The Greatness of our God - Hillsong

The greatness of our God

"Verse 1
A E B
Give me eyes to see more of who You are
A E B
May what I behold still my anxious heart
A E B
Take what I have known and break it all apart
A B
You my God are greater still

Chorus 1
A E
And no sky contains
B C#m A
No doubt restrains all You are
E B
The greatness of our God
A E
I spend my life to know
B/D# C#m A
And I'm far from close to all You are
B
The greatness of our God

Verse 2
C#m A E
Give me grace to see beyond this moment here
C#m A E B/D#
To believe that there is nothing left to fear
C#m A E
And that You alone are high above it all
A B
You my God are greater still

Instrumental
A, E, B, C#m
A, E, B

Bridge 1
A E B
And there is nothing that could ever separate us
A E B
There is nothing that could ever separate us
C#m
From Your love
A E B/D# C#m
No life no death of this I am convinced
A B
That You my God are greater still
(Repeat)

Chorus 2
A E
And no words could say
B C#m A
Or song convey all You are
E B
The greatness of our God

I spend my life to know
And I'm far from close to all You are
The greatness of our God

Chorus 3
A E
And no sky contains
B C#m A
No doubt restrains all You are
E B
The greatness of our God
I spend my life to know
And I'm far from close to all You are
The greatness of our God
All You are the greatness of our God"


Copyright 2010 Hillsong Publishing / So Essential Tunes All rights Reserved. Used by permission.

What a beautiful prose, that flows so intimately into a beautiful worship experience unto our God.

Review : Julia Gabriel Mandarin Speech & Drama - N1 class

We ended our N1 parents accompanied program after 1 Term (10weeks), Mandarin Speech and Drama at Julia Gabriel last month. Our goal for the class was for both KB and me to get excited at conversational mandarin. I also liked a parent accompanied program so that I can observe and participate in my child's learning. Firstly, I had no one to converse mandarin with at home. Daddy speaks Bahasa in addition to English , so all my child picked up was mandarin and Bahasa songs and that's it.

Our theme was: Toys "Wan Ju"

Program
Warm-up with toys - kids joins the class and plays freely with toys on the mat
Circle time - Introducing each one, saying hello and singing songs with action
Drama - Teachers dons a head-gear and enacts a short story with reference to the day's object
Magic Box - A magic box is brought out to let class guess what is inside (usually toy of the day)
Worksheet - simple word recognition and pasting exercise are done
Ends - Class ends with more songs.

We signed up for seven sessions and that was just enough for us. The program structure seems a little stale and towards the third or forth session, KB last interest in the magic box. He was into the drama where the teachers enacted stories. It was a simple 5-15mins stories which does not have most creative plots or storyline. There were not much props that stimulates a child visually. A pity since it is a drama class. I thought there should at least be more creativeness in this class.

Review of items teachers taught:
Songs that was sung was good as it coincides with the 'toy of the day'.

Word recognition and worksheet was rather pointless as the program was for 2-3year olds. It was not my focus to work on word recognition so we did not work on that at all.

The Magic box concept was an interesting prop that was so over-used and hence "an over-kill'. I almost doze off on that one too.

Review of the way teachers relate:
In two instances, the main teacher used peer pressure to get KB to do something the rest of the class was doing. Personally, I felt that was unprofessional. A young child may be developmentally not ready or not interested. I assume she was a trained teacher in early childhood development but it failed to show up. It was a far cry from the gym class I signed KB up. The instructor, Renee, at The little Gym were so gentle and polite in reaching out to a child that it really gave the child respect and hence confidence to try something new.

Final verdict
It is not what is being taught as opposed to how it is being taught that matters.

The final product is that my child learns but refused to show it in class. He has started to speak to our mandarin-speaking neighbours in mandarin and he has been more at ease speaking mandarin to each other at home. There were few instances where he initiates speaking mandarin as well.

Would I recommend this class?
Maybe. If you're looking for creative class with a high energy child, I'd say this one pretty much stifles everything. If this is a kick-start for English speaking homes and kids who are quite young, this may be an introduction. I like that the class speaks only mandarin for 1 hour, because our homes do not provide this sort of environment. The good thing is there is no need to sign up for the whole term of 10weeks, and you can go for trial class as well.

Preschool learning

Innovative is an over-used word. Love for learning can mean a thousand things. So what does it mean for us when it comes to preschool learning?

Our major
In our home, We nurture spirit of servanthood via responsibilities and other positive character traits that is age-appropriate.

i.e:When a child becomes 14- 18mths old, he is capable of putting soiled clothes in the laundry, helping the parents put clothes into the wardrobe, keep his own toys, and do simple clean-up after water spills. He is also capable of watering the plants.

When a child becomes 2 - 3year old, he is capable of making his bed, taking out and wearing his own clothes, cleaning up his belongings, toys or a bike, setting the table, washing and cooking rice, helping to carry simple shopping bags etc.

The list grows along with each capabilities but each child is encouraged to do so on a daily basis. Kids thrive on being given the responsibility to handle everyday chores, it gives them a sense of achievement. It gives them confidence and nurtures an outward-looking perspective in the long
run.

Outdoor
Our outdoor activities are define by elements which are free and healthy, namely; sunshine, air and rain. We thrive on nature walk and gets our daily dose of perk-me-ups via what we observe or discover along the way. Kids can be in the public playground, shoveling sand, making up stories and creating anything they like. A child can ride a bike through parks, or checking out a man-made stream/lake. Or simply learning about science by watching leaves floating by the "long-kang" (drain). We could be sitting on tree branches and feeling its texture or thanking God for the rainbow he has made. We could be spotting an uprooted tree and take its roots home for our nature museum. Our discoveries and places we go are endless.

Child-directed, delight-learning approach
We have free slots, in and out of the house. These are time so precious and pertinent for the mind to explore and be fascinated by people, culture, arts, transportations or nature around them. We allow their giftings, a "natural bent" to develop and we shape it accordingly.

This is also the time we do our pretend-play, or imaginative play where problem-solving lifeskills develop, even in tiny 3-year-olds. These are times where no adult interferes except for areas where safety, health and moral boundaries are concerned. We don't even care to inject our opinion or an idea in their play. Well, sometimes maybe, but only for a lack of a complete vocabulary.

Its a child's play world and what they like to do, they are the leaders in the world of play. That is why they flourish and take ownership. A love for learning results. Adults may be interested in the product, but for a child, its process is all that matters, and we nurture that. True play is how a preschooler learns. Play converges with academic subjects.

We can do this, because we are a ratio of 1:2.

