Back in Session!!!! First day of 1st Grade

Today the Nguyen Nguyen Academy is back in session starting with KJ's first day of 1st grade.  After a full month of traveling we have lots to write about in the coming months but today is all about our first day back at school.

KJ at our front door with an empty backpack on :)

We started today with cinnamon rolls for a special back to school breakfast.

After our pledges, prayer, and the weather report (we do these everyday), we got started on our Bible studies.  This month we are working on memorizing the Lord's Prayer.  

KJ looking up Matthew in her Bible.

We moved on to a worksheet helping KJ memorize our address and phone numbers.  I was proud that she already knew my cell phone number by heart.

Our Town worksheet

 This week we are focusing a lot on Kindergarten review.  Today working on writing our letters and sounds, and in math we worked on counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s.  Then we did an even and odd number activity on the board.

Reviewing our ABC's

Last we started our Biology study on the Human Body.  This week we are working on how to keep our bodies healthy and what every human body needs to be healthy.  Here KJ came up with three ways she kept her body healthy today.

Our Healthy Bodies workbook

We ended our school day with a journal entry about our first day of school.  KJ was asked to write one sentence about her day and then draw a picture.  She wrote "I love school" and drew a picture of her sitting at her desk learning.

So in all it was a great first day for the both of us.  This year we are doing a few things differently.  One thing that I really think will benefit us the use of a timer.  KJ is used to taking her sweet ol' time to do anything, and if I let her she would take two hours to write a sentence.  So I found a free online timer click here for online timer

and we now use it for each worksheet so she has enough time to do it, but it doesn't drag on for hours!  Also if she doesn't finish it, it is her responsibility to finish it later after school, and make sure it gets back in her folder before bedtime.  I felt she could be a little more responsible for her work and her time.  We have also started 'grading' her worksheets this year.  Last year she was only graded on assessments, but we found she really liked getting the grades as motivation to do really well on her work.  So, today she turned in her work and I graded it and gave out stickers for good work.

Homeschooling is always a work in progress and I'm sure more things will continue to change every month and every year.  That is the fun of tailoring education to your child!!!

Happy start of school for everyone out there, we hope your first day is as Blessed as ours was.