Improvement

     This past week I really noticed how much my little sister improved on reading. She hasn't just improved on reading but also on focusing on what she reads. Before, she would get off task while she read; she would look around, stop reading, talk about something else, and just overall get distracted.  Now she just focuses on reading which got a lot better. She makes minimal mistakes and speaks a lot clearer. She still stutters a little on words but were working on that. Cyprille also tends to say every word she can before taking another breath.
     To some people they might not see improvement watching and listening her read from the first time we started this blog until now, but for me, I see big improvements which made me proud Cyprille. I am proud of her because she came through, reading four times a week for a minimum of ten minutes. Ten minutes might not seem like a lot but when it comes to reading and little kids, it is quite a long time.
      Cyprille has still been reading the same way she has been for the past couple weeks. She is still reading subtitles out loud while watching her shows. Next week I am going to have Cyprille read books again just to get a better understanding of how well she can read.

Well Earned

     Lately, I've been thinking of ways to reward my little sister for doing a great job reading. So after this week, I bought Cyprille her favorite candy which are M&M's. At first I wasn't sure if this was a good idea, because I'm pretty much just bribing her, even though I don't want to. I'm thinking of other ways I could reward her for doing a good job. But for now she gets candy. Cyprille's favorite candy is M&M's. She was so happy. I'm pretty sure she thinks that if she tries really hard reading every week, that I'll buy her candy each time. But what she doesn't know is that I wont be giving her candy each time.
     Cyprille and I watched more shows while reading the sub titles. My sister really likes anime, but as for me, I don't like it that much. Ill do whatever it takes to see improvement in my sister's reading, even if I have to watch shows I consider boring. Improvement wise, Cyprille has really gotten better at reading at a little faster pace. She still makes mistakes while reading. She would mispronounce a word here and there. I am really proud of her improvement and how much she's been enjoying reading. Sometimes I would hear her reading out loud the dialogue of video games on her iPad. 

Photo taken by: Brylle

Has Technology Taken Over?

     Technology has been a huge part of my life as well as my siblings life. I have been attached to technology for years, dating back to when I was eight years old. I got my first real grasp at technology which was a gameboy micro. I was eventually so attached to it so much my mom would have to take it out of my hands for me to stop playing with the gameboy. Over the years I haven't outgrown technology but more so technology has engulfed itself around me. Even at the moment I am using technology and so are you if you are reading this right now. As for my little sister, Cyprille, the same thing has happened to her, but in a more all at once type of way. For me, I gradually became in love with technology... For Cyprille, technology was pretty much thrown at her. A lot of new, cool gadgets came out intended for kids; Nintendo DSI, Xbox, Ps3, etc. Since I can't really stop her from using technology, I might as well incorporate it in my blogs.
     For the following week, Cyprille and I decided to make this reading assignment more entertaining for the both of us. She will start reading subtitles out loud from various television shows. I believe that by doing this it will make her a better reader because she has to read the subtitles in a certain amount of time before the dialogue changes. At first she didn't like the idea as much because she wanted to watch the show not read it, but then she changed her point of view because I explained to her about setting a goal, reaching the goal and exceeding the goal. She didn't understand what I meant, at all. But she did understand what a goal was and it was what I had explained to her at that very moment.

Ode to Technology...

"You've brought us closer,
Then made us more distant.
Made us more aware,
Then made us doubtful of ourselves.
Introduce us to more friends,
Then invited more enemies.
Given us more publicity,
Then exploited us.
Save us more time,
Now it's spent to be more busy.

Simplify our tasks just to make life more difficult.
You're an entrapping blessing in disguise.
Made us feel more secure,
Yet gave us more tools to break in.
You've become our new addiction,
Just a second without you,
Got us in technology withdraw.
You're a complication in simplicity.
There's so much to love you but also so much to hate.
Can't live with you or without you..."

     Works Cited

Dang, Tien. "Technology Poems on Hello Poetry." Hello Poetry. Tien Dang, 18 July 2013. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

The Littlest Things

     Reading with my sister this week has made me realize how much alike we are. I have noticed a lot more about her and her actions while she reads. In the beginning of the week, Cyprille came up to me and asked if we would still be reading this week. I said no. She had the biggest smile on her face which flipped to the saddest face in seconds when I told her I was kidding. (I'm pretty evil sometimes). This little moment that had happened reminded me of the day before break. I was all hyped up because my teacher hasn't mentioned anything about homework but halfway through class, my teacher tells us we have homework. I had the same exact facial expression as Cyprille. As we started reading the story "The Little Mermaid", I noticed that Cyprille reads as much as she can before having to take another breath. She has done this before but not as much as she did while reading this story. While she was looking at pictures in the story, I'd notice the small things in the picture like a small starfish on top of a big rock next to Ariel (the mermaid). Next thing I know Cyprille points at the book and says " look a mini starfish!". I've noticed her noticing things that I notice while she reads. She really liked this story because of the pictures and it was a pretty easy read for her. As far as improvement goes I believe that my little sister has improved but not dramatically. I hope to see a dramatic change in her reading within these two months. Although it does take time and patience, two things I will be willing to sacrifice so that Cyprille becomes a better reader and that her knowledge of knowing how to read will get her at a high level in school.

                                                      from: princess.disney.com/ariel

The Princess and the Pea

   Over these past two weeks of observing my sister read, I've come to realize that the story or book itself has a huge impact on her. She enjoys reading certain stories but really hates reading others. For instance, she disliked reading the story "The Nightingale" but loved reading the story "The Princess and the Pea". Cyprille would read "The Nightingale" with complete and utter boredom. Then she read "The Princess and the Pea" with total focus and enthusiasm. I find this really cool only because when I was her age, when I had to read any sort of book I read all of them with boredom. None of them interested in me even if the book had my favorite superhero in it (Superman is my favorite super hero by the way). I'm beginning to think that Cyprille only likes books with princesses or maybe books with a lot of happiness. Who knows. I don't want to ask her why she likes this book and doesn't like the other because I want to figure it out myself throughout these two months of observing my little sister read.

                          10/5/14

              Photo taken by Brylle. 

Time Wasted

   As a kid I honestly hated reading for fun. I would always find something else to do whether it'd be taking a nap, going outside, or playing video games. I guess you could say I was a natural reader meaning I could read a chapter in a book at a good pace with few or even no mistakes at all. I think I got that from reading dialogue in video games like Pokémon.

   My younger sister Cyprille is a lot like me when I was her age. She still is. Cyprille is occupied by her iPad and other things around her. The only thing that doesn't occupy her is reading. I want to be able to change that. I honestly don't want her to waste her time doing irrelevant things like I did. I believe that if she starts reading more often, she'd be doing a lot better at school. So that's what this project is about. Getting my little sister to turn what was time wasted into time spent well. 

   The book Cyprille is reading is called "The Classic Treasury Of Hans Christian Andersen". This book is a collection of fairytale stories. Cyprille already likes this book as she has already finished two fairytale stories. She says " I like "Thumbelina" because there are pretty pictures".