language learning vocabulary

So this is the fifth or sixth day I've done comparative Latvian<->Lithuanian vocabulary and Russian and Spanish lessons on the same day.  And my brain is in the 'drawing connections, remembering patterns' stage.  I just have to keep it up.

Notes on learning language method - when I begin to point at pictures and say the word, instead of just hear it and choose it - I know I'm actually taking it in at a deeper level, the way children learn vocabulary.  This is also the stage where I begin to ask myself later - what WAS that word, do I remember it?  What is the word for this?  For that?  Hey, those four similar words all have *x* sequence in them, or something very similar to them - maybe, they all share the same root or have the same 'form' (like fireman - runner - mechanic - garbage man, all have the 'is a person who does something' added to the end of them) - or that the other suffix actually means 'thing that <--' etc.  Lots of verbs, but not all of them, end in i 

 

And my brain begins to ask : Hey, do we know all the numbers yet?  How about the colors?  We know *x,x,x,x* body part words, but do you know what X is?  This is because I'm using that babadum and baltoslav tools sites which randomly give you words and pictures in your target language - so you are learning it more realistically, bit of everything all mixed up, then repetition at random intervals.  What I am finding the most intriguing is the way the brain wants to fill in the gaps and begins running 'discovery' 'fill in the blanks' and 'if this, then ?'

Notes : (don't take these as firm meanings, this is me poking holes and trying to work out the language as a non-native learner)

niekas - nekta - nothing

kazkas - something

kas - what (perhaps who?)

atidaryti - to open pradėti - to start / begin

uždaryti - to close to finish / end : užbaigti

skaityti - to read

žiūrėti - to see, view  (also : matyi - to see, witness)

mokykla - school, mokyk - to teach mokytis - to learn

rašy - to do with writing (parašyti)

----rašytojas : a writer   parašas : a signature 

--- laikraštis (time+write?) newspaper  laišką (a letter)

piesti - to do with drawing (pieštukas = pencil) 

tapyti - to paint (teptukas = paint)

sokti - to do with jumping

šaukštas - a spoon

šepetys - a brush  šluota : a broom

ilgas - to be lengthy, to be long

trumpas - to be short, not having length 

spinta - closet, spintele - cupboard  (Latvian  : skapis)

stala - table (Latvian : galds)

kėdė - chair (Latvian : krēsls)

suolas - bench / desk 

kilimas : rug  also uzklotas (a cover, duvet?) Latvian : paklājs

blanket : antklode, antklodas

grindys - the floor

aukštas - weird word?, meaning 'great / grand / tall' but also, sometimes, the floor?

dangus - the sky / heavens / above

aukščiau - above  virš - over   ant - onto, on top of

laba - generally meaning 'good'

blogas - generally meaning 'bad' / evil, wicked

zalingas - harmful, dangerous

zeme - having to do with the ground Zeme means 'Earth'

gėlių  / gėlės : flowers

gyvūnai - animals, gyvūlai  : cattle  gyva (alive)

daržovės - vegetables, greenstuffs 

ūkis  : farm  daržinė : barn  tvartas : barn / stable

višti : chicken  vištiena (chicken to eat)

kiaušinis - egg (Latvian : olu)

virti - to cook, to boil  garai - to steam (garas : steam)

kniga / knyga : books  (this is the same word in Czech)

žvaigždė - stars žvaigždynas (constellation)  -dynas ?  system / pattern?

tinklas - net, also to do with netlike things 

tvora, tvorė- a fence, and fence like things 

----a hedge is : gyvatvorė where gyva means : alive

virvė - a rope, and rope-like things  

lyna / lynus - a line like thing  pynė : string

saltys - having to do with cold

ledo - having to do with ice

maistas - mitalas - food, maitinti - to feed / nourish 

---laistyti - to give water to  

---gerti - to drink

-ninkis? - a person who does something

---aha! 'karininkas' means official, officer, someone appointed to do something

augalas - having to do with plants

ugnis - having to do with fire

jūra - the sea  jūre, jūro- having to do with the sea, from the sea

saule - having to do with the sun

karsta - hot

lenta - having to do with a board / shelf

langas - having to do with a window

siūlas - having to do with sewing,  thread  siūti : to sew

zve- prefix: - having to do with fish   žuvis : fish

upė - river,  upelis -  stream, creek, brook

udens / vandens - water

lašas - droplet, a drop of water, a small glob dew, tear

ašara - a teardrop 

būda - a house, a hut 

----however,  namas : a house, dwelling (in Lithuanian) and mājas : a house (in Latvian) 

