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Archive for the ‘Reading’ Category

Twas midnight in the schoolroom
And every desk was shut
When suddenly from the alphabet
Was heard a loud “Tut-Tut!”

Said A to B, “I don’t like C;
His manners are a lack.
For all I ever see of C
Is a semi-circular back!”

“I disagree,” said D to B,
“I’ve never found C so.
From where I stand he seems to be
An uncompleted O.”

C was vexed, “I’m much perplexed,
You criticise my shape.
I’m made like that, to help spell Cat
And Cow and Cool and Cape.”

“He’s right” said E; said F, “Whoopee!”
Said G, “‘Ip, ‘Ip, ‘ooray!”
“You’re dropping me,” roared H to G.
“Don’t do it please I pray.”

“Out of my way,” LL said to K.
“I’ll make poor I look ILL.”
To stop this stunt J stood in front,
And presto! ILL was JILL.

“U know,” said V, “that W
Is twice the age of me.
For as a Roman V is five
I’m half as young as he.”

X and Y yawned sleepily,
“Look at the time!” they said.
“Let’s all get off to beddy byes.”
They did, then “Z-z-z.”

– Spike Milligan

As a little one, I used to love this…

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The GCSE system is supposed to educate people. And sometimes it does: facts and skills and methods and systems can all be picked up in the course of preparation for the exams. There are still plenty of good teachers and bright students. But if a desire for education gets in the way of the procedure – the “assessment objectives” that Francis Gilbert identified last week in his article about A-levels – then education loses. Like the all-important procedures that define call-centre operations, the means becomes the end. The purpose of a GCSE is the GCSE itself, and anything truly learned is a happy accident.

Which is good news for call centre managers, as a generation of youngsters learns that sticking blindly, rigidly to a syllabus or a procedure is the way to success and contentment. WB Yeats said that education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire. From many students today, proudly clutching their A* grades in English literature, the only response will be: “Yeats? Nah, we haven’t done him.”
(Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/22/schools.gcses)

“Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire”. yeats

Popularity: 27% [?]

Clogs… Those wooden shoes…nope they are sabot’s. clogs are wooden sole below an leather upper.

The word clog? Oh its a noun and a verb.. good hey. It seems to have started life in the middle english times.  (1150 -1450)

In cumberland dialect, a clog is any block of wood.

Interested? there are two books I can think off on the subject. Clattering Clogs, and Concerning Clogs, both by Bob Dobson… and both out of print!

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Not really had a good day today. Asha has had terror head all since 7 am this morning, refusing to eat breakfast, wasnt a good start for steve.

She then helped herself to sweets, which added to the chaos.. she really cant do those evil things.

She settled down a bit once i managed to convince her to eat some peanut butter on bread, but even that took serious amounts of effort.

I was exhausted as was steve so Asha ended up infront of the T.V and a new Dvd she got for her Birthday.. Barbie – ARGH” but it has kept her quiet!

She read some of “BUT MARTIN” but I read most of it, and she did at least fall asleep after a rather noisy bath.. Calling me even though Daddy was with her.. Today has just been one of those days!

Todays education? Some reading, some playing, some painting, some baking, (banana and walnut cakes) some tv, some lovely rhymes in the bath, and a bit of welsh. Add in there playing with neighbours, and on trampoline, etc…

Oh and tonights story from me was a bit different as well :

My Grandfather is a Magician. by Ifeoma Anyefulyu lovely illustrations, and great introduction to an african village.. oh as a side line, when we were in pwhelli yesterday, we passed a bulding called Kampala, we always end up discussing the capital of Uganda, East Africa and the nile.

As for how much today I have no idea. but we started at 7 am and she fell asleep at 9pm :d

Vicki xx

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Today, we were sitting sewing sewing cards in bed this morning. It was lovely.
This afternoon we sat in a cafe, and did reading and sticker book together, which was really good. Words such as Mountain, Lake and Flag rolled off her lips! And to cap it all off, we then got one of the waitresses to do some welsh with us, and Asha thanked her in welsh..

After our fantastic time in the cafe, Asha was praised further in Tescos, for being a great sociable little girl. who is obviously trying to speak welsh.
This evening we sat and watched Kipper together that was lovely.
To night, we sat and did some welsh, and that was fun.
Bedtime. Asha was a devil.. but I think she has fallen asleep reading.. Now thats is great!

Vicki xx

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Asha has been catching frogs and generally pond dipping today.

She was mesmerised by the tiny frogs and really did want to catch one, but wasnt too keen on falling in the pond.

We also looked at trains, dolls and gardens. A quick sneak around a victorian kitchen… Can you guess where we met Granny?

