If you are reading this and you know Haley, PLEASE help me out! Our biggest challenge right now is getting her to gain confidence in ALL areas. She doesn't believe she is "good" at anything and fails to try.
For instance, softball!! She did AWESOME at the first two games. . .she even hit two doubles! Somewhere along the way to the fourth game (this morning), she got it into her head that she couldn't hit. She struck out four times (out of 4 times up to bat) in today's game.
Another instance: soccer!! She played on a 6 and under team this past spring (even though she was 7, she technically could still play there since her birthday fell after August 1st). So. . . she was the oldest kid out there, but didn't give it her all. The entire season, she poked around out on the field and didn't try her best. However, before the very last game of the season, Coach Greg said he would give the first slice of pizza to the player that scored the most goals. All of a sudden it was a contest she was going to win!!! That girl scored 7 goals (because John scored 6 and she was bound and determined to beat him)!! Obviously, she has the skills to be a great soccer player, just not the confidence!
It's so frustrating because she doesn't think she's any good at math (even though she's almost finished with Algebra I at age 7)!! . . . and cries when she misses problems. I have tried explaining to her dozens of times that I don't WANT her to get all the problems correct. She would have nothing to learn if she knew everything already.
Please give me advice!! I'm willing to try anything.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Bead Challenge
I decided to create an incentive for the girls to get their work done without complaining. I got out a bucket of beads and for each positive thing I see from them, they receive a bead. When they accumulate 100, they will get to go to Auntie Anne's for a fresh mix-in lemonade. (and maybe a pretzel, too:)
Monday (the first day of the contest) was really rough. Haley only had 5 beads in her cup at the end of the day and Maddie only had 7. However, on Wednesday, they started getting the hang of getting their chores and work done without any reminding.
Over the week, I've heard many more phrases such as "May I please be excused to put my dishes in the dishwasher," or "Hunter, can I help you write your numbers?" If they continue to work hard, I think we will be able to get our reward next Friday.
Monday (the first day of the contest) was really rough. Haley only had 5 beads in her cup at the end of the day and Maddie only had 7. However, on Wednesday, they started getting the hang of getting their chores and work done without any reminding.
Over the week, I've heard many more phrases such as "May I please be excused to put my dishes in the dishwasher," or "Hunter, can I help you write your numbers?" If they continue to work hard, I think we will be able to get our reward next Friday.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
MEGSSS Challenge
Haley received her first assignment and quiz for the MEGSSS program, even though she doesn't start until July. I was helping her with the first couple problems and she burst into tears, stating that it was TOO HARD! I reminded her that they said the class would be very challenging and that she was going to learn a lot. The first component of the class is the logic section. The problems consist of knights, who always tell the truth, knaves who always lie, and normal people who could either tell the truth or lie. Each problem makes you analyze different scenarios. After showing Haley how to make a chart and organize her thinking, she seemed to get the hang of it. We may be in for a long summer, though, if this is just the first assignment!! The second component of the class is called "Propositional Calculus." YIKES!!
The girls have bible school tonight and are very excited. The preschoolers have to go in the morning since the church isn't big enough to accommodate all the children. Hunter will go during the mornings this week. It's been a very busy summer so far!
The girls have bible school tonight and are very excited. The preschoolers have to go in the morning since the church isn't big enough to accommodate all the children. Hunter will go during the mornings this week. It's been a very busy summer so far!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Book Chat
Haley and I went to a mother/daughter book chat at the library Thurs. evening. The book we read was called Surviving the Applewhites. It was about a juvenile delinquent named Jake who had been kicked out of just about every school in his area. He is placed in the home of the Applewhites, a homeschool family that practices unschooling. They call their homeschool "The Creative Academy" in which each child pursues their artistic talent. During the course of the book, Jake is transformed from a "bad boy" to a possible actor/singer with real talent. It shows that even the worst kids have good in them.
We were the only homeschooling family in the group, so Haley had a chance to explain why she chose to be homeschooled after trying out public school. There is a mother/daughter book chat each month, so we just need to make time to attend more often. It was great to get Haley involved in a discussion about what she read.
We were the only homeschooling family in the group, so Haley had a chance to explain why she chose to be homeschooled after trying out public school. There is a mother/daughter book chat each month, so we just need to make time to attend more often. It was great to get Haley involved in a discussion about what she read.
Camp Coming to an End
As I reflect on the week, I realize that I have forgotten how young these six children are on numerous occasions. I have been teaching them as if they were fifth-graders in my fifth-grade class. And. . . they have totally been up for the challenge. They have been working on mysteries in history for grades 4-6, read a book that was at the 6th-grade reading level, and solved science experiments that were intended for my 5th-grade class. They range from 5-8 years old while a typical child in 5th grade is either 11 or 12! We had some very high level discussion and conversations over the week.
