So I decided, due to my forced summer unemployment, to tutor some children. One of the children I was able to work with is Autumn. She is an extremely bubbly, outgoing, full of energy, sensitive to those around her little girl. Well, her mother asked me if I would work with her for two weeks (the weeks prior to school starting) to help increase her self confidence (she is extremely bright). This was such a fun experience!!!! She immediately showed excitement for writing so we spend every session working on writing. I explained to her that every story must have a problem and then a solution. Well, today we finished her story. It is so dang cute. She read it aloud to her grandmother and mother. She was so proud. Well, Angie (Autumn's mother) told me that Autumn had been writing tons and that since I taught her something about problems and solutions she wrote a story about... that had a definite problem and solution. I asked if I could read the story.....I laughed so hard. I asked Angie if I could share her story on my blog and she said it was fine. So her is Autumn's amazing story with a "problem and solution." By the way, Autumn just started 2nd grade!
Copied exactly as written:
Once there lived a girl named Autumn. Autumn was a missonary. She went all around the world, she lived in North AMERica.
One day Autunm was going on a misson, this time she was going to Washington DC, she was going to stay for 8 years. She Packed every thing. her Airplane left at 7:00 it was 6:37, she only had 23 minuts Oh What was Autunm going to do? She was finely ready. She left to the airport, it took a long time for the plane to fly, finely she was in Washington DC. she was so happy! She went to her hotel, then she went to teach the gospel. when she got there she realised she left her Book of Mormon in North America! She didn't know what to do. She asked everey one in the neiboor-
hood. No one had one. When she got to the last house a women opened the door she said "May i help you." I said "yes I was wondering if you had a book of mormon." "oh I have 5 of them." May I please have one?" "Yes can have one." "Thank you!" When she handed the book of Mormon to me it was like nice and new. then i say 200 thank yous. and thats not all. Jesus is with us i know we can follow Jesus Crist and hevenly father. now thats the end.
I thought that was pretty darn hilarious and amazing!!
This is the story she wrote during our sessions. I honestly did hardly anything but help her with spelling:
Once upon a time there was a young princess named Autumn. Autumn was a beautiful princess. She wore a elegant blue dress and had short brown hair. Autumn had a pretty sparkily crown. Autumn had three sisters Malia Aunna Elane.
One day Autumn wanted to ride her horse. She went and got her horse Skipey and rode to the forest. While riding her horse she saw pretty pink roses. She stopped her horse and stared picking the flowers. When picking hte flowers her crown fell off her head but Autumn didn't notice. After picking the flowers, Autumn got her horse and went home. She put away her horse Skippey, went into her house and went to her room. While in her room she looked in her mirror and noticed that her crown was gone. She felt sad. Then she got an idea. She decided to go back into the forst and look for her crown. While she was in the forest she met a young prince. Autumn asked the prince what he was doing in the forest. The prince said, "I'm looking of my crown. I lost my crown in this forest." "I lost my crown too," said the princess. "Well, this mite be your crown, I found it while looking for mine." Autumn looked at the crown. Where did you find it?" I found it in the pink rose bushes," said the prince. "Thank you," said Autumn, "do you want me to help you find your crown?" "Yes," said the prince, oh, I almost forgot my name is Prince Benjamin." "Oh, my name is Princess Autumn," said Princess Autumn. So they started looking for the prince's crown and found it. They said goodbye and went back to there castle. On the way home Prince Benjamin thought about Princess Autumn and what a nice, sweet, loving, caring girl she was. The next morning the prince woke up early. He told his dad he needed to go some where. The prince went to get a shinning ring for Princess Autumn. Prince Benjamin took the shinning ring to Princess Autumn. When Prince Benjamin knocked on the door, Princess Autumn opened the door. The prince said, "Can I talk to you?" "Sure," said Princes Autumn. They started talking and the prince asked the princess, "will you marry me?" "Oh yes," said Princess Autumn. The prince put the shinning ring on the princess' finger and they lived happily every after. The end.
Now the funniest part about this story was watching her write the adjectives to describe herself.....and when she stopped during the "ring" part of the story and asked me if I was married. I told her I wasn't, to which she replied, "Why aren't you married." Trying to be witty I responded, "Because I haven't met my prince yet." "But your already 24!?!" was her shocked reply. "I am way older than 24 and not married." I countered back. "OH (with the look of death) that's not good." she said and then went on writing. Nothing like a kid to make you laugh out loud!!!! Doesn't these stories just crack you up!!!!
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3 comments:
Very cute! Her spelling is great! Emma just started second grade and her spelling is not so great and I don't think she even uses punctuation marks. It's all one long sentence. I had her in a private Montessori last year and they told me they don't formally teach spelling or writing because they don't want to discourage a child's natural love for writing. They told me they teach it later. I have her back at the public school and she is going to have to play catch up now! Any suggestions?? Her reading is awesome. I guess the spelling will come when she realizes that there is a correct way to spell a word. Talk about a rude awakening!
Yeah, that is a pretty common opinion of Montessori schools. I don't hold that philosophy of writing because I have never seen a child discouraged in my classroom due to spelling words correctly. If anything I have to often times tell them that they can sound out the words on their own instead of always having to come to me for the answer. Last year I was trained in "Reading Recovery" an amazing program to say the least. Within the program there is a lot of writing and they have the teacher help the child write the words correctly as they go along....the idea is to make them pay closer attention to words and the correct way they are written.
A great idea I would use, is team write together. Have you and her have the very same colored pen or a pencil. Discuss prior to writing what it is they are going to write. Count the words that are in the sentence (this helps them remember what it is they are writing....often times kids can get lost in their writing). Then let her go at it. When she comes to a word that she doesn't know...pull out a paper and have her draw lines for all the sounds that are heard in that word. Then have her start filling in the blanks....when she messes up just simply write it the correct way (explain why it wasn't quite right in a positive way---this will help them feel ok about making mistakes) if it isn't a phonetic rule....you write it before she can...that way she is successful. Explain the crazy way some letters act and that some things just have to be memorized. The more you work together the faster she will pay attention to word spelling in her reading and writing and the faster you will see an improvement.....at least that is what I have experienced and believe. ;-)
I hope that made sense....
Having read back over my comment....I need tutoring in writing. Don't write a comment when pressed for time. Let me know if that make sense>
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