When Coby Becomes President of the Philippines

After learning about the Philippine government and it's role, a significant change has happened to Coby. One of the things I noticed was how keen he was on following the rules of the land. After paying for an item at the toy store, he asked me if we already paid the taxes for the toy. I told him that yes, we did because the price already included taxes. He would be very conscious about paying the right taxes, people's rights, following rules and not following rules.

One day, while we were walking home quietly, a motorcycle suddenly came out of nowhere and almost hit us. The incident made Coby really angry and blurted out, "Mama, when I become the president of the Philippines, motorcycles are illegal!' He said it with much conviction.

He still has a lot more "laws" to make when he becomes the president of the Philippines and here are some of his ideas:

• Motorcycles are not allowed to drive on the sidewalks. 
• Dog-eating is illegal. 
• Making animal skin products is illegal. 
• Motorcycles are not allowed to go fast inside villages only on highways. 
• Making "siga" is very illegal but you won't be arrested. 
• Smoking in apartments are not allowed anymore. 
• Selling fake DVDs, video games and PC games are illegal. 
• Toxic items are not allowed like China-made toys. 
• Littering in important places are illegal like the house of Jose Rizal and other historical places
• Plenty of recycling factories should be opened.
• Recycle materials to useful furniture and toys.
• There should be guards in places were people can use spray paint and vandalize.
• Poor people including the homeless should not pay for their hospital bills. The government will pay for it using the money that they don't need. 
• Kids should know more about outer space and astronomy so we should open our own space station. There should be schools where kids can sign up and learn about space called SASC or Space Astronomy Studying Center. 
• People cannot use shark's fin for soup.
• There will be new Sea Patrols working day and night to see if anyone has drowned.
• Sea Patrol units guarding the oceans should help other people from other countries who need help. 

These were just some of his ideas. I don't what else he will come up with... :-)

Homemade School Uniform

Teaching the kids at home is so convenient. They don't have to wake up early, rush breakfast and hop in the school bus just to make to school on time. I don't have to keep their uniforms pearly white and neatly pressed. I don't like ironing that's why!

But sometimes they get too comfortable with learning at home that being in their house clothes or even in their pajamas sets the "lazy or slow" mood.  So, when I started years ago, I made it a point to get Coby some decent shirts, not necessarily going out clothes, to wear as his "school uniform".  For him, there should be some sense of "formality" but we're not "that" formal really :-) It's like setting the tone for him everyday that we have school today and we go to our study area or "classroom".

And because Jianne is now officially enrolled also, I decided to that they should have their uniform and that we create them! I got the idea from a college batch mate, who I think is a Martha-Stewart in the making. In her blog, she shared how to make your own stenciled T-shirt. It looked so easy and it was! The difficult part was cutting the template but the rest is easy. We enjoyed it too much that I will make one for me and my husband soon. I did not give the details of the project but I included a link to her blog here http://homeeconanay.blogspot.com Thanks Irene!

By the way, don't forget to wear face masks especially when painting on the template. It's better if you do it outdoors :-)

Ironing the template on the shirt

jianne painting on the template

homeschool sister

Kuya's turn

Peel off! Peel off! Peel Off!

wearing it proudly 

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead,where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. Ecclesiates 9:10

An Onion Aha Moment

It's been almost a month since we started our school year and Coby hasn't opened his Science book yet. I was unsure whether to use the old Science curriculum or get a new one for his fourth grade. Though I really wanted to use the new one, Singapore Science, I opted the old one, Science by Scott Foresman. And because of that, I delayed studying Science because at the back of my mind, I knew I would change curriculum very soon.

Unfortunately, Coby cannot hold his enthusiasm anymore in Science. He was so eager to jump right in and just do it. In fact, he was reading his textbook as soon as we bought it. He is our Science boy. He loves Science so much that depriving him of the "did-you-know-facts" is like telling him not to draw or keeping all his art materials.

So finally, I decided to start with cells, which was the first lesson in the textbook. It would have been great to have our own microscope but Google Images can substitute in the meantime. We talked about the onion and how it looked like under the microscope. Told him to compare and contrast the onion with and without the microscope.



In order to make your lessons really interesting and get your child's attention, you need to KNOW your child. What are his interests, what makes him excited... At 9 years old, he still loves building with his Lego and K'Nex. So I integrated Lego building with cells. How each lego block or piece is connected to each other to make one house, a car or whatever. Cells are the same. They are called the building blocks of life because life indeed starts with just a single cell. Same cells performing the same function are grouped together to form a tissue. A group of tissue to form an organ. Organs then form an entire system then all the systems connected to each other to create a living organism, whether an animal, a plant or a baby.

As we repeated the process over and over, he had his aha moment. He said, "So, Mama, are you saying that's how I was formed inside your tummy? I started with a cell, then tissue, then organ and then became a person?" With my eyes sparkling with delight at how he connected our lesson to his own life, I eagerly answered, "Yes!"

His eyes grew big and I could really sense that he GOT it. He kept saying, "That's awesome!" He appreciated how God created minute living cells to form an organism, a man in his own image.  I immediately put a note in my lesson notebook to remind me of the day that Coby had that aha moment.

One of the best things about homeschooling is that not only does the child learns the lesson and memorize it  but he learns life lessons without memorizing and connecting all lessons to his life and to God. There are times we intentionally integrate love for God in the lessons but most of the time God really intervenes and allows His lessons to be learned by the child personally.  Thank you God for allowing Coby to see You in our lesson today. May you forever be praised!

