Always.

As a little boy I knew he learned differently. 

I would try and teach him his ABCs and 123s and he would fight me every step of the way.

I knew it was more than his German stubborness and Irish temper that would both hinder him and help him.

Last year we finally got him tested. There were some bumps along the way but he is now getting the help he needed and will need to get him headed in the right direction.  

We found out he has dyslexia. 

I know there is more but for now we are dealing with this roadblock.

He cried today when we sat to do his homework.  

It's just so hard, Mama.

I try so hard and my brain doesn't work.

My brain scrambles it all and I just don't get it.

These words kill me.  

Yet at the same time I understand.

He hurts so much from trying to keep up and show that he is smart. 

that he can do the work.

that he does want to learn.

I know he is in there.

Do you see it, teachers?

Do you see a little boy who could design and race race cars like his Daddy?

Do you see a little boy who will windsurf around the globe?

Do you see a lego master who wants to invent a spy car?

Do you see a reader? a writer? a little boy wanting to learn?

A friend sent me this link about learning disabilities: 

2 minutes in Your Kid's Shoes

Always believe in your kids.

Always be your kids advocate.

Always protect your kids. 

Always just be there for your kids.

Always.

boyfriends and girlfriends

I have a best friend.
He has a girl friend.
She likes me more than she likes him.
So she sits next to me during lunch.

and yet they are still best friends....
gotta love this logic of kindergarten boys. wonder if his best friend knows all this?

tactile learners

So we need to learn again.. Mr. T is now in school... I can't believe it. I am doing some research to understand where he is and where he needs to go. We already knew he was a boy on the go. He even told us so. "Dad, I just like to go and do." Out of the mouths of babes, right? He knew and told us. Why don't we listen more to our children?? Makes me wake up when I hear it again from an adult. Anyway, so this post is about learning a new way- tactile or kinesthetic. Here goes what I have found so far. I am sure there will be more.

Micheal Farris: some children retain their strong tendency toward learning through their sense of touch. These children are known as kinesthetic, or tactile, learners.

If your child is a kinesthetic learner, he is active and hands-on about everything, including learning. He is probably very athletic, energetic, and uses lots of gestures when talking. Of all your children, he's the one that just can't seem to sit still. He's in perpetual motion and touches almost everything he sees.

Your kinesthetic learner may be your greatest teaching challenge, simply because most traditional curriculum isn't designed for him. Workbooks provide visual learners with things to see, and storybooks give auditory learners things to hear, but you're going to have to be creative in giving your kinesthetic learner things to touch. Use real pennies or an abacus in teaching math. Don't just tell him about evaporation; put some water on to boil and let him feel it!

http://child-1st.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/02/kinesthetic-tactile-learner.html

Field Day for Queen V

My favorite part about field day this year was being with Sadie. She is very, very funny. She makes me laugh.
Tug-of-war was my favorite sport. We won second place!!!
I got ribbons for tug-of-war, hippity hop, and golf ball search!
-Queen V.

Big Bug's Bad Day

Big Bug had a very, very bad day. Can you imagine having allergies if you were a bug?? How horrible would that life be??

Queen V and her friend were amazing butterflies! Princess Butterflies to be exact. They each came up with their own lines, their own costumes, own props.. it was so much fun to see it all being pulled together.

They had to come up with a problem- as a team- and come up with a solution- as a team. I know some adults that can't come up with solutions to every day problems and this group of kindergarten through 2nd grade did just that!! They were creative in how they did it but knew their purpose of how they wanted to accomplish their task.

How cute is this group?
They had a mad scientist, a baker, Princesses, a stage manager and of course, Scary Gary.. the Big Bug with the Bad Day!

Pie Contest

look at all those lovely pies!! How could you resist being a judge for this?? Kids, mamas and daddies made these lovely concotions for the school Hoedown!

and the waiting for the judge to like it... hope he does!! Come on, Mr. K... like my pie!

oh, and the shirt Lady G is wearing her daddy wore when he was little boy- cute, huh??

a-b-o-r-i-g-i-n-e

#19. That was your spelling bee number. Not the first, not the middle, not the last.. some where towards the end though..

You would stand, listen to the word given to you, and look up.



and then sit and wait to be called again.... letters being missed one way or another and you would look out at me with eyes seeming to say, "are you seeing this, Mom? Do you see I am getting to be one of the last ones?"

The practice and looking words up again and again has paid off! You were one of the top 4 kiddos to be a part of this year's spelling bee. Even though you did not win- to your sister- you were a winner! She was inspired by you and now is reading the dictionary.. waiting to be a 5th grader and be just like her big sister.

