One of my goals this school year was to have Emery come up with her own sentences, write them down, and then hopefully, maybe write a paragraph. We are almost there!!! #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoollife #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #essentialsinwriting #allaboutreadinglevel3 #rightstartmath
Happy Friday! #emeryg3of3 #jolynethebengal #kendalllearningcenter #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome
Our favorite weather is finally here in the south, for a few weeks at least. We are soaking in outdoor school until the weather and gnats become unbearable. Also, adding in history that my oldest can listen to himself has been a huge relief. I play the audio on the computer and he reads along. @curiositychroniclescurriculum is written in conversation style, between two characters. Making it the perfect audiobook. The added in Minecraft extension is an added bonus!
Homeschooling LB is fun, and challenging š I swear that extra chromosome is an extra bit of hard-headedness š¤£š¤£ We post more homeschooling videos of LB on @awkwardasamother #homeschoolspecialeducation #specialeducationhomeschool #specialneedshomechooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #learningdifferently #specialneedsparenting #specialneedseducation #specialneedseducator #finemotorskills #finemotoractivity #finemotoractivities #finemotorplay #finemotorskillsactivities #finemotordevelopment #learnathome #homeschoolcommunity #learnthroughplay #homeschoollifestyle #lbsjourney #downsyndromebaby #downsyndrome #morealikethandifferent #nothingdownaboutit #extrachromosome
Is Homeschooling a Child w/ Special Needs Different? Yes & No. Yes, itās different because they all learn differently. But, no, itās not different, because as a homeschooling mom you know that every kid learns differently. Itās almost like a never-ending conundrum š¤£ the main parts that are different, for LB and me, is being able to find a way that engages her and keeps her focused while helping her retain the most information. Not only that, but also being able to find activities that works on multiple skills while adding in a fine motor or gross motor learning. Then thereās also the obvious fact that she is eight years old, and would technically be in second grade, but we are still learning pre-K basics, which is totally fine because that is where she needs to be met at this point that is where we are making progress, and that is our starting point for growth! #homeschoolspecialeducation #specialeducationhomeschool #specialneedshomechooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #learningdifferently #specialneedsparenting #specialneedseducation #specialneedseducator #finemotorskills #finemotoractivity #finemotoractivities #finemotorplay #finemotorskillsactivities #finemotordevelopment #learnathome #homeschoolcommunity #learnthroughplay #homeschoollifestyle #lbsjourney @lbs.journey
Another week of learning and another visit to @gigisplayhouseraleigh #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #gigiskitchenkids
We had a wonderful private tour at Fort Monroe in Virginia - completely by accident, but more amazing than we could have imagined! Her ancestor was at this fort when it was active and has a battery named after him. She explained what a squinch is and why itās important. She also showed us the deodar cedar on the property and explained its significance. Those that believe in Gods believe that the God of Love and Peace lives in this tree. We also learned about the Lincoln Gun and that it weighed over 49,000 pounds! So much history is learned from visiting places instead of seeing it in a book. We highly recommend traveling whenever you can! #rambleracademy #homeschooling #roadschooling #fortmonroe #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #theluckyfew #homeschoolingadhd #unitstudies #volunteersarethebest
We did the fun part of our yearly trip first by hitting Disney and enjoying all the characters. Then we started our learning portion with Kennedy Space Center. The wind was crazy that day, but we still had a good time. #rambleracademy #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #theluckyfew #homeschoolingadhd #unitstudies
We got some good school work done, even with the pets who are out to distract us. Micah and I also finished up book 2 of The Giver series. š The smile on the last picture is a girl who is done with her work. Itās like she would rather be doing something else.š #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #jolynethebengal #kendalllearningcenter
Categorizing common nouns on this Monday morning. #emeryg3of3 #homeschool #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #downsyndromelove #kendalllearningcenter
