Ta-ta-ta-ta... "Whoa! Rachel can sure run fast, can't she?" I commented to Yen after spotting Rachel run across our room to her own.
"Oh, yes. You should check out her face after her 'run' too!" Yen offered. What did Yen mean? I have not been at home at nights enough, due to work. Worried, I went over to our children's room. Felix was sprawled on his bed, reading. And Rachel? She sat on hers, with little tears in her eyes.
It turned out that our eldest girl, is afraid of the dark in four-and-a-half. It was funny as I had never noticed this earlier. Yen concluded that she must have developed this 'condition' lately after being told some scary story in play-school. Rachel did not offer anything. She barely shook her head and cried when I asked her to walk alone in the dark to another room.
These few weeks had been trying due to a host of reasons - monetary woes from me, rushing of work for both Yen and me, and battling with illnesses in the recent week. I spent some time to try to coax Rachel to let me in on the origin of her fear but had not got far. The only thing I had succeeded was to get her to walk to unlit places, with Felix holding her hand.
Last night saw a change - one that I hope would not rebound back to its original state too soon. Kayleen came crying when I was reading with Rachelk and Felix in their bedroom. "Mickey mouse..." Kayleen offered, in between her sobs. She was referring to her 7-inch plush toy that Uncle Eddie and Aunt Huijun had given her during their last trip to Hong Kong. The toy had been her best friend ever since she lay her hands on it.
"Felix, where did you leave it just now? I saw you playing with it last," I queried. I told him to look for it and return it to Kayleen. "I... I'm scared... it's too dark..." It was Felix's turn now! Sigh! Looking around, I saw Rachel reading. Surely I cannot... Let me try.
"Rachel, can you hold di-di's hand to go look for Mickey in daddy's room?" I suggested to our elder girl. "Huh? What? Felix, (are) you afraid of the dark? There's nothing to be afraid of! Come, let's go..." And of she led Felix, to my room to look for the toy, and came back successfully within seconds.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
What price - future?
"Is it expensive to raise a child? I dread to think how I can do so later after I can married..." a colleague commented last night on our way home after work. Yes, it sure is expensive!
I am more prudent with money these days, given the experience of not drawing any income in the month of November, when I had no lessons to teach. I am recording every cent I spend this year so that I can plan my finance and save some money for a rainy day, I hope.
It sure does not help for the children to start extra phonics lessons now, but I had wanted them to gain more exposure and experience. As a parent, of course I hope for my children to receive the best (within my means) in everything!
I know I had told myself that the children had enough of books of last them for quite a long while. However, I could not stop myself from purchasing this set of books - which includes CDs, stories, encyclopedias and all - when I saw it on sale at IMM. It did not take the salesperson too long to convince me that I wanted to buy the set of books. The damage inflicted on me? $2992 (in twenty-four monthly instalments)!
I have been involving Yen in the reading to our children - she does the reading on nights I have to work. The routine we have set up for the past week is simple: Bedtime for our elder children means they get to read books of their choice. It can be the books of phonics using the books on Clifford the Big Red Dog. We will explore two pages on the book of nouns with Rachel and Felix, then read as much as we can for a Magic English book that reinforces their learning with the CD, which they might watch in the evening after dinner, or the next day. Last but not least, there is a bedtime story a day.
On top of these, there is a set of encyclopedia, a set of "I Wonder Why" books and a few "Ripley's believe it or not" books, which I intend to let them use on their own gradually when they can manage them and are done with the simpler books. There is also a set of books teaching social-emotional skills using stories. That is a lot! Is it worth the money? I do hope so!
Most importantly, it forces Yen and me to sit down with them to spend some time helping them in their learning. Essential bonding time, I feel. =)
I am more prudent with money these days, given the experience of not drawing any income in the month of November, when I had no lessons to teach. I am recording every cent I spend this year so that I can plan my finance and save some money for a rainy day, I hope.
It sure does not help for the children to start extra phonics lessons now, but I had wanted them to gain more exposure and experience. As a parent, of course I hope for my children to receive the best (within my means) in everything!
