Help with German homework - difficult - dd1 desparate - please!!

[Nightynight]

Hi,

dd1's Deutsch homework today says "Put the following adjective and nouns together in a meaningful (sinnvoll) way.

We aren't sure if they are meant to be put together to form a new noun, or just a phrase. We found Kuhlschrank, and Dummkopf, but couldnt make any more nouns, so we thought maybe they are just supposed to be phrases. Can anyone suggest any meaningful pairings?

Adjectives Nouns

kuhl Kopf
dumm Maus
duenn Schrank
susze Darm
tief Druck
spitze Stoff



Also, we must come up with names for a Rinderfleischgericht, and 2 Beilage, one with Kartoffeln and one with Kraut. Something like "roast potatoes," but in German. Unfortunately, I havent got my recipe books with me.

[olittletownofberolina]

Have you still got my email, NN (or your current incarnation )?

[admylin]

My ds is in year 3 in Berlin and I am dreading getting things like those year 4 homeworks on this thread. I have tried my best to learn German but I know I am not going to be able to help him with alot of things coming next year (if we are still here). Do any of you consider a private tutor for German or would it be best to let him get on with it? Maybe German children also make mistakes like when using den or dem etc?

[finknottle]

Hi admylin

I wouldn't worry, from what I gather from other parents most children have a hard time starting the 3rd year as they actually start writing instead of just "fill in the missing word" or doing flipping dictations. Most of it looks worse than it is. I've often read through the questions 3 or 4 times only to realize it's not that hard Maybe German brains are wired differently.

One thing I did find helpful was to use DS's school dictionary rather than my clunky one simply because it has the vocab they're expected to know and my old learning German books where they have e.g. lists of verbs taking the dative. Makes looking things up much faster and means that the children can do it too. Am sure the teachers wouldn't approve of using English-based learning materials but as far as I see it, their English is better anyway and if it helps them, and doesn't confuse them, why not? I've lately come to the conclusion that German is more like a foreign language to them