A preschooler's homeschool days

Routine with my 2 boys is pretty much settled by now. Homeschooling for Zech is basically interest driven, focusing on the Bible, not forgetting skills and concepts learning for pre-schoolers and Chinese language learning.

After morning devotion, Zech sits at the dining table (it's like his study table now) and we'll do a review of the Chinese characters before moving on to a new lesson. It's strange but Zech enjoys his daily Chinese lessons. No fanciful methodology. Just straight-forward, simple word recognition and hand-holding him while he practises writing the Chinese strokes. He loves his Chinese books. Getting more difficult for me to read as I encounter more complex structure and vocabulary. Nevertheless, I'm contented with his progress. Interest is key to learning.

Nathanael takes his morning nap at 10am. While he naps, I'll continue teaching Zech. At 11am, the boys have their play time tog. After their afternoon nap, we resume lessons.

Some days, we memorise Bible verses and read about the life of Jesus followed by a craft or an activity. So excited to hear him memorising the Bible verses! Young kids' memory is superb! So easy for them to remember. Discovered Zech is a natural at remembering numbers. He remembers all the chapters and verses of the scriptures while I can only remember the books from which the scriptures came from. I pray Zech will keep the Word in his heart.

On other days, Zech practises writing his name and hones his fine motor skills. Recently, we embarked on thematic study. Based on the firefighter theme, Zech learns his shapes, colours and practises his handwriting etc. Zech loves the fire engine and that was how I decided on this theme. Interest!

Bought fire fighting tools from a small shop at the market opposite just for $6.90. Tools include the helmet, fire extinguisher, axe, compass and walkie-talkie. My 2 boys played pretend with the tools. Used a ride-on as the fire engine and off they went to the rescue with their tools kept underneath the seat. Of course, Mummy had to guide Zech so that he knew what to do.

Using this cool firefighter printable pack from giftofcuriosity.com and http://homeschoolcreations.com/FiremenPrintables.html

Borrowed lots of books related to fire engines and fire fighters which are important as they provide the vocabulary for the child to talk about all things related to fire fighting and later, about the experience at the fire station. This link
( http://www.giftofcuriosity.com/books-about-fire-fighters/) is great!

Visited the Central Heritage Gallery next to the fire station over the weekend. It was the 2nd visit for Zech but don't think  he can remember the first visit when he was 2.

Here's Zech in front of the fire engine. Went in and out of the fire engine several times, refusing to  move on to the next exhibit.

Tried on the firefighter jacket and helmet. How cool it is to be a firefighter!

Had fun at a stimulator where Zech sprayed water at a 'fire'

Simply love the facade of the fire station. How grand and colonial looking!

Learning, when infused with elements of fun and interest, motivates a child. As long as I don't force Zech, he looks forward to school with Mummy. If I sense that he's bored, I usually stop and try again another day. Lots of flexibility which is what I like most.

The routine now seems fixed but it's subjected to changes, especially when I start formal school with Zech in July. Exciting yet challenging to teach your own child. As his teacher, I know every bit of his learning. What he can do at his age and what he can't. I'm in fact experiencing every step of his progress. Fulfilling in many ways and this motivates me further to ensure a solid foundation for my children. A building, without a stable foundation, can never withstand the harsh elements of weather. The preschool years are really crucial building blocks for a child's development.

Nathanael's 1st year

http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4e44417a4f5459794e7a553d0d0a&blogview=true

More than just books in the library

I've never believed babies less than a year old can benefit from any kind of classes. They are simply too young and not ready.

Was looking through NLB (national library board) website and realized they offer many interesting programmes for the little ones. Many are free. Signed up for 'Mini Maestros', an Australian-based music school that's relatively new locally. Though I signed up for just one child, they were kind enough to allow me to bring both boys with me.

The 30 min program was very interactive, involving lots of movement. My boys were engaged throughout. The use of colorful props and instruments captivated the kids. 

Here's peekaboo using a shiny cloth and of course, music.  Zech and Nathanael were entertained!

Nathanael shaking a cute golden egg shaker. The kids were told to listen to the music and when it says stop, they had to stop shaking their eggs. Nathanael was really good at this. It's just amazing to see a less than a year old baby following the music.