urvas - a cave, cavern, burrow  also : ola, ala (Latvian)

anga - a hole also urvas, pramusa

mediena / medis - having to do with wood, sometimes, (not medved, that is bear) 

kirtys - having to do with cutting (medkirtys = woodcutter)

vanikis - karuna, crown

spyna - a lock,  raktas - a key 

burnas - the mouth

akis - the eye

vilk - having to do with wolf

avis - the sheep

stačia : stable, upright

kampis : angle   stačiakampis : rectangle trikampis: triangle 

senas, senia - old, aged  senelis - grandfather 

jaunas - young  jaunamis : young person, jaunikis : bridegroom??

vyras - man, male  vyriškis - a gentleman

kudikis - baby,  vaikas - young children  jauniklis - offspring, younglings

pirst - having to do with a finger (antpirstis - thimble) (pirstina - glove) 

delnas - the palm of the hand

ranka - the hand

galva - the head

laik, laikas - having to do with time? maybe?

arbata - having to do with tea

puoda - a pot, puodelis - a cup (a little pot?)

šalmas - a helmet

-tukas - implement / object ??  

greitas : to be fast, rapid, quick

-siukas / liukas, having to do with offspring?   a small thing?

plakti, pliekti - to beat, lash, whip, also to clap : plaktukas : a hammer,  

--ploti, suploti, paploti  : to flatten plojimai : to clap hands, applause

-plauti - to wash / rinse,  to clean : valyti

kauliukai kauliukas is dice, and kaul is a stone

but also kumeliukas is colt, and versiukas is calf  avenelis is a lamb

gaudyti, sugauti, pagauti : to catch

rinkinys rinkimas : a set or collection

įrankiai  / rykai: tools  (see above : rankinis - by hand, manual)

maišas - a bag 

du- dvi - / sometimes to do with the number two (dvinia - twins) dvigubai - double

pienu / pieno - milk   (I've seen this before, but can't remember what language)

geležies : having to do with iron (ferrous) 

---geležinkelis (railway (tracks)) 

duoti - to give, rodyti : to show off   davona : gift 

petnešos : suspenders, braces   nešos (will carry)

stiklas, bokalas : glasses, mugs etc.  stiklainis : jar

skalbinai - laundry   to wash : skalbimas (washing machine : Skalbimo mašina)

vaista - drugs, medicines   vaistine - apothercary, pharmacy

parduotuvė : shop, magasin, store   parduoti : to sell (verb)

vėje : the wind, but I see it in several words that mean to carry, to have, to dispense 

vaisių sodas : orchard   vaisių meaning fruits,  sodas meaning garden

liesti - to touch

for later :

also : https://www.spokenlithuanian.com/how-to-make-a-question-in-lithuanian-language

The work weekend has finished out - and the mail truck is back at the mechanic getting it's gas leaking issue looked at.  We have the other vehicle back, and Mark wants to get our groceries bought and go try the other flea market in the afternoon tomorrow.

I'll be looking forward to sleeping in just a little - and of course, continuing with this language learning stage.

Made Pad thai from the package for Esme and I again tonight - I really like that and it was fairly quick when we just made it with eggs.  She was really into some online game today.  I did about four and a half hours of packages today, took a nap, helped Mark make peanut butter fudge, then immediately made dinner, and then the mechanic called.

List of first grade accomplishments

I'm putting together a portfolio for what we have done this year from our stack of work.
We don't have to do this by the rules for Tennessee - but I want to keep it all in one place.
Esme says we can look through 'reading school, as school', next week.   I will ask her what she wants to put in the project scrapbook.

A list of accomplishments Esme has made this year homeschooling.  These were things she either hadn't tried and/or succeeded with before August of last year, or a statement of level achieved.

Physical/Dexterity:
Tie a square knot in yarn.
Tie her own shoes.
Roller skate (forwards, and somewhat backwards) - attend a roller rink
Make a snowman by rolling large snowballs.
Sled in snow.
Ride a bike without training wheels.
Cast a fishing rod.
Woodworking project - flower planter, use electric screwdriver, mark pieces that Daddy cut out.
Climbing trees - project with a climbing pole set in cement.
Lift weights in repetitions- 2, 5 and 10 lb weights.
Thread a sewing needle.
Sew a piece of felt on top of another piece securely.
Cut detailed items with scissors, both in paper, cardboard and in fabric.
Weave on a loop loom. 
Use paint and brushes to make an edge-to-edge painting.
Wash and brush her own hair (with effort, and we usually do it to save time)
Wash her own laundry from beginning to end. (not a recurring task for her yet, but she knows how, and has demonstrated it for me)
Put in and take out barettes from her hair.
Do up the buckles on overalls.
Cook a corn dog in microwave to instructions on single serve package.
Open a pop tab can.
Cut simple foods with supervision while helping to cook (ie: cheese, onion, apples on the apple corer).


