Halina't kumanta at sumayaw!

Sa Yahweh by Gary Valenciano [Live from ARISE 3.0 2014]

Naalala ko bigla ang kantang Sa Yahweh ni Gary Valenciano. Itinugtog ko ito
at pinakinggan namin ng mga bata. Natuwa naman sila. Sino nga ba ang hindi
mapapasayaw sa galaw ni "Mr. Pure Energy"?

Ngayong Hunyo, adhika kong linangin namin ang aming kakayahang magsalita
ng Filipino. Ngunit gusto kong ibahin ang pamamaraan ng aming pag-aral nito.

Ayoko nang ituro ang Filipino bilang isang asignatura lamang. Hindi
binibigyang hustisya ang karangyaan ng Kulturang Filipino.

Nais kong gumamit ng mas organikong pamamaraan. Tiyak na kinakailangan
pa naming dagdagan ang aming pakikinig, pagsasalita, pagbabasa
at pagsusulat ng Filipino. Pero susubukan naming gawin itong lahat
sa isang mas masaya at mas makabuluhang pamamaraan.

Kayo, anong kantang OPM ang nagpapangiti sa inyo? Ipamahagi niyo ito
sa inyong mga anak! Halina't kumanta at sumayaw!

Unit Study: Japan

Im planning to do a Unit Study: Japan. Here are a few things I'd like to cover...
Let's see how things go...

Top of Mind:
I. General facts about Japan:
- flag, continent, capital, population, currency, geography, seasons, clothing, government leader, etc
II. Historical facts
III. Important people, events and places
- Artist: Yayoi Kusama
III. Stories and Folk Tales
IV. Japanese Words and Phrases
V. Create something Japanese
- Sudoku
- Origami
- Color a Kimono
- Sushi Making Day
- Draw Japanese Cartoons (Kodomomuke)
VI. Immersion Trip
- Write about My favourite day, thing, place, memory, _______


Some useful links:

Kids Web Japan
Japan Printables
Geography Study
Smashbooks

Easy DIY Play Dough

After going through tubs and tubs of store bought play dough, we've
finally made our own homemade play dough. The kids are ecstatic
because we now have a fresh supply of play dough as soon as our
stock runs out.

The kids just love love love making this play dough. There very few
ingredients so they just dump everything in the bowl and mix away.
Minimal to no supervision required. And because the ingredients are
your everyday pantry items, you need not worry about spending extra
to make the play dough. Just mix up all the ingredients and you're done.

There are different ways of making play dough. This version is quick
and easy to make. No cooking required! It's a small batch which means
it wont be around for very long. If you have littles, I'm sure you know
what I mean when I say that the stuff can get nasty as the kids play
with it. If you want a bigger batch, just double the recipe. Voila! The
homemade play dough is now double the fun.

Easy DIY Play Dough

* 1 cup flour

* 1/2 cup salt

* 1/2 cup water
* 1 tbsp cooking oil
* 2 tsp cream of tartar

- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended.

  Store in an airtight container.

Go Grow Glow Foods

M's recent homework was on healthy lunch choices.
He had cut outs of what a healthy school lunch should look like.
It was a chance for us to talk about which foods were a good idea
for morning tea and lunch.

I thought it was a good idea to continue the discussion and talk
about Go, Grow and Glow Foods. What they are and why they're
important in keeping us healthy:
Go foods provide us with energy.
Grow foods help us grow bigger and stronger.
Glow foods give our skin glow and boost our immune system.

"Treats" are meant to be out of the ordinary (def.) and are not
a major food group.

Obesity is all too common in our society today. Good health isn't
something we suddenly have. It's about consistently making good
health choices and practicing self care. This is isn't a one time talk.
It's an ongoing conversation that our family will be having for many
years to come.

Resources:
Go Grow Glow Guide (NAQ Nutrition)
Harvard Healthy Eating Plate
Food Plate Template + Food
HealthyBalanced Plate Activity

Shakespeare for Children {2016}

Shakespeare!?!

If you find the thought intimidating, well you and me both. I know
of a few moms who read Shakespeare to their children because
Shakespeare is something dear to them. They are intimate with
the works and are merely passing the torch to the next generation.