I know I had told myself that the children had enough of books of last them for quite a long while. However, I could not stop myself from purchasing this set of books - which includes CDs, stories, encyclopedias and all - when I saw it on sale at IMM. It did not take the salesperson too long to convince me that I wanted to buy the set of books. The damage inflicted on me? $2992 (in twenty-four monthly instalments)!
 |
The old bookcase, and the new one! |
I have been involving Yen in the reading to our children - she does the reading on nights I have to work. The routine we have set up for the past week is simple: Bedtime for our elder children means they get to read books of their choice. It can be the books of phonics using the books on Clifford the Big Red Dog. We will explore two pages on the book of nouns with Rachel and Felix, then read as much as we can for a Magic English book that reinforces their learning with the CD, which they might watch in the evening after dinner, or the next day. Last but not least, there is a bedtime story a day.
On top of these, there is a set of encyclopedia, a set of "I Wonder Why" books and a few "Ripley's believe it or not" books, which I intend to let them use on their own gradually when they can manage them and are done with the simpler books. There is also a set of books teaching social-emotional skills using stories. That is a lot! Is it worth the money? I do hope so!
Most importantly, it forces Yen and me to sit down with them to spend some time helping them in their learning. Essential bonding time, I feel. =)
Monday, February 14, 2011
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Rachel and Felix have gone for lesson two of their Phonics and Reading class. They seemed to have enjoyed it. It is a day packed with activities and little rest for my dear wife though. Our elder children wake and get ready to go out for their classes at Jurong West Sports and Recreation Centre - Rachel for her ballet class and Felix for his art / painting class.
Yen then brings them home and out again for lunch and to meet me, before we send them for their one-and-a-half hour phonics class. By the time we reach home, it will be about four in the afternoon and they will be dead beat. It was like that yesterday. The children were watching a VCD in the car on the short drive home but their eyelids were closing. Weary from the activities, they were drifting off to sleep.
I knew that was not good as they would be awoken shortly into their nap when we reach home. They will have much trouble trying to sleep at home. They practise taking a 'compulsory' nap at play-school and we continue to enforce that at home on weekends. However, the activities on Sunday meant it was not possible to squeeze nap time inbetween.
Yen was tired too and took this chance to close her eyes for a nap. I quickly woke Rachel and Felix up, and engaged them in conversation as I drove. "Oh, do you know what mummy and daddy work as?" I quizzed them.
"Mummy is a nurse... and daddy is... a driver!" Rachel answered confidently. A driver?! What made her say that?? She later remembered that I teach. Since Rachel spoke about wanting to be a doctor when she grows up, I asked them again what they wanted to be when they grow up.
Rachel reiterated without second thoughts of her desire to be a doctor. She probably does not know too much about why she wants that but anyhow, I am happy with her choice. I then took Felix to the task. "Felix, what about you?"
"I... I want to be..." he started answering, before trailing off... Poor boy had not done too much thinking about it! "I... I want to be..." this repeated itself for the next couple of minutes until I parked our car and they got off the car.
I held his hand and walked to the lift in the carpark, while Rachel held her mother's. Felix was getting impatient and exasperated by now at not being able to provide an answer, like he always does when he had problems accomplishing a certain task. I was glad my task of keeping the two awake had been successful, and was not too concerned about an answer.
"It's okay, Felix, you are still young. You can think about it when you grow and tell me later..." I assured him, "It is okay to be take up any job later, as long as you are a good person. Do you want to be a good boy?" I coaxed.
"No!" he shot back.
"Oh no, you want to be a bad boy?" I continued.
"No!" he replied. Not satisfied with that, Felix continued, "I... I want to be..."
I gave him a few prompts. "Do you want to be a doctor like your sister? Or a policeman? A teacher?"
This time, he managed a few answers. "...a firetruck!" I corrected him that it was a vehicle, and he cannot be one. "Do you mean fireman?" I checked.
"Yes, I want to be a fireman!" he was glad he came out with an answer. Then later, he changed his mind. "I want to be a doctor too!"
