While teaching compound words to my former student, we came upon the word ‘half-brother’ on his workbook. In an instant, I actually wondered how he’d describe half-brother. Then he said, “Ah! Teacher, I know this!” I looked at him as he grabbed a piece of paper, drew a circle, slashed a line through it, then drew a stick figure of a boy on a half. Then he proudly looked at me and said, “Teacher, half-brother.” I actually laughed in front of him.
What is a half-brother? For me, a half-brother is a little hyperactive three year-old who instantly called me “Ate” the first time I met him.
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