 

 ¹³ You created the deepest parts of my being. 
      You put me together inside my mother's body. 
 ¹⁴ How you made me is amazing and wonderful. 
      I praise you for that. 
   What you have done is wonderful. 
      I know that very well. 
 ¹⁵ None of my bones was hidden from you 
      when you made me inside my mother's body. 
      That place was as dark as the deepest parts of the earth. 
   When you were putting me together there, 
    ¹⁶ your eyes saw my body even before it was formed. 
   You planned how many days I would live. 
      You wrote down the number of them in your book 
      before I had lived through even one of them.  Psalm 139:13-16

Old and New

Our school year just started this week. Prior to enrollment, my husband and I were "mapping out" where our homeschooling area would be. Since our apartment now is bigger than our previous one, I feel more excited to teach the kids. I follow other homeschooling mom bloggers and got ideas from their own homeschooling set up. I would just drool at how these families created a homeschooling room for their kids. Since we have a limited space, we are confined to having  just an area instead of a room. Lots of great ideas at organizing, de-cluttering (believe me, there will be  A LOT of clutter) in our own school at home and just creative ways of using ordinary house items.  I realized that we really don't need to buy anything new.  For weeks my husband would frequent ACE Hardware, furniture stores and even thought of doing our own bookshelves ourselves but we calculated the cost.... ah, maybe next time.

But when we came home one afternoon after enrolling the kids, we just decided to move things around. Put this here, put that there. We had saved a used biscuit container and turned it into a mini pen organizer. You see, every time we start school, my first question would be, "where is your pencil?" Usually, it would take minutes before they find a decent one. Though I gave each of them their own pencil case, somehow the pencils don't end up there. So with the pen organizer, all the pencils, markers, erasers, scissors are put together in one container and every time they need it, they just take the whole container and put it on the table. I just have to remind them to put them back in the same container so we could easily find them again the next day. So far, this idea is working, thank God!



The first consumable item that runs out easily is the scotch tape. Why? Well, our eldest is not only into drawing and painting, he is also into recycling and crafting. When he sits down and creates something out of nothing, our dear old scotch tape would be the "victim". Soon after completing his craft projects, it would lying somewhere around the house. Jianne, our little girl, on the other hand, would create mini books for herself and would use up our colored paper, construction paper, bond paper and even scratch papers.  She would be busy on the floor drawing and creating her own story books. And these too would be scattered all over the house. So hubby and decided to get a mini filing cabinet for their projects, and also our supplies. Mind you, this was the only thing we purchased, every thing else is reused and recycled from our existing stuff. The mini cabinet houses our all our supplies, from tape to papers and they each have their own drawers to keep their projects, their drawings and whatever crafts they make. Organized cabinet, working fine.



Encouraging kids to read at a very young age, is for me, one of the best influence any parent can give to his or her child. Reading and love of  books would definitely take them anywhere, figuratively and literally. The kids have lots of books at home but are kept in a cabinet upstairs. I was encouraged by one blogger because she made it a point to have a reading nook in their homeschool room. So I decided to take out all the books from the cabinet and take them to our area and create a small nook where they can just pick up a book and read. To make it more comfortable, I got an old rug and placed it strategically in front of the books to get them to reading. When we called the kids to show our completed homeschool area, the first place they checked out was the reading nook. They got a book, sat on the rug and read until it was time to eat!



I pray to God that this year would really be different from the rest of our homeschooling years. I was not afraid to try a new curriculum which I know would help my son. It may be more expensive than the previous one I know that it would create a different attitude in him. I believe he would be more confident to do his Math with the Singapore Math, My Pals are Here. In fact, when he opened the textbook, he got so excited because of the visuals seen on the pages. And when his Papa began to teach him the first day, both of them enjoyed. The curriculum even has games to encourage retention and practice for the child. Why didn't I heard of this before????

For the little one, as soon as we came home with the books, she wanted to start school right away. After doing the dishes that night, she came to me and said that she wanted to do school that moment. I told her that she can check out her books and do school the following week. I told her I have to "study" her lessons too. She agreed but kept bugging me to start every day since then.

With a new mindset, a new set of goals, a more directed homeschooling plan, our family is so hyped with school.  I had learned from my mistakes in the past and admittedly I had to learn them the hard way. But we have a gracious God who will equip, encourage and inspire us to do great things not only for our kids but for Him as well.  All that we are now is not because of our own doing, but because of our Lord who strengthens us and connects us with the right people. Everything  is all for His glory.

⁴ “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.^[a] 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. ⁸ Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. ⁹ Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-8

 

While Waiting

Being married to a teacher has it's perks.  Hubby usually comes home with bags filled with gifts from parents, students and co-teachers especially at the end of school year and before the Christmas break.  One memorable gift from the class was a box of Twinings tea. I love tea! The bags were encased in this special wooden box with small compartments that I just don't want to touch any of it. 

 

Most of the time he would be blessed with gift certificates from Rustan's, SM, Starbucks and Fully Booked. All of which we are so grateful for!

It was a rainy first day of school for most of the students of the Metro. But for our homeschooling bunch, we headed to Fully Booked in Bonifacio Global City to finally redeem our GC.

Since Jianne is formally starting school this year, I was in search for school books for her. Unfortunately, we were pressed for time because our "Prinicipal" had a tutoring stint that day. For almost two hours, we searched the entire building for books. There were tons of chapter books for boys but Coby was not too keen on getting chapter books since he has other books at home he hasn't read. He was searching for encyclopedia-like-sci-fi book but when we found one, it was way over budget. We need to get something for everybody, that's our rule.

So finally, we found an origami plane set. It was way too cool! He couldn't wait to open that bright orange box. For our little girl, we got her a Little Bear level 1 reader book, her own choice of Princess book and a 300-page huge coloring book...now that's a lot of coloring! We also got them their favorite Princess Diaries DVD and The Tale of Despereaux DVD.

