I have been homeschooling for more than a decade and a half, and there have been very dry periods when the homeschool energy just isn't fired up. But watching and learning from younger homeschool moms can be so refreshing and energising! One of these mom friends posted the following on FB recently and I thought it was so enlightening and I asked her for permission to publish it here on my blog. She says she has 2 days in the week that are "free days". I think detractors will think "free days" are too "free" to be "productive" (read: grinding at the desk.) So she just had a thought to jot down what happened on one of their "free days". As you will see, lots of learning done, but just not structured. Thanks Wan Ling for sharing!!!
Our school days look like this. Green for altogether Yellow for my elder girl Blue for the little one Usually desk work is done in 15-30mins even though I allocated an hour for each subject.
We use a “to-do” box system. The day’s work is put in the bin, so the girls have a visual cue to the tasks ahead and they can choose how they want to manage their time. They can choose to do everything at one go if they like.
We have 2 free days in the week. They are days with nothing planned i.e. protected time. I often get questions about what we do during those free days and why we have them. It’s hard to explain. Today, I kept a detailed journal of what the elder girl was engaged in the entire day.
8.15am: I slept in (because I had a terrible night) while she washed up. 8.30am: She prepared breakfast for everyone and took a photo to show me.
9-9.30am: She was listening to “Story of The World”. “Mummy, do you know that one of the Roman emperor made his horse a consul and forced everyone to listen to it?” 9.30-10am: At my breakfast table, she ate my nectarines and read “Sisters” comic aloud to me so that we could share the jokes. 10-10.15am: We went through our classical memory work subscription programme. We discussed the locations of Asian countries on the map and alternative meanings to “dig” and “value”. 10.15-10.25am: We discussed the Magna Carta and it’s importance because it came up in the History memory work. 10.25-10.30am: She spot-vacuumed the floor. 10.30-10.40am: We read the bible and prayed. 10.40-10.55am: Watered the plants and did her gardening. 10.55-11.20am: Played “hospital” with SM. 11.20-11.30am: Made silly sentences and stories with the Letterland Shuffle cards. 11.30-11.45am: Played with the volume, weight and measure set with SM. They tried to make the arrow on the scale go an entire round with rocks etc... 11.45-1150am: Did some Chinese writing on an activity book.
11.50-12.15pm: Completed 4 Sudoku puzzles (spotted a typo mistake in one and corrected it), did a couple of mazes. 12.15-12.25pm: Prepared lunch with me. 12.25-12.50pm: Had lunch and cleaned up. 12.50-1pm: Listened to “Story of the World” again. “Nero!” 1-1.25pm: Played a game of Rummikub with us. 1.25-4.30pm: Cycled and played with friends. 4.30-4.35pm: Fixed herself a snack. 4.35-5.35pm: Craft time! Did some sewing on the sewing machine. She sewed a pocketful of hearts for her daddy.
5.35-6.05pm: Asked daddy to do a science experiment with them. I heard “What is the limiting chemical?” and “ titration “ before I took a nap.
6.05-6.20pm: The girls came to my bed with books for me to read aloud to them. 6.20-6.30pm: Played “Lava” with SM before we went out for dinner.
Our free days are often like this, carefree, productive and full of zest for learning. Often, when we have a chance to schedule anything on our free days, I’ll consider the opportunity costs and turn it down. These seemingly lazy and endless days are so precious to us.
It's no. 1's 16th Birthday!!!! We're calling it a "Psalty" 16 coz it's not a sweet 16 for our musical boy. haha....
It is so clichéd but it is so true! The years truly fly by. I first started the blog in feb 2007 when my firstborn was 7 years old to share with fellow Singaporeans about homeschooling in Singapore. Here's my first ever blog post. My intention was to de-mystify what homeschooling is like because most Singaporeans don't know what a joy homeschooling can be! My blog is a compository of our homeschooling days of the kid's childhood and their learning adventures.
Looking at back at my posts, being a young mother and without experience, I often mused about how my son will turn out. (It is always the first child we are most uncertain about because with him, we are always treading on new ground we have never tread before- the first guinea pig in everything.) There was often a sense of the Unknown how he will turn out but it was always accompanied with a sense of quiet confidence because God's promise of help and wisdom being with us as parents who follow Him.
I'm still wondering where my butterball went? This is my favourite picture of my firstborn baby. It was taken by papa one quiet evening at home. It was quiet because back then, it was only the three of us at home.
Fast forward to today, our son's 16th birthday. We are so so glad to say we have a strong relationship with him. What do I mean by "strong"? We are on the same page on our values and when there are differences, we are open in our communication and are able to work it out. There is absolute trust, honesty and an open communication. Most importantly, he is growing in his own personal faith in the God of the Bible and he desires to walk close to God. God has answered our prayers! Who says teenagers will go through rebellious years?
No. 1 having fun photographing his siblings and friends in Wisconsin. Chicken throwing game. No chickens were hurt.
Would you like to know how we arrived at this blessed time of reaping a wonderful fellowship and relationship with our eldest, now aged 16?
1) Good biblical teaching right from the start. We had good teaching, godly examples, good books which we learned from. Other families at Maranatha Baptist Church have the same testimonies.
2) Planning ahead, forward thinking parenting. Train at toddlerhood to prepare for childhood. Train at childhood to prepare for the teen years. Train at teen years to prepare for adulthood. Right now, we are encouraging him in his future career. Our goal is for him to be able to get married young and support his family.
3) Staying faithful in our own walk with God, personally as well as in church. He has grown up in our life choice but that alone doesn't ensure that he will stay in it. We have always emphasized a genuine salvation experience and in the more recent years, a real, personal relationship with God. And we are so glad, it is evident that he has both. It is truly a joy that we can't place any value on.
3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Soup and marshmallows on a cold night in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Those were such wonderful bonding moments we will never forget.
Homeschooling has been the very best thing that we have done as a family!
Homeschooling has enabled us to respond to each of our children's whole person needs: physical needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, schooling needs and also talent nurturing.
Homeschooling has enabled us to set aside 6 months of our lives to step out as a family to go on a road trip around America. That decision has been so pivotal in helping no. 1 understand himself better. Travelling for 6 months (june- dec 2015) was a great journey of self-discovery for him.
For those who are still not in the loop about what's been happening with our family, do check out the Facebook page, 6 Kids and a Pop-Up Camper.
Most of the photos there were taken and edited by him. And the amazing thing is that he is mostly self-taught. He has shown himself to be a confident and passionate self-learner and he works with dedication. I'm so proud of him!
