Wiseguy would stand near the goats when he was by himself but not play with them. Pony and Obie the big goat do play and are friends.
Chit Chat in VOLTVILLE Thread #2 :)
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Wiseguy would stand near the goats when he was by himself but not play with them. Pony and Obie the big goat do play and are friends.
I'd love to see a video of Pony & Obie playing together! Maybe photos if a video isn't possible?
I could try but they usually play early in the morning when Pony is revved up, bored and impatient waiting for his breakfast
Obie butts the fence sometimes and Pony and Obie run along the fence. Kind of funny. It's like they don't speak the same language but do both want to show off for the other.
Obie butts the fence sometimes and Pony and Obie run along the fence. Kind of funny. It's like they don't speak the same language but do both want to show off for the other.
Good morning Voltpeeps.
I feel off balance today. I'm thinking my ears are stuffed up from all this smoke in the area. I have lots to do but lets see if I get any of it done
I at least have to get the critters fed.
I feel off balance today. I'm thinking my ears are stuffed up from all this smoke in the area. I have lots to do but lets see if I get any of it done
I at least have to get the critters fed.
I think I'll tell him to do a fly by here. I already wished him a HBD on FB. But he gets a big
Happy Birthday Jerry!!!!
Happy Birthday Jerry!!!!
I recently found a great resource for tutoring. It's "released tests." I assume these are tests that they give kids at the end of a grade to see how they measure up to what a kid in that grade should know. Whatever they are, they have really well-written and interesting reading comprehension pieces and also a bunch of miscellaneous grammar questions and other assorted things like similes and metaphors. So, the boy, who's a bit behind his 5th-grade work, is getting the 4th grade stuff, and his sister, who's a bit ahead is, too. But recently, I gave a lot of remedial worksheets to the boy, who just completed 5th grade on when to use to or too, when to use its/it's, and changing a word ending in y to the plural form of ies. I'm discouraged about him, because he just barely tolerates me tutoring him. His siblings are doing great, though, especially his 6-year-old brother, who is really learning English!
Today, I read him a Little Golden Book about fire engines, which he knows about, but I didn't realize he didn't know what they are for. We read about the firemen fighting a fire and how the ladders and hoses from the fire engines help. I think he didn't even know houses could get on fire and be dangerous and destructive until today. And we talked about the fire engines using their sirens and flashing lights to warn people to get out of the way so they could race to the fire. We enlarged the discussion to include other emergency vehicles like police cars and ambulances. Then he asked me an interesting question: "Why can they go through red lights, but my dad can't?" I explained and he understood. We are having real conversations now.
Do you remember how recently I was totally worried about how to teach a little boy who knew absolutely no English? Now he's doing word searches and learning the rules to make plural words -- well, only whether to add just s or if it should be es, and I still have to list the endings that take es on his homework. He's also learning that you must capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence. He will be in 1st grade in the fall, and already he can read a little bit. In fact, he recently passed a test so that he will not be classified as ESL (English as a 2nd Language), but will be learning with the English-speaking kids.
His sister is doing well, but she always has, though she and her older brother are getting sloppy, and I made up a new rule: they have to get all the answers on their reading comprehension right, or they don't get a homework stone. This is because many of the questions are multiple choice, and they are lazy and just guessing when they don't remember, and I've told them repeatedly to go back to the reading where the answer will be. But no, they'd rather guess. So guesswork will be penalized.
The other girl finally wrote something. She talks a mile a minute, but has nothing to say when asked to write, which her mom & I can't understand. But she is improving, and after she wrote something today, I gave her a pep talk which I hope will help. I think she's getting back on track, after having a slump after her visit to China. We are reading a book in the series, You Read to Me, I'll Read to You, and she really likes it. Of course, it's easy reading for her, but she's enjoying it, so it's a good thing at this moment when I feel she doesn't need challenges as much as a confidence boost.
So that's the latest on my tutoring.
Today, I read him a Little Golden Book about fire engines, which he knows about, but I didn't realize he didn't know what they are for. We read about the firemen fighting a fire and how the ladders and hoses from the fire engines help. I think he didn't even know houses could get on fire and be dangerous and destructive until today. And we talked about the fire engines using their sirens and flashing lights to warn people to get out of the way so they could race to the fire. We enlarged the discussion to include other emergency vehicles like police cars and ambulances. Then he asked me an interesting question: "Why can they go through red lights, but my dad can't?" I explained and he understood. We are having real conversations now.
