trissie, Iremember flash cards! My teachers used them for teaching basic arithmetic problems. I don't remember them being used for reading, but that would have been >70 years ago!
My generation did learn resding by phonics - a system where you would know the sounds of each letter or the sounds of combinations of letters, such as ph that "sounds like" f We were very able to sound out words. I tried to work with htat when my son was little: A says ah, b says buh, etc. He didn't put those together into reading words until he had a "real" teacher. I don't konw what she did or knew that I didn't, but she was amazing, and he caught on quickly because he had been read to from early on, and he has good natural ability.
kittykatt, it's cool here too. My landscape guy is coming today to start redoing my outside. He'll be here in about 2 hours, so I need to get dressed and moving. I hopw i can have an outdoors half as beautiful as yours!
My oak tree has never been messier - I have to rake up twigs and ACORNS! I could have a whole forest in my fron yard if they all grew. I'm going to put them into a bucket and put them back out when the squirrels need food in January Many acorns are landing on my roof, adn I am awakened by "bombs!"
Morning Everyone. Quick post and then I need to pick up Little Bit.
1-pick up Little Bit
2-decide when to get meds
3-lunch for me and Little Bit
4-Little Bit down for a nap
5-walk outside
Menus
Friday-sheet pan baked chicken with veggies
Events
Friday-Little Bit 7:40-5, Little Bit school 9:15-11:45, doctor for DD32@7:50
Weekly House Blessing-
Extra Stuff- work on last Shutterfly book
Little Errands-drop off DM’s driver’s license, send email and documentation to delete DM’s Facebook accounts
Phone calls-check on urn-phone call
Accomplishments
-stretching and knee exercises
-breakfast for dog and me
-soak foot
-temp and meds for DD32
-dress and pick up bedrooms
-diet site
-walk outside
-pick up Little Bit
-doctor with Little Bit and DD32
-drop DD32 off at center
-wash and vacuum car at car wash
-take Little Bit to school
-library pick up
-walk outside
Guilty as charged, trissie! I think that English is based on successions of invaders introducing new words and the population saying "You can spell that any way you want, but we're only going to pronounce two of the syllables."
LOL trissie! Yes, as an English teacher - especially an ESL teacher - we deal with the weirdness of English phonics regularly. I took a linguistics class on English morphology and phonology in grad school. I did well - but it wasn't my favorite class. At our school, we teach some of the variations explicitly in pronunciation lab with our lower level students. Last session, at some point, I apologized to my students for the English language. I can't remember the phonetic issue we were talking about, but it wasn't consistent -- or if it was consistent, the rules are so convoluted that it was ridiculous.
Yes, Doggedly - I've explained that to higher level students. I've also wondered about designing a class on English etymology for higher level students so they can understand the history of English, when and how (and why) bits of different languages got incorporated, mainly Germanic (Anglo-Saxon?) and Latin-based - French with different political nuances/ uses. I'm not an expert at all but I find the process interesting. And then Noah Webster intentionally changed some spellings to try to add consistency (maybe?) and so we could distinguish ourselves from the evil Brits of the time. LOL!
WTG with all the walking, L Ann. Does your foot hurt when you walk?
Have a fun outing, Bama. Gma, I taught myself to read at age 4 via the phonics presented on Sesame Street and Electric Company. I still remember some of the programming and the "aha!" moments I was having. I think I got phonics in school, but I was already reading so it was a bit behind the curve for me. But probably helpful in general. Dson was similar to me, already reading well before K, but he got intensive strong phonics in K and 1st in Texas. The girls got some phonics but maybe also some whole word learning here in Michigan? I'm not sure of those specifics anymore.
OK - that was interesting. But back to real life at which I'm not doing so well. Dbro is arriving in 1.5 hours, and I'm not ready at all. I think I've been taking a relaxing morning because I can and because yesterday was a more busy day for me.
Next:
- some qt
- reclaim the kitchen
- wipe down surfaces in guest room
Later:
- some qt
- reclaim kitchen
- make the bed
- clean bedding on guest beds
- wipe down surfaces in guest room (aka dd27's room)
- label M's food - wip
- WF run
- put food away
- towels: w d f pa
- jog?/ write?
- some writing time
- payroll: end of sessions tasks
- read or knit?
- post in family thread re: Mom's condition
- welcome dbro + dniece when they arrive
- dinner out
- duolingo
- update health apps
TaDas!
- up; weighed self, down a little
- coffee
- email deletions + weather website
- back exercises
- s2s and self care
- squeegee and wipe down shower
- replied to AC's message
- labeled M's shelf in pantry
- texts with dbro
- some lunch
Last edited by helia on Fri Sep 05, 2025 1:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I still remember my confusion when I started English classes in the USA (I did... well, Oxford English in elementary and middle school, and in HS we had a native Irish English speaker) and was told that no, I can't rhyme "been" and "seen", as they are pronounced differently!
I hope that your dbro's and dniece's visit goes smoothly, helia.
What are the drinking glasses, Bama? I'm picturing either Coca Cola or cartoon characters.
The squirrels will love you in January when you set out the acorns for them, Gma.
Have a good time with Little Bit, L.Ann.
Helia, there was a really interesting TV series about that. I think it was called "The Story Of English" or something like that. I remember it as informative and very entertaining.
Me too, Bama. But it doesn't help me. People still spell it the way that they want. I have had a succession of bosses that would reply to my email with a misspelled name, despite the spelling being right in front of them in the signature. I actually started using my middle name in my teen years because nobody could spell or pronounce my name, and anglophones didn't even know if I was a boy or a girl. So I take the misspelling as the lesser of evils.
on other topics,
my foot hurts today; I took 1 tylenol to see if that is enough (enuf? ) to help it feel fetter. And I wrapped it with some elastic tape.
I have wasps that want to set up housekeeping between my new shed and my house - I have set up a trap and been out there with my spray of dawn and water to attack several. I think I might call the pest control company that dealt with them in another place in my yard last year. I don't want my yard man stung, tho these wasps seem quite non-aggressive when I have been outside.
Mother slept very well last night after going to bed early.
My landscape guy should be here soon. I hope he shows up.
I have tried to rake up oak droppings - twigs and acorns. 2 gallons of acorns, and not even a noticeable reduction in what's in my yard. I have 4 squirrels helping. I think they are doing better than I, and they are getting full tummies and cheeks. I wonder where they are planting them for over winter?
today's house needs? I have ot htink about it (looks like my fingers are dyslexic?)
work in the LR as was my plan from a few days ago, to make decluttering headway there
pay estimated IRS income tax
get my dw unloaded and counters cleared/ washed
Many acorns are landing on my roof, adn I am awakened by "bombs!"