Our intrepid young photographer taking on the streets of New York City.
How many 15 year olds can say they have a photo tour of 43 US states under their belt? Or that they are juggling publishing a 300 page photo book while preparing for O levels? I say this not to boast about ourselves but just to point out how much flexibility homeschooling offers us to respond to our various needs. If I boast, I boast only in God who has led us and enabled us.
We are ever staring at the end of our precious homeschooling days with our firstborn but we are ever cherishing the moments we have together as a family, and looking forward to more adventures as a family even as we, by the grace of God, step into doing a family business. Together. <3
Our family with our pop-up camper at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Love you, son. Happy Birthday!
Psalms 16: 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
If you have any questions about homeschooling or christian parenting, you can email me, Sue at [email protected]. Or just leave a comment below! :D
A couple of days ago, the children and I had a time of assessing how we felt 2014 went, and whether it was well spent. On the outset, we felt it was spent rather haphazardly, with too much time wasted. (Especially when mommy is taking her afternoon nap and all hell breaks loose.)
Then we started counting our blessings and re-counting all the things that each child learned "new" in the year. The list was quite startling and encouraging. And this list is only the highlights! The Lord has blessed the children even more than just these few I mention.
(btw, Dd is dear daughter and Ds is... you guessed, dear son. :) )
Dd6 (2 years and a half): she probably developed the greatest among all the six children. She started talking with a large vocabulary and singing many songs. Hymns even, the ones that she hears us sing, like Sunlight, Sunlight in my Soul Today. :)
She also started scolding people, thinking she has the authority to. (something we correct.) When she is mad at her older brother, she will tell him to go hang the laundry, even when there's no laundry to hang. haha.
She is also pretty good with her balance too! She was recently practicing her skate scooting up and down the living room (thank God we have a long living room) and we were pleasantly surprised that she could actually balance with two feet on the board.
Dd5 (5 and a half years): she started reading in 2014, thanks to the help of big brother Ds1 who taught her how to read in the early part of the year. She is a happy and confident reader now! She also started playing the piano under my instruction. She has been enjoying playing the songs in her piano book even when I am too busy to sit with her.
Here's a comment (my 2 cents) about waiting for the right time to teach a skill: When the child is developmentally ready to learn, the learning is fast and enjoyable. Too many parents are eager to start their children early but the learning is slow and tedious.
And she recently started balancing on a bike after just one lesson with papa! I remember how it was my father who taught me to ride a bike. It is a precious memory I cherish even now. I am glad my children have a dad who spends time with them too!
Ds 4 (just turned 9 years 3 days ago): He has been horse crazy for quite a while now. He loves drawing horses and his ambition is to own a horse one day. (uh huh.)
I gave him the joy of piping his horse picture on the cheesecake (mocha cheesecake that Dd2 made for him from scratch, heavenly...). He did a marvellous job! (The ugly words was me. :p)
2014, he also started cello lessons because for the longest time he wanted to learn but I only managed to get a teacher for him last year. She's a wonderful teacher (from Argentina, wow!) and though he and DS1 have only been learning for around 5 months he has been able to play and, more importantly, enjoy the instrument.
His 1/2 sized cello was special because another homeschooler had outgrown it and had moved on to the next larger size. The dad (also Christian) let us have this cello at a very discounted price because he knew that we have a large family and that we are training our children to love God and serve Him. We have become friends with this family, what a blessing the homeschooling community has been to us.
Another thing that surprised me was the boldness of this son to speak the Word of God! He was so eager to do this presentation that he asked his chapel teacher to please teach them and he encouraged his friends to join in. A lot of hard work but what a blessing it turned out to be!
To plant the Word of God in young hearts... what a blessing! :)
only half way through counting our blessings! See, when we have large families, so the blessings are also many times multiplied! :D Praise God.
Ds3 (11 years): Of course, this guy has been our family clown and has been entertaining us with his antics almost daily, but in 2014, because DS1 learned imovie and videography, we have been able to develop his acting talent that much more. :)
Exciting for me was that Ds3 decided to learn flute and he has shown a talent for the instrument. His instrument is borrowed from a sister in church, he was instructed by another dear sister in church but mostly he has been learning by himself on Youtube and he has been practicing on a book given with love from our Shepherd group, but mostly he has been learning by himself on Youtube. It is humbling to borrow everything but it keeps us extra thankful to God for providing!
It helps when he has friends in church also learning the flute together with him. He enjoys playing together with them.
What a joy to be able to play with him and Dd 2 in our church orchestra!
I would mention this boy loves to sew and knit too. I appreciate these learning journeys that my children take, because they really learn so so much when they take on these tasks. Many times, it is so much more than what academic learning can offer.
Ds 3's hand sewn stuffies, he made for our pastor friend's little boys in the phillipines. :) He also learned to use the sewing machine!
Dd2 (12 years): besides taking a national exam for the first time, our oldest girl shot up (physically) this year. Her feet are bigger than mommy's and catching up with papa's. She has yet to catch up in height, though, but that is just a matter of time. :)
Now that she is taller, she has been able to cook and bake. In 2014, I was pleasantly happy that she could take on my cupcake recipe from scratch all by herself with absolutely no help from me. I am so proud of her! This is 12 years in the training and the fruits are SWEET!
She has been avidly learning hairstyles and braiding on YouTube too.
Ds1 (14 years): He has continued to be a self directed learner. 2014 was the year we got a DSLR camera and he started researching and learning how to use it on manual settings. The high school learner has surpassed his parent teacher in more and more subjects and this is one of our homeschooling goals: to grow a passionate learner.
He has also taken on, besides photography, videography and has learned video editing by himself on Youtube. He has become quite fluent with iMovie and makes the narrative of our silly homeschool videos seemingly flow effortlessly.... but there was quite a lot of editing magic behind it.
I am also really glad that DS1 had the opportunity to pick up cello as well. He expressed the desire to learn and we are glad to be able to help him have lessons too. He has been diligent to practice and glean as much as he can from lessons as he understands that it is a sacrifice on the part of others in order for him to have lessons. I am glad for a good son who's heart is in the right place, aligned with God and our family.
DS1 finds joy in showing God's creation (ants) to his younger siblings. He cares for their spiritual condition too and prays and teaches and encourages them in spiritual (bible) things. He has been faithfully reading his bible daily and is an example for me to follow!
2014, DS1 also got the chance to act in a live production of the biblical book of Esther. He was Mordecai. We are thankful for opportunities like these for our children to try new things!
Another thing to highlight for 2014.....
