Helping Year 5 Making Their Books

During the final week of March, I was helping out the class teachers in assisting the students to complete their books. I was not the only one, there were other parent volunteers too. Basically, our tasks were to cut the cards to make the covers, cut out the blank papers to make the pages, cut out the fabric for the cover of the book, sew in the pages into the cover and assist the kids in gluing the fabric to the covers. That's all we did, the kids would paste their homeworks onto the blank pages themselves.

To be honest, this was the most exciting project I had ever helped at the school. I was glad to help because in the process I learned something precious, making your very own book. It was actually super duper easy !!!

In my excitement, I forgot to take pictures of the process, however on the last day, I did manage to take a few pictures

Gluing the fabric onto the covers



The pages sewed in.

Ready to paste the homework in..

This project also allowed me to look at the interesting works that some of the kids did. Some kids were truly creative.

This lovely girl was showing me her family tree. 

The books were displayed recently for the parents to see during the Year 5 Local Study Exhibition.

Such a treasure these books will be one day :D

Waiting and Waiting

After a few weeks of the homework project, I decided enough was enough. For the first few weeks DS got away by making "easy homework", something that did not pose any problems to him at all. On the first week, he insisted to make a list of places that he had been to and their connections to him, an easy one that carried 2 points. Then on the second week, he compiled all the flags of the countries that he had been to. With the wonders of Internet, life is definitely easier, all he did was search for the flags and transferred them to the publisher, this also carried 2 points. On the third week, he made a list of similarities and differences of the two schools that he went to in the Netherlands. This got him 4 points I think, I'm not so sure, unfortunately it took him 2 weeks to complete the list.  On the fifth week he made a draft summary of his travel to Rome, no proper writing yet . . .

On the sixth week, I decided I needed to intervene. How could he get the minimum requirement of 40 points before 30th March at the rate he was going? And more, his book needed to have pictures, diagrams as well as text. Since the school had a one week break, this was the time to catch up with the travel to Rome story and an extra homework. So on one not so fine day during the holiday break, there he was. . . sitting and waiting. . .

and waiting. . .

And waiting and . . .

and jotting . . .

Equipped with pen and paper, chocolate bar and sweets, and also my hand phone (in case he missed me, he said :D ), there he was recording the numbers of people and vehicles that passed down the street. The data would then be compiled in the form of graphs.

Not even 20 minutes had passed when the house phone rang . . .

"Mama . . can you bring me more food?"

What? Finished already? Did he spent the time eating or what??

When I did not turn up 10 minutes later as promised, the phone rang again . . .

Hmmm so much for my quiet time alone !!!

Around The World In My 10 Years

I love the project homework this term (Term 2), most parents love it but you will find that most kids sure hate it. Why???? Because it involves lots of writing !!! That's why. . .

The homework actually covers Literacy and Geography. Imagine what my dear son has to do every week . . . I just know that he won't like it :D

So what do the kids have to do? The kids need to produce works which will be compiled in school into their very own book titled "Around The World In My 10 Years". They have until Friday 30th March to complete the book (which is about 12 weeks from the beginning of term). The contents should have pictures, diagrams, maps and text in the book.

Front page of the guidelines

A set of ideas of what to include in the making of the book have been included in the guidelines(above) for the kids' and parents' reference. Among them are :

• Make a list of all places which means something to you.
• On an outline of the world map, carefully plot all these places.
• Write about a memorable journey you have experienced
• Make a map of the area around your house. Include at least 3 other streets and any street furniture (like lamp post, litter bins etc)
• make a survey of something you can study in your local area.
• Write a travel report about a place you have visited. What are the good parts?
• Write a review about what it is like to live in the Netherlands
• Research about animals in one of your countries.
• Write an article about the similarities and differences about two different schools you have been to.
• Make some International Food from a place you know well. Write out the recipe and take photographs of the finished food.
• Prepare a list of handy phrases in English and the language that you are familiar with.
• Research weather maps, learn the symbols and make a whather map of a typical day in your chosen place.
• Make a quiz to go with your book (answers should be found in the book!!!)

and many, many more. . . .

Don't you love it? I do, I think this book idea is simply brilliant, it covers a lot of elements. And if you really follow the ideas included in the guidelines, the kids shall learn a lot of things from writing, mapping, making diagrams etc. There are so many things to include (or rather I try to persuade my son to include) that I think 12 weeks is not enough!!!

Imagine, one brief travel report can actually take 2 weeks the way DS writes. He has such a terrible handwriting that he needs to erase all the time, further the hands are not fast enough for the ideas that sometimes come into his head. Not to mention the fact that he does not like to proof read what he writes. How many times do I have to tell him "always reread what you write!!!"

Despite all these hurdles I do love the homework this term, but I'm quite sure that DS doesn't!!!