Papa got his car magazine and I got my food magazine. Everybody happy!

We were out of the bookstore just before 1PM to grab a quick lunch before hubby goes to work. He gobbled up his lunch at McDonald's and hurried to the nearby condo where his student stays.

After the kids and I finished our meal, I decided to take them walking along the busy streets of BGC. We saw different restaurants, some peculiar looking, while some are dainty. We were walking slowly just to pass the time and until we reached the frontage of The Mind Museum. We haven't been there and we will surely visit one of these days. Soon, we headed back to McDonald's and ordered a double caramel sundae while waiting for our papa. We were supposed to go to Market Market but I am not used to driving in that area with strict traffic rules.  So I just told the kids we can do something fun while waiting. The kids were getting bored in McDonald's so we headed to the open parking area.

Instead of waiting in the car, I decided to wait outside and let the kids run around an open space near the parking lot. The place was so windy and the kids were enjoying the cool breeze. While waiting, they run, pretended to be giants and did their version of Temple Run. I was happy because the kids were not bored anymore but were just enjoying playing with each other, laughing, and taking pictures. Slight drizzle ended our Temple Run adventure and we headed to the car and soon papa arrived just in time.

 

Two Peas in a Pod

My husband and I are blessed to have a boy and a girl. When I was pregnant with Coby, we prayed that it would be a boy. God blessed us with a happy baby boy. The second time we found out we were having another child, we again prayed for a girl to complete the Brady Bunch. In His graciousness God gave us our little princess.

Two different individuals coming from the same parents. Indeed each child is unique. No one is exactly the same. Even twins are not exactly the same. We, as parents, should celebrate their differences. Our kids were created wonderfully and fearfully by our Creator, of course, including us.

Just for fun I wanted to look at how different our two kids are...

During my pregnancy...I gained so much weight when i was pregnant with Coby and had not much morning sickness but with Jianne, I was skinny and had a sensitive first trimester.

Breast feeding... Coby was breast fed for only two to three months while Jianne was at it until she was almost three years old.

Putting the baby to sleep... Coby easily gets startled with the slightest noise and has trouble falling asleep while Jianne will easily fall asleep while being breastfed.

Language skills... Both started talking early by age one.

Love language... Coby feels loved when you do something for him. He appreciates you when you put syrup on his pancake. He feels loved when you prepare food for him or make him anything. His
love language is service. Jianne on the other hand is very clingy, very attached. She enjoys hugs, kisses, scratching her back and brushing her hair. She craves physical touch as she herself generously showers you with hugs and squeezes.

Food... Coby enjoys gourmet dishes. He wants sophisticated food at times. He does not like "lutong Bahay". He would always request that we eat in restaurants or asks me to prepare something different. He eats a lot when dining out. He calls himself a "fruitatarian" because he loves all kinds of fruits. Jianne craves for sinigang, nilaga, typical pinoy dishes but does not eat much when we eat out. She does not care much fruit except for mango and banana but would finish the okra in sinigang and eat broccoli with her fingers.

Coby is the talker in the family. His voice would always fill the house. Jianne is quiet, a bit reserved, quite shy too.

Learning style...Coby is a visual learner. He learns best with visually attractive curriculum and materials. Maybe that's why he is into art. He paints and draws well too. I still have to find out Jianne's primary learning style but I could see that she may be an auditory or kinesthetic learner. She loves music and dancing.

There are still a lot more waiting to be discovered from these two blessings. I just pray that God would allow me to witness all their milestones in life. I also pray that despite their differences, they would continue to love each other no matter what and wherever God takes them.

How We Won an iPad at the Philippine Homeschool Conference

If we built a school from the ground up based on how children learn best, we’d build a HOME. – Debra Bell

The Homeschool Association of the Philippine Islands (HAPI) recently concluded the 4th Philippine Homeschool Conference last May 19, 2012. Throngs of homeschooling dads and moms along with prospective homeschooling families flocked the 5th floor of St. Francis Square to attend this blessed event.

Hubby and I arrived a little after 8 am and we saw most of the seats at the plenary occupied already, good sign  As we headed to the registration, I saw a glimpse of  a mini  orchestra of homeschooled kids on stage serenading the delegates.

I was surprised to find out that the DepEd representative, Mr. Tonisito Umali, also homeschooled his son while transitioning from the United States to the Philippines. He believed that the parents have the responsibility of delivering the basic foundation of their children’s education. He narrated some of the programs of the department that addresses the issue of lack of classrooms, which is somehow patterned to homeschooling.

Catholic Filipino Academy founder, Bo Sanchez, delivered his message with wit. While sharing his personal experiences on homeschooling his kids, he encouraged the delegates by citing that children receive worth, wisdom and the Word when they are homeschooled. He added that the highest priority of the parents is to develop a relationship with their children and homeschooling is the best environment to do that.

Pioneer homeschooling mom and author of the book, “The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling”, Debra Bell, affirmed our family’s decision to homeschool four years ago. She talked about why homeschooling works. She said that kids learn best when they are able to process things using their five senses. Homeschooling caters to the multi-sensory approach in learning as they experience first hand the lessons taught at home. Homeschooling works because of its academic advantages such as independent learning, acceleration if need be or remediation. She added that homeschoolers have the advantage of being mentored by adults and  influenced by positive older peers.

As my husband and I listened intently to Ms. Debra Bell, we acknowledged that there is still A LOT more to learn. Though we have been doing this for four years, we need talks like these to be better parent-teachers. The old way of doing homeschooling in our family simply does not work and it only wears us down. With new insights and wisdom from the Lord, I am looking forward to the next school year. We pray that our home and the world be the best classroom for our kids.

