Monday, September 11, 2006

-Circle time.
-Block building.
-Worked on our memory passage.
-Looked through a couple of the library books we got about Incas.
-Started making an Inca doll such as might have been wrapped between the layers of fabric in a mummy wrap before burying a dead body.

-Made a list of words related to Incas for Astrid to sound out. She did so with pretty good efficiency and then requested a list of princess words, followed by one of cat words. Each list contained 10-13 words. Her reading is improving quickly.
-I suggested trying a book again and she was into the idea today. She picked out 'Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb'. Made it about half way through. I've noticed she relies heavily on phonics to read, sounding out each word, even when it is the same as the word before or as one that repeats often throughout the text. Doesn't seem to recognize patterns such as certain groups of letters always making the same sounds (such as with rhyming words). I've been trying to point these things out. She's becoming more comfortable with the ever-shifting rules of the English language. It no longer bothers her so much that one letter can have numerous possible sounds. She's getting better at jumping to the next possibility if the first sound she tries out doesn't make sense. She's getting comfortable with the idea of silent letters as well. Following John Holt's advice, I've been telling her that she's right - it doesn't make sense - but she'll get used to it eventually. I think that's really helped.
-Unstructured play (doll house, dress up, walking and caring for imaginary dogs, etc.)
-Astrid helped get down and fold the laundry.
-Girls played on swingset.
-Girls played with dinky cars on the front porch with a neighbour friend.
-Girls dressed up and danced while Jason played piano. They gave each dance a name, put on a new outfit for each one, and told Jason what sort of music he was to play for it.
-Read a chapter of 'Charlotte's Web'.