Bathroom break...

Mark was not on his game this morning but we powered through...mostly...

Ants in pants...

Mark was in a great mood but would just NOT sit down and work today.  We even got started early so we had extra time but it was used up because we went twice as slow...ugh..

Another late start...

Short session...

Sat down to work!

Mark actually came and sat down today to work!  So nice to not have to coax him over!

Spelling Zap Friday

Kindy language app may be too easy...

Focused today!

Mark did a great job with the new language app today.  He seemed very focused.

Here is a pic of Mark on our walk last weekend...

Trying new Language app...

Lots of spelling today...

Silly mood...

...we wanted to try some new apps but the internet was out.  Got it fixed so we should be good for tomorrow...

Need to find new sentence builder...

Easing back into it...

Sick this week...

So, Joshua was sick at the beginning of the week and now Mark was sick on Wednesday evening. He seemed better on Thursday morning and we did a little work.  Then, Grandma Wetzel called and we got distracted and our video turned off.  I think I have to delete some things on the iPod so there is room for recording.  So, I did that.  Mark was pretty crabby on Friday morning so we are not going to work.  I will be lucky to get him in the tub and to school!  I hope things improve for next week.  There is no school all week!

Starting 2nd grade words...

Mark was pretty distracted this morning but we did get some spelling in.  Started some 2nd grade words!

Distracted...

Mark was a little hyper and distracted so we tried our best...

More spatial work...

Mark had quite a bit of energy today.  We worked on some spatial items.  I had to really restrain him from just choosing randomly but I think he was starting to slow down and listen toward the end.  We also tried a new Spelling Bee app and he really started to engage with that (after the video was over...)

Lots of energy!

Trying some spatial work...

...trying a new app with some spatial work.  This is one area that I really want Mark to improve on.  It will be needed on the farm when I tell him to put something in/on another thing...i.e. put the scoop in the bucket (not beside it).

The problem is that he just guesses so I kind of have to hold his hand down and make him listen to the instructions and he doesn't care too much for this.  Also, the app we are using doesn't really keep track of his guesses so I may look for another one that is better suited to testing and keeping track of how well he is doing.  I don't expect Mark to learn left and right but we can at least start working on it...

Today is his IEP meeting with the school...prayers appreciated!

Good work

Lots of sentences

Lots of good work...

We did lots of Spelling Zap after the camera was turned off.

I think I started to say something about his blood draw yesterday and then got distracted.  It went well.  Had to hold him down for a little at the beginning but then he relaxed and it was pretty easy...

Good work...

...but our video got cut off.  Probably need to clear some items off the iPod so we have more memory...

Great retention on the Spelling Zap...

Yesterday, I remembered that we used to do the Spelling Zap and Mark seemed to really enjoy it.  So, today, we went back and did some 5 letter words...he did great!  So nice to see his retention of more difficult words!

Back to it...

Slow start but good finish...

Good work again!

Great work for a rainy Monday!

Tried another new app...too easy for Mark...

Trying something new...

...this is really too easy for Mark but he seemed really uninterested in the spelling words so I decided to try and explore something new.  We have been using the Bitsboard for a couple of months now and I don't want to discontinue it altogether but I feel it would be more fun to have more variety.  Also, it is VERY common with kids on the spectrum to have difficulties with generalization.  So, the more different ways to introduce something helps with generalizing spelling between different apps.

Spelling or sentences?

We started with our spelling this morning and then were interrupted so we came back and did some sentences.  So, there are 2 videos but I didn't keep track of which one was which when I downloaded them off my phone and uploaded onto YouTube...

Mark and Grandma at the zoo

Unfocused...but still good work

Good working today...

Sentences maybe too hard...

Only spelling today...I was running late!

Hard to get going today...

Slow Monday...

...still did very good!

Not very focused...

Sleepy morning...

have you heard good news?

Sentences getting tougher...

Good work but flighty today

Good Monday typing..

Great work today...

Productive morning!

My sister sent us a flexible tripod so I can put the camera up and not have to worry about it falling over!  Thank you!

Good working...

Another slow start...

...we seem to have a theme here.  I will be honest, I was just a little overwhelmed/unmotivated this morning.  Things will get better...just a lot of little things happening right now with 2 of my jobs!

Not sure what happened but the video did not upload...I am going to try and add it...

Slow start to the week...

Had a hard time getting Mark out of bed this morning...it drives me crazy, on the weekend, he is up and ready to go but then wants to sleep all morning when it's a school day!

Grandma wears a shawl to keep warm.
Mark sips his apple juice through  a straw.

Some spelling...

Mark did not get to bed at a decent hour and it was difficult to get him up so we were a little behind and not very focused this morning.  We will try harder tomorrow! At least we did get a little spelling done!

Late start but did good!

Good work today!

Our family bought A new car at the auto show.
the lawn is nice and green in spring.

More great typing!

The fish got caught in the net.

Late start but great typing...

