This morning Max went on mathletics.com, a website that he uses at his school in Monaco. He was unable to find a specific assignment so we did 4 lessons in fractions (10 questions each). He did well with the assignments and was able to become more fluent with each one. I gave Max a worksheet that I made similar to his decimal test in April again and he is getting better at the skills that were required on that particular test. He did need help working though some of them, but definitely improved from last time. Max also worked in his Kumon Subtraction of Decimals workbook (pages 26-27). He is getting really good at the mental math and only missed 1 question giving him a 97% on the assignment. Next Max wanted to work on the measuring of angles in triangles worksheet that I created for him. He did so great!! He got 100% on the first attempt! He understood how to use the protractor, where to write the answers using the names of the angles, and that the sum of the three angles should add up to 180 degrees so he used the correct scale each time. He was so proud! Finally, we worked on a page from his Kumon Reducing and Calculating Fractions workbook (page 36). It was a little tough so we only did a few problems together and will complete the rest on Monday. Overall, math went very well today!

design fundamentals. Max joined us for an art lesson on "balance" in various art forms. He worked on a design to show the use of "symmetry" in art work. Nice to work with him today.

Max worked on a few concepts today beginning with adding decimals. He quickly and accurately completed problems containing two decimals to the hundredths place. Then, Max subtracted decimals to the tenths or hundredths place adding zeros and regrouping when needed. We moved on to fractions, rewriting improper fractions as mixed numbers or whole numbers and rewriting mixed numbers and whole numbers as improper fractions. Max was fluent completing these problems needing no assistance. He also subtracted two fractions with like denominators and subtracted a fraction from a whole number. Max made a few minor computational errors, adding instead of subtracting, but understood the concept.

Max read "Wonder." Because the chapters are short, he stopped after each one. I verbally questioned him. Questions ranged from recalling details to higher level thinking questions which required inferring and drawing conclusions. He analyzed one character. He described her as kind. He went back and skimmed to find evidence to support his statement.

This afternoon we began with angles. It had been a few days since we worked on them. First Max reviewed measuring angles and determining whether they were acute or obtuse and also determining if he was using the inner or outer scale to measure on his protractor. He got 75% correct but was able to fix his mistakes with little help from me when measuring the angles. I also drew some triangles for Max and he was instructed to measure the three angles of the triangle like we have practiced. He struggled with this and needed a lot of guidance in remembering how the angles are named, how to place the protractor on the page, how to measure the angles, etc. We worked through them all together. Then we moved on to a "test" I had made based on a fraction test he took on February 20, 2018. I went through the whole test before he started and explained the directions and answered any questions he had and then encouraged him to do as much as possible independently. He did well on the "test" and only needed extra explanation or help on a few.

Max wanted to work on storyboardthat.com again. He brainstormed what he wanted to do and he decided on a comic strip about three friends at school. He titled it "The Escape!". He chose all of the backgrounds and then added the characters and speech bubbles for half of the squares. It's coming along nicely and he will complete it this week. I also read aloud half of chapter 5 from Ramona the Pest and we discussed what happened.

This morning Max began with page 35 in his Kumon "Reducing and Calculating Fractions" workbook. He did well with the addition of mixed number fractions with only a little help. Then he moved on to subtraction of decimals on pages 28-29. He got 100% with no help at all! He also completed pages 38-39 where he was subtracting decimals and had to borrow. He did well and got 88% correct and then was able to fix the mistakes with very little help. Finally I recreated his test from school that he took in April 2018 (decimals). Max struggled with quite a few areas on the test so we did most of the test together. We will work on these skills again.

This morning we started the day on the computer where Max did the second half of a story he had started on Friday with Ms. Rhonda on storythat.com. He finished the last two paragraphs and added graphics to his story and chose a title ("The Ghost of Camp Nature Park"). He did a wonderful job with his story and enjoyed the project! I also read aloud the second part of chapter 5 in Ramona the Pest. Max continues to love the story and finds Ramona quite funny. We discuss the book as we go to ensure comprehension of the story. Max also did some independent reading from his Magic Treehouse book that he brought with him.

This morning Max's mom asked me to focus on fractions and decimals today, so I created an activity sheet with 10 subtraction of fraction problems and 6 subtraction of decimal problems. Max worked on the decimals first and missed 2 so we reworked them (fixing the mistakes in borrowing) and then he struggled with the fraction problems so I walked him through them. After about 6 of the 10, he got excited because the lightbulb went off and he remembered how to do the work. He was able to complete the last 4 with less help. Max also worked in his Kumon workbooks today. In the Decimals and Fractions book he completed page 18-19 (addition of decimals) where he got 100% correct. On page 37-38 (subtraction of decimals) he struggled a bit with the borrowing again and got 68% correct. We reworked a couple together and then he corrected the rest by himself. On page 74-75 Max worked on the subtraction of fractions. I helped him on the first few and then he did the rest alone and he only missed 1! We also used the Reducing and Calculating Fractions workbook. Max completed page 34 and was working hard to remember how to find the least common denominator. We will continue working on these skills tomorrow.

Max and I reviewed plot structure components: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. We share read VanAllsburg's "The Widow's Broom." He identified the plot structure components of the story. He completed a prewriting plot diagram and began writing the first draft using www.storyboardthat.com. The story is written in comic book style in cells. He created the setting, characters, and dialogue for four cells. He will complete the first draft, edit, and publish.