I'm born on 18 April 2007, weighing in at 3.74KG. I have my daddy's eyes and my mommy's lips. Mom and Dad named me Theophilus Siauw Chuan En, meaning "God's beloved" or "Person who loved God". My chinese name means "Messenger of Grace". WOW, they really gave me such meaningful names. My favourite game is "Peek-a-boo".
Bible theme: Everything has its time (Ecc 3:1-8) We're using a thematic approach together with a letter unit this round. We are dedicating a whole series using Ecc 3 in our next round of updates. We also just started our mandarin speech and drama with Julia Gabriel for a term and mummy is now more intentional about speaking mandarin at home. Yipee! Pre-writing readiness KB was getting better with this. He does not touch the side lines now. He is also learning to be more precise as he circles those letters which are not the same. Fine-motor skills & Math readinessskills KB is also getting better at cutting and can follow simply lines for a cut-out of shapes. Mummy got him to cut out all the circles and mummy did all the stars. Then we did AB pattern and made a decorative item for our house. We read Beep beep vroom vroom and played 'follow the pattern' game by using our toy tokens to match colour patterns of the cars.
Outdoor/Nature play : 'Sand-sation", climbing trees and playing with snails
Elias is joining us in lots of nature play. Being a kinesthetic and rather fearless boy, he had lots of fun exploring. Sometimes mummy can take a book and sit and read while the kids play by themseleves. Peacefully. Nature captivates kids like no other can. And I marvel at what a wondeful God we have through his creations. KB is using a big shovel and Elias using a small one.
Letter craft, "M" Since KB started recognising letters in our daily life on his own, I have changed our word pictures activity. I have now included a word together with the picture to reinforce sight words. There is no pressure to recognise them, but the goal is to bring about an awareness that letters form words that is significant to him.
Language Arts
We ventured a FIAR story on The runaway Bunny and we did a simple lapbook for ease of playing games on story sequencing, shadow matching and learning about shapes. We also played shadow matching (not a simple one at that, so it was nice that it was slightly more challenging).
It was interesting that KB recognised the illustration from The Runaway Bunny being similiar to a book he read. He exclaimed "This is like the Goodnight Moon book!" So we took out the other book and played "spot the difference" game by comparing the room in one book to the other. Helps in training the eye to spot colours and details.
Art: Making Impressions: Artistic Pursuits KB collected various objects around the house and started making impressions. We looked at a picture and talked about the texture and then KB explored and played with various impressions. This is about learning that is motivated by curiosity. Artistic pursuits, "Rushed Children will not have time to gain this knowledge. Give children time to explore and to gather knowledge about the world they inhabit."
Service Habit of saying "Good morning" and watering the plants. KB has been independent in changing out of his pyjamas and into his day clothes, that he now needed permission as the weather may not permit him to change out of bed clothes so soon. It was a habit training on self-control. Free play Train rides, playing with water, cycling, observing dew drops on leaves (picture taken by KB), random painting (of a boat according to KB),
This is KB's 3-year-old birthday present. He has wanted a bike forever and it was just so difficult to get such a bike in Singapore at affordable price. This was hand-carry all the way by daddy from U.S. :) KB's forth day at it and he was a whiz already.
Bible theme: Sharing
Story: Parable of 5 loaves and 2 fish
We watched an animated cartoon online and mummy prepared the five loaves and two fish.
This was an excellent picture that showed a "Before" and "After" the miracle of Jesus. It presents great opportunities for talking about what happened after the boy share his food.
The picture remained on our show-shelf as a visual reminder for talking point. We counted the loaves of bread and fish and stick them into the basket for fun.
Talking points include:
1) God created a miracle by adding more when there is only a few.
2) God can use what you give to bless others.
This lesson coincide with our habit training for this season. It also coincide our everyday training for sharing between the KB and his younger brother.
Art and craft We pulled out a rainy weather project. reinforcing shapes recognition and having fun creating something out of heart-shapes. These different size of heart-shapes pieced together to form a fish. He decorated the fish with glitter glue afterwards.
Alphabet craft Making "Fox"
Alphabet picture Sticking photos of things that starts with "F".
KB started spotting the letter "F, f" from everyday things such as this. "F" is for feelings. We took out the felt to play again and this time we were able to talk about feelings. The first time KB played this was about two-years-old.
