Seven Lessons Kids Can Learn From Playing Store

My fellow Catholic homeschooling mom-writer-blogger-friend Teresa wrote this great article on how kids can learn just by playing "store." While reading it, I was reminded about the times my own kids and I would play "bookshop." I am reminded once again how kids can learn so much just by playing! ;-) Time to get out our bookshop signs! ;-)

Photo credit here. (Of course, you don't need this pretend playshop set to play store or bookshop. Just make your own signs, get your own props, "make" your own play money, and voila! FUN FUN FUN!)

Click the link below to read Mommy Teresa's article:
7 Lessons Kids Can Learn From Playing Store

You can also check out her posts about being a mom on her blog here. ;-)

Is Homeschooling for Your Child? ~ On Nanay Notebook

A good friend and fellow Catholic homeschooling-work-at-home mom, Teacher Mommy Blessie, has come up with a wonderful series of posts about homeschooling on her main blog, Nanay Notebook. 

She has done something I've been meaning to but never got around to doing! ;-) Yey! Praise God! ;-) I've been receiving inquiries about homeschooling (how to know if it's for them, where to start, what to do, how to make it work, etc.) from both people I know and don't know personally, so now I can refer them directly to this post about Mommy Blessie's posts. He, he! Kill two birds with one stone, right? ;-)

So as not to "re-invent the wheel" then, I invite you to learn more about homeschooling, and whether it is for your child/ren and your family by hopping over to the Nanay Notebook posts below:

Is Homeschooling for Your Child, Part I: Bullying
Is Homeschooling for Your Child, Part II: ADHD
Is Homeschooling for Your Child, Part III: Other Reasons

And, last, but certainly not the least, this wonderful post, (bravo, Mommy Blessie!) about Homeschooling and the Working Mom. :-)

I hope this helps you moms (and dads) out there, especially here in the Philippines, in your discernment about homeschooling. Ultimately, I believe that if we truly seek God's will and plan for our lives and our families, He will lead us to the right path, people and resources to help us! ;-)

Prayers for you! ;-) Do say a prayer for us, too, yes?! ;-) And Mommy Blessie's family too - especially since they're expecting Baby no. 4 sometime in September! ;-) I AM SO SURE GOD WILL BLESS THEM MORE AND MORE! ;-)

Another confession (AND the Top 100 Educational Websites for 2012)

When I was a new mom, I told myself that I'd never let my kids watch TV or play computer games at a young age. Like fellow homeschool/work-at-home mom Blessie, I wanted my kids to "play outdoors, read books, and build things from scratch." (Yes, we homeschool moms are of the idealistic sort, aren't we?! LOL! ;-)


But, as most people probably know by now (through reviews I've written, like the ones here, here, here and here) I DO let my kids watch TV/DVDs (*gasp*) and I DO let them use the computer! In fact, I don't think our homeschool life would be as frugal and fun without it (the computer, at least!) *NOTE: The key word for our family now is frugal! He, he! :-)



Don't get me wrong though - our kids, like Mommy Blessie's, still get to play outdoors, read books (well, have books read to them at this point in time - two favorites are "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" and "The Runaway Bunny"), and build things from scratch (or recyclable items). We also like listening to audio stories, especially from The Story Home.


However, I believe in the need for balance. And, since I still haven't achieved my ULTIMATE dream of being a fulltime stay at home teachermama (I work from home most days of the week), most days I need time to work and so I need to keep the kids occupied - and A LOT of times, this involves the TV and computer! (Please forgive me!)

Photo source here.

So it pleased me a lot when fellow homeschool mom Racquel recently posted about the top 100 Educational Websites for 2012, which came out on the Homeschool.com website. I browsed through the list (you can do so too by clicking here), and found some of our own favorite websites listed there, among which were:


http://pbskids.org - Tim LOVES playing "The Cat in the Hat" games here! Seussville is another favorite site! Yes, we're Cat in the Hat fans! ;-)

A Timely Reminder About READING from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (and a Freebie!)

