Do the homeschool kids have friends of their age? Septemer 2015

At the First Aid Class we attended last month, I had a conversation with someone who sat next to me.

My children were the only two children in the class, among the adults.

After knowing that the two kiddos are being homeschooled and they go where I go (no,  it is more likely like "I go where they go") , he commented "No wonder they mix well with the adults! But do they know how to mix with children? Do they have friends of their age ? !!! "

I said "Yes, they do. :) "

my 11 year old with her 11 year old friend.

my 8 years old with her 8 years old friend.

The world is filled with not just adults but also children. We can see children everywhere, not just in the school. Children and adults are alike I think, as in they are human. If one can mix or speak to an adult, one can also mix or speak with a child. I think. Does it make sense?

What I have observed is, the children are not bothered by the age of a person. They are interested in almost everyone.

Burden on a mom shoulders 5 July 2015

I was asked,

"Do you put more burden on your shoulders compared to your hubby when it comes to your kids? Such as parenting choices or homeschooling or anything pertaining to the kids? i.e. their diet, daily routine, medical needs, friends, etc etc?
If anything goes "wrong"or any hiccups surfaced, do you take them harder compared to hubby? "


I love questions. It makes me think harder and deeper.

I personally feel yes. But it doesn't mean that my gorgeous hubby feels any easier than me.

I take more burden in taking care of the kids from A to Z. Firstly because, I love what I am doing. I want to take more. Secondly, I like to lighten my hubby 's load, who work so hard.

 Yes it is tiring at times and I will take a little time away, be it a half an hour waking up early to spend time with just myself ( I just did that this morning. An hour to myself, in the kitchen with a cup of hot water, listening to "One Direction" and staring out the window) or at the cafe ( and tried hard not to feel guilty on spending some money on a cup of Americano).

I take it harder, yes. My hubby is more relaxed. I think generally men are more relax and I have being trying to learn from them in this way.
I am not only taking it harder but also longer. (not a good thing I know)

Snow skin mooncake 5 September 2013

Cooking and baking is part of life, part of homeschooling. As we live, we learn. It is not limited by curriculum. It is anything that matters to the learner.

I just talked to a parent who asked, how I homeschool? This is a very common question to me and I have been asked countless of times. The strange thing is, each time I was asked this very question, I still find it hard to explain that, in fact, the whole thing is homeschooling. Life itself, my life, your life is homeschooling. The whole world is a school. It is not bound by a curriculum where a certain objectives should be met at the end of it. It is hard to digest that education can be spontaneous and if you let it, it can happen the minute one wakes up.

Another popular question is what about goal? Don't we need to set a goal for the kid? Here is a writing on goal-less which I feel it resonates with me. Read here 

Homeschooling Centre in Malaysia 24 September 2012

I am often asked " I heard that you homeschool. Which centre do you go? or Do you operate a centre? "

In Malaysia, there is a type of learning centre that called themselves, "Homeschool Centre". It uses overseas curriculum (Sonlight, Alpha Omega etc) and parents drop their children there just like going to school.

When I explained that I homeschool my children at home, mostly looked confused and stunned. :)  hehe.
Then, some will ask "What time is your homeschool?"

I think we (myself included) are so used to the thought that learning has to happen in a school setting and with a time table, that it is so hard to understand that learning can happen anywhere and anytime.

I truly feel that children, especially the young ones should be given the freedom to learn naturally and explore freely at their own pace but not being put to a desk-bound, Monday to Friday, 9am till whatever time type of learning.  As the child progress or as they get older, should they think they need to learn that way for a reason, then structured learning will become purposeful and meaningful.
Besides, for very young children, I feel that  parental bonding and emotional and physical development of the child should come first.

The definition of "homeschool is to educate (one' children) at home instead of sending them to school/learning centre". And with that, I homeschool with the children and I don't do "centre".
I am not saying homeschooling is perfect education, after all nothing in life is perfect but I firmly believe education has to begin with unconditional love. And home is the ideal place.

I used to think education means going to school (and recently homeschool centres), sit for examinations and get your certificates.
I used to think everyone goes through the same education pathway, the one and only way, the only choice.  Without it, life will be in jeopardy and bleak future. It has been programmed into my mind, good grades=good job=good life. Is this what education is all about? I thought, absolutely not.

