Fully utilize the ABC mat in your house. This is how both my boys learnt the alphabet in their 18 months. At the same time, beside learning, they are helping parents to arrange the mat. For my 20 months toddler, he took about 30 minutes to put back all the alphabet (A to Z) back into the mat. During this 30 minutes, I able to cook for my families. YEAH!!!!
In fact, they are not only learning alphabets, but:-
develop hand eye coordination
fine motor skill, by putting in the alphabet, they will be interested in playing puzzle soon
**Tips: Do not arrange the alphabet mat in right order, just put in randomly. In order for them to learn.
I am not crazy in Minion, but my boy like them. After spending a few days working on this, my boy holding it for lunch, dinner, sleeping etc....
Anyone interested to order this crochet Minion, can email me, psedornna@gmail.com OR do it by yourself following the steps below. Frankly speaking, I am the original of crocheting this minions, but I have lost the original post.
Body ~ Yellow yarn
Round 1 - 8sc, mc
Round 2 - inc 8sc (16sc)
Round 3 - inc 8sc (24sc)
Round 4 - inc 8sc (32sc)
Round 5-19 - remain 32sc
Round 20 - dcs back to 24 sc
Round 21 - dcs back to 16sc
Round 22 - dcs to 8sc
Round up the end, it a cylinder.
Overall ~ Blue yarn
Round 1 - 8sc, mc
Round 2 - inc 8sc (16sc)
Round 3 - inc 8sc (24sc)
Round 4 - inc 8sc (32sc)
Round 5-9 - remain 32sc
The following step will be the overall front/back,
Line 1 - 8sc, ch & turn
Line 2 - 8sc, ch & turn
Line 3 - 8sc, st. crochet about 30 chains for the overall strip, depends on your size.
Space 8sc, start up with the 3 line for the overall for the front/back.
It's time for me to jolt down the artwork I have done together with Bryan. Today, we go on for a simple artwork, which included Drawing, Cutting, Gluing and Writing.
Herewith the artwork we did this afternoon. I did the top right butterfly, whilst the one my boy holding definitely was did by him!
Materials:
A4 white paper
coloured paper
pencil
scissors
glue
Method:
First, draw a BIG butterfly on the A4 paper
Cut different shapes from the coloured paper. This is a very good motor skill for a toddler to learn using scissors, beside learning the shapes they are cutting.
Glue the shapes on the butterfly. Allow the toddler to glue anywhere they like.
Last, teach the toddler to write his name and date on the A4 paper.
Time: We spent about 45 minutes. Most of the time spending on cutting.
***Parents/guidance/care taker should be always beside the toddler when they are using scissors.
Tadaaaaaa....... That was what we did this afternoon after lunch.
Out of idea what to play with your kids at home??? Maybe you would like to have a try with your kids as well?
Bryan was helping me in the kitchen to prepare our dinner tonight. While I was cutting the capsicum, he quickly STOP me from continue cutting the capsicum!
Then he hold the capsicum up asking me "Mommy, what do you think this is?"
As a full time mommy by taking care of my 2 little boys, I am not happy all days, as
they make me MAD...
they make me ANGRY...
they make me FURIOUS...
they even make me CRAZY!
BUT.....
When I see them laugh happily, I knew everything is worth!!!!
This is 3.5 years old Bryan & 17 months Isaac laugh happily while their daddy was blowing balloon. This video remind me about 2 years old Bryan did laugh crazily as well... Enjoy LAUGHING....
My darling ~ Isaac learnt 8 shapes in his 14 months! I will said he is QUICK as compare with Bryan. He learnt circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval, star, crescent, heart shapes! Good job my little boy!
Isaac loves reading books rather than playing with toys. Maybe this is the reason he learns faster as a toddler. He is 17 months now (Sorry back dated post again) he learnt a few numbers and alphabet! eg, A, B, C, E, G, I, J, K, T & M. Whenever he sees A & M, he can even SAY the letter correctly by pointing at the letter!
Colours ~ He learnt a few colours ~ blue, red, yellow, green, orange & purple.
To My boys ~ Bryan & Isaac,
Sorry Isaac that mommy realized that I did compare your growth development with your elder brother. For sharing, I was being compared since young, so I will never compare my sons with others.
Both of you are my precious boys, I will compare both you unwittingly. I am not mean to do that, but hope both of you learn from positive way in comparing.
