Interview with my son about reading

Today I am sharing an interview I did with my oldest son TJ.  He was telling us all about his thoughts on reading, so I asked he would mind sharing that with you all.

So TJ the other night you were talking about reading with Daddy and I was just wondering, what did you used to think about reading?

I personally love reading because I can read at a lot of different places and times. I can read in the car and at bed time.  A couple of days ago I even read to myself in the doctor’s office.  When I first was being taught to read I thought there was probably not much point to this, I thought they are only trying to teach me.  But now I really like it, because I can read in most places and most times.  It is fun! And I also love reading to my two younger brothers.

Like I said when I first stared reading I thought people had to read because they need to read and understand things.  It was just something grown-up did. But now I understand why, because I’m actually reading quite a few books and it is really fun. I can figure things out by myself without having to ask an adult all the time.

What I’d like to know is how do you feel you learned to read?

Well I actually sort of taught myself.  With Mommy and Daddy’s help they kind of taught me the words and I remembered them.  Over time I’ve become a better reader. It actually wasn’t that hard.  Also I find I’ve been reading quite quickly.  I remember a few years ago I was reading books that only had one sentence per page, and now I’m reading books that have chapters in them.  So I find that it isn’t that hard once you learn to read.

What advice do you have for parents that might have a kid that hasn’t quite learned to read, or gets frustrated when they are trying to read.  What would you tell parents?

Well you see if they are having problems, or don’t like to read, or they feel like they are being pushed hard, I started off with these really easy books called “Biscuit” books, that only have one or two sentences per page.  I tried to read them and Mommy and Daddy showed me the words (told him what they said or helped him sound out the words) and I kind of caught on and have been memorizing the word and what they mean.  Like one time I was reading a book that had the word ALL in it.  I said “Mommy what is this word?” And she told me.  So the next time I saw that word I said, “Hey doesn’t that spell ALL?”, because I remembered what I had learned.  So that is kind of my way of looking at things.

How to help start encouraging reading is in a small way, like not too dramatic. I saw a word and memorized it! I started small and now I’m reading books with chapters in them. Actually a few different books and now that I know the words it is really fun.  They are also books about things that I am interested in.

So basically TJ you’re telling us to relax, let a kids start reading when they are interested, and just help them along and they will catch up.  We don’t need to worry but know that they will catch on in their own time?

Yes I agree totally to that.

What advice would you have for a kid, maybe your brother or one of your friends, who wants to start reading? What would be your encouragement or suggestions for them?

If I had some advice I would say that mommy and daddy were teaching me words so the next time I saw the word in the book I remembered that I had just seen that word.  So over time I got practicing words they taught me. I just started memorizing the words and now I can read! It’s really not that hard to read once you know some of the words then you can start to read books.

My next question is the way you learned to read, naturally on your own and just asking for help when you need it, have you taken this and used it to learn other subjects like math, or writing or other topics you are interested in?

Well I’ve actually taken the very same way that I learned to read into my writing.  I’ve been memorizing words, not as many as with my reading since the words are already written out, but I know lots of words.  They aren’t long words, but I could fill a whole page of a notebook with all the words I know how to write. I found that it was quite the same as with reading (he asks us how to write a word when he needs help).

Any final thoughts?

Well like I said before, I like that I can read now in many different places.  It’s fun on long car rides when I’ve played all my games and stuff.  Also I enjoy reading different stuff, I’ve read fiction, non-fiction, I’m also good at reading my bible.  I’m excited that I figured out how to read!

We'd love to hear from you.  Come join us on on our FaceBook page for more fun

Young Writers

So today I wanted to talk about writing just a little.  My boys are so creative and have wonderful imaginations.  At this stage in their lives their physical writing ability (spelling, grammar, penmanship) does not match what they want to get onto the paper.  So I often act as a scribe.  The boys tell me what to write and then carefully check over my work to make sure they are satisfied.  It is a wonderful experience for us both.

TJ has written two stories recently that he wanted to share with everyone.  He was a little nervous because his younger brother didn't have anything nice to say about the stories. Brothers don't always get along as you might know. I suggested that perhaps a different audience would appreciate his writing.

So here they are.  I'm so proud and can't wait to hear more of what my boys have to write.
PLEASE feel free to make some comments or suggestions below.

Ninjas to the Rescue

One day the Air Pirates and the Nexo Knights were both making plans to attack each other, though neither group knew this. The Nexo Knights finished their plan first because it was so simple. They made it simple so that the Pirates would still be planning while the Knights attacked.

The Knights attacked from all directions and at very high speed. The Air Pirates took a while to figure out what was going on. They were under attack by the Nexo Knights!