Ha... children. It is probably too early for them to decide what they want to be now and really get there. But perhaps it is good to have a goal; a target for them to set themselves? As their father, I shall be around for as long as I can to provide them with what I can that is necessary for them to have good chances in life for a better future.
Yen then brings them home and out again for lunch and to meet me, before we send them for their one-and-a-half hour phonics class. By the time we reach home, it will be about four in the afternoon and they will be dead beat. It was like that yesterday. The children were watching a VCD in the car on the short drive home but their eyelids were closing. Weary from the activities, they were drifting off to sleep.
I knew that was not good as they would be awoken shortly into their nap when we reach home. They will have much trouble trying to sleep at home. They practise taking a 'compulsory' nap at play-school and we continue to enforce that at home on weekends. However, the activities on Sunday meant it was not possible to squeeze nap time inbetween.
Yen was tired too and took this chance to close her eyes for a nap. I quickly woke Rachel and Felix up, and engaged them in conversation as I drove. "Oh, do you know what mummy and daddy work as?" I quizzed them.
"Mummy is a nurse... and daddy is... a driver!" Rachel answered confidently. A driver?! What made her say that?? She later remembered that I teach. Since Rachel spoke about wanting to be a doctor when she grows up, I asked them again what they wanted to be when they grow up.
Rachel reiterated without second thoughts of her desire to be a doctor. She probably does not know too much about why she wants that but anyhow, I am happy with her choice. I then took Felix to the task. "Felix, what about you?"
"I... I want to be..." he started answering, before trailing off... Poor boy had not done too much thinking about it! "I... I want to be..." this repeated itself for the next couple of minutes until I parked our car and they got off the car.
I held his hand and walked to the lift in the carpark, while Rachel held her mother's. Felix was getting impatient and exasperated by now at not being able to provide an answer, like he always does when he had problems accomplishing a certain task. I was glad my task of keeping the two awake had been successful, and was not too concerned about an answer.
"It's okay, Felix, you are still young. You can think about it when you grow and tell me later..." I assured him, "It is okay to be take up any job later, as long as you are a good person. Do you want to be a good boy?" I coaxed.
"No!" he shot back.
"Oh no, you want to be a bad boy?" I continued.
"No!" he replied. Not satisfied with that, Felix continued, "I... I want to be..."
I gave him a few prompts. "Do you want to be a doctor like your sister? Or a policeman? A teacher?"
This time, he managed a few answers. "...a firetruck!" I corrected him that it was a vehicle, and he cannot be one. "Do you mean fireman?" I checked.
"Yes, I want to be a fireman!" he was glad he came out with an answer. Then later, he changed his mind. "I want to be a doctor too!"
Ha... children. It is probably too early for them to decide what they want to be now and really get there. But perhaps it is good to have a goal; a target for them to set themselves? As their father, I shall be around for as long as I can to provide them with what I can that is necessary for them to have good chances in life for a better future.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Continual education
Been caught up with all the festivities and did not have a chance to write in the past couple of weeks. During our visiting to our relatives (not a lot now since I had severed all ties with my late father's big group of relatives since his passing away; now that's another story) - Yen's relatives and mother, I had found out that Rachel's Chinese teacher at her play-school had been teaching them some New Year greetings. Impressive! Now, if only all my children could converse well in the language too...
Our elder two gems have been progressing at a fair speed in reading, I guess. Yen and I attended their play-school's curriculum session with their teachers and some parents, a class at a time, and have received some invaluable feedback from the educators. For Rachel and Felix, both have been learning rather well in school, having no notable problems in phonics learning. In fact, we have been told that they are always the first to respond when their classes are asked questions to do with phonics. It seems like what I have been painstakingly doing with them is bearing a little fruit.
But before you think I am going to rest on my laurels, fret not: I am not stopping here! I have long been telling Yen how much I hope to send the two of them for classes at the tuition agency that I work at. Wait; I can hear you say, "Kiasu Singaporean-extraordinaire!" I am perhaps a little guilty of that... I am really really afriad of them not being able to read and write! To be illiterate in our society this day is not acceptable, I feel. It would spell the end to their education, their jobs, their chances, their future, everything!
