I admit, unlike most homeschoolers, I don't have an inner teacher. Or if I do, she's very shy. She is content to sit back and use another teacher's ideas, because they usually work. I pity my students -- there is very little in our curriculum created just for them. But, I never promised them a rose garden, so it's all they really know.
Once in a great while, however, my students have a need that cannot be satisfied with what has worked before, and I am forced to create.
Last week, I was preparing Peach for her quarterly English test and I saw how she was really struggling with contractions. She understood the concept, but could not at all remember how to spell each word on her own. I don't remember the boys struggling with this, and I'm just a little afraid that she will not be a natural speller, as all the boys are. I turned to the internet to find a game or online activity that would help her learn the spellings with repetition, but the online games were too difficult. I finally came across an idea that I could copy myself, and I did. If you have one who is struggling with contractions, this idea worked really well. I grabbed a handful of construction paper and my black Sharpie and in minutes I had clever little "flashcards" for her.
Just cut the construction paper in half lengthwise. On the paper, write the two words that you are "contracting." Then fold the right side of the paper back over the word so the the edge comes just to the place where the old word ends and the new word will begin. Then write the rest of the contraction on the folded over piece. So easy and so smart. You homeschool veterans are probably rolling your eyes at me, but remember, no inner teacher here.
And the idea below is for anyone who has a child struggling with spelling and has grown bored with other exercises. Peach loves these spelling triangles. This is an idea straight out of the Seton workbook, but it's fun and it works. I made some triangles for her last week to study for her quarter test.
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I think your contraction cards are a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI have no "inner teacher" either. I'm eternally grateful for the talented and generous Mrs. Berquist and her lovely lesson plans... :o)
Oh, great ideas! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWonderful idea, those lovely cards! Very nifty!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome idea!
ReplyDeleteI am going to make cards just like those!! Those are great!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the idea!
I wish you had posted this idea last week, my 1st grader just took her English 1 test and got 2 contractions wrong :(
ReplyDeleteMy 1st grader just took her test today (Seton), and same thing - she looked at me so puzzled when I read the directions for the contractions section. She threw down her pencil and exclaimed "I'm not doing any more school!"
ReplyDeleteSo of course we reviewed contractions then took that part of the test, but I could tell she still didn't get it. So THANK YOU SO MUCH for this great idea. I think this will make much more sense to her, and she's obsessed with construction paper lately. :)
Thank you! :)
ReplyDelete