Okay, I think TOG plan of having the kids read, then discuss it on Wednesday, then they write it on Thursday/Friday is a good one. But, as I look into the material I found that there are discussion questions for the DH and RH but not for the LG/UG. Am I not looking in the right place? Help please.

We use the things listed in the threads and people sections of the weekly overview. I ask general things like:

Tell me about ...
What did you think about ...

Basically, I'm looking for a narration and making sure they understood the main points (the threads). I do this before I assign lapbook booklets as it really focuses their specific answers.

It also sets the stage for prewriting their writing assignment. If they don't have much to tell me in our "chat" then they won't have a clue what to write down for their prewriting. Usually, a few more questions about what they read draws this out of them.

Also, the grammar ages aren't supposed to be making the bigger connections that the older children are. They're being exposed to concepts, learning the basic facts, and enjoying the books.

Blessings,
Monica

Especially with LG, but to some degree with UG as well, the expectation is that you will be sitting there with them, talking about the reading as you go. Different 7yos are so very different - it would be tough, I think, to try to define what a generic kid at that level should learn.

As Monica says, there are indeed writing assignments for the grammar levels, often connected with what they're studying in history. My LG, doing writing level 1, has been working on the book of colonial America (though we've done fewer pages than I hoped to). This has called for a good deal of thinking, and sometimes we've had to refer back to his books. On level 1, this starts only in the third unit, but that was okay with me. We haven't done lapbooks yet, though I may look into them for next year.

Also, I haven't found it helpful to do the M-W/Th-F split. In our family this year, my aim is to keep the writing assignments one week behind the history studies, so that students can have a full week to digest the history topics before they have to start writing about them.

thanks everyone. will try to process this and work on it.
Ella

quote:

Originally posted by BLT:
Also, I haven't found it helpful to do the M-W/Th-F split. In our family this year, my aim is to keep the writing assignments one week behind the history studies, so that students can have a full week to digest the history topics before they have to start writing about them.

This is OT, but I LOVE this idea! I have been wondering about this myself, just how I will do this, and this is a great idea!