Parent-directed approach
Topics requiring the leadership of a parent are needful. Adults who has gained first hand encounter with a loving God are capable of giving love. Adults who has gained experiences in life, understanding and knowledge about particular subjects can give the same. It is essential that a global view is gradually presented to a child whose encounter with God is limited, and whose knowledge about the world he lives in is far from what he sees and touches.

Devotions
Devotions are like opening gifts that is stored up in the Bible for us by our loving . Since we are made in the image of God, our goal is to be more and more like him.

We do devotions using contemporary materials that matches the developmental growth of each child. Topics like God loves me, God helps me, God makes me are foundational truth which expands to real-life application in a child's everyday circumstance. The above helps us sieve out topics like 'Loving our friends means no fighting', 'God helps me when I am afraid', 'Sharing our toys is loving', and 'Its okay to let others go first' etc.

Academic
Academic subjects are customised according to each to a child's giftedness. A well-rounded education is given when the child is introduced to subjects in the world when a child is developmentally ready, delights in it and finds purpose as he integrates it into his daily lifestyle. Developmental readiness has nothing to do with chronological age, but everything to do with individual confidence which coincides with specific tasks he is working on. Take readiness out of the equation, and the joy for learning goes out as well

We see numbers in our lives as well as letters on the roads, we see God in nature and in our difficult circumstances, we see Geography when daddy goes on business trip, we learn about compassion and thankfulness when we become fussy, we learn about science when we discover that things have various surfaces. We become little businessmen when we have a stall and sell things to real customers. Music is when they hear mummy worshiping God by the keyboard or when they make rhythmn. We see Art in the sky, when the clouds resemble something, or when the little hand mould 'playdoh' and splatter paint to look like galaxy by their own definitions! See how play is learning and learning is playing?


Socialisation
We impart the love for all people and all cultures like God commanded us to "love our neighbours". Compassion and empathy are the pillars of socialisation. Socialisation is creating meaningful relationships with people. Best of all, we love spending time with our family.

We are out everyday, observing and meeting different people of all ages, that speak both English, Mandarin and sometimes a little dialect. We see the workings of buyer-seller relationship. We participate in neigbourly relationships. i.e; when our neighbours pop in for a visit or when we visit them. We see how society functions in every unique situations we visit. The way we socialise is not confined by age or culture of people we meet. We learn to adapt and flow without compromising our moral code. This is what we do as parents-teachers and we hope our kids follow suit.

Finally,
Nothing is hurried nor pressured into achieving. We debunk performance. We debunk peer pressure. We don't strive to be first in everything we do. Our goal is to exude a spirit of excellence in deeds or in thoughts, in all we seek to glorify our King.

Do you have goals for your preschoolers' learning? Does your family's learning goals align with the institute your child is enrolled in? Does such preschool exits?
Learning can exist right in your own homes. :)

Breakthrough: Greeting & Sitting

Our elder one has finally ventured out to initiate "hello" to his friends. My younger one has managed to keep his hands together and waited till our family finished our morning prayer.

2 little ones, 2 big breakthroughs to thank God for. Woo-hooo! Praise the lord!

We all hear things, good, bad, both with supported evidence and findings. Finally, we had to make a decision, what is the wiser way? Take a look at the flip side of the coin, a report that is scarcely heard nowadays, especially with frantic parents all over the world rushing to send their still-learning-to-walk pretoddlers to school.

The dark side of preschool:

Peers, social skills, and stress

© 2006 Gwen Dewar, all rights reserved

You send your child to preschool, hoping she will learn better people skills. Instead, she comes back with new behavior problems—-increased rudeness, or whining, or aggression. Spending lots of time with peers doesn’t seem to have improved her social skills. It’s made them worse!
It’s an experience shared by many parents, according to researchers at Stanford and the University of California.
Drawing on a massive, national database of over 14,000 children from diverse backgrounds, researchers examined the effects of preschool attendance on interpersonal skills, self control, and rates of aggression.
The results were remarkably clear:
“We find that attendance in preschool centers, even for short periods of time each week, hinders the rate at which young children develop social skills and display the motivation to engage classroom tasks, as reported by their kindergarten teachers” (Loeb et al 2005).
We might guess that the problem lies with poor quality preschool centers. But even high income children—-who presumably attend the better preschools—-showed increased behavioral problems if they had attended at least 15 hours a week (Loeb et al 2005). Moreover, the effect is dosage-dependent. The more time children spend in centers, the worse their behavior becomes.
Similar results were reported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHHD), which conducted a rigorous longitudinal study on the effects of childcare on children under 5 (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 2003).
Over a thousand children were tracked from infancy to kindergarten by investigators at over 20 prominent research universities.
Researchers found that the more time kids spent in non-maternal care during the first 4.5 years of life, the more behavioral problems they developed.
Problems included defiance--like talking back, throwing temper tantrums, and refusing to cooperate. They also included aggressive behaviors--being cruel, destroying toys and other objects, and getting into physical fights.
In addition, kids who spent more time in childcare were rated as less socially competent by their mothers and kindergarten teachers.
Is bad social behavior caused by too much time in childcare centers, or not enough quality time with parents? Both may be true. But some evidence suggests that extended peer contact is part of the problem.
Consider the findings from the Stanford / University of California study. Kids who received non-parental care outside of childcare centers (for example, those cared for by grandparents or nannies) did NOT suffer increased social problems. According to this study, it wasn’t necessarily being away from parents that made kids misbehave. It was spending many hours in group care with peers (Loeb et al 2005).


Stressed-out preschoolers
Other evidence suggests that spending time at preschool-—or daycare-—is downright stressful.
Daycare or preschool stress can be measured by the levels of cortisol-—a stress hormone—-that children produce during the day. In normal, healthy people, cortisol levels follow a daily rhythm, peaking when they wake and then falling over the course of the day. Cortisol levels are the lowest just before sleep (Sapolsky 2004).
But stress changes the pattern. If you are under stress, your cortisol level rises, regardless of the time of day. In the short term, this helps your body respond to the crisis. But chronic stress, and chronically elevated levels of cortisol, can cause health and developmental problems (Sapolsky 2004).
Because cortisol levels are easy to measure in young children, researchers have collected samples from children who attend daycare and children who stay home. In study after study, the results are the same.
When children stay home, their cortisol levels show the healthy pattern—-rising at waking and decreasing throughout the day. When children attend daycare, the pattern changes. Cortisol levels increase during the day (Geoffroy et al 2006).
Although it’s not entirely clear what aspects of preschool attendance are stressing kids, some possibilities can be ruled out.
For instance, it’s not about being separated from parents. Kids who receive home-based care do not have elevated cortisol levels, even when their parents are absent (Dettling et al 2000). Nor is it about differences in daytime resting. Kids in group-based childcare show more stress even after taking into account any possible differences in napping or resting opportunities during the day (Watamura et al 2002).
Many researchers suspect the culprit is social stress—-in particular, dealing with peers. Megan Gunnar, a University of Minnesota psychobiologist who has studied cortisol levels in preschoolers since the 1990s, agrees. “There is something about managing a complex peer setting for an extended time that triggers stress in young children” Gunnar (ResearchWorks 2005).