Do you remember how recently I was totally worried about how to teach a little boy who knew absolutely no English? Now he's doing word searches and learning the rules to make plural words -- well, only whether to add just s or if it should be es, and I still have to list the endings that take es on his homework. He's also learning that you must capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence. He will be in 1st grade in the fall, and already he can read a little bit. In fact, he recently passed a test so that he will not be classified as ESL (English as a 2nd Language), but will be learning with the English-speaking kids.
His sister is doing well, but she always has, though she and her older brother are getting sloppy, and I made up a new rule: they have to get all the answers on their reading comprehension right, or they don't get a homework stone. This is because many of the questions are multiple choice, and they are lazy and just guessing when they don't remember, and I've told them repeatedly to go back to the reading where the answer will be. But no, they'd rather guess. So guesswork will be penalized.
The other girl finally wrote something. She talks a mile a minute, but has nothing to say when asked to write, which her mom & I can't understand. But she is improving, and after she wrote something today, I gave her a pep talk which I hope will help. I think she's getting back on track, after having a slump after her visit to China. We are reading a book in the series, You Read to Me, I'll Read to You, and she really likes it. Of course, it's easy reading for her, but she's enjoying it, so it's a good thing at this moment when I feel she doesn't need challenges as much as a confidence boost.
So that's the latest on my tutoring.
Happy birthday Jerry
When you give them spelling words do you give them a homework assignment to copy the word down a certain number of times each? Like 5 or 10 times? I know it may sound weird but that was my favorite thing to do in school. The teacher would make us copy it a certain number of times and to use each word in a sentence. I know it greatly helped with my spelling, that and phonics.
When you give them spelling words do you give them a homework assignment to copy the word down a certain number of times each? Like 5 or 10 times? I know it may sound weird but that was my favorite thing to do in school. The teacher would make us copy it a certain number of times and to use each word in a sentence. I know it greatly helped with my spelling, that and phonics.
They don't particularly like copying words, so I give them spelling words to learn, and then I ask them to spell them at the next lesson. If they didn't learn them in whatever way they prefer, then they have to write each word 10 times -- but only those words they weren't able to learn by whatever method they prefer. Sometimes, they don't learn them because they didn't study them, but then they still have to write them 10 times. So it pays them to study them and avoid the repetitious writing.
As for using them in a sentence, that's good to make sure they know how to use the word, but I only give them spelling words they know and use but can't spell. This comes from their writing. I give them a short writing assignment each time, and then I correct grammar and spelling. The words spelled wrong in their essay or story become spelling words, and any grammatical errors get explained and become worksheets for the next homework. This way, I can find out what they still don't know and address that concept.
The vocabulary comes in stages. First, I have them read aloud -- maybe a subject they asked about and want to know more about. The words they struggle over in the reading aloud, I put on a vocabulary list. From this list come 10 words in a fill-in-the-blanks sheet I make up. I concoct a sentence using the word, with a blank where the word should go. The word joins the list at the top of the page. At the lesson, we go over each word -- how to pronounce it and its meaning(s). Then they fill in the 10 blanks while I go over their homework. When they are finished, we go over the fill-in-the-blanks sheet and the homework they did. Then they read something aloud to me. Then I go over the homework I have assigned that day to be done by the next lesson. I explain anything they need to know to be able to do it. That's the structure of the lesson.
Good morning, Voltville.
SandySu, sounds like you are making progress with the kids, even the stubborn one
Jer, I hope you had a great birthday.
Uncle, what would we do without you? Thanks for letting us know about Jer's B-day. I hope you are making progress in your recovery. You are often in my thoughts.
Raven, Terry, I hope you are both doing okay.
Celti, /Copying was not my favorite thing. Mrs. Crane was so mean to me over my bad handwriting in the third grade that I never got over it
Doing tree bottoms, weeding, picking up the yard. I have the painting to do and I am hoping it won't take too long. I'm organized for it with a ladder, stir stick, brushes, etc. all ready to go.
I need to run up and get a metal grate from the general store later. That is one item we need to finish the deck.
SandySu, sounds like you are making progress with the kids, even the stubborn one
Jer, I hope you had a great birthday.
