Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Stories by Goldie

Last week I decided to start having Goldie read 15 minutes a day to me. In WA, where Abe and Daisy went to kindergarten, their only homework was a weekly reading chart. They were supposed to read 15 mins. a day, then practice writing by filling out who they read to, what they read, and for how long.

Anyway, it seemed like being forced to follow through on having them read that young got them to be proficient readers quite quickly.
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The homework packets Goldie gets here focus more on letter writing, etc., but I really liked having Abe and Daisy do the reading, so I decided to have Goldie do it too (though it was much easier to do when it had to be turned in to their teacher).
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Yesterday I was just being silly and made these two THRILLING (and nail biting and edge of your seat) stories to add to her reading.
In turn, she composed her own stories about Bob and Ben.As you can see, she could use a little work on spacing between words, and I was very nervous when she excitedly told me to read her stories (for fear I would read them all wrong), but we made our way through them. To spare you the same difficulty, I will translate.
Bob's Bottle

Bob lost his bottle.

Bob looks for his (here she was sure she had written bottle)

Bob finds his bottle.

Oh how she thought she was funny for writing about a bottle, but just wait til you get to the punch line on her next story -- a clear parody of my previous bus story.

Ben's Bus (with a missing "s" and an unexplained "G" in the middle)

Ben goes on the bus.

The bus goes too fast.

Ben says, "Stop."

The bus says, "No."

Oh how her eyes lit up and how she clapped and laughed at her sillyness when I read her final line.

And, may I just say, that each time I have taught another of my children to read I have been freshly annoyed and frustrated with the English language. Seriously, are there no rules? Well, there are rules. We teach them all the rules and then don't follow a one of them. I took some German long ago, and I quickly discovered that even if you didn't understand the language, once you knew a few sounds, you could read it passably because things were spelled how they were said. But we have so so many words that just don't fit our own rules.

Learn the short "a" and then you get the word "tall."

Learn that an "e" at the end makes the previous vowel long and then you get, "come."

Learn that the first vowel is said when two are together and then you get all the names that end in "ie" like Goldie.

I know they learn quickly, but the first while of really having my kids read it seems I am constantly saying, "I know this looks like you should say it that way, but it is just spelled kind of funny, you actually say . . ." And the sad thing is, the way they first write things often does make more sense (like Goldie writing "says" -- SEZ).

Well, enough of that nonsense. Weren't those cute Goldie stories though!

8 comments:

Jana said...

Well I couldn't agree more about the English language having the worst rules! With Erin trying to read all the time she just can not keep all the rules straight and is ever asking me to help her and explain the whys which I can never do logically and so I give up and she is frustrated and I feel dumb.

And way cool litte pictures you drew for her to enhance her reading and keep her from English rules frustrations. Oh, to be talented....

Amy said...

Hey if you go on a kid's field trip to "This is the Place Monument" you will discover or be reminded that Brigham invented a new alphabet and language that was all phonetically sounded and spelled. No "night", just nite etc. Go Brigham!!

Karen said...

Love the Goldie stories!!! I have a few learning to read around here. That is almost an hour of children reading to me a night. If there were no silliness how would we survive?

Perla said...

awesome stories! both yours and goldie's were highly entertaining! :) we very much enjoy the bob books around here for our learning-to-read-pleasure. and yes, our language is crazy. i don't feel so bad for our kids because they'll get it but for adults trying to learn it as a second language? craziness! spanish is simple simple simple compared to our nonsense. yes, with addie i just have to say, "um, that is just a sight word. you can't sound it out. sorry."

Liz said...

I love your stories you should write beginners books! I think the bob books are about the only one's out there. Goldie's books were also great. I wonder what Ben did after the bus said no. Please ask Goldie to write a sequel.

marzee said...

The bus says, "No!"
I totally laughed. So fun. She's doing great with her letter writing - and stories in Kindergarten! I'm so impressed! Action is having a hard time. Bert got onto writing very quickly because she loved to draw. Action doesn't and has no interest in writing. It's hard.
Oh - and guess what word Mystery has learned? "Can't."
Such words should be banned from the dictionary! When we encourage him to do something, or attempt something and he morosely hangs his head and while sadly turning it back and forth utters a despairing, "Can't, Mom. Can't."

Mugsy said...

I needed to read this. It is so funny and I love that perhaps the bus story had something to do with a past experience...If Goldie's bus goes to fast and she says slow down, it better!

Madsens said...

Aahhh! The good old K reading chart!! Ashton is filling his out right now as I type!! I love that the stories are w/ the name Ben:) Oh, how I miss that little Goldie! She needs to come up and visit me and Ashton (she can bring her whole family w/ her!!!)

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