Hitting our stride and banging my head – today marks the tenth day on of our collective experience. Frazer had a great morning with Marmi isolating the various /k/ sounds. Did not know that when spelling the /k/ sound it is it k when followed by e and I – did you? The minute rules he has learned and the process he goes through to apply them is stunning. Surely most of us would never have decoded anything beyond wall drawings. It is stunning that the English language is so alive adds several thousand new words every year. Yet, it is a language most complicated by exceptions (which are the rule). Just think, Italian and French languages have less than half the words and yet they convey some great meanings. Whowee! But I diverge.
With Marmi Frazer is getting closer in on 100 in the drill deck. Once we hit one hundred solid, I will get him a DS. Seems silly but he will have earned it.
I tried using a second grade word list for him to alphabetize. I thought better of him just trying to draw arrows or renumber. I wrote out each word on an index card and he had the list ordered in less than a minute – including self-correction. I think I am pleasantly surprised that this piece is not so challenging. I am sure tomorrow or another day he will fool me, but I am thinking of making more complicated lists so that we can move to dictionary skills which frankly I did not think we would hit until the winter.
After dropping Porter off, we went to the library and waited 15 minutes. I should have used the time to read to him but sometimes all the planning is not enough. Hence the title reference to banging my head. We had a great time at the library collecting lots of books for project time. If I don’t get to Campbell’s I think some kids will be furious with me on Thursday but I feel as if I am moving as quickly as possible. I pulled related books on farm animals, snakes, turtles, hurricanes, storms, and tornadoes. Independently he went through them as I kept scanning the shelves. He weeded out the less photographic ones and has a healthy pile for Thursday.
Next he found several books in the Nate the Great and Henry and Mudge vein. He loves getting to check them out himself. He is so serious about it.He also found a book on horseback riding.
We completed a page on maps—how to read a diagram. He was very strong here. I think he will orient well as we continue. Finally at the library we reveiewed his independent math work from last evening. He did well but did not read/understand directions for one part. However, his approach was apparent as solving the problems would take you through the maze. He went through the maze effectively. And, once I pointed out the directions he said something like, “Oh, I did it this one way but I see this other way too.” And, he spontaneously fixed it. I cannot buy that kind of attitude. Hence,, hittingout stride reference.
At home we tried Great Leaps which I definitely need to figure out how to work in daily and easily. He dropped to 27/1 but I think he is moving in the right direction.
Set up of calendar was excellent and easy. The connection between the calendar month and the calendar number is growing – I can see it on his face.
We worked in a miquon book on the ways in which to make four. Well, it was a useful disaster. He struggled to conceptualize what to do even though he kept doing and offering answers. But after about 10 minutes we worked through the sheet. Then the old wipe board came in and the unifix came out and some of that reading I slugged through this summer helped. I was able to generate another way tp help him see four. And here he hit his head against the proverbial wall until suddenly I see that smile and he got it. And how he does this with Porter coming in ten times today beats me. I was starting to get testy. (On a side note, I have got to figure out hour to add a few more hours to the day because the prep time, this dissemination time and caring for a preschooler and running two other kids around – I need to work on some patience). He resisted using 6 unifix trains to make four however he wanted but he finally dug in after the fourth train and repeated the same idea three times.
But, we then broke it down on the wipe board through my modeling and I think he might have the idea of four as a umber that can be made various ways.. Who knows?
I am noticing his basic computation is improving.
We ended the day reading a story in a book on graphic organizers. It was a silly story but he understood how to break it down and I am pleased by his willingness to do multiple choice questions. He needed my help reading the question aloud, but he got every answer. I will be excited to work through this book and go to the next one.
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