I was working with a student today at his house. He is starting a new school soon, but due to family travels has missed some critical instruction in English conventions and mechanics. He also learned Spanish as a little dude, and now his 4th grade phonemic awareness is a little Latin. He is a bright kid, and he'll get it all figured out in no time.
He is easily distracted, partly because we work in his house, which is very nice and full of light and windows. Today, as we were working on common ways to spell the sound of various long vowels, he stopped. He looked out the window and mentioned that the tree across the street has many different color leaves. All on the same tree! He was mildly amused--as if this sort of thing is what nerf-wielding 4th graders comment on normally. I have a new phone with a camera and let him take the picture you see up there. He was right! Cool picture!
This post has nothing to do with Andrew Sullivan.