tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post1277057562599191019..comments2024-02-21T07:58:44.752-05:00Comments on The Great Umbrella Heist: b, d and hSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09856102708963900512noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-50650598418058132332012-10-28T00:15:47.015-04:002012-10-28T00:15:47.015-04:00I think every kid is different. Is Anna the only l...I think every kid is different. Is Anna the only leftie? I'm lefthanded as well and actually was put through an extra year of school (in CT in the late 80's) because I couldn't read by the end of kindergarten. Just for the record, I have a bachelor's in history and am a veracious reader now, and despite what my teachers may have thought when I was a kid, my handwriting is actually quite good. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06818565776731697636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-52972064357042570552012-10-17T19:23:48.996-04:002012-10-17T19:23:48.996-04:00I am a good bit older than you, but I didn't l...I am a good bit older than you, but I didn't learn to read until I was in first grade. Had to go home the night before kindergarten and learn to spell my name. Learned to read in first grade and have had a book in my hand since. I honestly believe the most important thing in teaching reading is to make sure that the learning process does not make reading a chore. It is so sad when learning to read or being forced to read books you hate destroys the joy of reading.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-19815412773801080972012-10-16T17:37:07.013-04:002012-10-16T17:37:07.013-04:00It's interesting that you wonder if Anna has a...It's interesting that you wonder if Anna has a hard time getting her ideas out bc she is a lefty. One of my four children is a lefty, and he is the one that has had the most difficulty with school. He's a great student as far as behavior goes, but he takes a long time to complete assignments. He even was assessed last year for things like ADD or Anxiety because he just couldn't get his ideas out. He does have anxiety but is not on any meds, I just take extra time with him on his work. The sad thing is I was concerned about his academics when he was in 1st grade, but no one listened to me until he got into fourth grade. Staceey L. https://www.blogger.com/profile/01079218952154246061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-33416356999472790102012-10-16T03:52:21.306-04:002012-10-16T03:52:21.306-04:00Hi, Just wanted to stop and say I love your blog! ...Hi, Just wanted to stop and say I love your blog! I have just added it to my feed. Can't wait to read and catch up on it all.<br /><br />Thank you for sharing you lives with us.<br /><br />Lorrainehttp://www.onlinemummy.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-79991291406965153402012-10-15T21:10:47.310-04:002012-10-15T21:10:47.310-04:00I'm so glad to see that many of you agree that...I'm so glad to see that many of you agree that kids seemed to be pushed to learn more at a younger age. <br /><br />Esther - no bashing. It was interesting to read your opinion of American schools. I actually know nothing of schools in Europe so I can't compare.<br /><br />Tina - they go 1/2 day, 5 days a week. Full day is offered in our district for a fee but the curriculum is exactly the same. They fill the time with lunch, an extra recess, quiet hour, etc.<br /><br />Anon - Emily's hair is as long as Allie's. Anna's is a few inches shorter.<br /><br />Anna is the only lefty. She did switch back and forth for awhile when she was 2-3 but she favored the left. I've read that it can happen with identicals. She does everything with her left hand - eat, play, etc. Sarah - they don't make kids try to switch hands here. Anna's therapists have always worked with using her left hand. That's interesting to hear that it is done. Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09856102708963900512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-12248052214096360672012-10-15T20:58:11.224-04:002012-10-15T20:58:11.224-04:00Is Allie's hair the longest?Is Allie's hair the longest?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-67909984260871894302012-10-15T19:54:20.386-04:002012-10-15T19:54:20.386-04:00I'm a retired kindergarten teacher, and the le...I'm a retired kindergarten teacher, and the letters your girls are having trouble with are the common ones. A lot of children confuse the b,d, and h. U and W are the same upper and lower case, but they sound the same and this confuses kids. I would not be worried about them at this point in the school year. They have only been at school a few weeks. Your girls will be fine! They get attention, are read to, and have experiences beyond the tv! Y'all are doing a great job!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-14206487599639846092012-10-15T19:30:48.659-04:002012-10-15T19:30:48.659-04:00Curious, Is Anna the only lefty?
