Stephanie

I haven't managed payment systems well, and I don't know why.

When he was age 6, we told him that if he read a book in the summer (something like that - he was to do a certain amount of reading) he would earn a game system.

He loved that, and worked hard for it.

Since then I haven't been able to use money as a reward effectively.

I think it's because I haven't gotten his allowance & purchases under control - I give him an allowance for awhile, but then forget to give it to him.....and we end up buying him things instead of having him pay for them himself....

I'm definitely up for using any reward at all, but I'm going to need brainstorming and/or good advice on using money.

I'm also wondering how to use variable reinforcement with writing. Nothing's springing to mind at the moment.

I think one problem with writing is that I'm going to be too much "the boss" - the Big Fat Evaluator (which is the HUGE problem with the way the school handles writing).

I wonder if there's some way to have him evaluate his own writing?

-- CatherineJohnson - 06 May 2006

Maybe you'll have to resort to a very old motivation trick -- paying him. You'll have to figure out what works for both of you, but for the spelling test, you could do (words right - words wrong) * $.25 or something. You'll probably want caps on the amount you'll pay out to keep yourself safe. I imagine this sort of thing would get his attention.

-- StephanieO - 06 May 2006

Vocabulary Workshop

Jerome Shostak on: The Value of Direct and Systematic Instruction of Vocabulary (pdf file) (intended for Grades 6-12, but you could start in 5th grade or possibly even 4th - which I would do, given the fact that kids take the SAT at the beginning of 12th grade, not the end)

sample lesson Level E (average student 10th grade, or advanced student 9th grade) (pdf file)

Student website for the The Norton Sampler includes writing assignments - OK, but seem skewed towards girls (first assignment requires student to write about Martha Stewart's website)

SAT vocabulary at the Free Study Materials for SAT website.

online SAT vocabulary tests, w/VocabularyWorkshop words AP vocabulary, too - retests you automatically on any words you miss

cool SAT vocabulary quiz - timed





Christopher took the diagnostic test in Shostak's Vocabulary Workshop Level A a couple of minutes ago, and scored 36 out of 50 correct. I can't tell whether that's good or bad.

Does anyone know of a free, online norm-referenced vocabulary list I can consult?

I do think his English teacher has been getting vocabulary inside the kids' heads. While we were doing the spelling test for the next-to-last word list in Megawords 3 he told me a definition for the word "malignant" that he learned from her. So that's good.

Carolyn uses VOCABULARY WORKSHOP with Ben - haven't talked to her about it lately.

An overview of the program is here. (pdf file) Now that I've taken a look at it, I'd say Christopher is behind where he should be, given the amount of reading we do around here and the super-eliteexpensive Westchester public schools he's been attending. The program recommends Level A for "above average" 5th graders and "average" 6th graders. Christopher's at the end of 6th grade.

Have I mentioned the fact that Irvington has stopped giving any norm-referenced tests?

We're carrying on with the 8-book Megawords series, obviously; we're starting the zillion-book Vocabulary Workshop series from Sadlier-Oxford; and we'll begin Don Killgallon's Sentence Composing shortly.

Next I'm going to figure out a nonfiction reading program, possibly using The Norton Sampler Teacher's Edition.

Teaching writing as an afterschooler is going to be hard (I think) because of the Compliance Issue. Christopher doesn't like doing school work for me, and I'm having trouble seeing exactly how I'm going to prevent him from simply blowing me off on writing tasks. When I gave him his spelling test just now, it turned out he can spell lots of words he missed in the lessons. He says he missed the words in the lessons because he "didn't care." (He seems to be developing excellent metacognitive awareness when it comes to learning academic material from his mom.)

If he's blowing off spelling, he's definitely going to blow off writing.

So now I'm letting this issue percolate in my cognitive unconscious. I figure my CU has got to know something I don't. All my conscious mind has been able to come up with so far is the idea of issuing constant Threats To Homeschool If I Don't See Improvement In Subjects X, Y, & Z.

Which goes to show you how plug-dumb the conscious mind is (my conscious mind, that is). If you paid someone to come up with the single worst plan for inducing your child to learn to write at home, inviting him to call your bluff on a daily basis would be it.

While I'm mulling this over, I'm beginning to work on the component skills involved in writing. I can get enough cooperation from Christopher to teach spelling, vocabulary, sentence composing, and reading at home, so that's the first step.





words he knew:
plight
mimic
ingenious
rendezvous
relish
inflammatory
indisputable
gory
designate
rummaged
pacify
adhere to
vie
abduct
rigorous
data
topple (the government)
confiscated
sage (advice)
unerring
extinct
fatalities
scant
verging on (insanity)
taut
replica
serene
profits
wholesome
discretion
far-fetched
sluggish
self-seeking
disquieting
vow
optional
global


words he didn't know:
synopsis
strapping
dissect
foil (the plot)
acute (attack)
receded
forsake
quash
enumerate
implement
reveries
blighted
amalgamated












keywords: SATvocabularyquiz
vocabularyworkshop


VocabularyWorkshop websites & books for teaching vocabulary
Hake Grammar & Writing, Bloggers.VocabularyWorkshop, English from the Roots Up
SAT scores & VocabularyWorkshop



-- CatherineJohnson - 06 May 2006

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• Posted by: CatherineJohnson
• LogDate: May 06, 2006 @ 12:50