Free worksheet - Writing an opinion essay

Quite a bit has happened since my last post. At the last parent council meeting, we were treated to a talk about literacy by one of the teachers. He offered the advice for non-readers and slower readers to read along to audio books. I've started Shane off with an audio book on CD's from the library, for a Dick Francis book. Dick Francis books all involve horses - one of Shane's strong interests - they are mysteries, which helps with comprehension, and they are for adults (a step up from the grade 4-5 reading level Shane is currently at). Shane likes listening and following along every day, since this is much easier for him, and his comprehension should improve since he can hear the story in addition to reading the words. Over time, his overall reading skill level and his comprehension should improve.

Also at the parent council, one the parents expressed a concern about the EQAO Secondary School Literacy Test (grade 10 English) that her son's hand writing is very slow and not very legible. I have the same concern, so now the principal has spoken with the Spec Ed teacher at the school, and she will put a scribe as one of Shane's requirements on his IEP. He has had a scribe on tests before, but making it official on the IEP will allow him to have a scribe for the literacy test. This is a huge advantage now that will alleviate the pressure for him of writing his thoughts down. He has always struggled with transfering his thoughts down onto paper.

About the literacy test, most of our efforts now will concentrate on practicing for that. One of the most difficult pieces for Shane is the "essay", or the "series of paragraphs" as the question is called. Here are some tips, a few topics that are very similar to past test questions, and a full essay as an example.

Keep working hard - it's really paying off for us!

English worksheet - writing an opinion paragraph

We're just finishing up the reading comprehension unit in Shane's English class (thank goodness: no more Iqbal!), and we're moving onto the creative writing units. On the grade 10 English literacy test that high school students are required to pass to graduate, there will be several questions that require the student to write paragraphs or essays. Many of these require the student to form an opinion and support it. There are few types of opinion paragraphs. These include: comparing and contrasting 2 things; "my favourite ..."; ethical opinions or an opinion on whether certain events or rules should be upheld.

There are some basic rules to follow for every opinion paragraph. A minimum of 5 sentences are required: the opinion statement, 3 supporting reasons, and a conclusion that either re-states the opinion or (even better) tells us what the next step is (ie what you will do about it or a recommendation). If you can finish up with a recommendation, the marks will really go up! Coincidentally, the opinion paragraph later graduates into an essay, with a similar structure, except that each sentences turns into a paragraph. More on developing this later.

The easiest opinions to start with are the "my favourite ..." ones. These will hold some relevance to your child and will make it easier to think of the supporting reasons. Note that "because I like it" is not a proper support. Challenge your child to give specific details.

Here are some paragraph starters. Try to write at least one paragraph every week.

Report Cards - celebrating!

Normally I don't put a lot of stock in the mid-term report cards. I've seen some where Shane is in the mid-to-high seventies at mid-term and ends up failing the course because he couldn't do a poster, worth 30%, at the very end of the semester.

But this time around, Shane called me at work, to tell me all the marks he's getting so far. Well, he's above the class average in every course, except English, for which he is at 70% right on the average. This is the very best report card he has ever brought home. He's really really proud of these marks, thus prompting the phone call right away after school. So, we're going to Starbucks today to celebrate with a decaf almond latte - Shane's favourite. Holly is coming too. Of course, she is doing very well in school also, but she would have come with us no matter what. The deal with us is: we all get to celebrate successes, but failures are not punished - they are simply learning opportunities.

Look for things to celebrate yourselves - choosing appropriate clothes to wear, buttering his own toast, being on time for the bus, anything that you want to continue ... Everyone wants to be successful. Find something, point it out, celebrate it, and the chances are pretty good it will be repeated.

Cheers!
Lisa

Free worksheets - Area and Perimeter

I read recently about making math fun. I have tried different ways to make things tangible for Shane and/or bring baseball into the discussion in some way. So, with my worksheets, I'm going to start with a warm-up at the beginning of each. It will either be an exercise, a craft, a riddle, or a word problem that's a little fun and gets Shane moving or starts him off interested in the subject.

This one, for calculating area and perimeter of 2D shapes, has a joke and a simple exercise that hopefully is challenging but gets him thinking about area in a tangible way. There will be a second area/perimeter worksheet, where he will be calculating how much paint is needed to paint a wall, or how many tiles are needed for a roof - this brings it into real life.

