I remember the days I first started blogging. Back then I could clock one post at least every three days, sometimes less. These days, I can't seem to get an entry in in ten days! Not that I have nothing to record down, but I can't find the time to sit down at the com and get it down!
Suddenly from the start of July, homeschooling life has taken a turn for the busy. We seem to be kept busy with school work, housework, other activities day in day out, seven days a week... It's been very very fulfilling and I am happy that we are growing together as a family, the children are productively occupied and learning in a meaningful way. Importantly, the children are not overly loaded with school work but have the time to play in the afternoons and do other stuff together as a family. Like swimming on Wednesdays evenings! Field trips most definitely! :)
Homeschooling Updates.
Our eldest is about 1 year away from doing taking his PSLE. As such, we have agreed that we need to be spending more time preparing for it. We've been digging into the past year papers and assessment books! I'm so glad to see him having such a good attitude about learning. He's been perservering. In a good way. :) There is a lot he needs to adjust to with the way he is supposed to answer questions for PSLE. I see the way he erases and re-do his sums, without any complaint, I am just so proud at how much he has matured. The parents reading this who have little kids who whine at doing the slightest bit of work, do take heart! They can out grow it!! I still have whineys here.... so I'm encouraging myself too. :)
I'm glad that we could take this journey to the PSLE via the homeschooling route, that is, at our pace and the child's development. Let's take Singapore Maths. Our main maths curriculum is ACE which has a lot of drill and practice. I feel this was essencial for building a strong foundation for math. Through Pri 1- 4, we have mostly been doing the MOE math textbooks and workbooks (interesting and fun) and avoided the assessment books like plague. I feel the kind of questions in the assessment books are not realistically matched to the child's cognitive development. (Questions too cheem for a child that age.)
Every half a year, I will print out a school exam so my children can have a taste of what the kids in school do. But there is not really any real consequence for those other than letting them try. Though the don't pass with flying colours, they do pass, despite us not really working on school exams or assessment books.
Now that no. 1 is primary 5, we have started doing the PSLE maths and at this point, he is has enough maths tricks up his sleeve, his brain is more developed and able to do abstract thinking- he quite enjoys tackling the problem sums! :) Minus the tears, struggle and banging of heads against the wall. I'm thankful we can homeschool!
The bible also says there is a natural progression and development of a child:
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
Hi Su Wei! This is Su Hiang, the father of Lisa who was in the homeschool choir. Lisa has adjusted quite well to school, thank God for that. Glad to read from your posts that things are going well for you and your kids on the homeschool front!
Share with you this a Math talk this coming Sunday afternoon (18 Sept) for upper primary students and/or their parents/teachers, at Civil Service College The talk is titled "Surviving Math", to be given by NIE lecturer Dr Yeap Ban Har. He will be teaching math problem solving methods. I have his book on Bar Modelling, and I've heard that he teaches well.
Tickets sold by Sistic. Do go to Sistic website to check this out, as I think your No. 1 could benefit. Note that children below 10 yrs (I think) will not be admitted.
Posted by: Su Hiang | September 14, 2011 at 01:48 PM