J-A-M spells Jim?
Started off thinking Steve was going to be home for a day off from 10am onwards but he rang and cancelled, either the day looked like it was going to get busy, or being at work was preferable to having a day off! Probably cheaper all round for him to be at work … so, we got to work as well …
Joe read one of his Start Right books, and we played with his wooden letters – I’m trying to help him with sounding out words, just simple 3 letter ones. He will look at three letters (eg J-A-M), say the sounds correctly, and then when he puts them together he just changes them for no apparent reason, (eg he’d say JIM or something equally random!). Start Right use both phonics and ‘look & say’ with the children, but I think Josiah has picked up on the ‘look & say’ stuff and needs to build up his awareness of phonics so that he can sound out unfamiliar words. Anyway, he’s only little yet, doing really well with it all, but he does like to be doing ‘work’ alongside the girls. I am thinking of using 100 Easy Lessons with him, but not until the summer holidays when there is a decent break from Start Right, as I don’t want to confuse/overload the poor child – but I think he is more than ready *and* able.
Anna did some more stuff on verbs and tenses, while Abbie did a short reading comprehension thing. Oh, and Anna’s finished ‘The Miserable Mill’ (Book the Fourth in the Lemony Snicket series), too.
Abbie did some lines of symmetry activities, all fine, and Anna had moved on to tenths and decimals, which again, she’s actually understanding, until she has to try and write it down – strange. The Eduss software has been great in supporting it all though, we’ve been watching the little ‘teach me’ clips together and she’s found it helpful. I had to phone them today to try and unlock my re-installed version, and they are sending me an upgrade – just thought that might interest anyone else who has it (Joyce, Merry?) because it will make it transportable between pcs.
After a bit of chilling we came back together again and ripped up newspaper for papier mache – always satisfying, that part! We were going to make Greek vases, to tie in with our somewhat overhanging Ancient Greek project, which is sort of half finished, because Christmas got in the way. Anyway, I decided that the vases were going to be somewhat too complicated for everyone, what with bases, necks, and handles, so I’ve made one which they can decorate together, and they have made a pot each as well. I need to go and put another layer on in a minute.
Erm … then Mollie came over in her brand new school uniform (she did look very sweet), it was her first day at school today – so they all played schools for a while, we’ve bongoed (is that a word?), and made dinner much later than usual because the garage is now staying open until 7pm Monday – Saturday. Steve is now educating the children with regard to special effects in film, apparently. Just don’t ask 
January 11th, 2005 at 21:15
Are special effects another area of Steve expertise, alongside selling cars, drumming and suspension bridges….
January 11th, 2005 at 21:22
Only in films made before 1970
January 11th, 2005 at 21:35
I shall have to ring up about Eduss. Your days are sounding very..well, like ours at the moment!
I have to say i do enjoy it; funny what children will enjoy as one to one time if they don’t have any pre-conceived ideas about it. reading, writing and maths would never have been my idea of fun with mum but it certainly works for Fran!
January 11th, 2005 at 21:49
Oh, an actual software upgrade? I’ve got a universal unlock code, as I wanted to put it on the laptop as well, plus I had it on my elderly win 95 PC before I gave it to my dad. I think he thought I had lots of children, all working on it simultaneously. There is a section we came across, I think in year 5 (I was looking for an explanation), and it was DEFINITELY wrong. I emailed them about it, and he did say an upgarde would be out soon, but I assumed you would have to pay for it.
January 11th, 2005 at 22:15
Sarah do you think you could bring 100 easy lessons and one or two of the start Right books to Melrose? I want to ask Joyce if she will bring along Draw Write Now and Merry if she will bring along some Sonlight stuff. I just want to peruse and see if these are something I would like to get in the ‘near’ future LOL (I know I want some of them but I need to smell and feel them LOL) My quilting friends think I am bananas too as I like to smell the material – it just smells like cotton but I like it
January 11th, 2005 at 22:23
Joyce – yes, well, I think so, at least! He said something about it not needing an unlock code at all, rather it is an encrypted CD. I assume that means you will need the CD in the machine to run it though, not sure if that’s an advantage or a disadvantage, come to think of it!
Karen – the start right books are simply ones Joe is bringing home from nursery – they are a mixture of Ginn and something else, nothing you wouldn’t have seen before, but yes, I’ll bring whatever we’ve got at the time. 100 EL – of course. Last year we had a bit of a bring and share curriculum time when everyone put their stuff out for everyone else to look at, it was fun!
January 11th, 2005 at 22:47
Karen – last year people brought all sorts of stuff – books, workbooks, catalogues, etc, and there was a big table covered with them for people to peruse at leisure
January 12th, 2005 at 11:29
OK thanks Sarah and Jan I will bring some things I have although I suspect you old hands have most of it but you never know LOL
January 12th, 2005 at 17:42
I’m awaiting an Amazon order with 100 easy lessons in it actuallu – so will bring my copy too. I’ve been thinking what we have in the way of resources and it’s not a lot really as we are not intending to use a curriculum particularly. I’ve got the Bob books which I can bring. Should be posting this on the camp list really shouldn’t i? Off to do so