Z, who turned 4 a week and a half ago, is doing quite well with the books his big brother, J, brings home from kindergarten. About once a week, he brings home a photocopied half-sheet "book" that he's supposed to read to his parents. Ha. Once he asked me if he could read to me, please, because if he does, he gets to raise his hand and get a Skittle. But even a Skittle isn't enough motivation to get him to read these books to me. He currently has his nose stuck in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
But Z is eating them up. They are even better than the Bob books I mentioned in an earlier post. They're simple, with simple words. His favorite one, which we must read every night, is titled We Can Fix.
I'm rather sick of it, but he flies through it now, so I don't suffer too long.
Tonight, it was upside-down when I pulled it out of the special folder marked, "J's special books." (These were given out by the teacher.) I decided to tease him, and left it upside-down. He hardly looked at the cover page, but said, "We Can Fix!" Then I opened it and kept it upside-down.
"Mom! I can't read it upside-down!"
"Sure you can," I said, pointing to the first word. "What does that say?" It was simply the letter I.
"I, but the n's look like u's!" he giggled.
When I finally flipped the book right-side-up, he surprised me by reading the sentences backwards. To be silly, of course. He started off reading, "bed a fix can I." (I can fix a bed.) But as he got further into the book, he got more crafty and read, "tep a fix nac I." (I can fix a pet.) He never could wrap his little brain around the word "xif" because, really, it makes no sense. But almost everything else, he read completely backwards.
Because, you know, he's got to keep this reading thing challenging.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
End-of-the-year IRI
End-of-the-year IRI testing was last week. In this test, kids rattle off as many letter sounds as they can in one minute. The goal (grade-level) was 30 sounds. The teacher asked that we practice the test at home, but J didn't feel like it. Even so, J managed 45.
Of course, there's no reward or even mention of a score higher than 30. I wonder what the other kids' scores were?
Of course, there's no reward or even mention of a score higher than 30. I wonder what the other kids' scores were?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
This morning at breakfast, Z brought over a small MagnaDoodle and poised the magnetic pen to write. I love that he's suddenly decided to draw letters, and he loves that he's rather good at it.
"Mom, how do you spell 'dude?'"
"D....." I started to reply.
"Is it d-o-o-d?" he ventured.
"Wow," I thought. "Not bad for a kid who hasn't had his 4th birthday yet."
And I love his word choice. It's so him!
"Mom, how do you spell 'dude?'"
"D....." I started to reply.
"Is it d-o-o-d?" he ventured.
"Wow," I thought. "Not bad for a kid who hasn't had his 4th birthday yet."
And I love his word choice. It's so him!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Research Project
Finally, J is taking an interest in his kindergarten homework!
This month, Mrs. G didn't send home a 1st grade challenge packet. She's crazy busy incubating chicken eggs in her classroom, among other things. And something magical happened; it was J week! The regular homework assignment was to draw 5 things that started with J. Of course, J was very excited to draw himself, so he decided to actually do his homework.
Thankfully, the problem of writing has been overcome. He hated homework because he had to write. But it's easier for him now, after getting so much practice at school, and having several more months of school under his belt. Now he has no problem labeling his drawings.
That was last week. This week, it's letter E. He's supposed to draw 5 things that hatch from eggs. I said, "Oooh, I bet we can come up with a lot of weird things that hatch out of eggs, instead of easy ones like chickens." He said, "Like a peregrine falcon!" I didn't know he knew what that was! Then he suggested a red-eyed tree frog, too.
We talked about even more animals that lay eggs, then stopped by the library. He said he wants to do 10 or 15 drawings, not just 5! And he's practically turning this into a research project, checking out books about different animals. He's learning about each animal as he draws them. So far, he's drawn a secretary bird (because they stomp on their prey), a platypus (Mom! Did you know they're poisonous?) a German cockroach, an echidna, and a manta ray. Technically manta rays are ovoviviparous, which I explained to Jared, but I say close enough for kindergarten.
Tonight, he said, "this homework is fun!"
This month, Mrs. G didn't send home a 1st grade challenge packet. She's crazy busy incubating chicken eggs in her classroom, among other things. And something magical happened; it was J week! The regular homework assignment was to draw 5 things that started with J. Of course, J was very excited to draw himself, so he decided to actually do his homework.
Thankfully, the problem of writing has been overcome. He hated homework because he had to write. But it's easier for him now, after getting so much practice at school, and having several more months of school under his belt. Now he has no problem labeling his drawings.
That was last week. This week, it's letter E. He's supposed to draw 5 things that hatch from eggs. I said, "Oooh, I bet we can come up with a lot of weird things that hatch out of eggs, instead of easy ones like chickens." He said, "Like a peregrine falcon!" I didn't know he knew what that was! Then he suggested a red-eyed tree frog, too.