P is a lefty so...Curious, Is Anna the only lefty? <br />P is a lefty so that's why I ask..no one else in my family is, H's mom is, though. We will never truly know if she was always going to be left handed because of her stroke affecting her right side but she only writes with her left hand, etc.<br /><br />Sounds like all things considered, they are ALL doing great! Just the Tiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07207455676987959105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-34876982316726713552012-10-15T19:11:03.240-04:002012-10-15T19:11:03.240-04:00I am a teacher at a private school in Canada. We ...I am a teacher at a private school in Canada. We teach our kids from kindergarten on how to write cursive before printing so they never reverse their letters. It actually works! That being said, it's just practice and rote learning.<br /><br />You should try to switch Anna to be right handed. With a student so young, it's possible. We actually do it all the time. It helps with the child's lateralization and it just makes life easier for them! We do it quite a bit.<br /><br />They are all just so adorable!Sarahnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-51148821717873103342012-10-15T10:48:12.258-04:002012-10-15T10:48:12.258-04:00Oh my - now I am so nervous about my twins and how...Oh my - now I am so nervous about my twins and how they will test - I am surprised at what is expected in Kindergarten now. The girls are so beautiful - their hair is getting so long - love it! I love the braids and styles you did. Your photos are amazing. Can't remember if you have answered this before but do you put your photos in albums or create photo books - (with all your free time I know - ha ha! - or plan to do so?)<br /><br />KatlynAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-66545177787473144242012-10-15T09:44:58.305-04:002012-10-15T09:44:58.305-04:00Wow. Sounds like learning the lowercase letters, c...Wow. Sounds like learning the lowercase letters, continuing to learn the phonetic sounds letters make, and learning to read all in one year is quite a bit!<br /><br />I live in Ontario, and here our children do Kindergarten for 2 years - Junior Kindergarten the year they turn 4, and Senior Kindergarten the year they turn 5. My daughter is now in SK, but starting JK last year she knew pretty much all her uppercase/lowercase letters but we hadn't really touched on the sounds the letters make yet. She was definitely among the more advanced kids in her class which was shocking to me. This year they touch more on phonics and sounding out words, and eventually reading... and to me that sounds like a LOT for one year for a little kid. So I can only imagine how hard it would be for your girls to do it "all" in one year! Do they go full day, every day?Tinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16057663477249970428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-52790745425144278382012-10-15T08:28:43.437-04:002012-10-15T08:28:43.437-04:00here is a perspective from a european person, who ...here is a perspective from a european person, who now lives in the states and has bilingual/bilcultural children (twin boys, age 4, healthy 36-weekers). <br />1. american students are pushed too soon and too early. but at the end, high school test scores, compared to world averages, are very very poor. perhaps there is no need for a 2-year old to sing his abc's, is there?<br />2. my boys are late august babies. somewhat preemie and i can tell that they are preemie. we started them in prek-3 last year on time, they are in jr-kindergarden this year, where they are by far the youngest (most are 4.5-5). my boys, without a doubt, will repeat this class as i do not want them to be the youngest and smallest (physically and emotionally). <br /><br />we go to a very reputable private school in our area. we did that because we believe in academics and their schedule works great for us (was was STAHM for 4 years, went back to work two months ago). <br /><br />All the things that you are describing about your girls doing in kindergarden--those are the things that my boys are doing in prek-4 at barely age 4. Are they keeping up? I believe so...for the most part, although they are just starting to write their letters, whereas the 5-year old already do that. <br /><br />Is it too soon and too early? Yes, I sure think so. It's great that they know all these things but truly, do they need to know about Columbus and how to add 1+3?????<br /><br />In Europe, in most places, we do not start the ABCs until first grade. And again, I would say that the European system of education, overall, is stronger than in the States. <br /><br />Just my personal opinion. Don't bash me please, I love this country, but I do not like the educational system because we push kids too soon and then they drop off....Esthernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-6483547611345541542012-10-15T08:15:42.604-04:002012-10-15T08:15:42.604-04:00Leslie's right. These days parents are all but...Leslie's right. These days parents are all but obligated to flash card quiz their three-year-olds so that they're prepared for kindergarten in time. I get frustrated sometimes with how extreme early education can be, only to have education become such a joke in so many areas once children hit the upper grades. You and your girls are incredible, though! Seriously, I don't know how you do it. (And can I just say, I'm so sorry she got hurt - but that band-aid could NOT be any cuter!) Alicia Stuckyhttp://littlebwords.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-67880019420616055742012-10-14T23:11:57.494-04:002012-10-14T23:11:57.494-04:00Kids do lots of maturing during kindergarten. My ...Kids do lots of maturing during kindergarten. My daughter made her letters and numbers backwards, which is pretty normal at that age, for most of the year. My the end of kindergarten, she had it figured out, and so many of them do. I have a feeling your girls will be caught up quickly. It's funny because kindergarten skills today and what first grade skills are when we were in school! It makes me glad I'm done with school.Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02543646856409413038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-17493212820354049912012-10-14T22:10:08.683-04:002012-10-14T22:10:08.683-04:00My girls started kindergarten this fall too and wa...My girls started kindergarten this fall too and was shocked when one girl tested below average because she said "tuh" instead of "ttt" when asked the second week of school "what sound does the letter T make." They didn't know lower case versus upper case letters either but was happy to see that they learned it in a few minutes of at home study. S, you're doing a great job. Having one child in kindergarten let alone multiples. Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12395967903829147879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-16746630490161360092012-10-14T21:15:25.161-04:002012-10-14T21:15:25.161-04:00Hats off!! It sounds like the girls are doing wel...Hats off!! It sounds like the girls are doing well! LOVE the pictures as usual :)Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16364830143925351030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-36596649358273281462012-10-14T20:53:07.308-04:002012-10-14T20:53:07.308-04:00Your girls are adorable and they look so happy in ...Your girls are adorable and they look so happy in these pics!Mollynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7707332630639933436.post-49299243774410229422012-10-14T20:36:19.016-04:002012-10-14T20:36:19.016-04:00I am a teacher of preschooler and I think that the...I am a teacher of preschooler and I think that the school put a lot of pressure on the kids and their parent for they learn to read...<br /><br />when they want and be interesting in read the will do,do not worry about that Maydelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16525506824324230798noreply@blogger.com