So here are the first Area/Perimeter worksheets.

Free worksheets - math - BEDMAS

Shane doesn't have math this semester at school, but I don't want him to lose it completely (which is usually the case). So, I thought a little refresher on BEDMAS would be good. He tends to forget the order, and prefers simply to read and compute from left to right.

There are a couple of youtube videos that explain the order as well, just type in a search for BEDMAS math, and you should be able to find them.

BEDMAS stands for Brackets, Exponents, Divide, Multiply, Add, and Subtract. Essentially, the acronym describes the order that the components of an equation should be calculated first. Each calculation type is an "operation", so for example, multiplying is an operation. Each 2 letters go together, so brackets and exponents are first. Multiply and Divide are next. Add and Subtract are last. Within each 2-letter set, calculate in the order you read it, from left to right.

I have not found another way of coaching on this, other than the BEDMAS acronym and following the rules plus rote practice.

So, here are 2 worksheets along with the answer keys.

Iqbal chapter 3 - opinion paragragh

We changed it up a little for chapter 3 of the Iqbal novel. Instead of concentrating only on comprehension, I wanted to use chapter 3 to help with an opinion paragraph. Each of the learning styles will encounter the same types of essay or opion paragraph questions, but their approaches might be different.

Before writing, some kind of pro's / con's exercise is often helpful. I have it organized in a table, but visual learners may feel more comfortable with a "mind map" (just letting their thoughts flow in a web or along a path or like a map.

When writing an opinion paragraph, it should have at least 5 sentences:

1. Introduction sentence that states your opinion.
2. First support sentence that gives the first (either the least or the most important) reason.
3. Second support sentence that gives another reason.
4. Third support sentence that gives the last (either the most or the least important) reason.
5. Final conclusion sentence that wraps up your opinion. This can start "These are the reasons why I think...".

Of course the paragraph may be more than 5 sentences - there could be more than one sentence for each of the reasons.

Here's the question and a sample answer. The book deals with child slaves in Pakistan, and the children in chapter 3 are discussing masters and their opinions. Your child can draw from the discussion in the book to help them form their own opinion.

Iqbal Reading Comprehension chapter 2

Here are the worksheets, by learning style, for the Iqbal novel chapter 2. I've also posted answers to each, but note that these are really examples. Encourage your child to use his imagination, and form opinions.

Auditory

Kinesthetic

 Visual

 

Reading Iqbal - grade 10 English worksheets

Shane is reading the novel, Iqbal, for English, and I've made up some worksheets. The book is "Iqbal" by Francesco D'Adamo. It is based on a true story of a child slave in Pakistan, and (spoiler alert) it is not light reading. The entire story is meant to be thought-provoking, with several opportunities to form opinions. As we get deeper into the book, I will be using it to practice opinion essays (5 paragraphs, that follow a structure - more on this in a few weeks).

Recently, I've been trying hard to cater more to Shane's individual learning style. He is more auditory, prefering quiet environments where he can just listen without distractions, and we sing or use music to memorize. My backup approach is kinesthetic (acting things out helps and relating things to tastes or textures).

For Iqbal, we have gone over the cover and read the first chapter together. Here are 3 types of questions prepared, depending on your child's learning style: auditory (hearing), visual (seeing), or kinesthetic (tasting and touching).

AUDITORY STYLE QUESTIONS: do these orally if this is easier.

KINESTHETIC STYLE QUESTIONS. Act out the answers.

VISUAL STYLE QUESTIONS. Search pictures on the internet to help visualize.

Not all children learn exclusively in a single style, but most are more comfortable in one. If a particular question is not getting through, try a different style.

Enjoy!

Volunteer work

Like all other Ontario high school students who will graduate with a diploma, Shane must complete 40 hours of approved volunteer work. So, in the summer, Grampa and Shane went to the local library (Grampa is an avid reader and active borrower), and inquired about volunteering. As of today, Shane is set to volunteer on Tuesday afternoons. Our particular library runs 5-week sessions, 2 hours per week, for a total 10 hours after he is finished. Then, he can re-apply.

The library is a good choice, because the rules are clear, the environment is quiet, and he is familiar with it.

