“You are SO smart! Has anyone ever told you how smart you are?!”
Those words caused tears to well up in a little boy’s eyes. I moved on quickly so he wouldn’t start crying there in the school library.
I just finished my first reading tutoring with him. He’s in the same grade as our 6-year-old but struggles to read words our son mastered 2 years ago.
As we continued our 30-minute-session, I changed tactics to prevent his tears from flowing…such overt compliments were too much for his little heart to handle. I had him compliment himself—
Me: “Good. Say ‘I am smart.’”
Him: “I am smart.”
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
