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Advice/opinions wanted on dd's LA
- This topic has 4 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 2 months ago by
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Hello all,
I feel like I need a bit of advice on something my 9dd just wrote. I will tell you, just for added info, that she is not really taking a writing course. I was sort of having trouble planning her language arts for grade 4 (some of you may remember as I asked for advice then, too) and sometimes find that I am still a little uncertain in how we are coming along in this huge area. : o. She has just started spelling wisdom and it is coming SLOWLY, so she is still quite shaky in the spelling department. She is having a great time working through Grammarland and the worksheets with me, she is doing her own assigned readings daily and is narrating on our history, science and bible with mostly oral and drawing narrations. She also has discussions with us about some of our readings so I think she is retaining. She is not doing any written narrations yet at all. She works on things like alphabetical order and dictionary skills weekly as well. She will write things on her own but, because of her spelling, it will take a long time as she will be looking up words as well as asking how to spell words the whole time. She started a “poem” yesterday and was working on it for a LONG time and just finished it about an hour ago. I don’t even know if it would be considered a poem or not, really. I would like to use it for her upcoming teacher “checkup” so to speak but am not really sure I have a good grasp on how to categorize it or even what it shows about her writing skills at all. Should we be focusing more on this area? Is she doing fine and the spelling will come naturally with time? Should I be concerned that she is not doing any written narrations yet? (if I did ask her to do this it would take up A LOT of time in the day because of the spelling issue).
Can I show you what she wrote as a poem and get some seasoned CMers perspectives on her writing? I know this is long, sorry! But I would feel a lot better if I had some experienced advice on this issue. So, here it is. Written exactly like it is in her notebook.
The Doll
There is a doll. It
is a beautiful doll
she has lovely brown
eyes. Her dress is
bright yellow.
Her brown hair
looks like it is made
from silk. Her shoes
and socks are white.
Her name is Fidelia the
faithful one.
Any thoughts? : )
-Miranda
Awww, a sweet description of a doll! Poems are from the heart, and I would not use it to critique writing just yet. If you’re just starting with writing narrations, use a short Aesop fable that has beginning, middle and end. Then have her tell you what it was about while you write it on a board as she speaks. Do this as an example of what she can do on her own. She will see her words being written by you, and that helps her to know what she should do later.
Does that help some?
Yes, it does help some. Thank you. Would you say then, that this would be considered an actual poem and not just a description of a doll? And if I should not critique it at all, should I use it as a sample of her work? I don’t have a lot of written work to choose from yet as she is not doing written narrations yet. However I feel like I should have SOMETHING to show our facilitator during our coming up appointment with him. I am not at all worried about them saying she is not doing enough or anything like that but they do like to have samples of the work the kids are capable of in different subject areas, etc. Should I even include this, then? She is not even starting written narrations yet as she is still beginning in the area of spelling, is this a problem? Should she actually be starting written narrations now? I noticed in the Module 3 history guide that they say the grades 4-6 should be giving written narrations on each chapter of the book of Mark. I just can’t see her doing this, though. Even though she has been orally narrating for a couple of years. I really just don’t want to be going so slowly with things that I end up putting her at a disatvantage.
Thanks for the help, it is appreciated!
-Miranda
If you are going at a rate that is challenging her, but not frustrating her, then you are probably on the right track. I talked with a knowledgeable person at an Ambleside school about my son’s struggles with writing a few months ago. She strongly recommended oral first, then he seeing me write his words, and then finally him doing the writing himself after several weeks of demonstration from me. Before he writes anything now, he tells me first what the material is about.( This gets his thoughts together.) I always write some key words (sometimes including a vocabulary word to use from the text) and let him go from there. He is doing better. It is a slow process but I have faith this is the right thing to do. One small step at a time.
Not sure what your “faciliator” does or is for, but I guess showing her poem is at least proof that she can write something. 🙂 But in the grand scheme of things, it is not that important. Take things at her pace and don’t let others’ expectations determine what you give to her. I would think doing one short written narration (with your help) would be suffice for her beginning.
I am sure others will chime in. Blessings to you!
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