The Nexo Knights had a high advantage over the pirates because they started to attack first. But soon the Air Pirates were winning. So far the Nexo Knights weren't being beaten too hard, but the Air Pirates were still winning. The Pirates' plan was to force the Knights off the battlement of their plane onto the wing. It was just like walking the plank, only they called it walking the wing. The Nexo Knights soon figured this out and tried to do the same to the Pirates, but the Pirates already knew their plan and were ready.

The Nexo Knights needed help but no one else knew about their battle. They needed help quickly. Fortunately the Ninjas of Ninjago were flying overhead on their dragons. They swooped down. Some of them swooped down and jumped off their dragons to take care of the injured Knights. They took those Knights back home to take care of them. Others stayed on their dragons to knock the Air Pirates off their fighting planks.

The Ninja were at the rescue site. Most of the Nexo Knights survived. Only one died but most made it. The Ninja went home and the Knights took over their plane and flew home too.

And that is how the Nexo Knights and Ninja Became friends.

The End

The Competition

One day the Nexo Knights and the Ninjas wanted to have a competition. Jay suggested they have a competition to see who was the most powerful. So they decided that at different times they would separately attack an evil fortress. They would determine the winner by who defeated more bad guys in less time.

Since it was Jays idea, the Ninjas attacked first. A few weeks later the Nexo Knights attacked a different evil fortress. During both of their battles the groups needed help from the others to help them win. In the end they all leanred that the secret is team work.

The End

My Son Wrote a Story

We were at my parent's house the other day.  My mom brought out a big box of all the old cards, stories, poems etc. my sisters and I had written when we were little girls.  The next day when there was a lull in the action I asked the boys if they wanted to write a story with me.  MJ drew some pictures and asked me to add words.  TJ started to dictate a story for me to write.  This story is basically what he told me to write.  I asked a few questions along the way for clarification and to expand on details. He has given me permission to reprint it here for you.

Sir Castleot

By TJ

Once upon a time there was a knight.  Sir Castleot had to do three challenges.
1. Winning a basketball game.
2. Learning about the moon.
3. Winning a war.
He had to complete these challenges in order to become a real knight.

Sir Castleot felt confident about winning the basketball game. He thought learning about the moon might be cool. But he was a little bit nervous about the war since he had never done anything like that before.

On the night before the big basketball game Sir Castelot slept with his basketball. When he woke up it was still there. He arrived early at the court then everybody arrived. He was on team knight. The others were on team snake. Each basket counted as two points. The Knights got one basket. The Snakes got two baskets, so the score was 2-4. The Knights got two more baskets and won the game. The final score was 6-4. Sir Castleot felt really good and proud inside for winning the first challenge.

The next day he got into the spaceship and went off to the moon. Sir Castleot got off the spaceship and floated around the moon for a bit. He saw something. It looked like a little spot on the ground, but it was a crater. He got stuck for a minute but then got out. He slept in the spaceship for one night and then went home the next day.

Sir Castleot presented what be learned to the people. He learned that the moon had no atmosphere, no wind or rain or anything like that. The reason he knew that was because he found footprints that weren't his. He saw that they were from the first astronauts to visit the moon on a different year from him.  He also learned that astroids make craters in the moon.  He knew this because he saw one hit some flat ground a little ways off.

Back home he had two days before the war. He could practice, rest, or do whatever he wanted. And he decided to spend hi time not resting or getting ready, but practicing. He wanted to practice so he could win the war, so he did sword fighting. On the night before the war he decided to sleep with his armour next to his bed. He also slept with his clothes on so he would be ready for the next day.

He heard something about a one-on-one sword fight.  That explains exactly why he decided to spend his time practicing sword fighting. Sir Castleot went to the place where he would sword fight early because he lived so far away. hen he got there all his friends where there to cheer him on. Sir Castleot's opponent had just spent his time doing the same challenges.  He was just as nervous as Sir Castleot was about the sword fight. They had no idea that they were both trying to become knights.

The sword fight began. Sir Castleot banged his opponent over to the edge. But just then his opponent got a good whack at Sir Castleot and they both ended up in the middle. Sir Castleot's opponent smacked Sir Castleot to the edge. Then just as he thought all was lost he got a good whack at his opponent's tummy. He got him twice like that and got him to the edge. The two men were fighting with cylinder swords with rounded tops and wore armour so they wouldn't get hurt. When the opponent raised his sword over his head, Sir Castleot shoved his own sword right into the opponent's stomach and shoved him off the wooden board into the water.

Sir Castelot had won. His opponent, Bob, had lost. He was tired but very proud of himself for doing the challenges. they had a big ceremony. Sir Castleot was given his own sword, shield and armour by War King. He went off to win more battles.

