Write Away!

The Man and The Dog

2011-04-22T17:05:00.000+08:00

JJ was enrolled in Wordlab to develop his literacy skills. After reading in context, he was given activities to check if he understood the text read. In the sample below, JJ was able to show his understanding through his drawings.

Aside from making illustrations, JJ is also interested in Dinosaurs. His favorites include the Stegosaurus and the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Aaron and the Fireman

2011-04-22T16:22:00.000+08:00

In this activity, Aaron was given 3 pictures to sequence. His creativity shined through as he tried to spice up the story by rearranging the events differently.

First, the fireman has a hose and water. Second, the fireman blown up the cake because he cant blow the cake it is hes birthday. Last, the fireman has no water to water his plants. *unedited

Aaron goes to Wordlab every Saturday. At home, he likes to play computer games, such as Bookworm Adventure.

Kim, Xilef, and the Shy Rooster

2010-11-05T17:17:00.000+08:00

Kim is a six-year old Filipino speaker under the Marungko program. He was tasked to retell stories using a simple Filipino story grammar template. After which, he was given a chance to retell the story in Filipino (with guidance).

The following are transcripts of his oral enumeration of events in two stories, based on the graphics provided.

Mahiyaing Manok

Si mahiyaing manok gustong tumilaok pero ubo lang ang lumalabas sa kanya kaya nag-praktis siya. Sa huli, nakatilaok na siya.

Xilef

Si Xilef gusto magbasa pero lumilipad at gumagalaw ang mga salita kaya nag-pa tutor siya. Sa huli, nakabasa na siya.

Kim is currently in the preparatory level in school. He likes to watch cartoons and collect stickers. He also enjoys singing and playing with his older brother.

Justine's Writing

2010-11-05T17:06:00.000+08:00

For Justine’s written language activity, the focus is on organization of thoughts and proper usage of signal words. The first activity was sequencing of pictures. He was encouraged to first arrange the pictures according to their most logical order, and then write an original story based on the pictures. The second activity was retelling a story about "embalming" using a simple story grammar template. Although editing has already been introduced and is currently being practiced, a complete adherence to spelling, punctuation, syntax and grammar rules is yet to be noted.

First, he’s fixing the window. Second he’s done fixing the window. Last, the ball hit the window because of this he was shock since he just fixed it.

Somebody: The egipshans
Wanted: the body not to be roten
But: the body can not last long.

So: they embalm the body
In the end: the body can last long.

What Justine Meant:

Somebody: The Egyptians
Wanted: to preserve the dead bodies
But: the body cannot last long
So: they embalm the body
In the end: the body can be preserved

Justine is a very obedient twelve-year-old boy, who likes playing chess and watching movies in his spare time. He is currently a Grade 6 student in a private school in Alabang.

Jason's Shoe

2010-11-05T16:39:00.000+08:00

Jason loves to play with words through rhyming. To display Jason’s talent in rhyming and to develop his written language, he was taught how to make an Acrostic poem. In the following output, Jason's poem was about a shoe.

S o I went to school with you but our

H ouse in our neighborhood smells like poo and the

O ctopus is looking at you because of those

E xpensive shoes and seeing it too

Jason is an eleven -year- old boy, who is passionate about biking as a sport. He loves singing and likes telling jokes. He dreams of becoming an engineer and a professional cyclist someday.

Enzo and Experiments

2010-11-05T16:21:00.000+08:00

Fun activities such as baking, experiments and art are ways to encourage kids to write. In the first experiment, Enzo needed to recall and sequence the steps in making a “Blue Volcano”. In the second experiment, he explained what happened in the experiment by giving the cause and effect in the “Egg in a Bottle” activity. Enzo was to use apt signal words for each activity. Although editing has been introduced and is currently being practiced, a complete adherence to proper capitalization, punctuation, syntax, and grammar usage is yet to be noted.

Blue Volcano

Materials:

1. big Jar

2. food coloring

3. small glass

4. string

and last water hot and cold

Steps:

First we tie the string to the small glass.

Second we put a cold water in the big Jar.

Third we put a hot water in the small glass.

Fourth we put a coloring food in the small glass.

And Last we put the small glass in the big Jar.

Egg in a Bottle

What happened?

If you Put the matches in the bottle then the egg will slip down because the hot Air goes up and the cold Air goes down pulling the egg down.

Enzo is a smart second grader in an international school in Manila. He was enrolled in Wordlab School last third trimester with his older brother. Enzo is the second among three boys. He likes doing experiments and sharing his experiments with his brothers.

Creative Writing

2010-11-05T16:10:00.001+08:00

In the two works featured below, Enrique was tasked to create original compositions. Coherence of his ideas was given emphasis through apt use of signal words. In the first activity, Enrique was asked to choose three questions from the Query game. After choosing and answering three questions, he was tasked to create a story based on his three answers. his work is in its raw form.

My First Day as a Secret Agent

The story takes place in the future in Manila, Philippines. The characters are a member of my family, a best friend, secret agents, a criminal and I. The type of the story is an adventure.

A problem occurs when secret agents think that they need me to be one of them. They think that I should quit my funny doings, I was asked to be in a comedy show because I make good pranks but I think that those secret agents have been spying on me very well.

A long time ago, I was a lonely person but I discovered that one of my family members have powers to grant your wish. As a result, I wished that I would be able to read the future, read people’s mind and be an NBA player or be famous. After that, my wish was granted. I became a famous NBA player. However, I had to quit because of a certain injury so I had to do pranks and was successful by becoming a famous prankster.

The secret agents think that they need me because I am athletic and have powers. They need athletic people because their strong and fit. The secret agents also need people with powers so they can tell if a criminal is lying. Furthermore, they also call for people that can read the future because they will no what crimes will happen.

In my first day as a secret agent, I had to face tough challenges like not smiling and no jokes or pranks. My first mission was when my agent mates told me that there was a man dying because of a criminal shooting him three times. The criminal shot him because he was the richest singer in the world and was asked by the criminal to give him money but he refused. Unfortunately, that richest singer in the world was my best friend. On my way there, I saw him looking at me and smiling because of this I called the hospital to make sure he is okay. After that, the criminal was almost going to shoot me because he saw me calling for the ambulance. Luckily, my agent mate was able to tackle him from behind and call the police.

In the end, the criminal was arrested and my best friend was healed. I got richer because of what I did and even being a rookie secret agent. As a result, my agent mates treated me like a veteran. Therefore, we can say “The End”.

In the second activity, Enrique tapped his imagination so he could describe his journey with a giant owl. Like in his previous story, this output is unedited.

An Owl Ride

I will tell you an exciting story about my owl ride. To begin with, that giant owl landed on my doorstep and asked me if I want to ride on him and I agreed. I was very surprised when he asked me. He could talk! The reason why the owl took me for a ride is because he was lost. Therefore, when we were up in the sky he could see where he had to go. I wanted to swim and scuba dive, also to show him the paradise of the Philippines. I also wanted to show him the tallest mountain in the Philippines.

In Boracay, while I was swimming and scuba diving I saw whales! I have always wanted to see whales. The weather in Boracay was sunny so I really enjoyed my stay there. After that, our next destination was Mt. Apo. When we were on our way to Mt. Apo, there were people shouting and gasping with shock when they saw a 6’0’’ owl and a 5’2’’ person up in the sky. Afterwards, when we were in Mt. Apo I saw plenty of trees and fog. There are farms in mountains so I also saw cows. The weather in Mount Apo was foggy. After that, we went to Houston to watch a basketball game. I have always dreamed to watch an NBA game. During the game, I had an idea to show the owl Manny Pacquiao so we went o Dallas to watch a fight. The weather in Houston and Dallas was cold. In Houston and Dallas, I saw athletes such as all the Houston rockets players, Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito. I enjoyed the ride in all the places we went to.

In the end, I got home by riding the owl. The owl was very obedient so he brought me back. He went 300kph/hr! Imagine it took only 4 hours to go to all those places! Finally, that was all for my owl ride.

Enrique is a Grade 6 student. He likes basketball and dreams of becoming a famous NBA player. He is currently a member of his school’s basketball varsity team.

The Five Chinese Brothers

2010-11-05T15:42:00.000+08:00

For EJ’s written language activity, he was asked to retell the story of The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop. EJ followed a simple story grammar template to make a summary of the story. Note that the following written work is in its raw form.

The Five Chinese Brothers

Retold by:

The five Chinese brothers wanted to help their first brother because he was arrested. But the villagers were so angry at their brother so the five Chinese brothers fooled the villagers to save their brother. In the end, the five Chinese brothers were happy.

EJ is a nine-year-old boy who likes watching Animal Planet and Discovery Channel in his spare time. He also likes playing computer games and gaming console with his best friend. This is his seventh program in Wordlab School- Alabang.

2010-10-05T23:15:00.000+08:00

On WORD PLAY and Happiness

As part of the general goal of recognizing, appreciating and effectively utilizing the nuances of language – Raffy was given several activities dealing with subtleties on the word-level. One such activity deals with the transforming “magic” that affixes have on word-meanings. The following are just some examples of Raffy’s word definitions:

v The Universe is a place that consists of galaxies and stars.

v Semifinal is a term in games that signals halfway to become the champion.

v A Superhighway is a long road that can support many vehicles.

v Prepaid is a term that means that you pay before you get it.

Another task for nuanced language deals with words with multiple meanings. For this part, we would simulate a guessing game that Raffy – THE GAME MASTER – played with several reading clinicians (and even his mom) one afternoon. To prepare for this fun activity, Raffy had to independently choose word(s) that may be used in different contexts, note down the word’s dictionary meanings, and produce original sentences as clues leading to the word in question.

To make it slightly easier for the readers, the number of items has been reduced, and the choices for the correct answers have been provided:

RAFFY’S WORD LIST and their dictionary meanings, as noted.

Table

: a piece of furniture consisting of a flat part resting on legs

: a compact arrangement of information in parallel columns.