Another very enjoyable activity was getting the kids to lie down on the floor while we parents flapped a rainbow parachute-like cloth up and down beneath them with the teacher singing 'Starlight Star Bright'. Zech had a jolly good time just lying down and watching the parachute go up and down. 

Was very impressed with the teacher leading and facilitating all the activities. We parents had a bit of a workout too when we, carrying our baby, had to move with the music following the steps of the teacher.

The 30 min program was packed with lots of fun and laughter. My boys enjoyed it tremendously.

Read the curriculum outline on Mini Maestro brochure. Very similar to pri sch music but presented in ways that are more fun and interactive. Very tempted to sign up for my boys but I shall hold on first. Thinking of trying out similar activities with them at home.

There are other children programmes organized by NLB. I've noted down the dates and time for Chinese storytelling and a music concert by the young ones at Esplanade library. Best of all, they are free! If u are interested, take a look here: http://www.nlb.gov.sg/golibrary/

Nathanael's turning 1 soon!

I've always been concerned and worried over Nathanael's growth. A few months ago, I decided to ditch the weighing scale and refocus my priorities for him.

Nathanael's pd asked me once if he was a happy baby. That really put me in deep thought. Isn't that the most important to a mother? The meaning of Nathanael is 'given by God'. In other words, he's a gift from God. Have I forgotten to commit Nathanael's growth into His hands? Wouldn't our Heavenly Father, who loves us so much that He gave His only son to die for us, take good care of Nathanael?

Recently, I realised I have more to be thankful for other than just lamenting over Nathanael's slow growth and poor sleep pattern to my family and friends. Thank God for His wonderful blessings and protection over Nathanael in the past year.

A list of 10 things I want to thank God for:

1. Nathanael's milestones are never on time. In fact, he achieved most milestones early.

2. He gave us many surprises. The first time he clapped his hands was when I was playing the piano. I've never felt more appreciated!

3. He is a determined boy and doesn't give up easily. That's why I could breastfeed him exclusively.

4. He loves exploring and investigating new things. This characteristic of his makes me smile so very often. Do u know he found out for himself what a door stopper is for? He will sometimes help me open the door and make sure it reaches the door stopper.

5. Like his bro Zech, Nathanael loves music.

6. He loves his food and is forever hungry.

7. He started communicating to us at 10 mths.

8. He is an efficient baby. With a bottle, he finishes his milk within 3 min. When nursing, he is done in less than 10 min.

9. I've always complained about Nathanael's sleep pattern which was entirely different from his very independent bro. Somehow at 10 mths, I decided to sleep train him again. This time, he's ready. I finally resolved the sleep problem that was troubling me for almost a year. It's truly a milestone for Nathanael!

10. He is a healthy baby!

Life hasn't been a bed of roses with Nathanael. But this gift from God has taught me many life lessons and brought me immeasurable joy.

Praise The Lord for His abundant blessings and grace. Just like Nathanael's Chinese name 宣奇 meaning 宣扬神的奇妙, may God continue to reveal His wondrous works through this little one.

 

What's in your name?

We named Zechariah after the old testament prophet in the Bible. A minor prophet who was used by God as a messenger to the Israelites, the name Zechariah means 'God remembers'. There were many instances in Zech's life when I was touched and reminded time and again that indeed, God remembers.

Zech turned 3 last Dec. In the past few weeks, he has learned to recognise and even spell his own name.

Of course, the easiest to recognise is the letter z. With some prompting from me, Zech formed his name using the magnetic letters.

Then I created a little rhythm of the letters in Zechariah using the bongo drum. The drum was given by Zech's papa from Vietnam. Love the tone it makes! Zech caught it really quickly.

Used play dough to form his name. Zech had some difficulty doing this as the letters were quite small. Realised bigger fonts are better for young children.

Name game. Zech searched for his own name. Placed paper shreds in a shoe box to cover up the names. Increased the challenge slightly by including names beginning with Z. Zech had to look closely to identify his name so he could not just look at the beginning letter Z alone.

It has been a good start for Zech. The next stage? Understanding the background and meaning of his name before moving gradually to writing.

Move, play, learn

Teaching a preschooler is fun but challenging. Zech has lots of energy that needs to be unleashed every day. So for him to nap well, I have to ensure he gets to exercise and sweat it out at home.