2014, we had to adjust to travelling by public transport because we decided not to renew the COE of our 10 year old vehicle. It took quite some adjusting to but I think, overall, it has been a good exercise for growing the children's character. They have had to look out for each other more when we are on the bus... we have not lost a single person or thing yet! ;) And even when they are tired, they still have to walk. And sometimes, the older ones will take turns to carry, or piggyback the younger ones all the way home. <3
As I look back on 2014, I am once again encouraged that even though I am weak, lazy and often fail in the flesh, this job of parenting is not mine or my husband's alone. GOD Himself has an active hand in shaping and growing each of our children in ways we cannot. He loves them even more than we do! We are only to be co-operating with Him and nurturing them in His ways, and basically, live out His commands in our lives. He can use our little efforts and multiply them in miraculous ways, beyond what we could ever do with our petty little.
I love this verse and it speaks of God's constant watch care over His children:
Psalms 32:8
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
Ok, I have been hogging the com for too long. I just want to record some resolutions for 2015 here (for accountablity's sake. :p)
For 2015, the key operative word shall be DISCIPLINE. We are sorely lacking in this and hope to improve in this area. We hope to have a working schedule and STICK TO IT!!!
Some folks wonder what happens to the homeschooling when mom is sick. Well, since yours truly is going through one such phase right now, typing from my bed, I decided to write a post about it. ;)
ok, when we send our children to school, school will still keep going if the teacher is sick. They will call for a substitute teacher to come in to take the class. If they didn't, chaos will reign!
Over our 14 years of homeschooling, there have been times when I have been taken out of action due to illness: like the times I suffered from severe morning sickness for 3 - 4 week stretches, or the times after giving birth, or like now, when I throw out my weak back.
Yesterday afternoon, I was carrying the 2 year old onto the toilet when I sprained my back. I was carrying her in an awkward position and put too much strain on my lower lumbar. I felt a shifting of my spine and I ended up on my knees, supporting the weight of my upper body on the toilet seat and the sink. I yelled for help. Thankfully my hubby was around, and all the children helped to get me onto a chair. I almost blacked out at that point. After I regained some composure, they moved me to the bed. I cannot sit up or walk. Sneezing is a torture that sends shockwaves of pain at my spine. This morning I brushed my teeth in bed.
Thank God, my husband is off work today and can be around. Thank God, too, now the older kids are older and can do much more to help. This morning, they made scrambled eggs for my breakfast in bed. DS 4 (8 yrs old) was so worried that he broke down in tears and prayed for me. I told him thank you for praying for me to get well, but i know that with a few days of rest, God will help my back to recover. Pray rather for us to be able to go through this time well and for himself when he is afraid. It is a wonderful time for him to draw closer to God and lean upon Him for comfort. The 2 year old does her part by sayang-ing me, stroking my face. :)
It's more like a holiday for me, actually. :p
Ok, what if you don't have older children and your husband can't be around?
1) get help if the kids are really really small and you are alone.
2) school can go on half load. We know we can't call off school because, well, chaos will reign. But just go at a more relaxed pace than usual. Give the kids more desk work that they can do quietly by themselves. (ACE is a curriculum that allows this anyway.) Or teach from your bed when you are up to it.
3) It is a great time for your children to take the turn of looking after you. Let your needs be known to them and they will feel so happy to be able to help mommy for a change.
Many homeschool mommies will say the same. ;)
Will the children lose a lot of time and have to catch up on their school work? Don't worry, be flexible. The schooling goals can be re-worked. The family needs must take priority over the school work. That's how homeschooling is. Our homeschool has had many halts and re-starts due to times I've been out of action or camps and holidays. The children still manage to be "educated" somehow. ;)
We in Singapore, we grow up in a highly structured environment. Everything we were taught in school was systematically taught to us from kindergarten up to the point we graduate. That is why, some parents, though they think homeschooling theoretically is a great idea, they feel afraid to take the plunge because they think they may some how be shortchanging their children and ruin their futures.
I'm not here to guarantee that homeschooling will always be a successful path- there are many, many variables to consider. I'll just share here one example of a learning journey we entered into somewhat haphazardly and to just document how our eldest son has been doing. It is a combination of things that happened, opportunities that were available to us, but above it all, I can only claim that it was the invisible hand of God moving in our lives.
It all started one Sunday Jan 2013 when a sister in church, Germaine, cheerfully handed me a bag. She told me that before she went for her company dinner function the previous night, she told God if she won anything during the table draw, she would give it to the Ongs. I am still so grateful for the loving and generous brethren of my church!!!
So, I think God planned this journey for us :) .... In that bag was this brand new Canon IXUS. And I decided to let the kids have it and I tasked DS1 to go and take some nice photos.
Very quickly, the boy learned to use the functions of this little camera and he started to take pretty amazing shots. This was a shot from the first few albums when he took it on his cycling trip to the Sembawang coast.
He learned to play the the special functions on the camera like color emphasis. The one below was from mama's shopping trip to Tekka market in Little India. I dragged all the kids along and he had a chance to play with the camera.
Flowers from the garden...
He got some nice shots when we went to Perth in June 2013. This is my fav shot!
But his favourite muse is of course, his baby sister.
Soon, I began to foist my dreams of doing short video skits on the kids. haha. Foist.
I thought it was a fun and interesting project that could get the whole family involved. Some could come up with the story line, some could act, some could film, some could edit.
But way before we got to that point, there were already several quiet starts to this part of the learning journey. We didn't know during those moments that it would be useful information some day....So, go out and explore broadly.
(On a separate note, I have noticed sometimes, homeschoolers become very cloistered and home bound. Partly the parent's personalities, partly the child's lack of motivation. I personally think homeschooling should be bigger and wider. If we wanted to be stuck in one place, we should have just gone to school. )
One such "quiet start" moment was watching the special, behind the scenes clips at the end of our Pixar DVDs. Those were really an eye opener as to how the creative process is communicated and produced.
Another one we remember was the Pixar exhibition which came to our Science Centre in 2010. We learned a lot from that too. So, field trips are a fantastic way to fire up the interest for learning. And we as homeschoolers, field trip as often as we can! (Budget constraints only. heehee..)
Yet another one was when we met a reader of this blog in Perth. She is an amazing young lady who decided to leave Singapore to study in Perth by herself initially. (Now her family is with her there.) And so wonderfully God planned it such, Michelle is someone who works in the film industry!
She was so kind to invest some time the next she was in Singapore and she did an afternoon course with us and other homeschoolers on how to make a Stop Motion Animation. There we learned how to do up a storyboard before filming. It really saves time! So, PEOPLE who are willing to share their expertise are another invaluable help that God sends on our learning journey.