Type

: a kind or class

: to write on a typewriter, computer keyboard, etc.

Abuse

: to use wrongly

: mistreatment

RAFFY’S GAME:

Fill in the blanks of each pair of sentences with ONE word that would satisfy the context of BOTH sentences:

o The king has been _______ his power ever since.

o There are a lot of _______ children.

o We brought a new ______ from the warehouse.

o This _______ has information about our resources.

o There are so many different _______ of animals.

o Too much ______ can cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

In this last work featured, Raffy was given the chance to express how he equates summer to family togetherness.

Since there was an acknowledged difficulty in recalling events and details, he was first asked to enumerate as many occasions and/or activities he could remember, and then to plot them on a timeline to establish time order.

He was then tasked to list supporting details for the events given, all based on self-generated “wh” questions. Raffy’s final pre-writing activity was the production of a bulleted guide for his main idea – together with its supporting details – for each paragraph.

My Favorite Parts of Summer

I went to Davao at the start of summer. I went there by plane for one hour. I went with my mom first, while my dad came later. I left Davao fifteen days before the end of summer. My three favorite parts of summer are when I was playing videogames, and then when I went to Maxima, and when I celebrated my birthday.

I played video games when I did not have plans. I played them in my house with my cousins. Second, I went to Maxima, a popular place that is home to a big water slide. I went there by boat. I went there to have fun with my relatives. Last, I celebrated my 13^th birthday in May 12 with my cousins and relatives in Davao.

I like my favorite parts of summer because they make me happy but the most favorite part of my summer is my 13^th birthday. In the future, I will spend more time with my relatives.

Raffy is currently a 7^th grader in a progressive school in Alabang. As can probably be gleaned from his set of works – Raffy enjoys games, and develops best when allowed to infuse learning with creativity and fun. His interests extend from science to chess to boxing and to (a more recent addition) drum playing. His favorite activity, however, is still spending time with family.

2010-10-05T22:54:00.000+08:00

Poetry from the Self-Professed Non-Poet

When he started his 7^th reading intervention program, this young man confessed to having this particular literary genre as his least favorite. He said it was intimidating. He said that he could not possibly ever really like it – much less write in its style.

You would understand, then – what a pleasant (self) discovery this has been for him.

What follows are some of his works for this trimester.

This first one strictly adheres to the structure of the English or Shakespearean Sonnet, down to the rhyme scheme and the 5 iambic feet in each line.

OPPORTUNITY LOST

They always make noise inside the classroom,

Wanting to see the teacher lose control

They think it’s a game, I think they presume,

And they always, and always reach their goal.

Playing video games all day long, winning,

One game after another, winning all.

Non-stop gaming, rather than living.

They go with the motto: I win them all.

Looking at another persons paper,

They avoid getting caught, and they succeed.

Also avoiding the sight of the teacher,

They get the answers, the answers they need.

The short-cut to winning they always choose

Though they do not know, in the end they lose.

The following reflects a passion for perfection, in more ways than one. This is very much evidenced by the meticulous care and detailed attention given to construct the central image of this, his very first Concrete Poem. The resulting chaos and confusion displayed by his final output also seem to inadvertently mirror this young man’s own befuddlement, as he – with his youthful idealism and patriotic pride – tries to make sense of this tragedy that he has just witnessed.

Last, but most certainly not the least, is this young man’s series of poems, all following the 5-7-5 syllabic pattern of the Japanese Haiku. Since, in formatting for his final output, this young poet decided to play with his font and color choices – he now claims a new and original form, putting together Haiku and Concrete Poetry. He has decided to call this form the HAIKRETE. J

This fifteen year-old who, from now on, shall be referred to by his nom de plume: CIPHER – not only writes poetry (something he swears he is not good at, even when faced with amazing examples proving otherwise) – he is also now beginning to appreciate this literary genre, as he reads Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Cipher of course juggles his reading with his other pursuits like his academics, playing the guitar, listening to heavy metal, and playing air soft.

2010-10-02T16:50:00.000+08:00

An Expedition with Relations

Lucas’s European cruise with his family was used as a springboard for two different tasks aiming to further develop his expressive skills, especially in expounding on a subject by providing supporting details.

To help in concretizing his memories, Lucas was asked to use a timeline as his graphic organizer.

This timeline was then used as a basis for his pre-writing exercise of noting down word/phrase associations for each place visited. For his first work, he was asked to follow the structure of a three-paragraph essay – featuring the introduction, the body and the concluding paragraphs.

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My Summer

My summer vacation was long but felt short, because it was fun.

It started well. I lay down and watched TV all day long. I was with my parents and little brother. At the middle of summer, I went to Europe with most of my family.

My grandfather planned the trip around Europe. I went to 8 countries but I will talk about only 3. Amsterdam was the first place we went to. It was cold and had a lot of bicycles. We went to a wooden shoe factory in Holland. Another place we went to is Russia. There we went to a winter palace in St. Petersburg. It is connected to an art museum. The last place we went to was Spain. We were with my grandfather’s friend and explored Barcelona, Spain.

I had a great time in Europe. I had fun in the trip because of the things we saw. I learned about new sights in the world. Sights like the famous paintings of Da Vinci and Van Gogh. I want to go there again because Europe was a good place to go to.

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The three particular stops that Lucas identified in the previous essay (Amsterdam, Russia and Spain) were further explored. This time, visual prompts – in the form of photos – were used to assist Lucas in coming up with even more information specific to the experience.

The original output of this task is a Powerpoint presentation, which he was able to make with minimal guidance. The main slides were converted into pictures – as seen in the series below:

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My Summer (in Powerpoint)

(The text of each slide has been transcribed, for easier reading)

Amsterdam/Holland

Ø A big windmill beside a pond.

Ø The unpainted wooden shoes (above) only last for 3 years.

Ø The shoe maker explains about making the shoes. He used a block of wood.

Ø A statue of Rembrandt. My dad likes his paintings a lot.

Ø Outside an amusement park with some big shoes.

Russia

Ø Walking in front of a summer palace in St. Petersburg. It was big with a lot of rooms surrounded by gold. There was a room covered in amber.

Ø This is a long ceiling of fresco pictures of bible stories in the old testament. I stared at it for a while because it was very detailed.

Ø This is the unfinished sculpture of Michelangelo. It is a man exercising.

Ø This is the painting of the return of the prodigal son by Rembrandt. I think it is a bible story.

Spain

Ø This is a winery. It is somewhere in Barcelona. It was boring. The tour was about making wine out of a fruit.

Ø This is Paella. It is a kind of Spanish food. There is egg, shrimp, and fried rice mixed in a pan.

Ø This street performer looks like a headless guy. But I saw some hair when the picture was taken.

Ø I was with my brother and some guy in a robot costume. It transforms, somehow. My parents thought it was Bumblebee, but the body didn’t look like it because of the wheels.

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Now on his 5^th reading intervention program with Wordlab, Lucas’s steady growth – both physically and in his literacy skills – has been unmistakable. He is a very diligent 7^th grader; yet he never forgets to make time for creative expression through drawing and painting. In fact, he recently joined his school’s Art Club.

2010-10-02T15:02:00.001+08:00

Jon and His LEA

One of the methods used to enhance comprehension skills, as well as develop expressive language, is LEA – or the Language Experience Approach. In the samples below, Jon was asked to independently follow a procedure, beginning with the preparation of materials, until making sure that the work area is left clean after the activity is done.

In this first LEA activity, Jon was asked to do the experiment, purely based on the text provided below. Hardly any guidance was given; monitoring was mainly focused on maintaining safety.

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Erupting Volcano Experiment

Materials:

· Small bottle

· Clay

· Measuring cup

· Plate

· Bowl

· Dropper

· Spoon

· Funnel

· ¼ cup of hot water

· ¼ cup of vinegar

· 5 drops of red food coloring

· 2 spoonfuls of baking soda

Procedure:

First, get a small bottle and put it on a plate. Second, wrap the clay around the bottle to make your own volcano, making the plate as your base. Be as creative as you want to be! Then, put this plate of volcano in a bowl. After making sure that the plate of volcano is steady, measure ¼ cup of hot water and pour it into the bottle. Then, using the medicine dropper, mix 5 drops of red food coloring into the hot water in the bottle. Afterwards, put 2 spoonfuls of baking soda into the mixture. Make sure you use a funnel so the baking soda does not spill all over! Now, your volcano is complete. Well, almost. The final ingredient is the most important, so make sure you pour it slowly. Can you guess what the final ingredient is? If you have figured it out, that means you are ready to make this volcano erupt! Have fun!

After the activity, as well as the resulting discussion, was done – an integral part of any LEA activity is an independently written essay outlining the materials, steps, learning points and conclusions or opinions made from the experience. Guidance was initially given Jon regarding the parts of a three-paragraph essay, as well as the essential ideas incorporated within the parts: introduction, body and conclusion.

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MAKING A BAKING SODA VOLCANO ERUPT

When a base and an acid mix, carbon dioxide will be produced. A baking soda volcano erupts carbon dioxide, which is produced by a base and an acid. In making a baking soda volcano erupt, you will need clay, a paper plate, 1/4 cup of vinegar, red dye, 1/4 cup of hot water, two spoonfuls of baking soda, a bottle, a big basin, and just to stay safe, a funnel.

In making a baking soda volcano, first put the bottle standing on the plate. Then wrap the bottle around with clay so it will look like a volcano but do not cover the hole of the bottle.

After that, put the plate of volcano into the basin. Now that the making of the baking soda volcano is complete, it is time to make the mix that will make the volcano erupt. First pour the hot water into the volcano and also put the red dye into the volcano. Then put the two spoons of baking soda into the volcano using a funnel and a spoon. After that, pour the vinegar into the volcano but be quick and careful or the hot water will fry your hands.

Carbon dioxide is produced by the mix. The production is too fast, the mix has to get out of the bottle for more space. If you are smelling something now, that may be the carbon dioxide from the volcano mix and it isn’t good for the lungs.