How did my children pick up alphabets, numbers and reading through unschooling? August 2012

I was asked this question and here is my reply. 

I began to learn the concept of "unschooling" when my older kid was about 4. After understanding "unschooling", it changed my view of education a great deal. Before unschooling, I was often in search of methods of teaching. I tried to find out and learn of any teaching methods around town. I was constantly looking out and making learning material. I constantly teach and teach using I think is the best method for my kid. 
In retrospect, I must be a pain-in-the-bottom for my poor kid by not trusting her natural learning ability and interfering it with my "adult-knows-best" teaching style. 

My older one picked up alphabet and numbers at slightly over 1 year old. She began to read at around 2.5 year old. I taught her using flashcards at high speed and pointing to words and numbers that are around us.

"Unschooling" isn't a method. It is a natural learning where as we pursue life, we pursue knowledge. It is natural for children to read, write and count as we go about our daily life.  As we live, we learn. It is inseparable. Living is learning. Learning is living. 

I don't really know how my younger kid learnt the alphabets and numbers and read some words. I have never consciously sit down and teach her anything. She asked me sometimes what this number/alphabet/word is. Sometimes, she showed me what she has discovered.  
I feel that she has a very natural love for learning. 

How to nurture the natural way of learning? Read here.

Nurturing a child's love for learning begin with trust.

Good English, Yishun Library, Northpoint Shopping Centre, Singapore 25 May 2012

I always admire the library in Singapore. It is heavenly for my dear children. 

Visiting the library is a must for my children and they will run excited along the many aisles filled with books, coming back to me with armful of books.

The right way to pronounce tuition, pasted on the wall of the library.

Learn more here.

Talk about speaking good english, well, I don't speak good English at all. 

My children is like me, they don't speak accurate or perfect English. But they have no qualms in speaking their mind to most people whom they met. 

If one day, there is a need for them to speak perfectly and accurately, I believe they will do whatever they can to brush up. 

Sushi Making workshop at Sushi King, Selangor 16 May 2012

Sushi ingredients and souvenir bags on the table. 

This is our second time joining the Sushi King workshop. The price is still the same, RM25 per kid including a bento lunch. 

I came simply because the venue was near and the kids can spend some fun time with their friends. 

Being homeschooled, the kids are often bombarded with questions/threats/comments that they won't have friends and they will turn out weirdos. 

Again, I like to assure you, the kids have friends, though not in hundreds but they have few good ones. 

Shin, the "teacher" of the workshop.

Workshop contents. 

I had a tea break "me" time while the kids had their friend time at the workshop.

You may also want to check the first workshop post here.

To arrange for a workshop, contact ; 

Shin Wong 03-5622 5263

Email: yhwong@sushi-king.com

Passion and Self-directed 1 October 2011

We spent the past weekend watching three homeschoolers competing or performing at what they love doing and passionate about.  

A 9 year old who bagged a few medals at Rhythmic Gymnastics competition. Her love and passion were reflected in her graceful movement.  

A 13 year old who got "Highly Commendable" at ICCA cake wedding competition. Her love in free-hand piping manifested in her delicate artwork.

She wants to be a song-writer and singer.

I was in awe looking at this 15 year old, singing in front of a crowd with gusto.

Now I couln't help but to hum her original song "A Million Reason to Smile!"

Their passion lifted me up and spur me on. :) 

What is my passion?  

What is my stress level being an unschool mom? 19 September 2011

I was asked by WY, whom I spoke to for a while and she has decided to join the homeschooling wagon.

What is my stress level?
I would say it is the same stress as you would get as you go through your life. Living is homeschooling. Homeschooling is living.

En Hui @Negombo, Sri Lanka.

Exams and Universities 12 August 2011

This is a reply to WL's comment. Thank you WL.

1. Without proper exams results (SPM/STPM) how will they enroll into university in the future?

You are right, they can't get into a local (Malaysian) universtity without SPM/STPM as a pre-requisite. Currently, it is working for them with whatever that they are exploring and discovering without going through any "formal" schooling. I believe that they are gaining knowledge and bulding brain cells as they progress. 