I, on the other hand, have a very limited knowledge of Shakespeare.
I know of Romeo and Juliet but not much more beyond that.

Now here I am today, a mom of a 6yo, a 3.5yo and a 1.5yo, excited
to be introducing The Bard's works to my little ones.


Here are some books we'll be taking along for the journey:

Tales from Shakespeare by Charles & Mary Lamb presents
Shakespeare's works as simple stories for the children to enjoy.
The book was first published in 1807, and is said to have started
the sub genre which we now know to be Children's Shakespeare.

Once the kids are nicely settled and eating their afternoon snack,
I pull out Tales from Shakespeare and read a few pages at a time.
I usually start with a recap of what's happened then continue on
past where we ended. Nothing fancy. Just mom and the kids
reading a book and enjoying the afternoon. I'll be honest, I'll be
lucky to get in 10minutes of read aloud time. Patience. Patience.
Patience. It all builds up. When the kids get squirmy, I put down
the book and we're done for the day.

Tales from Shakespeare is available online for free. You may
find the out of copyright version here.

Shakespeare's Stories for Young Readers by E. Nesbit is another
classic Children's Shakespeare book. I posted this next so you
can compare it against the Lamb version. Either would be a good
introductory book for children.

You may find the free out of copyright version here.

I so love Teach Your Child Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig. Ludwig
introduces us to some of his favourite passages and explains what's
going on in the text. What's the story about? Why did this character
say such? What key passages should we take to heart? As a
playwright and theatre director, Ludwig's experience translated
into a book that has made the plays come to life.

Our family has been slowly trying to incorporate memory work
into our meal times. We've tried poetry and bible verses. Shakespeare
is getting thrown into the mix as well. Teach Your Child Shakespeare
has great tips on how to go about memorizing Shakespeare. This book
is worth looking into if you want to take this route.


Books you may want to consider, depending on the age and
interest of your child:

I know some moms who're fans of the Shakespeare's retellings by
Bruce Coville. The pictures are beautifully drawn and the stories
are well written. The books remind me of the illustrated classics
that I read when I was a child.

Im sure young children will have fun with The Shakespeare Can Be
Fun! books. The approach of this series is more modern than the
other books mentioned. I'm sure my children will easily relate to
the illustrations in the book. Im tempted to go with this series next.

Mr. William Shakespeare's Plays by Marcia Williams is another
popular modern book that would appeal to children who like
comic books. The text is a bit small so it might appeal to those
who are already confident readers.


There you have it, a few books on Shakespeare for Children.
I hope you enjoy reading the books as much as we do in our home!

More FREE ABC Resources {2016}

Here are a few more ABC Resources we'll be using this year.

Raising Rocks Stars Writing Practice Sheets by 1+1+1

Alphabet Writing Sheets by Wild About Teaching

Alphabet Writing Sheets by Confessions of a Homeschooler

ABC Find It by 1+1+1

Beginning Sounds Coloring Sheets by Measured Mom

FREE ABC Resources {2016}

This 2016 is going to be an exciting school year for us.

2015 was about laying a good foundation for Pea. Baby R was still a baby
and tagging along.

Our focus was on learning the alphabet, counting from 1-20, learning
basic colors and shapes. We mostly read books. But we did use some
printables from Kindergaten Mom.

Link for FREE Kindergarten Mom ABC Printables

We spent lots of time playing with play dough, legos and toys. We drew a lot
and learned how to use our scissors.

We went outside and played in the garden for every day play.

We continued to go to the playgroup. And went to playgrounds.

We watched learning videos when it was time for Mom to do the cooking.

It was a happy busy year.

This year, we're eager to try out some new resources.

We're drawing inspiration from activities of The Measured Mom.
And starting out with these FREE ABC Resources from This Reading Mama:



Link for FREE Alphabet Worksheets

Link for FREE ABC Printable Packs 

Pea is now 3yo. R is already 1.5yo. How time flies.
And so it is that we press onwards until we're reading, writing
and doing maths.

p.s.
Some of the things we've been doing in the past can be found here.