Monday means, another week of doing this. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #storyoftheworldbook1 #essentialsinwriting #rightstartmath
We joined the homeschool group in our neighborhood! Today was our first day of activities, the kids get to rotate between 4 classrooms learning about ASL, Science, Art, Life skills/ health. I get to help out in the art room! Lots of fun watching the kids create! #emeryg3of3 #micah2of3 #homeschoolers #kendalllearningcenter #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome
Art lesson #artisticpursuits #emeryg3of3 #kendalllearningcenter #homeschool #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome
A good week of learning and cooking. #rightstartmath #rightstartcornersgame #essentialsinwriting #allaboutreadinglevel3 #sonlightscience #carneensujugo or as I call it carne asada soup. #homemadepizzadough #emeryg3of3 #kendalllearningcenter #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome
Day 13 of the #31daysofemerygrace Her educational program is top notch, if I do say so myself.š For real though, some days Iām just winging it, trying to come up with another way to get her to grasp a concept. Or convince her that she already knows something and how to connect what she does know to this new thing sheās learning. I enjoy it for the most part and sometime it wears me out. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromeawareness #downsyndromeawarenessmonth #kendalllearningcenter #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome
The official first week of school was busy! Not only did we get some good school work done, we had time to have a fun meet up with new friends! -Bible -cave painting (history & art) -science experiment (we made a cave) -math -phonics lesson with our dragon -History map work -all about reading - writing #emeryg3of3 #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #sonlightstories #biblestudyforallages #storyoftheworldvol1 #sonlightscience #rightstartmath #explodethecode #allaboutreading #essentialsinwriting #classpet #beardeddragon
Fridays are her favorite. When school work is done, she gets her weekend tablet time. I asked her why she was laying on the floor with it, she said she wanted a warm spot. It is on the cold side in our house. š„¶ #emeryg3of3 #kendalllearningcenter #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #downsyndromelove #essentialsinwriting #librarybooks #thermostatat70
After doing math, Emery asked to do Bible, because her brain was stressed out.š #emeryg3of3 #kendalllearningcenter #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #downsyndromelove
Weāve been doing some unofficial school days to rev up to our full day and introduce our new writing curriculum. Excited to see some much needed growth in that area. #emeryg3of3 #kendalllearningcenter #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #allaboutreading #allaboutspelling #storyoftheworld #essentialsinwriting #rightstartmath #sonlightscience
Still getting ready for our first day of school. #schoolstartsafterlaborday #allaboutspelling #homeschoollife #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter
ā¢Our morning time plansā¢ Our plans have changed over the years. But it u always follows the same flow. Bible, memory work, hymn or music study, poetry, a book that we are currently reading. What we are currently using: ā¢Foundations of the Bible Vol. 3, it corresponds with the Classical Conversations memory work. Iām loving it so far, itās easy to go over, but also thought provoking. ā¢The Biggest Story Bible, weāve already went through this and my son loves it! We just started it over again and I found out they have a podcast! So he listens and reads along with them this go around. ā¢Memory work, this has recently changed since we decided to go back to Classical Conversations. After Bible, we go over our weekly memory week (and review past weeks when the time comes.) I found these amazing cards from @kimberlyvieley, they help make it fun to go over history, science, and math. ā¢Poetry, Iāve always had a passion for poetry. I remember pouring over the works of Yeats and Whitman when I was a young teenager. I hope this love will carry over to my children as well. ā¢Music, this changes often based on what/who we are learning about. Over the next few weeks, our CC community is learning Amazing Grace together, we are listening to it every morning at home. (These cards are also from Kimberly Vieley.) ā¢Reader, this obviously changes based on what our current family reader is. Over the next few weeks we will be reading Matilda. We just started it and it was an instant love. What does your morning time plans look like? I love hearing how others start their school day.
