Friday, March 28, 2008

This and That

Did violin practice, read some of the next chapter in "House at Pooh Corner".  

 

I did some research, and have ideas for starting a leaf collection with evergreen, etc (Delta wants to do a leaf collection - and there won't be leaves here for a few months!) 

 

Delta also did more puzzles...

 

I also got the scripture memorization cards made up  (I'm using the scriptures that were in the January 1998 "Friend" for kids to memorize....  - I figure that if they picked out 12 scriptures they felt would be good for kids to memorize that year - well that is a good selection for us!)  - and we started memorizing one of them.  I also have my "scripture mastery box" setup.     I figure it might take quite a while to memorize it (heck, Delta will probably memorize it before I do....) - but it isn't like there is a big hurry!

 

I think that that was it....

 

Echo "played" on the organ a lot today, but nothing really "formal"

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Misc

Today went pretty good even though it was fairly laid back....

 

Part way through the morning I did the "Points game" with them, as we needed to clean-up a bit, and Delta wasn't wanting to get dressed etc - and it leads right into violin practice.

 

We have read another chapter in "House at Pooh Corner".   Delta is really enjoying it, which is cool in my opinion.  He also noticed the word "Hot" in the book, which is one of the words he can figure out....

 

They spent quite a while outside.

 

We went through a few of their reading words too tonight.

 

I think that is most of it.....

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

German!

Forgot to mention - Delta asked me to read more from "The House at Pooh Corner" (which has very few pictures - it is like the original Pooh stories by A.A. Milne....) And I read several pages to him. Will do the next chapter soon.

And, just talked to Mike (via Email...) - and he has agreed to teach the kids German as a part of their homeschooling. He is fairly fluent, having lived there 7 years. French is the more common 2nd language here in Canada of course - but really no-one in the house knows it at all (even though I took 6 years of it in school...) The advantage of doing French would be that most of our movies here (DVD's) have French as a 2nd language track.... where for German we would need to find other resources.....

In any case, I'm going YEAY! Not sure when he is likely to start with them on it - it may be quite a while, as I'm sure he is going to have to think a bit about how to go about it. (hm, he wouldn't go for the talking to the kids only in German back when Delta was a baby... lol) Funny thing is none of the older kids know any German (except swears, I dare say) even though their mom is German, and Mike was fluent in it....

Tried a Game

Ok - this evening....

 

We did the violin practice (should really be in the morning....) - and then we played the little game I downloaded that lets you have the kids answer questions or whatever on the cards you make up (so I used the reading cards mixed up....)   It was good, but in 15 minutes of play Echo got to read 4 cards, and Delta got to read 5.... so not a very efficient way to practice!

 

So I still need to figure out something better.... 

Swimming

So far today - the main thing we have done so far today is swimming lessons. Echo did great, she was actually swimming - with a life jacket - with me just making sure it didn't flip her over... on her back she did it a minute or so without me holding her at all! Delta was doing great too - I'm sure he swam the 5m on his front with no aids.... so I suspect all he needs to do for level 3 of lil'dippers is to be able to swim 5m on his back with no aids!

Well, I need Wednesday afternoons free now - for a program where the kids can run around doing stuff (supervised) in the gym, while I relax, drink hot chocolate, and do stuff like scrapbooking etc. Really highly needed right now! (something for mommy!)

So..... I found out when the swim teacher Delta has (who is EXCELLENT) does other classes - and there is only 1 other lil-dipper..... and well, it is full. So I expressed my concern at the desk that because he is pretty much done the level 3 of lil'dippers, that I really don't want him a class that go in the kid pool and do nothing all the time. Anyway, they said that if he is doing well, because he is 4.5, if I want we can register him for Otters (+5) and see how it goes. I really debated on it - but I know the Otters level is very similar to the level of lil-dippers that he is doing - and it means that he would be definately still working in the big pool. So I decided to try it out. (He did otters once in summer in a life jacket....). Unfortumately of course, the 5+ stuff is all late afternoon/evening. So he is signed up for Friday at 4:30.... it is a quieter day for us, a "slower" day for swim lessons at the Y (so the class is more likely to be small) - and it should work. On the weeks that Mike works, it will be a bit of a rush - he will have to get up probably before we go.

