Will can read Japanese on Share things that rock my world as a parent, and encourage other parents to share some with me on 43 Things

Share things that rock my world as a parent, and encourage other parents to share some with me (read all 38 entries…)

Will can read Japanese 6 months ago

Hiragana, at least.
Oh, he can sound out English if he is in the mood, but today, he just looked at the train seating chart list of his classmates on the way to the zoo and read them. In Japanese. Then he started pointing out other things around us and reading them.
He can read Japanese. He’s 5. Crazy.

Jun 18, 01:32AM PDT | 9 cheers

Comments:

little_terry is giddy with success.

Japanese

Am I right that you’re leaving Japan this summer? Will it be possible to keep up classes in Japanese?

I’ve heard a number of stories of little kids learning a language from a grandparent, or from living in a foreign country, only to have their knowledge fade when they return home. (Or in one case when their grandmother got discouraged when he’d answer in English to her Turkish.)

But getting a second language so young is such an advantage – I’m envious I didn’t get one!

That’s awesome Will!

Jun 18, 03:18AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 1 cheer

AmyBB25

Yes, we leave July 31, bound for Ohio. There is a good-size Japanese community living and working near us, for Honda, so I know I could get Sophie and Will in Japanese language classes.
Todd’s grandmother moved to the U.S. in her 20’s and her children didn’t learn English until they went to elementary school. His mother can still read some Hungarian – she gets letters from relatives there – and teaches her grandchildren a word or 2 once in a while… but she has little other cause to use it, unfortunately.
I know that Sophie’s and Will’s little minds have been opened up in a million ways and there is no other education that can replace that. :)

Jun 18, 06:49PM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 2 cheers

little_terry is giddy with success.

You're absolutely right

A friend spent some of her high school years in Japan and has always wanted to live there – or somewhere outside the US – again.

She once told me that when Japanese children want to look out the window of the trains, they all take off their shoes before they stand on the seats. I remembered that this weekend traveling into New York, and had Q take off his shoes so he could kneel on the seat.

The ripple effect of their experiences will be fun to watch.

Jun 19, 03:45AM PDT | Thread | Respond to this 2 cheers

AmyBB25