Thursday, June 18, 2009

Whack the Word (or phonogram, or whatever!)

A friend of a friend (FoF)who is a remedial teacher in a local school, and also does private tutoring has taught me a few great tricks of the trade - games. Lots of fun, wild and whacky ones.

She teaches children to read using the original Spalding method. This was introduced by Romalda Bishop Spalding, whose book The Writing Road to Reading I have on my shelf. I remember my mum looking into it when I was little. She completed a Spalding course, but I'm not sure what became of it. It was to help some of us with our reading, I know that much.

Anyway FoF was saying some of the elite schools in Sydney where she used to work would only allow those who utilised the Spalding method were admitted to teach little ones to read. She is so passionate about the phonics system, and sees its benefits over and above the sight word method for both spelling and reading. She has been asked to do remedial work in the school to help those who are struggling with the sight word method.

I use LEM phonics to teach reading, which is based on the Spalding system.
To try to memorise these phonograms, FoF recommended a number of games, one of them being Whack the Phonogram.

Today I stuck the latest four or five phonograms on the wall. Then I grabbed a new, clean fly swot, called out the phonogram, and Possum whacked the correct phonograms.

We love it! What we love, we learn, really well!

Other games she uses are:
Brain Beans (jelly beans for great work)
Tongue Twisting Words
Snakes and Ladders (with phonograms)

The key is to keep the game short, and stop whilst the children are still having a GREAT time. Hey, this sounds familiar! Its a bit like reading only one chapter at a time, and resist the temptation to continue, even when the children are begging for more!

I have found this 'keep it short, keep it fun' method invaluable in the last few weeks in particular.

And from the depths of my memory, I hear my cousin, a wonderful infants and primary school teacher, saying always stop the game while they are having fun.

I find I can't wait for the next chapter of a book, using this method. It works for me. It works for the children, too!

PS I must remember to give the children a five minute warning as to when the game will end, to ease any frustration. It wouldn't be right to finish up without sufficient warning. I suppose it's to prepare them emotionally that the end is near! (Thanks Growing Kids God's Way!)

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

15 Books That Stuck

Hey Oh Peaceful Day! I like your idea, and I've posted mine here:

Fifteen books I've read that will always stick with me. First fifteen I can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

Can you do it too??? Post your books here under comments, if you like!

The Bible
True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
The Drover's Wife by Henry Lawson (Selected Verse book)
The Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier-Bresson
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola
Return to Gone Away by Elizabeth Enright
The Lion, the Witch and Wardrobe by CS Lewis
Farmer Boy by LI Wilder
Wild Swans by Jung Chang
Anne of Green Gables LM Montgomery
My Place by Sally Morgan
Mister God, This is Anna by Fynn
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Outback Women by Melissa McCord

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Dragon Breath and Shiver Me Timbers

Beanies in bed
Electric blanket
Wheat bags
Dry cracked hands
Ugg boots
Dressing gowns
Deck schooling
Hoodies
Dragon Breath*
Porridge
Soup
Hot coffee
More hot coffee

Shiver me timbers, it's COLD.
Pardon the pirate lingo, we're reading Treasure Island.

I don't think we could have done any schooling had it not been for the gorgeous sunshine on our deck today.

*Dragon Breath: The steam coming forth from one's mouth on a chilly day. The children have a great deal of fun puffing around the house!

Teepee Kids








Captain and Possum spent a delightful sun bathed afternoon with Mrs C. and her two munchkins. Thanks a heap, Mrs C!

I asked the children to tell me all about their adventures:

"First, we went into the bush and made two teepees, and pulled one down. We made them with sticks and paperbark, and then Mrs C. took photos of us. On the way back Captain and our two friends went walking on water, and I was waiting for them on the deck. After that we had an icy pole each. We made mud Easter eggs on the dirt pile. We had green jelly with lollies. When we first came we had a caramel Koala each, then we went home."

Possum


"First we caught a few chickens to hold. Big Foot (ginger coloured) and Princess (shiny blue black) followed us into the bush, so we had to chase them back to the house yard.

We made two teepees. One was about chest height, one was waist height. We dismantled one which we had made last Saturday (it was a bit crooked). This left us with four teepees, one for each of us to shelter from the wind. As well we like pretending to be Indians.

On the way back to the house we chased Big Foot again - this time off the pond. We trod on normal green grass that grew on top of the pond water. It felt like walking on the height of a wave.

Most of us got over the electric fence without touching it, even though we didn't know it was off. Possum stepped onto it with her shoes on, but she was touching the ground without a shock, so it must have been off.

After we came back to the house for our ice blocks, Mrs C. said we could play in their dirt pile. We made little waterfalls with water from the creek and small mud balls.

We all ate some of my mum's lovely jelly. It was time to go home, which was too bad."

Captain (with lots of editing from Mummy!!)

Blurb Books

I'm so excited to have found Barefoot Voyage blogspot:

http://barefootvoyage.blogspot.com

Recommended on this blogspot is:

www.blurb.com

a very convenient way to make your own books!!
Can't wait to start.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

On The Banks of Plum Creek

We have finished Little House on the Prairie. Sigh. But, we have a great book to continue our read-alouds with! Yay.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Warming Treats continued



We have a couple of other traditional Dutch recipes, which are particularly delicious in the cooler months.

Here they are:

Boterkoek - creatively decorated by Captain (a non-traditional approach)!

and

Oma's Biscuits (as they are affectionately know to the entire family)

Mmmm

Honey For A Child's Heart


Thanks to CL, I have a great book to read. Very inspiring, thank you very much! A book by Gladys Hunt.

I'm already practising one of the suggestions:

Quoted from chapter 1. Bequest of Wings:
Well-chosen words need only be few in number, and they help store away the pleasure of the adventure.
We have awakened a small boy at midnight to see the marvel of the northern lights. We have stood on hillsides and described the numerous shades of springtime greens across the landscape. It's a marvelous game of awareness and words.
It's a game that can be played anywhere at odd moments. How do you think a barn in Nebraska looks? One child may answer, "Red, with cows around it." Another may say, "Gray and lonely, with no trees near." A third child may light up and say, "The barn looks gray and tired, weathered from the summer's blast of heat and weary from icy winds that blow across the flat plains in winter."

Each answer is a good one. Yet those who saw less will be pleased by the contributions of those who saw more in their minds. They will sense the living substance of a touch of imagination and try to increase their own awareness. You may be thinking at this point, I handle words so poorly myself. How can I help my children? This game will teach you as well and bind you to your children as you share what we call "imaginings."

Try other questions: How does a summer night sound? How does a rainy day feel? ...each child (can see) the "possibility of words"...it will help train the ear to listen and the heart to feel beauty and emotion as it comes out in stories that the children later read. The benefits work both ways.

End of quote.

I'm having a lot of fun with this!

And what does Captain think of me reading this book?


I'm glad you're reading it, then I'll get more books onto my bookshelf!

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew


Captain is into another book...he began reading this one on Monday.
He has finished the book today...Thursday, 11 June 2009.