Tailoring learning to a child's preferences is really effective. Zech has been learning about shapes and colours. What's more fun and meaningful than to incorporate learning with working out his psycho-motor and fine motor skills? It's an integration of PE/Art with Math/Eng.

1. Bean bags in different shapes (bought them at Growing Fun) - I call out the name of a shape. Zech picks the correct shape and standing behind the nesting cups, he has to throw it into the basket.

 

 

2. Making shapes with playdough - Printed out these playdough mats from 3dinosaurs.com. Simple enough for Zech and good for him to focus on the properties of each shape. The best part for him is he gets to enjoy free play with the playdough after that!

3. Coloured bottles - Used food colouring to make the coloured bottles. I call out the colour. Zech has to transfer the correct coloured bottle from the tray to the basket. Then he crawls through the tunnel (bought from Ikea), out through the other side and runs back for the next colour. Can do many variations with this.

 

4. Sorting out pom poms into coloured paper tubes - Zech uses his pair of tongs to pick up the pom poms and puts them into the correct coloured tube.

 



 

 

While Zech is learning and having fun, my little one is also busy (if he isn't crying). To my surprise, he crawled into the tunnel and started exploring. He's really my little explorer. So adventurous!

 

 



He is making mini discoveries every day on his own. Discovering his own reflection in the mirror, banging plastic bowls together to make sounds and the wonder of the door stopper behind the bedroom door etc. Most of all, he likes destroying Zech's lego master pieces and train tracks.

 

His fav toy, plastic eggs. He loves to throw it, chase after it and even babble to it. He is, in his own way, learning about the world. It's really amazing to see how the little one progress without much help and stimulus from me.

 

Learning is indeed everywhere.



The river is calling...

Been planning to go to the River Safari this year. After constant reminders to Zech's papa to get the corporate pass, we were finally going.

Just before doing that, I spent some time with Zech reading up on pandas and piranhas. Borrowed the books from the library at Nex. Prepared a 'River Safari' lapbook too.

 

Zech tried some of the activities. Really glad he was looking forward to the trip!

So off to the River Safari we went on a weekday! Reached about 10 plus. Not many visitors! Mostly tourists. Cool!

At the entrance, Zech posed with the crocodile.

Giant otters! The first animals we visited at the Amazon Flooded Forest.

Manatee. Clumsy-looking but rather adorable. It was lunch time.

Zech didn't like to be in the dark as most of the animals in the Amazon zone were housed in the aquarium that mimics their natural river habitat. He was becoming disinterested until we came upon these.

Piranhas! Somehow, Zech was captivated by these small creatures with shiny scales.

Once we were out of the Amazon, Zech was relieved. He wanted to see the pandas. That seemed to be the highlight of the trip for Zech. He can't take the boat ride as his height doesn't qualify. Fortunately, he was very cooperative and waited patiently for us adults to take the boat ride before visiting Kai Kai and Jia Jia. 

 

He didn't miss much. Most of the animals were hiding somewhere.

 

 

 

 

Now for the highlight of the day! Zech was thrilled to see Kai Kai! He obligingly took pictures when I asked him to. See his happy face below?

 



 

 

We had lunch at the Mama Panda Kitchen.

 

All things panda! Really really cute! Food is average but, ambience is more important for me, so the panda theme made up for it.

 

 

After lunch, Zech visited the pandas again. This time, we saw Jia Jia sleeping.

 

 

Thanks to the pandas, Zech perked up and even dared to put his hand on the glass in front of the Yangtze alligator. This seemingly small creature looks harmless here but it apparently kills human. See how interested it is to see Zech?

 

 

 

The River Safari took us a good half day. We left around 1 plus. The boys were tired, especially Zech. Nathanael slept most of the time. He probably only saw the pandas and the stingray.

 

Bought this for Zech at the souvenir shop before we left. Quite an interactive book. Reading it to Zech was like having Kai Kai and Jia Jia talking to him.

 

Had a follow up with Zech the next day. We read the books before trying out the activities in the lapbook.

 

 

 

Zech fixed this panda puzzle before asking for a story about the pandas. That's what he usually does now after completing a puzzle. Seems like storytelling is a motivation for him to do puzzles.

 

 

 These few days, I hear Zech talking about the River Safari. If he were to go again, it's only for the pandas and yes, the boat ride when he's grown tall enough. It's panda frenzy at home now.