hopeful writer

My little kindergarten students come from varied backgrounds, socioeconomic groups, cultures, and foundations. Today, 118 days since school began, my littlest friend wrote a complete sentence independently. I was rounding his table to begin specials dismissal, and there it was: 3 words phonetically written on his journal page, with a picture to match. I froze as I marveled at his attempt to record his expression: I didn't hit.... of course, I had to ask, "you didn't hit WHO?". He replied, "no one". "Well, you better write 'no one' so you're sentence will be complete", I quickly noted with a smile. AND HE DID! It was heaven; for a teacher, those moments are precious and miraculous, they are emotional, rewarding, but mostly an honor and a privilege. He got it! He really go it! He has made the literacy connection between letter symbols, letter sounds, segmenting, and concepts of print. Those triumphant moments are what keep teachers reassured that there is hope!