Last year at school, Shane logged 5 hours of volunteer work for the school's plant sale. When I showed up after a couple of hours to buy some plants and check on how he was doing, I found him entertaining the teacher's 2-year-old daughter, and not really helping people carry plants to their cars. The teacher was glad for the help, so it worked out. This time with the library, he will learn to be on time for a job, and we have been impressing on him the importance of doing the job and not goofing around.

Here is the schedule that will be posted on the fridge:

2:45	Arrive home from school, let the dogs outside, put backpack on shelf downstairs
2:50	Have a glass of milk and a snack
3:03	Brush teeth
3:06	Wash armpits and apply deodorant
3:12	Put on shoes, jacket, take library card and walk to library
3:25	Arrive at library, sign your name in the volunteer binder, check the volunteer tasks, and start the first task
	Work on as many tasks as possible, checking all work, until 5:30, no breaks, no talking to others
	If a customer asks a question about books or other library resources, say “I’m a volunteer. You should ask the Resource Librarian, Catherine.” Then tell the person where Catherine is. You may tell people where the bathrooms are if they ask.
5:30	Sign out your name in the volunteer binder and walk home. If you bring your own money, you may buy a drink at Tim Hortons before coming home but after volunteer work.

Missed the bus

Shane missed the bus 2 days ago, and this was a big wake-up call for him. He has never been much of a morning person, and getting him moving onto next tasks has always been a challenge. The bus itself was late, but Shane was even later. The driver waited for 2 minutes, then left, just as Shane was running out the door.

Oddly, I did not get blamed. He simply looked at me with wide eyes and asked what do we do now? I drove him to school, and he arrived in time. But it threw off his whole day, because this is not the normal routine. He's much better at dealing with it when things go off the plan, so there was not meltdown, but it's enough to put him in a bad mood.

So, whenever something goes wrong, we wait until we're calmer (in this case, it was in the car on the way to school), and we devise a plan to ensure this doesn't happen again. Shane got a new watch for his birthday, and he loves to tell me the time. It has an alarm on it, so we decided to set the alarm at the time he is supposed to be brushing his teeth in the morning. I had to help him with counting the minutes backwards - this is a planning technique he has yet to master - but it was a useful exercise. We decided he should be outside waiting for the bus 5 minutes before the time, 1 minute to put on his shoes, and 2 minutes to brush his teeth. The bus is scheduled to come at 7:38, so we set the alarm for 7:30, and he now knows he has to start brushing his teeth when the alarm goes off. Since this new regime, Shane is following it to the second, and is learning to prepare himself for when the alarm goes off at 7:30. Before, I was continually reminding him of what he should be doing. Now, he is in control with his watch, and he's looking out for the time, and is organizing himself.

Detailing out the schedule, and putting Shane in control with his watch are the keys to success with the bus!

Book Report template - fiction

Here's the book report format we use after each fiction book. It is fairly simple, but really helps Shane to focus on the big questions. As he starts each new book, he is reminded that he will have to write a book report after he finishes, so he should be thinking about the 5 questions on the form as he is reading.

Tips:

1. Let your child choose his own book - this gives him control and helps keep his interest.
2. Show your child the questions before he starts the book: the scariest thing for an AS child is a blank page!
3. Remind him often of the questions to be answered.
4. Try to read the book together and discuss each sentence/paragraph/chapter as you go. Most often, AS kids will focus on the details but not quite grasp the big picture. Ask "why do you think this happened?" often.
5. Do one thing at a time. I don't insist on perfect handwriting or exact grammar with a book report - the primary goal is to understand the concepts of the book and the main ideas.
6. Guide him to information he can get from the cover. Does the title describe what is going on in the book? What can he assume about the story from the picture on the cover?
7. If this is too hard, then break it down. Last year, we read together and discussed each paragraph, sometimes looking up words or talking about expressions. Then at the end of each chapter, I typed up 4 to 5 questions and Shane answered those. Each chapter was like a mini review - what happened, why it happened, his opinion, and a prediction of what might come next. This really forces more abstract thinking.
8. Be patient. This is not easy for most AS kids, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Shane's improved language skills have already helped him in other courses: math, science, history...

Read-on!