Video Link to Jon's Erupting Volcano Experiment

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In this second LEA activity, Jon was given the procedure in the form of picture diagrams. He was once again given minimal guidance, but was encouraged to ask questions when in need of clarification.

After making his own kite, Jon was given the chance to test-fly his kite. Some difficulties were encountered, as there was a marked absence of any breeze that day. But, as Jon himself explains in the following written output, he was able to creatively solve this problem.

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Kite

This essay is about making and flying a kite. In making a kite, you will need plastic bags, string, sticks, scissors, a marker and tape. You will also need a big open space like a park, field, or even a big building top.

The first thing you have to do in making a kite is cut the plastic bag into a shape of a diamond. Then put the two sticks in a + shape. Make sure the sticks end at the pointy ends of the plastic diamond. After that, put tape to secure the sticks. Then poke two holes beside the place where the two sticks meet. You also have to put two holes in the bottom end of the kite. Next, put a string and tie it through the holes. Tie long string to the string tied to the kite. Lastly make a tail for the kite out of plastic strips tied to the bottom of the kite. Flying a kite is easy. You just need sunny weather and wind that makes the leaves flutter. In case there is no wind, make wind by running.

Kite flying is fun because it feels good when the kite is in the sky. Kite flying is tiring without wind. It is because you have to run. Be careful not to go into dangerous places like the road or the edge of a building top while running.

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A reading of Jon’s written outputs would reflect this young man’s keen sense of humor, his natural facility in understanding and following step-by-step procedures, as well as his inclination towards creative thinking. He just recently transferred from a highly traditional to a progressive school espousing inclusion, where he seems to be thriving. This is Jon’s first reading intervention program. He has proven to be very much invested in the activities presented, as well as the strategies introduced; he has been noted to use said strategies with as little guidance as possible.

2010-10-01T23:32:00.002+08:00

And it Begins

This astounding work is the first page of DahkSinol’s latest project for his continuing reading and writing program – a book of short stories intricately woven together into a novel. The book outline (which is currently classified top-secret/eyes-only) shows pride in his heritage, as he uses Philippine mythological creatures as seven of his main characters.

These kinds of projects develop a lot of the student’s writing skills. The technical aspect of writing, such as the consideration of the point of view, the setting and the coherence of the plot, were tackled during the long pre-writing period. The mechanical aspects of writing, on the other hand – like his adherence to capitalization and punctuation rules, subject and verb agreement, and his consistent use of verb tenses – are constantly addressed through the numerous rounds of editing.

White. A bright light shines upon me. I can hear a voice calling, “Welcome to the New World, Meru-Maru.” A calm voice shines upon me. I look up. I see… What I see is… The Root. The source of this blinding light is above me. I try to make out the details, but every time I try to look at it, I’m forced to close my eyes. The light itself irritates my eyes even when I shut them as hard as I can. I look at the ground, trying to seek refuge from the light’s sheer power. But even that won’t help.

“Meru-Maru… you need to help me…” it calls. Desperation comes from her tone. The light slowly disappears, like a mist slowly dispersing. While it faded out, I could see the forest and this blue glowing orb coming in front of me. “Can you save me? I need you to save me… Can you do this?”

I try to think about what this thing wants. It wants me, Meru-Maru, to save it. This is completely wrong. What does it want from me? I’m nothing special. There’s nothing to know about me. I don’t even know about myself. What a joke! Someone’s asking for help from a person who knows nothing about what he can do! This is too funny to be real. Wait, am I real? I don’t know. I feel like this uncontrollable fear is controlling my mind. Only one word came into my mind. RUN.

I break into a sprint. I start to run as fast as I could, but these feet won’t do. My body wants me to stop, but I won’t stop. I will never stop. Not until I know I’m safe. Suddenly, I trip on a log. I start to fall to the ground, but the will to survive still lives in me. I start to crawl. I keep crawling. I don’t care what happens. I continue to crawl. The soil is moist which gives extra help in bringing me forward. I stop. My body won’t go anymore. I think I broke it. I look up. I notice I’m still inside this forest. Around me is the light blue water, a river. I let my hand in and start scooping it to my mouth. It’s cold. The cold water goes down my dry throat. I let the feeling of the cold water surround me as I let my face fall inside this pool. The water cleanses my face of the dirt that I accumulated while I ran through the dirt and the mud. Suddenly, this weird feeling. My mind wants me to pull myself out from the water. I pull out from the cold and let the drops water run down my face as I look at the river again.

Wait… Is this? This face is something else. What’s that word? Now I remember. It is called human. What a freak! While I look at it, it always copies me – when I wave, when I touch the water, when I close one eye – all of it. And then something slams inside my mind. THIS. IS. ME. The very truth shocks me to my core. I look at my hands, but what I see are not normal hands, but claws. I try to take in these facts. Then I hear the voice again.

“Why have you run away? Do you not wish to save me?” it asks. I turn around and see that the orb is here. I can’t escape.

written by DahkSinol

DahkSinol is 12 year-old Isak, who is currently in his freshman year in high school. The amazing progress of his literacy skills is reflected in the dynamic and cumulative development of his intervention programs, the first few of which mainly focused on tapping into his then emerging reading, spelling and expressive skills through the multi-sensory approach. The next set then focused on developing specific comprehension skills, genuine love for reading, and in furthering the progress of his oral and written expressive skills. Now on his 23^rd reading and writing program, Isak is asked to focus on self-direction and –management, as well as on other higher order comprehension skills.

Andrew on Miss Nelson and the Loose Tooth

2010-08-20T14:32:00.000+08:00

Andrew has just turned 7 years old this year. As a part of his individualized reading sessions, he was tasked to do post-listening comprehension worksheets.

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In the book, Miss Nelson is Missing by James Marshall, an enrichment activity was done. The worksheet entitled him to create rules for the class of Room 207.

Rules for Class 207
What Andrew Wrote	What Andrew Meant
Lison to the teacHer. Dot frow spitball Owese leson to your sorise.	Listen to the teacher. Don’t throw spitballs. Always listen to your stories.

Another activity entailed him to write the story grammar of the book, Andrew’s Loose Tooth by Robert Munsch. He needed fill out the story elements such as the ones below.

Story Elements	What Andrew Wrote	What Andrew Meant
Title	ANDREW’s loos tooth	Andrew’s Loose Tooth
Author	Michael Martchenko	Robert Munsch
Setting	In his hawse	In his house
Characters	ANDREW, MaMa, DaD	Andrew, Mama, Dad
Problem	ANDREW tooth is louse	Andrew’s tooth is loose.
Solution	His friend got his pepe and pot son on him.	His friend got his pepper and put some on him.

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Andrew enjoys playing games in the computer. His favorite games include Sonic and Dynomite.

Sophia's Summary

2010-08-20T12:13:00.001+08:00

Pia loves fairytales such as The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. As a part of her listening comprehension, she was required to write a summary using a story grammar template.

What Pia Wrote:

Somebody: The Littile mermaid
Wanted: She want to be a pearson with a sol
But: She neds to be love by the Prics
So: She went to the wick
In the end: She dayd and beceym an engel.

What Pia Meant:

Somebody: The little mermaid

Wanted: She wants to be a person with a soul.

But: She needs to be loved by the Prince

So: She went to the wick

In the end: She died and became an angel.

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Pia is in 4th grade. She enjoys watching TV in her spare time.

Nicole's Little Mermaid

2010-08-20T12:00:00.001+08:00

After reading a book, Nicole was asked to analyze the story characters. She was to write the reason for her answers and compare the character to another person as well as to her own self.

My favorite character in the story is the little mermaid. She is my favorite because she gave up her life for the one she love. She reminds me of Jesus because he died for our sins. If I were little mermaid, I would do the same thing too.

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Nicole was born in Geneva, Switzerland. She came to the Philippines to be immersed in the Filipino culture and learn more about her mother country.

A TKAM Book Review

2010-08-07T14:08:00.000+08:00

This writing task given was to write a book review of Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.” Since the content of his essay is already substantial, the main guidance given Vince is for organization of thought.

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“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a novel written by Harper Lee. It was published in the year 1960. This is a story of innocence being destroyed by the horrors of the real world. The plot revolves around a girl named Scout Finch who does not know the truths about life. She watches the trial of a man named Tom Robinson and realizes that the world is not “perfect”. Arthur Radley, a recluse, saves Scout from being attacked. She realizes that he is not a bad person; she finds out that he’s just afraid of the outside world.

The title, To Kill a Mockingbird, makes readers think. Before the first part of the book ends, Atticus Finch mentions: “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit e’m, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mocking bird.” The mockingbird symbolizes the innocence of people and the good things they do. Despite their good deeds, others still do cruel things to them. That’s why inflicting harm on someone who has done something good “is like killing a mockingbird.”

The characters are effective in their development in a way that each and every one of them symbolizes something. For instance, Atticus symbolizes moral righteousness because he is fair with both the black and white people. He is also a good father. He allows his children to do things they want but he gives them some limitations. For example, he forbids them to bother Boo Radley. On the other hand, Bob Ewell symbolizes moral degradation. He is a racist and does not care about his children. For example, he beat up his daughter, Mayella Ewell, because she tempted a Negro.

The lesson of the story is that everybody has the right to be treated as human beings. For example, in Maycomb, the black people are shunned and cast aside in a corner where they all live. They are not allowed to live anywhere near the whitew, vote, and fall in love with a white person. Another example, Arthur Radley is treated as someone who is not human because he is a recluse. People make rumors about him and the children (Scout, Jem, and Dill) try to make him come out of his house. These rumors (rumors that he is not normal) are proven wrong when he came out of his house to save Scout and Jem. I believe that people deserve to be treated equally because we are not any different. We are all still human beings, the only thing different about people is their skin color and personality, but we are all human beings.