We produced this based on what we learned from Michelle's session with us.
Oh yes, and another great thing that happened was the good papa invested in an iMac. I had so long been eyeing it for iMovie. Getting the right TOOLS are so important, without which, there can be little progress.
So after enough nagging about getting a video done, DS1 one evening had a sudden thought that he wanted to take very steady shot. And he thought of getting a hammer from the storeroom and attaching it to his camera to stabilize the movements. And it worked! Resourcefulness and Innovation! haha
DS3 had been making a rubber band ball and we were complaining one day how all the rubber bands in the house disappeared overnight. I thought it would make an interesting little storyline. And he also agreed to talk about how he made his rubber band ball in his British accent (gotten from watching TV, cartoons mostly. Like Peppa Pig). I can't wait for his comedy skits to be filmed!!! :)
So this was the first real video that DS1 shot and edited.
After this, he started learning more and more cost efficient (read: cheap) ways to make camera rigs and he found on youtube, that PVC pipes were the way to go. The very next thing, the papa goes to the hardware shop and buys many PVC pipes and lots of joints... and away the boy went, measuring and sawing. He would be muttering the measurements under his breath and it reminded me of me when I am sewing clothes. haha
So, supportive adults who encourage the child's interests and passions. Important! Don't quell their ambitions! (Caveat: as long as the ambitions are good and pleasing in the sight of God, of course.)
But but but.... there is no O level subject that is Videography! Is all this a useless waste of time?
Let's get out of the certification trap (majority of kids in Singapore doing the same things) and go with honing of specialized talents, building a portfolio and then see how it goes.
Note: I have found that this generation of learners are no longer words and print bound. There is a wealth of information in the form of videos out there on the internet.. for FREE. It's a great time to be a homeschooler.
He made a slider, a crane, and he got pretty carried away at some point and made a monster. But that's part of learning.
His interest now piqued, another opportunity presented itself in the form of an upcoming play that our church youth are putting up. DS1 volunteered to make a trailer to tell people about the play (advertise). I don't think the others knew what they were in for! haha.
Now the latest part in this video making puzzle is learning about filming (like the different types of shots and camera angles) and editing. This he also learned from Youtube.
Here is his storyboard (the first he really planned and worked on, colour coded and everything).
So he managed to communicate his ideas with his friends and get them to act for him. :) I am proud to say these two handsome guys are my homeschooled nephews! ;)
And right here, we so happy and excited to be releasing the SECOND trailer that DS1 created for the play.
The literature teacher in me is so happy that he extrapolated from the actual text to imagine Mordecai's reaction when the decree was passed. In school, we had to come up with all these exercises to help the students better understand the text. And here, my homeschooled son shows he understands the text well enough to do the same. :)
In this one project alone, he has pooled so much of what he has learned over the months and years together. Leadership and organising skills, conceptualizing, directing, filming, editing, choosing an appropriate soundtrack. And new talents too... acting! haha I never knew he could emote. LOL
As I said in the previous post, I am glad and proud of how DS1 is growing and developing. Homeschooling in the teen years is very exciting and fun! He is at an age whereby his learning has taken a life of its own and it has grown beyond me and my knowledge and abilities. And that's the way it should be.
For EVERYTHING that has happened on this journey thus far... I attribute it to our loving Heavenly Father who loves us and guides us with His eye. Thank you Jesus. I am so grateful I do not homeschool the children by my strength alone!
And so the journey continues, with the recent (last week!) acquisition of our first DSLR!!!!
The journey continues.... To God be all glory, honour and praise.
Do come for the Esther play! ALL are warmly welcome!
In this post, I want to share with readers our educational philosophy of Passion Driven Learning. I recently had a very friendly poster on the FB page who commented "it's great being a homeschooler, and having the time to do things you love.. I think it's GREAT too to have supportive parents like you guys. This is Blessing!!"
Yes, indeed it is! I feel that we chose to homeschool because we wanted the autonomy to choose the education path of each of our children. Imagine how nice it is to be able to choose which subjects *you* want to offer for O levels and it is not subjected to what subject combination the school is offering and how keen the competition is to get into the class of your preference. How many of us when we were in school ended up doing subjects we hated just because we got placed there by the system. Seriously, all that time I spent on chemistry and physics.... down the toilet.
So, for our son, we have decided on a very focused 5 or 6 O level certificate and only the subjects he is interested in. And we will be doing the O levels over 2 years (when he is age 16 and 17), at a very relaxed pace. This, in turn, frees his time to do other things and we are so glad that he is living a very busy and fulfilling life.
For his "desk bound" work, (besides the O level stuff) he is doing several ACE paces and he recently started on FBI, which is a diploma in Bible Studies. FBI is fantastic, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book walk through the bible in 3 years. And it builds FAITH! I'm really so glad that DS1 has been faithfully reading his bible and doing his personal quiet time with the Lord every morning and night. And now, even more so with FBI homework reading.
The rest of his time, DS 1 is happily kept busy with his many interests and also helping around the house. For the better part of this year, he assisted one of our church brothers in running a Robotics club. He did well enough to be invited to work again next year! :)
Their Robots won First and Second places. :)
DS 1 still is helping to clean bicycles, mop the floor, do part of the laundry duty, cook the occasional meal. And he is still running and swimming almost daily. He and his younger brother have started cello lessons for about 1 month now and is showing promise. He is being taught by an Argentinian cellist! Thankfully at an affordable fee. :p
I hope folks can see that when we free our kids from the shackles of school, and the heavy emphasis on "certification", they can do so much more learning and gain experience.
I must say at this juncture that it may be well and good as parents we desire this education path for our teenagers but there's a big part of it that is dependent on the learner's desire to learn and grow. Indeed, freeing up so much time might actually end up counter productive if the teen is led by fleshly passions. (I can imagine a teen with too much time ending up at the gaming centers and playing WOW till dawn.)
Character training and imbibing the love of God from childhood up is so important. If in the childhood years, they have been trained to have an enquiring mind, love work and love learning,.... their teen years spent homeschooling is really FUN! Why? Because teenagers can work independently, research and develop their ideas, pursue their own projects, feel the rush and pride of a job well done.
So, to parents who are homeschooling their kiddies: keep at it through the teen years...The teen years are when you harvest the fruit!!
Next post, I'll share a bit about how DS1's journey into videography. It has been an amazing 2 year journey, marked by the Lord's mercies and guidance!