Uncle, what would we do without you? Thanks for letting us know about Jer's B-day. I hope you are making progress in your recovery. You are often in my thoughts.
Raven, Terry, I hope you are both doing okay.
Celti, /Copying was not my favorite thing. Mrs. Crane was so mean to me over my bad handwriting in the third grade that I never got over it
Doing tree bottoms, weeding, picking up the yard. I have the painting to do and I am hoping it won't take too long. I'm organized for it with a ladder, stir stick, brushes, etc. all ready to go.
I need to run up and get a metal grate from the general store later. That is one item we need to finish the deck.
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Celti, /Copying was not my favorite thing. Mrs. Crane was so mean to me over my bad handwriting in the third grade that I never got over it
I tend not to focus on handwriting much. The oldest boy, though, is so sloppy that I sometimes can't read a certain word he wrote. One time recently, I didn't understand a word, so I asked him what it was, and he couldn't even read his own handwriting! In a case like that, I do scold him and say that he needs to write legibly enough so I (and he) can read what he wrote.
The Chinese parents are a little put off by this. They think I should focus more on penmanship, but there are so many more important things to focus on that I feel it's the last thing to worry about unless the writing is absolutely illegible. Besides, in the computer age, many people will hardly write anything with a pencil and paper. In that case, the ability to type may be more important. I don't know. I do feel handwriting is a very individual thing, and people develop their own style rather than conforming to some official way to write. All I ask is that the writer do it well enough that I can read it.
Remember that Chinese calligraphy is a highly respected art form. Your attitude towards handwriting is very modern. Can you make a deal with him that if he improves his handwriting, you will teach him some keyboarding skills?
'afternoon, Volties.
I'll chime in a little. To me, readable handwriting is definitely part of literacy even in today's world of tablets and keyboards. Writing your own name, so it can be read, seems to be something being ignored. Chinese writing is very exacting compared to English so it really shouldn't be all that big a problem for him. If he were in China by now he would be writing well or have hands so sore he couldn't do much of anything.
It has bee just a tad hot here. The feels like temps have been around 115 in mid afternoon with the real temp pushing very close to 100. I've been hoping for some rain, but nothing more than getting things damp has happened yet. There have been some heavy thunderstorms just north or south of us, as in a mile away, but we haven't had anything other than getting just damp for a little while yesterday.
I'll chime in a little. To me, readable handwriting is definitely part of literacy even in today's world of tablets and keyboards. Writing your own name, so it can be read, seems to be something being ignored. Chinese writing is very exacting compared to English so it really shouldn't be all that big a problem for him. If he were in China by now he would be writing well or have hands so sore he couldn't do much of anything.
It has bee just a tad hot here. The feels like temps have been around 115 in mid afternoon with the real temp pushing very close to 100. I've been hoping for some rain, but nothing more than getting things damp has happened yet. There have been some heavy thunderstorms just north or south of us, as in a mile away, but we haven't had anything other than getting just damp for a little while yesterday.
You're right, of course, Awsum. I wish the boy would improve his attitude in every way, and the sloppy handwriting is just one symptom of a very troubling syndrome.
As for keyboarding skills, he probably thinks his are adequate, and maybe they are. He and his siblings are on their iPads perpetually. They play a lot of video games. The boy is into that kind of Pokemon where you find characters in places in the neighborhood, though his sister tells me he's found a way to get the characters without leaving his seat.
She plays Minecraft a lot.
Even the little one is always on his iPad -- they each have their own.
I think this started when the parents allowed it as a way to keep them quiet and occupied while they are stuck at the restaurant because all the adults are working, so no one is at home to take care of them. Any other activities might take more parental supervision, but you can just hand the kid an iPad and forget they exist. I don't think it's the best way to raise kids, but the parents are obsessive about working. I think it's part of their culture to put work first and everything else after it.
iPads and tablets have become defacto parents in far too many cases. I just can't grasp the Pokémon Go craze at all, but at least it gets most kids off their backsides an outside wandering around. Problem with that is that they're too focused on the iPad/tablet and can get into a lot of trouble. There was a study in NYC that showed Pokémon hotspots were being manipulated to end up around known child predator houses.
I still admire your skill and determination in working with these kids. Your patience is amazing to say the least. My ha is off to you.
I still admire your skill and determination in working with these kids. Your patience is amazing to say the least. My ha is off to you.
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