Not only that learning is important; I want them to come in touch more types of children / peers, to know how to react in different situations, to get to know more 'significant others' (teachers, in this case)... basically, to be more 'worldly'-wise. It will definitely help them to experience more good things, I know.
Yen finally relented and let me bring them for a 'test' to see which 'level' they belonged to. And I had to pick the 'best' teacher for them too! I checked with the staff of my agency which teacher seemed to be the 'best', and the one at Yew Tee gave me a name, "Mrs Bathma". I had to coincide my time with her lessons so that I could bring them for the assessment before the Lunar New Year break.
Thankfully, Rachel and Felix took to Mrs Bathma quite well, and in a 'closed-door' assessment, performed reasonably well for their ages. She shared with me after the assessment that both my children performed well, but more notably, Felix was confident in his answers and seemed to know most of what was being asked. Having said that, Mrs Bathma recommended for both of them to attend an 'intermediate' level of phonics class, which falls after my lessons at Yew Tee on Sundays, and I can pick them up after their lesson.
Yesterday, they had their first phonics lesson with Mrs Bathma. Yen and I were worried. The usual parental worries - Will they be able to learn? To blend in? Will they feel too cold/hot? Will they have enough food? Do we have to provide them with stationary? The jitters.... Ha.
But like in most cases - everything is going to work out fine. They went in empty handed, and re-emerged each with a few worksheets in hand after the lesson had ended one-and-a-half hours later. I was proud to see Rachel had written her name (even date!) on hers. At the bottom, Mrs Bathma wrote "Confident and clear!" I had done a little writing practise with Rachel when she had taken ill at home recently but I had not done writing of dates. Commendable, I thought!
I was as proud to see Felix's worksheet. Though he had not written his name as well as his sister, I was equally happy to have heard from Mrs Bathma after the lesson that they had no problems at all in the class and Felix was a fast learner. I was more than happy to see the word "Great!" on the worksheet.
I asked them if they had enjoyed the lesson after that. "Yes yes yes!" went Rachel in her usual cheery mode. Felix liked it as well. I was also pleased that he was able to converse more with me after that, "I made Mrs Bathma angry..."
"Why? What did you do?" I queried, concerned.
"Mrs Bathma said, 'Sit down!' but I stand up. So she angry with me..." Felix was a little sorry now, head rested on my shoulder.
"Then you cannot be so naughty. You have to listen to her, okay? Say sorry to her next week," I instructed my boy tenderly.
"I said sorry already," Felix shot quickly.
"You have to be a good boy next week, okay? Listen to the teacher," I told Felix softly.
"Okay..." his voice trailed off, his attention now elsewhere. Oh, the boy!
Our elder two gems have been progressing at a fair speed in reading, I guess. Yen and I attended their play-school's curriculum session with their teachers and some parents, a class at a time, and have received some invaluable feedback from the educators. For Rachel and Felix, both have been learning rather well in school, having no notable problems in phonics learning. In fact, we have been told that they are always the first to respond when their classes are asked questions to do with phonics. It seems like what I have been painstakingly doing with them is bearing a little fruit.
But before you think I am going to rest on my laurels, fret not: I am not stopping here! I have long been telling Yen how much I hope to send the two of them for classes at the tuition agency that I work at. Wait; I can hear you say, "Kiasu Singaporean-extraordinaire!" I am perhaps a little guilty of that... I am really really afriad of them not being able to read and write! To be illiterate in our society this day is not acceptable, I feel. It would spell the end to their education, their jobs, their chances, their future, everything!
Not only that learning is important; I want them to come in touch more types of children / peers, to know how to react in different situations, to get to know more 'significant others' (teachers, in this case)... basically, to be more 'worldly'-wise. It will definitely help them to experience more good things, I know.
Yen finally relented and let me bring them for a 'test' to see which 'level' they belonged to. And I had to pick the 'best' teacher for them too! I checked with the staff of my agency which teacher seemed to be the 'best', and the one at Yew Tee gave me a name, "Mrs Bathma". I had to coincide my time with her lessons so that I could bring them for the assessment before the Lunar New Year break.
