I haven't blogged much last month month. I guess we're getting into routine. But I'll do better. We do things and I don't always think that they are exciting enough to write about, or I'm just tired. Which is the case for this post, which I started about three weeks ago and I am just now finishing. :) So I'll start by updating you on the kids.
Big E is still working on his reading lessons. We'll finish lesson 92 today. When the stories in each lesson started to get longer, he started to stall reading. He'd do the first part of the lesson quickly. That part is sounding out words and reading words "the fast way" aka reading it and not sounding it out. But when we got to the story he'd clam up and not read, even though he could do without problem. I think the length intimidated him and he was worried that he'd mess up or wouldn't be able to figure out a word. Lessons were taking 40-60 minutes and neither Big E or I wanted to take that much time. Nor is that part of the program. I would get frustrated and Big E would get frustrated.
So Steve suggested that we cut the lessons in half, do the word reading and introduction of new sounds in the morning and then do the story and writing in the evening. That has worked much better. Big E still has trouble staying focused and I have to remind him to keep reading sometimes, but it's much better. It helps when there's something he's allowed to do if he finishs in a decent amount of time. He seems to be quite pleased with himself when we reads words or stories. He reads the words on the dishwasher and washing machine (Samsung). He's also sounded out other words that he sees around. He'll sometimes read a story to himself or read some of it and I'll read the rest. I think when he finishes all the lessons we'll go to the book store and he can choose a book.
He sometimes still pretends that he's a character from Kipper or lately he's pretended he's a baby chick or a baby lamb named Starship (he came up with that on his own :) ). Steve has gotten him to eat his dinner when he's in character by calling things crunchy beetles or worms or grubs when he's chick, and had and ivy when he's the lamb. I honestly have no idea how that sounds more appetizing than carrots or noodles or beans and tortilla, but somehow for him it does.
His imagination has grown a lot in the past few months. He tells us stories at times, ones I haven't told him and they are so twisted in logic that I don't think even Steve told him. :) He's also having nightmares. One night he came into my room and said that there were things going across his room and they wouldn't go away. Another night there was something under his bed. Usually just going in the room and telling whatever it is to go away is enough for Big E to feel better. But some nights it's not enough and he ends up in bed with us. Thank goodness for a bigger bed.
Big E has graduated from Nursery in church to Sunbeams. (For those who don't know what that is...Nursery is the sunday school class for children 18mo-3years. The January after they turn 3 they enter Sunbeams and go to Primary with Singing Time and a group lesson, then class. Some big changes are no toys in Primary and no snacks, which is in nursery.) He's doing great! I can't believe that I have a child in sunbeams. He has not gotten out of his seat when he wasn't supposed to, not even with me in there teaching the lesson or playing the piano. (My calling is the second counselor in the Primary Presidency, but I've been doing triple duty b/c we haven't had a secretary and our piano player moved back to the States and we haven't found another one yet.) It doesn't phase Big E that I'm in there. Maybe that's made it easier for him. I don't know. He raises his hand to answer questions (and gives good answers, if I do say so myself ;) ) and doesn't talk when he's not supposed to. Now that also could be because it's new. But his nursery leaders always said he was good in class.
Big E likes to help in the kitchen, especially if there are good things to lick. He likes to help me make bread or pancakes. One day he wanted to lick the spatula that I used to scrape out the cream of chicken soup. He didn't like it much.
We have applied to a few schools for Big E for next year. Two actually. We wanted to apply to the community school that is part of Education City. It was meant for the students of the employees of the new hospital that they are building in Education City. But the hospital isn't open yet and the school already hired all its staff. So they opened the school up for students of teachers at Awsaj and few other schools in Education City. Steve went to turn in the application back in November, but then he got a phone call that said that they couldn't accept it until January. So I went to turn it back in the day after school started after Christmas break. I was told that they had received a letter that said that Sidra (the hospital) would be opening and that they were to save all the spots for Sidra employee children. I drive by Sidra frequently and it doesn't look like it's going to open soon. There are windows without glass and the outside still is a mess. But either way, we can't apply. But there's a rumor that at least 3 children of Awsaj employees just got accepted there. So I'll have to find out if that's true. So Big E is on a waiting list for the American Community School (ACS) and the American School of Doha (ASD). It's not urgent that he goes next year as it'll only be preschool, but the issue is just getting him in school. We should know about ASD by the end of February. We're keeping our fingers crossed that he'll get into one of them. It's not urgent that he gets schooling next year as he'll only be 4, but we're worried about the space.
