Fun Day Friday
Fun Day Friday was yesterday, and of course was wonderful! It is getting warmer, but we still had a lot of fun!
The kids played relays and scatterball, and DODGEBALL. It was so fun watching some of the kids in the relays. One relay was to twirl a hula hoop on their arm as they ran to the other side of the gym and back. I loved watching, because some were twirling and trying to be 'removed' from their own arm! So delightful!
We then had the end of year Contenders and Keepers of the Faith party. Everyone brought a finger food of their choice and we had a buffet style festival.
The Keepers will not meet again until the next school year, but Bill will continue to do the Contenders. In fact on June 8,the Contenders are going for an overnight camping trip. While the boys are out, I am going to have a Hawaiian Party for all the 'girls'.
Keepers and Contenders information. (here)
6 comments:
I am heading up a KOTF next year. We have done it for about 7 years on and off. We love it! I can't wait until Ethan can do Contenders.
Always so good to see children participating (as well as enjoying) playing sports!!
I think I would have been propping up the 'buffet' of course still applauding!!
Have a great weekend.
Peter
This sounds like so much fun!! Those who think homeschooled kids are missing out on the good stuff are sadly mistaken!! :-)
I have a question to ask you about my son who's just finishing 4th grade. He can read at barely grade level, but he can NOT write. He has no grasp of grammar or spelling. I am not exaggerating when I say that my 1st grade daughter can write a better paragraph than he. I am wondering if you could recommend an interactive website or a place with specific printable worksheets that I could use to help him improve his skills? I will sit with him and try to help him edit his writing, but he just doesn't "get it." Thanks for any suggestions you might have!!
Kitty, I am going to give you a few ideas that I have found that have helped me.
1. To write better one needs to hear correct language usage. I have used Oral Language Exercises written by William A Kappele. It is by Abeka books, and it is a great help.
2. Use the King James Version of the Bible and have him write a verse a day. The language style in the King James Bible will teach so much.
3. Buy him a journal( Walmart) and have him write in it every day. I require the kids to keep a journal, that I never read. This is so he will get comfortable writing his experiences.
4.Get a classic books series. The Little House Books, or the Great Brain Series by John Fitzgerald. Have him read out loud 1 paragraph of each chapter, then read the rest of the chapter quietly. Read, discuss, read, discuss. Then have him read some more. If these books are too hard for him to read, go back to Junie B. Jones style. Why read if it is too hard. He needs to first get comfortable with reading, to become a reader.
5. Reading is so important that I would create a shape that is something important to him(say a skateboard) and every time he finishes a book, no matter how small, you write the name of the book on the shape and stick it up in a prominent place in the house. Make it a family challenge to read 15 minutes a day, and then you read to the kids 15 minutes a day. I have found that even the babies sit and listen. If you something like Grimms fairy Tales, you have short stories that you probably already know, so you can make them exciting .
6. Have your son, 'role play' as a journalist and help him create questions to interview extended family members and friends. Make sure you coach him to ask a question about the persons favorite book that they read when they were in the 4th grade. This will show him those that he admires are readers and had a favorite.
7. The key to getting one better in language arts, is to have the child exposed constantly to great language. Also read, read, read.
8. For spelling I use The Blue Back Speller(vision forum 10-12 dollars)
The speller does not go by grade level, but mastery level. Once one step is mastered then the child moves to the next lesson.
9. I would also encouraged your son to write poems, or short stories that either you can film or take pictures to...then he can add the photos and create his own book.
9. And most importantly do not tell him that the younger one is better than him. Constantly focus on what is correct and disregard the incorrect. To become comfortable one has to be hands on. If something is repeatedly incorrect, take the tone of hey this part needs a once over, lets look together at what is missing.
10. Wanda Phillips has daily grammar, and Grammar books. They are around 25.00 at Christian book distributors. Start with the daily grams for 1st or second grade. And do a daily gram every day for all the kids( refreshing the older kids is wonderful) School will be out, but you can play summer school, name it have a mascot and turn a situation of need into a family fun project. Even public schooled children can benefit from a home school supplement at home.
I hope this helps, and if you have any other questions feel free to ask.
Jennifer I loved ALL these ideas!! We always do "Summer School," but last summer I was sick with the pregnancy, so I didn't give him as much one on one time as I should have. He has a teacher who has focused more on math and science which is good, but his reading and writing have not progressed at all this year. For a while I don't think he realized he had a problem, but his brother, one year younger, has now surpassed him in all his skills. I don't allow anyone to point this out to him, of course, but I think he's figured it out on his own. So now we not only have to deal with learning trouble, but "self doubt" and frustration. I liked all your ideas to encourage him. The journalist role playing thing he will LOVE, and I noticed when my parents were here he still loves having someone read to him. So I am going to start implementing all of these ideas. Summer School has become a big deal to my kids, so I am sure I will be posting about it. Thanks again!!
What a sweet mentor you are Jen! you have helped Kitty so much and have given me some wonderful ideas to add to my list for the summer!
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