What's wrong with peer socialization?

To many parents and teachers, these findings seem to defy common sense. Surely we learn social skills by interacting with other people. What could be more natural than letting your preschooler loose in a social world of her own peers?
In fact, part of this reasoning is sound. You do need people to learn people skills. The question is--which people? Preschoolers need to learn empathy, compassion, patience, emotional self-control, social etiquette, patience, and an upbeat, constructive attitude for dealing with social problems.
These lessons can’t be learned through peer contact alone. Preschools are populated with impulsive, socially incompetent little people who are prone to sudden fits of rage or despair. These little guys have difficulty controlling their emotions, and they are ignorant of the social niceties. They have poor insight into the minds and emotions of others (Gopnik et al 1999).
Yes, preschoolers can offer each other important social experiences. But their developmental status makes them unreliable social tutors. A child who copies other children may pick up good habits—-but she may also pick up bad ones. And peers do not always provide each other with right kind of feedback.
When a child offers to share his toy with a caring adult, he gets rewarded with gratitude and praise. He also learns that he will eventually get his toy back. When he offers to share with a peer, he may not get rewarded at all. Without adult guidance, these experiences can undermine social development by teaching the wrong lessons.
Moreover, it’s hard to see what’s natural about herding together a bunch of children who are all the same age. From the evolutionary, historical, and cross-cultural perspectives, it’s an unusual practice.

Preschool is an evolutionary novelty

Throughout most of human history, people lived in small foraging bands of around 25 individuals. In such small groups, children rarely had playmates of the same age. Socialization meant interacting with people of all ages, from infants to grandparents (Konner 2005). In modern foraging groups, children play in multi-age playgroups (Hewitt and Lamb 2005) and may be watched over by multiple caregivers, including older sisters and grandmothers (Hrdy 2005).
Even after the rise of agriculture, the “warehousing” of small children would have been rare. Like foraging groups, village-based communities are characterized by multi-aged playgroups and older sibling caregivers. Historically speaking, segregating children by age is a relatively new idea. It is favored in industrialized societies where people lack the support of extended families and parents work outside of the home.

What you can do

Spending long hours with peers can cause problems. But this doesn’t mean that preschool can’t be a positive social experience. In fact, kids benefit from opportunities to play with peers. The key is balancing peer play time with plenty of affectionate, sensitive parenting. Here are some specific tips on getting the best out of preschool or daycare.

Stay tuned into your child's needs

Time spent in daycare effects your child’s behavior. But it’s NOT the most important factor. The NICHHD study found that the most important predictor of social competence was maternal sensitivity. Sensitive mothers are warm and supportive. They understand their children’s emotional needs and demonstrate respect for their children’s autonomy. According to the NICHHD, the kids with the best behavioral outcomes had mothers who scored highly on maternal sensitivity (NICHHD 2003).

Remain your child’s primary social tutor

See this article on preschool social skills. These include talking to your child about her emotions and encouraging her to form at least one friendship with a peer at school.

Reduce daycare / preschool hours to a minimum

The negative influence of daycare depends on a child's age AND on the total time spent in group care.
Compared to children of other ages, preschoolers may be especially vulnerable to the disruptive effects of group care. Kids between the ages of 39-60 months are more likely to experience elevated cortisol levels than are younger and older kids(Geoffroy et al 2006). Moreover, the NICHHD study reports that kids between 37-54 months were especially likely to show delays in social competence when they spent longer hours in group care.
However, researchers suspect that the length of time spent in daycare matters more than the age of the child. It's probably the cumulative quantity of care—-long hours over many years-—that causes the most behavioral problems (NICHHD 2003). If you can, try to combine preschool / daycare attendance with other kinds of quality care.

Find classes that are small and intimate

Find caregivers who can give your child warm, individualized, personal attention. According to one study, the least stressful preschool environments were small-scale--classes with no more than 15 students and 4 teachers (Legendre 2003).

Make sure kids have room to play

Look for preschools or daycare centers that provide ample space for kids to play. Adults don’t like to be crowded. Neither do kids (Legendre 2003).

Look for teachers who enforce friendly, polite behavior

Some schools are more permissive and laissez-faire than others. Avoid schools that let kids get away with angry, antisocial or disobedient behavior.

Look for teachers who use inductive discipline

Inductive discipline emphasizes explaining the reasons for rules and the consequences of bad behavior. Preschoolers raised with inductive discipline show more self-control and have the best social skills (Hart et al 1992).

Communicate regularly with your childcare providers

Find out what your child is doing at school. If your child is being rejected by his peers—-or is involved in rejecting another child—-take corrective action (see my article on preschool social skills ). Similarly, get involved if your child is hanging out with a “bad crowd.” When preschoolers play in peer groups characterized by negative emotions or anti-social behavior, their social development suffers (Denham et al 2001).

References

Denham S, Mason T, Caverly S, Schmidt M, Hackney R, Caswell C, deMulder E. 2001. Preschoolers at Play: Co-socialisers of emotion and social competence. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 25: 290-301.
Dettling, A. C., Parker, S. W., Lane, S. K., Sebanc, A., & Gunnar, M. R. (2000). Quality of care and temperament determine whether cortisol levels rise over the day for children in full-day child care. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 25, 819-836.
Geoffroy M-C, Cote SM, Parent S, and Seguin JR. 2006. Daycare attendance, stress, and mental health. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 51: 607-615.
Gopnick A, Meltzoff AN, and Kuhl PK. 1999. The scientist in the crib. New York: Morrow.
Hart CH, DeWolf DM, Wozniak P and Burts DC. 1992. Maternal and paternal disciplinary styles: Relationships with preschoolers’ playground behavioral orientations and peer status. Child Development 63: 879-892.
Hrdy SB. 2005. Comes the child before the man: How cooperative breeding and prolonged postweaning dependence shaped human potential. In BS Hewlett and SE Lamb (eds), Hunter-gatherer childhoods: Evolutionary, developmental and cultural perspectives. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction publishers.
Konner M.2005. Hunter-gatherer infancy and childhood: The !Kung and others. In BS Hewlett and SE Lamb (eds), Hunter-gatherer childhoods: Evolutionary, developmental and cultural perspectives. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction publishers.
Legendre A. 2003. Environmental features influencing toddlers’ bioemotional reactions in day care centers. Environ Behavior 35: 523-49.
Loeb S, Bridges M, Bassok D, Fuller B, and Rumberger, Russ. 2005. How Much is Too Much? The Influence of Preschool Centers on Children’s Development Nationwide. Presentation at the Association for Policy Analysis and Management. Washington, D.C. – November 4, 2005
National institute of child health and human development early child care research network (2003). Does amount of time spent in child care predict socio-emotional adjustment during the transition to kindergarten? Child Development, 74: 976-1005.
ResearchWorks. 2005. How young children manage stress: Looking for links between temperament and experience. University of Minnesota website. (visited on December 31, 2006).
Sapolsky R. 2004. Why Zebras don’t get ulcers: An Updated Guide To Stress, Stress Related Diseases, and Coping, third edition. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Seerbo AS and Kolko DJ. 1994. Salivary testosterone and cortisol in disruptive children: relationship to aggressive, hyperactive, and internalizing behaviors. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Watamura, S. E., Sebanc, A. M., & Gunnar, M. R. (2002). Naptime at child care: Effects on salivary cortisol levels. Developmental Psychobiology, 40, 33-42.