Also - I've taken Echo out of swim lessons. I don't like to, as she is doing so well - but she needs me to be with her still...... and honestly I can't do it anymore. I'm having fun getting out of the pool! (mind you - apparently they have a chair that will lift someone out of the pool..... so I'd only die of embarassment instead!) So that is going to be fun, having her be upset because she wants to go too....

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Observation by Trainer

Delta had violin lesson today. The teacher's mom (who teaches violin teachers) was there to observe - we had been asked if it was ok last week - and Delta paid attention and did EVERYTHING he was asked. He focused very well!

I've printed up more cards for Delta, and he was interested to do the reading because it was new. I also introduced more cards to Echo, and she pretty much knew them already, and was blending very well. I think she is learning from seeing Delta do them. Echo has now done up to card 30 - so that would be about 23 or so words, and the rest are letter sounds. Delta is at about card 75ish (I have 84 printed).... so would be around 60 words and about 15 letter sounds. He really varies on how well he blends.... which he needs to get better at pretty soon, as it won't be very long before it starts into sentances.....

Mike let Delta play a "Cars" (ie from the movie) computer game that we bought, but doesn't work on the kids' computer..... (he got to play on dad's laptop.) There are 10 little games in it - most of which don't look like much..... but at one point I noticed that the game Delta was playing at one point was a puzzle - one of those traffic-jam puzzles where you have an area filled with cars, and you have to choose which ones to move to get the traffic jam to clear (or in this case to let Lightning McQueen get out....) - and Delta was at level 4 or 5! So I don't know how hard the puzzles had been, but it looks like Delta must be good at that type of puzzle.....

Monday, March 24, 2008

Exhausted

Kids slept in until 9:00 today (and as they wake me up.....). Our painting program starts at 9:30 - so I had them get dressed, and we ate Tim Hortons (Bagels) for breakfast in the car. We were still a bit late, but not a big deal. They were painting a "Butterfly Garden" on paper on the wall when we got there - kind of a combo finger painting and cookie-cutter painting thing. Then they did "corn-syrup" painting (with hands - but Delta needed a paint-brush - he doesn't like the feel...) on paper plates, that were hung up to make a large caterpillar. Then the story time. Then they made butterfly prints with their feet - well I started brushing the paint on Delta's feet, and he didn't like it, so he didn't do it. Echo did it though, it just tickled her feet. Anyway, even though I wasn't really doing a lot, I was just exhausted by the end of it.

Then while getting ready to go out, Delta was swinging around a plastic (thank goodness) coathanger, and hit one of the girls with it by accident. I had him apologize, and was trying to get him to stand and look at me while I talked to him about it, and he was doing everything to avert his eyes etc, and then slid down, and hit his chin hard on the chair I was sitting on (took some skin off) and so was crying hard.... and then by then I was crying because it was all I could take. Anyway, the program facilitator walked us to the car after everyone was gone to help, and I drove home and woke up Mike and made lunch. (hm - hard boiled easter eggs anyone?)

Once Mike got up, we cleaned out the fridge, and I went to bed. He woke me up when supper (a turkey dinner - the turkey wasn't thawed enough yesterday....) was ready. It was an excellent supper. The kids had put all their toys into a huge pile (they were playing garbage truck I guess....) so after supper I went and watched as they cleaned it up.

So - we didn't do violin practice - which will probably be a problem tomorrow at the lesson....) and we didn't do any reading, or organ or anything. And I'm exhausted. And I don't think Mike was impressed that I went to bed....

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Laundry Math

Today - Sunday is always a light day of course....

 

But, we were having Delta put some clothes into the dirty laundry (5 things), and he had put one in, and counted that he had 4 left.....  so then as he put the next one in, we did the whole  "So you had 4, and took one away, how many are left" (him - counting - 3!)  "So 4 take away 1 is 3!" all the way to zero - then he went and brought puzzle pieces and did it, and then he brought some other toys and did it (I took away 2 a couple of times, just for a change...)

 

More

Ok - Yesterday....

