What have we been up too?

I have been so busy of late, that I have neglected this blog. Emma Sage has been very busy with her schooling. She just cracks me up. Everyday, she will ask me over and over again to "homeschool me Mommy". Even though we have finished with our scheduled plans. This child has an insatiable appite to learn. So what is a Momma to do? You just keep on teaching her. One thing that she has taken to is to carry her notebook around with her. She just loves to write, and will ask me to spell everything around her, which she puts in her book. If I'm in the kitchen making lunch, she is there asking me to spell, clock, stove, sink, dish, bread....etc. She just finds things and says them and then asks me to spell them, which she gladly does. She can write all of her letters and is getting good at her spacking them in word form on her lined notebook. She uses a marble composition book, although I use the wider spaced lined paper for our lessons. She is blossoming at reading. Here is a little clip Greta did of her a few weeks ago reading to me. I don't have a video camera, so this is dark, but the best I can do. [Emma Sage had a bit of a cold so she sounds real sinus[y]. Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos This child just makes my heart soar!

Emma Sage loves to write. Everyday, she carries a notebook around with her and asks me to spell words for her, usually things that she finds in her day to day life and then she writes them in her book. So today, we were making a sign for her friend Nash for his 6th Birthday [something we have done every year for the last five years] but before, I always made the sign and then Emma Sage sat next to the sign to have her picture taken so we could post in for her friend. This year, she wanted to write the sign herself. I was leary, as we only had one large piece of poster board in the house [with four children, we go through a lot of poster board for various projects].....and she grabbed the big, chunky Sharpie marker, so I was afraid she would not get the hang of the fat, chisled point. But she did!!!!! I am so proud of how she just loves to write, and she is able to write in order the letters you give her [in a pretty good straight line]. She has a few words that she can spell by heart, like her name, Mommy, Daddy, Otto, cat, dog.....and as she ages, I know she will be able to do more and more. We have not begun spelling tests in our schooling. I'm going to introduce that in about a year. Right now, I figure her asking to spell and her writing down the words is a great first step. Here is a picture of her a few years ago with her sign for Nash. I have to organize my photographs, as I had been storing them on disk for the last five years and now I'm trying to find the time to add them to my f:drive.

Resources.....

Here is a great resource: Federal Resources for Educational Excellence [FREE]

Playing.......

One of the greatest ways to learn is to learn from playing. Here is a fun game called 'ABSEAS'. It is from Discovery Toys and it is a magnetic fishing game, where you 'fish' out the ABC's which are shaped like different sea creatures. You match them on your game board. Emma Sage loves playing this with our little daytime friends.

Math....

We are using a program called 'Math*U*See' and a workbook called Liberty Mathematics ~ Level K by Florence Lindstrom. Emma Sage loves math and mathematical concepts. We do a lot of cooking together ~ which is such a wonderful opportunity to use fractions, and other mathematical concepts [time, etc.] Emma Sage also loves patterns, and we have lots of fun board games that use spacial reasoning. Here are a few pictures from the other day..... working on numbers off in the distance.....[Emma Sage loves for me to light these candles, even when it is morning. Working in her workbook.....

Resources.....

Trying to keep a running list of outstanding resources regarding Homeschooling and Special Needs. asp Climbing the Mountain of Homeschool Curriculum http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art5583.asp Developing a Homeschooling Philosophy http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art6174.asp There is also an informative article on Dysgraphia and Handwriting by the Homeschooling editor at http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46192.asp What is 'unschooling'? See the article at BellaOnline.com's Natural Living site Why I'm an Unschooling Mom http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art44206.asp Homeschooling Children with Down Syndrome http://www.altonweb.com/cs/downsyndrome/homeschooling.html IQ Test Performance - Riverbend DS Website Cognitive Development in Young Children with Down Syndrome Developmental Strengths, Developmental Weaknesses Testing and Cognitive Intelligence http://www.altonweb.com/cs/downsyndrome/index.htm?page=wishart.html Books about Amazon.com Special Needs Homeschooling Resources at Amazon.com Amazon.com Homeschooling Curriculum Music Education and Music Therapy http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46397.asp Teaching Your Child to Plan Meals and Cook http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art38064.asp Signing, Reading and Spelling http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art33567.asp Reading Readiness and Reading Strategies http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art35577.asp Art and Self Expression for Children with Special Needs http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art17513.asp Inclusive Education and the Culture of Down Syndrome http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art44827.asp Teens with Disabilities - Transition Planning http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art33519.asp The Diagnosis of Learning Disability http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art45580.asp BellaOnline Homeschooling Website Combating Homeschool Stereotypes Special needs kids need school services? http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art45406.asp New Zealand International Home Education Sites http://home.school.nz/lkheint.shtml Just a few Public Library Resources for Homeschooling http://www.waterborolibrary.org/homeschool http://www.lexpublib.org/homeschoolresources http://www.scarboroughcrossroads.org/library/children/homeschool.html http://www.co.beaufort.sc.us/bftlib/homeschool.htm http://www.boisepubliclibrary.org/.org/Kids_anHomeschoolers/ http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/netsrc/ee-home.htm http://www.st-charles.lib.il.us/youth_services/homeschool.htm http://www.jcls.org/jr_homeschooling.html http://www.skokielibrary.info/s_kids/kd_homeschool/index.html Ableplay.org provides a toy rating system and information about toys that are fun and useful for children with disabilities is a great resource for families, educators, therapists and anyone who works or plays with babies and children. Ableplay.org was developed by the National Lekotek Center http://www.ableplay.org Ordering Amazon.com Gift Certificates here will help support the Special Needs Children website

The Chalkboard in the Kitchen

The Chalkboard in the Kitchen by Teresea Savage is a book that I have used with all four of my children. I do believe the first edition is out of print and it is being republished by another title, but for the life of me, I do not know what it is. You can purchase used copies on Amazon.com at a very reasonable price and I know our local library still has the original hardcover edition on its shelves. One thing that I have always done with all four children is to have little learning areas in every room of the house......in the kitchen it is the chalkboard, in other rooms it is baskets of educational toys and supplies, so that while I'm busy doing my day to day routines, the children always were with me, but provided with opportunities to learn and explore. Here is a little clip of Emma Sage writing with Greta.......please don't mind the poor quality, as my camera only allows for little clips and does not have a light to make the area being filmed brighter. Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Beginning Reading....

Emma Sage is so very excited to be reading....yes, she is reading. It is the beginning steps of reading, using sight words and picture clues, but she is reading, and this little girl has to sit everyone down and read to them. She loves this book, I like Stars! and so do I!!! Enjoy my little girls bed time story to you......... She was very tired at this point in the evening, so her words are soft and a bit 'muddled' but I will try and video tape her today when her diction will be much better, but she had asked me to tape her reading as she is just so proud of herself and loves looking at the video clip! {I am so proud of her also!} The one thing I prayed for when she was born and it was confirmed that she had T21 was that she would master the gift of reading.....as reading is so very important to me in my life [it is a treasure that transends all treasures, to beable to pick up a book and read a story] so to see her crasping these beginning concepts has this Momma's heart so full of joy and happiness!