Sensory Bin: Red

Sensory Bin: Red

Me:
Look P,
- a red helicopter,
- a red A
- a red wrench and a red bolt
- a red cog
- red "Legos"
So P, what color is this?

P enthusiastically replies (with the brightest eyes and the widest smiles):
Pink!

Well, she is in a season of Pink after all!

What's wrong with me?

This is why I never really made sensory bins. M didn't like them. 

I'm guessing P is not interested in them either.

Why?

- because all red is probably not much fun 

- because she was in the mood for "developing her gross motor skills" 

(Baby R and I had to go to the bedroom. Tot P tagged along and had a 

grand time making a pillow mountain and jumping around)

- because she'd rather play with something else period. Yes, kids are 

like that.

Maybe this is what she sees?

 I'll give it a few more tries before I decide if sensory bins are a go or no go.
There are other fun ways for P to learn. We can always use other methods
to achieve the same desired learning outcome. None of them will involve a
written exam.

p.s. My apologies for the off shots. We're still in between cameras. Just
making do with what's here.

How to Start Your Pre-K / Kindergarten Home Program

This post is here because I wanted to re-plan for P who's now 2 y.o.
I also have a few friends who're considering homeschooling their kids
who're in the Pre-K / Kindergarten years.

M has gone of to Year 1 at a regular school. He's adjusted quite well.
Of course there are still areas for improvement. But nothing out of
the ordinary for a 5y.o.

Let me start by saying you don't really need to do much. Maintain
a child-friendly home and your child will have plenty of opportunity
to learn and explore at his/her own pace.

Pam has a great post on this.

10 Things we focused on:
1) Love, being and doing good, and living our Catholic faith.
2) Learning good health habits.
3) Learning self care.
4) Reading books.
5) Doing practical math.
6) Learning other age-appropriate skills.
7) Watching educational videos.
8) Using assorted materials for learning: colouring books, paper,
print outs, blocks, puzzles, crayons, etc
9) Exploring personal interests.
10) Play play play.

It really was quite random and ordinary. In a way, I envy those who
have pinterest-worthy pictures. M didn't stay interested in something
long enough so we never had one particular curriculum / activity /
etc. Not enough for me to say that we had a theme. We really just
went along doing our thing - learning and growing as best as we could.

Game changers:
1) Keeping things consistent.
- We blocked off time in the morning just for homeschooling. We made
sure to do 30 minutes of reading plus a learning activity or two.
2) Planning.
- We referred to book lists, maintained a decent monthly "book basket",
always had interesting activities available, ensured that supplies were
adequate, reviewed what worked or not, etc.
- We did basic math in the beginning. We used Early Bird Kindergarten
Math books (Singapore Math) when M turned 4y.o.
3) Choosing a less tech lifestyle.
- We invested in toys so the kids had something to play with. Rotating
the toys was necessary because kids easily tire of a toy. Sharing toys
was always a requirement.
- We kept the t.v. off until it was late afternoon. No hours and hours
of mindless t.v. The kids had no choice but to do something.
4) Playgroup / Outdoor play.
- The children and I would go to playgroup twice a week, weather
permitting. It was a chance for us to go out. The playgroup had toys
and an outdoor playground so they were able to play in a different
environment.
- There are other children in the compound and all the kids just play
in the garden. Free weekends would include a trip to the playground.
5) Valuing happy memories.


Additional Resources for you:
- Mother Hubbards Cupboard
- ABC Jesus Loves Me
- DTLK Letter Crafts
- Twisty Noodle Printouts
- Catholic Letter Crafts
- Tot School


Is that all there is to it? Well yes and no. There's more that we'd like
to do. I'm sure we'll never get to doing it all. But as a whole, it's all
been good.


Click here for Book Lists. (future update)
Click here for Supplies List. (future update)

Click here for Organizing Tools. (future)

Are you a working mom? Check out How to Get Your Child Ready
for Kindergarten / Year 1 for a simplified home school program.

Photo Credit: Dennis S.

How to Get Your Child Ready for Year 1

How to Get Ready for Year 1?

Recently, I've been asked this question by two different friends with
very different lives. I thought of posting my answers here in case
anyone else is wondering the same.

