Ani’s 12th Week of 8th Grade

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Heather the Mama Duk

Ani is 11 years 11 months old. (lesson 41) She did five pages in Key to Algebra workbook 2. She went over the rough draft of her composition. She did a spelling list. She read about finding enjoyment in poetic imagery in Stories in Verse. She read Article 1 of the Constitution and began working on an activity page in her History and Geography Workbook. She read a section of Earth’s Changing Surface and we discussed it. She worked with some vocabulary words. (lesson 42) She did five pages in Key to Algebra workbook 2. She read some in Elements of Language and did four grammar exercises. She took a misspelled words test and did a new spelling list. She read more about imagery in Stories in Verse.
Ani's 12th Week of 8th Grade

She read some in her US History book (Articles II-VII of the Constitution). She continued to work on her activity page in her History and Geography Workbook. She worked with some vocabulary words. She read a section in Earth’s Changing Surface and we discussed it. (lesson 43) She did five pages in Key to Algebra workbook 2 and took a math test. She read some in Elements of Language and did three grammar exercises. She read some in Elements of Language and finalized her essay. She did a misspelled words test. She read The Destruction of Sennacherib in Stories and Verse and we discussed it. She read the Bill of Rights in her US History book and continued working on her activity page in her History and Geography Workbook.
Ani's 12th Week of 8th Grade

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Almost Done With 3rd Grade

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Heather the Mama Duk

Cameron is 10 years, 3 months old. (lesson 150) I showed him how to guess and check logic math questions. He did a page in Calvert Math and a page in his math practice book. He read five pages in his Science book and we discussed it. He did a Sequential Spelling I lesson. He did a dictation fill-in-the-blanks worksheet. He read half a chapter of Niagara Falls, Or Does It. He did a writing prompt. He did typing copywork. He went through his reading flashcards. He did his handwriting practice pages of his spelling list words. He read two chapters of Smiling Hill Farm and we discussed it. He did a reading work page. I read Greedy Richard in Let’s Read a Poem to him. He reviewed what he’s learned in social studies the past few weeks. (lesson 151) He did two review pages in Calvert Math. He read five pages in his Science book and we discussed it. He did a Sequential Spelling I lesson. He did a dictation fill-in-the-blanks worksheet. He read half a chapter of Niagara Falls, Or Does It.
Almost Done With 3rd Grade

He did a writing prompt. He did typing copywork. He went through his reading flashcards. He did his handwriting practice pages of his spelling list words. He read two chapters in Smiling Hill Farm and we discussed it. He watched a BrainPop video on state and local government. He read six pages in Communities and we discussed it. (lesson 152) He did a page in Calvert Math and a page in his math practice book. He played an on-line math game. He did a Sequential Spelling I lesson. He did a dictation fill-in-the-blanks worksheet. He read a chapter of Niagara Falls, Or Does It. He did a writing prompt. He did typing copywork. He went through his reading flashcards. He did his handwriting practice pages of his spelling list words. He drew a crowd of people using a template.
Almost Done With 3rd Grade

He read two chapters of Smiling Hill Farm and we discussed it. He did two reading work pages. He learned about Babe Didrikson and Wilma Rudolph in Famous Americans. (lesson 153) He did a page in Calvert Math and a page in his math practice book. He read three pages in his Science book and we discussed it. He read two chapters in Smiling Hill Farm and we discussed it. He read two pages in Communities and we discussed it. He did a Social Studies activity page.

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Fritz’s 20th Week of 1st Grade

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Heather the Mama Duk

Fritz is 5 years 6 months old. (math lessons 127 and 128) He learned about dollars and did more counting of money. This money unit has been fun for him. He really likes money. He did two pages in Calvert Math and four pages in his math practice book.
Fritz's 20th Week of 1st Grade

(test 80) He took a spelling test and got 117% (all 6 regular words and one bonus word correct). He got a 100% on his reading test (10 out of 10) and an 87% on his phonics test (13 out of 15). That completes the first half of first grade. He got all A’s. 102% in language arts, 99% in math, 100% in both social studies and science, pass in art (art is just pass/fail), and 95% in technology. (math lessons 129 and review 13) He did two pages in Calvert Math and three pages in his math practice book. (core lesson 81) I read Tiger and Anansi to him and we discussed it. He took words apart into sounds and counted the number of sounds. He did two reading work pages. He worked with Ce words and words with ee and ea. He did two reading work pages. He read Seal Beach in Phonics Library and we discussed it.
Fritz's 20th Week of 1st Grade

