22 July 2010

Just for Laughs 9

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: humour.

Profound! Now isn’t this funny in a sad way?

13 July 2010

Homeschooling to strengthen family

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Announcement; Family.

There are many reasons to homeschool. But for the Christian, homeschool is really a natural expression of parenting and family-driven discipleship. Here’s what Voddie Baucham has to say about family:

If you’re interested to learn how homeschool builds deeper faith and strengthens family, make time for our seminar, The Christian Homeschool: Foundations for Radical Discipleship.

For FULL details, fees, and location, please click on NOTICES and register today! It’s on Saturday 24 July 2010, and the countdown’s begun…

11 July 2010

CHRISTIAN HOMESCHOOL SEMINAR

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Announcement.

NEWSFLASH!
We’re pleased to announce that we’ve finalised details for our Christian Homeschool Seminar on Saturday 24 July 2010. Titled, CHRISTIAN HOMESCHOOL: FOUNDATIONS FOR RADICAL DISCIPLESHIP, we aim to take a big picture view of homeschooling – beyond books and education, to a radical paradigm of discipleship.

Homeschoolers Moses Tey and his wife Cathy and their 2 boys are from the US, and they have become family friends  since our paths converged. I heartily welcome you to give him a listen and be challenged.  Moses and Cathy are passionate about reflecting God’s glory in authentic community through an integrated lifestyle encompassing family, small group and church.

We have heard Moses speak numerous times.  He is a passionate presenter committed to Scripture and practical application.  Come to have your world view challenged, passion refreshed, and vision deepened. Apologies for the late notice.

PLEASE  CLICK ON OUR NOTICES PAGE FOR FULL DETAILS.

2 July 2010

Using pretend play at home

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Play; Preschool.

Homeschooling mom DJ shares  how she uses pretend play to teach Mandarin at home.  She wrote this on her blog:

“So last night, I decided to plan my own lesson plan. I wanted it to be fun. I took out one of the books I bought sometime ago called Literacy Play (under Language). I like the book because it uses pretend play (or dramatic play) to teach kids vocabulary. I think it is rather fun way to play.”

DJ goes on to write about the fun they all had pretending to be customer and hairdresser.

“Then I make a price list and a appointment time table for her. I also downloaded some clip art from the net, so that we can make name card.

“I also explained what is a hairdresser and what does she do, etc. After that, I took out the price list and we discussed about how much we should charged for each item. Den wrote down the price. Then I introduced the appointment time table. She wanted to open her shop from 10am-10pm because she has no husband and baby yet. I let her wrote down the time on the time table.”

Pretend play is a great way to engage young learners!  And as DJ has shown you can pick your ideas from anywhere and then adapt them – including language – to make learning fun.

Drop in at DJ’s blog My Journal, A Homeschooling Mom to read the rest of this story and pick up more tips from her older posts here.

Thanks DJ for sharing, and thanks also for letting me post your story here!

28 June 2010

EDISON Explorer Flight Challenge

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Announcement.

EDISON Explorer invites all children ages 6-12 to participate in an afternoon of paper airplane and model contests. The EDISON Explorer Flight Challenge is on Sunday 11th July from 2:00-5:00. The event is free of charge.

Contests include:

Distance – Get your paper airplane to fly the longest distance.

Accuracy – Get your paper airplane to land on the target and collect the most points.

Longest Paper Airplane – Build a paper airplane that measures the longest from nose to end.

Smallest Paper Airplane – Build the tiniest paper airplane.

Paper Airplane Model – Choose from 3 model templates/patterns on our website. Follow the contest rules to win.

Contests will have 2 categories ages 6-8 and ages 9-12. Winners will receive prizes. There is also lucky draw.

More information can be found at our website: www.edison-enterprises.com. Download your registration form, contest rules and paper airplane model patterns from the “downloads” section. E-mail your completed registration form at: edison_enquiry(at)hotmail.com. Any questions? Contact Amy at 012-658-7587.

See you there!

18 June 2010

A global adventure

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Guest Writer.

[Here's a great idea for geography lessons: Homeschooling mom Heather who blogs at Cultivated Lives takes her boys on a fun adventure around the world. It's so cool you might just be inspired to take your own kids on a similar trip.]
——————————————————————————————————————————————
Going Global
We plan on traveling all over the world this summer…

…without ever leaving home.

That’s right, this summer we embark on a journey around the world and discover where we fit into it!

Xander already has my love of maps. Sometimes I wonder if it can be genetic. Afterall, I am the daughter of a cartographer dad and a geography-degreed mom!

This last year we’ve had fun running to our wall map of the world to find locations that come up in our reading. After reading a book about the earth, the boys set to work creating their own maps!

I was actually pretty amazed at the features and locations that Xander included on his map. He totally pegged where we live in his rendition of North America and was able to pinpoint where Ittiel lives (the Peruvian boy we sponsor through Compassion.)