You and a classmate went back and forth a few times.. and then the word came.. ABORIGINE. I wasn't even sure how to spell this word.. is that with an "ie" at the end... is there a "u" next to the "0"
I didn't know it.
You didn't know it.
but that is OK. You are still a winner to us!! Way to go, Lady G!!

Class at Christmas time

a little down time at school is a good thing.

it builds community.
it lets the kids communicate in a way that is not normally done.

it lets Mom in the door to help. I like that a lot. The kids had to make some ornaments to take home... yea... love that crafty stuff even more!!


I love that the kids use their brains in a different way.. makes me happy that they are happy!

snuggle up and read...

The librarian, Miss Angela came along with some other storytellers to read bed time stories at school. How cool is it that you get to wear your pajamas to school, have milk and cookies and have stories read to you for an hour??

Thanksgiving Play

Daddy took time from work to come see your Thanksgiving play. Usually, Daddy works in jeans and boots but for you and the others he always dresses nice to honor the hard work you have done at school. He is so proud of you and all that you do.

Queen V, you amaze even me. You took extra time to research the Native Americans that lived in what we call New England. You wanted to make something that resembled what they would wear. You made that necklace you are wearing. You took note to see the patterns they put in there work and did the same with yours.


The dress you are wearing Gran made me for my 4th Grade Thanksgiving Play at St. Agnes. She swore that was the last thing she would ever sew for me and I think it was! ha!

The songs you sang were so funny. We laughed and enjoyed the program you and your friends acted out for us. You sang a song called the Turkey Tango. That one made me laugh the most!

Each one of you and your classmates really got into it! After the singing you played Bingo and some other games. Daddy stuck around some more just to have "one of those times."

5th grade v the teachers... this ought to be good!

You and your friends wanted to be cheer-leaders. It surprised me but made you happy. I love seeing you make your own decisions and surprise me. You are definitely trying out different things.. this makes me happy!


My question is.. since there are so many 5th graders how did you let the teachers score so much? ha!

your 5th grade class looked so much like your kindergarten class... so many of the same kids in there. It was like it all came full circle.

Skatetown!

Two times a year the school has a skatenight to help earn money for various activities. The girls love to go and always have a good time. They are never sure which friends will show up and hang out but are always seem to find one or two.
Since they have their own skates it makes it all the more fun to skate from the car to the rink!

Type of Learners

There are several types of learners and each one of my kids so far is a different one. Lady G is visual, Queen V is audial, and Mr. T, I believe, is kinesthetic. he cannot sit still worth anything. What makes it difficult is the fact that I have one year left with him to get my idea of learning across to him. Not every teacher will teach for each of the types of learners in a classroom... and usually the kinesthetic learner is the one left behind. I so don't want that for my T!
He can be such a sweet boy and loves attention- so much so that he will pick on any sister in a 5 foot radius to get it... good or bad.
Ok.. so on with the learners.. what type are you? What types are in your families? How do you help your kids learn, be good people and put their best foot forward.

THE KINESTHETIC LEARNER

Ways to Spot One - A child who Wants to:

* move all the time
* touch and feel everything, rubs hands on walls, hallways, door frames as he moves
* thumps buddies
* can take an item apart and put it back together
* enjoys doing things with his hands
* is well co-ordinated, good at sports (except eye-hand co-ordination if visual modality strength is lacking)
* frequently uses fists
* may make paper airplanes
* needs to use concrete objects as learning aids
* cannot rote count or sequence material without aids
* has difficulty establishing one-to-one relationships in number values
* after age 6.5 is generally classed as an underachiever
* often described as a child who can't keep his hands to himself
* needs to explore his environment more than average for this age
* is often considered hyperactive

1. Adjustments - What can be done

* provide quiet down period after physical activities
* alternate quiet periods and rest periods
* task reward may work well
* avoid putting him too close to other children
* provide cues for end of study time - timer or clock
* encourage visits for drinks/bathroom before class
* make it harder to move than to sit still - e.g. desk against wall
* is often unaware of own movement and distracted by that of others
* may be on medication for hyperactivity - find out
* use picture to help establish associations - words/numbers/meanings
* attach verbal labels
* use visual, auditory, and kinesthetic methods for teaching writing
* allow for planned times for movement, such as monitor jobs
*
* Teaching methods - How to plan
* use movement exploration - adding/subtracting/prepositional concepts can be taught on monkey bars
* have children clap or tap out numbers, syllables, walk patterns of words
* use number lines on the floor - child can use heavy objects along the line for more physical feedback
* use sandpaper letters/felt letters, writing in sand/clay, 3-D materials
* child may need to talk to self for motor feedback
* use all manipulatives possible
* do lots of things with eyes shut using 3-D letters
* use lots of writing - may need to introduce with stencils
* supply concrete objects for counting sequencing, establishing patterns seeing similarities and differences