On the aside, after pre-registering for the conference, I found out that four iPads will be given away. As much as we want to get one for the family, it’s not on our NEED list but on the WANT list. Since enrollment is just a month away, purchasing this tablet would be on hold indefinitely. I shared to the hubby and the kids that iPads would be given away at the conference. So daily, we prayed that God does not give us only our need but also our want.

The day of the conference, my husband and I were both pumped and just excited to learn more. Towards the end of the program, minor prizes were being given. My husband won a tumbler and a USB from TMA. After announcing the winners minor prizes, the hosts went up the stage for the grand prize. Three names were called and everybody was cheering for the winner. I almost lost hope for the iPad, I said, it’s okay Lord, maybe it’s not for us. When the lady slowly shouted the winning ticket number, “4…0… ( My heart was pounding at this time, please say 1 or 2, 1 or 2) and then 2! Wilfred Agbayani!”

I jumped from my seat and grabbed my husband. I even hugged the person in front of us, who we just met. What a way to end the day, indeed! Thank you Lord for this bonus for the family! We would surely use it for our homeschooling.

first win of the day, 2 movie tickets at any ayala cinema



won another minor prize, TMA tumbler and 2G USB



and the winner is ticket number 4…0..2!!!

Winning and Losing

 Galations 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (NIV)

Three weeks ago, Jianne, our 5-year-old, attended her first Daily Vacation Bible School (DVBS) in our church. It was a 2-day affair with a culmination activity on the third day. During the culmination, the kids get to dance to the songs they learned for the past two days. Following the song and dance and video showing, the awarding ceremony followed. Awards were given to kids who were most attentive, most obedient and who were best in crafts. Two students from each grade level were awarded with a certificate and a toy. I was unaware that Jianne was anxiously waiting for her name to be called. Every time the awards were Prep were announced, she would sit at the edge of her chair getting ready to stand up. One of her seatmates got an award and she proudly showed it to Jianne. I think this really did it for her. After the awards were given, she looked at me with angry eyes. She blurted out, "I don't want to attend this anymore. I don't like it!" "Why?" I prodded knowing what the reason for her anger. I gently told her that it's okay if she doesn't get an award since it was her first time to join DVBS. She wouldn't listen and was moping until the event was over.

When this little girl's mood turns sour, it's difficult to bring her back. Her Papa tried to console her but she just wouldn't budge. As we exited the sanctuary, the kids were given loot bags and tumblers as souvenirs. Those were not enough to cheer her up. While in the car, her Papa and I explained to her that not all the time she will be receiving an award or prize for something she did. She did not listen and her face showed how disappointed she was.

We headed to the toy store afterwards to buy Coby's gift from my mother. Mommy sent Coby money for his birthday and asked if we could just pick out the gift for him. I told Jianne that we would pick out a gift for Kuya and that I could her something simple (meaning cheap) because she did well on her first DVBS and danced well too. She said she did not want any thing but after much prodding she finally gave in. What child wouldn't want any toy? So we got her something really simple and she was happy after that.

As construction worker

The following night, we got a set of Pick-Up-Sticks for the family. While the family was playing, I noticed that Jianne was getting frustrated again because she could not get any of the sticks on the floor. Every time she tries to pick up one, the other sticks would move. After a few tries, she just gave up. She stood up and walked out on us. We called her back and she was sulking. Her Papa and I, again, explained to her that she doesn't always have to win the game. I told her it's her first time to play Pick-Up-Sticks and it's not easy to play it. I taught them some techniques on how to make sure the other sticks won't move. I added that if she really wanted to be good at it, she has to practice and practice. The same thing she did in her ballet class. When she started her ballet lessons there were some steps that she found difficult to execute but because of practice she mastered the steps.

After that, almost every night, Jianne and I would play Pick-Up-Sticks together. She is getting the hang of it and she is getting more sticks now! The last game we played, I won but it didn't bother her anymore. She was just happy to have gotten more sticks than in the previous games.

We would always tell the kids that in a game there would be winners and losers. Sometimes we're the winners and at times we're at the losing end. It feels good to win, of course, but more importantly is how you played the game. If we really gave our best and yet somebody else got the trophy, it disheartening but that's how it is. We need to accept that. Maybe in another game, we will be winners too.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (NIV)

Join the Philippine Homeschool Conference 2012

You might be hearing about homeschooling from friends or relatives and you are clueless about it. What is homeschooling all about? Join us at the Philippine Homeschool Conference 2012 on May 19, 2012 at the 5th floor of St. Francis Square Ortigas and discover the best education you can give your kids. Conference is a whole day affair from 8 am to 4pm. Learn from a homeschooler pioneer, Debra Bell, best-selling author of "Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling" and other Philippine-based homeschoolers and pioneers. Visit www.hapihomeschooler.com for more details. See you at the conference!

The Holistic Homeschooler: 10 Ways to Ensure Homeschool Burnout

As I searched the net for activities for the kids during the break, I was led to this site. This would serve as a reminder for me as we get ready for another homeschooling year. Credits to Michelle for this blog.

The Holistic Homeschooler: 10 Ways to Ensure Homeschool Burnout: In the homeschool community, we hear about homeschool burnout. Many of us have experienced it. There are many things written about how this ...http://holistichomeschooler.blogspot.com/2012/03/10-ways-to-ensure-homeschool-burnout.html

Completed

Coby completed third grade! It was a turbulent homeschooling year for the family. There were just too much to deal with last year. Moving out of my parents' house and venturing out on our own. Chores, chores and more chores. Jianne started homeschooling too. In and out of the house because of ballet and art lessons. Noisy and stressful neighbor. Online job but gave it up eventually. And a growing 8-year-old boy.

