Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Things Kids Write


Recently my daughter discovered the much anticipated fight scene for Winter’s Tale would involve combs.  Yes, COMBS!    The play is set in the 1950s, so the director decided the greasers would pull the combs out of their back pockets for the fight scene.   Each year the kids look forward to learning the fight scene as it usually involves swords or pikes or some such exciting weapon.   Utter disbelief is the only way I can describe E-R’s reaction to this announcement.   On the walk home from Shakespeare, E-R orally put together her argument,   and once home she quickly sat down and wrote out this speech to share with the director.  

KNIVES
I was raised by the Filipinos (the knife people).  Knives are not useless.  We use knives for everything: opening cereal boxes, opening gifts, hunting, opening bags, and self-dense.  Like the “The Outsiders” Johnny saved his friend Ponyboy with his knife ( But he killed him but that is not the point).  We bring it everywhere: to the super market, to a movie, to the park, and to go bowling.  The knife will never go out of style;  my Grandpa still carries one.  The knife is part of your family.  You might think that it is funny to fight with a comb, but knives are the real weapons.You should never use a comb to fight and call your-self a man.  I will never surrender to the comb.  It is against my rule and the knife people’s rule to use a comb when fighting.  BECAUSE WE ARE MEN WE USE KNIVES.  And because, combs are for sissies; knives are for men.
And that is why we should use knives in our fight for Shakespeare not combs

My daughter started out the school year writing four sentence paragraphs.  Each sentence consisted of a subject, verb, and direct object with an occasional adjective thrown in for good measure.  It is exciting to be her mom and teacher and see the progress that is occurring in this arena.       
What progress has you excited?
  
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3 comments:

  1. I love her aside, "But he killed him but that is not the point". How neat to see her writing evolving!

    Thanks for sharing with Learning Laboratory at Mama Smiles =)

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  2. I honesty don't know how you do it! I am so intimidated by the idea of homeschooling but wish I wasn't because I would love to keep my daughter home! What curriculum do you use if any?

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  3. Ann, there is so much curriculum out in homeschool land, it is mind boogling. I suggest reading The Well Trained Mind as a starting point to homeschooling. Another place to start might be at this website http://simplycharlottemason.com/basics/what-is-the-charlotte-mason-method/

    Homeschooling can be intimidating, but like everything else it is doable a little bit at a time.

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