Fine motor skills - Montessori (Basting)
Basting is a skill that requires one to release before squeezing the dropper. I filled cup with yellow paint and the other with blue paint. By letting him transfer one cup of paint to the other allows him to see how colour mixture can achieve another colour. Absolutely fascinating! He did it with right and then left hands and completed the entire cup with little prompting. A game that trains precision, patience and fine motor skills.
Large motor/Outdoor play
We spent so much time biking every morning we did not even do anything indoor except reading storybooks. This is him on his forth day, speeding on his new balance bike. More on learning to ride a bike at ibike. A balance bike is suppose to be small enough for the child to manoeuvre, complete with appropriate height for the seat and handle. KB was able to take his bike all the way from home and back all on his own, giving him a great sense of responsibility and independence.
Math we play AB pattern using fresh flowers amongst other counting exercises in both language.
Imaginative play Pretending to be a frog
Science we were so blessed to be able to play sand for 2 whole hours one morning because of a single incident. We were shoving our shovels in the sand when we saw a bird fly past us with a twig in its beak! So we got excited and watched the whole scene over and over. It was unbelievable in concrete jungle we live in. But it happened before our very eyes at a park near our place. unfortunately, I didnt have the camera with me at that time.
Service
KB had successfully mastered the habit of keeping after himself every morning. He drinks his milk, puts the bottle back in tray, take his diapers out and throw away, then change into shorts and then put his pajamas into the laundry pail and back to make his bed. (He has been on only 1 diaper per day for since January and is not wetting the bed. Hooray for another milestone!) He has also developed a habit of helping Di Di up the bed (by pushing his bum, a very cute sight!). He also cleans his bike tyres when we're back from cycling. This is Theo washing rice. He now helps to wash rice once a day for dinner and sets the table.
Socialisation He also is in habit of paying the cashier whenever we are out and now learning to pay the taxi driver and saying thank you. KB's gym class has come to an end and it was sad for him as it was also for me. He had the opportunity to do so much in class and to be more agile. He also had the chance to learn to be courageous and tell everyone his name at every session. I was so proud of him when he was the only one who spoke in full sentence when asked what was his name. "My name is Theophilus". Another breakthrough to praise God for. It was also in this class I was able to seize teachable moments to teach him how to share. I thank God that this was a parent-child accompanied class. He would be taking a break from Gym for awhile as we focus on other areas.
Field Trip Visit to the Fire Station. Theo & Elias was Firemen for a day. Mummy made a simple fireman costume using red colour tape from DIY shop. Daddy helped to print a badge and have it laminated to stick on the front of his t-shirt. ;p
Chinese He finally got the hang of spoken chinese language. All because KB spent 3 whole days in Ah Ma's house. His spoken mandarin improved in the way he can answer simple questions all in mandarin! Yipee... we also read at least 1 chinese books per day. (Starting slow).
We will be focusing on conversational mandarin and storybooks for the next few months until he grows to love the language. This is the time I think he is ready to transit for full mandarin conversation for at least once a week. Until he is ready, mummy will increase it to twice a week. We are using the language immersion method.
Delight-learning This season, we learn about surface and its 100% child-led. KB was interested in various surface of things and we were able to introducehim the following materials based on his leading. He would ask "mummy, what is this made of?" and I will tell him and introduce simple properties of the surface such as "it is made of glass, so it is easily broken.". At one point he touched a very hot kettle and cried. I had to comfort him and tell him, the kettle is made of metal, we just boiled the water in there so its very hot. Discovering what things are made of is so much fun.
Free play Lego is such a timeless treasure. He has learnt to build some things based on imaginations. This is a horse.
Navy Open House - family on Larcfive! (Lighter, Amphibious Resupply, Cargo, 5 ton).
This vehicle is commonly known at "duck tour". It is known to be able to float in water like a boat and have wheels like a truck. So it is both a land and sea vehicle.
A bee in the flower! On one of our walks, this time near the Botanical Gardens, just outside NIE, we caught many bees pollinating flowers in the trees. It was so amazing sight to see many bees fly in and out of the flowers. It was low enough for us to see, yet not so near to intrude on the busy bees.