We also got a copy of astrid Lindgren – Pippi Longstocking… now illustrated by Laruen childs.. Asha has loved it soo far,

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After a few year of consideration I have finally decided to start acting as a “stall holder” as they are a great publisher and I love there illustrations and subjects.

I hope you enjoy them as much as Asha and I do!
Go on, have a look.

Vicki xx

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asha

tom

big asha

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So apart from learning not to touch mummys sun burn… well its a learning outcome   and mummy trying to find out a simple explanation on sunburn – given up for now… What have we done today?

Asha watched Just so stories this morning.. We then did a few audio books, with her “reading along” to herself. she enjoys pinoccio this way. I phoned mum, as I am sure some of the books to go with some of the tapes are down there still.

After I had done a trip to tescos for some after sun, Asha did some glueing. I had bought her a cheap funky felts set, which was meant to be used to make a neckless, but the needle wont go through the felt easily, and Asha was getting upset, so I suggested we got some glue out and she made a picture. She has done this, and now wants to send it to granny..

Asha is now outside again, playing with the neighbours children, and I need to get that chicken in the oven!

Asha is definatly on the way to reading on her own though. Its wonderfull to see.

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We had our normal thursday today. Asha and I made some cinnamin (sp?) buscuits, and she measured the flour, and margarine out. then enjoyed mixing them together, and naturally eating the mixture :d

We also made some bright pink iceing to put on the buscuits.. oh well the joys.

Asha also spent some time watching her just so stories videos. she really does love them. I watched an angelina ballerina video with her as a treat, but she didnt really enjoy it. We then talked about ghosts, castles and behaviour. It was interesting.

After Asha had enjoyed the videos, we read a noddy book, It was one of the old ones, and she did seem to enjoy it. I havent read a long story to Asha for a few weeks, so it was good to do that again.

Tonight we had a look at nutbrown hare (guess how much I love you) and mogs mumps. Asha seemed to really enjoy them both. It seems weird to be reading Mogs mumps to Asha, as it was one of my books from when I was little.

We have had a lovely day today. Asha has spent some time one on one with Me and Steve, played with the neighbours kids and adults tonight. done reading and colouring in, and cooking.. A restfull but productive day for us all I feel… Oh well, good night!

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And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, “Speak to us of Children.”

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.
By:  Kahlil Gibran

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1889 ” The hundread of Wirral” P Sculley
“Twixt mersey and dee” – Gamlin
1846 Mortimer”History of the Hundread of Wirral”
Edward the Black Prince
Disforested the Wirral – Mortimers ” History of the 100 of Wirral”
St Andrews Church – White Church – Venerable Beded- ad 73 J Stowe

The Ivy and End of the World…. Was the Church Moved at Night?… Can anyone cast any lingt on this??

Bishop Cartwright
Rickman Gothic Architecture http://faculty.ed.uiuc.edu/westbury/Paradigm/Vaughan.html
Mayor Museum – Bebington
Nathaniel Hawthorne – 26 Rock Park 1/9/ 1853 – Can anyone get me a photograph?
He was the American Consulate in Liverpool at the time.

A Transformation – Bright p23
1819 Ormerod” History of the county of Cheshire”
Kings Vale Royall
William Webb
“From Blacon Point to Hillbree A squirrel may leap from tree to tree”
Randel de meschines – 4th Earl of Chester

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After constantly having a cold since before Christmas, and being fairly exhausted, I got a lie in. Steve entertained Asha all morning down stairs, with help from CBeebies, and I remained in bed. and did i need it or what!

The afternoon remained quiet simple, but the kids kicked off at night a bit, so Asha came in early.. though she didnt go to sleep untill past 10,30!

I felt a bit brighter.. but not loads.

Asha and I did some reading today as well. We re-read some of the Shirley Hughes and Kipper books, we havent read them for a while, so it was quite refreshing.

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Well she has done it. She came to Bangor by train, and has now gone home. Asha and I met her, and we had a lovely day, visiting some of the shops, and spending some time at Penryn Castle. A national trust property with class, large gardens, a outdoor play area, and loads of interesting things for even an Asha to look at!

The history behind it is slightly more worrying however – cotton, slavery, death….

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After a few hectic weeks, it was great today to just have a real stop day. Asha and I read books for most of the morning in Bed. We re-visited the read 20 stories in a morning days from last year, it was lovely.

Including
Pandi the Brave by Nathene Arnaoutis ISBN: 1841215945

What has really impressed me is how many of the words she recognises and the letters. But I have no intention of “teaching her to read” but I know it wont be that long!

This afternoon, we shared a bath together, something Asha loves doing, and we dont do often enough. We then sat in the lounge and had a cuddle and a play on the sofa, feeding dolly!