I receive regular e-mails from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (TOSH), and this most recent one helped me remember why we are homeschooling. I'm having one of those weeks when I am questioning our homeschool journey, and feel like I'm not doing "enough," and am half-tempted to enroll Tim in one of the local Catholic progressive preschools! 

Thank God too for fellow ROCKERs mom Maricel of Medela Moms, who was very assuring and encouraging too during our online conversation yesterday!

This is JUST what I needed, Lord! Thank YOU! ;-)

P.S. Don't forget to scroll down for a freebie especially for TOSH subscribers! If you aren't one yet, it's super easy to subscribe! Click here for more details.

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At what age do children learn to read? It depends . . . your 5-year-old may read sooner than your 7-year-old and some kids don't read until they're 11 or 12. Kids are different and not everyone learns at the same speed. For example, we've probably used a different phonics program for every kid. What works for one doesn't always work for another. Some kids are ready to read in kindergarten; some kids aren't ready to read until later. Homeschool isn't a factory where we turn out cookie-cutter students (grin).

Helping Your Child To Love Reading

*Note: This article is a re-post from Babycenter.com.ph. Remember, a love for LEARNING begins with a love for reading ;-) Take advantage of the long weekend (here in the Philippines) - spend some time reading books to your kids! ;-)

Image from weheartbooks.com

Helping your child to love reading

• Use books to bond
• Set up a ritual
• Choose appropriate books
• Repeat, repeat, repeat
• Ham it up
• Follow her interests
• Go to the library
• Turn on the tape
• Don't make books a reward
• Dealing with a wriggler
• Make storytelling a part of life
• Point out words everywhere
• Talk
• Demonstrate your own love of books

There are lots of fun ways to help your little one learn to love books and stories. And, surprisingly, not all of them involve sitting down with an actual book. 

Use books to bond 

It's not all about reading the words. At this age, it's more about enjoying the interaction with Mom or Dad. When your child sits in your lap as you read aloud, she doesn't just enjoy books, she also enjoys the security of your undivided attention. 

Set up a ritual 

A regular reading time establishes a calming routine young children love -- that's why the bedtime story is a time-honored tradition. But don't forget that many other daily events also provide good reading opportunities. Once in a while try establishing a new ritual with a breakfast story, a bathtime story, a just-home-from-nursery story or even an "on the potty" story. Some toddlers (and older children) who are heavy sleepers are much better able to face the day when their parents "read them awake" rather than hustle them out of bed. 

Choose appropriate books 

Toddlers love board books, bath books and pop-up books -- any type they can hold easily and manipulate themselves. They love stories accompanied by bright, clear realistic pictures. And, of course, they love rhymes. That's not to say your 2-year-old won't appreciate the stories her big brother chooses -- who knows, Harry Potter may end up being her favorite book! Just make sure she has access to simpler books as well. 

Free Christian/Catholic Comic Books (and other books) Online

Image from printactivities.com

This post was inspired by a  comment thread on our ROCKERs Philippines Facebook group page. Mommy Blessie asked about comic books in Filipino or English. I did some "Googling" and came up with these (though I haven't looked through ALL of the sites yet):

Info and links on Comics on Catholic Saints and other Catholic Heroes - including links to FREE old Catholic comics on the Internet

Christian Books links on Christart.com - includes comics, illustrated storybooks, instructional books and short stories

Link to a downloadable book of Filipino folk tales

International Children's Digital Library

Children's Storybooks Online

Free Online Children's Stories at Storytimeforme.com

Children's Books Online.org

Leading to Reading

Storyline Online.net

I will update this post once I get to go through each site or maybe even do some reviews ;-)

Happy reading! ;-)

Videos of Catholic saints for kids ;-)

Just sharing these.. Found them while looking for stuff to help prepare the kids for celebrating All Saints' Day. Tim is excited to don his "St. George the Dragon-slayer" costume at our homeschool group's All Saints' Day celebration! (Rysse will be an angel; though she can be St. Cecilia too if she decides not wear her angel wings!)