Thankfully, Rachel and Felix took to Mrs Bathma quite well, and in a 'closed-door' assessment, performed reasonably well for their ages. She shared with me after the assessment that both my children performed well, but more notably, Felix was confident in his answers and seemed to know most of what was being asked. Having said that, Mrs Bathma recommended for both of them to attend an 'intermediate' level of phonics class, which falls after my lessons at Yew Tee on Sundays, and I can pick them up after their lesson.
Yesterday, they had their first phonics lesson with Mrs Bathma. Yen and I were worried. The usual parental worries - Will they be able to learn? To blend in? Will they feel too cold/hot? Will they have enough food? Do we have to provide them with stationary? The jitters.... Ha.
But like in most cases - everything is going to work out fine. They went in empty handed, and re-emerged each with a few worksheets in hand after the lesson had ended one-and-a-half hours later. I was proud to see Rachel had written her name (even date!) on hers. At the bottom, Mrs Bathma wrote "Confident and clear!" I had done a little writing practise with Rachel when she had taken ill at home recently but I had not done writing of dates. Commendable, I thought!
I was as proud to see Felix's worksheet. Though he had not written his name as well as his sister, I was equally happy to have heard from Mrs Bathma after the lesson that they had no problems at all in the class and Felix was a fast learner. I was more than happy to see the word "Great!" on the worksheet.
I asked them if they had enjoyed the lesson after that. "Yes yes yes!" went Rachel in her usual cheery mode. Felix liked it as well. I was also pleased that he was able to converse more with me after that, "I made Mrs Bathma angry..."
"Why? What did you do?" I queried, concerned.
"Mrs Bathma said, 'Sit down!' but I stand up. So she angry with me..." Felix was a little sorry now, head rested on my shoulder.
"Then you cannot be so naughty. You have to listen to her, okay? Say sorry to her next week," I instructed my boy tenderly.
"I said sorry already," Felix shot quickly.
"You have to be a good boy next week, okay? Listen to the teacher," I told Felix softly.
"Okay..." his voice trailed off, his attention now elsewhere. Oh, the boy!
Monday, January 17, 2011
A little celebration
"I can go by 5.15pm today, dear; wait for me, okay?" Yen told me that day. "Sure," I replied, not thinking too much of it. These days, I'll wait for her to fetch her back if the children can stay until five-plus in the evening and if she does not need to stay too long after work on days that I do not need to work at nights.
I called her to inform her that I had reached the play-school and picked the children up that Friday. "Meet you in five minutes at block 4? I'm going to pick something up," she suggested. I had no reason to say 'no' to her request, and dutifully picked her up five minutes later. Wait. She had a box in a plastic bag. One that resembled a box of a cake. Oh yes, how can I be so muddle-headed to forget that my thirty-third birthday was the next week?
I did not ask her about the box and continued on our journey home. She revealed that we had to be home soon and change the children out of their uniforms, so that we could go to Jurong Point for dinner with the children's uncle and aunt - Eddie and Hui Jun. It is all shaping up now - they have not forgotten my birthday, whilst I have totally disregarded its existence! They had 'conspired' about it, behind my back too! Ha!
We took a leisurely walk with the children and my mother to our destination. It isn't often we walk as a little family for a little distance along the pathways, you see, much less to Jurong Point, which I avoid like the plague due to its massive crowd. The walk was nice, with our three gems mostly obedient.
Eddie and Hui Jun were a little late as they were caught with some last minute work. We queued up outside Swensens' first and they arrived soon after. It was nice to have the company of your loved ones over dinner, which I seldom get these days with them on weekdays.
When we were done with our main courses, I was expecting to go. Little did I realise that they had a little surprise planned - they ordered an ice-cream for me and another one for the children, getting a waiter from the restaurant to stick a lit candle on my ice-cream and singing a birthday song for me. Interestingly enough, mine was the fourth birthday song we heard in the matter of a couple of hours there as three other groups had someone celebrate their birthdays there too! Seems like Swensens is the choice for birthday celebrations these days!
