlier banana, lying next to her. He smelled it, realised there was nothing in it to eat and gestured to his mother again, that he wanted the banana being currently eaten. She gave him an angry look and snarl and hopped off the wall.

I was amazed at the complete 'lack of motherly instinct', I found in that exchange. I reflected on what would have happened, had it been a human mother and child. She would have not only shared her banana with her child, but ensured that he had his fill before she continued eating. (I sincerely hope that what I saw was a one-off case of an angry mother monkey, who made up and hugged her baby, and gave him two bananas with love soon after.)

That's what makes us different from the Mother Monkey. Our ability to share. Our ability to selflessly give.

Our children are growing mentally by leaps and bounds. Thats because we sit with our toddlers and give. Give of our love, give of our patience, give of our knowledge. We derive so much satisfaction in every inch of our child's growth - mentally, physically and emotionally. VocaBOOM depends immensely on that 'motherly instinct' in our teachers and parents. Parents who complement our classroom effort at home, by using the words, can see a visible difference in the rate of absorption of words. So lets keep at it parents.........we will definitely be rewarded !

Monkey Lesson No. 2 : Give of your time.Give of your patience. Give of your knowledge. Keep changing the methodology of 'giving'. Make it innovative. Make it playful. Keep giving.