I would recommend this book. This book is recommended this to people who would want to become lawyers because it teaches them on how to be fair. For example, Atticus Finch, the central character of part 2, defends Tom Robinson as best as he can even if he is a black man. I would give this book a rating of 9/10 because of the inspiration I got from Atticus. Another is there are some really funny parts in the book. The only bad thing in the book is the really complex vocabulary and the slow pace of part one.

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Vince is a fifteen year-old student who has expressed his eagerness to write essays and narratives. He dreams of becoming a lawyer – after serving as a teacher in his alma mater. He is currently a student in an all-boys school, a guitarist in a band, and an avid air soft player.

Election and Brownies

2010-08-07T13:00:00.001+08:00

In the two works featured below, the student was tasked to do paragraph writing. The first is an opinion essay regarding current events for which he had passionate feelings. The second is an enumeration of a procedural activity (food preparation), as part of the Language Experience Approach (LEA).

For the writing component, organization of thought is, at present, the primary thrust of this particular program. Although editing has already been introduced and is currently being practiced, a complete adherence to capitalization, punctuation, syntax and grammar rules is yet to be noted.

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Philippines election

There are 3 facts that I know about the elections. The fist one is that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is the president right now. Second is that the election is on the 10^th of May. Last is that the winner of the election is the person who will get the most votes.

There are 9 candidates in all that are running for president. The 3 most successful candidates are NoyNoy ,Villar and Gibo. To try to be elected candidates advertise them selves. They say bad things about people. They are also giving pictures of theme selves in the mail. More over, they are doing speeches on the radio and advertise them selves by making songs about them.

I think that NoyNoy is going to win the elections because his parents are considered heroes to the Philippines.

In my opinion too many people are going to die before the elections, and I feel that is very terrible. i would not like that the Philippines is in danger because of the president.

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The Crunchy Delicious Brownies

I would like to make some brownies, therefore, I got a sheet of paper from my teacher that had all the ingredients on it. I needed half a cup of butter, a pack of butterscotch brownie mix, and two eggs. After, I got the baking materials and they were a bowl, spoon, an oven, and a baking pan. But, we also used plates and a knife to taste it. After that, we made the brownies. First, I put half a cup of butter in side the bowl. Second, I mixed it in until it was soft. Third, I cracked two eggs, into the bowl, and started mixing it together. Fourth, I put all of the butterscotch brownie mix inside the bowl, and started mixing. It was a bit hard. Fifth, I put it on a baking pan, and cooked it in an oven toaster for thirty to thirty five minutes. To check if it was cooked, I had to stick a toothpick into the brownies. If the brownies stuck to the toothpick, it wouldn’t be ready yet. Last, it looked so good I had to try it. I think the brownies where delicious I could do this any time at home.

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Simon is a 9 year-old French-Canadian boy whose family is currently based here in Manila. He is mainstreamed in a school where French is the medium of instruction, but is equally conversant in the English Language. He likes going fishing and playing the piano.

A Must Read

2010-08-07T12:11:00.000+08:00

In this writing activity, Lucas was asked to choose a quotation from the book, “A Wizard of Earthsea,” by Ursula Le Guin. After choosing the quotation, he was tasked to share what he thought it meant, and how he may relate it to his own life.

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The novel, “A Wizard of Earthsea” is a story about sorcery and fantasy. It is about a boy named Ged who wanted to be a good sorcerer. But Ged released a shadow because he wanted to prove that he was better than his classmate. So Ged had to chase the shadow and defeat it.

In chapter two of the book, Ged goes with Ogion to learn sorcery. But he noticed that Ogion was not teaching him any sorcery. He ran into the enchantress’s daughter and she fooled him into summoning the shadow. Ged was successful in summoning the shadow and felt scared. Then Ogion comes in to chase away the shadow. He talked to Ged for a while about his carelessness and told him “… Before you speak or do you must know the price that is to pay!”

The quotation reminds me that for every wrong thing I do, there is always a consequence. So it now reminds me that I have to be careful in everything I do. I need to try and not be careless when I am taking a test.

The novel, “A Wizard of Earthsea” is a great book because it has a lot of adventure, lessons and excitement. Kids would get a lot of teachings and advice from reading it.

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Lucas is an incoming Grade 6 student in an all-boys’ school. He likes riding the bike, painting and playing computer games.

A Guitar and a Haiku

2010-08-07T11:39:00.000+08:00

The following exercises still deal with poetry. One craftily uses the image of a guitar for symbolism; the other follows the aural of the Japanese Haiku – having a 7-5-7 syllabic scheme.

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Guitar

Every time I touch you,

it feels like “Champagne Supernova”.

Sound flows from my fingertips to my heart then up to my brain.

It feels like heaven.

Your reverb sets me free up the open sky to fly.

Every curve I feel, every scent I smell,

gives me happy nostalgia.

I did not see you for a while, so I fear that a part of you might warp.

Don’t worry;

I’ll take the risks of heavy waves,

heavy storms,

and heavy floods,

just to wipe you with soothing pleasure –

to make you feel that I exist.

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[untitled]

Splash me with dreams to conquer.

Reach it with courage.

My hopes cannot be broken.

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Joshua has now said goodbye to summer, and is now about to embark on his new adventure as a HS senior. Music remains his passion. He still plays the guitar, the drums, sings and writes his own songs.

Who's Playing Basketball?

2010-08-07T09:42:00.000+08:00

Here is a set of essays comparing different NBA basketball players.

These both have the comparison and contrast text-structure, both using the Venn diagram as the visual organizer. The first essay, using the straightforward Venn diagram, compares Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant. The second essay builds up on the first one in that another item (Kevin Garnett) is added to the two already compared – thus making use of the triple Venn diagram as the visual organizer.

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The Truth and the Black Mamba

Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant have many differences but they also have similarities. These are the differences between the two players. The nickname of Kobe is Black Mamba, while Paul’s nickname is The Truth. Paul was born on October 13, 1977 in Oakland, California. On the other hand, Kobe was born on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Paul will be 33 in October, while Kobe will be 32 in August. Paul’s team is the Boston Celtics, but Kobe’s team is the LA Lakers. Paul went to college in Kansas. Kobe, instead of going to college, went straight to the NBA. On the other hand, these are the similarities of the two players. Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant are both shooting guards. They both played in NBA All – Stars. They are both African Americans. They are both NBA conference finals MVP’s. Both their teams won NBA championships. I want to know more about Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant because I learned about their similarities and differences.

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Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett

Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett are basketball players. They all have different skills, that is why they all are popular. Paul Pierce was born on October 13, 1977. He will be 33 in October. Kobe Bryant was born on August 23, 1978. He will be 32 in August. Kevin Garnett was born on May 19, 1976. He just turned 34 this May.

Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett all have similarities and differences. Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant are both shooting guards, while Kevin Garnett is a power forward. Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett went straight to the NBA from high school, but Paul Pierce went to college in Kansas. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are both from Boston Celtics. However, Kobe Bryant is from LA Lakers. Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant are both NBA Conference Finals MVP’s. On the other hand, Kevin Garnett has not won an NBA Conference Finals MVP. Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett both have NBA All-Star MVP’s, but Paul Pierce does not have any. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were both part of Boston Celtics when they won the 2008 championships. They won instead of the team of Kobe Bryant, which is the LA Lakers.

Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett also share similarities. They are all basketball players in the NBA. They are also all African Americans. They are all players in the NBA All-Stars. Another similarity is that they have all won NBA championships. The most important similarity is that the 3 players are my favorites.

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Again, the self-description of JM will be used as his backgrounder: “I am JM. I am 14 years old. I am male. I am cute. I like playing basketball. I want to take up HRM in college. I am good!”

JM just finished his 14^th Reading Intervention Program with the clinic. He is an incoming HS Junior.

Jimmy and the Shy Chicken

2010-08-06T17:50:00.000+08:00

This task reflects the child-centeredness of each Reading Intervention Program. Since this young boy’s first language is Filipino, and has yet emerging ESL skills – he was asked to sequence four story-events of a bilingual book. After which, he was given a chance to re-tell the story first in Filipino, and then in English (with guidance).

The following is a transcript of his oral enumeration of the story-events, based on the graphics provided.

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Ang Mahiyaing Manok

(sequencing of events)

In Filipino

Una, si Onyok ay mahiyain na manok. Pangalawa, akala niya pinagtatawanan siya ng mga ibang manok. Pangatlo, kinausap siya ng Mama niya. Pang-huli, marunong na siyang tiktilaok.

In English

First, Onyok is shy. Second, Onyok [thought the others are] laughing [at him]. Third, (Who talked to him?) [his] Mama [talked to him]. And last, Onyok can tiktilaok.

*[text in brackets are prompts that the student repeated, after teacher-modeling]

*(text in parenthesis is a guide question to cue memory retrieval)

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Jimmy is a six year-old boy who is about to enter “big school” as a first grader. He just finished his second program , the components of which are spelling, reading, expressive language and vocabulary development.

Gelo's Stories

2010-08-06T17:39:00.000+08:00

In these two works, the student was encouraged to first arrange the pictures according to their most logical sequence, and then write an original story to accompany them.

Both stories reflect this child’s creativity, sense of humor and wit.

Note that since content was the focus of this activity, editing was not done in either one of the works.

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Never be foolish

The man shoot an arrow at the target. The bee house is very very Busted because The swarm of bees are chasing the man. The bees might sting The man The man is keep on running he must attract the bees so it will stop.

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always think first

The 2 children try to on the television/tv so they can watch cartoons. But they cannot fix it There dad come and talk to the children to fix the tv There father use a plug of the tv and the It works The children must think again.

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Angelo is a 4^th Grader in an international school here in Metro Manila. Although his first language is Filipino, he is becoming more and more conversant in the English language that he is able to tell stories and recount events with growing ease. Gelo is the eldest of three boys and is a very good “kuya” (older brother). He likes doing experiments and is always eager to learn new things about the world around him.