That had to be all. We could retire to bed now, I thought. How wrong was I! Eddie asked nonchalantly if I drove and offered to send us back in his car when I revealed that I hadn't. Oh well, how could we turn down the ride? He dropped us at the 'Loading / Unloading' bay of our block. He got out of the car. I was puzzled. It was then that I remembered the birthday cake Yen had brought home!
So Part Two of this 'operation' was underway. Yen brought the cake out and lit the candles. They sang me the birthday song and I had to complete the process by blowing out the candles, cutting the cake and eatting the cake. These are things that our two elder children were familiar with after so long in play-school, and something Kayleen will see again soon when we celebrate her birthday in a couple of weeks.
It was a nice surprise, successfully planned and executed, masterminded by my lovely wife. A nice moment to savour. =)
I called her to inform her that I had reached the play-school and picked the children up that Friday. "Meet you in five minutes at block 4? I'm going to pick something up," she suggested. I had no reason to say 'no' to her request, and dutifully picked her up five minutes later. Wait. She had a box in a plastic bag. One that resembled a box of a cake. Oh yes, how can I be so muddle-headed to forget that my thirty-third birthday was the next week?
I did not ask her about the box and continued on our journey home. She revealed that we had to be home soon and change the children out of their uniforms, so that we could go to Jurong Point for dinner with the children's uncle and aunt - Eddie and Hui Jun. It is all shaping up now - they have not forgotten my birthday, whilst I have totally disregarded its existence! They had 'conspired' about it, behind my back too! Ha!
We took a leisurely walk with the children and my mother to our destination. It isn't often we walk as a little family for a little distance along the pathways, you see, much less to Jurong Point, which I avoid like the plague due to its massive crowd. The walk was nice, with our three gems mostly obedient.
Eddie and Hui Jun were a little late as they were caught with some last minute work. We queued up outside Swensens' first and they arrived soon after. It was nice to have the company of your loved ones over dinner, which I seldom get these days with them on weekdays.
When we were done with our main courses, I was expecting to go. Little did I realise that they had a little surprise planned - they ordered an ice-cream for me and another one for the children, getting a waiter from the restaurant to stick a lit candle on my ice-cream and singing a birthday song for me. Interestingly enough, mine was the fourth birthday song we heard in the matter of a couple of hours there as three other groups had someone celebrate their birthdays there too! Seems like Swensens is the choice for birthday celebrations these days!
That had to be all. We could retire to bed now, I thought. How wrong was I! Eddie asked nonchalantly if I drove and offered to send us back in his car when I revealed that I hadn't. Oh well, how could we turn down the ride? He dropped us at the 'Loading / Unloading' bay of our block. He got out of the car. I was puzzled. It was then that I remembered the birthday cake Yen had brought home!
So Part Two of this 'operation' was underway. Yen brought the cake out and lit the candles. They sang me the birthday song and I had to complete the process by blowing out the candles, cutting the cake and eatting the cake. These are things that our two elder children were familiar with after so long in play-school, and something Kayleen will see again soon when we celebrate her birthday in a couple of weeks.
It was a nice surprise, successfully planned and executed, masterminded by my lovely wife. A nice moment to savour. =)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Project Literacy
It is no secret - I fear that my own children cannot read and write. Being an educator for the past few years, I think I have seen quite a little to nudge me into thinking so. I have seen children, in classes which I teach or otherwise, not being able to muster reading simple words of their appropriate 'reading age'. I have seen students who veer clear from learning, simply because they are not able to comprehend what they are to do, and give up on themselves totally henceforth.
On the other end of the scale, I have witnessed how some children excel time and again, scoring more than satisfactory results during their PSLE. Too early to test them and judge them, we say? Perhaps it is really so, but we cannot change the fact that they will have to sit for the dreaded four-lettered (no, not the swear-word!) examination when they reach the end of their primary school education.
I had thought long and hard about it, and have decided to take it upon myself to create readers in my children. It is true that children are inquisitive. Look at my younger princess - even when she cannot comprehend what is written in the books, she sits at the table or on the floor to browse through the books that once belonged to her elder siblings.