We got start a bit late today...still trying to figure out our new school routine.  We did the Bitsboard app and Mark did really good with typing, especially the sentences.  He is using fingers on both of his hands and is getting faster.  Excited to introduce some new sentences tomorrow...

Getting back to typing!

A baby deer is called a fawn.
Mom cut the wood with saw.
My baby brother is just learning to crawl.

So, we are finally getting back to typing!  It was just too difficult to get going during the summer.  This video is going to be short because I forgot that I need to video tape with Mark's iPod.  My phone does not have enough memory to do a longer video...anyway, I had to get to a conference today right after we did our typing so I just did not have time to go and re-do the video today...however, tomorrow I will remember and have a full length video available...

Last day of school Spelling zap...

Lots of stimming today but we did get some work done...

Mark did make it through 4 sets of spelling words and 10 sentences on the Bitboard today.  Then, typed out a sentence.  That was good despite he was stimming a lot...

Another slow morning...

Slow day...

Spelling and sentences...

Getting back to our typing

Babies crawls on the floor.
Our dog has four paws.
I use a straw in Apple juice.
Dad mowed the lawn.

Really took off...

I feel we are struggling a little bit with finding a new rhythm since we do not have our Camp Discovery app program anymore.  However, after our regular typing, Mark just took off with typing a bunch of sentences!  Maybe this will work out!

Still working out kinks of new Bitsboard app...

Still exploring new Bitsboard app

Starting a new app...Bitsboard

I took some time last weekend to try and find a new app that I would like to help Mark learn typing/spelling/sentence structure.  I knew I would probably find something within the app, Bitsboard.  The possibilities are practically limitless.  It is a great educational app.  I found 3 items: English 101, Spelling, and Sentence maker.  I already took the English one out but I have high hopes for the other two!  We are still working out the kinks...I wanted it to do one round of 10 but I couldn't figure out how to do that but I did it after I turned off the video...

Still exploring new apps...

More AU and AW words

A fawn is baby reindeer.
A crab has a claw.
I yawn in morning.

Continuing with AU and AW words

mom can drive the auto.
dirty laundry goes in washer.

Checking out new apps...

Some Spelling Zap...

Starting AU and AW words

turn on faucet and water comes out.
use saw to cut wood.
I like sauce on pasta.

finishing up OO words

OO words

I have been traveling a LOT lately and it is so good to be back home!

More OO words

i lost my hoodie.
A hammer is a tool.

Not a super great day...

Spring Fever!

It seems that Mark has a case of spring fever and it is hard for him to sit down and concentrate...

Getting close to finishing Camp Discovery...bathroom break...

More OO words

i am hooked on reading books.
i swim in pool in the summer.

Hey Diddle Diddle..

hey diddle diddle, cat and the fiddle
cow jumped over the moon.
the little dog laughed to see such fun
dish ran away with spoon

Spelling zap today...got up to 6 letter words!

It's Friday so we did LOTS of Spelling Zap today.  We went through all the 5 letter words.  He is definitely getting them.  Lots faster than we used to be.  We even started the first set of 6 letter words but I ran out of video time so I did not get it taped.  He spelled "ticket" perfectly the first time!

Vowel review

crow's beak.
Hay stack
bar of soap
loaf of bread
sleep in bed
bowl of ice cream
seal on beach
slow snail
leaf on tree.

Finished some OA and OW words...

baby has grown a lot in 3 months.
dad made eggs and toast for breakfast.
We can row boat into the middle  of lake.

Short session...no typing...

Our session got cut short.  Mark was not too focused and it seems his allergies are starting to act up.

Sleepy Monday...

Message for Grandma Klenda...

mom gave me a soft pillow.
That toad has bumpy skin.
Let's make bowl of popcorn.
happy birthday grandma Klenda.

 

Late start (again...)

Sleeping today...

Starting OA and OW

Great work today!

a baby goat is called a kid.
can you throw the ball to coal?
i left my new wool coat at school.

Late start...hiking on Sunday

While we were walking, our conversation centered around the fact that Mark wanted "buttered popcorn". So, I decided to film part of this incessant conversation but it seems that the cat got his tongue when the video started... I do have to say that it is nice to hear him putting 2 words together! It used to be just, "popcorn, popcorn, popcorn". Also, he was playing with his iPod and on the program there was a dog so that if you push on the dog, it says "dog"...he pushed on it several times in reference to Coal (our dog that was with us and went down the wrong trail...)

Spelling Zap today...

Finishing EA and EE

mom hit her head on door.
eric will sleep in tent tonight.
i see steam coming from teakettle.

More EE and EA

mom likes to bake wheat bread.
the bird has a very sharp beak.
a baby sheep called a lamb.

Mark with his Easter chicky...

Starting EE and EA

our kitchen sink has a leak.

do you like to swim at beach?

the frog can leap over the water.

Finished up AI and AY

what color paint should we use?
grandma took the train when she came to see us,
i bring in mail every day.

Slow day..

...Mark slept in so he started eating his breakfast when we were supposed to be typing...