After a while next doors kids came in and we did some puppets and golden easter egg pictures. They were bored A slightly late night for Asha, as she wasnt really ready for bed at 7, but by 8 she was happy to go up, after some “lovely pudding” – sainsburys gluten free hot cross buns!

lovely day at home. I am sure I would get bored if every day was like this, but it felt wonderful!

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I always find it hard picking the right books for Asha’s bedtime stories. At the moment I’m reading her Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It’s got long words in it and quite complex sentences, so it doesn’t take long for her to fall asleep.

I always try to pick something with a good story that I have read or would like to read, that way we can both enjoy it. She will tell me if she doesn’t like it. That has happened a few times and I’ve just had to find something else.

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So I look at familytreehouse, and realise we havent written down half of what we have been doing for the last two weeks. Why? because we have been so busy, doing nothing

Granny was 65.
Daddy was 6 – well that’s what he says :d
We did painting and made cardboard animals at C.L.A.S
We made food, and cooked.
We made goats milk cheese – yummy.
We went shopping.
We sat and watched Mary Poppins.. (what a great film!)
We discussed chimney sweeps, musicals, dancing… and asha wants to return to ballet – so we shall
We have played ball, made bags out of felt, managed to jump down firemans poles unaided!!!
We have started to recognise D,B,S,M,A in capital letters and small letters. Expertly!
We have drawn pictures of flaminogoes, daffodils, puffins, grandads, and made dens and nests.
We have talked about the moon and the sun. How to make electricity, Why people need glasses, Why people live and die, what the difference is between a leaf eater bee and a bumble bee. The difference between wild and domestic animals….

We have practiced ballet, and drawing. We have made mud pies, eaten in restaurants. Tried oysters, and scallops.

Seen Oxford, Stratford, and slept at uncle andrews house. In fact all things considered, its no wonder i cant remeber what we have done this last few weeks, as all I have wanted to do is sleep, sleep sleep!

We have read books, and discussed the moon, time, our bodies, and why we have skin. We have talked about why some animals have fur (like cats) and some have a hide (like rino’s)

And to add to this medley of life, Steve has read her Jonathan Livingstone Seagull !

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After a success full day on the whole yesterday, today was never going to be good, with me hurting my foot. but so far we have read in bed.. always good fun.

Talked about the zoo in some depth. Chatted about the difference between home education and school. And done a lovely project on the Zoo, which i have attached a copy of. Although the copy attached dosnt include all her hand drawn work!.. Just her typing and choice of borders, and pictures.

We have also made pizza’s for lunch and Steves card for tomorrow… but hush, dont tell him that!

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I have been wondering what Asha acheives during a quiet day at home, so today.. I am going to list what she has done in one of her slouch days at home..

8 am.. up and playing imaginary games with Daddy.

9 am sitting at home drinking tea with mummy and daddy at kitchen table, having poured her own milk and tea into a cup.

10 am we were in pwhelli, and she was helping Daddy doing the shopping..  and finding her own buscuits so she could put three packets in the basket!

12.30 Exhausted sits on sofa. Eatting lunch.

1 pm Asks if she could have some cbeebies on. We said yes, as she hasnt had them on since the middle of last week.

1.30 Asks if she can help daddy to peal carrots using a potatoe peeler . daddy lets her, and is pleasanty surprised with the effect!.. thats carrots pealed.

3 pm, comes and helps me, and we read meg and mog book in her play room.

4 pm. goes out side to play with neighbours children. Plays on bikes, football and with the younger children as well.  When they go in she comes and does some face painting.

5.oo has roast dinner.

5.45 Goes back out for a little while, to play on her own gets very wet and wind blown.  Playing at fixing her bike which isnt really broken.

6.15  Comes in for a deep bath and hair wash, with toys.

7.oclock. has three stories read to her : I dont like it – ruth brown, Alfies Feet – Shirley Hughes, After the storm – Nick butterworth. Then goes up to bed, where daddy reads some Uncle Remus tales.

7.30 Asleep.

Not bad for a lazy day at home is it!

(oh and some stage we got a dance show in there as well, but I cant remeber where it fell in to the day now.. but she did do her small dance show!)

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The spectacular colours of coral reef fishes represent a ‘language’ that has been around for at least 50 million years – to which humans have lost the key.

Colour in fish is most probably a highly developed form of communication, some of which we can interpret, but much of which remains cryptic says Professor David Bellwood of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University.

http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20082102-16929.html

Now I know something seem obvious, and I can cope with Sign Language… Semiphore,

Elephant communication is fantastic – if anyone has chance to read “SILENT THUNDER: In the Presence of Elephants” By Katy Payne. Did you know that elephants communicate with sounds that are below the range of human hearing? Similar to whales, they can speak over long distance with each other using infrasound.

But what other forms of communication are there out there.. Are we really that smart the human race? I think not.

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