after school tutoring part 2

On Monday, Mrs. Banks came for SJ's after school tutoring session.  They began their session by working on a Reader's Theater.  There were 14 characters and she let SJ choose which 7 he wanted to read.  She had him flip through the play and she was fine with whatever characters he wanted to choose.  She said she was surprised at some of the characters he chose, because they had quite a bit of dialogue. 

The play was called There's a Werewolf in Town.  It was 6 pages long and it took about half of the session.  She told me he started to get distracted by her IPhone sitting on the table.  She told him he could check the time 4 times and then he was done checking the time.  She told me he looked at her phone 5 minutes into the session, so she reminded him he would only get three more times.  "What?  Are you keeping track?" SJ questioned her.  "Yes sir, I am," she told him matter of factly.  I love it!

After the play was done, they moved on to a comprehension worksheet.  It had a story that was open ended.  This was the story:

Inside the Haunted House

Written by Brenda B. Covert

The old house sat at the end of a dead-end street.  Its paint was chipped off, leaving it a dingy gray color.  Shutters were either missing or were hanging loose and missing slats.  The porch looked brittle.  The trees around the house looked like bony hands lifted up in fright.  The yard itself was an overgrown wasteland of tangled weeds and brush.

Acey and Poe stood at the broken gate and stared at the house.  Fallen leaves swirled at their feet.  A crow cawed as it flew overhead.

Acey's heartbeat quickened.  "Why are we here?"

Poe looked grim.  "We have to go in."

"No, we don't," Acey argued.  "We could leave right now and just tell everybody that we went inside the haunted house."

Poe shot Acey a pitying look.  "Everyone will know it if we run away like babies.  We said we were going inside the haunted house, and we are going inside the haunted house."

The gate groaned loudly as Poe pushed it open and...

Then SJ had to answer 5 questions.  These are the questions and SJ's answers.

1.      Are Acey and Poe boys, girls, one of each, or something not human?  I think they're one of each.

2.      What do you suppose happened that made Acey and Poe have to go into the haunted house?  They were taking a walk.

3.      What will happen if Acey and Poe decide not to go into the house?  They will be lying to everybody about going in the house.

4.      What do you think is inside the haunted house?  I think there are monsters, skeletons, zombies, witches and vampires.

5.      What will happen to Acey and Poe after they go into the house?  They will be scared because haunted houses are scary.

Then Mrs. Banks showed him another paper that was full of blank lines.  At the top, it said to use the ideas he wrote for the thinking sentences to write an ending for the story.  She told me he saw all the blank lines and started whining about how he doesn't like to write.  Next, she pulled out an additional blank sheet and she told him he could use it if he needs more room.  "Why would anyone want to write that much?" he asked her.  "Well, I would want to write that much, SJ," she said.  He did manage to write a few sentences.  This is what he wrote.

The door opened.  They went into the house and they turned on their flashlight.  They saw bats, ghosts, and any creatures that are in there.  Acey and Poe ran out the door to tell their parents.  They told their parents and then the Dad said, "Never go into the haunted house."

Now, that doesn't seem like much writing.  I know, I know.  But for SJ, that was a great job.  Mrs. Banks told me that she will encourage him to expand on his writing.  That is great news in my book.

after school speech part 38

Last Tuesday, SJ had his weekly speech therapy session.  The therapist went over how to listen well.  She had SJ check off things that he should be doing in order to have a good conversation.  He had a choice of 14 items.  He checked off the following: 

· Look puzzled if you don't understand something.

· Face your partner.

· Smile or laugh if your partner says something you both think is funny.

· Look at your partner now and then.

· Fidget with something; move your arms, hands or fingers around.

· Nod your head to show you understand or agree with what your partner says.

· Keep looking right at your partner's eyes.

· Say "no" when you disagree with what your partner says.