He worked with the word wall words. He started learning to write with Calvert Script. He got a new spelling list. He read seven pages in his Science book and we discussed it. He did two science activity pages. (math lessons 130 and 131) He learned about days of the week, months of the year, and lengths of time. He did two pages of Calvert Math and two pages of his math practice book. He played an on-line math game.
Fritz's 20th Week of 1st Grade

(core lesson 82) He read a bunch of long e words. He learned the sight words COW, DOOR, HORSE, TABLE, THERE, WALL, NOW, and THROUGH. He went over his word wall words. He did two reading work pages. He read Pete and Peach from the Phonics Library. He went over story words and did a reading work page. He read EEK! There’s a Mouse in the House in Surprises and we discussed it. He went over his new sight words again. He dictated a story about Anansi, a rabbit, and an ant. He did a page in Writing Fun. He did a page in Calvert Speller. He watched a BrainPop Jr. video on Thanksgiving, a Discovery Streaming video on preparing a great feast, and a Discovery Streaming video on the first Thanksgiving day. He did an Explore activity on the first Thanksgiving in Explore Your World. I read him Wee Willie Winkie.

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Adrian’s 20th Week of Pre-K

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Heather the Mama Duk

Adrian is 3 years 7 months old. (lesson 63) We talked about the meaning of Christmas. He looked at our nativities and we talked about who that baby is. I finished reading A Visit to Santa Claus to him. He didn’t really like that story (it was Fritz’s least favorite, too). He did an activity in Road to Reading.
Adrian's 20th Week of Pre-K

I drew a pine tree and we talked about how it’s a Christmas tree. He traced what I drew in green.
Adrian's 20th Week of Pre-K

He showed me how high he can jump.
Adrian's 20th Week of Pre-K

(lesson 64) We talked about what we did to get ready for Christmas. He found things that were different sizes.
Adrian's 20th Week of Pre-K

I read Little Jack Horner and The Sugar-Plum Tree from Stories and Poems to him. He colored a picture of Santa Claus in Road to Reading.
Adrian's 20th Week of Pre-K

(lesson 65) We talked about Christmas trees and Santa Claus. I read An Old Christmas Greeting in Stories and Poems to him. He found the picture that didn’t match on a Kindergarten Fun sheet.
Adrian's 20th Week of Pre-K

I showed him how to draw stars. We sand Silent Night.
Adrian's 20th Week of Pre-K

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Third Grade CAT Test Scores

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Heather the Mama Duk

Vocabulary – 20/20 (94th percentile)
Comprehension – 21/21 (96th percentile)
Language Mechanics – 19/20 (76th percentile)
Language Expression – 19/20 (81st percentile)
Math Computation – 18/20 (59th percentile)
Math Concepts and Application – 20/20 (97th percentile)
Reading Total – 41/41 (98th percentile)
Language Total – 38/40 (81st percentile)
Mathematics Total – 38/40 (89th percentile)
Composite – 94th percentile

I am very amazed at the turnaround time. I dropped the completed test in the box at the post office Saturday afternoon. Monday was a holiday so Seton could not have received it until Tuesday. I got the results in the mail Wednesday! Granted, I’m very close to where Seton is, but that’s an incredible turnaround time.

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Cameron’s Reading and Spelling Improvement Plan

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Heather the Mama Duk

Cameron’s reading and spelling (and handwriting) need a lot of work so I put together a remediation plan that we started doing a couple weeks ago. I think it’s helping. He’s starting to spell things correctly a little more often and his reading seems to be improving. We’re doing a lot of focusing on his random capitals (those are improving dramatically) and writing letters like p and g completely above the line (no improvement yet).

For the first two weeks he started with a D’Nealian handwriting page with 3 letters on it. He would also make those letters out of clay. He finished the alphabet last week so he doesn’t have to do those two thing anymore.

We started Sequential Spelling I over again. This time he is doing it with me instead of the DVD. The DVD made it a bit too easy to cheat. He does a lesson of 25 words each day. Most of the rest of his improvement plan is based around those daily words.