This one was done with Lego! ;-)


A Day in the Life of St. Francis


Saint for Kids video featuring different saints:


Communion of Saints on EWTN (incomplete though):


The Story of St. Perpetua (martyrdom scene):


Our Lady of the Roses appears to San Juan Diego


St. Therese of Lisieux:


More Catholic Cartoons found in this link! Thank You Lord for the Internet! ;-)

The Teaching of the Catholic Church on Home Schooling - Parents for Eternal Life

by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

(from http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Education/Education_028.htm) 

Why should we ask the question, “What is the teaching of the Catholic Church on Home Schooling?”

The reason is obvious: Because we are Roman Catholics!

We know how much emphasis the Church had placed for generations on Catholic education, and for generations people came to practically equate Catholic education with institutional education. Home schooling as home education had not been the focus of the Church’s magisterial teaching until fairly recent times. We might say it was taken for granted.

But no more. The rise of global secularism on every level of modern life has placed the Church on guard. Her authoritative stress is now more than ever on the role of parents as the primary teachers of their children.

The most recent and authoritative ecclesiastical documentation on this subject is in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, issued by Pope John Paul II on the very day of the five hundredth anniversary of the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus.

The key word that stands out in the Church’s teaching on home schooling is the word “primary”.

Parents’ responsibility to educate their children is primary. This means, it is their first responsibility. It is primordial; it is inalienable; it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute.

It is critically important to understand what the Church means when she says that parents have the primary right and duty to teach their children.

Your Preschooler: Learning To Read

I got this from Babycentre (the UK version, I didn't know there was a Filipino version at the time I was researching for good parenting websites while we were still based in Timor). I have been receiving regular e-mail updates from them ever since Tim was still a baby, and even now, with Tim at 4 years 10 months, I get useful information from their site. 


Here is an article on preschoolers and reading. :-) I am happy and proud to say that Tim can read simple 3 and 4 letter words now, mostly by sounding them out. (Thanks a lot to Starfall.com - check out my review about it, coming soon!) However, I realize that I need to focus more on the other aspects of teaching him how to read soon ;-) I must, must, must get into a daily routine! :-) Pray for me?!


How to help your preschooler learn to read

A few children learn to read at four. But the norm is for an interest to start at four and actual reading to begin at age five or even six or seven. Here's what you can do to help.

• About syntax
• About semantics
• About phonics

Learning to read requires the mastering of three basic skills: syntax, semantics and phonics.

• Syntax is the way words, phrases and clauses go together to create sentences and paragraphs. 
• Semantics is how words and sentences in a group relate to one another. 
• Phonics refers to the sounds letters make and the relationship between written and spoken words. 

As your preschooler learns to read, he will develop in all these areas. Most children, however, start understanding syntax and semantics before phonics. For example, he will learn that sentences in a book run from left to right before he understands what the letter combination “sh” sounds like. The best thing you can do to help your child grow in all three areas is to expose him to books and reading every day, whether by reading aloud at bedtime, going to story time at your local library or simply reading from the recipe as you make his dinner. 

About syntax 

A child who grasps syntax has an awareness of written language. Syntax skills begin with an understanding of the structure of a book and the words and sentences within it. For example, when your preschooler was a baby, he held books upside down, sucked on them or used them as a mat to sit on. As a toddler, he started to understand that a book has a front and a back, that words are read from left to right and that the book progresses page by page. Once your child grasps the structure of a book, he'll begin to understand what's inside: words, sentences, paragraphs and chapters. As your preschooler tackles new books, he'll start to get to grips with the stops, starts and pauses in a sentence and the purpose of punctuation. 

Here are some ways to develop syntax skills with your preschooler: 

• Read aloud books that rhyme. There are some great story books that rhyme, such as The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. Or try a book of nursery rhymes. 
• As you read, follow the words with your finger. This will show your preschooler how a sentence progresses, that a full stop represents a pause in the flow of the story and other relationships between written and spoken language. 
• Write a letter with your child. Emphasise the different parts of the letter: introduction, sentences, paragraphs, closing. 

About semantics 

Semantic skills include an ability to recognise and define words, to predict the plot of a story, understand the characters, to talk about the meaning of a whole paragraph or section of a book and to discuss a book as a whole after reading it. It also means being able to substitute words and differentiate words with similar meanings too. For example, “cup” and “mug”. 