Healthy Living

What the Bible Says About Healthy Living: Three Biblical Principles That Will Change Your Diet and Improve Your Health

What is socialisation?

Many of us assume that socialising means meeting our peers and just talking or playing together. In actual fact, it is that and more. These researches shows what socialisation is.

Socialization is the process of introducing an uninitiated member of society to the norms and habits of the society he is to be part of. For example, if you were to go to a foreign country with a culture different from your own and if you wish to be accepted, you would need to be socialized and taught how to behave in that society.

In this case, your child is a young member of the greater society you, as a parent, are already part of. It is your responsibility, as the child’s first and immediate contact with the world, to afford him/her the ways to learn how to behave properly.

Given this viewpoint, consider the kind of “socialization” that takes place in a traditional school environment. Children are grouped by age and are cooped up in a room for 6 to 7 hours. Time spent away from the classroom is usually only an hour long. The kind of contact they have with adults is confined to the kind of teachers that surround them. More often than not, performance is driven by trying to keep up or outdoing the other kid or team.

Of course, the above picture does sound extreme. But then again, you must also ask yourself: does that description truly reflect the society you are part of? Would you consider that environment suitable in teaching your child how to function as a member of society?

On the flipside, consider the home school environment. Children are in constant interaction with people of and outside their age groups. They have greater freedom to go outside and explore. Their performance is based on discovering their own capabilities and achieving their personal best. More The SocialisationIssue

Research conducted by Michael Brady entitled Social Development in Traditionally Schooled and Homseschooled Children, a Case for Increased Parental Monitoring and Decreased Peer Interaction endorses this idea. Brady states, "There seems to be an overwhelming amount of evidence that children socialized in a peer-dominant environment are at higher risk for developing social maladjustment issues than those that are socialized in a parent monitored environment."

In other words, socialization in homeschooling works better because children have more opportunities to be socialized through the modeling of good social behavior by caring adults rather than through peers, who do not know much more than they do. Parents give their kids the skills they need to interact with other people and also have the chance to protect their children.

So, the big question in homeschooling socialization is "Who do we want them learning life skills from? Caring adults, or peers who don't know any more than they do?" More What about socialisation

Familylobby.com“Home-schooled children are painfully shy.” There are shy children no matter where you look. Public and private schools are filled with children who aren’t overly social: a personal character trait that has little, if anything, to do with education. Most home-schooled children have more than enough social skills to interact with other people of all ages and backgrounds without any major issues.

In Current issue analysis: Thomas Smedley prepared a master's thesis for Radford University of Virginia on "The Socialization of Homeschool Children." Smedley used the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales to evaluate the social maturity of twenty home-schooled children and thirteen demographically matched public school children. The communication skills, socialization, and daily living skills were evaluated. These scores were combined into the "Adoptive Behavior Composite" which reflects the general maturity of each subject.

Smedley had this information processed using the statistical program for the social sciences and the results demonstrated that the home-schooled children were better socialized and more mature than the children in the public school. The home-schooled children scored in the 84th percentile while the matched sample of public school children only scored in the 27th percentile.

Smedley further found that:

In the public school system, children are socialized horizontally, and temporarily, into conformity with their immediate peers. Home educators seek to socialize their children vertically, toward responsibility, service, and adulthood, with an eye on eternity.
Is there a way to teach compassion, kindness, organisational skills and relating to people of all ages. Check this out! CCS Kids Care Club

Back up Plan

Kinda craving for movie nowadays, and caught this recently. I love romance comedy, stuff that is not real, but makes you laugh and cry at the same time. Didnt expect anything about this movie as it was a little last minute. BUT it turned out really funny! I laughed so loud.

Alex O'Loughlin was no hunk, but I liked that he was playful and exciting.

Enjoyed having this fabulous me-time. I discovered I could make things happen if I wanted to and it is freedom without always expecting others to do something nice for us. And being a mum doesnt mean I can't watch a romantic movie spontaneously, receive flowers, go shopping, go for spa, eat at cosy places, hang out with friends, chit chats, all without my husband & kids! Yep... Happy loving me day! *wide grin* So bye bye old me, welcome, spunky new me!

It must go on

Havent we all found ourselves stuck in a situation and for the good of it, told ourselves "It must go on?" I have found our family in the midst of a mini crisis and yet again "home learning must go on!". This is one of the "down side" to home learning. We were mindful of this when we stepped onto the water of homeschooling our little ones. Fortunately, our take on learning is not confined to a classroom or even a set of curriculum, worksheets or lesson drills! (Not that we do any of these on better days, but can you imagine if it did!) Proves that home learning can be more resistant than thought eh?

So we say, "what the heck, no helper? Laugh and let live! Face the giant squarely in the eye, learn to breathe and relax even when hair chokes up the toilet sink, piles of laundry to be done almost everyday and that I'm up everyday at 6.30am... ZzzzZZZZZZZZZzzz, Oops, did I just doze off... haha ... ok I woke up in time to finish this post.

Well, this is a short one for obvious reasons. What are we learning tomorrow? My eldest boy has additional responsibility as a little housework helper role next to mummy. We can be joyful, even in this time of lack. What a great lesson indeed. Thank You God! :)

Just for the fun of it, these are a list of things we laugh about in our first week of going maid-less.
1) a bowl broke while we were washing it, probably out of touch!
2) forgotten to put detergent into the washing machine - Wash again!
3) forgotten to put meat into baby's porridge - Heck, declare vegeterian for that day
4) What's that poo-poo smell we still smell after we wash our tot? - Poo-poo still in the potty!
5) meat dish overturned and everything was ON THE FLOOR - er... let's say we think the floor is clean, so scope everything up and eat it!
6) Mould, mould everywhere, on baby's t-shirt, on tot's t-shirt - ok bleach it, we gain some extra white t-shirts.
7) What's for lunch? too tired to cook, just go out and buy.
8) what's for lunch again? Hmmm... let's just go swensons. Opps we missed the 1-for-1 deal. Forget it, just pig out!

