Personal thoughts on using My Father's World homeschool curriculum

I started MFW with Zech in July. We spent 10 days studying the creation story which is the foundation of the curriculum. Following that 2 weeks ago, we started the first unit 'S for sun'.

What I really like about the curriculum is the integration of subjects using the Bible as the focus. It's not all indoors and no play. In fact, the curriculum encourages exploration and outdoor learning.

Our first outdoor activity was at a nearby park. Very tedious to take along Nathanael and I had to use a baby carrier. But it was well worth the effort and time. Zech had a fun time reviewing the creation story and singing his fav songs after taking breakfast outdoor.

Last week, as Zech started learning how to form and write Ss, I realised there's just so much to learn about the sun which means light and thus the memory verse, Jesus is the light of the world. Each unit comprises 6 lessons and allows more depth in covering key concepts including application of the Bible verse. For me, I never never like touch and go method in teaching. Being comprehensive with lots of opportunities to explore and varied hands-on activities and seat work customized according to my child's interest and ability is my most important methodology. In MFW, I can do exactly that.

MFW is also a literature-based approach which goes along with my belief of teaching from books. There's a long book list related to the sun in the teacher's guide. Borrowed some of them from the library.

Love the stories and info books.

The recommended activities in MFW are very interesting and fun to do. Most importantly, they are simple and easy for Zech.

Craft, Science, Language Arts, Math and Bible are all integrated into each unit lesson.

Sun craft to remind Zech that Jesus is the light of the world.  Zech painted the circle yellow then paste strips of yellow and orange around it. Idea from http://mamajenn.com/blog/2011/09/ss-for-sun-mfw-kindergarten-printable.html

Learning about shadows and using a sun dial to tell the time as compared to our modern clock.

We also grew bean plants and monitor its growth every day.


Tactile activities - Use of pom poms to form S. Writing in a salt tray is Zech's fav too!

 

Do a dot markers are another fav! Zech did some threading as well, which he doesn't really enjoy but still did it without complaining. :)

 



Love the suggested activities in the teacher's guide that allows kids to make their own snacks.

Following a lesson on how raisins are made from grapes, Zech made his own snack with raisins, bananas and peanut butter. Minimum prep for me! We also put some grapes out in the sun to make 'raisins' and observed the changes daily.

 Sun bread for morning breakfast.

Learning numbers, counting and calendar time are done daily. For Math, I supplemented with quite a few of my own activities  and worksheets which I got online. I find just following MFW to teach Math is not sufficient.  

Zech's fav number game! He enjoys jumping on the numbers I call out.

 

 

Ordered the 'Cuisenaire Rods Alphabet Book' together with the curriculum. Guided Zech to use the Cuisenaire Rods to form shapes. These rods were part of my teacher resources a long time ago. Put to good use now.

 

 

 

 

Printed out some handwriting worksheets for Zech too as I find those given by MFW are insufficient. He needs lots of practice in his handwriting!

 

MFW is a wonderful homeschool curriculum! It may seem simple for our kids here but it's really up to the parent to decide how broad the coverage should be for a child. This curriculum allows the flexibility to add on and supplement. Most importantly, the units are thematic using a literature-based approach and this, for me, is most ideal in teaching pre-schoolers.

 

If you are keen to know more, do visit their website at http://www.mfwbooks.com/products/M50/20/0/0/1#details.







My Father's World week 1

Was apprehensive about starting formal school with Zech. A week ago, I was still contemplating if I should go ahead with our formal homeschool plans. After much analysis and observation, I decided to try out using 'My Father's World' curriculum starting on 30 Jun.

Zech may be lacking in his fine motor skills thus affecting the progress of his handwriting. However, in many other ways, he is prepared for formal schooling and ready to learn more. His zest for learning and enthusiasm to start school are the main reasons. As the day for starting school drew nearer, I found myself planning and preparing, careful not to leave any ground untouched. After all, it's my first time teaching a pre-schooler and I don't want to have too many surprises.

On the first day, Zech really surprised me. He couldn't wait to begin lessons with Mummy! He was super attentive and responsive. We started with reading the Bible about God's creation before progressing to more academic stuff. Ended the lesson with a game. After lunch, we listened to a piece of classical music by Mozart.

2 very enthusiastic boys. One busy looking at the cover of the cd while the other clapped his little hands along to the beat of the music. That was truly classical music appreciation.

Snippets of homeschool day 2 to 4...

Realised Zech has improved so much in painting. He can now show me the correct strokes when using the paintbrush. Love the way he's painting now. More patient and careful when painting the edges.

With a baking tray and Melissa and Doug wooden alphabets and numbers., Zech reviewed the letters and numerals with me then on his own.

Letter hunting at home. Zech loves this!

 

We hunted for numerals outside too. In the lift, on the letter boxes and car plates.

The boys were introduced to classical music by Mozart this week. We did listening activity, music and movement, silent reading and painting while listening to Mozart. The music does have a positive calming effect on the boys. In fact, Zech likes Mozart so much he has been asking to listen to his music.

Zech's creation booklet from day 1 to 4.