The End

End of Summer Party

A few weeks ago TJ came to me and said he wanted to have a party with his friends.  I've posted before about how he throws parties in the forest for his stuffies.  These little shindigs are complete with snacks, loot bags, games and decorations.  The guests are usually other stuffed toys, his brother and who ever happens to be visiting us that day. This time there were no friends over so we'd have to make some plans....

TJ was very clear that he was going to buy the items for the loot bags.  When I suggested that we could plan an actual party (bigger than his usual forest ones), he was thrilled!  We talked about themes, who to invite, activities, decorations, loot bags, and of course the cost.

Side note:
Now I have been reading a lot about project based homeschooling.  I tried to let TJ have complete control over this party project.  I did make some suggestions and encouraged him to keep working on it (once you actually invite people it's nice to follow through).  I am learning right along with my children here, so I won't say I wish I'd done things differently.  I know now for next time to ask more prompting questions such as "what else do we need for the party?, what is the next step?" rather than telling him what needs to be done.

Real math is counting your own money

I am so very proud of my son!  He decided to pay for the entire get-together.  He did some chores around the house and for others. Knowing that it could take a while to earn what he needed, TJ asked if there was a faster way.  We did some brain storming about how people earn money and he decided to sell some toys.  It would help us purge and be much faster than making items to sell.  So off he went to pick some toys to sell and take photos.  I posted the adds on Facebook for him.

Purchasing his own groceries

The week before the party we went shopping for food, decorations and loot bag items.  We had many days of counting money (each time something sold).  With his list in hand, TJ loaded up his cart and paid the cashier for his purchases.

TJ decided to individually decorate and personalize each loot bag.  With around 15 children coming to the house, TJ had a lot of work ahead of him.  He spread out the bag decorating over a few days, taking time to choose each item for the loot bag based on the kids favourite colours.  He also bought some streamers to hang up all over the house!!

Baking cupcakes by himself

Another awesome opportunity came with TJ reading the directions and baking the cupcakes all on his own.  I was simply his assistant and to monitor him using the oven.  I was asked to colour the icing and decorate the cupcakes because TJ was still working on the loot bags the morning of the party.  Poor TJ's interest was waning so we came up with a plan.  He'd decorate one bag, then help add sprinkles to a few cupcakes.  Going back and forth we finished up everything in no time.

Personalized party bags

The party was a huge success.  All the children played wonderfully.  They all brought snacks to share, and enjoyed the treats.  The sprinklers, water guns, and hose we welcomed on the hot day after jumping on the trampoline for a while.  TJ was a wonderful host.  He welcomed each guest and made sure everyone had something/someone to play with.  Some friends left after two hours while others stayed almost four hours and were very sad to have to leave.

Delicious cupcakes

Real learning takes places with the topics are relevant, meaningful and interesting to the learner.   I know TJ truly learned a great deal from  this whole experience. Besides the abundance of learning, and responsibility that took place, this was a whole lot of fun!!  I love the ideas my boys have and I love to be able to say YES to them!!

Have you said YES to your kids recently?  Share in the comments how that went...

This post is linked to:

Mom2Mom Monday linkup

Twinkly Tuesday

Highlights from our Week - November Week 3

As always we are having a wonderful time being at home learning together.  This was a very cold week here so we went to the YMCA about five times.  The boys take swimming lessons and attend a Ykids gym time during a day time slot for home schoolers.  

Computer games and things aren't something we've used too often.  They come and go for a few days and then the boys move on to something new.  Daddy uses tablets for work and we loaded a few games on them for the boys.  They were so excited to try everything and are pretty good!  Daddy also joined them with an online story.

The day after we finished clearing the leaves off the yard it snowed.  Oh how excited those boys were to get outside.  They made snow angels and TJ made a whole nativity scene with a choir of angels. 

Later they scooped up snow to melt by the fire.  Their Playmobile toys also joined in the action.  MJ has been playing Christmas all week.

It snowed again.  This time we got a fabulous day with packing snow!  The boys were up and outside in their pj's first thing in the morning.  They made snowmen and giant huge snowballs.  It was so much fun and great exercise.  

Later in the day the boys were having difficulty sharing some Lego motors, so I brought out two pneumatic Lego parts for the boys to explore.  They were fascinated with the air moving the piston.  Lots of interesting creations were made.

I bought the boys some goggles to help them in the pool (strong chlorine).  They immediately wanted a bath to test them out.  MJ wore his goggles for several days, building, baking, to the gym and more.

The boys are doing so well in the pool.  MJ has become much more brave.  He enjoys jumping in, and swimming on his back.  TJ has been trying to swim under water and can even do summersaults!

We invited some friends over for dinner and the boys wanted to bake gingerbread cookies.  We had a great time baking and decorating together. 