Here are some ways to encourage semantic skills with early readers: 

• Read books that tell stories. Fairytales are great for this. 
• Talk about the book as you read it. Ask your child to predict the end of the story. 
• Keep the flow going. When your child starts learning to read aloud, don't stop mid-sentence to labour over a difficult word. If your child is stuck, say the word, explain the meaning, and then move on with the sentence. This encourages comprehension of the sentence and the rest of the story. Go back and review the word another time. 

About phonics 

Phonics is the mechanical part of the reading process. It includes being able to sound out words and recognise word families, such as “ph” words and “th” words. Being able to differentiate between words that look alike, such as “big” and “bag” is part of it too. As well as being able to distinguish words with different letters but similar sounds, such as “four” and “phone”. 

Here are some ways to encourage and develop phonics skills with early readers: 

• Go through rhyming books, nursery rhymes and songs with your child. With each rhyme, point out the words that look alike and discuss the difference in meaning. For example, how is “hat” different from “cat”? 
• Use alphabet books to discuss words that are the same and different in their beginning and end letter. 
• Write down the names of family members and friends, and sound out each name with your child. Group the names by first letter. 
• Get your child to read to you. When he comes across new or difficult words, pronounce and define them for him, and then let your child read the sentence again. Keep a mental note of any recurring problems. 
• Don't name letters, sound them. When you are teaching your child about letters, use the sound: "a" as in apple, "b" as in banana, "c" as in cat. 

Created October 2008 

Sponsored Link

Catholic ABC's Preschool Curriculum!

One of my all-time favorite Catholic mom bloggers, Lacy, of Catholic Icing, may have outdone herself this time! :-) I am so so pleased to re-post her announcement about her latest project, Catholic ABC's preschool curriculum in book form! :-) Way to go Lacy! I am sure a lot of Catholic moms everywhere, including us here in the Philippines, will be greatly blessed by this! (I hope you consider coming up with a downloadable version soon, hehe!) Congrats to you and to God be all the glory! :-)

Below is Lacy's post, which you can read in full version here (there's a giveaway ongoing too, so head on over to her blog to check it out!). Blessings on everyone!

Catholic ABC's (The Book)- A Catholic Preschool Curriculum

on Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Anyone wondering where I've been? Well, I'm putting the finishing touches on my new book! Catholic Icing Presents: Catholic ABC's (The Book) - A Hands On Preschool Curriculum! {Also, there's a giveaway at the end of this post you don't want to miss!}

I love that the Catholic ABC's series matured into an all inclusive, user friendly book! 

I don't have any of them actually printed yet, but I'm sending off for them later this week!!! (Insert happy dance here!) I have poured my heart and soul into this book, and I could not be more pleased with how it has turned out! 

I couldn't decide whether to write the curriculum for homeschoolers or classrooms, so I wrote it for both. Can't go wrong with that decision, huh? ;-) So Catholic ABC's the Bookincludes separate teacher scripts for both homeschoolers and classroom teachers. You could use this book to teach your child, a group of children in your home, a class at a Catholic preschool co-op, or a whole preschool CCD class- your options for teaching are limitless, and this book makes everyone a teacher!

I am so happy to have this in a book form because it includes so much more than I've been able to post online! New crafts, 5 brand new unit studies, guides for setting up your classroom and organizing your materials, bible verses that go with each lesson, visual aides of full color artwork from the religious masters, and more! Also, the entire book is going to be printed in color which I'm really excited about!  

This Catholic preschool curriculum is hands on all the way! From the unit studies, to learning the alphabet, to crafting, singing, and counting- this book strives to make learning (and teaching) fun! Hey, why shouldn't it be fun?

I designed the book to engage visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. The activities in this book help develop gross and fine motor skills. I believe that children learn best when they have multiple senses engaged, and when they have meaningful experiences that they can connect with. This book definitely helps you create these kind of experiences with your preschoolers. 