What a ride! :0)

What Faith Can Do! - Kutless

I was reminded of a dream I had since I was about 8 or 10yr old. It remained in me but I never really lived it. God brought about a breakthrough in my twenties. Yet again, I was reminded of this dream again and again. And I yearn for God to help me breakthrough to yet another level. I'm dedicating 2010 as a year of worship unto the highest, most loving abba father.

Intro:
D for two measures

Verse 1:
D
Everybody falls sometimes
Dmaj7
Gotta find the strength to rise
Bm A G
From the ashes and make a new beginning
D
Anyone can feel the ache
Dmaj7
You think it’s more than you can take
Bm A G
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Bm
Don’t you give up now
A
The sun will soon be shining
Bm
You gotta face the clouds
G A
To find the silver lining

Chorus:
D A
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Bm
Hope that doesn’t ever end
A G A Bm A
Even when the sky is fall…..ing
D A
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Bm
Silent prayers get answered
A G
Broken hearts become brand new
D Dmaj7
That’s what faith can do

Verse 2:
D
It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Dmaj7
Impossible is not a word
Bm A G
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
D
Everybody’s scared to death
Dmaj7
When they decide to take that step
Bm A
Out on the water
G
It’ll be alright
Bm
Life is so much more
A
Than what your eyes are seeing
Bm
You will find your way
G A
If you keep believing

Chorus:
D A
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Bm
Hope that doesn’t ever end
A G A Bm A
Even when the sky is fall…...ing
D A
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Bm
Silent prayers get answered
A G
Broken hearts become brand new
Em
That’s what faith can do

Bridge:
Em
Overcome the odds
Bm
You do have a chance
Em
(That’s what faith can do)
G
When the world says you can’t
A D A
It’ll tell you that you can!

Chorus:
D A
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Bm
Hope that doesn’t ever end
A G A Bm A
Even when the sky is fall…...ing
D A
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Bm
Silent prayers get answered
A G
Broken hearts become brand new
Em G
That’s what faith can do
Bm A G
That's what faith can do!

Outro:
D
Even if you fall sometimes
Dmaj7 G
You will have the strength to rise

http://www.guitaretab.com/k/kutless/197349.html

Preschool Social Skills

© 2006-2009 Gwen Dewar, all rights reserved

Preschool social skills depend on three abilities:
• emotional self-control
• empathy
• verbal communication

Many parents and educators assume that children need to spend lots of time with peers to develop strong preschool social skills.
They don't.
Playdates and preschool attendance can add stimulation—-and fun—-to your child’s daily life. But socialization-—the process of learning how to get along with others-—is not the same thing as socializing. Frequent socializing with peers does not necessarily lead to better social skills.

In fact, the opposite may be true. Too much time with peers can make kids behave badly. It’s the sulky elephant in the room that no one likes to talk about. Even upscale preschools are likely to make kids behave worse. As recent scientific studies confirm, preschool attendance can increase childhood stress and retard social development. For details, see this article on the effects of peers on preschool social skills.

Why parents are better than peers

Loving, sensitive parents are ideal social tutors. Unlike preschool peers, parents draw on extensive emotional resources when they interact with children. Parents can
• understand the causes and effects of emotions
• see things from a child’s perspective
• interpret the emotions of others
• match social interactions to a child’s developmental level
• describe emotions verbally
• regulate their own emotions
• appreciate the long-term consequences of social acts
No wonder the core preschool social skills—-empathy, emotional self-control, and communication—-are best nurtured by you.
Here are some of the most important ways that you can foster preschool social skills.

How to nurture preschool social skills

Teach your child about emotions

Emotional competence is the key to strong preschool social skills (Denham 1997). For example, the better children understand emotions, the more they are liked by peers (Denham et al 1990; McDowell et al 2000).
To teach emotional competence, talk to your child about his feelings. Talk about your own (e.g., “When you don’t pay attention to me, it makes me feel frustrated and sad”). Discuss what kinds of situations make us feel bad, and what things make us feel good. When parents explain emotions and their causes, kids learn how to better regulate their own feelings. In one study, parents who used “more frequent, more sophisticated” language about emotions had kids who could better cope with anger and disappointment (Denham et al 1992).

Maintain an intimate, loving relationship to your child

The evidence is overwhelming. Social development builds on a child’s primary relationship—-the bond with his parent or guardian (Sroufe and Fleeson 1986).
When kids see, on a daily basis, that they can rely on you for support, they are emotionally secure. They adapt more easily to new social situations. They also develop their capacity for empathy-—a key ingredient for preschool social skills. In studies conducted at the University of Wisconsin, four year olds with secure attachment relationships showed higher levels of empathy than did peers with insecure attachments (Elicker et al 1992).
Other studies show that sensitive communication promotes social competence. When parents and children are responsive to each other’s cues, kids develop strong social skills (Harrist et al 1994; Pettit and Harrist 1993). One study asked preschoolers to predict how own parents would respond to them in various situations. The kids that expected their parents to be comforting were rated by teachers as more skilled with peers, more empathic, and more cooperative (Denham 1997).

Display positive, warm emotions at home

It’s not necessary to be in a constant state of good cheer. Sometimes parents experience setbacks or loss, and these can be opportunities for children to learn how we deal with disappointments (see above). But the key is demonstrating a positive, "can-do" attitude towards setbacks, rather than anger or despair. A growing body of research suggests that kids suffer when their parents--particularly their mothers--show frequent displays of negative emotion. The more kids see their mothers display negative emotions, the less likely they are to view their mothers as people who can comfort and counsel them (Denham 1997). Moreover, the kids with the most developed preschool social skills are the ones who experience more positive emotions at home (Denham et al 1997).

Talk with your child about his social world

Discuss your child’s experiences with peers in the same pleasant, conversational way that you discuss other everyday events. Such talk helps in several ways. It keeps you informed and sensitive to what is going on with your child. It shows your child that you are really interested in his social life. And it gives you opportunities to discuss social tactics with peers (see next item). Kids who talk frequently about their peer relationships develop stronger preschool social skills (Laird et al 1994).