 I am ashamed to narrate the gory details of how I acted during the school year not only as a mom but a teacher as well, but by the grace of God, I know I have been forgiven and I am forward.

The negative experiences not only highlighted my weakness and how I really needed God to watch over me every second of the day but it also opened my eyes to what God wants me to do. How he wants me to respond and not react, to speak softly and not to shout, to let go of situations I have no control of and to be patient with others and myself.

Here are some of my aha moments the past school year:

• Whether you're a homeschooling mom or not, it is a necessity to have a  personal quiet time with the Creator before you start your day. It may 10 minutes or 1 hour, as long as you commit the rest of the day to Him, I am sure the troubles of the day would have less impact on you compared to having no time with Him at all.

• I saw that our homeschooling year for the third year lacked planning and scheduling. Because I just had too much to do doesn't give me the excuse not to plan appropriately the lessons to be covered. Whether you're new at home education or a pro, I believe nothing beats a parent-teacher who is prepared with the lessons and has extra tricks up her sleeves when the need arises. Diligence in planning and consistency in implementing need to be developed. 

• If the emotions are running high, run away from it. Don't let your frustration and anger get the best of you and hurt your child. You know yourself. You know what makes you lose it. So before you finally explode and do crazy things, stop and run away from the situation. Tell your child, you just need to step away for a while, you need a time out. Go somewhere where they cannot see you and breathe. Calm down and PRAY! There is no urgent need that a mother whose top is about to blow! Cry out to God to help you and I assure you, He will give you the grace you need for that moment. 

• Parenting skills and homeschooling work together. If you have not developed good parenting skills, you might find it difficult to to teach your child at home. How can you expect your child to do what is asked of him or her if obedience is not a trait demanded at home. I am not a parent expert but I seek older parents who share the same values as I do. Read books or blogs on parenting that are biblical and whose aim is encourage you to  be a God-centered family. 

There are a lot more aha moments this year but I focused on these first. I know I would be adding more to the list as the days go by. 

As I computed Coby's final grades, I was amazed at the improvement. I showed him his grades and he was happy with it too. I thanked him for  being patient with me and bearing with my flaws. Although, he is not yet graduating, I feel it's like a graduation of some sort for both us. Graduating from the childish ways and facing the challenges in a mature and Christlike way. We are both looking forward to the fourth grade with a new perspective,  healed hearts and a new home. To God be the glory. 

School Starts at Home: What You Should Know About Homeschooling

It was a sunny Tuesday morning at the first day of swim camp.  The coach guided the boys and girls to the other side of the pool, while their moms settled on the benches nearby.  One mom initiated a conversation with another mom, “So where does you child go to school?” The mom would then reply with a smile, “Oh, he is homeschooled.”  She paused for a while before replying while the other moms listened in the conversation.  “Oh, home school,” she looked puzzled.  “How about his socialization,” she further inquired.  The homeschooling mom asked back, “What about it?”

Socialization starts at home

As a homeschooling mom now for three years, the question on socialization would always be raised whenever I reveal that we are a homeschooling family.  I would patiently explain that socialization is never an issue with homeschooled kids as some would assume.  The Encarta dictionary says that to socialize means to take part in a social activity or behave in a friendly way to others.  ‘Social activity’ and ‘behaving in a friendly way to others’ is not confined solely inside the classroom amidst 40 or so classmates.  A child can be friendly in any social setting, may it be in the kitchen with mom and the helper, in the playroom with a younger or older sibling, in the neighbourhood, in church, in family get-togethers—name it, there is always a place where a child can “socialize”.  I believe that socialization really starts at home, as soon as the baby is born.  The baby’s first connects with the mom, the dad, brothers or sisters, the grandparents, helpers, relatives and friends.   The parents’ values, behaviour and manners are unintentionally or sometimes intentionally modelled to the children.  Homeschooling encourages bonding with the family and for parents to teach and model character traits that teach independence, responsibility, confidence and respect. 

Math in the Kitchen

One homeschooling program’s slogan says, “The world is my classroom!”  How fun would that be if the whole world or the universe is your classroom! Our son and I studied Science in the garden as we planted new seeds, cared for them and watched them grow.   He appreciated the lesson about caring for the earth so he practices the three R’s Reduce, Reuse, Recycle at home.   He is fond of creating artwork from old cereal boxes, cans or disposable containers.   We learned fractions in the kitchen by cutting one slice of bread into small squares and putting different spreads on top, 1/6 has peanut butter, 2/6 has strawberry jam and 3/6 has Cheez Whiz.  Our son loves to write love letters, so his grammar and writing skills are being developed constantly.  One homeschooling family shares that for social studies, they took a trip to Kawit, Cavite to visit the Aguinaldo shrine, the site where our country’s independence was declared.   Joy, another homeschooling mother of 4, takes her boys to the park along with crayons, paintbrushes and lots and lots paper to draw and paint whatever they see.  Homeschooling can be done anywhere.  Homeschooling families are not prisoners of the home.     

Homeschooling accredited by DEPED

The Department of Education has allowed homeschool programs to operate provided such programs are under the umbrella of a formal or traditional school.  Prospective homeschooling families can choose from a variety of homeschooling programs available including The Master’s Academy Homeschool Department located in St. Francis Square Ortigas, Pasig City (www.tmahomeschool.org), The Catholic  Filipino Academy in Chicago Street Cubao, Quezon City (http://catholicfilipinoacademy.com), Victory Christian School in Parkway Avenue Bonifacio Global City (8171212), The Living Heritage Academy of the Philippine School of Tomorrow located in Levitown Executive Village Don Bosco Paranaque City (8224433).  For more information on other homeschool programs, visit the Department of Education website www.deped.gov.ph.

