srmccann2003

I remember when I first started following this group someone said that people could help with how to word things like playing video games and watching TV for assessments etc. If there is anyone that can help me with this I would be very grateful!

My 8 year old son spends a great amount of time playing video games like; Wii Skate (skate board), and PS2 games like snow board/xgames/golf/baseball/monster trucks/soccer and fishing. He also watches quite a bit of TV. Favorite shows are Cyber Chase, Ruff Ruffman, AFV and Extreme Home Makeovers. Those are favorites but he watches just about anything including younger kid shows like Word World and Arthur if he's bored.

Just some info - my son already has a TON of athletics in his schedule. He has chosen to compete in gymnastics (which means being in the gym three times a week), play on a traveling soccer team, play LL spring baseball and he was invited to play on a fall baseball team which he accepted. In other words he is not lacking in what the state thinks he should be doing in 'gym'. I need to word things more to the academics realm to satisfy what they require, but honestly he is not very interested in reading unless it's how to get from one game to the next and he avoids writing like the plague. He does like science and we've had fun doing science experiments and going to the Boston Museum of Science.

Thank you for your help!
Sarah

rebecca de

okay here are some thoughts:
video games: gross motor skills, strategy, problem solving, math and/or science (there's math and science behind jumping and landing right on certain games right? etc). Cyberchase: definite science and math -- if you can remember specific episodes than you can quote the exact math. Word world: well --




________________________________
From: srmccann2003 <smccann@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Mon, October 12, 2009 3:03:51 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Need help with wording


I remember when I first started following this group someone said that people could help with how to word things like playing video games and watching TV for assessments etc. If there is anyone that can help me with this I would be very grateful!

My 8 year old son spends a great amount of time playing video games like; Wii Skate (skate board), and PS2 games like snow board/xgames/ golf/baseball/ monster trucks/soccer and fishing. He also watches quite a bit of TV. Favorite shows are Cyber Chase, Ruff Ruffman, AFV and Extreme Home Makeovers. Those are favorites but he watches just about anything including younger kid shows like Word World and Arthur if he's bored.

Just some info - my son already has a TON of athletics in his schedule. He has chosen to compete in gymnastics (which means being in the gym three times a week), play on a traveling soccer team, play LL spring baseball and he was invited to play on a fall baseball team which he accepted. In other words he is not lacking in what the state thinks he should be doing in 'gym'. I need to word things more to the academics realm to satisfy what they require, but honestly he is not very interested in reading unless it's how to get from one game to the next and he avoids writing like the plague. He does like science and we've had fun doing science experiments and going to the Boston Museum of Science.

Thank you for your help!
Sarah







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Jenna Robertson

My girls don't miss Ruff Ruffman. 
I just checked in w/ my 10 yr old, Clare,  to get more details.  This season (which ends Thursday so we will be missing soccer practice to watch!) has had a heavy emphasis on "environmental studies" including carbon footprint/fuel efficiency and environmentally friendly home design (They designed a new dog house for Ruff). 
 
Clare said that if you go to pbskids.org there are lists of past episodes and a blurb giving some information about each one.  That should help you figure out what topics have been covered and I'm guessing your son can confirm which ones he's watched. 
 
My kids have learned a whole lot of science, geography, and math from Ruff Ruffman and Cyberchase.
 
Does he watch Word Girl?  My youngest is 8 and often comments when she hears words (i.e. vocabulary) she's learned on Word Girl in daily conversations/other places.
 
Word Wold tends to focus more on Spelling.
 
Extreme Home Makeovers covers many things, but the easy one is Social Studies.
 
:)
Jenna
 
 
 
"If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I would ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life."
               - Rachel Carson


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