Farm Reports

Last week the girls had to present their farm reports.  They are in kindergarten so you can guess who is basically doing everything for their report...me.  They don't really know how to read yet, they can't navigate the computer, and when they write things they don't keep the letters/words contained.  I had them cut out the pictures and put glue on the back, then they each wrote the caption for the first picture.  After that I did it.  There wouldn't be room to have them write everything.  Plus it was late at night and I wanted to get them to bed.  So I researched their topics, talked to them about it as we went along, and hoped that they were getting something out of it.  I have to admit that I did wait until the last minute, which is why the whole process was hurried.  I remember my mom telling me how she hated when we had a project due because that meant there was stuff she was going to have to help us out with at the last minute and often times late into the night.  I totally get it now.  But it was fun watching them present.  They gave me barely any warning for when their presentations were so I had to finagle the work schedule so I could leave the office to watch them present.  Of course they had my girls present on a day when I had to work.  I always help out every week in class on Tuesday morning because that's one of the days I don't work and they know that, so it would have been nice to have their presentations be on a Tuesday.  The other kids chose to do their farm reports on animals, dairy, all kinds of fruit and veggies, but my girls choose a chocolate (cocoa bean) farm (Simone) and a sugar farm (Scarlet).  You can tell what they like.  Porter had chosen a paper farm.  My kids like to choose the more abstract farms apparently.  

See Simone's posture during her presentation?  The first thing she said when she started was "I don't remember."  Great opener.  Once the teacher prompted her through the pictures she was able to talk about the cocoa bean farm process and pulled through in the end.  

Isn't that a great poster Jeff and I...I mean Simone, made?

 Scarlet did have a better opener.  She remembered pretty well what we had looked upped.  She had her back to the audience most of the time, but hey, she's only 5.  

 Once again, Jeff and I (kind of Scarlet) are great at throwing together something to present at the last minute.

Mr. Matt said that the girls did very well.  And after seeing the other kids present I would have to agree.  Next time I'll have them do more of the prep.

I get the importance of kids starting early with having to present in front of a crowd.  It was fun watching other presentations to see how the other parents handled it.  When Porter did his in kindergarten we looked up on YouTube, read a bunch of websites, and I had him draw/write out his whole presentation.  For a 5 year old it was awesome.  Then I saw the other kids' present and the posters they had and it was obviously the parents who did everything.  I was proud of my little guy for doing it all himself.  With the girls I got lazy and waited until the last minute so I had to do most of it.  Live and learn.