He does a dictation fill-in-the-blanks worksheet I make. The only words he needs to fill in are the spelling list words. I immediately correct his spelling on these. They are mostly for the random capitals and above the line issues.

He reads 1/2 to 1 chapter of a book. Right now he is reading a book about a fourth grader who has trouble in school, particularly with reading and writing. He later learns he’s dyslexic and that’s why he has so many problems.

He does a writing prompt. Nothing major, usually just finishing a sentence. We’re going to work up to whole sentences by him alone and then to paragraphs and more.

He does typing copywork, typing the list of his 25 spelling list words. He also does handwriting practice/copywork of his 25 words.

He goes through quite a few flashcards each day. The idea is for him to look at the word and instantly say what it says. He depends greatly on sounding out words and if that doesn’t work he guesses based on the beginning and ending sounds and the shape of the word. Of course that slows him down in reading dramatically. So the flash cards are an attempt to turn words that he would otherwise sound out or guess into sight words (which is pretty much what naturally happens when people learn to read well).

The cards are the Dolch sight words that do not have phonetic patterns and any words in his spelling lists that he cannot read immediately the first time. Some of his cards are duplicates of other cards. He has to get the word right 5 times in a row on daily practice. Then the word is moved to weekly. He has to get it right the first time five times in a row once a week before the word is considered mastered and the card is retired. If he misses a word in the weekly pile twice in a row it returns to daily practice.

All of this takes a considerable amount of his school time, but I think the effort will be worth it in the end.

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Ani’s 11th Week of 8th Grade

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Heather the Mama Duk

Ani is 11 years 11 months old. (lesson 36) She did five pages in Key to Algebra workbook 1, finishing that book (98% on the test). She read some in Elements of Language and did a composition activity. She took a misspelled words test and did a new spelling list. She read Spanish Waters in Stories in Verse and we discussed it. She read some in her US History book and did a page in her History and Geography Workbook. She read a section in Earth’s Changing Surface and we discussed it.
Ani's 11th Week of 8th Grade

She read some in The Growing Vocabulary and worked with some vocabulary words. (lesson 37) She did five pages in Key to Algebra workbook 2.
Ani's 11th Week of 8th Grade

She read some in Elements of Language and did five grammar exercises. She took a misspelled words test. She read The Right Kind of People in Stories in Verse and we discussed it. She did an activity page in her History and Geography Workbook. She wrote about the Great Valley Road. She went over some prefixes and learned a vocabulary list. She watched two BrainPop videos on weathering and erosion. She read half of a section of Earth’s Changing Surface and we discussed it. (lesson 38) She did five pages in Key to Algebra workbook 2. She read some in Elements of Language and did three grammar activities. She wrote a rough draft of her composition. She took a misspelled words test. She read Barbara Allen in Stories in Verse and we discussed it. She watched a BrainPop video on the Constitution.
Ani's 11th Week of 8th Grade

She read some in her US History book. She started working on an activity page in her History and Geography Workbook. (lesson 39 and review 4) She did five pages in Key to Algebra workbook 2. She read some in Elements of Language and made sure her rough draft was finished. She took a misspelled words test. She read Lord Randal in Stories in Verse and we discussed it. She watched a Discovery Streaming video on making the Bill of Rights. She read some in her US History book and completed an activity page in her History and Geography Workbook. She read the other half of a section of Earth’s Changing Surface and we discussed it. She did all of her review checkpoints.
Ani's 11th Week of 8th Grade

(test 40) She did six pages of Key to Algebra workbook 2. She took spelling (100%), grammar(98%), reading (96%), vocabulary (97%), history (95%), geography (103%), and science (100%) tests.
Ani's 11th Week of 8th Grade

That completes the first quarter of 8th grade. She got straight A’s for the quarter: Language Arts and Reading – 94%, Math – 93%, Science – 92%, Social Studies – 96%, and Technology – 100%.

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Another Week of 3rd Grade

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Heather the Mama Duk

Cameron is 10 years, 3 months old. (lesson 145) He did a page in Calvert Math. He read three pages of his Science book and we discussed it. He did a Mm, Nn, Oo handwriting page. He did a Sequential Spelling I lesson. He did a dictation fill-in-the-blanks worksheet. He made Mm, Nn, and Oo clay letters. He read half a chapter of Niagara Falls, Or Does It. He did a writing prompt. He did typing copywork. He went over his reading flash cards. He did handwriting practice pages of his spelling words. He read two pages of Smiling Hill Farm and we discussed it. He did a reading work page. I read The Ostrich Is a Silly Bird and There Was a Naughty Boy in Let’s Read a Poem. He read two pages in Communities and we discussed it.
Another Week of 3rd Grade

(lesson 146) He learned how to compare and order decimals. He did two pages in Calvert Math and a page in his math practice book. He read six pages in his Science book and we discussed it. He did a Pp, Qq, Rr handwriting page. He did a Sequential Spelling I lesson. He did a dictation fill-in-the-blanks worksheet. He made Pp, Qq, and Rr clay letters. He read a chapter of Niagara Falls, Or Does It. He did a writing prompt. He did typing copywork. He went over his reading flash cards. He did handwriting practice pages of his spelling words. He read two chapters of Smiling Hill Farm and we discussed it. He did a reading work page. He watched a BrainPop video on Rosa Parks.
Another Week of 3rd Grade

He read nine pages of Communities and we discussed it. (lesson 147) He learned how to add decimals. He did a page in Calvert Math and a page in his math practice book. He did a Ss, Tt, Uu handwriting page. He did a Sequential Spelling I lesson. He did a dictation fill-in-the-blanks worksheet. He made Ss, Tt, and Uu clay letters. He read a chapter of Niagara Falls, Or Does It. He did a writing prompt. He did typing copywork. He went over his reading flash cards. He did handwriting practice pages of his spelling words. He drew and colored a still life.
Another Week of 3rd Grade

He read two chapters in Smiling Hill Farm and we discussed it. He did a reading work page. He learned about Jim Thorpe in Famous Americans. He learned about Heidi by Jessie Willcox Smith. (lesson 148) He learned how to subtract decimals. He did a page in Calvert Math and two pages in his math practice book. He read nine pages in his Science book and we discussed it. He did a Vv, Ww, Xx handwriting page. He did a Sequential Spelling I lesson. He did a dictation fill-in-the-blanks worksheet. He made Vv, Ww, and Xx clay letters.
Another Week of 3rd Grade

He read half of a chapter of Niagara Falls, Or Does It. He did a writing prompt. He did typing copywork. He went over his reading flash cards. He did handwriting practice pages of his spelling words. He read two chapters of Smiling Hill Farm and we discussed it. He did a reading work page. We did the Discoveries in Reading book The Story of Money. He read four pages in Communities and we discussed it. (lesson 149 and review 15) He worked more with subtracting decimals. He did two pages in Calvert Math. He did a Yy, ZZ handwriting page. He did a Sequential Spelling I lesson. He did a dictation fill-in-the-blanks worksheet. He made Yy and Zz clay letters. He read half of a chapter of Niagara Falls, Or Does It. He did a writing prompt. He did typing copywork. He went over his reading flash cards. He did handwriting practice pages of his spelling words. He read two chapters in Smiling Hill Farm and we discussed it. He did a reading work page. He did a technology lesson on bar graphs.
Another Week of 3rd Grade

He learned about Jesse Owens in Famous Americans.

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Fritz’s 19th Week of 1st Grade

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Heather the Mama Duk

Fritz is 5 years 6 months old. I got one of the finger positioners to help him correct his pencil grip. He doesn’t like it very much, but even the neatness of his writing was instantly improved.
Fritz's 19th Week of 1st Grade

(math lessons 118 and 119) He went over counting pennies, nickels, and dimes. He did three pages in Calvert Math and three pages in his math practice book. (core lesson 75) He took words apart into sounds and counted them. We talked about cause and effect. He read Jim and Sal from the Phonics Library and we discussed it. We went over using I and me correctly again. We talked about what he did and did not like in the story The Kite. He went over his word wall words. He took a spelling test (all six regular words and both bonus words correct). I read two pages of his Science book to him and we discussed it.
Fritz's 19th Week of 1st Grade

(math review 12 and test 120) He did two pages in Calvert Math. He took a math test and got 100%. (core lesson 76) He put together a puzzle of a computer keyboard.
Fritz's 19th Week of 1st Grade

