WWE 2 Wk 36 Evaluation: pass or fail? 10-yr old

[Annabel Lee]

I'm having trouble determining how well my 10 year old needs to have performed on the WWE2 year-end evaluation in order to move on. He completed to week 17 when I thought he might be ready to test out. Here is what he gave me, unedited.

 

Narration Evaluation Wk. 36 Pg. 1 - instructions were that I write down his narration:

Peter came to get the children to Neverland. He put pixie dust on them so they could fly and the parents tried to get to the nursery but they were too late. The children had flown away.

 

Narration Evaluation Wk. 36 Pg. 2 - instructions were that he write from dictation one of his sentences from Pg. 1:

He put pixie dust on them and the parents tried to get to the nursery but they were to late.***

 

***Notice he left out a chunk of that sentence. I only repeated twice (as the instructions usually say to) before he wrote from memory.

 

Dictation Evaluation Wk. 36 Pg. 3 - instructions were that he write sentences in the book from dictation. We chose the given option to separate it into 2 sessions, with only session 1 complete thus far. I had to read it to him more than 2 times; probably closer to 7 or 8, but that was to make sure even the little words were correct when he repeated it back to me before writing. On his own, he drew some small reminder pictures on a separate piece of paper which I allowed, having seen SWB's you tube in which she allowed this with her son (although it wasn't the year-end evaluation). After all this, he wrote the sentences perfectly.

 

My concerns: the wording from Page 1, dictation mistakes from Page 2, and the extra effort it took to get it right for session 1 of Page 3. Is this indicative of need for further review in level 2 before moving on, or should we just keep moving forward? I know there is some narration review in the first 3 wks. of level 3, so I'm hoping he can just move on.

 

I need some feedback & perspective here, delivered kindly, but honestly please.

TIA!

[plain jane]

I don't know enough about how to evaluate what you wrote about your son's dications to make a recommendation for you. The one thing I can say is that WWE3 really ramps things up. The dictations are much longer & more difficult and there is more expected from the narrations. Progressing your son too quickly through the books will only lead to frustration and discouragement. I say this sincerely, from experience. :grouphug:

 

If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be in a hurry to "test out" of level 2. Look at these books as building blocks that lay a solid foundation. The better he does on the easier levels, the more confidence (and experience) he will have when things get tough in the next level.

 

Only you know how difficult the evaluation passage was for your child. If he really struggled with it, I wouldn't move on.

[Annabel Lee]

I appreciate you being candid with me. I'm still not quite sure what to do, but I accept the message to slow down and make sure things are solid vs. rushing to get where we "should" be. Thanks.

[Rivka]

It might be a good idea to keep going with WWE2 while you work with him on shaping his sentences. This:

 

He put pixie dust on them so they could fly and the parents tried to get to the nursery but they were too late.

 

is a run-on sentence, and it's also missing internal punctuation. I think the goal of narration is not just to include all the relevant information, but also to develop the ability to compose well-formed sentences. I would also fix sentence errors, including punctuation, before having him take dictation of his own work.

 

Take my advice with a grain of salt, though, because we're just on WWE1.

[Annabel Lee]

It might be a good idea to keep going with WWE2 while you work with him on shaping his sentences. This:

 

 

 

is a run-on sentence, and it's also missing internal punctuation. I think the goal of narration is not just to include all the relevant information, but also to develop the ability to compose well-formed sentences. I would also fix sentence errors, including punctuation, before having him take dictation of his own work.

 

Take my advice with a grain of salt, though, because we're just on WWE1.

 

I've wondered if I should be doing that now or if it's covered in later vols. of WWE or WWS. I'm too much of a literal thinker and follow the instructions to a "t" (to a fault, often). It didn't mention revision, so I assumed that was so for a reason. I recognized his sentence as awkward and as a run-on, but I guess I don't know the exact "comma rules". Is there a resource (even if only a website, for now) I can use for myself? He just started FLL3, so perhaps that will hold some of this info.

Thanks again!

[boscopup]

I've wondered if I should be doing that now or if it's covered in later vols. of WWE or WWS. I'm too much of a literal thinker and follow the instructions to a "t" (to a fault, often). It didn't mention revision, so I assumed that was so for a reason.

 

Have you listened to SWB's lecture on teaching writing in the elementary years? I think it's that lecture where she gives an example of leading a child through a narration. Basically, you correct the sentences as you go along (having the child repeat the corrections) so that the final product is a good one.

 

We're in WWE2 (also just finished week 17 :D), and I do revisions with DS before dictating his sentence back to him. We work together to make it a good narration. Some days he gives a good one first try, and some days he needs more help to get the sentences sounding right.

 

I actually need to go back and listen to that lecture again. I try to listen to it every once in a while so I won't forget things. ;)

[black_midori]

Things I wish I'd known BEFORE I got most of the way through WWE2... lol

 

We are at week 34, and I would have been pretty happy with the responses you got for the evaluation. Obviously every child is different - mine would probably have written the line from the dictation of narration part correctly but would have required 3-4 readings. He generally does very good telling me what happened in a story for answering the questions, but has difficulty getting out narrations - I often have to give him "leading questions" even still. I would have been completely happy if he had given me your son's original narration, and I wouldn't have revised it to read better (mainly because I didn't realize I was supposed to - after all, it doesn't SAY to do that!). I do try to expand his answers with him (Him: "They did it." Me: "Who?... Did what?...Ok, so say all of that in your sentence now.")

 

That said, my ds is 7yo (8 this month) and has already gone through almost the entire WWE 2... so we will just keep slogging ahead! Apparently, as I move into WWE3 I will spend more time working with him on revising the sentences!! :D

 

If your ds struggled with providing you what he did, or it seemed to be at the limits of what he could do, then I would go through WWE2 all the way. If he confidently and without stress gave you the answers, and you feel comfortable with his ability to progress forward, then I'd move on to WWE3.

[Annabel Lee]

boscopup, yes I have that on CD and should give it listen again. It's probably been 9-10 months since the last time I did. Maybe I should keep it in the car or sleep with it under my pillow. :P

 

black midori, "Things I wish I'd known BEFORE" - Exactly. He didn't seem at his limits nor did he struggle - no stress or tears, but to do more would have taken me prompting a revision. I thought maybe I should be letting him show me what he can do on his own, for the most part, since it was the year-end evaluation.

 

ETA: I think he was at his limit of what he could produce independently. To produce otherwise would have taken nudging from me.