Catholic ABC's has 26 lessons that are based on the letters of the alphabet. They're meant to be used weekly. Each lesson includes a craft, bible verse, saint of the week, full color visual aid (usually in the form of beautiful artwork from the masters), and many lessons also include a bonus activity. The 5 unit studies follow the liturgical year and have directions for making unique learning tools to teach the story, and again, make it fun! The unit studies also teach the kids counting and numbers, and they all include a fun learning song. 

               Unit Studies:

1. Ordinary Time 1 - Creation
2. Advent/Christmas - Nativity
3. Ordinary Time 2 - 12 Apostles
4. Lent - Stations of the Cross
5. Easter - He is Risen!

All the templates, coloring pages, etc that are needed for Catholic ABC's are included in the "Master Copies" section of the book. They're bound in so they won't get lost.

As always, I take all of the guess work out of the crafting for you. Catholic Icing can make a crafter out of anyone! ;-) All of the crafts in the book are fairly easy to complete, and require only affordable and readily available craft supplies.

Ok, in case you can't tell by the excessive use of exclamation points in this post, I'm very excited about my book! I can't wait to hold the printed copies when they arrive! I just might have to invite all my friends over for a fun celebration. :-)

How Much Does it Cost?

Catholic ABC's The Book is going to cost $35 plus shipping, but if you'd like to place a pre-order, you'll receive a $5 discount! So that's just $30 plus shipping.  :-) (Shipping is $5.25 US and $15.00 international) I'm taking pre-orders between now and August 15. After August 15 the book will cost $35.00.

 

*The original deal offered on pre-orders was free shipping. Everyone who ordered within that time will receive the free shipping. Everyone ordering from now on will receive the $5 discount instead. Sorry for the confusion.*

Freebie Friday: TONS of Printable Worksheets from TLSBooks.com

TLSBooks.com is one of THE best places to go for FREE printable worksheets from preschool to sixth grade! They even have mixed grade worksheets. There are literally THOUSANDS of worksheets you can use, all for FREE!

Here's a brief description of TLSBooks.com, based on their home page:

Welcome to tlsbooks.com, where you'll find a variety of free printable worksheets for home and school use. Tlsbooks offers numerous worksheets to supplement your early childhood education program, home day care, elementary school classroom or home school. Parents love using our free worksheets to help their child gain valuable readiness skills or to reinforce material they may already be learning in school.

This site features thousands of printable worksheets as well as coloring pages, teacher resources, puzzles, and reading tips. Although our terms of use prohibits the saving of worksheets, you are welcome to return at any time to print material that you may need.

In order to view and print our free educational worksheets, you will need to have Adobe Reader version 6 or later. Click here to update or download the most current version of Adobe Reader.

Please be familiar with our Terms of Use before using any worksheets from this site. You can always be sure you are viewing our most current worksheets by clicking the refresh or reload button on your browser!

We have used some of their preschool worksheets in the past, while we were still on mission in Timor, and I don't know why I have forgotten completely about them since coming home to the Philippines. I'm glad I re-discovered them though. It's really time to buy a good printer for our homeschooling, don'tcha think? :-) Godbless y'all!

Montessori at Home: 8 Principles to Know

by HEATHER on JUNE 29, 2011

in METHODS & PHILOSOPHIES

(A Note from Teachermama Tina: This post originally appears on the Simple Homeschool site. I have been thinking about the different styles and methods used in Homeschooling, and the Montessori approach seems very interesting, though I don't know if I could pull it off! hehe. Enjoy reading!)

Written by contributor Heather Bruggeman of Beauty That Moves
Montessori education is a philosophy and model created by Maria Montessori, the first woman physician in Italy, in the late 1800s. At its core, Montessori education is designed to promote peace and considers the whole child as well as the environment in its approach.

It has been a primary influence in our family’s lifestyle and educational philosophy.

We’ve heard from some readers that you are interested in Montessori philosophy as it might fit into your homeschool. And some of you were looking for a little inspiration or direction to light the way.

If you are like me, you appreciate things broken down into easy to follow steps.

In 2005,  Angeline S. Lillard wrote a book called Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius, in which she discusses whether or not a century old methodology can stand up to modern day scientific research in developmental psychology. Her research led to the understanding that Dr. Montessori’s ideas were, and still are, a very effective holistic approach to educating a child.