Yesterday we all watched a Scooby Doo episode dealing with witchcraft and wicca. It tied into the unit Ede was studying with the kids. They really enjoyed learning about witchcraft and thought it was CRAZY that people actually accused others of being a witch for minute reasons. Like a lot of other events in history, this didn't make a whole lot of sense. When it was swimming time, the kids played "witch hunt."
Today they began to write their own mystery. All kids were engaged and WRITING for at least 20 minutes! They had some great ideas so far. Aiden is going to write 14 chapters in his "Lost Snake" mystery. His characters are going to travel to the different continents and oceans to look for it. Ella is writing a mystery that begins "It all began when the window was left open." It's about a missing hamster. She already has written in a red herring. Maddie is writing about the seven chairs. Haley's idea was about a missing (very rare) seashell.
We got into groups to solve the "Mystery of the Stolen Laundry." The kids had to do math and scientific experiments to eliminate suspects that could have stolen Karla Clueless' laundry. They all had trouble staying organized, especially when they had to chart 8 different types of "laundry powder."
We read some more science mysteries. Zeke was able to figure out that a candle inside a pumpkin would not stay lit after the holes were covered and the top was placed back on. He was able to explain it very thoroughly as well! Maddie and Zoë were both able to recall that the sun is the largest star in the sky. Of course, they all recalled that the sun was the largest star. . . they were just stumped after the story was read.
We discussed our jobs in literary circles again. Since it was our last day of camp, I told the kids they would get an extra bead for doing an extra job. Zeke, Haley, Zoë and Aiden took me up on the offer :) They have really been working hard on thinking of higher-level questions. They have also had some great discussions over the book this week, too.
I am looking forward to meeting one last time, on the 22nd to recap everything they've learned. Hopefully, some of the kids will have finished the Westing Game and/or their mystery and we can share! Each and every one of them started thinking on a higher level and got better at sharing their ideas. It's been a great week and they are all looking forward to camp next summer!!
Yesterday we all watched a Scooby Doo episode dealing with witchcraft and wicca. It tied into the unit Ede was studying with the kids. They really enjoyed learning about witchcraft and thought it was CRAZY that people actually accused others of being a witch for minute reasons. Like a lot of other events in history, this didn't make a whole lot of sense. When it was swimming time, the kids played "witch hunt."
Today they began to write their own mystery. All kids were engaged and WRITING for at least 20 minutes! They had some great ideas so far. Aiden is going to write 14 chapters in his "Lost Snake" mystery. His characters are going to travel to the different continents and oceans to look for it. Ella is writing a mystery that begins "It all began when the window was left open." It's about a missing hamster. She already has written in a red herring. Maddie is writing about the seven chairs. Haley's idea was about a missing (very rare) seashell.
We got into groups to solve the "Mystery of the Stolen Laundry." The kids had to do math and scientific experiments to eliminate suspects that could have stolen Karla Clueless' laundry. They all had trouble staying organized, especially when they had to chart 8 different types of "laundry powder."
We read some more science mysteries. Zeke was able to figure out that a candle inside a pumpkin would not stay lit after the holes were covered and the top was placed back on. He was able to explain it very thoroughly as well! Maddie and Zoë were both able to recall that the sun is the largest star in the sky. Of course, they all recalled that the sun was the largest star. . . they were just stumped after the story was read.
We discussed our jobs in literary circles again. Since it was our last day of camp, I told the kids they would get an extra bead for doing an extra job. Zeke, Haley, Zoë and Aiden took me up on the offer :) They have really been working hard on thinking of higher-level questions. They have also had some great discussions over the book this week, too.
I am looking forward to meeting one last time, on the 22nd to recap everything they've learned. Hopefully, some of the kids will have finished the Westing Game and/or their mystery and we can share! Each and every one of them started thinking on a higher level and got better at sharing their ideas. It's been a great week and they are all looking forward to camp next summer!!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Mystery Camp Day Recap
It was another day of high level thinking and solving mysteries! I also tested out the kids' observation skills today. I was really impressed with the attention to detail Haley and Zoë had in the activity. They had to study a picture of an accident scene for two minutes, then I asked 15 questions. Haley and Zoë got 14 and 13 questions correct, respectively. I thought that was totally cool :)
I also read some two-minute mysteries which they had to solve. Haley solved the first one, knowing that a second will could not possibly have been written on the 31st of November! Zeke solved the second mystery, knowing that a dog could not have found a pair of red underwear to use as a stop signal since they are color blind. Zoë solved the third mystery using her knowledge that bats are nocturnal.