We are proud to be Malaysia, as we learn more than one language in school - English, Malay & Chinese. Therefore, I teach my boy in different language start from young. My 3 years old boy was reading numbers in 5 languages - English, Mandarin, Malay, Japanese and Cantonese.
I didn't learn Korean, Spanish, French, Italian, Thai....... If not, I will teach him as well! Hahahaha.....
Question:"How do you teach your boy, which homeschooling method are u using? Montessori? Charlotte Mason? etc....."
JOEY:"I just explain to him whatever things happen around us on HOW, WHY, WHEN, WHAT, WHO, WHICH"
Maybe I can name it as - JOEY's DIY Homeschooling Method
Then, the parents will think of I do not wanna share my method with them @_@
This is the issue I'm worrying about after my post - When Will you send your kids to nursery?
First of all I really want to APOLOGIZE if my answer gave you this feeling. But I really teach my boy on HOW, WHY, WHEN, WHAT, WHO, WHICH from the things happen around us.
Isn't that true that we need to know:- why there are day & night? Why raining? Why we need to eat & drink? Why my hair is black? WHY? WHY? WHY?
Question :"how can the little one understand all this?"
JOEY :"if the little one do not understand, definitely they will ask again and again. Then, I'll answer again and again. Repetition is very important in teaching."
If there are something that I do not know or do not understand, I will...
JOEY:"I'm not sure how it works/why, how about we search in the internet to find out the answer together later?"
Companion is very crucial for kids. Works/learn together with your kids is worth than spending $$$ for the classes.
This is how I teach my boy, Bryan about our nature, or I would say everything around us.
About those basic academic, e.g. shapes, colours, numbers....... normally I'll related with "things around us"as well.
Example: "baobei, you look great in this orange shirt" sure he will look at his shirt and understood that the colour is "ORANGE"
Communications is very important. Try to talk MORE with them.
P/S: Do not think of your kids is small and don't explain to them! Maybe they are not really understand the meaning. But they REMEMBER what you said, your words may keep in their mind for years!
Question :"Joey, all the books, flash card for babies are so expensive, not worth to buy, how to teach?"
JOEY :" I only bought picture flash card about animals & fruits for Bryan 4 years ago. I made most of the flash card all by myself."
Maybe I can share more in future post in details. Wait to go...
I made my decision to send my boy to kindergarten when he is 5 years old. Too late???
Hmm... Let's summarize what my 3.5 years old boy learnt so far. Share with me what your kids learnt in school? In order for me to justify whether is it too late to send him to school in year 2014?
Motor Skill
He learnt to button by himself before 3 years old (video)
He learnt how to take off and put on shirt and pants all by himself.
He learnt to take shower by himself.
He learnt to use scissors.
He learnt to use cup. He uses cup to drink milk.
He is diaper off since 15 months.
He learnt to put on and take off the shoes and socks all by himself. He is learning how to put on shoes for his little brother now.
He helps me a lot on the house work, eg laundry (video), hang up clothes & collect dry clothes (video), cleaning....
Am I missing anything? What he can learnt in school in motor skill?
Shapes
He learnt the basic shape - triangle, circle, square, star & heart shape at 17 months. He even learnt oval, diamond, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, trapezium etc.... NOW.
Are these the shapes the kids learn in nursery?
Numbers
He learnt all the basic colors at 2 years old (He knows colours by 18 months, now he even can "tell" all the colours (black, brown, dark green, light green, purple, dark blue, light blue, red, pink, orange, yellow, grey, white, beige))
He learnt indigo, violet, navy blue, maroon as well.
Games
He likes to play dots to dots. He can finish 1-100 dots to dots!
He likes to play puzzle (video), he can finish 72 pieces puzzle!
He starts to in love with maze now.
We play memory game every weeks.
We sing and dance every day.
We paint together.
We play dough together.
We go swimming together.
He cycling every day.
..... and more ....
Numbers
Bryan can read and write from 1-100 in English and Mandarin; read 1-10 in Japanese.
This is the video he read numbers in different language -> video
Few weeks ago, Bryan completed 1-100 on his work book without any missing numbers! While I was taking my shower, he told me that he was boring, nothing to do. So I simply told him to write some numbers on his work book.
He surprised me by showing his writing (picture on the right) while I finished shower. ^_^
Alphabet
Bryan learnt A-Z since 19 months (video).
We play alphabet game every day. eg, name the animals/fruits/musical instrument that start from A-Z. This little boy can think of some name that I can't even recall!
Writing
I will not force my boy to write before he was 3 years old as I believed that kids fingers are fully developed after 3 years.