What Jary Has to Say

2010-07-30T17:58:00.000+08:00

In line with the Mother’s Day celebration, Jary was asked the question: If you were to give the best gift to your mother, what it would be and why?

The said question was the motive question for the book, My Mother is Mine. He orally gave his answer abiding by the sentence structure provided and then transcribed it afterwards.

My Mother’s Gift

The best gift that I will give (to) my mother is love because God likes a child who loves his mother.

Jary showed his genuine love for his mother not only by his answer to the question posed but also by his Mother’s Day card that he created with the help of his teacher.

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For his oral and written language development, Jary was asked the question: What was the best gift you received on your birthday and why?

The said question was used as a motivation question for the book, Arthur’s Birthday. Words in the parentheses were modifications made to correct capitalization errors.

My Greatest Birthday Gift

The best gift I received on my birthday is the diary (Diary) of a wimpy (Wimpy) kid (Kid) because I love books.

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As a post reading activity for the book, Arthur’s Chicken Pox, Jary was asked to think of three things to do when someone is sick. He used the given sentence structure for enumeration and supplied his answers orally. Jary later transcribed his responses with guidance from the teacher. He practiced delivering his work orally and presented it to his teacher.

Things To Do When You Are Sick

The three things to do when you are sick are first, get a thermometer to find out your temperature. Second, if it is high, go to the doctor and tell him that you are sick. Last, drink your medicines and eat nutritious food.

Jary is a grade 2 student. He shared that he had chicken pox when he was still a baby so he could not remember how he felt at that time.

He primarily loves to read books of different kinds and can appreciate humor in the stories read.

Loosing a Tooth and Hercules

2010-07-30T17:36:00.000+08:00

For his Oral Language Development and Written Language Development, Wil was asked the question: What would you do if you have a loose tooth?

Wil verbalized his answer with the given response structure and transcribed it afterwards. Inventive spelling was allowed. The words inside the parentheses were modifications of Wil’s misspelled words.

If I have a loose tooth, I would wigil (wiggle) it sow (so) it will fol (fall) out.

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As a post-reading activity for the book, The Twelve Labors of Hercules, Wil chose his favorite task among the twelve as instructed by his teacher. Wil drew the task of his choice and wrote an explanation on how Hercules accomplished it with the prescribed response pattern. The sentence below was the original work of Wil with spelling modifications inside the parentheses for his misspelled words. Then, he orally presented his work to his teacher.

Killing the Hydra

Hercules accomplished this task by cuting (cutting) of the heds (heads) of the hidru (hydra) and berning (burning) the in side (inside).

Wil is an incoming grade 3 at Brent International School. He enjoys reading funny books and doing art activities like drawing and coloring.

Opinion Essay on Stealing

2010-07-30T17:02:00.000+08:00

As a post reading activity for the book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, James wrote an opinion essay on stealing which became a hard-to-break habit of Hugo Cabret, the main protagonist in the story. The said activity was part of his written language development. He wrote his main ideas by the help of a graphic organizer. James was advised to use signal words to achieve cohesion of his paragraphs. This is an edited version of his work.

Question: Hugo Cabret stole food because he would die out of hunger. Do you think stealing is considered when your life is at stake – like in the case of Hugo?

Stealing is bad even if you die out of hunger.

First, if you steal you will end up in hell. The Bible says that if you steal you will go to hell. Because of this, I never steal.

Last, when you steal, something from others, they might badly need the thing stolen for their survival. For example, when my friend stole medicine from my other friend, he had a heart attack.

Therefore, you should not steal for your own sake.

James, a grade 6 student, shows enthusiasm in reading the Invention of Hugo Cabret, for the book was not only told in words but also in more than 300 pictures. James appreciates story plots that make him analyze and predict outcomes.

Zipline Adventure

2010-07-20T12:25:00.000+08:00

For his oral and written language development, Ivo was asked to write about an activity he had this summer. Before writing, he filled out a graphic organizer for his ideas focusing on the 4ws (what, when, where and why) and 1h (how). Then, he wrote a paragraph about the picture and read it to his teachers.

A Thrilling Adventure

By: Ivo Nevalga

This picture is about me and my cousin Uncle Jaja riding the Zipline. The Zipline was located somewhere in Cagayan de oro. From Cebu to Cagayan de Oro, it took us 8 hours to go there by boat and another 3 hours to the Zipline by land. This happened last April 28, 2010. We went to the Zipline to have a thrilling adventure with my cousins. When we rode the Zipline, it felt like you were flying very fast. And it was fun and enjoyable. We also rode the other Zipline, the longest one.

Ivo is an incoming 3^rd year high school student. He enjoys doing extreme activities like zipline riding and rafting with cousins and relatives.

Ivo's Poems

2010-07-20T12:22:00.002+08:00

As part of his written language development, Ivo was instructed to write structured poems namely Cinquain and Acrostic. (See description of each poem below.)The said poetry writing activity was a perfect avenue for Ivo to apply the figures of speech he learned from a previous lesson taught as well as his knowledge on parts of speech like nouns, adjectives, verbs. Ivo wrote the poems by following the step-by-step procedures on how to write Cinquain and Acrostic with minimal guidance from the teacher.

* A Cinquain poem has five lines with a required number of words: one noun in the first line, two descriptive (adjective) words in the second line, three action (verb) words, and four words that evoke emotion in the third and fourth lines consecutively, and lastly, one word in the fifth line which is related to the single word in the first line.

Airsoft

Airsoft

Bloody, painful

Shoot, bump, kill

All make it exciting

Extreme

*An acrostic is a poem where the title or the topic word is written vertically. The word/s or phrases in each line should start with the letters of the topic word.

Tekken

To terminate or to die in

Endless battles

King you should become or be

Killed for pleasure by anyone who

Exists in the fierce world, so

Neutralize your enemies in the very end

Ivo is a seventeen-year-old tall lad. Swimming and playing computer games are few of his interests aside from extreme sports like Airsoft.

Monkey-Monkey Tricks

2010-07-20T12:14:00.000+08:00

For EJ’s Written Language Skill, the focus of his program was to master his skill in retelling stories. He was asked to make his own story following a story grammar template. Later on, the skill was reinforced through a post reading activity. After reading Monkey-Monkey Tricks, he needs to retell the story following the template. The following written work is in its raw form.

Nogman wanted to see the Hollywood sign but it was a mountain so he tried to make a bridge to USA from Philippines. In the end, he was happy because he saw the sign

Monkey-Monkey wanted to build a home but the hyena is playing a trick on monkey in the end Monkey-Monkey had his home.

EJ is an incoming grade 3 student, who aspires to be a scientist someday. He likes reading non-fiction books about animals and science facts. He enjoys playing computer games during his free time.

Erika's Stories

2010-07-20T12:12:00.000+08:00

Erika is nine year old girl, who has a talent in drawing. For her post reading activity, she was asked to retell stories following a story grammar template. She drew her answers first and filled-in the template with the correct picture then retold the story. She was assisted to answer in complete thoughts. She was able to retell the stories of “Best friends Wear Pink Tutus” and “Little Ghost”.

Amber and Emily wanted (to be) Marie but they (both) want to be Marie so they fought. In the end Nicole (was chosen to be) Marie and (they were chosen to be) snowflakes and (they were) friends again.

Little ghost wanted to fly but he can’t fly so Booh! (They surprised him). In the end, he can fly.

Erika enjoys shopping and playing gaming consoles during her free time. She also likes drawing and collecting stickers as a hobby.

Muffins

2010-07-20T12:09:00.000+08:00

Fun activities such as baking, experiments and art are ways to encourage kids to write. In this activity, Mark baked muffins and later on made his own recipe. He was asked to distinguish materials and ingredients needed in making muffins. Mark also needed to retell the steps using signal words based on how he made the muffins. The following written work is in its raw form.

TITLE: MUFFINS

BY:MARK

INGREDIENTS:

1. OIL ½ TABLE SPOON

2. WATER ½ CUP

3. CAKE MIX

4. CHOCOLATE SRINKLES OR etc.

5. SUGAR ¼ CUP

THINGS YOU NEED:

1. SPOON

2. BOWL

3. OVEN

4. BRUSH

5. MUFFIN PAN

6. WAX PAPER

STEPS:

FIRST POUR CAKE MIX INTO THE BOWL THEN PUT ½ TABLE SPOON OF OIL THE POUR ½ OF WATER THEN PUT ¼ CUP OF SUGAR AND POUR CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES. SECOND STIR THE CAKE MIX UNTIL IT’S LIKE A DOUGH.THIRD PUT WAX PAPER INTO THE MUFFIN PAN.FOURTH POUR THE MIX INTO THE MUFFIN PAN. LASTLY PUT THE MIX INTO THE OVEN AND WAIT FOR IT TO LOOK LIKE A CUPCAKE.

Mark is 12 years old and dreams to be a businessman someday. He is into cars and gadgets. He also likes biking and taking care of different kinds of animals.

How to Make a Lantern

2010-07-20T12:07:00.000+08:00

Fun activities were given to our students to engage them in writing. This summer program, Gelo an incoming grade 3 student made a beach lantern since he enjoys art activities. He was asked to retell the steps using signal words after doing the activity. Gelo did the initial editing for his work. Final editing still needs to be done.

How to Make a Lantern

By:

Gelo De Guzman

First, get the materials: crepe paper, glue, bleach, folder, cotton buds, scissors, tape, yarn, sequins, and stapler. Second, get a rectangle size crepe paper and bleach. Then, put bleach on crepe paper by using cotton buds to design the crepe paper. Third, cut the folder to put on the top and bottom sides of the crepe paper. Fourth, make it into a circle by joining both sides of the crepe paper. Fifth, put a yarn on top as a handle and last, put sequins on the lantern.

Sunburn

2010-07-20T12:06:00.000+08:00

Reading activities are used as bases for Lance to practice his Written Language. After reading a text about sunburn, Lance was asked to enumerate ways to prevent sunburn and make a slogan to warn people about the negative effects of staying too long under the sun.