I have planned a multi-pronged approach to achieving my goal. My children, like most others, love watching television programmes. Before anyone judges us and lament that 'too much television is not good for children', especially at their tender age, I had thought of capitalising their 'love' to maximum effect. We let them enjoy their dose of cartoon shows on Playhouse Disney (not a lot nowadays, since they are away in play-school most of the weekdays), rather than soap operas or drama serials where they may not learn anything from at their age.
I have converted myself into an avid fan of the channel and its shows when they are around too. I have to say that I have learnt a few things from the programmes! Other than that channel, we have invested quite heavily earlier on quite a few Hi-5!, Barney and other types of education CDs to entertain them, sometimes during the weekends.
You might have seen the pictures of the books I had taken earlier. Then again, there could be books which are bought, but left as 'white elephants'. I take it upon myself to read with at least my elder two children now when I am at home, to read with them before I put them to sleep. Rachel and Felix enjoy reading, no doubt about that. They will always ask to read a book before they hit the sack, and frown when we tell them that it is too late.
From time to time, when Rachel and Felix come across print on signages, they will read them aloud. I help them with the ones they do not know and ask them to spell words that I think children at their age can handle. The last I counted, Felix can spell quite an impressive amount of words. In fact, he showed me that he has better concentration and memory by beating his elder sister to mastering spelling of words 'one' to 'ten' and understanding that rhymes mean spellings are similar (for example: he mastered spelling the word 'eight' quite fast, and remembered well when I told him that 'night' is spelt similarly).
My latest approach deals with phonics and phonetic awareness using word blends. Not being 'trained' in phonics, this is not easy. Thankfully, their play-school teachers have been doing their fair share to teach our children and I add in my part on blends. I am working on simple ending blends at the moment and it seems to work out well. The A5 pieces of recycled paper are used to write some blends and pasted onto the frames of their bed. Rachel and Felix will blabber off at the words before they go to bed after reading. That has, thankfully, reinforced their pronunciation and learning.
My next target will be to start getting Rachel to read the newspapers with me. Her current year's teacher at the play-school does that with her former students (I have seen her do that) and has announced to Rachel, "You have to start reading newspapers." The coming years will show if all my efforts will bear fruit. My fingers are crossed!
On the other end of the scale, I have witnessed how some children excel time and again, scoring more than satisfactory results during their PSLE. Too early to test them and judge them, we say? Perhaps it is really so, but we cannot change the fact that they will have to sit for the dreaded four-lettered (no, not the swear-word!) examination when they reach the end of their primary school education.
I had thought long and hard about it, and have decided to take it upon myself to create readers in my children. It is true that children are inquisitive. Look at my younger princess - even when she cannot comprehend what is written in the books, she sits at the table or on the floor to browse through the books that once belonged to her elder siblings.
I have planned a multi-pronged approach to achieving my goal. My children, like most others, love watching television programmes. Before anyone judges us and lament that 'too much television is not good for children', especially at their tender age, I had thought of capitalising their 'love' to maximum effect. We let them enjoy their dose of cartoon shows on Playhouse Disney (not a lot nowadays, since they are away in play-school most of the weekdays), rather than soap operas or drama serials where they may not learn anything from at their age.
I have converted myself into an avid fan of the channel and its shows when they are around too. I have to say that I have learnt a few things from the programmes! Other than that channel, we have invested quite heavily earlier on quite a few Hi-5!, Barney and other types of education CDs to entertain them, sometimes during the weekends.
You might have seen the pictures of the books I had taken earlier. Then again, there could be books which are bought, but left as 'white elephants'. I take it upon myself to read with at least my elder two children now when I am at home, to read with them before I put them to sleep. Rachel and Felix enjoy reading, no doubt about that. They will always ask to read a book before they hit the sack, and frown when we tell them that it is too late.
From time to time, when Rachel and Felix come across print on signages, they will read them aloud. I help them with the ones they do not know and ask them to spell words that I think children at their age can handle. The last I counted, Felix can spell quite an impressive amount of words. In fact, he showed me that he has better concentration and memory by beating his elder sister to mastering spelling of words 'one' to 'ten' and understanding that rhymes mean spellings are similar (for example: he mastered spelling the word 'eight' quite fast, and remembered well when I told him that 'night' is spelt similarly).