THE AUDITORY LEARNER

Ways to Spot One - A child who:

* never stops talking
* tells jokes and tries to be funny
* can win spelling bee if taught "say-spell-say" method
* is a good story teller - they get taller and taller
* has poor handwriting, a history of reversals
* can remember what is said to him and repeat it accurately
* makes a good boss
* likes records, folk dances, rhythmic activities
* has ten excuses for everything
* knows all the words to all the songs
* can memorize easily
* has a poor performance on group intelligence tests
* seems brighter than group tests reveal
* has poor perception of time and space



* Adjustments - What can be done
* take out as much noise as possible
* find him a quiet place to work
* very soft background music may help
* use as few words as you can when giving directions
* if you repeat, use the same words
* speak directly to the child
* earphones and tape recorders help cut out distractions of other noises



1. Teaching methods - How to plan

* teach him to talk through tasks
* allow him to spell out loud
* let him say syllables out loud
* have him name punctuation marks as he reads to develop an awareness of their function
* play lots of rhyming and blending games
* allow him to think out loud. Encourage oral response
* tape record lessons and tests Use records.
* pair him with a visual learner
* encourage him to use colour cues and markers
* use neurological impress method (child pointing to words while you read to him)



THE VISUAL LEARNER

Ways to Spot One - A child who:

* likes to look at books and pictures - stays with a book, not just manipulating books on and off the shelves
* loves to look at orderly things - demands neat surroundings
* can find what others have lost and remembers where they have seen things
* sees details - how you dress, if your slip is showing, errors in typing
* can find a page in a book or workbook readily - may have it half done before the others start
* can't get directions orally (if the child is timid, will copy from others rather than ask for more directions)
* likes to work puzzles
* probably will be able to make good pictures - at least ones with good balance
* can set the table correctly and remembers where the dishes belong in the cupboard
* may have a speech problem
* may watch teacher's face intently
* rarely talks in class or responds in as few words as possible



1. Adjustments - What can be done

* take out visual distraction - place him in as uncluttered an area as possible
* leave a frame of blank wall around visual displays
* on a worksheet, put a heavy line around items to help pupil attend to one item at a time
* give him a big marker
* allow him to point if necessary. Let him touch the first letter of each word
* let him get one worksheet at a time, rather than handing him several papers at once. This also gives the child a purpose for moving about as he turns in his completed work and gets his next assignment
* try not to stand in front of a cluttered background when instructing
* give him one step of an assignment at a time



1. Teaching methods - How to plan

* give lots of visual directions
* give demonstrations
* use matching games, charts, and graphs
* use maps and teach the use of a legend
* use colour coded systems
* use number frames and abacuses
* use dictionaries and give visual symbols for sounds
* use configuration clues
* have him look for words, letters, pictures in papers and magazines
* use mirror to see mouth
* use clues such as a green dot as the place to begin, a red dot to stop. This also helps to develop directionality
* allow the child to work with rulers and number lines to develop math concepts

**I got this information from uvic

Lady G and the first day of school

yep... she made it to her final year of elementary school... and rushed out the door because she had a job to do..

Lady G was asked to help out with Crossing Guard. Although, it has a different name now because the kids rotate in and around different stations in school.. nonetheless, she has this job.
Daddy rushed her out the door to get her there early so she could help out.



I'm so proud of her.
Quite the young lady.
Quite the responsible one.. and sweet one.. most people I think would agree. She is a good kid.

First Day of School for Queen V

We watched as the bus drove by our house... I am happy that I get to spend that extra few minutes in the morning with my kids... we might say a Hail Mary, ask for special intentions that the kids learn, the teachers are happy and that all goes well for everyone in our school.

A few more in the parking lot... I want to remember this moment..

Great! A friend!!! Miss G is such a sweetie and doesn't mind posing for one more picture for me :) Look how big they both seem.. in a few years they will be hands on hips and telling me how to capture the moment! ha!


As I leave the classroom, I see she is all ready, the teacher has a quick little picture for them to color in... sets the tone for the class and I am happy for this.

3rd grade sucks...

yea, you heard it here first...
4 hours of homework...
math is NOT my forte... long live Liberal Arts!!
Once again I feel as though I am doing the preteaching prior to teaching being done... this kills me as a professional...
I have scheduled a parent teacher conference to head any bad karma off at the pass..
Lady is deliberate in how she studies...
she wants to please...
She is smart but like her mama it takes a while to get it to sink in....

I explain what is what to my mom... another tax payer in our school district of what I see is going on, what my lovely Lady G explains to me...
her response?? "are you going to run for school board?"
my response to that... "only so I can become vice president some day... and because I can see Mexico from my backdoor"

Hopefully we can all work together to get Lady G where she can knock off homework in an hour... and still have time to learn to climb a tree, rollerblade down a hill, whistle really loud with 2 fingers and write silly poems in her journal..... isn't that what being a 3rd grader is about?

