Charlie Brown

Sometimes I feel like the teacher on Charlie Brown. "Mwah mwa mwa mwah mwa mwah..."

This is from a worksheet Toa was working on on double letters in past tense verbs. The box of word choices at the top of the page held the following verbs: nap, wag, beg, pat, hop. Toa is to read the sentences, select the appropriate verb to complete the sentence, and then write the new word in the sentence.

He had already successfully completed two sentences without any trouble whatsoever.
1. The dog begged for a treat.
2. The dog wagged its tail.

The third sentence is, "Rich _______ the dog's head." Toa reads the sentence, selects the word "pat", and then reads, "Rich pat the dog's head."

"Almost," say I. "The verb IS pat. But we don't say, 'Rich pat the dog's head.' Can you change the verb to show that it already happened?"

"Nap," guesses Toa. "Rich nap the dog's head."

??? say I. "That doesn't make any sense. Pat IS the right word. You just need to change it to make it something that already happened."

"Nap," guesses Toa.

"Are you listening to me? Look at me. You found the right word. It IS pat. You need to change pat."

"Hop," guesses Toa.

"Toa, what did I just say?"

"Wait?" guesses Toa.