Observation, Investigative, Decision Making, Thought Process:
Observe and look up birds, animals and plants.
Keep, exchange and operate her own tv, dvd player and game system.
Read an interesting book / poetry collection on her own for enjoyment.
Understand 'actors' and real vs. recorded entertainment better...
Use measurement in relation to space/mapping, ten steps that way
Design transportation, shops and city in Minecraft.
Make connections between movies(ie: Spaceballs vs.Star Wars,  Aristocats vs. 101 Dalmations)
Discuss a timeline of events and how cause and effect happened -ie: Avatar series.
Ask and investigate scientific questions with great complexity.
Experiment with some new foods. (so tough for her in the past.)
Wash a dog in the bath tub.
Feed and water the new rat pet - the experience of building his cage.
Ask questions and make decisions to buy with her allowance.
Plan to go on a town trip, dress nicely for it, keep her purse with her at all times.
Plant seeds, water, and transplant seedlings to ground.
Aim and frame the digital camera.
Make a video with the tablet.
Understand the map of the world relates to real places and is not arbitrary.
Foray into Greek and French languages.
Begin to learn myth and legends vs.the idea of history and time.
Use computer interface to discover new features and instructions in many games.


Reading, Books, Literature:
Use her own library card to check out books.
Read easily at a second grade level, often higher with encouragement and help.
Passed two different sets of 1st grade spelling tests.
Passed 80%+ on a reading comprehension test.
Write a sentence with care to punctuation and capital letter at beginning.
Will continue to work on capitalization and 'proper names'.
Usually identify a noun and verb in sentences (adjectives still hard sometimes).
Make up character names and extend wordplay to nonsense words ie: 'bone-osis'. (very hard for her)
Play at stories and plays with characters and scenes.
Write a very simple rhyming poem. 
Draw a map representing information in the room or yard.
Make a 'book report' (comic style, not essay) describing a story she has seen/heard.
Follow a comic book sequence with pictures and text through the storyline.
Play charades!-- identify syllables still needs some work!
Use a dictionary.
Understands the beginning concept of foreign languages and names...not English.
Still argues about irregular spellings, but knows they do exist and sometimes it 'just doesn't look like it sounds'

 Numerical Operations and Time:
Add and subtract within a hundred, trying to take care to carry and borrow properly. 
Multiply up to 5x5 with no problem, up to 10x10 with thought and care.
Beginning algebraic concepts- completed Dragon Box series,  make 'equations'.
Divide numbers she can multiply (with ample time to think.)
Understands zero and negative numbers.
(beginning) to understand fractions and parts to whole.
Identify 2D shapes and most 3D shapes (sometimes she can't remember a name but can pick it out of a list)
Understand history means that place and time are permanently connected.
Make a graph of data, and understand to retrieve and use information from the graph.
Measure in teaspoons, tablespoons and cups.
Compare weights and volumes.
Can measure in inches and feet.
Measure a spice mixture using a recipe and a balance scale.
Understand money, coins, dollars and how it relates to work, goods and services.
She understands time both on clock and calendar SO much better this year, after focusing on it in our school.
Can answer 'two hours from now', 'two days from Saturday' and other such questions, now.
30 Days hath September etc.poem.
Given starting information, she can lay out a calendar page.
Plan 'the fourth dimension'- ie: we make our own future

Science:
 Electricity (Snap Circuits, Potato Clock),
Skeleton, Growth and Muslces unit (magic schoolbus),
Acids and Bases (pbskids),
Magnifying Glass and leaves,
Salt and Evaporation
greenhouse growth of seeds

History : 
Liberty's Kids, Ancient Egypt, Japanese Culture topics,

Field Trips:
Local Historical society, Local Parks, Tennessee River Fine Arts at Robert E. Lee School and talk with several artists. music store, Japanese restaurant, farm visit to Buena Vista, TN and subsequent check-ins with same farmer