Danny was assigned the science project of coming up with analogies for plant cell organelles. He chose to call his project plant school. He compared principal and nucleus, cell wall and school wall, school doors and cell membrane. We then proceeded to explain our reasoning for the comparison. Danny will type up the analogies, find a picture of the plant cell with the parts labeled, and get pictures of the relevant parts of his school.

Danny began his lesson with a very positive approach. He wanted to go as fast as possible because he has a goal to finish Book 2. Danny started the lesson by doing analysis with a red pen on the dictation he did yesterday. Danny marked up blends at the beginning and the end of the words he was given. He boxed welded sounds where necessary. Danny spelled all of the sight words: comb, half, salt, wolf, and friend correctly. Danny continued the analysis by working on the sentences. I allowed Danny to find all of the markings he needed to make without too much prompting. Danny is beginning to know all of the Wilson Training markings and expectations without extra assistance. When he finished this activity, he wanted to begin lesson 2.5. We began the new lesson with a review of words with 5 sounds. Danny read the words squint, shrunk, and prank from the magnetic tiles. He recognized the digraph blend and remembered the welded sounds. The new lesson teaches three letter blends with six sounds. Danny read the words: scrap, sprint, sprang, struck, and strong. Danny practiced tapping these words and learned about a triple blend. Danny did mark ups on the white board with colorful markers on the words: struck, sprang, tempt, splint, and scrod. The word "scrod" became a vocabulary word. This word was entered into Danny's dictionary in his binder. A definition and a sentence were entered into the notebook as well as a diagram of a scrod. Danny read a stack of words form 2.5. He was charted using p. 74 and did very well in reading these words with 15/15. We ended the lesson with the reading of Chapter 14 out of Because of Winn Dixie. In this chapter, Opal meets Gloria Dump. They think about what is important in life. Gloria wanted to teach Opal about not judging someone by what they had done in the past, but what they are doing right now. She told Opal that she should not judge Otis even though he had been in jail. She also wanted Opal to know that even though she had a problem with drinking, it was over now and maybe that is the same with Opal's mother. I invited Danny to do much of the reading of this chapter and he did so with good fluency.
Danny has come a long way since I met him in February. I am thrilled with his progress. He is a very kind and gentle boy with a quick wit and charming personality. I wish him well as he moves to a new school.

Danny started the lesson with Quick Drill in Reverse. He pronounced the sounds and named the letters for /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/. Danny found the sounds and gave the letters for the digraphs and consonants of /sh/, /g/, /r/, /th/, /f/. Special attention was given to the auditory discrimination and sounding of /th/ and /f./ Danny found and spelled the welded sounds: ong, olt, old, am, ang, and all. Danny spelled the words: kind, scold, and wild using magnetic tiles. He spelled the nonsense words: skent, shrend, bresk, pramp, and cranch using the magnetic tiles. Danny practiced writing the sight words: friend, comb, half, salt, wolf using colorful markers on the whiteboard. Danny then took dictation for 2.4. He worked well on sounds, real and nonsense words, and sentences. The balance of the time spent with Danny was to keep reading Because of Winn Dixie. Danny listened to the reading of Chapter 13 about the part where Otis knows how to get all the animals in the pet shop calmed by singing songs on the guitar. I hope Danny finishes this book. He really loves reading about the dog Winn Dixie.

Danny started his lesson reciting the Vowel Team chart. He is getting more familiar with the pairs of vowels and the sounds and key words that go with them. Danny reviewed sounds by playing Quick Drill in Reverse. He practiced sh, wh, w, qu, p, th, f, g, and d. He practiced the welded sounds: onk, ing, ank, ung, ang, old, ost, ind, olt, and ild. Danny used the whiteboard and colorful markers to practice spelling: drift, print, blend, crunch, and slept. He practiced the sight words: front, about, said, only, and out. Danny did the dictation sentences. Some of them were long for him to repeat back to me and it took at least five repetitions for the compound sentence: Ben drinks milk and dips a crust in the pan. Danny got all of his sentences written correctly. Sometimes he had trouble when spelling a word with five sounds. One example for this would be the word "crunch." Danny hears the whole word, repeats it correctly, but wants to skip over the fourth sound when spelling. We slowed down the process to improve the spelling of five sounds by tapping each sound. Danny needed extra practice to place one sound only on each finger as he taps. He was able to master this activity after three practices. We will do the analysis of the dictation on Wednesday. Danny worked hard and his attention span was good.

Danny worked on number comparisons (greater than, less than, equal to) today. He read three-digit numbers out loud and filled in the to correct symbol for each problem. He also read sentences with number values and had to write the correct three-digit number. He completed an activity using base ten blocks where he read a three-digit number and drew a picture of the number in base ten blocks. He also looked at pictures of base ten blocks and wrote the correct three-digit number.