Rachel guided the kids into the mystery of the Mary Celeste. Haley, Zoë and Zeke got into their own group to rank the different theories. Ede and I went upstairs to help them, but they were doing great on their own. They were all working together and discussing their thoughts on the different theories. They came to the conclusion that a storm was the most likely reason for the disappearance of the crew. Rachel worked with the younger three: Ella, Maddie, and Aiden. They also came to the conclusion that a storm was the most probable cause.
Next, Ede began the Salem Witch Trial Unit. The kids first had to draw a picture of what they considered a "witch." They discussed the different characteristics included in the sketches. We didn't get far and it was time to break for lunch. We'll be continuing on with the unit tomorrow.
It was a great day and once again, we lucked out with the weather! The sun came out and the kids got in a couple hours of swimming!
I also read some two-minute mysteries which they had to solve. Haley solved the first one, knowing that a second will could not possibly have been written on the 31st of November! Zeke solved the second mystery, knowing that a dog could not have found a pair of red underwear to use as a stop signal since they are color blind. Zoë solved the third mystery using her knowledge that bats are nocturnal.
Rachel guided the kids into the mystery of the Mary Celeste. Haley, Zoë and Zeke got into their own group to rank the different theories. Ede and I went upstairs to help them, but they were doing great on their own. They were all working together and discussing their thoughts on the different theories. They came to the conclusion that a storm was the most likely reason for the disappearance of the crew. Rachel worked with the younger three: Ella, Maddie, and Aiden. They also came to the conclusion that a storm was the most probable cause.
Next, Ede began the Salem Witch Trial Unit. The kids first had to draw a picture of what they considered a "witch." They discussed the different characteristics included in the sketches. We didn't get far and it was time to break for lunch. We'll be continuing on with the unit tomorrow.
It was a great day and once again, we lucked out with the weather! The sun came out and the kids got in a couple hours of swimming!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
2nd Day of Camp
We had a great second day of camp! The kids were excited to continue earning beads (put in a cup for good behavior/effort/etc.) They worked hard to clean up and listen as we were teaching!
Rachel started out by finishing up the Amelia Earhart mystery. The kids acted out the different theories of her disappearance. They then were videotaped with their personal theory about what happened to her. We watched the final product upstairs. Three kids voted that she was captured by the Japanese, but the other three all had different ideas.
Next, we discussed their homework in our literature circle. Haley had a list of about 20 new words that she shared with the group. A lot of the words were new to all of the kids. Surprisingly, no one knew what an attorney was! Zeke was flying by the seat of his pants, making up questions as he went :) Ella had a few connections she made such as "I know someone named Grace." Maddie wrote a few simple sentences to summarize the chapter. Zoë was the illustrator for the group. Aiden enjoyed reading his favorite passage to the group.
I read some one-minute science mysteries to the kids. Zeke was doing a good job solving a bunch of them. No one knew why ice froze faster on bridges OR how snakes and worms were different, though. I don't think they will be forgetting the info learned.
Ede then began her unit on the "Lost City of Atlantis." Haley and Maddie thought this was the best part of mystery camp so far. They read about different facts and theories that supported a existence of a city that disappeared.
Once again, we ended the day with a couple hours in the pool! Unfortunately, it looks like rain for the next couple of days! We may have to have "game afternoons."
Rachel started out by finishing up the Amelia Earhart mystery. The kids acted out the different theories of her disappearance. They then were videotaped with their personal theory about what happened to her. We watched the final product upstairs. Three kids voted that she was captured by the Japanese, but the other three all had different ideas.
Next, we discussed their homework in our literature circle. Haley had a list of about 20 new words that she shared with the group. A lot of the words were new to all of the kids. Surprisingly, no one knew what an attorney was! Zeke was flying by the seat of his pants, making up questions as he went :) Ella had a few connections she made such as "I know someone named Grace." Maddie wrote a few simple sentences to summarize the chapter. Zoë was the illustrator for the group. Aiden enjoyed reading his favorite passage to the group.
I read some one-minute science mysteries to the kids. Zeke was doing a good job solving a bunch of them. No one knew why ice froze faster on bridges OR how snakes and worms were different, though. I don't think they will be forgetting the info learned.
Ede then began her unit on the "Lost City of Atlantis." Haley and Maddie thought this was the best part of mystery camp so far. They read about different facts and theories that supported a existence of a city that disappeared.