Encourage an upbeat, problem-solving attitude

When your child has social problems with peers, encourage a positive, constructive attitude. Let your child know that everybody gets rebuffed and rejected sometimes. In one study, about half of all preschooler social overtures were rejected by peers (Corsaro 1981).
Kids with the strongest social skills treat rebuffs as temporary setbacks that can be improved. You can encourage this attitude by suggesting socially “generous” reasons for social rejection (like “Maybe he’s just shy,” or “maybe he just wants to play by himself for a while.”). In addition, help him brainstorm solutions, and encourage him to predict how different social tactics might work. Such thought experiments help kids consider what other kids are feeling and strengthen preschool social skills (Zahn-Waxler et al 1979).
These “what if” scenarios also allow your child to explore ways he can be adapt and “fit in.” Kids with strong preschool social skills are responsive to the play of others, and they know how to mesh their behavior with the behavior of potential playmates (Mize 1995). For instance, if Jane and Emily are playing firefighter and they won’t let Lucy join in because “there isn’t enough room in the fire engine,” Lucy might suggest playing a different role in the game. (“Help! My house is on fire and I’m stuck on the roof!”)

Be calm and supportive when your child is upset

When parents respond to strong emotions in soothing ways, kids are less likely to direct negative emotions at peers (Denham 1989; Denham and Grout 1993). Moreover, parents who respond supportively show their children how to behave towards others who are in distress. Young children who respond appropriately to the emotional needs of others are better liked by peers (Sroufe et al 1984) and rated as more socially competent by teachers (Denham et al 1990).

Don’t dismiss or play down your child’s negative emotions

When a child launches into a seemingly irrational crying jag, it’s natural to want to shut him up. But simply telling a child to be quiet doesn’t help him learn. By taking the time to talk about his feelings, you help your child become more reflective, self-controlled and socially competent (Denham et al 1997). This may be especially important for younger children, who need more emotional coaching and who are more likely to “turn off” if their parents dismiss their feelings.

Don't offer material rewards for helpful, "prosocial" behavior

Research on toddlers and primary school children strongly suggests that we undermine our kids' impulses to be helpful when we offer them tangible rewards for being kind. For details, see this article on the perils of rewarding prosocial behavior.

Be a role model

During everyday social interactions, take advantage of the opportunity to discuss social behavior (“I thanked our mail carrier for bringing us the package. She works hard and I want her to know that I appreciate it.”) If your child sees you or other adults slipping up, talk about it afterwards (“Whoops. I forget to tell Daddy ‘thank you’ for bring me the book.”)

Avoid bad social influences

Playing with the wrong crowd can impair preschool social skills. In one study, researchers monitored the informal playgroups that 3-4 year old children form during free play periods at preschool. They found that some kids played in groups characterized by negative emotions and antisocial practices (like making upset peers feel even worse). Kids who played in negative groups were rated as less socially competent by their teachers and parents. And the ill effects were long lasting. Kids who played in negative groups at the beginning of the study were more likely to receive poor ratings a year later (Denham et al 2001).

Practice inductive discipline

How you discipline your child has important effects on her preschool social skills. Inductive discipline emphasizes explaining the reasons for rules and the consequences of bad behavior. When parents practice inductive discipline, as opposed to discipline styles that emphasize punishment and arbitrary parental control, preschoolers show more self-control and cooperation with peers (Hart et al 1992). Such kids are also more popular.

Participate in pretend play with your child

During preschool years, pretend play is one of the most important ways that children forge friendships (Gottman 1983; Dunn and Cutting 1999). Preschoolers who pretend together are less likely than other kids to quarrel or have communication problems (Dunn and Cutting 1999). If you participate in pretend play with your child, you may give preschool social skills a boost. When parents pretend with kids, pretend play becomes more complex and lasts longer (Fiese 1990).
When you play with your child, don’t criticize his ideas or try to “run the show.” Research indicates that kids with strong preschool social skills have parents who play with them in a cheerful, collaborative, way (MacDonald 1987).

Watch for peer rejection and bullying

Both have long-lasting effects. In one study, children who were rejected by peers at an early age showed higher rates of antisocial behavior four years later (Dodge et al 2003). By contrast, peer acceptance seems to innoculate children against developing behavioral and emotional problems (Criss et al 2002).
If your child is the victim of peer rejection, help her cultivate a friendship with at least one peer. Studies show that a single peer friendship can protect preschoolers from continued aggression and rejection (Criss et al 2002; Hodges et al 1999).
In addition, take stock of your child’s preschool social skills. In some cases, rejected children need help developing prosocial behaviors, like helping, sharing and showing concern for others (Vitaro et al 1990). Preschoolers like peers who show positive affect (Sroufe et al 1984), helpfulness (Cote et al 2002), and spontaneous sharing (Eisenberg et al 1999). They also like peers who respond appropriately to conversation (Kemple et al 1992).
If your child is the victim of a bully, use the same approach described for peer rejection. In addition, coach her on how to stand up for herself. Encourage assertive behavior, not aggression. Teach her to face her bully with helpful verbal formulas like “Don’t do that to me. That isn’t nice and I don’t like it.”
But don't stop there. Bullying is a social problem that should concern everyone at school. Discuss your concerns with your child's teacher.
If you suspect that your preschooler is a bully, he may need help learning to understand and control his impulses. Encourage him to discuss his feelings and help him think of constructive ways to deal with them. Above all, make it clear that bullying will not be tolerated.

Choose TV programs that promote preschooler social skills

Preview what your child watches. Many preschooler-oriented shows promote positive social behavior, and they can have a beneficial effect on preschool social skills. For instance, after watching excerpts from Sesame Street and Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, preschool children increased positive interactions with playmates (Coates et al 1976).
However, some seem to condone impolite behavior. For instance, the characters on "Dora the Explorer" seem to use only one vocal register—-shouting-—for all occasions. And I recently saw an episode of "Mickey Mouse Club" in which Donald accidentally knocked Daisy down. Daisy responds belligerently. "Hey, Donald. What's the big idea?!"
Also, be careful about programs aimed at older kids. Many of these programs encourage glamorize child characters who are sarcastic, shallow, driven by consumerism, and inappropriately sexual. Such programs have doubtful value for adults, let alone young children.

Realize that sharing is difficult

Parents often think of sharing as one of the most important preschool social skills. But sharing can be difficult--even for adults. It’s much tougher for young children, who have difficulty thinking beyond the immediate future. They may have trouble understanding that they will get their toy back. And, to be fair, sometimes the kids they share with don’t give their toys back!
Most young children don’t share very well, and kids are LESS—-not more-—likely to share after the toddler stage (Hay et al 1991). So be patient, and when you encourage sharing, try to make it as comfortable as possible. For example, don’t insist that your child share his newest toys or most loved toys. Before friends visit, put these away to avoid conflicts.