It’s an academic way of saying that Maria Montessori knew what she was doing.

In Lillard’s book she covers Eight Principles of Montessori Education.  Today we will look at those and think about how they may fit into your homeschool.

The 8 Principles of Montessori Education

1. Movement & Cognition

Movement and cognition are closely entwined, and movement can enhance thinking and learning.

For most of these principles I’ll list a few points to consider as a homeschool family, but this particular one calls for a brief story.

Sir Ken Robinson did a TED Talk on Schools Killing Creativity. He told the story of Gillian Lynne, a school girl whose parents were told she may have a learning disorder because she was fidgety and couldn’t concentrate. They sent her to a specialist. She restlessly sat on her hands while the doctor and her mother spoke of the problems Gillian had at school.

Eventually, the doctor said he needed to speak to the mother privately, he and Gillian’s mother left the room. As he was leaving, he turned on the radio that sat on his desk, when they left the room he said to her mother, “Just stand here and watch her.”

The minute the doctor and mother left the room, Gillian recalls coming to her feet and moving to the music. The adults watched her for a few minutes from outside the room.

The doctor turned to her mother and said, “Mrs. Lynne, Gillian isn’t sick, she’s a dancer.”

Gillian Lynne went on to study dance and eventually become a world famous choreographer, her work included the productions of Cats and Phantom of the Opera. (Thank goodness for that doctor.)

Humans need movement, each in their own way.

2. Choice

Learning and well-being are improved when people have a sense of control over their lives.

• Make a list of work assignments for the day and have them create their own schedule.
• Keep a basket in the refrigerator of healthy snacks for them to choose from.
• Create a basket of pre-selected (high quality) SSR books for them to choose from.

3. Interest

People learn better when they are interested in what they are learning.

• Fill a basket with oversized, ‘coffee table’ books from the library. These tend to be filled with beautiful, inspiring photography that will spark conversation and interest.
• Create a lapbook or unit study around a favorite hobby, period in history, musician, author or animal of your child’s choosing.
• Love letter writing? Create a letter writing station or box for kids to help themselves. Be sure to include everything needed: stationary, pens, stamps, address book, (laminated) copy of a properly written letter.

4. Extrinsic rewards are avoided

Tying extrinsic rewards to an activity, like money for reading or high grades for tests, negatively impacts motivation to engage in that activity when the reward is withdrawn.

• This challenges normal practice for many of us. I don’t feel inclined to hand out money or treats for every job well done – but there is a pass/fail, win/lose mentality in our culture, and the older a child gets, the more they become aware of that. To be honest, I’m working on this one.

5. Learning from & with peers

Collaborative arrangements can be very conducive to learning.

• Host a knitting group in your home
• Meet at a funky cafe for a weekly study group
• Form a young writers or poetry group
• Seek out a homeschool debate team
• Into film making? Gather with friends to make a short film.

6. Learning in context

Learning situated in meaningful contexts is often deeper and richer than learning in abstract contexts.

• Make homemade yogurt rather than talk about how their favorite yogurt is made.
• Learn about flora and fauna with field guides in hand and an afternoon trek through the woods.
• Take a morning trip to the grocery store with a budget and menu plan.
• Play with science by making homemade lip balm, soap, or natural remedies.
• Keep chickens or bees!

7. Teacher ways & child ways

Particular forms of adult interaction are associated with more optimal child outcomes.

• Have Week In Review meetings with your kids, individually if possible .
• Children can partner with you on designing a garden, rearranging furniture (design), or reviewing curriculum choices for the coming year.
• Collaborate on literature list for next year.
• Have them recommend a few titles of books they love for you to read. (Does not matter the age of the child or if you wind up reading Jack & the Beanstalk – they will appreciate you honoring their judgment.)

8. Order in environment & mind

Order in the environment is beneficial to children.

• Maintain an art shelf with easy to access projects that rotate from week to week.
• Keep your learning environment clear of clutter.
• Adopt “10 Minute Tidy” period at the end of the day.
• Some families find workboxes to be helpful.

These principles can provide a helpful map to those in need, or simply a source of inspiration as we each look ahead to our next school year.