Here's his latest and most "professional" project to date. Super low budget but I'm sure one can appreciate the creative energies that went into the making of this short film. It's a trailer for an upcoming play on the book of Esther done by our church youth. The two actors are his homeschooled cousins! lol
Sat 13th Sept 4-6pm and 14th sept 2-4pm. Maranatha Baptist Church. All are warmly welcome! :)
Yes, we are very proud of his work. :) His papa and I were quite tickled watching it because we were so amazed at what he can do. He's a diamond in the rough. The learner in him is just blossoming now, and his education has taken on a life of its own. As for the younger children who are following close behind, they are learning and growing at their pace as well and it is such a joy to also see them develop their talents and interests as well. Enjoying each day the Lord gives us as a family together: growing, laughing, loving.
I know, "surviving" doesn't sound much like it was a stroll in the park or like I really enjoyed and thrived in our new homeschool arrangements. But, yeah, I think I'm blessed that due to certain saving graces provided by the Lord, I didn't go berserk from the maddness.
Our homeschool is constantly changing, year by year, even month by month, as the younger ones grow and develop new skills and the older ones explore new boundaries of learning.
In 2014, to date, our homeschool looks like this. We have:
- a highly motivated 14 year old high schooler who is recently freed from his PSLE obligations (end of 2013) and is now embracing his high school years with excitment, grabbing every opportunity to learn with gusto.
- a 12 year old who is preparing for PSLE. She's going slow and steady. She just completed her piano exam last wednesday too!
- a 10 year old (in his P5 year) who is transitioning from ACE to PSLE prep.
- an 8 yr old who is in ACE grade level and also doing SG maths and chinese
- an almost 5 yr old who is doing her reading readiness course with ACE. She can read simple words already!
and.....
- an 18 mth old who is constantly asking to be nursed.
I think I can only describe our school day as Intense. From the time the children wake up till the end of the day, it is a series of seemingly random events one after another and I just have to try to be on top of it all. Multi-tasking all the way. I can't seem to get even 10 minutes helping one child with his fractions without being interrupted three or four times.... the baby wants help in opening a toy, another child is asking where is the stapler, the washing machine is done with one cycle and needs to be reloaded with the next, baby comes again and announces she has a poopy diaper... Yes, it is a very different environment than school, but we have all learned to take it all in. Somehow, the children learn and get their school work done.
Having said that, No. 1 (14 yrs) will guard his school work time and not allow anyone to distract him and no. 3 has been getting up at 7 am before everyone else to get his work done in quietness, so that he can complete his work earlier in the day and play.
How are we going to survive this madness???? ponder ponder ponder
Well, to be brutally honest, I DON'T KNOW how it will all pan out. But I DO know....
GOD's grace will be sufficient for me and my family.
Saving Graces~ Quiet Time in Bible Reading and Prayer
I am sleep deprived. And I am one who doesn't function very well on little sleep. Yet, we have an 18 mth old who still stirs (for no particular reason other than habit) at least 3 times a night and pesters for some milk. As such, I take a mid-day nap while the children are in the thick of their seat work. Whatever questions they have, they can either ask each other or ask mama when she gets up. But meanwhile, if you see mama horizontal... DON'T BUG HER!!!! *grouchy sleep deprived mama bear*
Still, I have been making it a point to wake earlier in the morning, when the children havn't woken up yet, to do my personal Bible Time with the Lord. It has become a precious time of spending time with my Lord Jesus, re-aligning my thoughts, re-focusing my goals, but more importantly, it is knowing what God wants me to be, not in the doing but in the "being" - a living sacrifice for His service.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2
Saving Graces~ Older Children who are Willing to Serve with Love
The number of students and the amount of "school" we have to tackle has increased over the years. Thank God the number of teachers in this homeschool has also increased! Last year, no. 2 was helping to teach no. 5 pre-school, teaching her the alphabet and phonics, with guidance by me on the side. She is a good and patient teacher!
This year, as no. 2 needs to focus on her PSLE prep, some of the teaching load has gone to no. 1. It's so nice to hear him reading the animal stories to his little sister and instructing her how to join the sounds of a small word or how to do her workbook.
I did hear that in some large homeschooling families, this kind of arrangment did work out very well (older ones teaching the younger). Either the older ones were resentful of giving up time for the younger ones, or the younger ones weren't being instructed well. So thankfully, we did talk to our older children and they have the heart to serve and help. And it springs from a love for the family and their younger siblings. I will tell no. 1 what are the lessons learning objectives and he will teach his sister. And I am always near by keeping half an eye on how the lesson is going.
Also, I get quite a bit of help with household chores. Laundry duty is taken by the kids these days but on occassion, I help them. Packing the house, dishes, washing and cleaning, these are all divided up. We believe these are really good opportunities to teach the children good character and even team work.
Saving Graces~ Church Brethren who Help
We are truly truly blessed to be in a good Church (Maranatha Baptist Church, we are Independent, Fundamental Baptist, if anyone out there would like to know. ;) ) Our brethren are truly loving and sacrificial whenever there is a need that arises. With around 5 other homeschool families in our church, we have a wealth of information and helps to tap into. No. 1, particularly, is a direct beneficiary from brethren who would sacrifice time to teach him.
Since losing time having to prepare for the PSLE, no. 1 is now having to double up on his maths learning. I like to tell people in homeschooling, the student-teacher ratio is 2: 1. Two teachers is to one student. heehee
He is having weekly maths lessons with one brother, Uncle Jack. And his papa also takes him for maths on another day. They each cover different topics with him. What a privilege that he can learn from two engineers who love maths!
Another brother, Uncle Conrad, has taken no. 1 under his wing to be his assistant in a robotics club which Uncle Conrad runs. It's like an apprenticeship, giving no. 1 exposure to working life. As a reward, no. 1 even gets an allowance! (For no. 1, working with robots is reward enough!) We are thankful because Conrad is a trusted brother and we know he has our son's interests at heart. We certainly value these learning opportunities but we wouldn't be comfortable if he took a part-time job anywhere else.
I also want to acknowledge family like my sis and my mom who are an invaluable help to us where the children's education are concerned! My mom paid for no. 2's piano lessons for which she sat for her grade 5 exam recently. We are thankful for that opportunity to go for lessons. :)
So in our homeschooling journey, the Lord has provided us with brethren and family who join us and walk together with us, and offer a helping hand. We are so THANKFUL!!!
