Yesterday and Today at the home

We have two new girls - one 7 one 10 who have never been to school so we are giving them a lot opportunities to learning basic school skills - use of scissors, glue, following instruction, increasing vocabulary. Today I worked with them for a concentrated hour. We parcticed names of the 8 basic colors - the 8 basic crayons. The both can pick them out when I ask for a specific color and the both can say the names of most - maybe all of them. They copied circles, squares, and triangles and did well. The are good at coloring and staying in the lines - although we will continue with a lot of things that will improve small muscle skills. They can fold a paper in half and cut on the line and can glue using the white glue - so we are on our way. We did some number writing practice and also counting up to 10. They both seem eager to learn and I think that they have some idea already that the black squiggly lines say the names of things.

This afternoon we went swimming and they are not afraid of the water and both can swim a bit in the style of the other Emberra girls who are with us - rather like fish that come up for a breath. When I left they were running around and playing soccar.

Our 8th grader is struggling with her math (she has to study for a test because she failed math for the year). It turns out that she needs a lot of help with basic skills, still must memorize some of the tables, and needs lots and lots of practice with basic operations!

Hope I can find time to write about MAchuca III tomorrow.

Tia Sue