She went over a Problem Solving worksheet with him.  They read a story together and then she had him answer some questions.  This was the story:

Dan thinks about dogs all the time.  He keeps begging his parents to let him get a dog.  They keep telling him the same thing.  They say, "Dan, we are hardly every home.  The dog would be alone a lot.  That wouldn't be fair to it.  Besides, our apartment is much too small for a dog." 

Dan knows they are right, but he would still love to get a dog.  He doesn't have any brothers or sisters to play with, and a dog would make a great best friend.  Dan can't wait until he grows up so he can have his own dog in his own place.  Until then, he'll just keep reading about dogs and thinking about what it will be like to have one.

He then had to answer three questions on Main Idea and Details and five questions on Problem Solving.  She told me that he got 86% correct with prompts.  Great job, SJ! 

For his homework, she assigned a worksheet on Taking Turns, as well as a Figurative Language story with questions.  We will be working on those assignments tomorrow night.

at home reading tutoring session 1

Last Monday, SJ started his at home reading tutoring with Mrs. Banks.  I was a little worried about how SJ was going to act during the tutoring session.  My worry was unnecessary.  When she arrived at our house, SJ greeted her and showed her to the basement room.  I told her that it would be most quiet down there.  He gave her a tour of the room and then they started.

She had brought a reader's theater for them to read together.  It was a funny Halloween play.  She let him choose which characters he wanted to read.  I could hear him laughing as he was reading the play with her.  After they finished the play, she asked him questions about the story.  She said he needed some prompting finding the answers in the play, but I am hoping that he will eventually develop the skills to find these answers on his own.

She brought his previous comprehension test from his teacher.  "Hey, this is from my class," I overheard SJ say.  "You'll be surprised at what I will bring," she said.  She went over the questions that he missed and again demonstrated how to go back into the story to find the answers. 

About 40 minutes into their hour session, SJ came running up the stairs.  "What's wrong?" I asked SJ.  "Nothing.  I want to show Mrs. Banks my reading folder," he said.  And then, he ran back down the stairs.  It was so nice to see SJ excited about reading and getting back to his tutoring session.  They finished their session and Mrs. Banks told me he did a very nice job. 

I was glad it went well.  The next day, SJ's reading teacher, Mrs. Dudley, told SJ that Mrs. Banks said he did such a great job at tutoring.  He was so proud.  He told me as soon as I picked him up at the end of the day.  I am always proud of him, but he is trying so hard to do well in school.  His efforts astound me sometimes.  This mama is so proud of her boy!

after school speech part 37

Last Tuesday, SJ had his weekly speech therapy appointment.  His therapist began the appointment going over some listening skills with SJ.  She read him a paragraph asking him to pretend he was listening to a teacher giving a boring speech (I don't know any 5th grader that would be bored by a teacher's speech.  Do you?).  She described how the student was acting.  He was slouching in his chair, looking out the window and tapping his fingers on the table. 

She told him that all of these actions tell the teacher that the student isn't listening to her.  The student doesn't have to say anything out loud.  His actions express his feelings to the teacher.  She then went over some basic rules about listening in a conversation. 

1. Face the person and give them eye contact.  (She had to explain "eye contact" to SJ.  We always say "look at their eyes".)  After she explained the term eye contact, she told him to make occasional eye contact, not to stare at the person and to not focus his eyes on anything else around him.

2. Pay attention to what the person says and the way the person says it.  She told him to ask himself how does the person feel, why is the person talking to me and what is the person thinking?

3. Show that you are paying attention to the person and what he says.  She told him to nod his head to show understanding, use facial expressions to show if you don't understand and keep still and don't fidget.

4. Wait your turn to talk.  She told him to not interrupt people.  She also told him if he is not absolutely sure his partner is finished talking, wait a few seconds.  They will either start talking again or signal to him that it is his turn to talk. 

We have been working on this skill for years, but maybe coming from his therapist it will sink in a little easier.  I will say that SJ is much more willing to ask questions and try to initiate conversations will familiar people.  Hopefully with these additional reminders, he will be able to utilize these skills to talk to his peers. 