Once again, we ended the day with a couple hours in the pool! Unfortunately, it looks like rain for the next couple of days! We may have to have "game afternoons."
Monday, June 8, 2009
Mystery Camp
The kids enjoyed their first day of Mystery Camp! The day started with a mystery that they acted out. All six kids are very good readers and a few even read with a lot of expression! It was a blast! Aiden (Will) had a special role. Since he didn't have very many lines, he was the designated photographer. We got lots of pictures from MANY different angles!
We began the novel The Westing Game and discussed higher level thinking questions. Although Maddie had quite a bit of trouble writing questions at first, she began to catch on once the others got going. We wrote low and high level questions to go along with "The Three Little Pigs." One of the questions they came up with was "Why did the wolf keep trying to blow down the brick house even though it was a really strong building?" They also wondered, "What will the wolf do now that he's been tricked?" The thought level of these kids is amazing. We can have a real discussion in which all 6 are involved! When I used to do this activity with my students, it was like pulling teeth to get any thoughts from the kids.
Ede tried to work with Hunter while I was teaching the others. He had one of his stubborn streaks and threw two books down and refused to pick them up. She tried EVERYTHING to get him to pick up the books, but to no avail! Later on in the morning, I told him it was time to practice piano. He informed me that he wanted to practice with Ede. She told him she would, but first he had to pick up the two books. He went straight over and put the books away! Stinker!
After reading the first couple chapters of the Westing Game, we began to write down the characters that have been introduced so far. We read that there is a bomber, a bookie, a burglar, and a mistake living in the Sunset Towers. No one knew what a bookie was, but Ella thought it was a pretty funny word :)
We discussed literature circles and the "homework" they will have to complete tonight. Haley was the "word whacker" and has already come up with a list of about 20 new words to teach the group tomorrow. Maddie is the summarizer, so I will reread the chapter with her tonight and help her summarize it. Tomorrow we will meet and discuss our jobs in the group.
Next, Rachel began her Amelia Earhart mystery. First, the kiddos had to plot her life on a timeline. They got into pairs to complete it. Then they worked on mapping out one of her flights. It was a little tricky because some of the countries no longer exist. Tomorrow they will do news stories on the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. I can't wait to see them report the story!
We ended the day with a couple hours of swimming in the pool! Luckily, the bad storms abated by noon and the sun came out.
We began the novel The Westing Game and discussed higher level thinking questions. Although Maddie had quite a bit of trouble writing questions at first, she began to catch on once the others got going. We wrote low and high level questions to go along with "The Three Little Pigs." One of the questions they came up with was "Why did the wolf keep trying to blow down the brick house even though it was a really strong building?" They also wondered, "What will the wolf do now that he's been tricked?" The thought level of these kids is amazing. We can have a real discussion in which all 6 are involved! When I used to do this activity with my students, it was like pulling teeth to get any thoughts from the kids.
Ede tried to work with Hunter while I was teaching the others. He had one of his stubborn streaks and threw two books down and refused to pick them up. She tried EVERYTHING to get him to pick up the books, but to no avail! Later on in the morning, I told him it was time to practice piano. He informed me that he wanted to practice with Ede. She told him she would, but first he had to pick up the two books. He went straight over and put the books away! Stinker!
After reading the first couple chapters of the Westing Game, we began to write down the characters that have been introduced so far. We read that there is a bomber, a bookie, a burglar, and a mistake living in the Sunset Towers. No one knew what a bookie was, but Ella thought it was a pretty funny word :)
We discussed literature circles and the "homework" they will have to complete tonight. Haley was the "word whacker" and has already come up with a list of about 20 new words to teach the group tomorrow. Maddie is the summarizer, so I will reread the chapter with her tonight and help her summarize it. Tomorrow we will meet and discuss our jobs in the group.
Next, Rachel began her Amelia Earhart mystery. First, the kiddos had to plot her life on a timeline. They got into pairs to complete it. Then they worked on mapping out one of her flights. It was a little tricky because some of the countries no longer exist. Tomorrow they will do news stories on the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. I can't wait to see them report the story!
We ended the day with a couple hours of swimming in the pool! Luckily, the bad storms abated by noon and the sun came out.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Back to Work!
After taking two wonderful days to READ, we were back to work this morning. We have two more days to finish up our government unit. Haley is finalizing her speech today. The girls are learning about the three branches of government as well as presidential duties.
Hunter has been doing better with his reading. He actually is sitting down and concentrating now and we're able to get through several books in a session.