It serves as a good review for me too. We are starting over. P just
turned two. Tot School is back!

-----------------------

Si is a friend who works full time. Her hubby works with an early
morning shift while she works at night. This schedule allows for
at least one parent to look after the children. They have no helpers
nor family with them.

It is a busy life.

So what can a mom, with such a schedule, do to get a child ready for
Year 1?

Firstly, find out what your school expects of a child entering Year 1.
Some schools will have no expectations of the child. Other schools
have requirements for accepting students: the child already knows their
ABCs, can count 1-20, can write their name, etc.

It would be good to find out a year before your child starts school. The
earlier that you know, the more time that you have to prepare. Focus
on igniting a passion for learning. The skills will follow.

But what if the start of school is just around the corner? Or you're just
too busy managing everything that all you have is a few minutes a day
for "school work"?

My one thing would be: Read with your child.
Enjoy each other's company. Get lost in a good book together. Talk
about what's happening on the page. If time permits, create something.
These are precious years. Love love love. Focus on igniting a passion
for learning. The skills will follow.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

My email to Si:

Sorry for the late email. I now reserve library books online so that
we can pick them up by next weekend. It takes around 1.5 weeks
for all books to arrive.

They say it's good to be reading 20 minutes daily with one's child.
That might be too much, you may want to start with 1-2 books
per day. To make it easy for you/your husband --- you can make
it a rule: 20-30 minute learning activity before "fun" tv :)

After a few weeks/months, your child will notice the "high
frequency words" and she can start reading those aloud. Example:
the, is, etc. She might also see phonics patterns on her own.
Example: cat, hat, mat, etc.

We started our daily reading at 2y.o. -- M started reading on his
own by 3y.o. (Other homeschoolers will tell you that it is normal
for kids to start reading at that age.) It could go faster/slower/same
with your child. Whatever the case, if you read to her daily, I'm
sure she will learn how to read. Even if she has started learning
how to read, you will still have to read to her to increase her
vocabulary. The older sibling can help by reading to her too.

Here are some books you might want to start with (all available
at the local library but most have to be ordered in advance as
they are owned by the other branches)
I. Author: Dr. Seuss / Theo LeSieg
(many good books by this author!)
- Hop on Pop
- Dr. Seuss ABC
- The Cat in the Hat
- Ten Apples Up on Top
- The Eye Book
II. Author: Eric Carle
(many good books by this author!)
- Brown Bear Brown Bear
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- From Head to Toe
- Pancakes Pancakes
III. Author: Stan Berenstain
(many good books by this author!)
- Inside Upside Outside Down
- Bears On Wheels
IV. Author: PD Eastman
- Go Dog Go
- The Best Nest
- Are You My Mother

Book Series:
(whatever's available in the library)
- I Can Read
- Step Into Reading
- etc

Youtube Videos:
(each channel has a playlist, just choose: ABCs, numbers,
time, etc)
- https://www.youtube.com/user/KidsTV123
- https://www.youtube.com/user/havefunteaching
- https://www.youtube.com/user/storybots
- alphablocks (search in youtube)
- sesame street (search in youtube)

Others:
I. ABC Puzzle
(you can buy it from the dollar store) for her to play with
II. "Magnetic writing board"
III. "ABC Workbooks" / Notebook / Pencil / Crayon
IV. Books with characters / themes
Example: Dora, Disney Characters, etc
Example: Baking, Nature, etc
V. Letter crafts
- you don't need to do/complete all:
http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/56908/how-to-homeschool-preschool
VI. On the Montessori order of teaching the alphabet
- this style makes it easier to combine letters that can form words:
How to Teach Your Child the Alphabet
VII. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons book
- I've never tried this book. Some people have said it is good.
Something to consider. But personally, I find it too formal.

I rotate activities because children easily get bored. Let's say today
the ABC puzzle is out. The kids will be excited to use it for 1-2 weeks.
When they tire of it, that is kept and out comes the magnetic board, etc.
This also keeps things nice and neat.

Have fun!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Need a practical list of day to day activities that moms can easily do with
their child?

This is a good read: 33 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten.

How about you, what suggestions do you have for a busy working mom
who wants to get their child ready for Year 1?