Until they find that they would like to do something that needed a college degree (either malaysian uni or overseas), then they will need to prepare themselves for it, either SPM/STPM or O/A-level or IGSE or SAT which can be taken privately. I believe they (the children) will similarly have the aptitude and attitude to gather/gain the knowledge that is required in order to go to the next step.

2. Do you conduct your own test/exams to see how your children have master that particular subject (ie English, Science, Maths)?

No, we do not  conduct any test or examinations on the children because I do not need to know their  mastery on a certain topic or subject. In my opinion, their mastery of a certain topic and being graded for it is not something that I would want to do on my children and subsequently classify them as an "A" student or "F" student. Moreover, every child has its own pace of learning, some learn fast and some slow and some at young age, some later. Besides, if the child gets an A or an F, what good does it do to  the child other than being told in a way that they are less "wrongs" for A, and more "wrongs" for F.

What is my toughest challenge in homeschooling? 5 July 2011

I was asked this question.

It is, to change my attitude towards education, that learning doesn't only happen in school, desk-bound, by books and division of subjects. To trust my children's learning ability. The hardest part would be to change myself, as a role model. Constantly, seeking ways to improve as a mother.

Unschooler's workbooks 27 May 2011

I introduced maze, crossword puzzles, wordsearch, sudoku, art etc etc etc to them.

EnHui will pick their activity books when we go to booksales. They usually remember which ones they took and they know if I have taken it out of the shopping basket(on purpose!) at the checkout counter.  

The activity books will be on the table and they do as and when they like. I don't intefere unless they ask me to. Hui will finish a book at one go.

                                                               Science Museum Sticker Activity Book

Mythical Creatures (Sticker Facts)

Vile Victorians Activity Book (Horrible Histories)

Perplexing Picture Mazes

Sticker Art Shapes: Arcimboldo: With More Than 70 Reusable Stickers!

First day of homeschooling 3 January 2011

Monday pm.
Today, is supposed to be En's first day at Primary 1. Inevitably, I was emotional about it and began to question my ability of unschooling her at home. My spirit dampened by my lack of knowledge in everything. Holding back my thoughts, I observed what En was doing.
I saw her, lying down comfortably, reading few books at one go. Moving back and forth from one book to the other. Self - directed.
That put me back on track. And sensing my distress, my hubby gave me a crash course on homeschooling wonders. :) So grateful to have a supportive partner.

And words from my 'guru'
Anyway, children don't need, don't want, and couldn't stand six hours of teaching a day, even if parents wanted to do that much. To help them find out about the world doesn't take that much adult input.
 Most of what they need, parents have been giving them since they were born. As I have said, they need access. They need a chance, sometimes, for honest, serious, unhurried talk; or sometimes, for joking, play, and foolishness; or sometimes for tenderness, sympathy, and comfort. They need, much of the time, to share your life, or at least, not to feel shut out of it, in short, to go some places you go, see and do some of the things that interest you, get to know some of your friends, find out what you did when you were little and before they were born. They need to have their questions answered, or at least heard and attended to - if you don't know, say "I don't know". They need to know more and more adults whose main work in life is not taking care of kids. They need some friends their own age, but not dozens of them; two or three, at most half a dozen, is as many real friends as any child can have at one time. Perhaps above all, they need a lot of privacy, solitude, calm, times when there's nothing to do.

The average parent, family, circle of friends, neighbourhood, and community can and do provide all of these things, perhaps not as well as they once did or might again, but well enough. People do not need a Ph.D. or some kind of certificate to help children find their way into the world - John Holt

Float or sink. 21 December 2010

Tuesday afternoon.  While sipping the lemonade, Hui asked " Why does the lemon float in the water and sink to the bottom when there is no more water? " Believe it or not, a simple question like this, made me anxious. I wasn't good in any school subjects at all (blearrgghh) and I routinely fell behind. 

It reminded me of this common question "How do you teach your children at home? " that people asked. I dread answering it. I do not teach. I help them learn. I can actually learn some things, I can tell them what I know, and I can help my child learn even when I don't fully understand it myself. It is not a breeze, but it's not impossible.

You are travelling a lot ! 25 October 2010

I get a lot of questions for my frequent travelling trips, like:

-Unschooling means provide lots of outing?

-Does unschooling means travelling a lot?

-You have been travelling more than the sum of a few people's travelling schedule!

