Katie is in week 7 of her first Language Arts programme.  She also did the Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons reading programme like her sister and cousins, but only until about lesson 80.  From there, the overlap between the Sonlight Language Arts 1 programme and 100EZ Lessons creates a good confidence building bridge.  The first few weeks of Sonlight’s LA 1 are quite easy, which is fantastic, because Katie is not sure of herself or her abilities and gets discouraged quickly.  Taking it nice and slow has been rewarding for us both.  Plus, the change in style and pace from 100EZ Lessons creates a fresh new approach that revitalises the learning process a bit.

Along with reading practise, LA1 introduces spelling, handwriting/penmanship, grammar and phonics and creative writing to the kids, slowly, gently and yet also in ways that stretch the kids.  It’s fantastic, because one can adjust the programme to suit your child’s ability and confidence levels.  For example, while they provide 10 spelling words, I only get Katie to do 5 of them.  At this stage, her confidence in her ability is more important than getting everything right. 

Today, she was required to write her first journal entry.  Sonlight encourages kids to write down their thoughts, ideas and stories on paper, without regard for spelling or penmanship.  The idea is to allow the ideas to flow.  They sometimes provide the topic; sometimes not.  Today the requirement was to write about something they did or plan to do.  I missed that part and only read the "let your child choose the topic" bit.  So, Katie did.  With more enthusiasm and excitement than I’ve seen from her in quite a while!  And out came her very first journal entry.  Since this blog is our family memory scrapbook, it definitely deserves its spot!

It says:

A cow sat at the park.  The cow saw a rat.  The rat powsind (poisoned) the cow.  The cow got dead. 

I guess the genre could be, hmmm … bovine thriller?