Photo Credit: Shardayy

Ready to Read at 3 y.o.

Hurray Hurray, it's been just a few months since he turned 3 y.o. and Tot M can
already read by himself.

I was suspecting it for the past few weeks. But of course I wanted to be sure ~
naughty mama! We borrowed Bears On Wheels by Stan and Jan Berenstain
from the local library. I asked Tot M to try reading the book by himself. He
was happy to oblige. Can you see me grinning from ear to ear!?!

I've talked a bit about what we've been doing here. In a nutshell, our reading
program has consisted mostly of reading together for 30 minutes daily and
Tot M watching mostly learning videos. Yes, you don't need to be a homeschooler
to do that.

Of course, we still read together. There are so many more words, books,
and ideas to discover. Here we come world!

2013 Homeschool Curriculum

At the start of the year, I decided that our 2013 Homeschool Curriculum
will be based on the Hubbard's Cupboard and the ABC Jesus Loves Me
curricula --- for ages 3 and 4. Seasoned homeschoolers have said that I
don't need a curriculum for Tot M's current age. Reading books and playtime
fun are sufficient activities for a 3 year old. The curriculum is more for me;
it's nice to have a framework to refer to when I feel lost.

Of course, we are nowhere near The Plan. The activities just don't appeal
to Tot M. I've talked to other playgroup moms about this -- particularly those
with boys -- it's nice to know that we're normal.

To date, Tot M can:
- Recite the alphabet, identify uppercase and lowercase letters including
  their sounds
- Name basic colors and shapes
- Count from 1-20, plus a few numbers beyond 20
- Understand positional concepts
- Spell a few words (using his alphabet puzzles)
- Write a few letters

The 3 things that have helped learn these skills:
- Reading books
- Watching videos
- Having alphabet toys within reach: fridge phonics + alphabet puzzles

Things we're working on this 2013:
- Reading books: still trying to get back to the frequency that we had last
  year!

- Learning how to read: we've started with a few word families and a few 

  high frequency words
- Writing letters: we've used a few manipulatives and worksheets
  Tot M is fascinated with the concept of writing.
- Math: still trying to figure out how to go beyond counting.
- Cutting with scissors: haven't tried this in awhile, let's see if he's ready
- Playing with toys: this fills up a pretty good part of the day


If you're looking for a FREE Homeschool Curriculum for your preschool
child, Truly Rich Mom has a great list that you can start with.


--------------

The 2013 NZ School Year started on the 28th of January and will end on
the 20th of December. Our Homeschool follows the same school year.
Tot M is now 3 y.o.

Hello February 2013!

Whoa, that went fast. Yep, we're now at February!

How does one sanely manage 2 kids (3y.o. + newborn) while homeschooling
and working from home? Inquiring minds want to know...

Nope, we're NOT having anyone come over to help, nor getting help, nor sending
anyone to childcare.

Ahh... here's to better planning, organizing and executing :)


Photo credit

Christmas Activities for Kids 2012

Last year, I attempted to make an origami Nativity Scene. In a nutshell,
it didn't go very well. So, I decided to look for more "artistically-friendly"
projects for this year.

Here's a round-up of activities that really got me inspired. Click on the
links for the how-tos :)

Nativity Scenes

This DIY Nativity Scene by Marloes de Vries is one of the easiest projects
around. All you need to do is cut, fold then glue the images. How simple
is that!

If you've got spare toilet paper tubes, Catholic Icing's Nativity Set is the project
for you.

Christmas Calendars

Here's a cute Santa Calendar from Maestra Valentina. The kids can
cut off the portion of Santa's beard that corresponds to the date. You
know it's Christmas when you've reached Santa's nose!

This Santa Calendar from Busy Little Bugs is great for the little kids. They
can put a pompom ball or sticker on the dates leading up to Christmas.

This is one of those things on my wish list. Homemade by Jill's Advent
Calendar is one of those labor of love projects. It's all hand sewn.
The tree ornaments stay in the box and a new one is hung up each day.

Jesse / Christmas Trees

Tired and Need Sleep has a Jesse Tree 2012 printable: included are
the readings, prayers and ornaments needed for your Jesse Tree.