He can write capital letter and small letter from A-Z and a-z as well. But a bit UGLY. Haha... As I just started to teach him writing when he was 3 years old. So I have no worries on this.
Language - Mandarin
I teach him mandarin flash card using the material given by my sister.
Language - Malay
I just start to teach him Malay. ^_^
He learnt some animals name (kucing, anjing etc), numbers (satu - sepuluh) and colours (merah, hitam etc).
I admit I teach him lesser in Malay as I am not really good in Malay :P......
Reading
I read story book for him and slowly he learn to read by himself. Basically he can read simple story book in English. I taught him on phonics, which makes him read.
This was the video he reads "The Three Little Pigs" at his 3 years old (36 months). It's a LONG video, so the middle part I had fast forwarded. Hahaha......
So... Experienced mommy, am I made a correct decision to send him to school at his 5 years old? I prefer homeschooling my boy. But... Am I missing anything to teach him at home?
Parents! Do you really understand what is the main purpose of a nursing room?
A nursing room is for BREASTFEEDING mommy to latch on / BREASTFEED their babies/toddlers.
A nursing room is NOT FOR BOTTLE FEEDING your babies/toddlers!!!!!
This time, I really MAD on this. Some more, this is not the first time experience carrying my HUNGRY babies/toddlers running around to look for empty nursing room. My 15 months toddler is more than 10KG!
But I really MADDDD when I've been waiting so loooonnnggggg outside the nursing room, ended up seeing a mommy holding a MILK BOTTLE coming out from the nursing room!
Why can't the parents feed their baby outside? Why you have to occupied the nursing room for bottle feeding? Or because you are bottle feeding, you do not think there will be any BREASTFEEDING mommies around?
Would like to take this opportunity to voice out! About nursing room in Queensbay mall, Penang. I experienced carrying my HUNGRY + FUSSY + CRYING baby running from lower ground floor up to second floor. But can not find a nursing room, either it has been occupied or the nursing room is WITHOUT A CURTAIN!
I do not request a luxury nursing room with proper air conditioning (most of the nursing rooms are HOT), proper sofa (some are nothing inside, like a fitting room), toilet paper provided, different bin for diaper, rubbish bin (some don't even has one) etc... Just the curtain!
Hope they will have some improvement soon.
I think will make up some review on nursing room from now on. Hope those shopping mall will improve their service and understood the PURPOSE of a nursing room!
I started visiting some kindergarten around my area for my boy during September and October 2012. So far, there are only a few kindergarten in my selection, which fulfill my requirement.
After chit chatting with some parents and friends, I realized that most of them select the kindergarten according to the reputation / advertisement. Therefore, I would like to share more about how I did the selection.
First of all, I will visit those "famous" kindergarten website to know more about their background / origin before visiting. Yet, I will not make any judgement merely on the website. As they will do the BEST in website, no matter how, I will spend my time to visit personally. MOST IMPORTANT, I will not go along with my boy, as he will distract by those teacher and the playground outside!
During the visit, I will ask below questions:
School fees? (mainly to compare with other kindergarten)
Methodology?
Timetable? (is there any music session, gym, IQ game etc.)
Play based or academic driven? (will not prefer purely academic)
Language used? (I will choose trilingual - English, Mandarin & Malay)
Ratio - Teacher : Student (will prefer 1: 10 or below)
Teaching method? (some kindergarten will use TV, which I definitely will blacklist)
Syllabus? Text book? (go through to know my boy level)
How often the parent can check out their kids progress / performance in school? (It'll be great if anytime ^_^)
Does the teacher identified the person who pick up the kids when the school over? (parents need to aware on this, as I saw some kindergarten just let those kids to go along whoever arrived the school and called the kids' name ONLY)
Besides all these questions to ask, I will observe the kindergarten as well. Below are the priority condition I will check out during the visit:-
Does the kindergarten locked the gate? (If the kindergarten simply open the gate/door, without asking me, who am I / the purpose I was there will be rejected)
Hygiene in the kindergarten? (This is quite subjective on every personal, I will check on the toilet and pantry, toys)
Child safety / proofing? (there MUST be safety gate at staircase)
Any child friendly facilities? (child toilet bowl & basin?)
Handle for kids on the staircase?
Herewith all the conditions I will check base on my own judgement and standard. Parents may take these as a referral but not a standard.
YET......
After visiting a few kindergartens, I made my decision to enroll my boy when he is 5 years old in 2014.