Maddie is getting to some really tough math, but seems to enjoy the challenge. She is so proud of herself when she masters something new. She is now adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions. She even had some mixed numbers she had to add today. I'm a tad bit worried that 2nd grade math is going to be extremely boring for her next year. I'm sure I'll be doing math with her after school; I just don't want her to get turned off sitting through adding, subtracting and simple fractions for an hour each day.
We just found out that Maddie will have the 1st and 2nd grade teachers that I requested. I obsevered both teachers and each of them worked with Maddie a little in the classroom. I am thrilled that both of them will be teaching her next year! The school was also very accommodating when I requested to pull Maddie out on Tuesdays for both Spanish and Native American History Classes! She will be pulled out from 10:45-1:15 every Tuesday. They will try to schedule the class library visit during this time and she will also miss lunch and recess. (I'll have to pack a lunch for her to eat in the car).
Hunter has been doing better with his reading. He actually is sitting down and concentrating now and we're able to get through several books in a session.
Maddie is getting to some really tough math, but seems to enjoy the challenge. She is so proud of herself when she masters something new. She is now adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions. She even had some mixed numbers she had to add today. I'm a tad bit worried that 2nd grade math is going to be extremely boring for her next year. I'm sure I'll be doing math with her after school; I just don't want her to get turned off sitting through adding, subtracting and simple fractions for an hour each day.
We just found out that Maddie will have the 1st and 2nd grade teachers that I requested. I obsevered both teachers and each of them worked with Maddie a little in the classroom. I am thrilled that both of them will be teaching her next year! The school was also very accommodating when I requested to pull Maddie out on Tuesdays for both Spanish and Native American History Classes! She will be pulled out from 10:45-1:15 every Tuesday. They will try to schedule the class library visit during this time and she will also miss lunch and recess. (I'll have to pack a lunch for her to eat in the car).
Monday, June 1, 2009
Reading Day is a Success!
Well, both girls were up at the crack of dawn. . . reading!! They each selected a huge pile of books last night for today's reading. They were so excited to go pick up their reading logs at the library! We also went last weekend to get the reading log for Barnes and Noble. After reading 8 books, Barnes and Noble gives the children a free book. I think they had that log completed by lunchtime!!
Haley read 11 Birthdays before I even rolled out of bed! She then went on to read a couple Geronimo Stilton and Katie Kazoo books. We checked out a bunch of books from the library and I convinced her to try out Trixie Belden (my childhood favorite series).
Maddie started with Ms. Coco is Loco (from the Weird School Series), then moved on to reading some "easier" books. I think she feels more successful when she is able to complete books more quickly. I made an eye appointment for her for tomorrow afternoon. I realized yesterday that she's gone through an entire bottle of children's ibuprofin in the last couple of weeks. At first, I just thought it was more allergy trouble. However, when I thought about it some more, I decided to ask her when she gets her headaches. Her response was, "I get them a lot when I read." Hence, the appointment!
We checked out dozens of easy readers from the library for Hunter to read. They changed the preschool version of the forms this year. Instead of writing in every single title, there are just numbers for him to color each time he reads a book. He's been busy all day coloring in his numbers :) His favorite book so far has been "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom." He's all boy and LOVES trucks!
I was pleasantly surprised by my piano student, Megan, who came to her lesson today complete with cupcakes (lit with a candle, no less). I don't know how she knew my birthday was this week, but it was a happy surprise! :)
Haley read 11 Birthdays before I even rolled out of bed! She then went on to read a couple Geronimo Stilton and Katie Kazoo books. We checked out a bunch of books from the library and I convinced her to try out Trixie Belden (my childhood favorite series).
Maddie started with Ms. Coco is Loco (from the Weird School Series), then moved on to reading some "easier" books. I think she feels more successful when she is able to complete books more quickly. I made an eye appointment for her for tomorrow afternoon. I realized yesterday that she's gone through an entire bottle of children's ibuprofin in the last couple of weeks. At first, I just thought it was more allergy trouble. However, when I thought about it some more, I decided to ask her when she gets her headaches. Her response was, "I get them a lot when I read." Hence, the appointment!
We checked out dozens of easy readers from the library for Hunter to read. They changed the preschool version of the forms this year. Instead of writing in every single title, there are just numbers for him to color each time he reads a book. He's been busy all day coloring in his numbers :) His favorite book so far has been "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom." He's all boy and LOVES trucks!
I was pleasantly surprised by my piano student, Megan, who came to her lesson today complete with cupcakes (lit with a candle, no less). I don't know how she knew my birthday was this week, but it was a happy surprise! :)
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