3rd grade rocks!

So Lady G has 2 main teachers and the electives all have separate teachers...Big difference this year is that homework is given each night instead of the beginning of the week where we can pace ourselves as to how I want her to learn to study...
She has a planner but it's kind of hard to follow and we had another we were going to use. I want to see if the teachers are willing to use what we already had going on in our home. Lady G's grandma gave it to her and it was a great way for all of us to keep track - communication is definitely key in a family of 6!!! I can only imagine what it will belike when all the kids are in school. At one point we will have one in college, one in highschool, one in middle and the last in elementary!!! wow!

Anyway, I had to get one page scrapped for Lady G's book... this was a quickpage I found online and I must say it was a time saver for sure! I hope to get some more to make pages for Queen V and when we got shots of the girls on the first day of school.

where to begin...

Mr. T has just realized in the last few days that the baby is no longer in my tummy...
Mr T: where baby, mama?
me: what?
Mr T: baby not in tummy?
me: no, baby right here in my arms (snicker... )
Mr T: oh, gosh!!! she's coot! (otherwise known as cute!)

Queen V: oh, mama, why do you have to wake me at night for school?
me: the sun is coming up... take a look...
Queen V: I don't want to go to kindergarten... I'm just so tired!
me: get up and get going, you'll be late....
Queen V: what's the magic word? say it and I will get up...
(like bargaining with me is going to work.. if it were my mom she would have flicked on the light, shuffled over in her trademark slippers and sung "wake up, wake up with a heart full of cheer! wake up, wake up or I'll spit in your ear!" lol!)
me: Queen V. A. Z.... get your bottom out of that bed!
Queen V: that'll do... and she jumped out of bed...
see, once she's up she is good to go.. but dragging that bag monster out of bed is a difficult task.. I see this will be going on for a few years... my, how my little one loves to sleep! lol!

Lady G: I had a great day, Mama!
me: you did? tell me about it..
Lady G: I got to chase the boys!! We had a great time!
me: and the boys still want to play tag?
Lady G: oh yea, and we girls are catching up with them!
a little later we talked about the day...
Lady G: 3rd grade is fun.. it's not hard like you said...

everyone wants to hold the baby... oh, and Mr. T calls her George... and then laughs.. he knows he is funny.. he just cracks me up!!

as for me... I pulled the coffee pot out today... after being up since 3:20am I knew it would be a long day. I lost all the baby weight... yep, hate me now... lol! I am actually lighter than before I got pregnant with Princess A (aka George)and I hope it just keeps going off of me! I colored my hair but it needs a trim... maybe in a week when the girls are coming home more or less at the same time. Right now kindergarten is out at 11:30 and the rest of the school is out out at 3. It's not enough time for me to get to the other side of town and get it cut.

need I say more?

First Day of Spring and Report Cards were blooming!

yipeee! The kids went to storytime today- all about spring!!! They made posters... Mr. T tried to eat some glue and Queen V was making sure it was all in a pattern- she worked very hard!

Report cards came home today.

I hated report cards as a kid.

Would my parents like what I did?

Would the scores be high enough?

Is that another mediocre grade??

being a former teacher I *know* what it takes to get into the universities.

It is NOT easy! I had a kid once who was class president from 8th grade through 12th, was involved in her church ministry/youth group, was on volleyball/basketball/track.. you get the picture- the ALL around kid- even graduated top of her class and took honors all the way!!! It took forever for the university to agree to take her!!! Kids have to walk in with a resume attatched before being accepted to college. This doesn't take into account how much it will be... that is for another blog entry...

I want to remember what it was like introducing my parents to my grades.... my thoughts... my work.. my daydreaming...

It was not until I was a senior in college that I took some tests to find out why I was not performing.. I was always told by Mom and Dad and the teachers, "if you just apply yourself you will get great grades and do anything!" Ugh! Being the 3rd of 4.. and being in between a dyslexic and an encyclopedia I kind of got overlooked. I talk to Mom about this frequently- not to make her feel badly but to let her know why I do what I do with my kids.. and probably even for reassurance that what I am doing with my kids isn't screwing them up! I think this is why I taught the way I taught... I liked teaching. I want teachers to be successful... and to know when they are not. I hope to someday help mentor more teachers.... for now I will correct mistakes others make, guide my little ones in their dreams, and pat them on the back for a job well done!

**ok, I know this LO has nothing to do with spring but I am on a roll!!! I love to share with you what I do to unwind at night! now it's time for some shut eye..... I think I am headed to the gardens tomorrow to scope out some great places for a shoot!