Prepping for a new year! This is one of the studies on our list to do this year but it wonāt be the typical states and capitals. We want the obscure things to see and do in each state, so tell me - what is fun about your state? # #rambleracademy #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #theluckyfew #homeschoolingadhd #unitstudies #50states
Weāre still over hearing learning every day, spending time doing what we love and living life. Iām not posting as much anymore but that doesnāt mean we arenāt having fun. Life is too busy to spend posting pics everyday on social media, weād rather spend time outdoors with each other! #getoutside #outdoorplay #campinglife #tentcamping #rambleracademy #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #theluckyfew #homeschoolingadhd
This is my favorite part of the day, when the sun starts to shine brightly through our dining room. A few months back, this was one of my least favorite rooms in the house. But some paint, a new table, and different furniture placement has completely changed it. I now look forward to sitting at the table and watching the sun come up. #wearethehomemakers
Whatās 4791 + 1288? Emery: Itās 6079. Big numbers are not so scary when you can SEE what you are adding together. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschooling #kendalllearningcenter #rightstartmath #onestenshundredsthousands
Choosing to homeschool is a huge decision. Add to that a child with special needs, and all kinds of mixed feelings, uncertainties, and emotions can rise to the surface. We may sell ourselves short when it comes to our children with special needs because this feels like uncharted territory, but weāre to reassure you that many families have walked this path before you. With research, the right support, and much prayer, you can homeschool your child with special needs. Here are a few strengths the homeschool environment can offer your child: āØNo one understands your childās needs like you do. You are uniquely equipped to teach them! āØHomeschool provides positive socialization opportunities and protection from bullying. āØYour child may experience fewer distractions in the home environment than in a busy classroom. āØYou can provide one-on-one teaching. āØYou can build on your childās strengths instead of focusing exclusively on your childās deficits. Have you experienced any of these benefits as you homeschool your child with special needs? Weād love to hear from you in the comments below. And if youād like to hear more encouragement from a mom homeschooling her child with Down syndrome, check out the link in our bio. With Godās help you can do this!
Todayās spelling test, that she insisted that she wasnāt ready for. A little bit of worship, and some math work I forgot to post about. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #rightstartmath
Emery finished all about reading level 2 today! #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #allaboutreadinglevel2 #thisgirlcanread
Our school āscheduleā is a lot more relaxed than it use to be and I love it. More times than not, our school day doesnāt begin until after lunch. Sometimes it doesnāt begin until after my husband is home from work. I use to get so stressed out about not having things done and this huge to-do list. But Iāve realized all those extra things werenāt that important to me or us as a family. Bible time, free play, and good literature are all we really need.
Doing āschoolā with Juniper mostly means that I set her up for success. Never more than three options at a time and I make her goals easily obtainable. Having Down syndrome, patience is mostly non-existent. Becoming easily frustrated and overwhelmed is something weāve been working on her awhile. Juniperās lessons are broken down into three, five minute sessions a day.
My husband and I just celebrated our 11 year anniversary this past weekend. Iām so thankful for him and his support and love. ā¤ļø #hesmylobster
Math game with a dragon and new overalls (from consignment sale), that she can fasten on her ownā¦ thatās a big deal! #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #spyrothebeardeddragon #homeschoolfun #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #sonlightstories #rightstartmath #rightstartmathgames
My Favorite Food by Emery. (Her words, momās handwriting) #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschooling #sonlightstories #kendalllearningcenter #tacotuesday
Monday was a good school day. These were the highlights, or at least what I got pictures of, Emery LOVES her Bible lessons, she loves that there is always something to fill in, color, or circle. I love that sheās able to read a lot of it on her own. She also finished the last I Can Read it Book, reading the last five stories in one sitting because she wanted to complete another book, and the story was really cute so we both wanted to know how it ended.š Then after completing everything else on our list, taking a lunch break, she was still able to come back and focus on math. She did the majority of these math problems of adding 10 or 15 to a two digit number without using her abacus! All of this hard work, while dealing with some significant hearing loss that started a week ago. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschoolinglife #kendalllearningcenter #biblestudyforallages #sonlight #rightstartmath
Math games and picking your own book to read makes school a bit more fun. #micah2of3 #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschoolday #homeschoolersofinstagram #kendalllearningcenter #rightstartmathgames
Wow! Itās been forever since I posted on here. Life got really crazy at the end of 2022. We were sick for literal months, my daughter received an alopecia diagnosis, my son had a spot taken off his head from the dermatologist in November that is caused issues. And I had a pretty large pre-cancerous spot taken off my stomach the week of Christmas. Needless to say, weāve gotten so far behind in so many things and social media was put to the back burner. A while back, we dive headfirst into Charlotte Mason, using mostly @amblesideonline, soon we will be adding in @thepeacefulpress as well. Although I have already been using the Peaceful Press for my daughter! Hopefully Iāll be posting more from now on, but you can never tell with my family. š¤¦š»āāļø
