What to do when your child drops the F-bomb in mixed company.

by Babs Hadjusiewicz June 29, 2009

Well, my friend tells how, when he was a really little fellow, he did just that. Or so his grandmother thought. Seems his mother chauffeured as his grandmother rode shotgun. He sat in back as they went toolin’ down the highway. Suddenly, his talkative self exclaimed, “Fruck! Mommy! Fruck!”

He remembers well how his grandmother’s head spun round. He can still see her stare. And he remembers her tone as she addressed his mother, "WHAT did that child say?" My friend remembers pointing. At a truck. "Fruck," he repeated. "Oh, he can't say all his sounds yet," said his mother. My friend remembers the ladies giggling. WOW! What a great opportunity to practice one of the many sounds of our language. And there's no better way to do that than with a poem or song. Because kids love rhyme...and rhythm. Plus, poems written for kids are fun! And what better way to teach a child than while having fun together! Two read-aloud books titled Phonics Through Poetry and MORE Phonics through Poetry are about just that. These books include two or three fun poems for every "phoneme" (a sound we hear like the tr as in truck) in our language. Among other books and materials, I wrote three collections titled Listen! Listen! Letter Sounds in Rhyme to respond to children’s (and their grandmothers’!) eagerness to say words they need to express themselves. Okay, so here's a quick poem I wrote for that sound of tr as in truck. You can even sing this poem to two different tunes, “Miss Lucy Had a Baby” and “The Eensy Weensy Spider.” I Hear This Sound in Tractor I hear this sound in tractor, trumpet, tracks, and train. And astronaut, and tray, and truck, But is this sound in rain? Copyright © 2000 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz So, whether your little one is saying "fruck," or a similar utterance, you're hearing a clear signal: It's time for some learning fun with a language sound. And if you’ve had a "fruck" moment with your child, go ahead. Click “Add comment” to share it. You never know what might happen. This much is true: I have a poem or two that'll get your talkative child well on the way to literacy success.

Babs Hadjusiewicz

Author

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