Here's another project for the little kids. This Felt Christmas Tree by
Sol and Rachel allows your little one to decorate and redecorate the tree.

Activity Packs

We'll be using some of the activities here for our homeschooling this
December. But kiddies who're on "traditional school" holiday break
can join in on the fun!

1+1+1=1 Christmas Tot Pack

1+1+1=1 Nativity Preschool Pack

Nativity and Winter Wonderland Packs by Over the Big Moon

It's beginning to feel like Christmas in our home. We've been listening to
Christmas Songs and finalizing Christmas plans.  All we need is our
Christmas Tree. Yes, I'm still hopeful that we'll get one this year.


Photo Credit


Sharing this post here:

How to Teach Your Child the Alphabet

One of our current learning goals is to learn our ABCs. There are many ways of going

about this really. We're currently using a Montessori inspired approach: 

Order of the Alphabet

The order suggested in How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way 

by Tim Seldin:

First set:        c  m  a  t 

Second set:    s  r  i  p

Third set:      b  f  o  g 

Fourth set:    h  j  u  l

Fifth set:       d  w  e  n

Sixth set:       k  q  v  x  y  z 

- Living Montessori Now

Core: We have a youtube ABCs playlist for M. It's composed of various Alphabet Songs.
Some songs are focused on the letters while others are focused on the phonics.

Every 2 weeks: We focus on a set of letters for the week:

- There's a separate youtube playlist for the specific letters of the week. I chose 4
songs per letter. This gets played after the Core playlist has finished.

- We started with 1 art activity per letter. We might progress to more if Tot M shows

interest in doing so.

Progress Report
- After 3 weeks of using this method, Tot M can recognize most of the letters. He still
needs to learn them all but I'm confident that he's getting there.
- We now need a new Core playlist. Tot M is bored with the old one. Yes, after 2-3
weeks!!!, Tot M has grown tired of his favorite alphabet and phonics songs. Time
for us to retire the set and create a new one.

Getting Started
* Living Montessori Now has an informative post on the Montessori way of introducing
the alphabet to a child.
* If you're looking for youtube videos for your child, here are some that you might
want to check out:
- KidsTV123 has a great collection of "starter" videos - ABCs, numbers, colors, shapes
and more.
- Sesame Street is a favorite for many kids. I grew up with Sesame Street so I used
classic Sesame Street videos.
- Hooked on Phonics has great catchy songs. As the name suggests, it's mostly a
phonics program.


Happy learning!


Photo Credit

3 Tips on How to Capture the Interest of Your Child

Tot Tray - Pasting Cars

A friend once asked me, "How do you get Tot M to do the homeschooling activities?"

I must admit that Tot M prefers some learning activities over others. Reading is one
activity that Tot M really enjoys. I am not surprised when he grabs his books and
requests that we read them together.

Up until this week, arts & crafts activities didn't appeal much to him. He enjoys playing
with his play dough. But don't expect him to spend time on his coloring book. A few
scribbles was all he was willing to do. I'm amazed at how a few changes can improve
the learning experience of a child.


3 Tips on How to Capture the Interest of Your Child

1. Make the most of your child's preferences.
Some boys like dinosaurs, some boys like blocks. Tot M likes cars. Even at his
playgroup, he is the child that plays with the toy cars the most.

Last week, I decided to do a pasting activity.  I cut out images of cars from the
classifieds. Tot M put paste on the back of the images then asked for help to stick
the images on his activity book. Tot M really enjoyed the activity! As a bonus,
that activity made him more willing to do other arts & crafts activities.

Now, I use cars and other vehicles as a starting point for our activities. It is
just a starting point and it helps us transition to other things after.

2. Try different methods.
I've learned that there are different ways of presenting a concept to a child. Some
methods will appeal more to your child than others. Reading, watching videos,
doing arts and crafts, playing with toys, cooking, exploring nature, and so many
other things can be done to teach one concept to a child. Try different approaches
until you find a method that your child will enjoy.

We're still learning our ABCs. Aside from what I've mentioned here, we've now
used a few other ideas to make this a fun and enjoyable experience for Tot M.
More of that in a separate post.

