An 8 year old writing a report?

[Jenny in GA]

My 8 year old daughter is really really enjoying The Magic Tree House series. She is also really liking the "research books," the non-fiction companion books that go with the fiction stories.

I'm thinking it would be neat to have her write a report/do a project on a favorite one, but I'm not sure how to go about it, especially at this age. I know if I say something like, "Okay, write a few sentences about this ... now write a few sentences about that..." it probably wouldn't work too well.

Could somebody give me examples of what they've done, especially if you can break it down into Baby Steps? Thanks!

Jenny
http://beanmommyandthethreebeans.blogspot.com/

[MichelleL in Tn]

Hmm. Currclick has some lapbooks for some of them last year. We really enjoyed them.

We also made our own MTH notebook that we add to as we read them. Some more, some less, some nothing more than just getting the stamp on our passport.

You can view our folder on my blog. Click on notebooks and lapbooks-I think it is page 1 or 2 almost all the way down when you scroll.

You could just be creative and let her come up with a project. Maybe a collage art project or acting out something. Or doing a drawing and then writing a few sentences.
(We did this often.)


www.homeschoolblogger.com/michellel

[elizawill]

my niece (in public school) does super cute book reports! last year she created a panorama book report with a shoebox. it was based on one of the little house books & it was a scene from the story. she also covered a cereal box last year with construction paper & did a book report. it was so cool! here's directions: http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/PDF%20Files/Cereal%20Report/Directions.pdf

ETA: if interested, here are templates... http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/cereal_box_book_report.htm

hth.

[Melinda]

Easy File Folder Reports (http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=16194&it=1) has been wonderful! It's a cross between a report form and a lapbook. :thumb:

FWIW, my oldest dd loves the MTH research companions. Doesn't care too much about the stories, but devours the guides.

[MarieD]

If you would like to help her practice putting together her thoughts on a book in written form, I have found these (http://www.abcteach.com/directory/basics/reading/book_report_forms/) to be a lot of help. There are several different types of forms, and my dd has used (and enjoyed) many of them.

[MichelleL in Tn]

my niece (in public school) does super cute book reports! last year she created a panorama book report with a shoebox. it was based on one of the little house books & it was a scene from the story. she also covered a cereal box last year with construction paper & did a book report. it was so cool! here's directions: http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/PDF%20Files/Cereal%20Report/Directions.pdf

ETA: if interested, here are templates... http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/cereal_box_book_report.htm

hth.


What a great idea! I saved that site for reference!

[Jo in PRC]

Anna is currently going through a phase of writing reports about Endangered Animals. We use the graphic organizers from Enchanted Learning.

http://members.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/

For some reason it just fills her with delight to choose which graphic organizer "fits" and then to fill in the little bubbles or lines. ;) Then she uses that to create her report. I wish I had discovered these when my son was first writing reports.

[Jeni]

My 8yo is doing lapbooks on books she's read. Homeschool Share has lots of ready to print lapbooks for many, many books and lots of generic lapbook components that would be good for any book. If your child isn't into lapbooking, there are lots of notebook page report forms and book report forms. My only caution is don't make her document everything she reads. Let her do it when it interests her or if she'd never do it that way, have her do it once or twice a week or so. You don't want to suck the fun out of it by making her report every thing she reads.....unless she just enjoys it and wants to do a report for everything. ;)

[elizawill]

in my first post i said panorama, lol. i'm sorry... that was a typo (which i'm sure you knew!) i meant diorama!!!:lol:


jeni, i agree with you! book reports shouldn't be for every book. even in public school they only do several a year.

[Jenny in GA]

My 8yo is doing lapbooks on books she's read. Homeschool Share has lots of ready to print lapbooks for many, many books and lots of generic lapbook components that would be good for any book. If your child isn't into lapbooking, there are lots of notebook page report forms and book report forms.

OH!! Oh course! Why didn't I think of HSS?? I guess I just never noticed anything MTH over there. I just looked, and that is perfect, exactly what I had in mind. My daughter loves lapbooks!

Thank you!

Jenny