Black Beard - After Reading Treasure Map

Look at Daiya's map and follow his instructions to find the treasure. Will you be a great pirate and find the treasure chest?

My Neighbourhood/Neighborhood - Daiya (JH 3)

A day in my school life - a Japanese learner shares

Daiya writes & draws about his home

In my house, there's a:

• kotatsu (heated table)
• heater

In my house, there are:

• games
• cushions

In my city (Matsumoto), there's a:

• station
• castle

In my city (Matsumoto), there are:

• convenience stores
• shrines

In my country (Japan), there's a:

• Tokyo Sky Tree
• Mount Fuji

In my country (Japan), there are:

• mountains
• schools

Aggressive spelling!

I really enjoy my noisy boys on Friday afternoons, as they bring a lot of energy to the end of my week, and challenge me to come up with fresh ways to keep them interested/give them scope to bounce off each other & call each other 'stupid' - very competitive issue!

The blackboard is a fine tool for these lads, last week demanding each other 'hurry up", "write more neatly", "learn the alphabet properly", etc. We were reviewing old vocab, but while we were up I wanted to see if they were ready for a 3 letter spelling challenge. On paper, they are OK but rubbing out too much. On the board, they made it a 'death race' - first one finished (with my 'ok') clouted the others. OK, not much of a game but satisfied & motivated them!

As you can see, the spelling is working out nicely, and the confidence from this will transfer nicely to more sedentary exercises. What I like most about this class is just how much one of the boys in particular has blossomed; he used to be extremely shy & self-conscious, and burst into tears at the drop of a hat - even if I looked at him funny...not these days, and I commend him for having the stones to stick with it. Strongest reader at his age in my classes :)

Vocabulary Connect 4 : Chip-O

My little lads struggled a bit last week in the heat, and I wasn't on the best form either, getting frustrated with their lack of energy/brain power!

We are all mates again now, after a 'sound' game of Chip-O. Essentially 'Connect 4', with images of vocab on the board and cards with the words on to try & match. It is more interesting not knowing all the vocabulary, as that stimulates the kids to help each other/have a need to ask me questions - ahead of their turn, importantly, to keep the game moving on & not waiting for someone 'stuck' on their 'go'.

I love this game as a reading review/phonics lab - the game itself is fun and the teacher can rarely contrive the result (usually have to 'throw' a game so students win, which is boring & often transparent!)