More time to develop child’s skills and gifts/talents

The concept of homeschooling allows the children to spend more time in special skills or interests.  Since DEPED requires that homeschooling program adheres to the government curriculum, Music, Arts and P.E. (MAPE) classes are required.  Whether the child is interested in sports, music or art, he or she can attend any classes offered by the homeschooling programs or elsewhere.  MAPE classes are a venue for homeschooled kids to meet other kids.   Since these kids meet regularly they eventually become friends and can schedule playtime with them outside the MAPE classes.  Support whatever interests the kids are inclined to. Who knows they might turn out to be the next Albert Einstein, Beethoven, Eric Buhain, Lisa Macuja or Lea Salonga.  Aubrey, a homeschooling mom of two, says that homeschooling gave her daughter the freedom to explore her dreams of becoming a ballerina.  During her elementary days, Alex would have school in the morning with mom and pursue ballet in the afternoons and sometimes including weekends.  Now Alex is part of a prestigious ballet company in the country and has also been competing internationally in ballet competitions. 

Character is priority

When my mother who is in the U.S. learned that we plan to homeschool our first child, she was not really enthusiastic about it and I understand why.  She would argue that my brothers and I grew in traditional schools and we ended up okay.  But growing up in the 80’s is far more different than growing up these days.  Kids these days are so in a hurry to grow up that you can’t keep up with them.  An 11-year-old girl would beg her mom to allow her to have a boyfriend.  Young boys think it’s cool to smoke and tease other boys who don’t.  Sad to say but in the generation that we are living in now, it’s not all academics, it’s not how intelligent you are or whether you got a 97 or 98 in the card.  In one article I read about hiring employees, the interviewer does not really focus on what school you went to or what were your achievements, but the employer is looking at how you can deal with the people around you, they are not looking for IQ but for EQ. Tita Girlie, who is one of the pioneering homeschooling families in the Philippines just sent his son to one of the well-known universities in Quezon City.  Before entering the university, Josh confidently spoke in front of a panel of heads and professors of the university he is about to enter.  He shared with his mom that he is quite shocked by the way his schoolmates dress in school but he adds that he is thankful for the Bible verses and the lessons he and his mom studied in his homeschooling days.  Once Josh was asked who are his best friends, he proudly said that his best friends are his mom and dad.

  

Finishing Strong

As students from conventional schools are ending their school year this week and next week, Coby is just a few weeks away from completing his third grade. Hopefully, we end just before his 9th birthday, which falls on a Holy Week, again :-)

I have already expressed in my previous blog that this year has definitely been a challenge for me as a parent-teacher. Not only do I have a preschooler, who in a matter of weeks learned how to read, I also have a third-grader who has been quite a challenge to teach as he is more independent and been wanting to do things his way. My teaching style and parenting style were no longer working for him, so this old dog needed to learn new tricks, so they say.

The monster-mom out of the closet once again, this time more fierce and more impatient. Most of the time our days would end in tears, in endless apologies, and knees rubbing the floor in prayer. I may have uttered the words "forgive me" numerous times this year and pulled my hair out of exasperation. I just couldn't do it anymore. I don't want to do this anymore, I would tell myself. I cannot teach my kids and I don't want to teach ever again. I would flood the inbox of my homeschooling consultant's cellphone every time the frustration kicks in. I would send her messages expressing the same sentiments. I cannot do it and I don't want to do this anymore. 

Until finally, I had a heart to heart talk with the  mother of all homeschooling families, Tita Girlie, our family's consultant/family adviser/friend and a pioneer homeschooling parent. She listened to my litany and just really listened. I don't know if I was going to be encouraged or not but she said, "As a parent-teacher, what you are going through is normal. All of us went through that, You are not alone, my friend."

Here are the the three things I picked up from our conversation. 

1. Don't take it personally. If I see my child not behaving the way I expect him to behave, it's not because of ME at all. The action is never directed at me. At times he shows no interest at all to do school, sometimes sluggish or to be more blunt, lazy to do any work. Something is going on inside of him and it's not because of me. It has absolutely nothing to do with me. He is acting out what he feels inside. He is not doing it to show disrespect, he is just not in the mood period. Nothing to do with Mama at all. But if the behavior persists, bad habits might be formed so I should also be mindful of that. 

2. Don't be afraid to take breaks. She suggested doing the Break Box or for our family, we call it the Pick Me Box. It's a box filled with activities written on paper that they can do on their 10 to 15-minute-breaks. We wrote down Draw, Paint, Snack Time, Research on the Internet (because Coby never runs out of questions), Play, Discover the outdoors etc. They pick one paper each and do whatever is written on it. After their breaks, they are energized and ready for the next lesson. Moms need breaks too. When I feel the anger creeping in, I should get myself out of the situation and just take deep breaths. On one occasion, I told him I will just go upstairs on a time out. I went upstairs and prayed until the anger died down. 

3. Nagging never works. I never thought of myself as a nagger. But maybe I never knew that my endless talk is already nagging. If you don't have anything nice to say, keep quiet.

4. Always speak blessings. Use positive words. I should not highlight the negative. For example, in Math, when he forgets how to do a certain operation, instead of saying, "We already studied that, how come you don't know", say, "Do you want me to review this topic again to refresh you?" Use words that would edify, that would build up instead of words that would tear them down. "You are so creative.", "Thank you. You are so helpful." "Good thing you told me that, I never knew that before." 