The things you can do to prevent sunburn are: first put sun block, second do not swim in the afternoon when the sun is high, last put on shades, use umbrella and hat.

“The earth is getting hotter and we care about your health. Stay inside…”- Lance

Lance is a very active and talented boy, who enjoys swimming, taekwondo, and football during his free time. He is also good at playing the piano and loves to sing pop songs.

Here Comes Cisco

2010-07-02T00:56:00.001+08:00

Cisco is an incoming 3^rd grade student.. Aside from using a multisensory method for his spelling and decoding, his program also includes listening comprehension. During reading, he was asked guide questions and tasked to use story clues. Moreover, he was required to answer worksheets about remembering the important details and events in the story.

Cisco answered a table containing story clues from The Twelve Labors of Hercules by Marc Cerasini. Given are tasks that were requested by the king. Cisco is anticipated to give his own solution to the problem. After which, he will continue to listen of the story and find out how Hercules solved the problem.

No. of Task	Your Solution	Hercules’ Solution
1. Go slay the Nemean Lion	Wresel it (Wrestle it.)	He sqizd the lion to deth.
2. He must kill the Hydra.	Smmash the hydra (Smash the Hydra)	He burned the neck with a flaming spear.
3. He will (get) the deer with golden antlers.	He carid it on his back (He carried in on his back.)	P
4. He must get the wild boar.	He stabd it. (He stabbed it.)	It fell down on a snowdrift.
5. He will clean out the royal stables in one day.	He would clian it. (He would clean it.)	He threw logs and rocks into the river.
6. He will kill the brass-beaked bird.	shoot the bird	P

In the sample below, Cisco was asked to provide a summary for the book, Tree of Birds by Susan Meddaugh.

The story takes place in the backyard. Hary is a character in the story who takes care of his bird sally. A problem occurred when sally hasent Ben eating much. Then Birds started folowing him. However, the bird woldent go even if it raind or scared by Harry. The problem is solved when he opend the window. The story ends with the dirds went in thair house.

What Cisco meant:

The story takes place in the backyard. Harry is a character in the story who takes care of his bird, Sally. A problem occurred when sally hasn’t been eating much. Then birds started following him. However, the bird wouldn’t go even if it rained or scared by Harry. The problem is solved when he opened the window. The story ends with the birds went in their house.

Another worksheet is taken from the book; Miss Nelson is Missing by James Marshall. Cisco was required to write how the students behaved in the book.

How did the students of Miss Nelson behave?

Before Miss Swamp: They threw spit ball on the selling.

During Miss Swamp: They wer polite. They wer sad. They wer Behave.

After Miss Swamp: They were Behave, nice and happy.

What Cisco meant:

Before Miss Swamp: They threw spitballs on the ceiling.

During Miss Swamp: They were polite. They were sad. They were behaved.

After Miss Swamp: They were behaved, nice and happy.

Cisco is turning 9 on August. He has a fascination with animals, especially those that are considered "weird". He dutifully watches these on educational channels on television.

Stefani's Big 3

2010-07-02T00:30:00.000+08:00

The first of these three works below is a straightforward retelling of the procedure this young girl followed when she planted her monggo seeds. The other two, on the other hand, greatly reflect her creativity and humor, as she makes original stories, following the Story Grammar format.

All these tasks were directed on the development of her oral expression. The texts that follow are transcripts of her verbal answer.

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What It Grow!

How do you plant monggo seeds?

“To plant monggo seeds, you first put soil in the pot. Second, plant the seeds. (And) last, water the seeds.”

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“Mushka”

Mushka wanted to dance, but she has no shoes. So, she put her shoes. In the end, she danced! And she danced, and she’s getting dizzy!

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“Princess Pam”

Princess Pam wanted to smile, but she has no hair. So, she put on her hair. In the end, she is happy.

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After being home-schooled for some time, Stefani is looking forward to entering a new school in this coming academic year (SY 2010-’11). She adores different Walt Disney characters, and loves to sing Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb.”

Meet the President

2010-05-27T23:08:00.000+08:00

For his oral and written language development, Jary was asked the question below. The said question was used as a motive question for the book, Arthur Meets the President. He verbalized his answer and then transcribed it using the prescribed sentence structure. The work shown below is the original sentence of Jary. Thus, there were no changes made with regard to spelling and grammar.

Question: If you were to meet President Gloria Arroyo, what would you tell her to make the

Philippines

better?

Answer: If I were to meet President Gloria Arroyo, I would tell her that give the poor people money, shirt and school so their children can learn lessons.

Jary is an incoming grade 1 student. He enjoys reading Arthur’s books and, he considers Arthur Meets the President as his favorite.

Dinosaurs

2010-05-27T22:55:00.000+08:00

As a post-reading activity for the book, Dinosaur Days, Wil was asked to compare and contrast two dinosaurs. He used the Venn diagram to organize his ideas well, and then wrote sentences out of those ideas using the prescribed sentence structure for similarities and differences. Misspelled words were already corrected.

For similarities:

Both the Stegosaurus and the Ankylosaurus are dinosaurs and have plates on their backs.

For difference:

The Stegosaurus’ tail has spikes while the Ankylosaurus’ tail looks like a club.

Wil is an incoming grade 2 student. Dinosaurs is one the topics he is interested with. In fact, he was able to name other dinosaurs not mentioned in the book read in the clinic.

Banana Cake

2010-05-22T23:04:00.001+08:00

Mark is an incoming Grade 6 student, who enjoys playing computer games and listening to modern music. He also likes drawing and cooking as well. Mark’s program last trimester focused on Language Experience Approach. The goals of this program were to follow instructions and correctly retell the steps using signal words, based on activities he did such as baking, arts and crafts and experiments.

Mark successfully baked a banana cake with minimal supervision. He was able to follow the instructions and then came up and typed his own recipe. He was happy with how his cake turned out and everyone in the clinic enjoyed eating his cake.

BANANA CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1. COOKING OIL

2. WATER

3. 1 EGG

4. 3 BANANAS

5. CAKE MIX

THINGS YOU NEED:

1. 2 SPOONS

2. 2 GLASSES

3. BOWL

4. WAX PAPER

5. FORK

STEPS:

FIRST POUR THE CAKE MIX INTO THE BOWL. SECOND MASH THE BANANA USING A FORK UNTILL IT IS FULLY MASH. THIRD POUR OIL INTO THE BOWL WITH THE CAKE MIX. THEN BREAK THE EGG AND POUR WATER INTO THE BOWL. FOURTH MIX IT FOR 50 STROKES. FIFTH PUT WAX PAPER INTO A CONTAINERTHEN POUR THE CAKE MIX INTO THE CONTAINER. SIXTH PUT FOIL ON TOP OF THE CONTAINER, THEN HEAT UP THE OVEN. LASTLY PUT THE CONTAINER INTO THE OVEN THEN CHECK IT EVERY 10 MINUTES.

For Mom

2010-05-14T23:00:00.000+08:00

Gelo is an 8-year-old Filipino speaker, who enjoys experiments and art activities. This summer program, he was asked to make a mother’s day card for his mommy, although the focus of the activity was to develop his written development this could also gives us an insight on how Gelo gives recognition to his parents.

Gelo was able to express his thoughts in English. He was able to make a beautiful card and wrote a simple message for his mother. Gelo was guided with the spelling and translation of some words.

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Dear Mommy,

I’m sorry for being bad.

I will promise to obey the 10 commandments of God.

Thank you for taking care of me.

I love you Mommy!

Happy Mother’s Day.

Love,

Gelo

Korean Experience

2010-05-14T22:55:00.000+08:00

For Patrick’s Written Language Development, his goals were to sequence events and to tell his story in a detailed manner. Last trimester, Patrick shared his experience from his recent trip in Korea. Patrick drew his answers first in a graphic organizer to help him remember events. After that, he was asked to write about it in paragraph form, answering who, what, when, and why questions from every event to enrich his paragraph.

This written output is in its raw form and has not undergone any revisions. This work would be edited next program and would focus on organization of ideas and usage of signal words.

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Korean Experience

My family and I including my parent’s friends went to South Korea. We were awake for 2 days because the day we were busy in preparing for the flight. The noodles there were very big and filled with vegetables. I can’t finish it. W hen we checked in the Kobos Hotel and got the key for our room, I directly jump into one of the beds and watched T.V. The next day, we went to the houses for kings and queens. After that, we checked the heaviest and strongest bell in Korea and see the broken down train. The next day we went to a museum for ancient artifacts and the Koreans past life. Then we returned to the palace again to walk and see it for the last time. Then we went to a street called “fashion street” because there were many clothes and food. The last day we went to a hotel that can only be found in the South. We went skiing in a small hill and not the big hill because it is very steep. When I went to the highest part of the hill, and started there as my first big ski and went down very fast. I got off balance, fell turn in the snow and my stuff fell of my hand, pocket and the others except the things sticking out of my feet. I fell 3 times until I can control my turn, stop and how to go fast. We had fun and it was worth it because of the skiing and the other places I went to. I would recommend going to Korea to my classmates because it can be fun and educational.

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Patrick is an incoming high school sophomore, who likes Japanese animation. Playing online games and listening to music are Patrick's interests as well. He is good in drawing and reads comics as a hobby.

Kites

2010-05-12T22:08:00.000+08:00

EJ is an 8-year-old boy who likes animals and enjoys playing computer games. He is currently enrolled in the summer program.

After reading a text about tips and steps in making a kite, his task is to write his own procedure using the appropriate signal words.

How to Make a Kite

By: EJ

Materials:

2 plastic bags 1 sharp stick scissors

5 sticks 1 thousand long string tape

Steps:

First, you fold one plastic bag into half. Next step, you cut the plastic bag into a shape of a half house. Second, you get a stick

and tape it in the middle. Third, get another stick and curve it then put it on the top of the plastic bag. Fourth, you get two sticks and tape them on the left and right side of the plastic bag. Fifth, make a tail with the already cut parts by tying it. Sixth, you put holes on the top and the bottom part. Make sure that it’s on the middle. Seventh, use one string put in the holes then tie it. Last step, tie another string at the middle. Make sure that it’s in the middle half top.