Delta had group violin lesson - they are getting ready for the spring concert next month.... Looks like he is a little behind the other 3 kids that were there yesterday - they have started learning the "Monkey song" (basically a 4 note scale on each string...) - and he hasn't in indiv class actually touched the strings or even played the open string... sigh. In group class he is good at the open string practice. So he just played the open string while the rest played the notes.... He is really close though, he is practicing holding his fingers over the strings like umbrellas.... Oh - and at the concert he is going to get a little medal for 50 practices in 70 days!!!! (that I get to pay for....)

Did a bunch of running around in the car, at one place the kids and I were in the car alone waiting while Mike got some stuff in a store I just can't walk around in - so I pulled out the reading cards. Delta did much better at blending the words - and I got to make him more cards! Echo is doing good with her sounds - can't blend at all yet, but that is ok....

And - we got to visit with Mike's ex'es relatives (ok, kind of wierd)... one, Charlie's "Oma" lives nearby. Her sister is visiting for about a month I think - and only speaks German. They had Delta saying phrases - and "Oma" said that he would probably pick up other languages fast. (Not that I think he knew what he was saying....)

That was about it....

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Got an Organ!

Yesterday - got the violin practice in, and I'm sure I got something else in, but can't think of what. Oh yeah, and I've started teaching them the organ. We got it for free from freecycle, and used to play as a teenager. Mike wants me to use it to teach the kids - and it has taken a while to decide how to do it. Basically, for the moment, I'm going to try to sort-of do it like a suzuki piano teacher.... I'm going to grab the recordings and books. I did some searching on the internet, and got some notes meant for the teachers.... so they had their first little lesson today. I hope that I don't "mess them up" with bad technique or anything....

Did you know that organ's seem to be pretty much extinct???? Yamaha doesn't make them anymore, and I haven't found a place that carries music here for it yet..... so that is disappointing. We got a lot of music with the organ, but I was hoping to get some kid stuff, etc. The organ we got for free was probably around $10,000 when it was new.....

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Good Lesson

Today:  "Baby circle" - so the kids got to play in the babysitting.... apparently they were in the gym and Delta said something about riding a bike (probably a trike), and something about Echo having a LONG turn with a car - so I'm thinking one of those cars that you move around with your feet....  so that counts for PE???

Violin lesson for Delta.  He did great - was very focused, and pretty much had the whole 30 minutes!   He is doing good with his violin hand in playing position (just has to practice not "cracking the egg"  (ie, having a spot between his palm and the violin neck that an egg could be in....).   His bowing on his shoulder is good too - so soon he will be playing!!!  YEAY!   (ok, this is taking longer than I had thought - but I know he is learning to do everything RIGHT the first time.....)

 

Went to the bookstore with Delta - looked through the options in the learning to read by myself type area - there are a number of options - but didn't see anything that I quite liked....  so will hold off a bit I think on that.  I think he needs to be better at working out the individual words before trying to actually do it with a book - and he just doesn't have enough words yet.   Will just continue reading him stories.  I had picked out a couple of books that I thought he would like - but he had a tantrum when it was time to go (he was playing with the train table while I was looking around....  and I don't think he liked my choice of books either....) - so I ended up not buying anything and carrying him out myself while he screamed.  Oh the joy!   hm - I think a tantrum happened the LAST time I took him to a bookstore too - probably about a year ago!!!

 

Monday, March 17, 2008

This and That

Didn't get anything done over the weekend really because of Zulu being here....

 

Today - didn't get in the violin practice...  :(    However, we went to the painting program we go to on Mondays.  I also went through all the more recent reading cards with Delta.... and a few of the "older" ones.    Then later, I did all of Echo's with her, and did 10 of the new ones with Delta again.   He wasn't blending as well today, but was getting better by the end.   Echo isn't really blending at all without me helping her.... but is getting the letter sounds down good.

 

Friday, March 14, 2008

Schedule thoughts

Ok - here are my thoughts on schedule.... don't have them in order for each day or anything....  Setting each "class" as about 10 min.....  Most PE is doing a dance time, or wiggle time type activities between classes....