Big E is still working on his reading lessons. We'll finish lesson 92 today. When the stories in each lesson started to get longer, he started to stall reading. He'd do the first part of the lesson quickly. That part is sounding out words and reading words "the fast way" aka reading it and not sounding it out. But when we got to the story he'd clam up and not read, even though he could do without problem. I think the length intimidated him and he was worried that he'd mess up or wouldn't be able to figure out a word. Lessons were taking 40-60 minutes and neither Big E or I wanted to take that much time. Nor is that part of the program. I would get frustrated and Big E would get frustrated.
So Steve suggested that we cut the lessons in half, do the word reading and introduction of new sounds in the morning and then do the story and writing in the evening. That has worked much better. Big E still has trouble staying focused and I have to remind him to keep reading sometimes, but it's much better. It helps when there's something he's allowed to do if he finishs in a decent amount of time. He seems to be quite pleased with himself when we reads words or stories. He reads the words on the dishwasher and washing machine (Samsung). He's also sounded out other words that he sees around. He'll sometimes read a story to himself or read some of it and I'll read the rest. I think when he finishes all the lessons we'll go to the book store and he can choose a book.
He sometimes still pretends that he's a character from Kipper or lately he's pretended he's a baby chick or a baby lamb named Starship (he came up with that on his own :) ). Steve has gotten him to eat his dinner when he's in character by calling things crunchy beetles or worms or grubs when he's chick, and had and ivy when he's the lamb. I honestly have no idea how that sounds more appetizing than carrots or noodles or beans and tortilla, but somehow for him it does.
His imagination has grown a lot in the past few months. He tells us stories at times, ones I haven't told him and they are so twisted in logic that I don't think even Steve told him. :) He's also having nightmares. One night he came into my room and said that there were things going across his room and they wouldn't go away. Another night there was something under his bed. Usually just going in the room and telling whatever it is to go away is enough for Big E to feel better. But some nights it's not enough and he ends up in bed with us. Thank goodness for a bigger bed.
Big E has graduated from Nursery in church to Sunbeams. (For those who don't know what that is...Nursery is the sunday school class for children 18mo-3years. The January after they turn 3 they enter Sunbeams and go to Primary with Singing Time and a group lesson, then class. Some big changes are no toys in Primary and no snacks, which is in nursery.) He's doing great! I can't believe that I have a child in sunbeams. He has not gotten out of his seat when he wasn't supposed to, not even with me in there teaching the lesson or playing the piano. (My calling is the second counselor in the Primary Presidency, but I've been doing triple duty b/c we haven't had a secretary and our piano player moved back to the States and we haven't found another one yet.) It doesn't phase Big E that I'm in there. Maybe that's made it easier for him. I don't know. He raises his hand to answer questions (and gives good answers, if I do say so myself ;) ) and doesn't talk when he's not supposed to. Now that also could be because it's new. But his nursery leaders always said he was good in class.
Big E likes to help in the kitchen, especially if there are good things to lick. He likes to help me make bread or pancakes. One day he wanted to lick the spatula that I used to scrape out the cream of chicken soup. He didn't like it much.
We have applied to a few schools for Big E for next year. Two actually. We wanted to apply to the community school that is part of Education City. It was meant for the students of the employees of the new hospital that they are building in Education City. But the hospital isn't open yet and the school already hired all its staff. So they opened the school up for students of teachers at Awsaj and few other schools in Education City. Steve went to turn in the application back in November, but then he got a phone call that said that they couldn't accept it until January. So I went to turn it back in the day after school started after Christmas break. I was told that they had received a letter that said that Sidra (the hospital) would be opening and that they were to save all the spots for Sidra employee children. I drive by Sidra frequently and it doesn't look like it's going to open soon. There are windows without glass and the outside still is a mess. But either way, we can't apply. But there's a rumor that at least 3 children of Awsaj employees just got accepted there. So I'll have to find out if that's true. So Big E is on a waiting list for the American Community School (ACS) and the American School of Doha (ASD). It's not urgent that he goes next year as it'll only be preschool, but the issue is just getting him in school. We should know about ASD by the end of February. We're keeping our fingers crossed that he'll get into one of them. It's not urgent that he gets schooling next year as he'll only be 4, but we're worried about the space.
1 comment:
pigood luck with finding a school. it's pretty stressful. we're kind of in the same thing right now. The magpie will not be five until 2 months after school starts and the new law in CA is that she should go to "transitional kindergarten" for kids with birthdays between October and December who don't make it in to regular K. But they don't offer it at every campus and the one in our sector that has it is so poorly ranked/rated by parents and others that I don't want to send her there. we've done home preschool this year, but she needs more. i'm trying to figure out what it's worth to me to have her go to school.
again--good luck. it was nice to read an update. I think about you almost every day and wonder what you're doing and how your life is going. take good care,
marcelle
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