Tips:

First, fly the kite when it’s windy. Second, fly it in an open space like a park. Third, make sure that the wind is right. Last, make sure that you don’t fly it near electrical wires.

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Teacher’s Note:

We then tried to make a kite using the materials above. EJ had fun doing the activity. It’s a great experience for him since it was his first time to make and fly a kite.

Cards

2010-05-12T21:55:00.000+08:00

Wordlab is not only about spelling and reading but it is also an avenue for kids to engage in their creativity through crafts. The sample below is by Nicole. She made a pop-up card for her mommy and daddy for Valentine’s Day. Then, she was asked to enumerate the steps in the process of making the card and envelope by using a graphic organizer. This made it easier for her to write the instructions in a coherent and structured paragraph.

How to Make a Pop – up Card

First, you fold the paper in two sides. Second, use the ruler to measure three inches to make a square. Third, mark it so when you cut it its shape is a square. Fourth, cut the square. Fifth, fold the long edge to the short edge of the paper. Sixth, you push the square inside to make it pop. Last, you can decorate it and put a message.

How to Make an Envelope

First, you need to put the card inside the middle of the paper. Second, fold the sides of the paper and glue it. Third, fold the bottom of the paper and glue it again. Last, fold the top of the paper and glue it.

Nicole will be in the fourth grade this coming school year. Her extracurricular activities are swimming and singing. She enjoys doing arts and crafts as well as collecting stickers.

Motorcycle

2010-05-10T22:13:00.002+08:00

For his Written Language Development, JM, who is currently enrolled in a Reading Program in Wordlab School, Inc. – Alabang was required to do an opinion essay with the use of a simpler version of Planning, Organizing (Topic Sentence, 3 Reasons, Example, Evaluation) and Writing protocol .

In the essay below, he was tasked to share his opinion about the use of motorcycles.

_______________________________________

MOTORCYCLE

I don’t think that every body should have motorcycles because first it is small. When the car is moving it is hard to see the motorcycle. Second, motorcycle should be in short roads only, just like going to school. Third, motorcycle is dangerous because there are many deaths about it. I suggest to the people to buy a big motorcycle to use for big roads.

_______________________________________

JM will be on his 3^rd year of High School in the coming school year. He enjoys playing bowling with his family during weekends and also joins competitions in this sport.

Racecars

2010-05-10T22:05:00.001+08:00

Matthew is currently enrolled in the Summer Program of Wordlab School, Inc. – Alabang. Study skills such as highlighting the main idea and supporting details during reading are a part of his program. Next, he was required to provide the proper graphic organizer of the text that was read. Then, he wrote an outline which was needed before the composition of his written output.

The paragraphs below is based on the book, How to Build Cool Cars.

_______________________________________

Racecars & Streetcars

By: Matthew

Racecars and Streetcars have different engines. They both have different fuels. The Racecar has methanol while the Streetcar has ordinary gas. The racecar can hold 35 gallons. On the other hand, the streetcar can hold 12 – 15 gallons. The racecar can go two miles on each gallon but the streetcar can go 30 miles in each gallon.

Racecars and Streetcars have different turbo power. A 161 cubic inch V-8 engine powers racecars. However, streetcars are powered by fuel injection engine. The racecar’s turbocharger boosts its power to 250 horsepower. Unlike the streetcar’s horsepower which is 140 of energy. The racecars have a pop-off valve. On the contrary, the streetcar has no pop-off valve.

Racecars and Streetcars have different F1 Engine. Racecars have the most advanced engine while streetcars have ordinary engine. Racecars have 143 gallons of air intake. On the contrary, the streetcars have 14 gallons of air intake. The racecar has the Computerized Engine Management System (CEMS). Another difference is the streetcar has no CEMS.

________________________________

Matthew is an incoming first year student. His interests include listening to rock music and car racing. He is also learning to play the drums this summer.

Essays

2010-05-04T20:44:00.001+08:00

JM is currently enrolled in the summer program of Wordlab School, Inc – Alabang. One of the concentrations of this program is the simple format for essay writing, which includes stating the main idea, providing supporting details, and wrapping up with a concluding sentence.

This series of six essays include one wherein JM talks about himself; the task given him was to think of how to best describe himself.

In the next five essays, JM synthesizes the answers of his interviewees (some teachers), when he made a survey about what each of them would do in the event of an earthquake – as well as other topics concerning this issue.

Essay 1:

Who is JM?

JM is the sweetest son of his parents. JM’s parents are Nitoy and Lala. JM is with his parents every weekend. He is sweet to his parents because he loves them so much. JM loves Nitoy and Lala.

Essay 2:

Where the Teachers Want to Live

I asked Sir Cyrus, Ma’am Den, and Ma’am Leslee where they want to live. Sir Cyrus and Ma’am Den want to live along the beach. Ma’am Leslee wants to live in a village in Alabang. They want to live there because they feel protected along the beach and in a village in Alabang. The teachers will protect themselves.

Essay 3:

How the Teachers Will Prepare For An Earthquake

If they hear that there is an earthquake, the teachers will prepare for it. One teacher will hide under the table, but the three teachers will evacuate their houses. On the other hand, one teacher would stay in a safe place. I learned about how the teachers will protect themselves.

Essay 4:

How the Teachers Would Feel If There Was an Earthquake

I asked five teachers how they would feel if there was an earthquake. 20 % of the teachers said he will be shocked, unlike 20 % of the teachers who said she will be relaxed. However, 60 % of the teachers said they will be scared. Most of the teachers will be scared.

Essay 5:

What Would They Do After an Earthquake?

The teachers will relax after an earthquake. One teacher will sit down and relax. On the other hand, two teachers will go back inside the building or house. Another teacher will listen to the news, while one teacher will check the house if there are cracks. However, one teacher will ask the security if it is okay to go out of the building. The teachers might celebrate because they are happy.

Instead of the teachers coming up with a backgrounder for JM, he was asked to make his own:

I am JM. I am 14 years old. I am male. I am cute. I like playing basketball. I want to take up HRM in college. I am good!

Journal Writing

2010-04-29T23:08:00.000+08:00

In this following (fictional) journal-writing exercise, Isak was asked to develop a character (Viktorr Carpio). He was then given outside stimuli (in the form of pictures/graphics), which he needed to incorporate as a visual “memory” or prompt for a particular day’s entry.

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Journal Writing

CHARACTER PROFILE:

Viktorr Carpio

49 years old

January 1, 1961

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Lieutenant, communications expert

Forces against MILF

Stationed in Maguindanao

He has brownish hair,

Scar at the right side of his mouth, scar down his left eye, his left hand’s ring and pinkie finger are tattooed.

Build – fit and quite muscular

Brown Eyes

Scruff

Pale Skinned

Failed Tech College

Entered PMA after two weeks of job searching

JANUARY 9, 2010

SATURDAY

We were on the mess hall in our camp, right in the middle we placed a television screen, we started listen to what our superiors were explaining to the public in the news. The report was accurate enough yet instead of explaining how many casualties we’ve already sustained during the fight. 20 men were killed and another 10 men would have died in the fight if our reinforcements didn’t come sooner. Most of us were wounded in the fight, actually it shouldn’t be called a fight, it was a massacre. They outnumbered us, and they didn’t show any sign of fear, like they were prepared to die for a cause, which was too idiotic to understand.

Usually our mess hall times were the most peaceful moments of our career, but again I was called in to receive a encrypted code from our superiors. Again we were headed into combat against the Muslim rebels

JANUARY 10, 2010

SUNDAY

After the massacre, which just happened two days ago, we were sent for RNR for the day. Most of us would usually do our inside tradition of honoring the dead. And that was to drink a goldenschlagger bottle for the day in their name.

JANUARY 11, 2010

MONDAY

We were out on patrol, checking out the terrain, we found a rooster which surprised us by his clucking. I guess, that rooster was all the Muslims needed for us to be ambushed.

Battle Report

Kills: 45

Lt. Victorr Carpio – Fatigued

PFC Joseph Quiros – KIA

SSgt. Makarov Dumlao –Fatigued

Pvt. Josee Alibangbang – Incap

Cpt. Kasi Ocsicnarf – Fatigued

Casualties: 1

Joseph was hurt pretty bad, he was wounded by a rebel which was quickly brought down. We have had so many casualties that our Captain, Kasi, told us to give him covering fire as he flanked our adversaries with Private Josee. Luckily we held them off long enough to give them time to bring them down, while the two took the attention of the Muslims, Kasi radioed me and Staff Sergeant Makarov to get back to base with Joseph and save his life, along with calling some reinforcements. At the end we got Joseph to HQ, but it was already to late, as the Americans say it, he became a star in his mothers window. Yet we still got some back up for Kasi and Josee who were being attacked by the Muslims. At long last, we were able to save them both, with Josee being , incapacitated.

JANUARY 12, 2010

TUESDAY

We were asked to give air support, we were given a heli which held a nice Machinegun which made Kasi shout out “If anyone of you faggs try to man the minigun, I’m gonna castrate you!” Which led to the frequent Makarov Saying “Hey! Don’t get your hangers all tangled up there boss!” We all borded up the heli and went in to position. Makarov sat as the sniper, Josee the co-pilot, Me as the assault gunner, and Kasi, well obviously, He got the minigun. We also got a new squad member as replacement for Joseph, his name is Charles Dulot

Battle Report

Kills:109

Lt. Victorr Carpio – Fatigued

SSgt. Makarov Dumlao –Fatigued

Pvt. Josee Alibangbang – Fatuiged

Cpt. Kasi Ocsicnarf – Fatigued

Pvt. Charles Dulot-Fatigued

Caualties:0

We gave them hell, along with Kasi’s sadistic jokes like “Ah… Imma GRIM! BLOODY! FABLE! WITH! AN UNHAPPY! BLOODY! END!!!” or “I’ll SHALL DEVOUR YOUR BODY AND DEFICATE OUT YOUR SOUL!!!” or something like those.