 

Monday:  Reading Program, Writing, Music, Scripture Story, Scripture Mastery, PE (wiggle time)  and in the evening FHE.   Aprox time not including FHE or reading program  is 0:35

 

Tuesday: Phonics, Story Read, Math, Scripture Mastery, PE (wiggle time).  Violin Lesson,  Nature Time (outdoor time).  Aprox time, not including Violin Lesson, is 1:25

 

Wednesday: Phonics, Story Read, Writing, Music, Scripture Stories, Scripture Mastery, PE (Swim lesson, play at Y)  - Aprox time, not including swimming and Y is 0:55

 

Thursday:  Phonics, Story Read, Math, Music, Scripture Mastery, Nature Time, PE (wiggle time)  - Aprox time is 1:35

 

Friday:  Phonics, Story Read, Writing, Music, Scripture Stories, Scripture Mastery, Nature Time, PE (wiggle time) - Aprox time is 1:45

 

Saturday:  Phonics, Story Read, Violin Lesson, Scripture Mastery, Nature Time, and 1 time per month, kids workshop (woodworking) - aprox time, not including violin lesson and workshop, is 0:55

 

Topics:  
 

Math - mostly doing puzzles, (He already does puzzles that are around 75 pieces...) playing with Lego - maybe a bit of work on counting - stuff on reading time...  

 
Nature Study - go out and play!   Collect leaves, flowers, look for animal tracks, etc. 
 
PE - 30 min swim lessons each week....  on some days we will probably go to the Y to play.... - Wiggle/Dance time!

 

Other - Art, etc, done on their own.   Also, he will be a member in Traditional Scouting, so there will be crafts, outdoors stuff, games, some work on safety/helping, etc....

  
Any Comments??? 

So Far Today:

 

Done points song, and violin practice, and Delta is dancing to music.  I'm a little short on patience today though, so not sure how much we are going to do....    I do want to scan in the funny faces that I want him to practice tracing....  kind of a fun option/break from handwritting.....

 

and [to someone that asked about swimming here]

 

Last year they had all the Lil' Dippers in one class no matter the level in summer (and all year too).  Maybe I'll try to talk to the Head of water programs before they set the schedule, to get them to divide it into 2 or 3 levels  (I'd like Bobbers and Floaters together, and Gliders and Divers together, and Surfers and Dippers together.)  But the way your Y has it would be ok.  As I mentioned, last year, they stayed in the shallow pool the whole time, except 1 day per session.   We did find the summer swimming program was very helpful - but I was happy when Delta was put with the Otters for the last session last year.   I just really feel that the kids don't progress as well when they are in such a widely mixed group....

 

I'm hoping to find out when Delta's teacher is teaching the summer session (if he is) and will try to sign him up for his classes....

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Bits and Bites

Well, did a bit more before bed....  Had Delta work on writing his full name - but his attention wasn't there.   Did all the reading cards again with them, and then read a couple of books before bedtime.

 

The "blocks" game didn't work that well with Delta after a bit - so haven't played it for a bit...... but I need to come up with some sort of game that would give him practice with a LOT of words (not necessarily all of them at once or anything....) - and keep his interest.

 

Echo is doing good with her current letters and words.... well, she still needs help figuring out the words....

Children's Museum

Went to the children's museum this afternoon.   Would probably have a hard time classing what, if anything, they learn there.... but they enjoy going, and they get some active time on the slide.   I like the little nature room they have (that has the slide) as there are animal "statues" hidden around in the room, and there are the animal tracks, and animal sounds.   Delta likes following the Animal tracks

 

Learning Fast

So far today....

 

Did point song and violin practice....

 

Let the kids dance to some dance music (get wiggles out...)  Then did more reading cards.

 

Delta did all that he already knew, and we did "B", and all the extra words with that.  He also did "thAT" with no problems.   And although I printed up 20 cards today, there is only about 4 or 5 left for him to do.... when I introduce the sound "I".... maybe later today.   He is really taking off fast now!  He does better at blending the older words and sounds of course.... but I think he is getting close to when they start him on reading sentances.

 

Echo knows U, P, C, A, and T - but has a lot harder time blending into words still....   I need to do a bit more with her.... but it seems to me that Delta was having a bit of a hard time right at this stage of letters.... kind of a time when just memorizing isn't working anymore, but it is still hard to figure out....

 

They are dancing again now!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

More Letters

Well, I survived them being outside!