Keegan drew a fanciful map of his ‘world’ which included mostly local places (our house, the store, the cookie store, Oma/Opa’s house, Aunt B’s, etc…)

[You can see more photos and read the rest of the kids' global adventure at Cultivated Lives].

Thanks Heather, for letting me put your post here!

10 June 2010

Homeschool Co-op celebrates Teachers’ Day

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Extra-curricular Activities.

FRONTIER LEARNING CENTRE (FLC)- that’s what the homeschool co-op is called. Started by several homeschooling moms, it was set up to help our teens prepare for their O Levels. It’s a simple informal set-up (fee-based) and from what we hear, things are going pretty well.

Although the co-op began as an initiative by homeschooling parents for homeschoolers, half of the enrolment drifted in from elsewhere. Recently, the co-op celebrated Teachers Day with a brunch at Cinta Ria Restaurant in PJ, and you can view the photos on our Facebook page. Enjoy.

2 June 2010

Short courses at LIFE COLLEGE

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Announcement.

I’ve placed a banner link to LIFE COLLEGE on HOMEFRONTIER. LIFE COLLEGE has been good to homeschoolers and students from learning centres, and that makes the college worthy of our support.

BTW, do check out their new professional short courses -I’m sure there’s something for everybody. Homeschoolers might want to find out if there’s one that matches their interest or inclination.

I previously wrote about entry requirements for homeschoolers at LIFE and the post may be read here.

31 May 2010

Homefrontier – on Facebook

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Announcement.

I’ve got a page on Facebook now (finally!),  so that’s one more avenue for discussion and networking.  I hope to pool updates, announcements and photos, so if you’re homeschooling and if you want a shout-out regarding meet-ups, events, socials, etc, let me know. No promises, but I’ll do what I can.  The homeschooling community is a small but diverse one – which is one of the things I love about it! It helps to keep informed and in touch. Cheers!

25 May 2010

Talkers, Watchers, Doers

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Book Review.

PEOPLE LEARN IN DIFFERENT WAYS. When Howard Gardner introduced the world to his theory of multiple intelligences, he got us all spouting tongue-twisting jargon that famously represented 9 types of intelligences.

The jury is still out as far as his novel conception of intelligences is concerned, but it seemed to make sense to many parents and educators. For thousands of parents it gave a new handle on an old problem of teaching children to their ability and pace. It also meant a child could be expected to perform better if and when a learning style was adapted to her intelligence type.  Or so it was implied.

If I may be allowed a bit of hyperbole, I must say a broader view of intelligence is as big a shift as the Copernican Revolution. It is assuring to know that a person who didn’t make it past high school but who’s good with his hands – say, fixing electrical equipment – is not necessarily less intelligent than someone with an IQ of 160 who doesn’t know how to change a light bulb to save his life. They’re both intelligent in different ways.

If Gardner’s books are too challenging a read, you might find Cheri Fuller’s Opening Your Child’s Nine Learning Windows a good alternative. Fuller’s other book Talkers, Watchers, and Doers: Unlocking Your Child’s Unique Learning Style takes you down the ladder without dumbing down, and this is a good place to start on the subject of multiple intelligences.

“Learning differences are not just liabilities, as we tend to think of them. They are pathways to the great potential that lies within,” writes Fuller. She helpfully skips the big words and reduces learning styles to 3 major groups: talkers (auditory), watchers (visual), and doers (kinesthetic). She does point out that while most children have a dominant style, a combination of styles is not uncommon.

Fuller goes on to say that, “Discovering children’s learning styles is not a panacea for all learning problems, but even students who have been labeled “learning disabled” can compensate for their weaknesses and achieve more when we discover and use their skills and talents.”

The tone of her book will appeal to lots of parents, I’m sure. She offers some tips, but if you have older kids, you’ll find the book less useful. The point is,  don’t tie yourself into a knot trying to unravel your child’s prevailing learning style. There’s a certain plasticity to our brain and personality make-up. Children change. Age, circumstances, the influence of peers – all these are no mere bit players in the script of life.

The worse thing you can do to yourself and your child is to pigeonhole the poor kid and shut the door to new experiences and opportunities. It is so easy to yield to learning styles to excuse a child from experimenting, or taking a chance on new ways of doing things.  A big part of learning is really trying, failing, and then picking yourself up. So be careful there.

Knowing something about multiple intelligences is invaluable and Fuller’s book is an eye-opener if you’ve never thought about learning styles. As she admits, it’s not a panacea to all learning problems. But harnessing intelligences and equipping for the inevitable seasons in a child’s life is the way forward. Now, knowing how to do that will require ‘intelligence’ as well as wisdom. The wise parent will make sure to add a large dose of compassion too.

(Follow Cheri Fuller by visiting her website and blog)