My latest approach deals with phonics and phonetic awareness using word blends. Not being 'trained' in phonics, this is not easy. Thankfully, their play-school teachers have been doing their fair share to teach our children and I add in my part on blends. I am working on simple ending blends at the moment and it seems to work out well. The A5 pieces of recycled paper are used to write some blends and pasted onto the frames of their bed. Rachel and Felix will blabber off at the words before they go to bed after reading. That has, thankfully, reinforced their pronunciation and learning.
My next target will be to start getting Rachel to read the newspapers with me. Her current year's teacher at the play-school does that with her former students (I have seen her do that) and has announced to Rachel, "You have to start reading newspapers." The coming years will show if all my efforts will bear fruit. My fingers are crossed!
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year's resolutions?
People always make New Years resolutions. It happens annually, whether they manage to achieve what they set out to accomplish. Or if they even try to take steps towards it at all. What is yours?
I do not have the habit to make resolutions. Life rarely lets us manipulate our ways through situations anyway. I tried years before but I had lived my life not remembering the resolutions that had been carefully carved out in that same year. So I gave up. What matters most, I reasoned, is to live a life without having to regret the decisions we made, years later.
Perhaps I should be more responsible. Not that I have not been, most times in my life! I should try to set some goals for this year and work towards them. "Failing to plan is planning to fail", says a wise adage. Do you agree?
Last year, without making my plans announced aloud, I had planned to leave the Ministry of Education to spend more time with my three adorable children. Check. I had planned to continue working with students and assist a few to achieving relative success in their PSLE. Check. Seems like a good year for me then!
This time round, I think I want to make resolutions for my family. And I should resolve to better myself, personally. So there I have the preliminary vows I have for myself in 2011:
1. Spend more QUALITY (not just quantity) time with my three gems and my beloved wife!
2. Be more patient. It is a virtue that had eluded me in 2010!
3. Be extra careful on the roads! (I somehow have this feeling recently that I'll get into trouble one of these days and knock someone down, touch wood!)
4. Make an effort to meet with friends who matter) once every two to three months. (Someone needs to make the effort. I'll do it if it has to be me!)
5. Scutinise my expenses!
There are just too many things that I want to do this new year. Let me start with these five. It may be too many, but then again, let me just start off somewhere, lest I do not get moving at all! Do feel free to call me and catch up on life with me, my friends. Feel inspired to make 2011 a good year. Let us take control of our lives!
I do not have the habit to make resolutions. Life rarely lets us manipulate our ways through situations anyway. I tried years before but I had lived my life not remembering the resolutions that had been carefully carved out in that same year. So I gave up. What matters most, I reasoned, is to live a life without having to regret the decisions we made, years later.
Perhaps I should be more responsible. Not that I have not been, most times in my life! I should try to set some goals for this year and work towards them. "Failing to plan is planning to fail", says a wise adage. Do you agree?
Last year, without making my plans announced aloud, I had planned to leave the Ministry of Education to spend more time with my three adorable children. Check. I had planned to continue working with students and assist a few to achieving relative success in their PSLE. Check. Seems like a good year for me then!
This time round, I think I want to make resolutions for my family. And I should resolve to better myself, personally. So there I have the preliminary vows I have for myself in 2011:
1. Spend more QUALITY (not just quantity) time with my three gems and my beloved wife!
2. Be more patient. It is a virtue that had eluded me in 2010!
3. Be extra careful on the roads! (I somehow have this feeling recently that I'll get into trouble one of these days and knock someone down, touch wood!)
4. Make an effort to meet with friends who matter) once every two to three months. (Someone needs to make the effort. I'll do it if it has to be me!)
5. Scutinise my expenses!
There are just too many things that I want to do this new year. Let me start with these five. It may be too many, but then again, let me just start off somewhere, lest I do not get moving at all! Do feel free to call me and catch up on life with me, my friends. Feel inspired to make 2011 a good year. Let us take control of our lives!
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