I was so pleased when MJ went to the math shelves and picked out the pattern blocks.  When I bought them I had put them in the shelf intending to print out cards to put with them.  The boys weren't sure what they were so I showed them a few ideas on my laptop.  They both worked well together to make a train by looking at the picture.  Then they took turns making new things and taking photos of all their work.  I quietly made an abstract design on the table.  They boys were intrigued and made many wonderful designs over the next few days.

I had checked out a few art books from the library to see what they were like.  We went to visit my mom's house with my sister and all the boys.  The boys and I looked through the book together.  TJ felt inspired by one of Monet's water lilly paintings.  TJ quickly discovered that our watercolours wouldn't give the texture or colours he was looking for.  My mom generously shared her collection of paints with TJ (he was very excited).  Working with great focus and attention he created his version of the painting.  I was pleased to be his assistant colour mixer.

MJ and Nanny made potato prints and painted with water colours.  The boys cousin also joined us to use the water colours.  He and his mom enjoyed making funny pictures and trying all sorts of colours.

TJ's version of Monet's Water Lilly Pond painting

We've been running our fireplace all fall.  The boys have been incredibly helpful and are learning many skills and safety things through this experience.  We spent some time modelling with wax by the fire to warm it up.  The boys each made a fish to show our little pet Spotty.  

MJ also wrote his whole name.  He usually just puts an M on the page.  We were all very proud of him.

Having been inside most of the week.  We took the opportunity at the end of the week to go for a walk in the forrest.  The boys explored their favourite spots, followed animal tracks and played in the snow.  It was lovely.

MJ has been interested in the human body for several months now.  We spent a good potion of our week getting ready for a local homeschool Science Fair.  MJ wanted to share some of the pictures he had made.  We also traced his body and added in many organs.  It was great fun.  MJ continually check our books to make sure everything was in the right places.  He did very well explaining his project to those who came by his table.

TJ's science fair project was about discovering the best angle of a ramp to race toy cars down.  He raced three different toy cars down a ramp at various angles to see which one would travel the farthest.  Having been a science teacher in the past I did my best not to take over but to let TJ learn about this experiment himself.  He did most of the write up, including lots of typing.  TJ also explained his project very well to the many people who came over to his table.

It was wonderful to see all the projects that the other children had put together.  There was such a range of ages and topics.  We are very blessed to have many different opportunities in our area.

Looking forward to checking in again next week...

Boy's Crafts: My son's new business

My 6 year old son is quite the entrepreneur!!

Finger-knit Skinny Scarf

This afternoon I suggested that we might listen to an audio story.  It was a Sparkle Story about knitting.  I asked if he wanted to do some handicrafts with wool and yarn next week.  Immediately TJ ran to my office and brought back some yarn to do finger-knitting.  He worked away while listening to the story.  We talked about what he could make and decided on a scarf.  While working away TJ said he wanted to sell his projects (much like the boy in the story).  In one afternoon he finished the scarf and started on another!

Finished skinny scarf

We gathered together all his completed handiworks to start with and he will continue to make more.  We talked again about how to sell items and what to do with things that don't sell.  TJ figured we could sell things on my computer and gift anything that doesn't sell as a Christmas present.

I created a FaceBook page for him and loaded the pictures he took.  I'm trying to let TJ do as much as possible with this venture.  He does need some help as he doesn't read much or know about the internet (or computers in general).

Little brother wanted to learn how to finger-knit too.  Oh it was a precious moment to be part of his joy in learning how.  MJ was so excited with every loop he pulled off.  "Mommy I'm doing it!  Look at me finger-knitting!"

I hope you'll help to support this creative adventure.  He is taking special requests and hope that everyone will like what he's made.  PLEASE do come and 'like' his Facebook page Boy's Craft

 TJ's store is called Boy's Craft (he made that one up). The Facebook address was harder to do because the one we wanted was taken already.  https://www.facebook.com/madebyaboy

"This is TJ. I have a store.  I hope you enjoy all the stuff you buy."

TJ's Pontoon Boat Blog Post

My project started when I wanted to build a boat.  I was just floating McDonald's boxes in a garbage can full of water and then I wanted to make a boat.  First I tried doing a plastic container and then I thought it was too tippy. 

Then I thought of a wider base.   I looked up boat bases (you can find out more about hull designs here).  I wanted to make first a flat hull and then mommy told me those kind of bases are meant mostly for sitting around or going slow.  So then I found out about another one that you can put a motor on.  It has two v-shaped things on the side so water can run through the middle.  I heard that a pontoon boat is really steady so I picked that.

 These pictures show what happened with my boat.  First I tested it and I found out it leaned on the sides.  I moved around my passengers it made it level out.  I was going to add a bag of weights, but found just moving the passengers worked too.

Here is my final design and a picture of a real pontoon boat.  I was really interested in who invented pontoon boats.  Mommy read my his story which you can find here.

I kinda had fun with this project.  I look forward to doing other projects.