To begin, we went through Reid's school folder. Reid made flashcards for the week, wrote three sentences with three of the words, and edited his work using CAPS (self-checking for capitalization, appearance, punctuation, and spelling). Next, I reviewed the definition of a sentence: it has an "actor" and an "action" and is a complete thought. Using a worksheet I prepared for Reid about the NBA, he identified fragments and entire sentences. He corrected the fragments to make complete sentences. To conclude, we went outside to practice his spelling deck while playing basketball.

I was happy to visit with Reid after Christmas and hear about his trip to Cuba. We began with a "Daily Reading Ready" activity. Reid read a short passage and answered comprehension questions. We reviewed the prefix "un," and Reid brainstormed example words. He defined the word "fortunate" from context clues. We discussed the definition of synonyms and Ried identified synonyms for the word scared (nervous, terrified). Next, Reid chose a book from the Batt School library (Junie B. Jones Lunch Boss). We co-read two chapters and entered this into his reading log.

Reid was excited for Christmas break. He did not have any work to prepare for school. We chose several holiday books from the library. We practiced reading comprehension strategies, reviewed unfamiliar vocabulary, and summarized the stories. We played several holiday Mad Libs to check parts of speech. To conclude, we played several rounds of Crazy Moose to review syllable types.

To begin, we went through Reid's school folder. He had a new list of spelling words; he wrote them three times as directed. Next we divided the words into categories: one-syllable words with ou, two-syllable "rabbit words, and three-syllable words. We made flashcards for review, and he syllabicated each word on the card. My hope is that being conscious of the syllables will help Reid to spell these challenging words. Next, we read a chapter of Reid's free reading book (Magic School Bus) and recorded the minutes in his reading log. To conclude, we played several rounds of Crazy Moose to review all five syllable types.

Reid was his usual bubbly self today. We began with a game of Crazy Moose (we did not play last session and I promised Reid we would start with it). Reid is getting quite creative in his effort to win! We went outside to practice his spelling words. He bumped his head on the electrical box on the wall; we went inside to get an ice pack and he recovered quickly. While he recovered, we co-read the rest of the Magic School Bus book. Great work, Reid. I hope that you have a terrific Thanksgiving in Chicago!

Judie and I met with Reid's teachers and mother. We discussed appropriate accommodations for school and brainstormed how we can support Reid's academic process this year. We agreed to the following: Reid's teacher will email suggestions weekly, I will assign tutoring homework, I will teach cursive and keyboarding. We will help Reid to stay more organized to bolster his executive functioning.

To begin, we went through Reid's school folder. He had a new list of spelling words; he wrote them three times as directed. Next we divided the words into categories: one-syllable words with ou, two-syllable "rabbit words, and three-syllable words. We made flashcards for review, and he syllabicated each word on the card. My hope is that being conscious of the syllables will help Reid to spell these challenging words. Next, we read a chapter of Reid's free reading book (Magic School Bus) and recorded the minutes in his reading log. To conclude, we played several rounds of Crazy Moose to review all five syllable types.

Reid did not bring any school work to session. I began with word fluency practice; Reid read lists of VCCV words, two-syllable words with silent-e, and two syllable r-controlled words (Megawords 1, lists 2, 3, 4). Next, Reid practiced syllabication strategies for unfamiliar three-syllable words. I was pleased that he remembered this skill from last year. I dictated detached syllables; Reid wrote the syllable, and then matched them to make real words. For spelling, we reviewed a deck of oo/ew words from last year. Again, Reid showed good retention of skills. To conclude, we read two poems by Robert Frost, "Fireflies in the Garden" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." We discussed the concepts of comparing and contrasting and main idea.

Reid was in good spirits today, looking forward to Halloween. We began by going through his school notebook. He did not have a spelling list this week, so we started with his reading log, co-reading Chapters 5 and 6 of Whale Watching (Magic School Bus, book 3). Reid read with reasonable fluency and comprehension. At his suggestion, we picked out several practice spelling words: frantic, instrument, and barnacle. We went outside to practice spelling; first, we counted the syllables and then spelled each word while tossing a football. Returning to the classroom, we co-read a reading comprehension passage, Lou Lou's School for Ghouls, followed by comprehension questions. The format is very similar to the Daily Reading Ready Tests that Reid takes in school, so this was good practice. To conclude, we played a game of Crazy Moose, all syllable types.

First, we reviewed Reid's school folder. We reviewed his spelling words, and Reid sorted the list into one-, two-, and three-syllable words. We went outside and practiced his spelling words while throwing a football. To conclude, we co-read a chapter of Stuart Little and practiced reading comprehension strategies (asking questions while reading, making predictions, etc.)