Saving Graces~ Using A Student Centred Curriculum- Accelerated Christian Education (ACE)
ACE is an instructional workbook, self-paced, student-centered curriculum. This is our core curriculum to which we add SG maths and chinese. ACE has been a real blessing to me, a homeschool mom to 6 kids (5 school aged kids), as each child can get schooled without me having to actually teach them. The workbook teaches them. I am there more as a guide and help. And that frees me up to do other things (like cook lunch) or help them individually with SG maths or Chinese.
ACE has also been instrumental in training our children to be self-directed and goal oriented. As such, I don't have to monitor the older ones too much as they know what they want to achieve every day. The younger ones are still learning but they are very clear what their daily workload looks like. (4 pages a day per subject.)
Saving Graces~ Time for PLAY
We are homeschoolers and we refuse to be tied too long to a desk!!! Being freed from homework (there is no such thing as homework for a homeschooler), our time after school is packed with doing their latest hobbies or going downstairs to rollerblade, bicycle or climb a tree. (no. 3 recently found a good climbing tree and is all excited about that. )
The two little boys' latest hobby... making their own stuffies out of socks!
We recently moved house in December and we are now nearer to a swimming complex and also several lovely parks and playgrounds. (It was a tactical move, by God's grace, He helped us!) It has really been a happy change for us to be so near to so many facilities and recreational spaces.
Our eldest has become quite a sports enthusiast with cycling, jogging, rollerblading, swimming on his ever growing list of sport interests. Seriously, he has been borrowing books on jogging techniques (one called Pose Running) and also he has been researching on Youtube for how to-s. He recently attained the level 1 certificate for Sport Climbing too.
Anyway, time to play is certainly a saving grace as it is a time to relax and un-wind from the stresses and strains of the busy school day.
That's no. 3 (10yrs) with his papa. It was only his second climb! This guy is taking to rock climbing like fish to water.
Saving Graces~ Date Night
To keep our marriage relationship strong, 2 years ago, we instituted a Date Night once a week. It is the children's TV night (they will watch a DVD) and so they are very happy for us to go on our Date Night. haha
My hubby and I look forward to Date Night. We get to have dinner together, find a spot to talk. There are many issues that will crop up over the week and it is always good to hear each other's view on the matter and communicate. I get to unload my day's burdens and hear his direction and guidance. Time spent alone with my husband is really a saving Grace that the Lord has extended to me in order to cope with the demands of the household. Of course, it is a great time for me when I get to shed the "mommy" persona and just be me with my beloved.
What a momentous start to 2014! So many new things are happening in our family and we are happy and excited and thankful for them. Firstly, we have moved house!!! After many years of waiting and praying, the Lord blessed us with a place of our own.
There's No Place like Home
We moved house, (officially on 11 12 13... 11th of Dec 2013) and are now in a 5 room HDB flat. There was a time when I was not happy to be paying so much money for just "a flat", but somehow, I am really happy and contented.... there's no better place to be. I know the Lord wants us to be here because He answered our prayer concerning the house. It had been a long wait but we wanted God's best for our family. Finally, here we are.
The kids were so helpful in the whole moving process. Here they are assembling the Ikea shelving. (Most of our home funiture is from there!) Urgh, I remember the terrible sneezing bout I had for days from cleaning up and living with the renovation dust. Thank God that is over!
We met our church friends on one of our many trips to Ikea. They are moving house too! :)
Our eldest just turned 14 and it is so handy to have a big boy around the house! He has taken over mommy's place, helping with all the lifting and carrying of heavy stuff when we were moving house. He has become papa's right arm. What a blessing!
I had been busy with unpacking, placing things on one shelf, then finding a better spot and moving them over. I was busy trying to make the house look more homely. Out came my sewing machine!
We bought some pretty rose patterned quilt covers from Ikea and turned them into curtains. It saved us some money but mostly, it was a joy to put a personal touch to our nest. Papa does all the hard jobs (power drilling) and mama does all the soft jobs (pretty stuff!)
The top row used to be the pillowcases! lol
Oh yes, the shelf covering was some pretty kitchen cloths from... where else, Ikea.
Our Wifi-less Existence
Yes, took a while to get our wifi connected and we realized that we managed very well without it! In fact, I loved it! I took note of some the things we did *because* we were without wifi. Here's the list.
-Make believe/ play acting
The two middle boys, no. 3 and 4. (especially no. 3 the 10 yr old) are our family's slapstick comedians. They love to act and sometimes they rope in their sisters too. (Big brother does join in the buffoonery too..)
One afternoon, they were acting out Abraham sacrificing Isaac on mt Moriah. (Yes, imagine that.) And they had their 4 yr old mei mei to say at the appropriate time (in her most judicious, thunderous voice), "Behold, the Ram!"
-Talking more, communicating with each other.
You know, we really do feel for the families we see at food courts, every member of the family seated at the table from oldest to the pre-schooler, all immersed in their own gadgets. We just had a very good church camp in December and the theme of the camp was about time. we only have such few precious years with our children to train them for the Lord. Every mealtime is a wonderful time to talk and grow them for Him!
No wifi = more communication and face time! REAL face time! haha
-Enjoying Silly Antics
Oh yes, we had so much fun laughing at no. 3's jokes. He has such a knack for picking up accents and he can do it so naturally. One day, when he is less camera shy, we will get a video of him doing his jokes. Since one of no. 1's goals is to make videos, I believe this will be in the pipeline soon!
(What fun, this blog will become more lively, not just me writing but the children will be posting too. :D )
-Getting housework done
And we have a lot of housework to do.
-Picking up new interests
Again, it is the two middle boys who have in during this wifi-less one month, picked up sewing stuffed toys. So wonderful. I started sewing stuffed toys last year. (I even sold two already!) One day, I got down to tackling the sock pile and I found many partnerless socks. I gave them to no. 4 who had been pestering me for socks to make puppets. So now he had a WHOLE BAG of socks. He started snipping and sewing. His older brother joined in. And all of a sudden, we had a whole toy collection. They are very proud that they don't buy toys but make their own. :D I call it the Trickle Down Effect. *Parents, go and get busy with a hobby or something. You will ignite an interest in the kids and you have no telling where it will lead them. :)
The Eaglet and the I Love U pillow made by no. 3 for his papa's birthday that was just past.
No. 4 (8 yrs) made a whale and a Haffalump (from Pooh bear stories). He sewed little black beads for the eyes. So cute. I'm really proud of both of them! These are entirely their own projects, I didn't do anything in the process except praise them at the end. :D
And because they took up the needle and thread, I couldn't help but join in! ;)
These remind me of the cottage we stayed at in Albany, Australia. The landlady made her place so homely by hanging these little stitched hearts all over the cottage. <3
-Sports and swimming
We have moved close to Safra Yishun and it was a strategic move in that we intend for our young homeschoolers to have these wonderful facilities accessible to us. They have been swimming, rollerblading, jogging, cycling. Soon, no. 1 is organizing a rock-climbing level one course too. One more thing to do!
