Saturday, September 24, 2011

Moving Along

Kirk is a stubborn, self-directed learner and often rejects my assistance. Currently he is reading Footrot Flats and Garfield comics. I know he can not read much of them yet but he is decoding them gradually and since they are his reading matter of choice (obsession?) how can I refuse?  He loves the ABC Reading Eggs software and has almost finished all their latest levels so I hope they publish something soon.

We have finally moved onto grade 2 Signpost Maths and he is finding it easy. Oddly he likes the structure of that particular maths text and bucks when I try to feed him anything else. Using the Mathletics texts as grade 1 revision was unsuccessful and nor does he find the Mathletics online software engaging any longer because the interface is extremely repetitive. So why is Mathletics so popular? It looks like I need to find something which will engage him in more creative ways. However we will be studying electronics in term 4 so that should extend his numeracy in all sorts of directions. 

On a side note Kirk now wants to be a chef because he is very proud of his efforts in making pizza from scratch.  He can also prepare noodles, make sammies and helps me generally in he kitchen.


Thursday, September 01, 2011

Report on the Bundaburg Air Show



Last weekend we spent 3 days at the Bundaberg Air Show. On the first day we bought a hovercraft. We also saw 3 big racing cars (one was small), they do 400km per hour. They belong to Stuart Bishop. He’s the guy who drives them. We spent a lot of time looking at airplanes. I liked the bi-planes – they were pretty good at stunts.

I like the Roulettes doing their tricks. They are planes that are red with stripes on each wing. They’re airforce pilots that fly the trainer aircraft.
  
I have found out that F18s are REALY REALLY REALLY loud. They are incredibly fast! They protect the world – they go to war. And maybe they are the best planes ever built in history.

Matt Hall is a famous pilot, he did stunts. He did loops, hovering, he flew upside down and all sorts of amazing things.
   
I had a chance to get in an airplane. And I knew how you steer it and how you use the brakes. There was a stick that had a little handle you pull it back and that slows the airplane down and that stick steers it. Right – turn the airplane right, left – turn the airplane left. It was a fighter called a Nanchang CJ6A and it fought during the Korean and Vietnam wars.

I saw microlights. They have a propeller at the back which pushes them whih is attached to an engine. The man said that he takes his daughter flying in it. How you steer – there is a little bar and to go left you tilt it right and to go right you tilt it left. There is no roof, no doors or walls – they are just a small light aircraft.
This “seeker” airplane looked very unusual.

That's Just Silly

Reading has really clicked. Perhaps because he has discovered Dr Seuss. He INSISTS on reading them himself and giggles all the way through. Which in one way is a pity  because I love reading them to him.