At the end we did our job with the casualties being 0 KIAs and 2 incap along with 0 MIAs. In other words, it was successful.

JANUARY 13, 2010

WEDNESDAY

Again we were out patrolling, turns out we have been near a good water source and there are some pretty friendly locals. We were sent back to base after the patrol.

After that we were sent to take in some locals who were attacked by the MILF. There were dead bodies of men, women and children. It made even Kasi, the most hardened of us all to break. Seeing dead civilians is never easy to forget. But, that didn’t stop us from saving those who still survived.

Battle Report

Kills:40

Lt. Victorr Carpio – Fatigued

SSgt. Makarov Dumlao –Fatigued

Pvt. Josee Alibangbang – Fatuiged

Cpt. Kasi Ocsicnarf – Fatigued

Civilian Casualties:

Men: 40(estimation)

Women: 20(estimation)

Children: 2

We fought long enough for evac to get the civs out. And then, we were ordered to pull out as well. I always thought that we would die considering the number of hostiles in the area, I guess the sight of the dead encouraged us to fight even harder for the sake of the living.

JANUARY 14, 2010

THURSDAY

It’s Josee’s Birthday today, which meant that he gets the bigger share this time. After the early morning celebrations and all those things, we were sent once more on patrols. This time patrols went smoothly for once. All there was to see were the smiling locals, the oinking pigs, the nighing horses and Makarov continuously joking about how I sleep, eat and exercise or how Kasi likes to speak in German, Russian, Japanese and Swedish everytime he insults, comments, criticizes and curse us. Another smooth day.

JANUARY 15, 2010

FRIDAY

Today’s a bad day for us all, Captain Kasi is now retiring at the age of 48. He has been a good leader. He’s a man who has a Scottish ancestry, he fought for the UN for more than a decade. He served under AFP for 4 years, and now he’s going back to the UK. I shall never forget the things he taught me. After his retirement, I was then promoted to Captain. I shall be his legacy, and I vowed that I will fight with his bravery and courage. This, I shall never forget.

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Isak started with Wordlab during his early grades to have his difficulties with reading, writing and expressive language be addressed. He is now an incoming High School Freshman; he just finished a writing program with the clinic, challenging his organizational skills, while honing his creativity – even when confined within the parameters of a “made-up reality.”

Poems

2010-04-26T22:21:00.000+08:00

The first poem is the finished product of a writing exercise to practice the different poetic devices: anaphora, alliteration and rhyme.

The other three are first drafts of writings using hyperbole. They are yet to be revisited for editing.

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I. INDEPENDENCE

Life is a game of fight

Time will come that you won’t like

Mixed emotions are coming your way

Mixed reactions, you see it in the face

Mixed suggestions are trying to say

“Please give me some space”

I want to leave this space behind

I want to choose the mountain I’ll climb

I’ll decide how to live my life

I’m going to be ok, I’m sure, and I’m fine

I’ll go beyond my dreams

Dreams to help who’s in need

Dreams to wake me up from sleep

So I’ll dream, believe, and succeed

I’ll leave you with a kiss

And I’ll end my life in peace

II. HAPPINESS

I’m happy like no one can reach me from flying.

A scream of joy made my life jollier today.

I’m dead happy like my hormones want to explode.

I got high from laughter.

III. MISERY

I caught myself down in the ground flooding with tears and blood all over my body.

A guilt came into me that made me want to dig my own grave.

My laughter was turned into disaster and my smile makes me feel like it is a crime.

IV. WAKING UP FROM A GREAT DREAM

I finally found the sun in what I was not used to, a brand new experience welcome me into the jovial world never the less I did not give my heart into it, I’ll slide back down in the beginning. Now is the time for the rising sun to utter the desired dreams he always wanted.

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Joshua is an incoming fourth-year student who is also an upcoming musician who plays the guitar, the drums, sings and writes his own music.

Treasure Hunt

2010-04-26T21:41:00.003+08:00

This writing exercise was given to Vince at the tail end of his 6^th program. This activity served as a platform for his creative expression. It also served as a challenge to his cleverness in weaving randomly chosen words into his story. Most importantly, it served as an exercise in following the prescribed structure in writing narratives.

The words Vince was supposed to use were:

spectacular, received, arrogant, tentacle and squander

(the word ‘arrogant’ was overlooked)

This written output is at its raw form, as it has not undergone any editing or revisions. A reading of this material would show this student’s rich imagination, creativity and ingenuity. This work would be revisited in his next program; the editing would focus on the mechanical aspects of writing, like following punctuation rules.

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Treasure Hunt

Price was a treasure hunter and explorer. He found spectacular gold bars in a wrecked ship under the sea and a giant stone statue of a kraken with broken tentacles in a deserted island. He has received a lot of rewards from exploring new lands.

He set out on a journey to explore an area where people disappear after they wander into it.

It was an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There were immense jungles, wild life, and its beaches stretch for ten kilometers. The beaches were deserted.

Price, along with his friend Maxwell and a few more explorers arrived in the beach. They brought fifteen motor boats that contained thirty men, food, supplies, weapons and tents.

“Beautiful,” Price said.

“Well, let’s get this over with.” Maxwell said. “We will set up camp here, by the beach.”

The men finished setting up camp after an hour. The tents were all organized in an orderly fashion, empty crates were discarded, and Price, Maxwell and a few men were rounded up.

“We’re going to explore the jungles,” Price said to the people who were not selected for the excursion. “Do not squander our good resources. We will be back in two hours.”

Maxwell waved his hand, Price entered the jungle, and so did Maxwell and the few men. They all walked in a straight line, watching out for any strange movements in the jungle. So far, it was clear.

After some time of walking, some of the men suddenly disappeared. The only people that were left were Price, Maxwell and three other companions.

Suddenly, natives burst out of the bushes and attacked them. Two the of the other companions shot at them but were hit by poisoned arrows and soon they were dead. Price, Maxwell, and the last companion were quickly tied up to a wooden pole and were brought to a small village. There were children playing with sticks, men with weapons dancing around a fire and women were cooking food.

Maxwell chuckled, “This explains a lot.”

“No wonder why people disappear.” Price said. Suddenly, the last companion was brought somewhere else. “Where are they taking him?”

The last one screamed for help, but they could not do anything. Soon, he was gone.

“If I could only reach up my radio.” Price said. The poles were placed upright on the ground. Then a man with a hat with feathers came out of a hut and muttered something in a language that the two cold not understand.

Maxwell noticed something inside of the hut that was shinning. “Price, I think I see something inside of the hut.”

The chieftain waved his hand and everyone was silent. The people stopped dancing around the fire, the children stopped playing with the wooden sticks and the women stopped cooking. Maxwell pulled out a small knife from his long sleeve shirt and started cutting on the rope.

He was able to cut lose. He pulled out a pistol from the holster on his thigh and shot some of the natives. The natives ran away in panic. He cut the rope on his feet and also Price’s

“Thank.” Price said rubbing his wrist. “Let’s get out of here, Maxwell.”

They two just ran of their lives out of the jungle. The natives were screeching and firing their arrows at them. Suddenly, a whole army of natives started coming out of bushes. They were shooting their arrows, throwing their spears and chasing them.

They were running when suddenly Maxwell was hit by an arrow.

“No!” Price shouted in distaste. He tried to help him up be Maxwell shook his head.

“Nah its fine, Price. Just leave, now!” With that, Price said a farewell and ran quickly arrived at the beach.

A man walked up to Price while he was walking to a motor boat, “Where are the others, sir?”

“We have to leave, now!”

Suddenly, the natives appeared on the tree line. The explorer and his men ran toward the boats, left the tents and supplies. Soon they were out of the island. They could only hear a faint screech then it soon faded.

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What I Learned About Helen Keller

2009-05-25T22:31:00.000+08:00

By Jakey

Helen Keller was born in June 27, 1880 at Tuscumbia, Alabama. Helen had gold hair, sturdy arms and legs. She was blind and deaf because of a high fever when she was young. Her father was a captain of the civil war and he owned his own newspaper.

Her traits were first, a bad girl when she was young because she broke other people’s toys, ate her birthday cake when she didn’t know it was her birthday and dipped her fingers in other people’s plates when they were eating. Second, she was kind when her teacher, Miss Anne came. She cooperated with her. Helen also did not hit her dog, Belle, and she did not squeeze her kittens. Third, she was patient because she kept on learning the words.

I think that Helen is bright because she studied a lot of things, like how to talk, how the Braille alphabet works and how she could speak.

When I was One Year Old...

2009-04-05T00:01:00.000+08:00

By Jakey

I will tell you when I was one year old and eleven years old.

These are my physical changes. When I was one year old, first, I didn’t have much hair. Second, I had small body. Third, I was thin.

On the other hand, now that I am eleven years old, I have longer arms and legs so I am taller. I am also fat. I also have a low pitched voice and I have lots of hair.

Last, I had a high pitched voice.I can also do lots of things now that I am eleven years old. Example, now I can jump higher. Next, I can ride a bike with just two wheels. I can also play piano now. Then, I can make PowerPoint presentations and write paragraphs in the computer. Plus, I can remember the games I finish in PSP.

There are so many differences when time flies.

Making a Glittery Name Plate

2009-03-18T14:21:00.001+08:00

By Kate

First, put the wrapping paper on the cardboard. Second, write the letters of your name on a sheet of paper. Third, cut out your name. Next, paste the letters you cut out on the cardboard. Then, put the design on the cardboard. Then, punch a hole on each side at the top side (this and the next one are optional). Attach a wire on the holes so you can hang it on the door. Finally, add glitter.