One weekday afternoon (nice and quiet!) swimming at the gorgeous Yishun Safra pool with our other homeschooled friends.
We really enjoy the company of brethren. :)
With that I'll end off this post. Unfortunately, wifi is up and running again but I wanted to record our happy wifi-less days. Hopefully we won't let wifi get the better of our time again. And hopefully I'll find some time to blog about what the kids are doing academically this year. Soon.
Happy CNY, folks! I'll be busy baking. Busy but happy. God bless you all :D
As the title this post goes, we made it past the benchmark this second time around! No. 1 was so relieved (as were we, his parents) he told the MOE officer "thank God!!" to which the MOE officer replied smiling "yes, thank God." (How many of us have mentioned our relationship with God to a government official we have only just met? :) Proud of him!)
So, to bring us back to the start of this year, I had decided that we were not going to waste his secondary 1 year doing primary six stuff. We had already done one and a half years of PSLE prep (2011- 2012) and we sure was burnt out from trying. I felt no. 1 was already more or less there and......I have a secret belief that our PSLE is more suitable for 13 year olds (more mature) and just by growing one year, they will be more ready to tackle PSLE type questions.
So, we spent January to June this year doing high school level PACEs (ACE) and we got back on our Christian curriculum (a breath of fresh air!) Life of Christ, Science (general Science, that is), Geography, Literature... All written from a Christian, Biblical perspective. How wonderful!
For MATHS, however, we went with local maths, focussing especially on Algebra. Algebra is a good tool to tackling all those PSLE problem sums, yet, it is hardly covered (just one chapter) in the primary six textbooks. He enjoys Algebra and maths very much!
CHINESE was the only subject he revised all through the year. But our beijing lao shi (teacher) noted that he wasn't really improving, despite working very hard. I think it's my genes. I am really really bad at Chinese too. :p
We only restarted our PSLE gears turning after we returned from our family holiday in Perth in June. To be honest, that caused some anxiety because we realized that there were still some things no. 1 wasn't confident at doing- especially Maths paper 2 (problem sums). I remember, even right up to the last weekend before the start of the exam proper, he was fretting and I was doing my motivational pep talk. (Moms, you know those, right? ;) )
I told him, son, just try not to "de-prove" for Chinese, and I'm pretty sure, the other three subjects will show and improvement- we'll be able to make the benchmark. Last year, we passed the PSLE but missed the benchmark by just a little. So an overall improvement, with Chinese maintaining at 'C' should see us passing the benchmark. Thank God, indeed, he got a C for Chinese again. Who knew, this year's benchmark jumped UP by 10 aggregate points!!! Thank God no. 1 still managed to clear it. Phew.
For the definition of "Benchmark" see end of post. :)
Maths Problem Sums Rescue effort: At the last minute, I found a really helpful assessment book for Maths problem sums. It's called Process Skills in Problem Solving, published by FAN-Math, available at Popular bookshop. There's a green cartoon alien in a spaceship on the cover. lol. It covers the Model approach and Heuritistic approach systematically and I really like the exercise questions that enable the student (and me) to practice that question type over and over. SO that book really helped ME get a handle on PSLE maths. Too bad I found it so late. Ah well. Now I'm more prepared to help the younger children. :)
Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure they moderated the maths grades UP this year as it was an easy paper. I already had my doubts when he came out of this year's maths exam saying it was easy and he could answer most of the questions. Same account with others who took the paper as well. I was sure the ministry will be moderating the marks!! no. 1 managed a B, though I believe by his marks, he was probably better than that.
For Science, it was a long, hard slog to the A he got. We had no help (chose not to send him for tuition), and so, we figured how to answer the science questions the way they want it answered by doing school exam papers, and looking at their answer keys after. It's a really befuddling and often frustrating process but in the end (after about 2 years of working at it), we *may* have figured some things out. :p
As for English, most homeschoolers have no problem with English. :) No. 1 says his english grade improved probably because his composition has improved. We don't do much composition writing at home, actually. It's something I need to get them to do more of. Oh the irony.... I'm an English lit and lang major. haha.
Well, that's our story for this year. Your child's PSLE journey will be different. But it'll be good to keep our eyes focussed on the big picture, keeping the priorities right.
___________________________________________
What is the Benchmark?
In Singapore, it is the law for our children to attend primary school under the Compulsory Education Act. In order to homeschool, we need to seek permission from the ministry of Education (MOE) to be exempted from this Act. However, our homeschoolers will need to sit for the PSLE the year they turn 12.
For Singaporean homeschoolers, there are two critical aggregate scores we need to clear. One is the benchmark which is set at the lower 33rd percentile of that year's cohort scoring. Failing to meet the benchmark will see the homeschooler re-sit the exam in the following year/s until he or she passes the benchmark OR turns 15 yrs of age, which ever comes first.
The other critical score would be the fail aggregate. (I don't even know what that score is...) If the homeschooler outright fails the PSLE, the MOE will revoke the permission to homeschool and the child will be placed in a public school to prepare for the PSLE.
Like most homeschool parents of young kids I've observed, I used to be very confident of how our homeschoolers will fare for the PSLE exam. Like, what's the problem, right? It's *only* primary school stuff. And homeschoolers statistically do better than average compared to school going peers, so American research shows.
Homeschoolers receive a highly tailored education that take into consideration their strengths, weaknesses and special abilities, so why shouldn't they do well for PSLE? Or so I used to think....
And so I communicated to my children along that vein. Our main curriculum is ACE but we do keep up with Singapore math and Chinese through the years. July of my son's p5 year, we left our ACE behind to completely concentrate on learning the PSLE material and practice exam techniques (how to answer the way they want.) At that point, his marks averaged in the 60s.
However, I started to take a second look in the earlier part of this year. I started to "re-calibrate" my expectations when I saw the odds stacking up against my son.
1) he was our first PSLE taker in the family (I shouldn't say guinea pig). Me, his main trainer, was still navigating her way through the system, much less him!
2) we are outside of the system and it is certainly not easy to crack the system on your own.
The PSLE is such that despite having worked on a topic for a while, there is no sense of having a good firm grasp of the content and application (especially maths) because they keep asking what I call "curve ball" questions. We did get some help from his 14 yr old homeschooled cousin who is a Singapore maths expert, and a good teacher!