5. Build character and break bad habits. One thing I like about homeschooling is that Character is incorporated in all the lessons, in daily life to be exact. They learn attentiveness, respect, responsibility, diligence, orderliness and a lot more character traits that are taught at home, practiced immediately at home and used outside the home as well. As they grow up, bad habits will form if we are not firm in guiding them through our parenting styles. Bad habits should be nipped early on by reminding them of the character traits and that ultimately God sees what they are doing and God sees their heart. 

6. Pray unceasingly. Pray for guidance on how to prepare the lesson. Pray for patience when it is drying out.  Pray for creativity to keep them hooked and when helping them make their portfolio.  Pray for discernment in making choices for them. Pray to express gratitude for a joyful homeschooling day. Pray for their future. Pray that they remember Godly character traits they have learned. Pray that they will apply it. Pray that I will apply it also. Pray for successful completion on each day, each quarter, each school year. Pray that the Holy Spirit will mold the children to the persons God wants them to be. 

 

 

Now, armed with a new perspective on parenting and teaching, plus a moment by

moment direct line to God for grace and patience, we are at the tail end of our fourth quarter. Would I still homeschool next year? Honestly, after all the struggles, the tears, the aha moments, realizations and lessons learned, I am considering. The blessings received because of homeschooling  are far greater than the tears and frustration. I would still do it again only if God would allow me to. 

Move the Body, Awaken the Mind

To say that our third year of homeschooling is challenging, is surely an understatement. Coby, who is now 8 years old, is still excited but not about school anymore. He is excited to use the computer and play his heart out doing construction games. He is so eager to watch his favorite cartoon shows on T.V.  Sadly, for this third year, I have to compete with these insidious modes of technology.

I find it difficult to "talk about" the lessons with him now because he seems distracted most of the time. Although, these distractions can be good sometimes when he recalls movies or events that is related to the topic. Like when we were talking about MOTION in Science, he would interrupt me and get his matchbox cars to show me that the cars's position changed because they were in motion. But most of the time, these interruptions are not helpful at all, quite annoying in fact, for the teacher-mom.

His heart has been in the wrong place too, lately. He just seems disinterested and his eagerness to learn is dwindling resulting in the increase of  my emotional outbursts. Because of this, we find each other crying and asking for forgiveness again and again.

Imagine my frustration every time we do school. My student is disinterested, distracted and just have no energy to work at all. Quitting, again, is the quickest solution for me.  I just can't take it anymore. I have asked other homeschooling moms for tips on how to handle my predicament, which they say is common to all homeschoolers, but the advice just didn't work with him.

I read from one homeschooling blog that we cannot confine our boys to textbooks and sitting for a long time. They need to move around. They need to burn those tons of energy stored inside their small bodies. The writer suggests allowing these active kids to run around the house and do jumping jacks. One time, I asked Coby to do jumping jacks, he said he cannot do it and reminded me that he does not exercise.

Coby is not a sports person. He does not enjoy any sports activity at all. We tried soccer, swimming and even jogging but he is just not that into sports. Although, he loves to ride his bike and scooter.


But this morning, I secretly tried something new with him. He woke up early and had his breakfast. Since it was still early to start school and I have not yet completed my morning chores, I asked him to do some physical activity. Since he was riding his scooter inside the house, I asked him to take it outside and just ride it, without him knowing that he was already exercising. He did about 15 to 20 minutes of "scootering" and was huffing and puffing when done.

He said he was tired and wanted to rest first before school. I agreed with him and allowed him relax for a while. He took his bath and was ready for school. We completed all that we needed to for the day and an added bonus was Mama did not get angry! Yahoo! Coby was "pumped up" to work. He completed his work with minimal complaints. I would like to attribute that to the scooter ride. When his body moved, his brain was awakened so to speak. His sleepy mind came to work and it worked well, alright.

A new ritual is now part of our homeschooling day. I am praying that this would really work. I am hoping the effect would not be temporary as he surely enjoys riding his scooter or his bike. Next time, I will let him ride the bike, which would give him more energy, I hope.

Rush Rush

Rush...Hurry...Hasten...Run...

I asked Coby to read aloud his lesson in Language this morning. I noticed he was rushing through the paragraph without even stopping for the periods. I called his attention and reminded him to read slowly and with understanding. I would often catch him at times doing that, rushing himself to complete a task, a lesson or a project. And the results were always not so good. 

There was a need to stop the lesson and discuss this attitude of rushing. When asked why was he in a hurry to read, he could not give me an answer. Maybe he just wanted to finish the lesson right away so he could do something else, play, draw, or watch TV. He did not admit anything though. I pointed out that there was no reason to be in a hurry. He was not in a race, nor is there someone waiting for him to finish. So, why the hurry? I reminded him of our talk a few months back, about having time for everything. There is set time to study. There is set time to play. To eat. To sleep and rest. 

When asked if he could give me topic of the paragraph he just read. He stuttered because he couldn't give me the topic. That's because you were reading so fast you didn't have time to picture the words in your mind. Being a visual learner, Coby needs to have images in his mind in order for him to fully appreciate or grasp the lessons. I reiterated the need to understand the lessons well and not rushing to finish it just so he can complete the task. I told him I would rather that he completes a task in an hour with correct answers than completing the work in five minutes but with endless revisions and corrections. 

I asked him to remember how he was able to create beautiful works of art in his art class. They were all done well because he was not in a hurry to complete the artwork. He just enjoyed what he was doing and so the results were fantastic. The same principle or attitude can be applied to studying or even life. Completing the task hastily would get the job done alright, but how would it turn out? 

There is a time for everything. We don't need to rush into things or make things happen hastily. Everything has it's own time. 

