“Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories.” | |
1st Son: Needs more attention right now. 2nd Son: Needs more privacy right now. 3rd Son: Can I slip by unnoticed? 1st Daughter: These folks can't live without me. 4th Son: Candy, Lego, Money, Nerf. 2nd Daughter: You all should have it so good. 3rd Daughter: Is there some-ping else to eat? |
Seven Kids, Seven Theories, in Seven Syllables
Spelling by Typing
When do you introduce touch typing into the student's daily work? My experience is that the best time is 3rd grade. How do you find time to introduce this into the student's daily work? Remove spelling instruction and put typing there instead.
First of all, typing instruction requires repeating words over and over again. The instruction starts with nonsense strings of letters and moves to words, the most common words that you use. The multi-sensory work is good for the brain. (Scrabble- multi-sensory, also. Spelling out loud while doing Hangman or Wheel of Fortune- multisensory. Uses different parts of the brain. This only serves to reinforce and make more synaptic connections. This brings about spelling skills naturally.)
Then I have the kids do most or all their schoolwork on Word/Pages/Wordpad. As long as it has a spell check that gives the red underline on misspelled words immediately. The immediate feedback is worth so much in forming new habits. The parent/teacher cannot stand over his shoulder while he's writing with a pencil and correct every word as he misspells it. Plus, it's frustrating to have to use a rubber eraser. It's much easier to backspace. It's also less discouraging to have right-click offer you suggestions for your misspelled words.
Spelling has reached a new era.
300 years ago spelling wasn't even standardized- look at historical documents. Spelling is all over the place. One of the most intelligent men in our nation's history was Meriweather Lewis, and he couldn't spell a word the same way twice. Between his spelling and handwriting, I'm amazed his notes were ever transcribed. One reason we have so many similar but differently-spelled surnames was the process of writing down names at Ellis Island. Why do you suppose there are Baumgartners, Bumgartners, Bumgardners? My maiden name was spelled differently at Ellis than it was in the homeland.
Over 200 years, with public schools coming into existence, and the dictionary being published, standardized spelling came into existence and became something to be drilled-and-killed. This may have been useful, although since most of the increase in our knowledge came despite poor spelling in the most intelligent people. Remember Einstein? He said it's a waste of your brain to memorize anything that can be looked up. Or caught by a proofreader, I'd add.
It's 2010. Drill and kill etc ad nauseum for spelling is just ARCHAIC. Teach the child to type-- Typing Instructor For Kids Platinum (Windows/Mac)
is the program that I used and it worked well. Give the child a word processing program and teach him to use it. These are skills that are more relevant than spelling anyway.
And funny enough, spelling happens through these multi-disciplinary and multi-sensory routes. You just can't help but become a better speller when you are writing so much. Poor spellers are usually hesitant writers- and writing is, in my opinion, the only way to perfecting spelling.
First of all, typing instruction requires repeating words over and over again. The instruction starts with nonsense strings of letters and moves to words, the most common words that you use. The multi-sensory work is good for the brain. (Scrabble- multi-sensory, also. Spelling out loud while doing Hangman or Wheel of Fortune- multisensory. Uses different parts of the brain. This only serves to reinforce and make more synaptic connections. This brings about spelling skills naturally.)
Then I have the kids do most or all their schoolwork on Word/Pages/Wordpad. As long as it has a spell check that gives the red underline on misspelled words immediately. The immediate feedback is worth so much in forming new habits. The parent/teacher cannot stand over his shoulder while he's writing with a pencil and correct every word as he misspells it. Plus, it's frustrating to have to use a rubber eraser. It's much easier to backspace. It's also less discouraging to have right-click offer you suggestions for your misspelled words.
Spelling has reached a new era.
300 years ago spelling wasn't even standardized- look at historical documents. Spelling is all over the place. One of the most intelligent men in our nation's history was Meriweather Lewis, and he couldn't spell a word the same way twice. Between his spelling and handwriting, I'm amazed his notes were ever transcribed. One reason we have so many similar but differently-spelled surnames was the process of writing down names at Ellis Island. Why do you suppose there are Baumgartners, Bumgartners, Bumgardners? My maiden name was spelled differently at Ellis than it was in the homeland.
Over 200 years, with public schools coming into existence, and the dictionary being published, standardized spelling came into existence and became something to be drilled-and-killed. This may have been useful, although since most of the increase in our knowledge came despite poor spelling in the most intelligent people. Remember Einstein? He said it's a waste of your brain to memorize anything that can be looked up. Or caught by a proofreader, I'd add.
It's 2010. Drill and kill etc ad nauseum for spelling is just ARCHAIC. Teach the child to type-- Typing Instructor For Kids Platinum (Windows/Mac)
is the program that I used and it worked well. Give the child a word processing program and teach him to use it. These are skills that are more relevant than spelling anyway.
And funny enough, spelling happens through these multi-disciplinary and multi-sensory routes. You just can't help but become a better speller when you are writing so much. Poor spellers are usually hesitant writers- and writing is, in my opinion, the only way to perfecting spelling.
Budgeting for Recession
So is anyone else using the "Buy only whatever you absolutely cannot live without today, using only actual money you have in your hands" method?
