Magic Marker Monday

Kayla has learned to make more letters of the alphabet - enough that she can start writing more words than just her name. It happened when I wasn't even looking! One of her homework assignments was writing some sight words that she found in a book; and using letters that she could form we came up with these 6 words.

Except for the "e" in "went" she made all the letters herself, without hand over hand guidance. Now a couple letters I did have to erase and have her try again, but she did, and the words are actually decipherable! (The first word looks like 'with' because of the lines, but its actually 'will' and I drew the line to separate the words 'can' and 'play').

I'm so excited to see how far she's come and can't wait to see what the next year brings in terms of handwriting!

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Magic Marker Monday

Now that the weather is nicer the kids have been enjoying being outside; which means decorating the driveway with chalk creations.

You know how you can look at clouds and see shapes of animals, or things? Sometimes I wonder if Kayla randomly draws something and then stands back and sees what it could be...or maybe she drew this intentionally. I'm not sure as I didn't watch her draw it. But either way, she told me she drew a whale, and there isn't any mistaking that this sure looks like a whale!


and then a heart...


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Magic Marker Monday

When Kayla is left with a writing utensil and paper to do with as she wants it never amounts to more than just ... well ... scribbling still. She doesn't create anything specific on her own. She can make a face and Mat Man - but that is usually done with me by her side; keeping her on task.

She can make rough drawings of objects with basic shapes (squares, rectangles, and circles and lines) with me instructing her i.e. 'make a rectangle, ok we'll make this a school bus by putting circles for the wheels' and she'll do that. But as for coming up with that on her own? She just doesn't do that yet.

I think the only time she made something 'tangible' was when she drew a triangle - by accident - then colored in a circle on top of it. She looked back at it and declared it was a party hat, and it did look like a birthday hat. Other than that, she just doesn't draw anything concrete.

The other day we were chalk drawing on the driveway and I told her to make a circle and a face while I was making something with Lucas. I was surprised to look back and see that she went farther than that and made the rest of the body (ok I guess she left off the arms, but still!) she completed this on her own without me giving her instruction.



and then the next day she called me over to tell me she made a rainbow. And she did indeed make a rainbow.

I can't tell you how shocked I was to see this. I know this doesn't look like much, but for Kayla, it's huge. It was done with purpose and it actually looks like what she said it was. I guess this is now the beginning of drawings to come!

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