Hangman!

P had a great time learning how to spell words with the help of hangman!

June 29, 2008

Today P and I looked at the weather in Florida and discussed how to read a radar map and tell where it is raining the hardest. We then looked at an equivalent map that showed ice thickness and coverage at the North Pole. We then looked at the South Pole and the various research stations on the continent, and watched a time lapse video of the seasons in Antarctica. We discussed the differences in temperatures, the aurora australis and what causes it, and what an ice breaker does.



In the afternoon, we went to wee WALL-e. Afterwards we discussed the idea of living on a spaceship and what things you could do or can't do in a sealed environment.

In the early evening, P, K and I did a preliminary lesson from the Drawing With Children book, doing some repetition of basic shapes. Later, we did the volcano science experiment in the tub again.

Resources:
Google Earth
Panoramino
The Cryosphere Today
Drawing With Children
Wall-E

Co-op Day: Drama.

We made a little play cottage out of a large box, painting and decorating as desired using tempera paints. We read fairy tales, particularly those that center around a house--such as Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks or Baba Yaga -- and acted them out, taking turns.

Tracing Handwriting Exercise

P was practicing his fine motor control by playing a "tracing" game with me, where he and I each took turns tracing inside the previous person's "circle" shape. He was able to control his watercolor crayons to stay mostly within the lines, with more difficulty at the smaller sections.

Peace Camp: Day Ten

The kids spent much of today planning ahead for the Variety Show that they put on for family and friends, but this morning they got to learn how to "toss a pie" by Gainesville's own Satchel. They got to enjoy it, too!!

During the Variety Show, P's camp counselor gave out "awards" (which I felt rather uncomfortable with philosophically). They ranged from "Best Line Leader" to "Best Smile" to "Most Fun to Be Around". The one that P received was "Most Positive" -- considering the others, this was a "good" one, though P did say he wished that he were the "most fun to be around" or "most athletic" like his friends were. And this is why awards are actually punishments.

Today's theme: "You Don't Have To Do It Alone."

Peace Camp: Day Nine

Today's theme: "You Don't Have To Do It Alone."

Peace Camp: Day Eight

Today's theme: "Let the Beauty You Love Be What You Do."

Peace Camp: Day Seven

Today's theme: "Let the Beauty You Love Be What You Do."

Peace Camp: Day Six

P's activities were: Chess, Kickball, Board Games (?)

Today's theme: "What We Know About God is a Piece of the Truth."

Peace Camp: Day Five

P's activities for today: Where the Wild Things Are, Ultimate Frisbee, I U We Can Talk It Out (?)

Today's theme: "What We Know About God is a Piece of the Truth."

Peace Camp: Day Four

P's activities today were: Board Games, Marbles, and Chess.

In addition, P is learning typical "socialized" behaviors, including lunch sharing, name calling, and general potty talk. We discussed in depth the importance of being Kind First, thoughtful and respectful of all, and that some language just are generally inappropriate for people in general (and kids in particular). We also discussed healthy food options based on nutritional values, and made sure to get more input on what we included in his lunch.

Today's theme: "It Matters What You Do!"

Peace Camp: Day Three

P's activities today were: Kickball (a new favorite), Silly Camp Songs (including "Alice the camel"), and Drum Circle (guess drumming is still a passion!!).

Today's theme: "It Matters What You Do!"

Peace Camp: Day Two

P's activities today were: Lawn Bowling, Kickball, and Chess.

Today's theme: "It's a Blessing You were Born."

Co-op Day: Fairies and Flowers.

We made fairy wings with cardboard, paints, and glitter. We read stories about fairies, including flower fairies, and then hunted for flowers to press.

Peace Camp: Day One

P is participating in Peace Camp again this year (last year it was called Chalice Camp, and it was where he learned chess, which is still a passion). The premise of the camp is to teach non-violent communication, or at least have an exposure for the children.

During the day, the campers get to pick three hour-long activities taught by volunteers. Today,“Decorate a Paradise Cookie”, “Fun with Electricity and Magnets”, and Chess.

Today's theme: "It's a Blessing You were Born."

Reading Score

Using an online reading test, the ReadingKEY National Grade Level Reading Test, I evaluated P's reading level. According to their online test, he has the following result:

Student Name: P Stevens
Teacher:
Date of Testing: June 05, 2008
Grade and Month of School at Test Date: Grade 1 - 1st Month
Expected Reading Level: 1.1 (Where we would expect P to be reading at this point in the school year)
TESTED READING LEVEL: 4.4 (Measured in a Year.Month format - this is P's actual reading level as measured on this test.)
TRUE READING LEVEL: 4.4 This score takes into consideration the number of words marked as HESITATIONS during the test. Since research shows that fluency problems dramatically reduces the ability to comprehend reading passages, this score will warn of a possible explanation if low reading comprehension scores are currently an issue with the student. While other reading tests do not take this skill into account, we have included it since it is a critical reading skill overlooked in many reading programs. There should not be a significant gap between the TESTED READING LEVEL and TRUE READING LEVEL. If a gap does exist, then it is of high priority to spend additional time using the Student Reading Wall Lists to improve fluency.

What I noted during the test is that for the most part, P was either right or wrong, with little hesitancies. Again, he was using his sight reading ability much more than his deciphering ability, which accounts for his unfamiliarity with words he hadn't encountered before. According to this report, we should focus on reading books at a 3.4 level or above (which would be 3rd grade, 2nd quarter).