Learning Curve

I am fascinated by the learning curve my children are on. (Yes, I know this is true for all children!) The part that fascinates me the most is watching the differences in how and what they learn. It is most obvious between Katie and John...
Katie is coloring inside the lines and sounding out words. She writes names and short words without help. She draws pictures with details that (almost) anyone would recognize. She will excel in a traditional classroom.
John scribbles most of the time. (He does draw trees and write his name when he feels like it so I know he is capable, yet uninterested.) He has no patience for sounding out words or learning to spell anything. Instead, he can explain to you how the natural gas line coming into the house works. He can build machines, tanks and homes with Lincoln Logs. He can take things apart and put them back together. He is an engineer in the making. Will the teachers in his future recognize these strengths?
We played a game of Scrabble Junior one night. Katie spelled all of the words. John understood all of the rules. So interesting to watch!