It was hard to get Mark to school...he went back to his bed even though he had his shoes and coat on.  I finally got him there and then 10 minutes later, they texted and said that Mark was asking to take a nap...this is very unusual behavior for him.  So, we thought he might be sick.  I went to pick him up from school and he is not acting sick at all...ugh...

Back to it after Spring Break

i like to play in the rain.
coal wags his tail when  he is happy.

TGIF!

AY words

Forgot to start the camera...

...I swear that I started it but then I saw it had shut down...oh well, actually got most of our time typing.  We got started early today and did several Camp Discovery things before our 3 sentences.  For some reason, the email of our typing did not come to me either...bad technology day, I guess...

Money frustrations...

The money seems difficult for Mark and I am just trying to get us through this...I feel like he would best be served by actually using money and not just identifying it.  He will have challenges with adding up what things cost so I am just not sure if this is an area that we need to spend a lot of time with...

put water in pail.
a sail is on boat.

Spelling Zap

Mark was still a little flighty so we did a bunch of spelling zap...went through all the 5 letter words!

No typing today...worked on money

Going to take a break from negation...

the food at mcdonalds comes on tray.
it rained last night.
i made a bowl with clay.

It is no wonder that Mark does not know much about negation because I try to frame everything into phrases that he "can" do and give him choices as much as I can so that I don't have to say "don't, can't, not" etc...

I am not saying that it is not important to know negation, I think he can tell from the tone of my voice if he is not supposed to be doing something...

Slow going this week...

we use a chain for hammock.

Trouble with negation

the sauce left a stain on tablecloth.

Running late...little focus but we tried!

Trying new category on our Camp Discovery app - negation...

dog has a tail.
pay money for pizza.

On fire today...

I write a note to mom.
i hear knock on door.
i put money in the pocket.
mom knit me a hat.

Bright light in the morning...

I wrap gift for mom.
the sun shines bright light in the morning.

More review

Camp Discovery

Got a super late start so just did some Camp Discovery today...

Not as interested today...

i see a knot in the rope.
the chicks are going to fair.

Great session today

A knight on a horse.
i like to throw rocks in the river.

Finished some silent gh words

it rained all night long.
i can not reach that high shelf.
dad does not like it when we fight.

Not in the mood...did some Spelling Zap

Mark just did not want to come and sit down to type this morning so we did some Spelling Zap...

More silent gh words

my red jacket is too tight.
Mom was right about storm.
the snowy trees are pretty sight.

Joshua gave a presentation at school about New Brunswick...not sure if you will be able to hear it much because he was facing away from me...

Starting gh is silent

grandma is almost eighty years old.
we might not have school tomorrow.

Finished up ck as k sound

i put my books in my backpack.
Matt likes to play tricks on friends.
i am hungry for snack.

Spelling zap day...lots of energy! TGIF

Spelling zap today...lots of energy...TGIF!

If you are interested, I am raising money for local disability organizations (in Idaho)...Here is a link to my Fundraising page:  http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/denise-wetzel/walk-and-roll-disability-awareness-event

Thanks!
Denise

More organized this morning...

...but not sure what is going on with the email.  I did not get the email with Mark's typing...sometimes it comes later in the day.

We did 4 sentences this morning!

Need to get working earlier...

did you hear a duck quack?
my clock shows wrong time.

review of silent consonant sounds

did you hear a duck quack?

Okay...I am so sorry but I recorded this upside down!!!

Finishing up ck is k sound...

the boat is at dock.
i use clock to see time.
i put my hat in pocket.

Got a nice early start!

i wear blue jacket when it is cold.
a brick is red.
the tack is sharp.
a firetruck is red.

ck is k sound

a duck says quack.
a rocket goes up and down.
throw a rock in river.

Slow start but picked up at the end...finished some "kn"

There is a knot in  the rope.
I hear a knock at door.
Put a knife and fork on table.

New Camp Discovery apps...

Slow day but at least I got him out of bed...

,,,Mark was up late so I had a tough time waking him.  We did manage to work a little bit.  Will be adding some new programs to our Camp Discovery time which is always a good thing to get some variety...

We worked but it was REALLY slow...

..so slow that I am not even bothering to put up the video.  I had trouble waking him up and then he was VERY flighty and so it was almost a waste but we did sit down and do some Camp Discovery and Spelling Zap.

More silent consonants

I could NOT get Mark out of bed yesterday morning so that is why we did not type.

i can write my name.
i  fell and hurt my knee.
the telephone call was a wrong number.

A little flighty today...

Not very focused so we did some Spelling Zap...

Silent consonants

can you wrap gift for mom?
I know how to swim.

Good birthday work...

Scrub the floor when is dirty.
Dad is strong man.
spring is inside the pen.

Woke up late...short day...but got our program on the iPad working!

Great work today!

i like to splash in the pool.
I can use string to fly a Kite.
I scream when i am scared.
I like to throw rocks in stream.

Slow start...

Well, I am just glad I was able to get Mark up and going this morning.  He has been staying up late and sleeping in over the Christmas break...typical teenager...

this is bag with strap.
a zebra with black an white stripes.