Day two has a better report. We started with circle time, and then moved on to our exercises. DS enjoys these as they allow him to be busy! After this we retold the gnome math story and DS put a picture of the math gnomes in his main lesson book. Next we practiced writing A and a. I must say they are getting better. We moved on to recorder which DS likes and then finished with knitting. We are finger knitting and DS is starting to get it! Tomorrow is another language block and we're looking at B.
Til tomorrow!
Michele

Well, last night was good and not so good. The not so good, DS really does not enjoy the picture and writing part of this curriculum. He is afraid that he "can't do it". I know that his fine motor skills are not where they should be. Anyone have ideas for helping this? He did however love the exercises set from the book. He also loved the fairytale for last night as well as the intro math story about the four gnomes. We will retell the story tonight and then draw the four gnomes (plus, minus, times, and divide) and give them their symbols. We might play with adding using items a bit. We will also be doing our nightly reading. We are working our way through McGuffey's Primer as well as level two Oxford reading tree books. I think DS likes the books for their colour and the primer for it's shortness!
take care!
ML and BL

Day 1:
I know it is an odd day to start a school year, but after a term in a UK school, DS is coming home to be homeschooled! This thrills me! We are using, after much thought and prayer, Oak Meadow 1 along with a few other things. Here is overview of our day:
1. Circle time: opening verse, prayer, letter A rhyme, song, finger play and closing verse.
2. Main Lesson: Language arts:
Read: The Magic Spendle
Create little and big A pictures for our book
Practice Writing A and a.
3. Exercise
4. Recorder: note B.
5. Read aloud in the McGuffey Primer, Lesson 5.

Hello! I'm the MamaLlama, Mama to one great little Llama who will be five in March. I'm a mama by adoption (great way to form a family! I'm also a PS teacher who homeschools by night, weekend, and summer. The Little Llama is K age, but is one a first grade level more or less. He is doing well at his reading and math. We, after many attempts, are more or less Waldorf lead learners. We are using Oak Meadow K (www.oakmeadow.com) and soon will be using OM 1. In addition, we add in reading a reading primer from the 1870's and one from the UK (Oxford Reading Tree First Phonics). Our plan is to also do the Math U See Primer soon. Right now we live in the UK, but will be moving home to the US within the month. DS has had a term of K here in school, and while it has been good in lots of ways, the fact that he has sensory issues means that we learn better at home.
Our typical day right now:
1. Morning cirlce-morning verse, prayers, finger poems, rhymes and poems. DS just finished learning a butterfly poem and is quite pleased with himself.
2. Main lesson: This is reading or math depending on the day. We might do one or more of the following: read a myth or fairy tale having to do with the letter, create a pictoletter, practice our handwriting with the letters we know, take a walk to look for the letter, walk or run the letters, etc.
3. Additional lesson: science, social studies, music or art. This week we have made wholegrain bread, soup, painted with watercolours using blue and yellow, heard an old myth about the sun, talked about one thing being made up of many parts.
4. Closing verse.
Soon we will be adding in handiwork and recorder. DS would also like to look at taking Suzuki violin, though that may ahve to wait til Summer. We will be adding in a class in PE for exercise and social reasons. We also do lots of freeplay and playdates as well as hang out with our adoption group.
Looking forward to getting to know you!
Blessings and happy new year!
ML