Vansh has in his school starting today what they call the achievement week, in which basically they would be tested and graded on whatever they have done throughout the year. As I and Ashwini cajoled him into learning at least 2 more rhymes out of the 20 odd rhymes, other than the ‘Aeroplane, aeroplane’ and ‘Lal peeli motor’ in a last ditch effort last evening, I realized that making him prepare for the said week has been a rather amusing experience.
- As you might have noticed, the rhymes that he did remember well are related to transport. No surprise that. Day before yesterday, I asked him to narrate the 'teddy bear, teddy bear turn around rhyme’ which he narrated as ‘teddy bear, teddy bear up in the sky; where are you going flying do high’. Basically he was just replacing the aeroplane word with the teddy bear in the ‘Aeroplane, aeroplane’ rhyme. On being asked what was he saying, he replied that the teddy bear is riding in the aeroplane. Hmmm, okay – what can one say to that except laughing at the logic!
In another instance last evening, Ashwini asked him to narrate a rhyme titled ‘2 little apples’. I’ll quote the conversation that took place :-
Vansh – 3 little monkeys jumping on the bed
Ashwini – I asked you to narrate 2 little apples
Vansh – No, 4 little monkeys …
Ashwini – 2 little apples
Vansh – No, 6 little monkeys …
Ashwini – 2 little …
Vansh – 10 little monkeys … (reminded me of the times when I tell him he’ll have to repeat a word he doesn’t remember 5 times, if he resists I go on increasing the number to 6,7,8 – its his turn now, hmm!)
Ashwini – Okay, lets just make it 2 little monkeys …
Vansh – 6 little monkeys jumping …
Chachi called the doctor …
Chacha called the doctor …
Dadi/Dada/ Papa/ Mamma called the doctor …
Us : Oh! So that was the logic behind the 6 jumping monkeys. Each one from the family ought to get a chance to call the doctor!
- I made him several worksheets for English, Hindi and Maths to practice matching the picture with the correct letter, circling the correct letter, counting and circling the correct number and the like. Many a times he liked to do his own thing with those.
This is what a typical worksheet on matching looked like. I couldn’t just give it to him and then proceed to check it some time later for that would be a maze exercise for me to see whether the picture is actually connected with the correct letter. I would have to actually look at him start from a particular picture, doodle endlessly and finally reach the corresponding letter. Normal is boring for this little fella!
He once didn’t want to work on any Maths worksheet because he was bored and said that he wanted to make one of his own. So he picked up a template and came up with this.
He made several English worksheets too at the back of the ones I gave to him to work on. I just have one picture though he made much better ones when the idea was novel to him and he drew meticulously.
The zig-zag matches with the Z, thats an umbrella matched with the U and a Race-car with the R. The big curve on the right is lots of smoke from the race car since it moves so fast.
He decided to spruce up a plain looking hurriedly made ‘What comes after’ worksheet by drawing an amusing looking Papa on it. And didn't deem the worksheet important enough to be completed, by the way.
- I am not sure if I have mentioned before that Vansh is extremely conscious of his public image, especially his image at school. I have a mighty hard time explaining that at home, he is the total opposite of the really the sweet docile boy that he pretends to be in front of friends. At PTM’s, when I and his class teacher (whom he is very very fond of and would do anything to be in her good books) exchange notes, I am like “Are you sure, you are talking about the same Vansh that I am talking about?” The difference shows in his work too. While his class work is immaculate and like his teacher claims among the first one to be finished, he likes to do his own thing taking his own time at home. On a regular basis, he does not write the counting in the correct order. He’ll first write say the 20’s line, then spend some time thinking where the 70 would come and then write the line backwards till 61 and so on. While practicing to draw a garden scene for his art test the next day, this is what he came up with at school and then at home. The school one is complete with a shining sun, trees and flowers and a bunny. He wanted to just make a big sun sitting in the garden and kept drawing rays of the sun.Then he wanted to draw a dog in its kennel which is what that square is.
7 comments:
LOL wonderful read neera. Loved the monkeys one. What is it with boys and motors. Amazing, at his age he does backfilling of numbers. He is smart.
Great work Vansh!!
Hope to see you all soon and lets plan a vacation together.
Enjoyed your post! He's a smart boy. As long as it is possible just let him do it the way he wants to do it at home.
Here Rishab doesn't do anythig the whole day except play at the kita (kindergarten). Here in Germany, they don't teach kids untill they come in their first grade and that can even be at age 7. But, since he's fond of letters and numbers he comes to me asking to do different things and since we got some simpe math books for preschool age from my cousine which he likes to practice on, together with me. He's becoming better with reading though when the words aree too long he keeps putting in his own inetrpretations instead of really reading the word! It is funny to see him do it.
Loved this post Neera! Just too adorable. He is so cute - torturing you at home and being amazingly well behaved at school! :) Hee hee - what en evil mother - complaining about this angel of a child!!
And his drawings - esp the one at school vs one at home - awn - so cute. He is totally letting loose at home!
And that template sheet he created on his own - oh man - it is incredible. He is so smart!
Makes me nervous yaar seeing all this - art test n all?!! And so much math already...and hindi too...
Hey btw - you need to write a post or a long mail on how life is in India...after the move.
Very good written thanks for sharing.
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It's all so cute & so true with kids. I wonder how so many parents here manage to home-school
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