Service : Fixing goody bags for friends KB having fun putting items in goody bags for his 3rd birthday.
Bali holiday
KB have been asking about sun-rise and sun-set and we finally got to see it. KB rode on camel, turtle, touched a tiger, rode in a glass-bottom boat, swam, played with his cousin, saw how batik was being made and learnt how rice came about! He also had the chance to get a glimpse of the cockpit in the plane - super! (check out the picture of KB washing his hands. can you see a lion behind him?
We enrolled Theo in The Little Gym about 4weeks ago. He has been seen jumping around, walking on beams in playgrounds and public places and developing bits of his large motor skills, so we figured, its time for a safe place where can really take risks, tumble, have fun and learn. So we scouted the The Little Gym @ Forum The Shopping Mall. Teacher Renee, is a really sweet teacher who is polite and nurturing. Teachers there are also very well-trained and has excellent communications skills.
Theo took to her quickly. I learnt alot myself too, he was learn pre-cartwheel skills and pre-hand stand skills, forward roll, forward flip, balancing and more cool stuff I could never have imagined. He was able to manoeuvre the monkey bar better, and tumbling has never been more fun. (Mummy: I wish I was a kid!) Here're some stuff he did in the class and his practise at home.
Easter was special because this is the reason why men has HOPE. The objective of the lesson/activity was the message of the cross. We wanted to make the lesson so simple but impressionable and applicable. This is what we did.
We read from Theo's childrens Bible which details day 1 - day 7 of creation. Then I repeated the story in minicards http://www.biblestoryprintables.com
Bible Story printables happened to have creation story told so simply, kids can play story sequence from it. Great for logical thinking skills. We did this during our morning devotion. We explained that Jesus died on the cross to take away our naughtiness but he is alive again so we can be good boys and girls. During breakfast, we had hot cross bun. We pointed out to the 'cross' symbol on the bun, but I think he was more interested in the bun! ha... he gobbled it up.
After that we proceeded to the kitchen and play pretend. We pretended to be naughty by snatching toys. And then Daddy and mummy took turns to come up with illustration of pushing, interrupting during conversations, not sharing toys, hitting others and not saying excuse me etc. The person who is naughty gets a black paint on his/her legs and hands. Soon, Theo wants to join in and then he pretends he is naughty.
When we have enough black marks, mummy say "Oh oh... look we are ALL naughty! What should we do? We need to ask God to help us be good boys and girls !So we prayed, and Theo prayed after us "Dear Jesus, Sorry that we are naughty. Thank you for dying on the cross to take away our naughtiness. Please help us to be good boys and girls. In Jesus name, Amen!"
Then we went to the bathroom to wash ourselves in the 'blood of Jesus" and we say that only Jesus blood can clean us all. I said, we pretend this is the blood of Jesus, see this is red colour. Only the blood of Jesus can wash all our naughty marks away. And we sang, "only the blood of Jesus. What can wash my naughtiness away, nothing but the blood of Jesus."
After lunch, we do some light craft. KB cuts the cellophane paper in odd shapes and sizes. I took out a double-sided tape and he sticks them on each other randomly. When the piece of mosiac is big enough to contain the cut-out of the cross, I stick the cross on the back and front of the cellophane paper, while he plays "see-through" with cellophane papers. I trimmed off the excess of the cross and viola! We have a stained-glass cross to catch the sunlight! We hung it at the window but later decides that it is safer outside the room, away from rain.
The Easter story sequencing cards can be replayed again anytime. Today Theo asked me to read the story again for him and when I asked him, where is Jesus? He said Jesus is alive. That is good enough for now.
Mummy organised a visit to Fire Station with homeschool friends on 27 march. Here're the two little firemen. Mummy made our little firemen costume by just sticking red tapes to our old t-shirts!
Theo had a blast! Elias was doing the "oooh...oooh" sound of a fire engine siren all day long. Super cute!
played 'follow the pattern' game by using our toy tokens to match colour patterns of the cars.
KB collected various objects around the house and started making impressions. We looked at a picture and talked about the texture and then KB explored and played with various impressions. This is about learning that is motivated by curiosity. Artistic pursuits, "Rushed Children will not have time to gain this knowledge. Give children time to explore and to gather knowledge about the world they inhabit."