 

Tonight before bed, we went through all the cards I've printed up.... did all the ones I had done with Delta so far - and then added the next letter sound  "G"  (guh sortof) - and did the couple of cards I had printed with that - I've got to print more cards!   Delta is doing fantastic, wasn't getting confused or anything.   And I noticed that Echo was saying the sounds of letters that she hasn't done yet.... so may need to add the next letter and more words for her too.

 

Then we read a couple of lil' critter books.   I'm thinking I've got to find out my "Cat in the Hat" and "Hop on Pop" books - as Delta would know quite a few of the words in them....   He seems to recognized both upper and lower case letters have the same sounds, even though he is being taught with upper case only....

 

So far today:

 

Did point song, and violin practice.  Did well at both.  The both had swimming lessons, and Echo is progressing well being in with the older kids (but with me still...) 

 

Now we are home, and the kids are playing in the snow with our warm weather.  (It is +4C today, and was yesterday too....) - so they are getting some exercise and some fun outside and getting to play in the snow while it is slowly melting....

 

I'm a bit nervous though, as they are playing outside in the backyard while I'm in here....  I have the back patio-door open (airs out the house too) - and am checking constantly.   I've let Delta play out back alone with Zulu once - but this is a first time with Echo out there without me.

 

So far so good.....

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Another Day

Yesterday - Kids had their scheduled program right now - it is "painting rainbows".  Also, when the family went out, I took the letter cards and went through them in the car a couple of times.

 

Today - Delta had violin lesson - he has now learned to place his violin hand into playing position.....     Did ledges with the kids this evening....  Echo didn't do as well as she has..... so backed her letters a bit.  Delta was doing fine, except he couldn't sit still - but apparently he can do a long-jump over the card placement....  (hm - I'm impressed with the long jump....)    I also added "O"  (awe sound) for Delta, and had him sound out words with that - and that adds a lot of words...      He also managed to sound some out without helping him - so he is starting to get blending.....

 

Echo was doing 6 and 7 piece puzzles (the ones that fit together....)  by herself today (with the odd verbal suggestion from me).   Delta has been going crazy with puzzles too.   Didn't get a chance to do anything with writing....  

 

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Home Depot Crafts

Today was busy - fairly light on homeschooling in some ways....

 

Group Violin lesson - then off to Home Depot for their Kids Workshop.  Delta and Echo each made an art caddy/ tool box. 

 

Then this evening, Delta was counting toy dinasours on me.... then hid one and asked me to count them.  So I said, ok, you had 8 dinasaours, and you took away one.... how many do you think we have left?  He didn't know.... so we counted.  Then I said.... so you had 8, and you took 1 away.... and that left 7.   So he hid another, and we did it again.... and again... all the way to zero.  (once we hit 3, he knew the answers....)    So he went, grabbed more dinasours, and we did it again from 12.  Once we were done (and he helped count them) I said that was enough for me.   But there you go, a totally impromptu math lesson totally led by him - because I noticed the opportunity

Friday, March 7, 2008

Summary

[asked if I'm planning out lessons]


I'm still kind of new to it all - I have ideas in my head....

 

I'm doing the reading based on "Teach your child to read in 10 minutes a day"....  it is a little bit of a lst-minute decision on which of the couple of games to play - but it is structured as to the order of the letters and words.   I'm probably not doing enough stuff on having them search for the letters in print....

 

The writing that I've started with him yesterday is partly based on another book by the author above....  he basically teaches to print or write by having them trace good samples.  With that, I've taken the idea from the internet to do cursive first instead of second (although the author above teaches cursive about 2 months after print....)  and I found on a website a great teaching cursive font so I can pick what to have him write.   I'm using the Charlotte Mason method of doing CopyWork - so instead of repeating letters or words over and over, the things he will be writing will have meaning.   I'm going to be using stuff like "I am a child of God" and stuff like that for short ones.

 

Swimming Lessons and Violin Lessons, and the cool reading/art program we are in for free are all scheduled - and for the moment I'm trying to keep that as being about it.  (oh, and my "baby circle".)   In Fall, Delta will be starting Otters in a traditional Scouting program (not Scouts Canada - that would be beavers...).

 

So far, everything else is winging it - he does puzzles or legos when he wants to, he counts his pennies, etc..... but by Fall I want a bit more structure in place.  I'm planning to have about 60 min a day worth of school stuff for Delta, in about 5-10 minute subjects....     and I'm leaning towards the Charlotte Mason methods.

 

For math, I'm planning to be doing mostly just counting, and some work on Time subjects and Money subjects - no real curriculum.  My author has suggestions for teaching addition and subtraction (and multiplication and division too!) - but we will see how the counting and quanity concepts go....

Thursday, March 6, 2008

More on Cursive First

I've been doing a bunch of thinking (like I do before starting anything new with the kids....)  - the person whose program I am using for reading suggests for writing having them learn print first, and then about 2 months in learn cursive.....

 

But I was doing some looking on the internet....  mainly I wanted to have an idea what "font" or style of printing and writing I wanted to teach..... and found a couple of articles on teaching cursive writing BEFORE printing.... and it made sense to me.  Apparently, that is what used to be done before about 1920-1960 (depending on where in the US/Canada) - and is done in many European countries.

 

Some of the stuff that makes sense to me is stuff like....  for most styles of printing, the person/child needs to make good circles, straight lines, and good triangles.  All of which is hard to do.  for cursive, it is flowing curves, etc, which is what children of a young age tend to do easier.   One article said that printing requires 6 types of movements.... cursive requires 3.    Because the letters are joined and worked from left to right, mixing stuff like b's and d's is very uncommon.   (one historical note, cursive was taught first back when nib pens were used because that is how that type of pen is designed to work.... the movements required in printing would make big ink blots unless you are very skilled.....)

 

Another benefit, is that people tend to do best, or revert in times of stress, to what they learned first.  I think there would be great benefit to that being cursive....


Anyway, it made sense to me.   And seeing how well Delta did with his first try, and without me hovering over him, or having him do repetative letters etc....  I am impressed.    Yes, right now he is tracing instead of forming the letters himself - but it is more legible than many people's handwriting as is!

Outside

Took them out a bit later in the morning, they had a great time, and I got our walk shovelled a bit more.  We had bought them little shovels, and one is missing now.  probably under a couple of snowfalls in the backyard somewhere....   Well, they were pretty good at taking turns with my direction, and enjoyed making footprints too.   They got to hear a bird, an airplane, and I asked them if our trees were rough or smooth....

 

They also got to go with me to my dr.'s apt. and hear the baby's heartbeat... so that was cool for them.    Tonight I just took them through the word cards with no game.  Echo did hers twice.

Cursive First

Today is going great!

 

We started with the points game  (which has them making their bed, getting dressed, etc.) - which I have go right into Violin practice - which went well.    I then put on some good quick "dance" music so they could get their wiggles out.   

 

I've done some research, and have decided to teach Cursive writing before print writing.   I've downloaded a good learning cursive font, which when you do in a lighter grey, and put into "outline" is fantastic for tracing.  It includes the guidelines - which is nice, but I wish I had a version of the same one without as well....

 

So, I sat Delta down, and showed him how to trace it, including where to start, which way to go, and not to lift the marker until the end of the word.  I also told him what it says (because of course he can't read it yet.)   I was getting a little frustrated, and so was he while I was there - but I left him to it while I did reading with Echo.

 

The reading with Echo went great - she did about 6 of the block game, to earn 6 pennies.... using U, UP, and C.    Delta was done about the same time as she was - and I was impressed.   I think it is fantastic for his first attempt - especially his name (which I'm sure he has special feelings for!)

 

Then we set Echo up to colour, and Delta did reading.  He sure won't sit still, which frustrates me because it takes 4 times as long as it would....  but I was able to get him to do the whole 12 blocks for 12 pennies  (it is amazing what expressing doubt that he can do the whole thing - and then being very impressed when he does....)   He was doing "the", CAT, and H.   "the" and "H" were introduced last night, and CAT is one of the newer ones too, so it wasn't super easy....   

 

Now they are doing more dance "wiggle" time - and I may try to take them outside, it LOOKS nice out there for a change.....

 

So anyway, here is Delta's writing.   The top one was me showing him how.....  you can't really see the trace words on the scan.... I had them pretty light.

