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Archive for the ‘Social Skills’ Category

All it has done today is rain, rain, rain. However first thing this morning we headed off to Glasfryn Park for the French Market from Normandy.

We brought some lovely cheese, some “friendship bread” know by most people as Baguettes, and some bread. We also bought assorted other bits and pieces and something rather special for Grandad for Christmas.

Asha loved it. For lunch we enjoyed a selection of the cheeses and sausages with the friendship bread, and then we sort of all potted around infront of the Olympics for the rest of the day.

We had planned on Asha doing some of her Wild Square today, but I am sorry its not THAT important!

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After an increadibly early night, mummy was still exhausted this morning, so daddy and I got up and played downstairs for a while.

I did potions with daddy for a while.

When mummy eventually got up, with some help, daddy and i went and played upstairs whilst mummy sorted out some paperwork she needed to deal with. Because I had been a good girl, we then went to Pwhelli and my treat.

I went to the soft play area at Glasfryn. It was brilliant fun!

When we came home I watched Pete’s Dragon on dvd, then had dinner, and a bath before pudding. Daddy read me a story before bed. Mummy has promised to read to me tomorrow.

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Bodnant Gardens Web Site.

Everyone has always told me how fantastic they are, but to be honest:-

Disabled Parking, used by anyone who thinks they are disabled, no badges in site. I had to park somewhere else then move.

Wheelchair access diabolical and no signage for alternative routes.

Food provision for an Asha – fruit salad, out of a tin.. It “should” be o.k.

The producation by The Chapter House Theater group, was o.k., but i wish it had said in its blurb it was aimed at 4 – 8 year olds, and not sold as an outdoor production of sleeping beauty.. It was slightly confusing, I wish they had omitted the stork and the baby bit, and it took me about 3/4 of it to actually enjoy it.

Asha however loved it.

PDF file on Bodnant Garden and Estate

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How cool is diversity, and natural selection hey :d

Parents of new twins in Bristol have had no problem telling them apart as one is white and one is black.

BBC Link

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For a while now, Asha has been battling with some of her smaller friends.

She loves them, but isnt happy with some of their behaviour (nor is mummy)

Asha now knows which behaviour she likes being around, and which she dosnt.

The result? She says if she wants to play or not.  And when she dosnt.. thats o.k.

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I wandered into the barn, to find my husband playing with the older boys, and some of the younger children with balloons, and playing some kind of lord and lady Piles game – Is this what home edd is about?

photograph of hospital for piles

The kids were in fits of laughter, though I am not sure most of them knew what piles were / are. And one little boy, smartly had the guts to ask my steve what they were. Steve told him.. wondering if this was the right approach, and his mum was pleased he had told him.. Its so hard to know what to do isnt it!

However all the kids were happy, laughing and playing. And Asha.. well she was as well :d

After the mornings lesson.. hu humm,, in human biology and balloon pumping / sculpturing. We had a warm lunch, and did paper mache plates in the afternoon. I am not sure whether or not, you can get them off the plates though. As we forgot to gress them, oh well, learning curve!

At night Asha fell asleep fairly fast after one of her stories, and loads of the food she has eaten today. Its scarey!

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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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Its back to full speed.

For a few weeks we have been playing outside, doing things like learning to skate, on roller blades, learning how to ride our push bikes really fast, and not get our legs jammed in the pedals, and how to play all sorts of games outdoors.

To some extent this has created a natural diverstion from reading, writing or any “formal” educational which one would get inschool. However this unformal education has included trips shopping, onto beaches and shows. Its also included numerous trips to friends to play with other children and learning from them.

Asha can now skate, unaided. Confidently rides her bike, and is a happy child. she also enjoyed having a tonne of people round for her birthday, and enough cake to swamp murcheson falls. I must check the spelling on that one.

Anyway, for a while now Asha has wanted to learn to read, we have done it is stops and starts and today we did some work on the letters using Edgard Lears ABC. Asha at least recognises all her letters and is able to read / recognise clusters of letters such as tt, ly, sy, nny, ky and lly.

I feel this has to be a healthy start to reading. I will play with these clusters with her over the next few days, and carry on from this.

She has also spent some time useing sewing cards, but I think I need to sit down with her tomorrow and do them with her, after we have been to meet Granny for the day.

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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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Asha was outside playing tonight on her new roller boots, and I did a quick count of how many children she was playing with… 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 plus her and two adults.

I guess she dosnt have a problem with socialising does she.

Back to dream about sleep now.

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Asha and I both seem to be struggling to get to sleep and stay asleep at the moment.

You would think after going camping and how exhausted I feel, that I could close my eyes and sleep.. But no. It just wont happen. Everything is keeping me awake. Last night Asha helped in that dept as well!

Anyway back to home education.. Today has been a shopping day, but Asha has a new toy as well. When we were sorting out the van yesterday, she found some old roller boots, she has been using them, nearly 8 sizes too big, concerend, Steve and i decided she could have her birthday present early, and we will get her something else – if anyone has any good ideas, please let me know..

