New year-new approach to learning

The goal is learning, not teaching, not meeting deadlines and expectations. The target is a moving target, nothing set in stone.

For Ballet girl the following have changed:

1. Math: We have clear topics to cover and for each topic we will go from easy concept, to medium difficulty to challenging problems. While the topics are set, the timeline over which learning will be accomplished is flexible. I also incorporate games and Beast Academy.
2. Portuguese: We have one-on-one time each day dedicated to learning the basics of colloquial Portuguese. We are using Salpicos 2.
3. English Reading: We are choosing books by interest and by reading level including books mixing them from easy, to comfort, to challenging level in order to help her move up. I read the books to her in Bulgarian upfront so she understands what the story is all about. Then she reads the book in parts over several days. Then we read the entire book and after that move on to the next book.  I have reserved to read well one book per week.  

For Sunlight boy the following have changed:

1. Portuguese: We have one-one-one time each day dedicated to learning the basics of colloquial Portuguese. We are using Salpicos 1.
2. English: We are using dry-erase books to practice writing and I have started to instruct him in the sounds of the letters. I show him the letters (capital and lower case), tell him the sounds the letter can make, and ask him among a few words which ones begin with that sound(s). The school is not doing a good job teaching him English-he speaks well, so I admit that this is a huge advancement, so I am grateful.

This month and next month, we are going to learn about topics we encountered during our road trip. We are going to learn about native Americans, first people and settlements in the Americas. We are going to learn more about Abraham Lincoln and the Lewis and Clark expedition. We are also going to learn about Charles Darwin(next month) and slavery(also next month). I am excited about the new year.

We are also looking for a new home and I have one in mind. I am excited to have enough room to have a proper home school room and Portuguese immersion environment at home.