She also went over a Problem Solving worksheet with him.  This was the story.

Rick is at the movies with this mom and brother Trey.  He is not having a good time.  In fact, he is having a terrible time.  Rick wanted to see "Spy School".  His brother Trey wanted to see "Fright House".  Their mom decided that it was Trey's turn to choose.  Now Rick is mad.  He has to watch a movie he didn't want to see.

Rick's mom is not happy with him, either.  She has warned him twice to stop complaining.  Now he has decided to just sit and not watch the movie.  He'd rather sip his soda and pout.  He gets even madder when he looks at Trey.  His brother is happily munching his popcorn and acting like nothing is wrong.  Rick hopes this movie goes by quickly so he can go back home. 

SJ then had to answer some questions.  The first three were on the main idea and details.  SJ got the first two correct, but needed a cue for the third question.  The question was how many times has Rick's mom warned him to stop complaining?  After the cue, he answered twice, which was the right answer.

He then had to answer five questions on problem solving.  He got all five answers correct.  The therapist then did the writing prompt with him.  (This was new.  She doesn't usually do the writing prompts.)  The writing prompt was "What do you think the movie Fright House is about?"  This is SJ's response.

Fright House is a horror movie.  It has ghosts, bats, witches, vampires, Frankenstein, Invisible Man and a Mummy.  Some guys who come to the house try to destroy the monsters. 

It wasn't a lengthy response, but that was still a valid response for the prompt.  Great job, SJ!  She assigned him two Figurative Language worksheets for homework.  (I still have to do those with him.  Bad mom!)

goodbyes, daddytime and hellos

Two weeks ago, I flew to San Diego for a family wedding. I went by myself, because I didn't want to pull the boys out of school. I was a little concerned about how SJ was going to be when I was gone. I do so many things for him and I didn't know if my leaving would throw off his schedule. I told all of his teachers that I would be gone just in case he was acting out of character.

I know my husband was going to be capable of handling the boys, but I knew he wouldn't do things exactly like me. (Like SJ's sandwiches, I always make them with a sandwich cutter and I knew my husband wouldn't do that.) I left him a schedule of all of their daily activities, days they were buying or packing and after school schedule.

The night before I left, I thought SJ was going to be upset that I was going. However, he was surprisingly okay with it. "Mommy is leaving tomorrow morning early. Be good for Daddy," I told him. "Okay, Mom. Have fun," he said. So much for being upset. Bob had a surprising reaction as well. He was very upset that I was leaving and had trouble falling to sleep. Sometimes kids are odd. Just when you think you have them figured out they throw you a curve ball.

The boys were both asleep when I was to leave. I gave them a kiss on the forehead and left for the airport. I kept in touch with them daily. That is one of the great things about modern technology. I was able to Facetime with them. (It was not the same as being there, but it makes the distance seem not so distant.) I got to talk to them about their day and I told about all the fun things I was doing in California.

My husband did great as a temporary stay-at-home dad. (Not that I was worried!) The boys got to do lots of fun things with their dad. They went out to eat a few times and saw Hotel Transylvania. He got Bob to his practices and SJ to his speech therapy. And even though he did some things differently than I would, I am glad that they had this time to bond together.

The day that I traveled back was not so much fun for me. My parents aren't great travelers and they were wearing on my nerves a bit. My dad's legs don't work as well as they used to, so I had to endure a lot of complaining when we had our layover flight. His complaining then caused my mom to be on edge, which caused me to be aggravated.

When we arrived at our home airport, I just wanted to get our luggage and get home to my boys and husband. As we went down the escalator, we turned towards the baggage claim. All of a sudden, my boys called out my name and ran over to hug me. I then saw my husband and I was so happy. I was supposed to drive home with my parents, but my husband decided to surprise me. Boy was I surprised! I was elated to see them. The boys really seemed to miss me, which also warmed my heart.