Parent Council at school

Last week we had our first Parent Council meeting of the year. I always make an effort to attend as many meetings as I can. It's a great forum for voicing opinions on what the school should be delivering, as well as a network of parents with similar needs.

I found Shane's tutor by networking with another parent at one of the council meetings. The principal of the school is at all the meetings, so of course "face time" with her never hurts. And it is important to be involved and be a part of decisions that affect your child.

Luckily, in our school, because of its vocational designation, we do not do any fundraising. The focus really is more on helping the kids, activities around the school and how the school gets involved with the community, etc.

So, join the Parent Council/PTA at your child's school. It will help in many small ways.

Lisa

Back to School: strategies for English improvement

Well, we've been back at school for a couple of weeks, and happy to be back into a regular routine (not that the summer wasn't fun - we had many excursions). Subjects Shane is taking this semester are: English, General Learning (an ASD course), Auto Service, and Phys Ed. English is a repeat of grade 10, so hopefully we will be successful this year. We will also prepare for the grade 10 Literacy Test in the Spring.

 

So, the focus now is English. This is a good thing, as I believe overall language skills will help him in everything: even in other subjects, the questions are worded such that strong English skills are required.

 

Strategies:

• Shane reads a book (any book) for 1 hour every day. This was kept up during the summer. Shane's reading level and comprehension have improved immensely since we implemented this last year. At the end of each book, Shane will write a 1-page book report. He writes the title and the author of the book, then answers: What happened in the beginning? What happened in the middle? What happened in the end? Did you like this book - why or why not? The book report at the end make him pay a little more attention to the plot, and not just focus only on details.
• Handwriting practice. Shane has a notebook in which he writes "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" 5 times. We started this only last week, but he is trying very hard now to form the letters properly. Spacing between words is still to come.
• I surfed the web for worksheets, and found a few sites where I could print off free worksheets on nouns, capitalization, punctuation, etc. When I have a bit of time, I will start to make my own worksheets and I will post the images here.
• Shane's tutor very kindly provided us with a stack of short stories for Shane to read with questions at varying challenge levels. These stories are perfect - 1 page each with about 12 questions. We go over the questions together after he reads the story. Sometimes I write the answers so he doesn't have to concentrate on 2 things at once (answering the questions plus physically writing). Sometimes we do it orally. Sometimes Shane writes the answers. His comprehension is improving.

Key Learnings:

• Consistency. Shane knows he has to read for 1 hour every day. He chose the time, and that's now the rule. Read from 4pm-5pm every day. Making it a routine means no arguments and he is in control of the time and the book he chooses to read, so it is enjoyable.
• Practice, practice, practice. Writing has always been a challenge, so to save time, in the past I have done the scribing for some things. Now, Shane must write everything himself, and he has slowly improved. To make handwriting more rote, he simply has to put in the time.
• Learning in a way that suits his style. Shane is auditory. I am visual. In the past, I have tried to teach him things in same way that I learned them, but that never seemed to work very well. Now, we do more things orally. We make up songs or rhymes to memorize things. I ask Shane what things in the story sound like.

On a side note, the Parent Council meeting is this week at the school. I am as involved as my work schedule permits me to be on the parent council. It is really important to be as involved in your child's school as possible.

I hope your kids are off to a good start this school year. Cheers,
Lisa

Welcome!

Hello. My name is Lisa. I am the proud mother of two children: Shane and Holly. One of them is a high-achiever in Ontario's French immersion program in junior high (that would be Holly). And Shane is a teenager in a vocational high school working very hard and striving to earn his diploma. He also has Asperger's Syndrome.


As any of you with children with AS, or with AS yourself, are aware, there are many challenges that come along with this unique form of Autism. High-functioning, yes, but in what areas? Not all "aspies" are good at math. Not all aspies are shy.


I started this blog as a forum to share some of the challenges that our family has faced, along with some stories, some humour, and hopefully some tips on how you can coach your AS kids to set them up for success. 


Updates will be posted once a week. Our challenges are primarily academic, and many of the blogs will deal with school. I will periodically attach worksheets that I have created to help your kids with schoolwork or tests. If you would like to see a particular topic addressed, please post a comment below.


Thank you for visiting,
Lisa