3. Keep it fresh.
Hurray! So, you've found an activity that your child really enjoys. Keep in mind
that at some point your child will tire of that activity. This will happen a  lot
sooner than you expect. You may want to temporarily retire the activity or totally
replace it.

I am constantly researching on new activities for Tot M to do. Thankfully, many
teachers and homeschooling moms are sharing their experiences online.  

In addition, I rotate the toys, books, videos, etc that Tot M uses. This prevents
him from getting tired of one particular activity. It's interesting how unearthed
old toys can once more capture his interest.


I cherish the fact that I am able to watch Tot M grow before my very eyes. I
feel privileged to be homeschooling Tot M. But I know it's not for everyone.
What's most important is that we love our children and genuinely do what's
best for them.

Learning Our ABCs

Tot M is quite eager to read on his own. Here are some of the things we're using

to help him learn his ABCs:

Leapfrog Fridge Phonics - we bought this game because its been highly

recommended by other homeschoolers. It sounds off the name and the

sound of the letter. Quite useful as we want Tot M to learn phonics.

ABC Books - There are many ABCs books. Our current fave book is 

Dr. Seuss' ABC.

Starfall - We've recently started going through the Starfall ABCs. Starfall is 

great as it is a free online resource. I am considering getting the one year 

membership so we have access to the other lessons.

ABC Songs - We've been singing many ABC Songs. One of our new favorites
is the Phonics Song which we discovered through mommytg.

Photo Credit

Homeschool 2012 Updates

Tot Tray - Scooping Pasta

It's weird. Tot M is only 2.5yrs old and yet we are already feeling some of the
societal pressures other home schoolers are experiencing.

The Primary Schools here have a "big school" set-up. It is normal for a 3yr old
to start going to Kindy. It's really more of a preparation phase for the children.
If we're bent on sending M to a particular Catholic School, we've been told to
consider registering him with the Kindly this or next year. This is to ensure he
has a slot for the upcoming school year. After that, we run the risk of having to
send him to another school school. Hmmm... When M turns 6, we are required
by law to send him to school. If we do continue homeschooling, we will have
to register ourselves with the state. Hmmm... Thankfully, for now, we still
have time to enjoy our homeschooling. AND there is time to pray and to
discern.

What is a typical homeschool day for us?
This year we started homeschooling in January, our activities include:
       - A short morning prayer
       - 30 minutes of reading books
       - 1 Tot Tray Activity (occasional)  

At random times during the day, M plays with his toys, and reads books with
us or by himself. TV time is sadly a necessity --- I do have to cook and clean.

Successes
One of our homeschooling goals is to develop in M a love for learning. We
think we're headed in the right direction as Tot M enjoys reading his books.

M sings the ABC, counts 1-10 and says words and sentences. It's quite exciting
that he has shown interest in learning how to read.

We're quite happy that M knows how to make The Sing of the Cross. He's
slowly but surely learning the The Guardian Angel Prayer.

H and I are aware of the socialization issues people have with homeschooling.
We have made it a conscious decision to ensure that Tot M has adequate
opportunities to socialize with other children. Thankfully, we found this great
playgroup in our area. It runs for around 2 hours, once a week. On weekends,
M gets to play with the children of friends.

Areas for Improvement
Early childhood educators recommend that toddlers be allowed to just play.
Learning occurs while the child is playing. Sometimes I worry that Miguel
enjoys certain activities but not others. I had the chance to talk to one of the
moms at the playgroup. Afterwards, I realized that sometimes it's just a matter
of personal preference of a child.

One thing I feel I should do more of is to expose M to varied activities. It's
quite easy to just let him do what he enjoys doing. I think it's important for
children his age to try out new things.

Things to Do
I've been trying to look for a curriculum for Tot M. Something that will
develop M's 3Rs via play. I haven't really found one for his age.

I've decided to make a curriculum for Tot M. I have a basic outline but I'm
sure there will be plenty of fine tuning as the weeks progress. Get ready for
exciting times ahead!

Philippine Homeschool Conference 2012

Philippine Homeschool Conference 2012

May 19, 8:00am - 4:00pm

Registration ongoing at HAPI