Danny started the lesson today reciting all of the Vowel Team. That would include double vowels like ea, ie, ei, and au. Danny then recited all of the vowel sounds with their key words. He practiced the consonants and digraphs: sh, c, ch, qu, wh, x, and z. I reviewed the verbal formation of the letters q and u. Danny has trouble saying these one after the other without slurring the sound of "q." Danny practiced the welded sounds ank, onk, and ing, as well as, the closed vowel exceptions old, ost, ind, and olt. Danny reviewed the closed vowel exception by reviewing the words child, blind, and colt made with magnetic tiles. He was then introduced to the new lesson today which is five sounds in a closed syllable. Danny read and tapped these words: clump, skunk, shrimp, blink, and tramp. Danny played Ladder to practice four sets of new words with five syllables. Then, Danny practiced five sight words using the whiteboard and colorful markers. He practiced: said, only, about, front, and out. Danny was charted on p. 56. He got 15/15. He is on his way to moving quickly through this lesson. Danny did markups on the words: stomp, sling, frank, thrust, and spank. I was happy to see that Danny remembered to box a welded sound. He also learned to put a little line under each letter in a blend and he learned about digraph blends and knows how to mark them up. Danny practiced Quick Drill in Reverse. He did a reading of Tom, Ben and Skip. Danny did a good job making a movie in his head. He answered all of my comprehension questions. Vocabulary words which were discussed were: romp and crest. We completed the lesson with a short reading from Chapter 12 to p. 82 of Because of Winn Dixie. Danny is working very well.

Danny started his lesson with recitation of the Vowel Team. These vowel combinations blend together to make many vowel sounds in words Danny will be studying soon. He then practiced all of the vowels with their key words. Danny practiced the consonants and digraphs: k, w, n, sh, wh, qu, and b. He practiced the welded sounds and closed vowel sound exceptions: ank,ong, ink, all, ang, an, ol, old, ild, ost, ind. Danny practiced a stack of words from 2.3. He then was charted on real words for 2.3 and received a 15/15. He was also charted on a mixed review on p. 50. These words include words like cost which looks like a closed vowel sound exception, but is a closed vowel with a short "o" instead. Danny did well discriminating among these words. Danny practiced words with magnetic tiles. He made the words: rinks, bunk, and lungs for a review. He then used tiles to make the words bind, post, gold, grind, and colt. Danny practiced the sight words: cost and wind using the whiteboard and colorful markers. Danny took the dictation for his group of "Mixed" words. He completed the dictation and learned the sight words: wind, cost, want, walk, and comb. Danny was surprised to learn that the word comb does not pronounce the "b" but that you have to remember to use the "b" letter when you spell the word. Danny did great on all of his dictated sentences. He did the analysis of his page. Danny needed a little extra review and examples to remember how to mark up a closed vowel exception. He practiced this on words such as "wild" and "post." Danny learned that a long straight line over the vowel means that the vowel says its own name and it is called a "long" vowel. Danny completed his lesson successfully and will start on 2.4 the next time we meet on Wednesday. Danny worked very hard today.

Danny did three-digit subtraction with regrouping. He practiced many problems and then checked his answers to make sure he was correct.

Danny started his lesson by completing the dictation started yesterday. Danny had two sentences to complete. He needed significant auditory review (at least 10 times) to keep all the words in mind for the sentence: The host got a cold glass of milk for Hal. It took about ten minutes to get Danny to return to the focus needed for the Wilson lesson. Danny is excited to advance in book 2. Today we started a review and the mixed practice section of 2.3. In this lesson, Danny needs to distinguish between words with closed vowel exception and closed vowel. For example, "grind" and "weld." Danny needed definitions for both of these words. A definition, discussion, and sentence were added to the notebook for these words. Danny did not want to draw today for the illustration. Danny reviewed all vowels with keywords. He practiced the consonants and digraphs k,w,n, sh, wh, qu, and b. He practiced the welded sounds and closed vowel exceptions: ank, ong, ink, all, ang, an, olt, old, ild, ost, and ind. Danny read words from the magnetic letters: mind, bind, and hold. He read the mixed list of words: grind, quilt, child, weld, and mild. We completed the lesson today reading the rest of chapter 11 in Because of Winn Dixie. It is the part where Winn Dixie is so afraid of a thunderstorm that he races around the house and jumps on the preacher in the middle of the night. The phrase: "pathological fear" was used in the text. The story explained that the pathological fear is a fear that cannot be reduced by logic and reason. Danny was happy to head off to camp at the end of the lesson.

Danny started the lesson today with Quick Drill in Reverse. He practiced a, e, i, o, and u with the key words. He practiced the digraphs wh, ch th, and the consonant f. Danny still has confusion between "th" and "f." We reviewed with this in mind. Danny practiced ank, am, ong, ang, ink, unk, and all. He then reviewed his new sounds ind, ild, ost, old, and olt. Danny read the words trots, bend and blush. He marked up these words showing base word and suffix, blends, and digraphs. He then marked up the words: molt, scold, volt, wild, and post. Danny boxed these welded sounds and we reviewed the way the vowel is long because these are exceptions to the closed vowel rule. Danny did not know the meaning of molt and scold. These words were entered into his dictionary with a definition, sentence and a drawing that he did by himself. We discussed the meaning of the word volt. Danny practiced the sight words: anyone and becoming with the gel pad and stylus. He also practiced any, become, and which. Danny read a stack of words from 2.3. He then took dictation. He paid attention to his work and showed he is making corrections in the word "child." Danny completed almost all of the dictation and then went on to camp.