Liam Reads!!!

Liam is starting to read! 

On August 29, Liam (4 years + 2 months) read aloud his first book by himself!  (Not memorized, I promise!)  Doug and I were both able to hear him read it out loud.  It was one of the Bob books, "Mac."  Normally Duog would have been at work, but he was home sick, so he was able to witness the moment.  He said he wished we would've captured it on video...

Liam was SOOOO excited that he had read a book!  Doug was seriously impressed that Liam was able to read so well.  Liam has gone on to read other Bob books from the blue box series (Beginning readers).  We are so happy for him, that he is interested in reading. 

Miss Ebony (his teacher at Lighthouse Academy in pre-K) has been amazingly instrumental in helping him along.  They use the Abeka reading program at the school, which emphasizes a phoenetical approach to reading.  Miss Ebony means business, too!  The kids were used to more “play time” in their last class (3 year-old class), but in Miss Ebony’s class, it is more like school.  They sit at chairs, have assigned seating at tables and do quite a bit of school work.  So, thanks to Miss Ebony and Abeka, we’ve been able to sound our way through the Bob books.  J 

At bedtime lately, Liam brings a stack of books (anywhere from 3 to 9 books!) to us, to start reading.  At first he bawked at the idea of reading a Bob book before any of the other fun books in the stack, but now he automatically knows we will be reading a Bob book before any other books, and brings the Bob books with the rest of the stack.  ;-)  He does so well with it!

When we head upstairs for bed, we also read two Bible stories in the kids’ beds, before prayers and turning out the light.  They have a bookmark (a popsicle craft stick) they use to keep track of which story we read the night prior.  We finished with the more elementary (simple) Bible story book, so now we’re reading the comic-style version of the Bible that Grandpa Dean and Grandma Dolly gave to Liam for his birthday. 

I’ve told Doug (and I firmly believe) that kids who read the Bible are among the most well-read.  (How can you NOT be, if you see words like Nebuchadnezzar?  ;-)   The kids seem genuinely interested in each of the stories.  I love to hear their comments about the stories we read.  J

I’m so geeked for Liam! Knowing he can sound words out definitely makes me feel confident he will do well in Kindergarten.  He will be “assessed” in May, to see if he is ready to take on kindergarten in the next school year.  I have no doubt he will do well with the assessment.  With such a late birthday for the Georgia cut-off (September 1), I'm trying to work hard with him, to be sure he is ready for Kindergarten next fall. 

Some of Ava’s fellow kindergarteners had summer birthdays and were purposely held back by their parents.  I think, given that Liam is already used to day care / a classroom setting, he will do well. There were some kids (two) in Ava’s kindergarten class, who, when I was volunteering in her classroom, I noticed didn’t know very basic words like “the” and “and”.  L  (After I was finished with basic volunteering tasks, the teacher asked if I would work with one of them directly.)  Those two students went on to repeat kindergarten this year.  Knowing Liam can sound out words and they couldn’t even in kindergarten, makes me more confident Liam will go on to thrive at Murdock, next school year.  We will be focusing on more fine-motor skills in the next month or so, to be sure he can write his name as neatly as possible.  He can write his name now, but we’ll work on practicing it more.  J Our normal early-morning routine of "playing school" - after big sis Ava heads to the bus - is paying off!

Peace, love and books!

Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam

"Mom, you are a big woman!"

Liam, while we are eating ice cream at Coldstone's tonight:

 

"Mom, you are a big woman!"

 

I won't take it personally, since I know we've been discussing girls growing up to be women, boys to be men. But way to start early with inappropriately manly comments, Liam!

First Day of School - 2012

The school year has officially started! 





Ava was so excited to start school this year, as a first-grader at Murdock Elementary.  Liam is in his Pre-Kindergarten year at Lighthouse Academy.  He is excited to be "Big Man On Campus," in the oldest class at Lighthouse, now that the older summer campers are back to school.





We went to Murdock's class list posting party on Friday, August 3rd, to see who Ava's first grade teacher would be.  Ava saw her buddies Issy Lacasella and Ella Wheeler.  They all had to find out what class the other was in; Ava and Issy are in class together.  :)  Ava is in Mrs. Lane's class with 23 other students:

Natalie Alexis Allphin

Mariana Alvarez

Gal Amir (was in kindergarten with Ava)

Caanan True Armour

Klara Blanka Stefania Babinska

Jaret Ian Beck

Janae Veronica Lanoiox Bermudez

Ava Elise Carey

Krista Mary Foley

William Logan Groover

Elizabeth Brooke Katz (is in Girl Scout Daisies with Ava)

Adarsh Krishna

Isabelle Makena Lacasella (was in kindergarten with Ava / is in Daisies, too.)

Nathaniel Martin Long

Taylor Kate McCook

Romil Hitendra Mehta

Alexis Haley Needle

Taylor Mackenzie Owen  (is in Girl Scout Daisies with Ava)

Brennan Arc Renna (the P.E. teacher's son)

Ava Michelle Rocco (who, from what I can tell, will be "Ava R.")

Dana Rose Shekastehband

Carter David Sirota

Samantha Elaine Tener (the computer teacher's son)

Liam Merric Tilden

At first, I was a little concerned, since Ava's class seemed to have the highest number of students enrolled (24).  After speaking with Ava's friend's Mom, I was told that a few first grade teachers don't have any EIP students in them, so they have more students.  (EIP- Early Intervention Program, for those students who might need more help during the school day).  Mrs. Lane also doesn't have a para-pro (student teacher), so I assume her students would need to function well independently, with little assistance.  I think Ava will do fine, but did remind her that she will definitely need to be sure to ask for help, if she needs it, given the number of kids in her class.

I think we probably lucked out, as someone else pointed out.  Mrs. Lane's class consists of the PTA president's daughter, the gym teacher's son (Mr. Renna) and the computer teacher's daughter (Mr. Tener).  Last year the children of Mr. Renna and Mr. Tener were also in the same kindergarten class.  Coincidence?  Probably not.  ;-)

I did think it was pretty funny that Ava is in a classroom with:
2 Ava's
2 Taylors
1 Liam

She is doing so well with reading!  We've read the first Ivy and Bean book, and a few of the Magic Tree House books.  "Ivy and Bean" books seem to be her speed, since they're about two best friends who are girls and the fun they have together.  We will definitely be focusing on comprehension and spelling this year.  She seems to have a knack for reading.

We then attended Murdock's "Meet-And-Greet" the Thursday before school started.  This allows students and teachers to sign-up for PTA, MESF, After-School Program, pay for lunch in advance, sign-up for any after-school extra curricular clubs, find their desk and meet their new teacher / classmates.  We ordered our school supplies through the PTA this year, which was nice.  We shopped for treasure box items at the dollar store.  Ava is signed-up for KidzArt, to take place on Thursday afternoons.  Her BFF Cosette will be attending, as well.  Olivia, our neighbor, will be going, too, so it should be fun!




I'm so excited to see what is in store for Ava this year at Murdock, with Mrs. Lane!  In my first grade journal, I ended every day's journal entry with the phrase "And I love Mrs. Panza."  I hope the same rings true for Ava. :)  Exciting times.

Liam is now in Miss Ebony's pre-k class at school.  I am so thankful!  She is a great teacher.  I'm hoping introducing him to the Abeka reading program is as helpful to him, as it was to Ava.  Pre-K will definitely be more learning and less free play.  I've mentioned to Liam that we need to be sure to learn lots, so he's ready for kindergarten next year.  He will be one of the youngest in kindergarten, since his birthday is in July.  The cut-off here is September 1st.  We've got our work cut-out for us this year!  I'm sure he will do great, though.  I love spending time with him in the morning, after Ava is on the bus, to read and work on motor skills / writing.  It is our special time together. :)

At Lighthouse, he is with the same motley crew, including Aiden, Marissa, Frankie, Kwame, Trey, Taylor.  Amazing how long these little ones have been together!  This has been the only school Liam has ever attended.  It will be nice to have no day care payment next year, and have Liam in "big kid" school.  He was a little sad when he figured out he wouldn't be riding the bus with Ava and Olivia.  Soon enough.  :)

Speaking of the bus, this year the neighborhood bus stop grew from three students to five (Olivia and Meilani are attending kindergarten this year).  You can see the busy-ness of our little neighborhood fairly early in the morning, now.  So we now have a 4th grader (Nicholas Argentis), 3rd grader (Matthew Quinn), 1st grader (Ava) and two kindergarteners (Olivia and Meilani).  Mr. Mike, the bus driver, won 1st in the state "Road-eo" competition, and then went on to win 2nd place in the NATION!  On the first day of school, I congratulated him.  I'm SO thankful we have him transporting our precious cargo to school. 





Peace, love and first-day-of-school excitement,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam

"Would You Like Some Coffee, Ma'am?"

Liam: "Mom, when did God make me?"
Me: "God made you in my belly. I tried to eat sooo healthy, since the food I ate is what you ate, too!"
Liam: "Mom, did you drink coffee?"
Me: :/

 

What Liam does not know, is my focus on eating all things healthy while pregnant with him - and Ava.  Coffee - YES, CAFFEINATED - was the only real "guilty pleasure" I allowed myself.  And what does a four year-old know about coffee's affect on the human body, anyway?