Homeschool is not without its challenges. Not every day is a fine day for the kids. I struggle through at various times but told myself to persevere. With 2 active boys, I must often keep the younger one occupied or think of how to get him involved in Zech's lessons. Really thankful that Nathanael is able to play independently recently. Just a container filled with building blocks and an empty biscuit box can keep him engaged for some time. If something doesn't work, I need to modify or look for alternatives. Need lots and lots of patience and creativity. Thank God I'm enjoying most parts of homeschooling and most importantly it's the process that matters and not the product. Using God's creation to teach facts and knowledge is definitely very different from what I was taught in kindergarten in the past. It's also so much more meaningful,knowing that my boy will be grounded biblically and spiritually. Certainly a great and warm approach for young kids to know God as our Heavenly Father who created all the wonders in the world.

Climb climb up sunshine mountain...

The first Chinese character Zech knows and recognizes was 山. Ever since then, he has been fascinated with his mental image of a mountain. One day, he told me, 'Mummy, I want to climb up a mountain.' I agreed of course.

That was how on a Saturday morning, we ended up at Bukit Timah Hill. I'm a nature lover and deeply desire my boys to be like me. There's no better learning than outdoor education surrounded by God's wonderful creation.

Zech was raring to go up the hill. The first part was quite tedious as we walked up a steep slope. It became more gradual later. When I saw a resting spot, I asked Zech if he wanted to take a break. To my surprise, he didn't want to. So on we continued our ascent.

Climb climb up sunshine mountain
Heavenly breezes blow
Climb climb up sunshine mountain
Faces all aglow

That was our theme song and Zech enjoyed asking me to sing in both English and Mandarin. Thank God I attended Chinese Sunday School when I was little then taught in English Sunday School later! Along the way, I told him to look at the tall trees and even tried pointing out lichens to him. Not sure if he was interested. But he was definitely very keen to reach the summit. We met some friendly hikers on the way and some were really encouraging. One of them even told Zech that he was doing a good job and to keep it up. That kept my boy in high spirits I guess.

Once we reached the summit, it was snack time.

 



We had our little break before heading back down the hill.

This time, we took the summit path. Descending was much easier though the steps and dirt track were rather challenging for Zech. But we saw butterflies and monkeys as we descended. That perked Zech up. Although he complained a little as there were just too many steps and I had to distract him by counting steps with him, we made it to the end of the summit path. After that, walking was a breeze.

This is an easy trail for families with young children. We have taken route 1 red trail.  It was great to be out there enjoying the warm sun and shady trees while surrounded by the sounds of the cicadas and birds in the forest. To encourage Zech, a certificate was presented to him. Now he's very motivated and looking forward to our next hiking trail.

This was but a small first step to exploring God's creation and to prepare the boys for longer hikes and higher mountains. If anyone is keen, visit the Bukit Timah Reserve before it closes to the public from 15 Sept onwards for repairs and restoration works.

Chinese hol programme at Chengzhu Mandarin Centre

I've always found it hard to sign up Zech for classes. Either I find the environment lacking in some aspects or the teachers not fully equipped and adequate in certain areas. This Jun hols, I decided to sign up Zech for the Chinese holiday programme at Chengzhu, the Mandarin branch of Julia Gabriel at Rochester Mall. Have heard and read good reviews about Chengzhu though it's a relatively new player in the market.

Zech attended the programme, 'Adventures with the little bat' for 5 days every morning from 11.30am to 1.30pm. This programme focuses on cultural immersion using lots of dramatization, songs and play. No word recognition and writing at all. Cultivating interest in learning and encouraging the little ones to speak in Mandarin is the key goal in the programme.

On the first day at Chengzhu, I was really impressed with the high standard of cleanliness for the N1 and N2. This playground is just outside the N1 and N2 classes and is solely for the younger ones to play.

The classrooms look very well-maintained and clean too which is very important for young kids. Class size was capped at 10. Quite reasonable. There was a teacher assistant with the teacher. Throughout the week, I could see lots of interaction between the teachers and the kids. The glass panel on the door of the classroom allows parents to see what is going on. The teacher shared stories, poems and songs to keep the kids engaged. What I really like was the use of dramatization. The teacher would dress up as the little bat while the teacher assistant dressed up as other insects. The lights were switched off and the spotlights turned on to resemble a theatre. Very cool I thought. The setting captured Zech's attention.

Although there was no writing, there was Chinese ink painting. Felt it was good exposure for Zech. The teachers helped the kids quite a fair bit I think.

At the end of the day, 5 minutes before class was over, the teacher would come out and brief the parents who were waiting about what was done and the overall progress of the kids. Didn't expect this at all. After the class, the teacher was very approachable whenever I asked about Zech's progress. She sounded experienced too. In fact, I noticed the teachers in all the N1 and N2 classes were consistent in delivering the lessons. All the teachers were very lively and expressive. No wonder the kids were intrigued.

On the last day, what impressed me most of all was the half hour open class for parents to sit in and watch the kids perform. A day before, the teacher had briefed the parents so we knew what to expect. During the half hour open class, I could see that the kids were well trained in introducing themselves and presenting their class performance. Though Zech was not confident enough to complete his speech (he could only manage one line), the teacher was encouraging and prompted him till he was done with his introduction. After all the kids were done with their introduction, they presented the stories, poems and songs they have learned in a week with the teachers. Very entertaining for the parents!

The hol programme at Chengzhu Mandarin Centre was a very positive one for Zech. Since then, I've been reading the stories of the little bat and singing the songs together with him almost every night.

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/