Don’t take it personally

Despite the popular Hollywood image of kids as world-weary cynics who know better than their parents, young children are naive.
For instance, they don't possess a sophisticated "theory of mind." Experiments suggest that kids under the age of 4 haven't yet mastered the notion that different people may believe different things--even things that are objectively false (Gopnik et al 1999).
So it's not surprising that children also have trouble grasping the concept of a "lie" (Mascaro and Sperber 1999).
For instance, young children tend to characterize all false statements--even statements that a speaker believes to be true--as lies (Berthoud-Papandropoulou and Kilcher 2003).
And while they understand that lying is bad, they lack an older child's ability to anticipate how their words will make other people feel. The impact of lying--and the morality of lies--is something they must learn.
If your preschooler says something rude or hurtful, don’t take it personally. But don't ignore it either. Take the opportunity to explain how words can hurt our feelings. When your child gains insight into the power of words, he will improve his preschool social skills.

References: Preschool social skills

A great deal of research has been conducted on preschool social skills. In addition to the scholarly references cited in this article, any introductory textbook on cognitive development should help you gain insight into your child's preschool social skills. Online, Jacquelyn Mize and Ellen Abell, professors of child development at Auburn University, offer a research-based guide to teaching preschool social skills in “Encouraging social skills in young children: Tips teachers can share with parents.”
You will also find advice about preschool social skills in chapters 7-8 of Einstein Never Used Flash Cards (2004) by K. Hirsh-Pasek, R. Michnick Golinkoff, and D. Eyer.
If you found this article on preschool social skills helpful, check out other offerings at ParentingScience.com.

Easter reflection

In anticipating the coming of Easter, a thought crossed my mind. Why was Christmas so much more celebrated than Easter and all over the world? Hardly anyone mentions the coming of Easter Day except for the Good Friday public holiday here in our country. We hear of people making plans to do something on the public holiday, like any other public holiday.

Then I decided that this Easter, and every other Easter onwards, I don't want to simply treat this as just one of the holidays. I wanted for our family to look at Easter and understand the significance and importantly, the power of the cross - the one that Jesus bore. In the beginning of this week, I started worshipping on my keybaord with my family with these songs, "Above all" and "Power of your love". In the days that followed, we saw how God used those moments to prepare our hearts.

Today I received two not so good news. One was a hope that was dashed, the other made me feel alone. Both the incidents left me dry. I felt that I was taken a ride for. I felt we were misunderstood and misjudged. We had real needs. Both incidents had to do with money. I felt broke and truly broken. How could this happened?

Then I remembered. Jesus in his love for men obeyed God up to the point of the cross. The journey to the cross is one of humiliation, torture and absolute pain. But he bore it, because he knows that this is the only way men can be saved. Jesus was broken for us. When he died, he took our brokeness and pin it to the cross with him. When he arose, he mended everything so we are made whole. To be specific, the Bible tells me more.

God reminded me that I am a CHILD OF GOD. 1 John 3:1-3 says "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

The Bible gateway explains:

The satisfaction the believer has about Christ, and eternal life through him.

Little does the world know of the happiness of the real followers of Christ. little does the world think that these poor, humble, despised ones, are favourites of God, and will dwell in heaven. let the followers of Christ be content with hard fare here, since they are in a land of strangers, where their lord was so badly treated before them. The sons of god must walk by faith, and live by HOPE. They may well wait in faith, HOPE and earnest desire, for the revelation of the Lord Jesus. The sons of God will be known, and be made manifest by likeness to their head. They shall be transformed into the same image, by their view of him.

If Christmas is a season of LOVE. Easter is a season of HOPE. They are interlinked. Because Jesus LOVES us, he has given us HOPE. Have a blessed Easter everyone.


Easter Comments
Myspace 2.0 Layouts

Milestones of faith - Family Traditions (J Otis Ledbetter & Tim Smith)

I came across this excellent milestone in the building of our childrens' faith journey.

Age	Focus	Milestone
Infancy	Love	Caress and care for your baby
Toddler	Prayer	Model prayer for your child
Preschooler	Sunday School	Discuss and participate with your child
Early Elementary	Worship	Model, worship, then discuss together
Middle Elementary	Their own Bible	Memorise books, read stories together
Later Elementary	First Communion	Model personal commitment to Christ, baptism
Middle School	Confirmation or Bar Mitzavah	Accepted into the community of faith
High School	Witness and Service	Learn how to share Christ, do ministry
College Age	Vocation and Calling	Determin gifts, interest, and aptitude

Mar 5, 2010- Straits Times

Educational DVDs don't help tots

NEW YORK - PUTTING children in front of educational DVDs does not help boost their language skills, according to a US study that focused on one product, the Baby Wordsworth from the Walt Disney Company's Baby Einstein series.

While The Baby Einstein Co does not make educational claims, it notes on its webpage that the Baby Wordsworth DVD is a 'playful introduction to words and sign language'. A study by researchers at the University of California, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, put the DVD to the test with one and two-year-olds.

For six weeks, 88 children were randomly assigned to either watching the DVD a few times a week or not at all. Researchers then tested the language skills in each group based on how many words the children knew according to their parents and how well they did in a lab test.

At the end of the period, toddlers who had watched the DVD fared no better than those who hadn't.

Children in both groups understood about 20 of the 30 words highlighted in the DVD, on average, and spoke 10. Their general language development showed no difference, either.

The researchers also asked parents about their childrens'television viewing before entering the study. The earlier a child started watching Baby Einstein DVDs, it turned out, the smaller his or her vocabulary was. -- REUTERS

Source:http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/TechandScience/Story/STIStory_498272.html

Delight Learning

"A child can take his dreams and go anywhere ... if you allow him."
KB had us read him his favourite "The Big Truck book, The Big train Book and The Big rescue book" All 3 books in one compilation. Caution for those of us thinking of buying such a book! Reading time takes forever! So our bedtime reading is limited to only 1 other book because reading time takes 30mins and it does not sound anything like a bed time book already. (sometimes he goes into dramatization and his full load of questions.)

Educators say we should not overload information at toddler's age because they should be focusing on skills set that will lay the foundation for latter academic pursuits. There are yet some educators who will pursue, at length, flashcards methodologies that cited the capabilities of young childrens'/babies rapid eye movement and keen minds soak up various information. I was impressed surely with very young kids being able to recite a list of composers, types of cars, "tang shi" etc. But came to realised that unless a child enjoys and take delight in doing so, it is at best only head knowledge and a very spectacular performance.

Every child delights in something. Most boys like transportations. And they will push the toy truck, or fire engine. They will park it beside their bed. They bring the buses to the interchange. They stack chairs to make stairs to their buses, or seats for the passengers. They build a carpark with our furnitures. Some days they are bus drivers, other days they are pilots or firefighters, ,or construction workers. What I do with KB, if we spot an excavator, we will stand and watch all the work the excavator is doing.

Today, I see my son, nearly three, naming construction vehicles of kinds. He does not do route memorisation, nor does anyone pushes that information to him. He probes, he asks, he observes, then he proceeded to name them, part by part, one vehicle after another. His eyes are bright, his speaks clearly and quickly. The boy has taken his dream and taken flight.

