Tuesday 2/23/99
Writing Practice:
1. Practicing Correctness (and Listening).
Dictation #1
a) Listen carefully and write everything you hear. Use punctuation properly, and spell everything correctly. Capitalize where appropriate. Neatness counts.
b) Compare to the original as we read aloud. Subtract one point for each mistake. Discuss possible alternative punctuation.
c) Next time it counts.

    We watched him fly for perhaps four minutes around the estate, while we stood knee-deep among the flowers. It was as if he were no longer a man, but truly a dragon again, and I was proud.
    "Look at him," Uncle shouted. He was as excited as a little boy. "Look at him. Just look."
    "But how is he to come down?" Lefty asked.
    Uncle laughed. "Tell this man how he is to come down."
    "He'll land back on the hilltop," I said, "more or less."
 

2. Work on: