SO what did we do today?

First Grade is wonderful... I don't remember much about my first grade experience so I'm thinking maybe my youngest won't either but anyway....

I use a curriculum ! GOSH, isn't that horrible? NO. It's a time saver. I used to make Thematic Units and Lah Dee Dah... and the kids do have their fondest memories about those units.. but realistically I don't have the time to do that anymore. I could, but I actually want a life. I'm now enrolled in college and have homework myself. I'm also finally writing.. BLOGS , children's books, trying to run my non-profit organization and find some time to have that life before I'm too darn old to do anything but knit. Yeah , I finally taught myself to knit. Bucket List here I come!

Let me say this... My older children all have L.D. That's the politically correct way to say that they have learning disabilities. My youngest child is showing some signs (inverting numerals and letters - reading some words backwards) but thus far has only been diagnosed with ADHD. We take breaks often so that she can bounce around, especially on winter days when it's too cold to go outside. That's okay though, because that's the time I use to do chores.

With my older children, I introduced Sign Language and Spanish to them and then let them have a choice which one they wanted as their Foreign Language in High School. Now, I offer German as I am teaching myself this language. I'm going to post some of the days records so you can get ideas what to do.... You will get into your own groove though and won't need anyone else to guide you. Have FUN!

TODAY - 1st grade (This can be adjusted for other grades)
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My daughter starts the school day with her calender. I call this Calender Days.
She places a cutout of something that I bought pre-made (Snowman) with numerals 1-31 written on them. Today she placed snowman numeral 16 on the calender in the appropriate place. I've already taught her how to find the place. A calender can help with many things! Get ONE! I bought mine at Mardel's Office Supply - yep that one in the news about Obamacare !! I had it laminated. I use that blue tacky stuff that looks like gum... is it really gum?... to attach the snowmen. Just put on pea size bit of blue tacky stuff on each space and you will use that space eventually.  Once your child learns to count to 31, then start a new language. The trick is to ONLY go to TEN with the new language for several weeks until the kid knows it, knows it then proceed to twenty, etc....I think you get the idea.
Teach the days of the week, the current month, and year. I also have posters for those and we repeated them , or sang them, until memorized. I've yet to hear any kids say them in their sleep....yet. THEN, yep you're on the right track... start teaching them the current day in first foreign language, then current month, etc....
She counted 1-16 in English with ASL Sign Language, then in Spanish, then German. It really can happen fast with these young minds. The key is to do it DAILY!! use it, or lose it... trust me I don't remember half what I learned of Spanish in school because I had no regular usage.

I record the date, day in English, Spanish and German in my record book. It HELPS ME learn to spell in these languages! I also record how many days of school have been completed....trust me just get in a big habit of recording EVERYTHING. FYI, Home School Legal Defense doesn't help people in family court... DIVORCE means one parent just decided home school isn't the way... I've been down that road. Cover your rear and record, record, record, If you can afford yearly testing, DO IT. Check with your insurance.... even if it's a free kind, it might be covered.
 Okay back to what we did.... sorry about that run down a rabbit hole.

1-16-213
 DAY ___
Wednesday - miercoles - Mittwoch

A Beka Book curriculum is great for a Christian Home School family... Very organized but, it wasn't great for my kids with learning disabilities. It was just too fast paced. I love the phonetic structure though and the colorful fun work pages.

Phonics test today...
Review Spelling list from Monday.
 Letters and Sounds wkpg,
Language wkpg,
Social Studies wkpg,
 321 Penguins  movie during lunch break - moral/ biblical lessons
Arithmetic wkpg
I've just recently started doing just one Language per day. She's learning so much that I've adjusted her schedule. A MUST to do when the kids are ready for a new level .. just do it!
Sign Language on the computer. A new site that I just Googled... KiddieSigns.. I think. Interactive games with ABC's
Then when school is finished.. and I mean FINISHED... ART or computer time. She had PC time today. PbsKids.org  for educational games.

FYI check out Home School Legal Defense website for your state laws and other information.They couldn't help me during my divorce but they did point me in the direction of a good lawyer.

Kids Say The Darndest Things... Today, Wee One was singing about how she loves school and wants to learn everything and do school everyday including Sunday.... I realized what she said so I asked, " Really, you want to do school on Sunday? " She said  "unt uh". LOL
One day, in the recent past, she was singing about how it's not fun to do spelling, she'd rather be playing.