Thursday, June 26, 2008

Gotta get a routine

Well, not doing as well right now.... but they are getting a lot of run-around time (hey, phys-ed, right?) and a lot of it is outdoors.

We went swimming at the Y this evening - I heard Mike explaining something to Delta, don't remember what it was - but something to do with one of the toys....

I've got to get a daily routine going!

Monday, June 23, 2008

ASL practice

Went to the monday program today - the kids painted treasure boxes - not sure there was much else educational for them.  (there was stuff for colours - but Delta and Echo know them....)      But, I got to practice my sign language - there was a parent there today who is deaf.  I've run into her at 4 different times....  way back when Delta was very young she was at an child (infant) reading program....  then her one child was at the same nursery school as Delta (a different class), and then she was at the baby circle program when I first got pregnant - and now this one now that her second child is 2.   Anyway, I did a bit of interpreting (sort of) for her, and chatted a bit with her.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Knows colours already!

Yesterday, read a bit more of "House at Pooh Corner".  We are almost all done it.   Didn't do too much more - although Delta is trying to read some of his books too, so that is good.

 

btw - just thought I'd mention that I'd probably work on colours or something with Echo - but she knows them already!!!

Friday, June 20, 2008

Playing the Game

Delta loves the snakes-and-ladders game, so that is a good practice.   I have to admit that tonight we didn't quite finish it (Delta was 2 squares away from the end....).   He was still going at it, but I was tired and frustrated....

 

Delta is still doing a lot of guessing instead of trying to read.  He is getting good at a lot of words, and he is doing pretty good at figuring them out.... including some pretty long ones....  but sometimes he will just say the word he thinks it is going to be when it is not even close to it.   ("has" instead of "went", for example....)

 

I'm also having a hard time not getting frustrated with Echo..... she knows all the letter sounds she has done so far - but her blending skills are gone.... she is trying to blend, but with sounds that have nothing to do with the word she is trying to read.  (generally, she is blending the word HOT or something like it.... no matter what.)   So she goes  "tuh   i (short)  puh    ......   awwwwwwe-t   ........ Hot! "    (by the way the tuh and puh don't actually have the "uh" sound.... just the cut off t sound....)    I know that she is very young and there is no rush - but she was doing it so well before, and I'm not sure how to get her to understand other than trying it over and over.  

 

Anyway - it is going..... I just need to continue to make it fun, and to step back when I get to frustrated...

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Snakes and Ladders

Tonight I printed up a snakes-and-ladders game...  and played it with Delta and Echo.  For each square, they had to read.  (I used the square numbers to give me the word number (for Echo) or the sentence number (for Delta) for them to read.   It didn't provide any new material, but gave them some practice

Monday, June 16, 2008

Harder words

Yesterday we went to the zoo - I don't remember anything specifically brought up, and we have been there before - but I'm sure they learned something!

 

Today they spent time outside....   We also had the opportunity to do reading and sentances.   Delta is doing great with his sentances - we did ones that introduce (amoung other things) the letter "j" - but he already knew what it "said"....   He is also doing a lot better at figuring out words, although a few still require me to help him put it together....   he managed, with some help, to figure out "jackrabbits" and other words like that.

 

He has done most of the letter sounds now.... I think there is "w", "x", "z", and "qu" left....   then it is on to combinations like "th" and "ch", etc.        He is also doing a lot more finding of words, and looking at books....

 

 

Echo is also doing well, and was able to handle the random words I got out for her.  I added the sound that "N" makes tonight - but didn't give her any words with it yet.   She is on card 66 or so, so she has figured out about 55 words or so (the other cards would be a simple letter).

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Dandilions

Well, had baby circle in the morning - wasn't happy at all with the babysitting arrangements today for the older kids....  oh well.

 

Delta had his violin lesson - wasn't TOO co-operative, but did get a little done in review....  and this was his last lesson for the year.  We can pay for a few summer lessons - but it is basically it until September.   I had really wanted him to be playing Twinkle by now - oh well.

 

I also took Delta to the "old" baby circle - the one I attended when he and Echo were babies.  It starts same time as violin lesson.   Now that that is done, will probably move back to this one, as I prefer it, and so does Delta, and Echo likes it too.  Delta made something for Father's Day - it is wrapped so I have no idea.

 

This evening we went outside for a bit.  I drew some dandilions in my nature handbook.... and discussed with Delta how the seed is like a parachute so it can travel a bit.   We also got to see 2 squirrels chasing each other around one of our trees....

 

Overall a good day - but no reading work was done....

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Potty Training

Been able to continue on - managed to do violin practice most days this week - and reading stuff a few times.   Delta is also trying to read a lot more stuff - today he was trying to read the title in a hymnbook....

 

Delta had a violin solo today - it was in an old-folks home....   he was only doing rhythyms on the E string....  all the other kids had better stuff to do...  (the other 2 first year students there - 1 played Twinkle (he is older) - and the other did the 2 songs the group class did at the spring recital with his dad accompanying him....) 

 

Also - Echo went poop in the potty today!   It isn't her first time - but ever since she started seating herself on the potty about 10 months ago, she has only had ANY type of success 5 times!!!!       I made a big deal - clapping, and everything.... and we called a sister in the ward that she knows and likes, and told her, - so hopefully it will help.  oh, and she got another sticker on her chart....

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Reading

Doing well so far today.  Delta was sick this morning, but seems a lot better.

 

He wanted help reading his sentences in "Teach your child to read in 10 minutes a day" so I helped him.  He is on the next set of sentences - each group of sentences introduces a new letter sound, or another new concept.   He is doing well, this set introduced the sound that "L" makes.   He is sometimes mixing up the small  "b" and "d"....  and was mixing up what a single "e" says compared to 2 e's - "ee".

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Wasted Lesson

Did ok today...

 

Delta had his violin lesson - but it was a giant waste of time because he wasn't co-operating at all.  Basically he did an opening bow, and his closing bow - and that was it!  And he is doing a solo on Sunday at a nursing home.... (patterns on open string...).   Normally if he isn't co-operating (and we have always been able to get him to do SOMETHING....) then the teacher has me do some stuff on my violin....  but as I had Foxtrot with us, we were trying to figure out the logistics of that....  as there is no place for me to really put her.  SIGH.  

 

Anyway - was able to have Delta do more sentences - and we reviewed the sounds for the next couple of letters introduced on the next sentences....    I also did the next letter with Echo - and practice the scriptures again.