On Friday Emery read a story that was 18 pages long and 3 of those pages had words and no pictures. She was quite intimidated and I could hear the fatigue in her voice in the end, but she did it! #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschool #allaboutreading #kendalllearningcenter
Emery finished another book today! #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschooled #kendalllearningcenter #allaboutreadinglevel2
School with Emery. I have not been good about documenting her learning, but she is doing so greatā¦ when of course she is willing to get started and focus. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter
Story time with Emery. She does not appreciate my interruptions AT ALL!š #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #learningwithdownsyndrome #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #sonlightstories #ihaveareader #kendalllearningcenter
Candy Math. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #dayafterhalloween
Sometimes you just need the perfect motivation to get your school work done. Today, thatās a dinner at uncle Chrisās @chrischrislopez and getting to see Jolyne. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschooledkids #sonlightstories #whatmotivatesyou #kendalllearningcenter
Reading is definitely one of her strengths. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #lifewithdownsyndrome #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #sonlight #sonlightstories #kendalllearningcenter
We started learning about the skeletal system today. Talked about what our bodies would look like without bones. Then we built a person out of clay without bones(he fell apart and couldnāt stand) and then one with bones (toothpicks), the green guy pictured. After we were done with school Emery listened in on a lecture given by Pluto to Bear, about bones. I heard her say āDo you even know what anatomy is?!ā š #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #sonlight #apologiascience #areasonforhandwriting #kendalllearningcenter
I havenāt spent much time on Instagram this year, especially in posts. Mostly because Iāve been feeling a tug to keep my kids a little more sheltered when it comes to social media, specifically Instagram. I made the decision a few days ago not to post any more pictures of them with their faces showing, until they are old enough to make that decision for themself. That being said, Iām still going to post about them, without showing their faces or being too personal. This page will mostly just be devoted to homeschooling and books. I feel in this day and age, itās even more important to protect my childrenās privacy. ā¤ļø
Science. Swimming. Spyro. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #apologiascience #shefloats #spyrothedragon #beardeddragonsofinstagram #beardeddragonoutside #californiaheatwave
Not much school for us today, or none really. Emery is finishing up with a head cold and Iām in the middle of one. š So enjoy this picture of Emery working on my makeshift desk space š and some short videos of her working on some more math review, from yesterday. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #sonlight #rightstartmath #homeschoolspaces
Done with week 2! You can see pictures of Emery trying to cause diversions and I just worked around them.š Then Micah and I finished the school day with a science experiment. #emeryg3of3 #micah2of3 #kendalllearningcenter #sonlightcurriculum #rightstartmath #allaboutreadinglevel2 #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #lifewithdownsyndrome
Science and Art with Nana. Last week, they covered apple slices with mixtures of table salt, epsom salt, and baking soda, to see which mixture dehydrated (or mummified) the the apples best. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #learningwithdownsyndrome #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #apologiascience #anatomyandphysiology #artisticpursuitscurriculum
Week 2 is moving along! #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #theluckyfew #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschoolers #militaryhomeschoolers #kendalllearningcenter #sonlightstories #rightstartmath
We finished our science lesson for today and I told Emery, next we get to learn about cells! I asked, Do you know whatās in your cells? She replied very excitedly, āDown syndrome!ā ššš #emeryg3of3 #downsyndrome #downsyndromelove #theluckyfew #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #apologiascience #kendalllearningcenter
This girl was anxious to get started with 2nd gradeā¦ she wants to go to a university someday, but I told her she has to finish 2nd grade. Right now sheās leaning toward #calpolyslo but #clemsonuniversity is a close second. We have a few years for her to decide.š #emeryg3of3 #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschooling #homeschoolingincalifornia #allaboutreadinglevel2 #areasonforhandwriting #sonlight #explodethecode #downsyndromelove #theluckyfew #kendalllearningcenter
We moved from a school room to a school space. The second picture shows that I donāt have far to go to get to our desk!š Yep! My bedroom is also the school room! Iām sure we will also enjoy time on the back patio with our books.šš»āāļøDo a little swimming in betweenš. Looking forward to getting started, finding our groove, and adding Nana as a helper! Grateful for this opportunity to spend the school year with family, while Casey is at Sergeants Major Academy in Texas (and working on his masters at the same time). Lots of learning happening in the Kendall family! #kendalllearningcenter #homeschoolingincalifornia #sonlightstories #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschoolspace
This girl decided she would rather do her last day of school Sunday night instead of tomorrow! #emeryg3of3 #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #rightstartmath #allaboutreading #goodbyefirstgrade
We love game days around here! :) #rambleracademy #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #theluckyfew #homeschoolingadhd #gameschooling
Math and reading. Reading and Math. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndrome #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschooling #kendalllearningcenter #librarybooks #rightstartmath
Iām still amazed that I can grab books out of the library bag and we can read them together. We took turns tonight, I read a page and she read a page. This is probably the most sheās read in a single sitting, and she only needed help with like five words. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #allaboutreading #allaboutreadingworks
School isnāt just about book word and academics around here. There are many days that we work on daily living skills just as much as reading or math. The bonus is that he actually LIKES to do this type of stuff. Iāll let him do as much as he wants! Lol #rambleracademy #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #theluckyfew #homeschoolingadhd #lifeskills
Conversation with Emery while writing her name at the top of her assignment. E: What would my name be if I write Em? (I tell her.) E: What would my name be if I write Eme? (I tell her.) E: What would my name be if I write Emer? ( I tell her.) And when I add a Y that spells Emery! E: What if I addā¦ ( I cut her off, saying weāre not adding random letters, letās focus) E: What if I add an apostrophe and an s? Then it would say, Emeryās!!! ā¦someone was paying attention to our lesson on possession apostrophes. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndrome #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter
Someone has been literally counting down the days for #turningred to come out. It was a great incentive to stay focused and get our school work done. The requested snack of popcorn, and a piece of freshly made sourdough bread helped too! #emeryg3of3 #downsyndrome #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschooling #sonlight #kendalllearningcenter
A month ago, this kid decided to stand for X-rays at the dentist. Itās a huge deal for him that has never happened before. We celebrated by giving him a $50 and he was able to go to stores he wanted and picked out anything he wanted within the limit. He choose Legos and BuildABear. Moral: Never limit your child. Let them lead and when they are ready, they will do great things! #rambleracademy #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #theluckyfew #homeschoolingadhd #dontlimitme #celebratesuccess #teachinglife
Planting Carrots! More sensory bin fun!!! #sensorybin #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #downsyndrome
Spring is in our minds and in the air a few days in February here in Mew England. We take advantage of the warm sunny days and head outside for some sensory play! #sensoryplay #sensorybin #springsensorybin #homeschoolfun #downsyndrome #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #finemotorplay
Emery and I switched roles this weekend and she read me a bedtime story. Check out the reading level on the 2nd book! Itās fun to watch her figure out new words on her own. All about reading has given her the confidence boost she needed. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschooling #homeschoolingfirstgrade #allaboutreading #readinglibrarybooks @ccplnc
School this week. Emery finished learning the first 100 words of the fryās sight word list. We also focused on even numbers and counting by 2s by coloring in the even numbers all the way to 100 and playing a card game where she had to know if the number was even or odd. She won the first round, but I beat her the second time around! Then there was the usual reading lessons, some handwriting, and the week is done! #emeryg3of3 #downsyndrome #downsyndromelove #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #homeschooling #kendalllearningcenter
This little gadget it great for repetition and active engagement. It's also a great alternative to screen devices. I'm using it with Malcolm for speech practice. He seems to like being able to put the cards in and out of the slot and use the button to hear the words. There is also a volume adjustment button and a charging cord. See our video on how we use it. #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #speech #homeschool
My special sweetheart is perking so hard at his speech! I got this card early education device off of Amazon. It says it's for babies but I think its a great way to engage any child who may be having trouble with speech. It's hands on and the button allows for repetition and engagement. I also like it because it's not a screen device. It was only twenty dollars and comes with 150 cards and a charging cord. No batteries necessary. #downsyndrome #downsyndromespeech #speechathome #speechtherapy #homeschooling #homeschool #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome
Another math problem with Emery. She solved this one a bit fasterš #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #rightstartmath
Math with queen of distractions. I am trying to get her to see that some problems you donāt need the abacus, that if you think about it, you already know the answer or you can figure it out in your head. Just imagine every problem going through this same conversationā¦ #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #rightstartmath
Didnāt check all my boxes day. But she did push through and finish her long (felt that way) reading lesson. And we both enjoyed watching a video about Apollo 11. #emeryg3of3 #downsyndromelove #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #kendalllearningcenter #calpolyslo
Messy Monday! But we actually checked all our boxes today! #emeryg3of3 #homeschooling #homeschoolingwithdownsyndrome #rightstartmath #kendalllearningcenter