Asha loves them. She has been up and down the road today, I dont know how many times. I think after tomorrow, she may even let go of Steves arm for longer than three minutes! Between that and her trampoline she is feeling rather spoilt right now.. Oh she is spoilt isnt she :d

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Its 7.30, its quite hot, and Asha has just woken up.. Steve is making me a drink, and I have a tearfull Asha to deal with.

I guess she has enjoyed camp and all her playing.. Oh well she still has “The pea fair” to do, the taking down of the tent, and the “winnie the pooh play” for the Carnival Badge. Asha trotted out to her find her friends. some of them had got up early this morning, having actually gone to bed at reasonable times last night. Others were not planning on getting up, much before mid-day, but we soon changed those plans.

Asha had a lovely day. The sun being out made packing down easier, and we all enjoyed a boiled egg with our cereal for breakfast. A great camp has ended. Thanks Gwerin leaders in Gwynedd, you are all stars, and the kids… well your just FAB!

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I have recently been thinking about our approach to home education.

Often people seem to talk about structured or autonomous (child lead) and I am trying to work out what our approach is, as it seems very much a mixture of both.

There are certain outcomes I would like from this year, that is birth year, I don’t do academic years, not even the OU do them! <wry grin>

I would like Asha to be doing some reading. I am sure she already is, but sensibly wants to get it all together before she shows us any more. I am not pushing her with this, just reading a few easier books to her during the day as well as her normal books / older books.

She can already do some simple addition, such as if I have four fingers and i then add another four how many are there all together. Or at the zoo last week, How many rabbits are there in the pen – 2, how many guinea pigs? 3, how many animals all together then? 5

So she has some basic additional ideas sorted.

But what is our approach? Well i think its semi autonomous… that is its autonomous, but we will naturally encourage the simple other ideas as and when we can into her day, Especially as I cant ever see me sitting doing mathematical sheets with her. I will have to get someone else to do that!

So what is the “structure” then?

well erm.

She has activites she does every week. she eats every day, she has a story (or 10) every night. She has things like Ballet, and she does loads of painting.

Every so often – normally in the winter, when I am running out of ideas / if weather is cras.. then yes some “work sheet type activites” do come out. but the reality? They are just to keep her busy when all else fails!

Vicki xx

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Help me to focus.

Please teach me through my sense of “touch”.
I need “hands on” and “body movement”.
I need to know what comes next.

Please give me a structured environment where there is a dependable routine.
Give me advanced warning if there will be changes.
Wait for me, I’m still thinking.
Please allow me to go at my own pace.
If I rush, I get confused and upset.
I’m stuck! I can’t do it!
Please offer me options for problem solving.
I need to know the detours when the road is blocked.
Is it right? I need to know NOW!

Please give me rich and immediate feedback on how I’m doing.

I didn’t forget, I didn’t “hear” it in the first place!

Please give me directions one step at a time and ask me to say back what I think you said.
I didn’t know I wasn’t in my seat!

Please remind me to STOP, THINK and ACT.
Am I almost done now?

Please give me short periods with short-term goals.
What?

Please don’t say, “I’ve already told you that”.
Tell me again in different words.
Give me a signal.  Draw me a symbol.
I know, it’s ALL-wrong, isn’t it?

Please give me praise for partial success.
Reward me for self-improvement, not just for perfection.
But why do I always get yelled at?

Please catch me doing something right and praise me for my specific positive behaviour.
Remind me (and yourself) about my good points, when I’m having a bad day.

I may be hard to live with, and have ADHD, but I still have
Feelings and would have never chosen to behave like I do sometimes.

[source:  Newsletter of The Delaware Association For The Education of Young Children, Winter 1993/94) Copyright 1991 Ruth Harris, Northwest Reading Clinic]

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Mummy and I baked for hours, and we also tidied the house.

We all watched Chity chity bang bang. I really like the song.. I have you two:

Caractacus:
Do you think I’m a lunatic? Wasting my time on a lot of silly inventions?

Jemima:
But they aren’t silly–they’re wonderful!

Jeremy:
Nobody else could think of them!

Caractacus:
That’s right! That is right–nobody else could think of
them!–yeah–after all…
What makes the battle worth the fighting?
What makes the mountain worth the climb?
What makes the questions worth the asking?
The reason worth the rhyme?

Caractacus:
To me the answer’s clear;
it’s having someone near; someone dear
Someone to care for; to be there for.
I have You Two!
Someone to do for; muddle through for.
I have You Two!
Someone to share joy or despair with;
whichever betides you.
Life becomes a chore, unless you’re living for
someone to tend to be a friend to.
I have You Two!
Someone to strive for, do or die for
I have You Two!
Could be, we three get along so famously,
’cause you two have me, and I have You Two too.

(Breakfast is behind made, then Caractacus sneezes)

The three girls came and did Hama Beads after school as well. I like having friends around to play.

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