One of my jobs nowadays is again to figure out where I can find another dollar, and then figure out how I can stretch it the furthest. Good thing I've always loved thrift stores and dumpster diving. In fact, today I am sporting an authentic 1987 Limited turtleneck (that I purchased while back-to-school shopping my senior year, with money I'd earned myself at the Dairy Delite in Worthington, OH) and a like-new pair of royal blue windbreaker/warmup pants I found in the dumpster behind the high school. Seriously.
We're in a weird place now of not poor, but not rich. I mean, by the Joneses' standards. I am typing this on a Macbook using Wifi in my own home. It's not like I can't just walk into the kitchen and feed everyone...everyone on the block, even. Yet, I open a browser tab to REI Outlet, find a coat discounted 70% that would be great to replace Jeff's genuine 1990 Eddie Bauer squall jacket... and realize that I really need to double check the thrift store up the road before I hit "purchase." I will even spend 10-15 minutes hunting for that $1 off your next purchase coupon they gave me last time I was there (to purchase a new-looking Gap raincoat for $7).
My teen, btw, loves the vintage 1986 Levi jacket I let him wear. I remember I was so proud to be able to purchase it, with babysitting money. I loved that jacket.
So glad I have money in my hands, though. All my kids are going to graduate high school and one is able to go to college now, at 17, for free, if he wants. Our water is clean. Our home is warm, and filled with joy. (....well, much of the time. Then the teens get home from high school. Haha.)
Know what kind of recession would be good for us? A recession in expectations. A recession of standards. A recession of materialism and greed. This is why my budget will remain: today, buy only what we must to get through the day using real money. What if chocolate were once again a rare and exotic treat that one cherished sparingly?
One of my jobs nowadays is again to figure out where I can find another dollar, and then figure out how I can stretch it the furthest. Good thing I've always loved thrift stores and dumpster diving. In fact, today I am sporting an authentic 1987 Limited turtleneck (that I purchased while back-to-school shopping my senior year, with money I'd earned myself at the Dairy Delite in Worthington, OH) and a like-new pair of royal blue windbreaker/warmup pants I found in the dumpster behind the high school. Seriously.
We're in a weird place now of not poor, but not rich. I mean, by the Joneses' standards. I am typing this on a Macbook using Wifi in my own home. It's not like I can't just walk into the kitchen and feed everyone...everyone on the block, even. Yet, I open a browser tab to REI Outlet, find a coat discounted 70% that would be great to replace Jeff's genuine 1990 Eddie Bauer squall jacket... and realize that I really need to double check the thrift store up the road before I hit "purchase." I will even spend 10-15 minutes hunting for that $1 off your next purchase coupon they gave me last time I was there (to purchase a new-looking Gap raincoat for $7).
My teen, btw, loves the vintage 1986 Levi jacket I let him wear. I remember I was so proud to be able to purchase it, with babysitting money. I loved that jacket.
So glad I have money in my hands, though. All my kids are going to graduate high school and one is able to go to college now, at 17, for free, if he wants. Our water is clean. Our home is warm, and filled with joy. (....well, much of the time. Then the teens get home from high school. Haha.)
Know what kind of recession would be good for us? A recession in expectations. A recession of standards. A recession of materialism and greed. This is why my budget will remain: today, buy only what we must to get through the day using real money. What if chocolate were once again a rare and exotic treat that one cherished sparingly?
It's been a long, long, long, long time
since I learned long division. It hasn't been that long since I blogged about teaching long division. The upbeat and confident nature of that post tells me that it had been a long, long, long time since I had taught long division.
Oh how the mighty have fallen.
I am now thick in the task of teaching long division again. All I can tell you is that it would probably be a good idea to help your local PTA/SAC hold a margarita drive for your local public school teacher. I mean, if you multiply teaching long division to one child by 34, and multiply that by an annual exponent, put down the 6 and carry the 9, subtract and check and order a burger from McDonalds, take another swig of tequila to drown out the whine of "Mommyeeeee I don't know howwwww to dooooo it..." and then divide that by the number of years it took to finish a teaching degree and compare whether the student loan is greater than, less than or equal to the typical teacher's salary, multiply by how many years of teaching, subtract the crazy superintendent who refuses to give the principal another teacher for overcrowded kindergarten, take one down and pass it around, another bottle of beer on the wall! Or another brick in the wall?
Tomorrow.... diagraming! Which should be diagramming! So why do some books spell it diagraming?
Oh how the mighty have fallen.
I am now thick in the task of teaching long division again. All I can tell you is that it would probably be a good idea to help your local PTA/SAC hold a margarita drive for your local public school teacher. I mean, if you multiply teaching long division to one child by 34, and multiply that by an annual exponent, put down the 6 and carry the 9, subtract and check and order a burger from McDonalds, take another swig of tequila to drown out the whine of "Mommyeeeee I don't know howwwww to dooooo it..." and then divide that by the number of years it took to finish a teaching degree and compare whether the student loan is greater than, less than or equal to the typical teacher's salary, multiply by how many years of teaching, subtract the crazy superintendent who refuses to give the principal another teacher for overcrowded kindergarten, take one down and pass it around, another bottle of beer on the wall! Or another brick in the wall?
Tomorrow.... diagraming! Which should be diagramming! So why do some books spell it diagraming?
It was a dark and stormy night....
To overtake me, who should miss me here
And long to know if still I held them dear.
They would not find me changed from him they knew--
Only more sure of all I thought was true.
-Robert Frost
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