The Audiblox Diary of Kori Mitchell

March 2003

Posted by Michelle on March 3, 2003, 12:12 am

Flashing ex - 5 and 6 are a challenge still.
Pattern - 56
Reading - same no change. She is doing a bit better with 5 cards but we've still been unable to add any.
Arrows - this is going very well.
Dictation - this is about the same.
Logical Thinking 1 - We've been stuck on the Q group this week.
Counting - working on the 3 - 90 and back. She's still hesitates and messes up going backward.
Comprension - this is getting more difficult to keep up with. I didn't give her the comp sheet for this week yet because she hasn't mastered the cards in this ex yet.
Tables - these are getting a little better. We added a few more but not much.

Well that's all for now.

Posted by Benetta on March 4, 2003, 2:17 pm, in reply to "Kori's diary"

Dear Michelle and Kori

Thanks for the next update! Michelle, I thought I just wanted to tell you, the most blocks any learner has ever managed to do with the Flashing exercise, is 10 blocks. For Kori to already be able to do it with 5 and 6 blocks, just confirms again how hard she is working. Well done, Kori!

Michelle, for the next two weeks, we should not do any new comprehension sheets. At this stage, you have a lot of words for the Comprehension exercise and I think it is time for us to wait for the "cement to dry" first, before adding the next layer. I know, whenever I open your postings, I always want to check her performance on the comprehension test first, but I think it will be to her benefit to wait for two weeks before doing it again.

One small change this week. She is really doing very well with Pattern exercise 2! It is such a difficult exercise, and to be able to do 56 blocks when having to remember it for a whole week is outstanding! Therefore, I shall make a change to the practice target of this exercise.

Michelle and Kori, I hope you will enjoy the rest of the week, I am looking forward to the next update!

All the best,
Benetta.

Hi!

Flashing EX - We are still doing good on this. Although I don't see her moving to the next step for awhil. We still find this ex fun.
Sequencing - 50
Arrows - She is doing good here. I give her the words and she seems like she has this down but she starts slow and the 2nd or 3rd time through the chart she does much better.
Reading - No new words yet.
Dictation - This is about the same. She is slowly building endurace in her writing. She enjoys this ex the most.
Logical thinking 1 - Worked R & S and did some review.
Counting - Kori is doing great on her review and the 3-90 and back. I expect that she will master it this week.

Comprehension ex - We are still working to make sure she has all of these words mastered. I'm hoping Monday (today) after 2 days off she'll still have them down so we may be able to add new cards.

Posted by Dr Jan Strydom on March 12, 2003, 2:10 pm, in reply to "Kori's Diary"

Michelle, there is one very important fact about Audiblox that I think has not been explained to you yet, and I want to explain it to you now, because I think it will put the present situation in the right perspective for you.

When one starts working with a child on Audiblox, in most cases at first it seems as if nothing is happening, and then suddenly there is quite a jump. Many parents have already remarked to us that it seemed as if "something had suddenly opened up."

Then again it seems as if the child is on a plateau, until the next jump follows. This second jump is often a little smaller than the first one. Gradually, the plateaus seem to get longer and longer and the jumps smaller and smaller.

The important thing is not to get discouraged when one finds oneself on such a plateau, but just to persevere. The breakthrough will come, but it only comes if one continues to work.

Posted by Benetta on March 12, 2003, 2:26 pm, in reply to "Kori's Diary"

Dear Michelle and Kori

Hi! Great hearing from you both again! Michelle, I hope you have received Dr. Jan's email yet? I was so grateful that I could rely on his wisdom today. I've always known about the fact that the learners do reach a plateau at certain stages, but I had to be sure that this was the case with Kori.

Michelle, I am not going to make any changes this week. Please keep working according to the current program, and remember that we shall only continue with the comprehension sheets from next week onwards.

Have a great week, I shall speak to you soon again! Benetta.

Hi everyone!