3) Me, his main trainer, by the second half of the year would be needing to care for a new born, and I can't neglect the other children's needs as well.
I talked to other homeschool moms who despite having put in good effort, their children didn't make it through the benchmark either. I asked them what was the cause of it, how did they feel and what should my thought sand attitudes be.
One mom said in the gentlest voice, "Don't worry, if you are planning to continue homeschooling, it's only the PSLE." This coming from a mom whose son sat and re-sat the exam three times and still did not manage to clear the benchmark! (I can testify they really did put in effort. But in the third year, they moved on with the secondary school work instead of spend time preparing for the PSLE.)
Not to belittle the national exam or anything, we just need to put it in perspective. Ten years from now, who would care how our children fared for their PSLE? This mom's son is presently happily pursuing an IB in an international school. He enjoys the project work and the PSLE has no bearing on his progress!
After hearing her experience, (and the son's as well) I began to think, if my son doesn't make the benchmark, I don't want it to be a dent in his esteem. (As a preacher I know would say, a negative defining moment.) I don't want him to have an exam phobia which will cost him when the real big and important exams come up in future! I want him to face those exams with confidence!
It is really how we frame the situation and how we point our children to God and help them navigate the way, isn't it? It is how we "pitch it" to them, guide their thinking. Looking back, I know it was God who guided in this, because if I was to continue expecting good marks from my son, it would only have meant needless stress, pressure and tension, disappointment and maybe bitterness!
So I sat him down and slowly explained to him the way things looked at that point. I made it clear to him that although the odds were stacking against him, I was not going to go easy on standards but we would expect him to try his best and give it his best shot with a good attitude.
I told him his best is his best already, he can't do any better. He would be able to say with a clear conscience before God that he has done his best effort and he has no regrets.
He told me that he wanted to do well and clear the benchmark at least. But I am glad that he set aside his personal ambitions to embrace what God has for us as a family. He wasn't angry and bitter that baby sister had to come at the "wrong" time. On the contrary, she was her stress relief and he loves her to bits!
Was I wrecked with self doubt and wondering if I was hindering his progress by withholding tuition? Yes!
So folks out there must really be scratching their heads, pulling their hair wondering WHY didn't we just PAY tutors for him so he can pass the exam?
After all this is the path many homeschoolers take?
Sticking to principles and not caving in to pressure.
There are a variety of reasons why families choose to homeschool. For us, we desire to have the Bible as the core curriculum and the Christian way of life to be our family standard. Homeschooling enables my family to move in the same direction. If the children all went to school, my family would literally be pulled in all directions, each having their own life, things to occupy themselves with, their own set of friends, etc. This is not how family is for us nor do we believe this God's will for family or raising the children! Not that we are against any of those things, but in proper moderation.
So we guard such decisions which see a child potentially spending a lot of time away from us very seriously. Even computer time is subject to scrutiny. Finding a nanny for new baby no. 6 so I can be freed up? Sorry, out of the question too. We move together, baby included.
I was already not happy that we left off our Christian curriculum which teaches our children from a Christian world view, to using completely Singapore stuff. (we did continue with family bible time in the morning and night, though.) But please don't think we are raising Christian jihadists either. Haha
I know some may not understand and think we are selfish parents. It's ok. Most likely, we have different goals.
We value our children's character and walk with the Lord more highly than doing well for PSLE.
We are setting our sights much further than PSLE (we are aiming for successful adults who are independent and grounded in their faith in God) and we are not willing to sacrifice family and what God has for us, for this (comparatively) small hurdle.
Still, we went ahead and set targets for PSLE and planned how to revise to try to meet those targets. My son was the one who mapped out his schedule and goals. He was in charge of his own revision and I was the one asking him what he was doing that day. By the end of the day, he would have one or two school exam papers for me to mark. We would go through the corrections together, me learning along side him.
There were evenings when his siblings were out playing and he was still at his desk, I had to chase him out to play as well. He needed the fresh air and exercise!
Character wise, no. 1 son has more than passed the test and for that, the whole family and friends as well rejoice! We believe his godly character will be the thing that will be a major lynchpin to success in life. And most importantly, a real and close walk with Jesus.
By the month before the exam, he was scoring 70s and occasionally 80s. His biggest nemesis, Chinese, was still our main headache.
Praise God he managed a C grade for it! Kudos to our beijing lao shi. she really worked very hard. And he managed better than that for his other three subjects!! He didn't make the benchmark, but he is ok! He certainly has nothing to be ashamed of and he stands tall with no regrets! Only by the grace of God, we navigated this PSLE journey and his heart and spirit is still intact, loving God and his family.
From all the encouraging Facebook comments, emails from friends and readers, (thank you all so much for your affirmations!) no. 1 is greatly encouraged and glad that although we don't have any A stars to boast of, God can still have the glory for what He has done in his life.
And he STILL enjoys doing Singapore math!! Compare that with one who has been grilled to death on Singapore math, got that coveted "A Star" and can't wait to run a mile away from it?
:)
Christopher Klicka: Homeschooling: The Right Choice An Academic, Historical, Practical, and Legal Perspective. Written from the American perspective. Klicka builds a solid case for homeschooling. Great for winning over skeptics.
For the Love of the Family Ministries As a pastor for many years I have become greatly concerned and greatly burdened over the number of children who grow up not to serve the Saviour from Christian homes. There seems to be a real lack of practical, spiritual, biblical training going on in this apostate hour. I am also greatly concerned about the number of Christian families that are blowing apart and the tragedy that results from these lives. It is the desire of this ministry to help, encourage, and to provide training and biblical help to families to not lose their children and for parents to know what it means to be godly parents, husbands, and wives. Please feel free to contact us for more information. Contributions and support are appreciated to provide for the work of the ministry.
Dr. Terry Coomer
BABYGEARZ Durable Baby Carriers and Slings with warm climate in mind.
IFBaptist Churches
Maranatha Baptist Church - Baptist
- Fundamental
- Premillennial
- Missionary and
- Independent
my home church! We sing hymns!
Pro-homeschooling Pastor
Macedonia Independent Baptist Church Sound, Bible preaching Independent Fundamental Baptist church, located presently in Choa Chu Kang. Pro-homeschooling pastor
These are beautifully hand-sewn bible covers made by less privileged Christian brethren from a country/ tribe in our region. All proceeds go to them.
Do take a look at their cross stitch work in their beautiful ethnic designs.
The Bible Covers from this album are done by the same brethren as the previous alum. This set of bible covers, more suitable for children, depict scenes from the bible, all beautifully stitched on. Great for gifts as well!
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