We got our bags and said goodbye to my parents. As we were walking to our car, the boys were chatting away to me about what they did with my husband. I was listening to them and thinking how nice it was to be home. California was great, but nothing feels nicer than to be home!

 

after school speech part 36

I was away last week, so my husband took SJ to his weekly speech appointment.  She worked on his conversational skills.  She gave him a work sheet that had a word bank.  He had to fill in the blanks with the appropriate missing words. 

For example:  It is rude to butt in and __________ someone who is talking.  SJ had to select "interrupt" to complete the sentence.  After she helped him select the correct word, she went over what the word meant.  He did 6 of the sentences with his therapist and he has the remainder to complete for homework.

She also worked on the skill of taking turns when a person is talking to someone.  She told him that partners take EQUAL turns talking and listening.  This is an important thing to point out to SJ.  He tends to want to only talk about what interests him and he assumes everyone is as excited about his favorites as he is.  (Although I will say, he is getting much better at turn taking.)  She also told him that people don't like to be SHUT OUT of a conversation.  They want equal time to talk.

She had him practice taking short turns in a conversation.  She let him pick a topic.  He was allowed to talk for 30 seconds.  Some of the topics were your favorite game, what you like to do on the weekend and plane travel.

She assigned him for homework that we use some of these topics to prompt SJ to ask questions.  If he picked a subject such as plane travel, she suggested that we steer him towards making the questions more personal.  He could ask "Have you ever been on a plane?" instead of "Why do planes fly?" 

We will use the list of topics this week to practice SJ's conversation skills.  I am hoping with practice he will learn the social cues that people give when he his overtaking a conversation.  With his eye contact getting better, he will just have to remember to focus on their actions.  Easier said than done!

after school speech part 35

Last Tuesday, SJ had his weekly speech session.  I told the therapist about his continued problems in reading comprehension.  She said she can't specifically work on that, but there are some things she works on that also touches on comprehension.  I told her that any help that she can give in that area would be so appreciated.

She took SJ back and I ran to get his dinner.  When his session was over, she told me he did very well.  She told me that they did a worksheet on Paraphrasing and Summarizing.  SJ had to read the following story and then answer the questions.

Today Ann was five years old.  She had a birthday party.  Her mom baked a special cake.  She frosted it with pink icing.  She put five candles on the cake. 

Ann's guests came to the party.  They each brought a present for her.  They all played games.  Then Ann sat down at the table.  She said, "Time for cake and ice cream!"

Next Ann opened her presents.  Then she gave each guest a favor.  What a great birthday!

SJ then had to answer questions on the Main Idea and Details.  He got all three questions correct.  Next he had to answer questions on Paraphrasing and Summarizing.  He had a little more difficulty with this section.  For example:  Which sentence means the same as this sentence?  The cake was baked by Ann's mom.  SJ could choose a. Ann's mom frosted the cake.  b. Ann’s mom baked the cake.  or c. Ann baked the cake for her birthday.  He wanted to choose A, but the correct answer was B.

He did a little better on the summarizing questions.  For example:  What did the guests do at the party?  a. They brought presents, played games, and ate cake and ice cream.  b. They decorated the cake and gave favors to Ann.  c. They sang songs, played games, and painted pictures.  He choose A, which was the correct answer. 

The last activity she did with him was to discuss what a conversation is.  She gave him a sheet that explained what conversations are and why people have conversations.  Then, SJ had to decide if different scenarios were true conversations or not.  For example:  You ask a salesperson in a shoe store to get you shoes in your size.  He put a C for conversation.  Your teacher tells you your homework assignment.  He put an X since it was not a conversation. 

Last, she selected a few vocabulary words for SJ to look up in the dictionary for homework.  The words were rumor, gossip, public, private, small talk and party favor.  It was a very busy weekend, so we just got that homework assignment done tonight.  At least we finished it before our appointment.  (Although, we were cutting it close.) 

I am glad she is working on this with him.  I am hoping it will stop him from doing his echolalia (repeating) and get him to really engage with others.  Fingers crossed!