Well, we've been working hard and have seen a little improvement this last week. We added 10 new cards on the reading ex!!!!!
Pattern - 65

Flashing - this is going great. She gets 5 blocks correct about 1/4 the time. And gets 6 blocks correct maybe once a day. She is getting so close. One thing she does is she builds and memorized from the right to left instead of left to right. Is this ok? I think the tape said that they usually miss a couple blocks at the right. Well she is opposite.

Arrows are still doing great. I'm not sure if you want mastery with all the yellow words. Somedays she does very well and others a little sluggish until she gets the word memorized. It just depends on the words.

Dictation is about the same.

Logical thinking - we reviewed H and worked on the R group. She had some trouble and has now complete R2, R3, and is working on R4 and R5.

Counting - I'm wondering if this is normal for her to still be working on these? She seems to be trying but gets lost now and then so I don't count it as "mastered" yet. She's doing very good though. I seems that she just has to make one or two errors each time on the 3-99 and back.

Comprehension - We are still trying to work all the words in for the next Comprehension test. I think the next few days ought to do the trick.

Well, that's all for now! Till next week.

Posted by Benetta on March 18, 2003, 2:25 pm, in reply to "Kori's Diary"

Dear Michelle and Kori

Hi! Thanks for the next update, I am just over the moon for joy! Adding ten words in one week is no small achievement, considering for how long we were unable to add any words! Well done, Kori! Michelle, I think it is a combination of the Flashing exercise and the eye exercises that are starting to pay off, so please do not discontinue the eye exercises.

I am still keeping Dr. Jan's wisdom about the plateau at heart, so I am not making too many changes. Just a change to the practice target for Pattern exercise 2 this week.

Michelle, just a comment on the Flashing exercise. She is still not focusing on the middle, which is why she intends to miss some of the blocks. Before flashing, remind her that she must keep her eyes focused on the middle, and that she must try and see the row of blocks as a whole.

Concerning the Counting exercise, Michelle, the fact that she is stuck is also an indication of the plateau we discussed last week, but then again, also note that her current step is not easy!

Well, I hope you will have a super week, and I hope that by next week, we shall be able to resume with the comprehension tests again!

Warm wishes,
Benetta.

We just did the reading test in Rainbow Dreams again and I'm so thrilled!!!!! She finished the 27th paragraph with 22 mistakes. This is much better than the last time which was almost one page less with more mistakes. Right when I was getting worried, she takes off again!

I am so pleased to hear this, thanks for sharing! - nm – Posted by Benetta on March 19, 2003, 7:23 am

Hi all! Sorry for the delayed update. We had Science Fair and Art Fair last night for Kori's Homeschool group. It's a huge event and always gets us a little crazy for a week before. Kori received 2nd place!!!! She was so excited. We are very proud of her.

Well, here's the update,
Sequencing - 55
Arrows - She does pretty good but it really depends on the words she uses.
dictation - not much change lately
Reading - no new cards this time
flashing - she seems to be getting slightly better at this.
Counting - good, still occasional errors.
Reading Comprehension - I think today or tomorrow will be a good time to give the the comp. sheets again. I was going to give her one at the end of the week but she had too much in her schedule and I didn't want to overwelm her. I'll update as soon as I have her do it.
Logical thinking - working on Q group. Finished P group with success.

Posted by Benetta on March 27, 2003, 2:44 pm, in reply to "Kori's Diary"

Dear Michelle and Kori

Hi! Thanks for the next update, seems as if we both had a few hectic days. Kori, congratulations on taking second place in the Science and Art fair, I am so proud of you!

Michelle, I am really very anxious to see Kori's next score for the Comprehension test. I am sure she had too much work last week, and it is a good thing that you did not do it, but I would like to get an idea of the effect the Flashing and Eye exercises are having on her general reading.

Just a small change to the Counting exercise for this week. When drilling the new step, she must now count in 3's from 3-120 and back.

Well, I hope you will have a great week!
Greetings,
Benetta.

Kori scored 60% in 15 minutes on her comp sheet. I'm not to worried though. These are very hard and I imagine any average 5th grader would probably cringe at them. I'm just happy that Kori is capable of not failing them.

This is great!! Kori, you are a real star!! n/t – Posted by Benetta on March 31, 2003, 2:29 pm

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