What we do at home

Finally, a post on what we do. We hope that this would help those who are teaching at home and most importantly investing in both qualitative and quantitative time that meant so so much to our children.

"Children who are doing meaningful things are joyful kids" And I'm not talking about child labour! ;)

"Children who bond with parents are secure children" And I certainly advocate quantity as we as quality time spent.



KB is nearly 3. PB is just 13 mths old. What do we do with them at home. We take a non-academic, gentle, child-led approach. Toddlers are encouraged to do lots of hands-on and movement in all that he does. Habit training, Outdoor, books, music (worship) and conversations make up our daily staple. We don't do everything everyday, many days we do nothing but PLAY!
We tumble, we roll, we hug and kiss ALOT. :)

We spend lots of time together. Many times parents learn by observing. So we know and follow the child's next step. Too soon and it leads to frustration, too late and the child misses the opportunity. Observation is key to a child's pace of learning. Below are my own discovery and experience. Note that children are gifted differently and that affects the speed or skills they master at various stage.

Baby up till 12 months
*Sing - We sing all the time
*worship God extravagantly - We play the keyboard, the CD, and sing
*dance with baby - We dance to the music, let baby hold a rattler, a shaker, a bell, a hand tambourine, anything that makes a sound!
*read baby Bible - Baby books are simple and vivid
*read aloud-books - Read anything that rhymes
*converse - we talk about anything under the sun
*explore nature - Look at birds, cats,
*explore textured surface - I take my sequin t-shirt for him,let him touch sand, grass, hairy surface (yeah, daddy's legs!), cold ice, taste sour lemons, books with textures.
*Play - a major part of development. We do focus play in playpen, free play within the house. Set up knick knacks, plastic bottles that WILL NOT BREAK.
*Habit training - We train following instructions like "come here", "No", "Wait"
praise - We praise extravagantly for listening. we clap and verbalise "good boy!" or "Good job!"(Look for the post on :"Training active kids" under Below one)

1-2year old
*Habit training - This is our key focus for 1yr old. If we had started early, many by this time can already comply to simple instructions. babies are exploring AND testing boundaries. We train and train everyday to obey simple instructions. Instructions include "Come down", "No touching", "Come to mummy", "kiss mummy!" (hahah!) etc.
*Routine - we continue with routine, adding play with mummy/siblings time, and self exploration within boundaries.
*Responsibility - help to be put in the wardrobe for daddy, help mummy put clothes peg into the tub, put back his toys after play, put his soiled clothes in the pail etc
*Independence - Playpen time emphasize focus skills and problem solving
*Nature - Strolls in parks, gardens, etc (you'll soon realise what your child is excited by!)
*Hands-on - textured (walk on sand, grass etc), sounds, colours, smells, taste - make it varied. Babies love variety.
*Language - Read rhyming books, read in all languages, read alot, we read only wholesome literature*Sing - Worship and songs about God, it soothes, it lifts our spirits, it calms (ourselves included!)
*Large motor - crawl, cruise, walking, running, pushing etc (allow them space for movement and they will do alot on their own! Time to babyproof the house and practicing listening to instructions for baby!)
*Play! - Child's play isnt it?

3 years old
*Bible theme - we do a Bible knowledge every 2-3 wks. We use Focus on the family - parents guide to spiritual growth of children" with Heritage Builders, Family Night.
*Habit training - We train one habit at the time starting from chores around the house, obedience, boundaries, manners, respect etc.
*Responsibility (increased)- make bed, take diapers out, clean up after meal, set up table for guests, mealtimes etc.
*Lifestyle impartation - We allow ourselves to be transformed day by day by the one who call us sons and daughters, so that we can parent better. That includes cutting down TV time even for ourseleves (but we make it up by going for movie dates! Ha!)
*Nature - Explore nature freely.
*Large Motor - Outdoor leaping, running, jumping, throwing, kicking, splashing etc.
*Fine motor - Lacing, puzzles, pasting, cutting, arranging, cleaning etc.
*Language - Read alouds
*Bilingual expression - we start all languages by a prayer. Mealtime prayers, bedtime prayers, poetry, books and daily conversations.
*Arts - Free expression using all mediums; crayons, chalk, water color, anything!
We look at good art works, we go for quality plays & performances, we create crafts and we adhere to 90% of a child's own work policy - its not the product but the process that matters.
*Socialisation - we believe in socialising the child with all levels of people in the society. i.e: Child pays cashier, ask hawker for spoon/bowl/straw, child plays with a small group of peers under supervision (as much as possible), child plays with small group of preschoolers, child play with one or two playmates.
*Math - we count everything, sequencing, patterns, matching, building
*Imagination - Dramatic play and imagination play are part of free play. Sometimes we create the story, other times, we are characters in the child's stories.
*Creativity - It exist in all forms but more evidently in play. -We choose divergent toys, but one or two battery-operated ones are fine.
*Independence - Child plays by himself.
* Play! - need I say more?

Are we pushing academic learning too much too soon for our preschool kid?

Finally! A book that talks about REAL learning for our precious preschool kids.

In a city state where almost every parents are rushing to sign up our kiddos to the best kindergartens or enrichment in town, this will a refreshing and needful guide to how children could enjoy learning rather than cramming academia at a tender age.

She advocates key training areas that includes nurturing a "close, personal relationship within their family and most of all, with the Lord Jesus Christ. "
In this book, she tackles something that busy folks that lead hectic lives tend to overlook. Time with children doing meaningful activities that help nurture that spark.
It is often with the hurried lifestyle, coupled with the pressure that every other kids are doing this and that that we lost focus of what the child really needs and neglect the most important areas.

If you are thinking about homeschooling your preschool kids, this is the book that covers just about what you need for understanding a child's readiness to learn. "A child learns best in natural ways and at his/her own pace."

And because this book was written by a trained professional in secular Child Development and been a prechool teacher (for eight years), we could glean wisdom which we otherwise could not. Still, she chose to homeschool.

This book is a real gem for parents who care for the best, and only the best for their child!

Check it out! Homepreschool and beyond

Read also findings on The truth on early Academics (Full article available!)

About the author: Susan is an anthor who has has earned both Associate and Bachelor degrees in Child Development, and was a preschool teacher for eight years before the birth of her first child. She has four children of her own, one has graduated from homeschool and moved on to college, one is in High School, and her youngest two are enjoying their early elementary years.

Susan served as the Early Learning Columnist for Home School Enrichment magazine from 2007-2009. She continues to serve the homeschool community as a mentor, first contact for new homeschoolers, author and conference speaker.
http://susanlemons.wordpress.com/