We talked about even more animals that lay eggs, then stopped by the library. He said he wants to do 10 or 15 drawings, not just 5! And he's practically turning this into a research project, checking out books about different animals. He's learning about each animal as he draws them. So far, he's drawn a secretary bird (because they stomp on their prey), a platypus (Mom! Did you know they're poisonous?) a German cockroach, an echidna, and a manta ray. Technically manta rays are ovoviviparous, which I explained to Jared, but I say close enough for kindergarten.
Tonight, he said, "this homework is fun!"
The "Dumb One" in the family
A while ago, I was reading on a web site devoted to giftedness and came across a shocking story. I'm sorry I don't have a link for you, but this is the gist of it:
Dad was taking some courses at the local college to keep up with his profession. Mom was getting her Master's. And their 9 year old gifted daughter was taking a college class because she was that far ahead. One night, the 6 year old daughter was sobbing. The mom asked what was wrong, and she said, "I'm the dumb one in the family. I'm the only one who isn't in college!"
Shocking and funny, huh?
Well, it happened to us. Z turns 4 in a few weeks, and has been down in the dumps because he can't read. I told him that J didn't know how to read when he was 3, either, which helped a bit. And I told him I'd teach him how to read.
He's been doing great. He knew all the letters, upper- and lower-case, and the sounds each makes before his 2nd birthday. And he's actually better at guessing a word from the individual sounds than J was. So we asked at the library (for the second time) and were pointed toward BOB books. They're simple, with just a sentence or two per page. Z loves them! He's reading words like log, Pop, Jim, swim, the, sun, land, etc.
J also brings home little Harcourt "books" from kindergarten and hands them straight to Z. If he weren't only 3, Z would ace kindergarten!
Dad was taking some courses at the local college to keep up with his profession. Mom was getting her Master's. And their 9 year old gifted daughter was taking a college class because she was that far ahead. One night, the 6 year old daughter was sobbing. The mom asked what was wrong, and she said, "I'm the dumb one in the family. I'm the only one who isn't in college!"
Shocking and funny, huh?
Well, it happened to us. Z turns 4 in a few weeks, and has been down in the dumps because he can't read. I told him that J didn't know how to read when he was 3, either, which helped a bit. And I told him I'd teach him how to read.
He's been doing great. He knew all the letters, upper- and lower-case, and the sounds each makes before his 2nd birthday. And he's actually better at guessing a word from the individual sounds than J was. So we asked at the library (for the second time) and were pointed toward BOB books. They're simple, with just a sentence or two per page. Z loves them! He's reading words like log, Pop, Jim, swim, the, sun, land, etc.
J also brings home little Harcourt "books" from kindergarten and hands them straight to Z. If he weren't only 3, Z would ace kindergarten!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Library
We just came home from the library with another stack of books. I have been learning slowly what to say to the librarians so they know what I'm looking for. I asked about the FableHaven books, and they said they're in the teen section. "Whoa!" I said. "I'm looking for something for a 6 year old!" So she looked them up for me and said that they're for 9-10 year olds, not really teens. So we decided J will be okay with them and she reserved the first one for me.
I also asked about Ribsy by Beverly Cleary. I haven't been able to find it anywhere! She found it online and reserved it for me, too.
Then I asked about books for Z, who is almost 4 and is a bit intimidated by sentences. He is just nervous, but he can do it if I can just get him to try! She asked another librarian, who found "Bob books." They have two nearly identical sentences on facing pages, and just the last word is different and easy to read. So I'll read the first part, and let Z read the last word. For example,
I really think it will help Z build confidence in his reading ability!
I've asked these very librarians almost identical questions and never gotten these recommendations, so it definitely pays to ask again and again!
I also asked about Ribsy by Beverly Cleary. I haven't been able to find it anywhere! She found it online and reserved it for me, too.
Then I asked about books for Z, who is almost 4 and is a bit intimidated by sentences. He is just nervous, but he can do it if I can just get him to try! She asked another librarian, who found "Bob books." They have two nearly identical sentences on facing pages, and just the last word is different and easy to read. So I'll read the first part, and let Z read the last word. For example,
They march with a flag.
They march in the sun.
I really think it will help Z build confidence in his reading ability!
I've asked these very librarians almost identical questions and never gotten these recommendations, so it definitely pays to ask again and again!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Carried Away
J (6) was fake-laughing about his fake flatulence (they're smart, but they're still boys). He was really hamming it up, so Z (3) just told J, "I think you got carried away."
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