This video made me laugh, and perhaps it will give readers a chuckle.
I couldn't embed it so go to this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCJPmvfU4Ow
Leonie at Living Without School, who has been writing about liturgical travesties, I hope this cheers you up!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
How high is your voice when speaking to toddlers?
... because my voice goes REALLY HIGH when I'm speaking to our Little Man...
But I just read this at http://www.dailymontessori.com/
I definitely never spoke in fractured English, but my voice at times can reach decibels only heard by dogs ... I think I'll start using more of a normal tone with our Little Man now, except when I greet him in the morning. If you can't go high then, well there's no hope for the world.
But I just read this at http://www.dailymontessori.com/
Speaking in high pitched tones as when they were babies "can impede in their language development in learning how to really talk. Toddlers need to be spoken to like a real person and not ‘like a dog’ anymore. They are smarter than we give them credit for and absorb everything that is said to them. This is a sensitive period for language in children so take advantage of it and model it properly.".I'm not sure if they mean simply the high-pitched tone or also speaking in 'motherese' to de widdle wums.
I definitely never spoke in fractured English, but my voice at times can reach decibels only heard by dogs ... I think I'll start using more of a normal tone with our Little Man now, except when I greet him in the morning. If you can't go high then, well there's no hope for the world.
Jasper Fforde
Is this name a pseudonym? It reminds me of Wodehouse's Freddie Ftich-Fitch. I'm not sure, but I've just finished reading Jasper Fforde's The Big Over Easy, and I loved it so much I just have to blog it.
Jack Spratt heads up the Nursery Crimes police division and has to solve the case of who murdered Humpty Dumpty. It might sound corny but it makes enough of a commentary on the media, politics and celebrity status that it's not all cheese
It was a bit 'parrallel universe', had a lot of satire, and many moments where you don't laugh out loud but you do go "ha" under your breath: it was a great read.
Over dinner I kept telling ever-patient hubby about it but he's not really into the whole 'it's set in our world but not really' themed books so I couldn't go overboard telling him about it.
The first Jasper Fforde book I read was The Eyre Affair, which I also loved.
Who wouldn't want to jump in and out of books and interact with the characters - as long as they you don't speak with them when they are actually in a scene: you don't want to be written into the book!
The part I always remember with a chuckle about this book is when a Japanese tourist Mrs Nakajima manages to read herself into Jayne Eyer and decides to settle down in the village where Rochester lives.
I just went to Jasper Fforde's website and it's just like reading his books. Hilarious!
.........And no, I wasn't paid by Fforde to write this....
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
communication development
Since our Little Man turned one this May, his language has started to develop into more meaningful groups of sounds. For months now, he's said 'Ma' and 'Da' - Ma when he's crying, and Da when he's happy or hears his dad coming home from work.
He has now started saying "Ber" for bird. He loves watching the pigeons on the roof of the apartment block next door while he eats his breakfast. He is getting better at repeating sounds like 'ber' after us.
He also picks up anything that resembles a mobile phone and says "hurrow", and he's got "bye bye" down pat.
He has started pointing more (especially at lights), and trying to make sounds to express what he's pointing to.
I love how he compensates for his lack of verbal language through other means. If he wants me to do something like making a scratching noise on the table, he'll guide my hand to initiate the action. If he wants his toy dog, he makes little barking noises. If he wants to go to bed, he gets his dummy and doggy and goes into his bedroom. So cute!
He has now started saying "Ber" for bird. He loves watching the pigeons on the roof of the apartment block next door while he eats his breakfast. He is getting better at repeating sounds like 'ber' after us.
He also picks up anything that resembles a mobile phone and says "hurrow", and he's got "bye bye" down pat.
He has started pointing more (especially at lights), and trying to make sounds to express what he's pointing to.
I love how he compensates for his lack of verbal language through other means. If he wants me to do something like making a scratching noise on the table, he'll guide my hand to initiate the action. If he wants his toy dog, he makes little barking noises. If he wants to go to bed, he gets his dummy and doggy and goes into his bedroom. So cute!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Lake visit
Yesterday we took our Little Man to visit a lake near our place.
It's so beautiful there - a lush haven in the city.
He was fascinated by the assortment of water birds there, including a massive gander, which liked having his photo taken:
I'm glad one of you is looking at the camera!
I had to restrain our Little Man from grabbing their beaks. Dirty things!
Looking out over the water. We really should do this more often!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
How many books at home?
For those who are concerned about their child's potential to go to university, a study (sent to me via Mum) has found that the more books you have available at home, the higher your child's education attainment.
http://www.livescience.com/culture/books-education-children-100521.html
So if your child gets a degree it's not about how well educated you are, it's about how many books you have.
How many books do you need to have to make sure your child gets to go further at school?
The study found that having 500 books made a big difference, but
"Having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on propelling a child to a higher level of education, and the more books add, the greater the benefit."
The quote below interested me most:
"This book benefit was seen across countries, and held regardless of the parent's educational background, the country's Gross Domestic Product, father's occupation or the political system of the country, the researchers say."
Regardless of parent's educational background, eh? This is most interesting for homeschooling parents.
It puts paid to the idea that only institutionally educated people are qualified to homeschool. Any parent, no matter what their education level should be qualified for homeschooling if they themselves have a love of learning and their child's best interests at heart.
Often when I tell friends that I intend to homeschool, their reaction is "Oh, but you can do it because you're a teacher anyway". In fact, don't teachers make the worst homeschoolers?
In America especially, some states make it compulsory for homeschoolers to have teaching qualifications (if they haven't banned homeschooling outright).
Instead, perhaps it should be compulsory for all parents to have more than 20 books in their shelves.
http://www.livescience.com/culture/books-education-children-100521.html
So if your child gets a degree it's not about how well educated you are, it's about how many books you have.
How many books do you need to have to make sure your child gets to go further at school?
The study found that having 500 books made a big difference, but
"Having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on propelling a child to a higher level of education, and the more books add, the greater the benefit."
The quote below interested me most:
"This book benefit was seen across countries, and held regardless of the parent's educational background, the country's Gross Domestic Product, father's occupation or the political system of the country, the researchers say."
Regardless of parent's educational background, eh? This is most interesting for homeschooling parents.
It puts paid to the idea that only institutionally educated people are qualified to homeschool. Any parent, no matter what their education level should be qualified for homeschooling if they themselves have a love of learning and their child's best interests at heart.
Often when I tell friends that I intend to homeschool, their reaction is "Oh, but you can do it because you're a teacher anyway". In fact, don't teachers make the worst homeschoolers?
In America especially, some states make it compulsory for homeschoolers to have teaching qualifications (if they haven't banned homeschooling outright).
Instead, perhaps it should be compulsory for all parents to have more than 20 books in their shelves.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
A Maiden Upstairs
My sister Bridget has just created a fantastic blog: A Maiden Upstairs. She'll be writing about a lot of things she does as a homeschooled teenager.
I'm lucky to have her as a sister. Who else could I go to the beach with and quote the whole of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers while playing in the waves?
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