 [will add picture

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Swim Lessons

Violin lesson went ok today (it is normally Tuesday, but was moved for this week....). Delta wasn't the most co-operative, but did get a couple of things done. He doesn't realize how close he is to being able to start really playing the violin - which is probably a good thing..... but is frustrating to me to see the stuff that Miss A is ready to teach him getting pushed aside because he's "tired"....

The afternoon was our "Y" swimming lessons. Because I can't move around the little pool anymore for the Parented-Little Dippers class with Echo, I had asked Delta's teacher if Echo and I could join his non-parented Little Dippers in the big pool. She would be in a life jacket (his class is just in life-belts now....), and I'd be there with her - as she is a year too young. Even though his class is really big now, he was fine with it. I'm happy as that meant I didn't have to pull Echo from swimming yet (which I will when the baby comes.... no babysitting at that time of the day!) She did great - she did a front float (in the life jacket) with me holding with 1 hand only. A back float with her head on my shoulder - looking for "cats" on the ceiling.... she did lots of jumps, and when they went in the little pool she did good with Simon Says. She didn't do everything the class was doing - I took her off to the side when she was fussing, and we also did more jumping into the pool while the class was sitting quietly (again, over to the side) - but the teacher afterwards said that we weren't too big a distraction, and no problems! Then to finish up the phys-ed.... I was taking them to the big play structure in the Y - and they had the big bouncer still up in the gym! So they did a lot of bouncing, and then a little while in the play structure.

Finally printed up more cards for reading - 20 more. Delta and Echo were really excited, and I showed Delta what a bunch of them said.... ("the", and then the letter "H" with a lot more words added with the sounds he knows. We were going to play after supper (they were finishing eating supper when I was printing them.) However, I had to get a few things ready for Mike....... and while I was doing that, Delta took a bag of chips (mine) and was hiding under Echo's bed eating them. It took me a while to realize what he was doing there too. So he got sent straight to bed. Echo and I did play both "blocks" and "Ledges".... I added the sound "C" makes, and added the word CUP. She seemed to handle it well - and she did the entire blocks game too. Delta is looking forward to playing tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Still more Cards

Well, the morning was crazy, and the afternoon was "baby circle" - so a busy day.

 

I got Delta a new puzzle - he had it done fairly fast, although it was a harder 24 piece than his other ones.  (he does some bigger puzzles.... so go figure....)  

 

Violin practice went ok - and Echo and Delta played Ledges.   I had Echo doing CUP, PUP, U, and P..... even though she hasn't done "C", she recognizes CUP ok.  It is funny though, when it is Delta's turn she is pointing his out - but her turn she says "where is it?", and "this one?"  LOL.   But she always gets them right.     Delta did his words fine too - and again I had him read through all the cards.   I've got to make more up, as he seems past the little block he had.  He doesn't seem to do that great at blending still though.... so I worry that maybe he is just memorizing the words....

 

And again today while driving, he was asking what all the signs say, which is great but very distracting while trying to drive!

 

Monday, March 3, 2008

Interest Waning

Well, I tried to do the blocks game with just Delta (Echo is in quiet time) - but he only did 3 pennies worth, even though I had mostly easy cards for him.   I did get him to read all the cards I have printed though for a couple more pennies.   He seems to have it down again, although he still has trouble blending to get the word (which takes time.)    So I need to find/make-up another game that gets him reading the cards (instead of me saying the word and him finding the card, like in Ledges....)    Any suggestions?


Also, as he seems to have it all straight in his head again, I guess I'll print more cards, so he can learn the next step.... that might add some interest again. 

 

Violin practice was good - and he has been doing puzzles like crazy again!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Handwriting

Tonight was another light day....   Delta is doing his jigsaw puzzles over and over like crazy.

 

The only "school" type thing was something I tried on teaching printing....  I gave him a piece of paper with something written on it, and then put tracing paper over it.  I showed him how if he copies the printing, he is making a "print picture".    He gave it a go (at first he was trying to copy it below - but I want him to trace for now....   and he did a good try when I showed him what I meant....)

 

Next time, I will print it even bigger than I did.   I did it at about a font size 18  - I think maybe a 24 or 26 would have been easier.

 

Oh, and what did it say?   "Happy Birthday Daddy".  (It is daddy's birthday tomorrow.)   He then coloured a bit under it - and Echo coloured a regular page....