He took words about and counted the sounds. I read Fox, Alligator, and Rabbit to him and we discussed it. He read lots of words with long u’s and long o’s. He wrote lots of words with long u’s and long o’s and copied a sentence on the whiteboard. He did four reading work pages. He read and identified words ending in nt, lk, and ft. He wrote words ending in nt, lk, and ft and copied a sentence on the whiteboard. He did a reading work page. She read Duke’s Gift from Phonics Library and we discussed it. He read -oke words. He dictated a couple persuasive sentences. We talked a bit more about Fox, Alligator, and Rabbit. He went over his word wall words. He read some long o words. He got a new spelling list and did a page in Calvert Speller. I read a page in his Science book to him and we discussed it. (math lessons 121 and 122) He did two pages in Calvert Math and two pages in his math practice book. (core lesson 77) He took words apart into sounds and counted the sounds. He learned the new sight words MORNING, OUT, SHOUT, FOUND, SHOW, BY, and CLIMB. He did two reading work pages.
Fritz's 19th Week of 1st Grade

He read Legs Gets His Lunch from Phonics Library. He read several words that I wrote on the whiteboard. He read The Sleeping Pig in Surprises and we discussed it. He went over his word wall words. He did a page in Calvert Speller. He watching a Discovery Streaming video on native Americans. He did an activity on Native Americans in Explore Your World. I read The Swing to him. (math lessons 123 and 124) He learned about quarters and continued counting money. He did two pages of Calvert Math and two pages of his math practice book. (core lesson 78) He took words apart into sounds. He reread The Sleeping Pig in Surprises and we discussed it. He did a reading work page. We talked about the five parts of a story and he identified the setting, characters, problem, events, and ending of The Sleeping Pig. He did another reading work page. I showed him how to alphabetize words. He did another reading work page.
Fritz's 19th Week of 1st Grade

He sorted naming words into people and animals. He did another reading work page. He went over his word wall words. He took a spelling pretest. I read a page in his Science book to him and we discussed it. He did a science activity page. We talked about manners at a party. I read The Whole Duty of Children and Politeness to him. (math lessons 125 and 126) He counted money and figured up equivalent amounts of money. He did two pages of Calvert Math and two pages in his math practice book. (core lesson 79 and review 8) He took words apart into sounds and counted the number of sounds. He read What is a Desert? in Surprises to him and we discussed it. He worked with reading contractions and identifying the words the contractions are made from. He identified things that are fruits and things that are vegetables. He dictated persuasive sentences on a reading work page. He did a technology activity on creating documents.
Fritz's 19th Week of 1st Grade

He went over his word wall words. He did a page in Calvert Speller. He watched a BrainPop Jr. and a Discovery Streaming video on Christopher Columbus. He did an activity on Christopher Columbus in Explore Your World. I read The Hare and the Tortoise in Stories and Longer Verses. He read The Nest from Phonics Library and we discussed it.

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Adrian’s 19th Week of Pre-K

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Heather the Mama Duk

Adrian is 3 years 6 months old. (lesson 60) We talked about what he has learned in the last 20 lessons and what he can expect to learn in the next 20. He did a Path to Math activity.
Adrian's 19th Week of Pre-K

I read What Does Little Birdie Say from the Read-to-Me Storybook to him. He did stretching exercises including twisting his arms and shaking his head no.
Adrian's 19th Week of Pre-K

(lesson 61) We talked about birds. I read Nell and Her Bird from Stories and Poems to him. He did a Road to Reading activity page to identify what thing did not belong.
Adrian's 19th Week of Pre-K

He did another Road to Reading activity page to identify which face was different.
Adrian's 19th Week of Pre-K

He did yet another Road to Reading activity page to identify which shape was different.
Adrian's 19th Week of Pre-K

He flapped his arms to show me how birds fly.
Adrian's 19th Week of Pre-K

(lesson 62) We talked about Christmas. He looked at our Christmas tree.
Adrian's 19th Week of Pre-K

He did a Path to Math activity page to identify what doesn’t belong.
Adrian's 19th Week of Pre-K

I read half of A Visit to Santa Claus in Stories and Poems to him. He identified things that didn’t belong.
Adrian's 19th Week of Pre-K

He listened to Jingle Bells.
Adrian's 19th Week of Pre-K

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