God's word says it best in Ecclesiastes:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiates 3:1-8

Our Little Can Read

Homeschooling this year is different than the previous years. Primarily, because I have a new student. Our youngest, Jianne, just entered Kindergarten this school year. I have no idea how to divide my time between a third-grader and a preschooler. But again, I know that if God calls me to do this seemingly impossible task, He will equip me with patience and creativity. As expected, He never fails to do so. He has been faithful despite my impatience, my disobedience and my laziness. Despite my insecurity, He has blessed me recently with the first fruit of Jianne's homeschooling journey. In a matter of 6 months of homeschooling, Jianne is able to read independently.

We used the Sing, Spell, Read and Write Reading Curriculum for Kindergarten. The set includes a CD of songs included in the lesson, short vowel sound charts, two activity books for the student, a teacher's manual and five mini story books.

As many longtime homeschooling families attest to the effectiveness of the said curriculum, I need to find out for myself. The curriculum, as it is so implied in the name, allows the student to sing letter sounds first rather than memorizing the alphabet. The student listens to the songs in the CD, which is included in the curriculum set, and by heart learns the letter sounds. After a week or two of listening to the cd, she doesn't want to hear it anymore. She would just sing it on her own. There are also other numerous activities included in the curriculum that a parent or teacher can use to reinforce such learning. But because Jianne learns quickly, we skipped some of the activities as she gets bored with the repeated activities. I would download other activities for her to work on when she is not in the mood to work on her Sing-Spell.

She is just so excited to read, that on the first month of schooling, she is so eager to read the mini storybooks included in the set. She would be the one to tell me that would like to do school that day.

Like I said, just last month, Jianne started reading on her own. Both of us were ecstatic. I can't believe she can actually read. I am thankful for the opportunity to teach my kids. I am grateful that the time I spent with her paid off.  I was doubtful of my own abilities in the beginning to teach my child to read but as God calls me, He equips me. I know I have nothing to do with it, it was all of God's doing, I was merely an instrument. I realized now that no amount of money can ever pay the opportunity given to me to reap the fruits of our family's obedience to God's call to homeschool.

Jianne was so hyped of this achievement that she prayed, "Lord, thank you for allowing me to read. I don't have to ask Mama and Papa to read me a book anymore. I can do it myself." But we still need to read to her. In fact, my husband and I still read to his older brother, who is now 8 years old. Not that he needs assistance in reading but he enjoys the time we spend together reading his chapter books. Time spent with your children is never a waste of time.

How Does Your Child Learn: The Different Learning Styles

The Science teacher explains the leaf system in class. Jonah, who sits at the back of the class, enjoys Science a lot and he is just too eager to learn about how leaves actually make food. Although, the teacher uses visual aids, Jonah still can't appreciate the lesson because he is just too far from the board. So what does he do? He gets bored and tries to strike a conversation with his seatmate. 

Katie, who is in the same class as Jonah, is seated in the front row, right in front of the teacher. She sees the chart, the colorful pictures shown by the Science teacher but she somehow dozes off to lala land without the teacher seeing her. 

Matthew, who also finds the lesson interesting, feels that there is more to this Science class and sneaks out of the classroom to investigate in the school garden. 

Jonah, Katie and Matthew learn differently from each other. All three students have different learning styles.

Jonah: The Visual Learner

Because Jonah was seated at the back row, he could not appreciate the lesson. The lesson interesting to him but because he has no direct access to the visual aids he cannot completely grasp what the teacher is talking about. Visual learners learn more when they SEE the actual actual pictures or drawings being presented. They learn more when they READ themselves rather than somebody reading to them.  Grasping the lesson would take time as they are trying to visualize or picture the subject in their minds. So, getting the attention of visual learners could be a challenge unless you provide them with vivid, colorful pictures or provide the actual objects. Field trips could also be beneficial too for these kids as they could see the real thing in real life. Visual learners would be delighted with art classes, photography classes, and cartooning.

Katie: The Auditory Learner

While Katie is seeing the pictures presented by the teacher, she feels overwhelmed because not only is she having a visual representation of the subject but she is also hearing it closely. Auditory learners, learn more when they HEAR the lessons instead of having a visual experience of it. I remember when Coby was in preschool, the teacher told me that every time the teacher explains a subject to him, Coby does not seem to be paying attention. But when the teacher asks him to repeat what she said, Coby would echo the lesson back to her in toto. He does not need to see what is being talked about, all he needs to do is hear the speaker. Auditory learners work well with music on their background. You will find them, sometimes, humming while playing, eating or just busy doing something. I would like to believe that they also love to talk and finds comfort in vocally expressing themselves. Auditory learners would be excited to learn how to play musical instruments, attend dance classes or take up singing lessons.  

Matthew: The Kinesthetic Learner

Matthew wants to absorb the lesson well, so he goes out and searches for plants. He wants to touch them, smell them and look at them. He needs to touch everything. He needs to manipulate objects and learn from it. He needs to move. In Math, kinesthetic learners would appreciate manipulatives like coins, pebbles, sticks and counters. They also love to use clay, play with sand or building blocks. These kids move around a lot, because their brains are telling them to. They do not do it intentionally to irritate people, it's just how they are wired. They also enjoy tinkering things. Small kids would accidentally destroy a toy because they want to find out how things work. Kinesthetic learners would probably enjoy sports or gymnastics. 

All children, including adults have different learning styles. It is said that all three are seen in each individual but only would stand out which could help your child/student learn well. Figure out what your child's learning style is and provide the necessary tools that would enable him/her to absorb the lessons well. Just because one style stands out doesn't mean, the other styles should be left out. Allow the child to also develop other learning styles to create a holistic approach to learning. 

You can check out http://www.homeschoolviews.com/quiz/quiz-child.html to determine your child's learning style. Remember too that each child was created by God to have their own unique character traits, gifts, and innate intelligence.