Mud Puppies

The ways they come up with to play surely keep us all entertained.

I exchanged boys for Mud Puppies!

Hmm, I'm not sure the story blankets will ever be white again.

 

It is amazing how easily they switch from play to work as we go through our morning.

This guy wrote such a great letter to Mr. Mark.

Ms. Madeline is still hanging in with us.

Piggy backing the discussion yesterday about tracking. So many times I see such eager pleasers, that can still miss the point entirely.  If they've chosen a text that is a bit difficult, I will  share read and ask them to track while I read.  Again, I have to watch carefully, because they dutifully poke at each word, but may not be looking or may be on a way wrong word.  We keep working at it and a host of other helpers as you can see.  Thank you Summer Camp Team for all your hard work.  

To date we've ended Wednesdays in the creek.  Today we had to go in the small creek as the water was too high and swift in the big creek for my comfort.

This creek is equally loved.

It seems the big boys didn't want to miss out on mud coverage and had a mud ball fight at their end of the creek.  They came forth looking like swamp monsters. 

Goodness, this weather has caused me some stress.  Praise God for another storm free day and muddy, happy, safe kiddos.

Have a great Fourth of July week!

What? We Made It? No Rain

Hallelujah, we managed a whole camp morning with no rain!!!
I changed things up a bit while we had a few moments of sunshine and did our hikes first so everyone could get their deep, dark woods fix.
This week's woodsy snack was good ol' dirt and worms- yummy!



  I want to talk for a moment about Dyslexia.  We've known it existed for, oh, seventy years or so and better technology has actually revealed very definite brain differences.  Finally, Indiana has recognized it as a reality that needs our attention.  How long it will take for it fall out in schools, with appropriate help offered is anyone's guess.
As I watch the kids play, listen to their story ideas, see them problem solve, it is clear to me how very bright they are, what thinkers.  But I am observing many other things that intrigue me and don't fall into "typical" behavior. When we are pouring the water, and/or Orbeez, over our heads into the next person's cup, some kiddos struggle with pouring backward ( understanding which direction that is) and try to pour forward.  Rhyming is a struggle for some.  Can you imagine how challenging reading would be if you never see the patterns that rhyming provides most of us. Consistently placing the beginning of a new sentence on the left can be hard work.  Trying to figure out the words makes all other things like punctuation disappear for these kiddos.  Writing is so hard, that no effort can be given to such things as capitals and questions marks.  The struggle is so very real for them.
 Sadly, the only help requires a lot of practice and hard work.  No wonder so many of these kidlets are reluctant to read and write, regardless of the reason. Still, reading and writing should be done every day.
I think writing for authentic reasons is a big help.  Today they wrote a thank you note to the gentleman who visited us from Eager Beaver.  I think, instead of having them sound out words, it might be best to tell them how to spell it, then have them write it and spell it to themselves a couple of times. Anyone they can write to for a real reason is great practice.

 

 If you have younger ones at home, write and draw with them to ease some of the frustration. It is never too early to transcribe their words.

Poems are great tools for practicing spelling patterns.  Get a funny poetry book from the library.  Pick a word and talk about other words that use that pattern.  Write the words, read the words.  Just talk and spell words driving down the road. 



Be very mindful of them letting anyone read to them and not tracking what is being read.  If, for example, your child comments, "I don't understand these directions."  It is perhaps stalling, or not knowing enough of the words to get the meaning.  Try saying, "I'll read while you put your finger on the words and track."  Then make sure he/she does.  When things are hard, you avoid them.  I preach this sermon about tracking every day.  I always have a child who is not struggling with the poem to read it first, telling the others to track.  Nine out of ten times, the second the child starts reading, the others look at the child, or look the other way.  I say again, " Remember, the way these patterns will move to your long term memory is to see them again and again. When I'm reading, or anyone else, you must track the words." If I had a dollar for how many times I've said this, I wouldn't have to charge for camp.
Sometimes Dyslexia is not the problem at all.  When reading and writing don't come easily, the mastery of them is competing with a hundred more things beloved by the child.  This just takes some frustrating grunt work on everyone's part- imploring, rewarding, whatever to keep them reading and writing every day.
Here at camp, we'll be working hard.
Thank you Lord for a dry and safe day!

At Least it Didn't Rain- Much

Oh, wait, it did rain much. I looked and listened to weather opinions today and made a decision.  Living in the Ohio Valley, I've learned not to cancel anything due to weather.  I thought we'd make it once again.  Ahem, little did I know that stalled system would stall right over my yard.
Well, you know, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Instead of front porch, front yard, play yard and woods, we rotated through the living room, kitchen and porch and found fun and word work wherever we landed.

We enjoyed meeting a new friend who will be in my class this fall.

The paint station was new and many campers were excited to paint.

 After our story about the fate of the snowman in The Faraway Tree, we practiced narrating.  Anytime children read, having them tell you the story is a good practice.

This narrating really reveals important ideas that might have been missed.  For instance, today in Bears of Blue River, the boys were waiting for time to pass. They would know when the shadow of the tree fell across Tom's face.  All the boys thought a tree fell on Tom.  These times of misunderstandings often cost students on those assessments we all love.  

Instead of water, we poured cups of Orbeez.  Orbeez are just fun.

Time to bring some wet chilly children in to dry off and do some art with chalk, and  a little cursive practice. 

 Poetry went on in the living room.  Don't forget to practice those poems.

 A bit of construction on the front porch.

 Just for fun, though a great activity for fine motor skills and attentiveness- blow the Orbeez through the maze.

Then change to straight lanes and race.

As always, grateful for safe, happy, learning children.  Thank you Lord!

Three Weeks In

Glad to end another week all safe and sound.  Maybe next week we'll find out what it is like to not fight 8 big trucks blocking my drive, no water, boil advisory and pop-up storms.  Blessed with all the fun and learning we've enjoyed in spite of a few annoyances. Thanks be to God.

Wow, we're already half way through camp and I return my thoughts to my original goal.  I wanted to keep them reading and writing all summer, while having enough fun in between to sooth any reading or writing angst.  My hope was  that some of that would continue at home and perhaps turn around some negative feelings about reading and writing. 
Well, at least while they are here, goal one is met.
By the letters some kiddos are writing and books that are being shared, even more is going on at home!
Each morning they are responsible to run off into the woods, find a letter and come back to write the biggest word they can think of on the board.  Needless to say, this is typically done as speedily as possible to get back to the important job of playing.  Imagine my surprise and delight when this young man came running back out with a second letter.  I laughed, since it was the letter of his name and said, "I know you have a word for that letter."  "Yeah, "he smiled, "jellyfish."  Love it.

A long time ago, years really, I purchased these silks.  They have been everything you can imagine.  At camp, they were a very long veil for our Miss Edie.

That is until they became a very long extension of a little June Bug billowing in the breeze.

 Since Miss Edie has this storytelling gig under control, I stayed on the hill to watch my guys pour this water over their heads into the next cup.

 It really takes some time and attention.

 Then I headed down to check on my Wood Sprites and Fairy Girls.

 They are reading lots of stories about all things fairy and this is certainly reflected in their writing.

The boys switched to creative writing this week.  The words do not come as easily as non-fiction writing, but some are starting to get into it.

Finally, the long awaited return trip to the creek, where tons of fossils, fish and fish eggs were located and properly oooohed and awwwwwed over.   

Till next week, have a good one.  Don't forget to read and write!