-Look at all the places you have been! I am tired. How do you cope?

Homeschooling is a way of life. I cannot tell you how to homeschool. Because your life and mine would be unique. There is no hard and fast rules. You just have to do it to know it. And your child will surely show you the direction she wants to take if you care to listen with an open heart.

Yes, I have been travelling more since the beginning of this year. That is because learning outdoor befits the three of us. Hui grew into a toddler who has needs that are immediate and she has a way of spoiling even the best-laid plan. A temporary 'field trip curriculum' fits us all. It is serving us well for now, since it catered restless curious Hui while introducing En to lots of new and interesting things.  

It also gives me a break from a messy home like these,

Left - Oh messy. Right- En's stone soup on top of Hui's puzzle. Yes, the idea must be from the Caldecott Honor book Stone Soup

Left- books lining the short hallway. Right- hui prepared juices.

Are they learning? 11 August 2010

Wednesday night.

The result of free play and photos only shown the living room area ! What a night !!

Left- floor. Middle- My sofa. Right- Children table

On the floor.

Many asked me " What can they learn by playing all day? " Some time, it made me doubtful too.What are my kids doing at home, just playing, while other kids with the same age, are in kindergarten, where learning is presented as work? 

Play is that arena in which you get to try out everything with no real life consequences because it's all just pretend. You can play at being a castle invader and having a castle wall fall on you. No pain! And you can play with Veterinarian Barbie and practice what it's like to take care of animals. Learning within the context of play brings it into the child's world, where the child is in charge. When imagination is unleashed, learning is truly meaningful. taken from Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Our Children Really Learn-- And Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less

The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost 30 July 2010

Friday
Is it easy to homeschool? Do I enjoy doing it? Why must I unschool ? *sigh* 

It never easy to take the road less travel. And I am trying my best. And I am learning to enjoy it. And I need go on for EnHui.

A reader of my blog sent me this poem. Thank you very much, Trisha Pathak. I love the poem.

The Road Not Taken by Rober Frost.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Does a homeschooler feels 'alienated" seeing her friends attending school? 16 April 2010

Friday night.
I personally don't feel it would be a problem when En sees her friends going to school. She has her friends who are attending school. She knows she is suppose (like other kids) to go but she didn't because she is being homeschooled and she is okay with it. On the other hand, she has her homeschooler circle of friends,  neighbour, other friends and cousins whom she can mingle with.

I trust and respect her feelings. She doesn't seem to face any problem now nor she complain about wanting to go to school. I can see that she is enjoying life  She is going to turn 6 and there are many more years ahead. I can't see the future but we will cross the bridge when we come to it.

How do I homeschool? 9 April 2010

Friday night.
I was asked "What do you do at home? What's your plan today? What is next? What is unschooling? What about language? etc etc etc"
I don't have plans most of the days. Sometimes I try to think of things to do with EnHui but mostly, I am not able to do what I plan. EnHui are busy, the moment they wake up till the moment they fall asleep. Their mind is full. Playing is mostly what they like to do. Playing is the way of learning for them.
Sometimes, if I have an idea and I am able to do it on the spot, I will do it. For instance, I happened to put a potted plant near the window the other day and I thought, why not highlight to En 'the movement of plant' and so I did. http://ngshannonhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/04/movement-of-plant-3-april-2010.html If I didn't do it there and then, most likely I will forget about it.
I try to create a lot of opportunities for them at home. Also, I try to put as many things, at home, that I can think of or come across, in which I think the children will like to use. Like for art and craft, I bought lots of different paints, papers. etc. We have a box where all the craft's raw material are stored in it.
There was one occassion, when I went to the book store, I saw many colourful ropes of different material. I bought some and EnHui found many variety of ways in using it. They use it as a kite string, finishing race line, seat belt and among others En tied a spiderweb on my grill door and it's still there today !
I try to attend to EnHui's queries. I help when they request for it. I read when they ask me to. Should I not able to attend to their queries, I would explain why.
I plan outings. EnHui love everything mostly, so it's easy.
As for language, I read aloud to them.  http://ngshannonhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/03/ens-first-novel-6-march-2010.html
Fundamentally, unschooling means, no structured learning as oppose to mainstream school. EnHui learns what they love, naturally, while they are living, they are learning too. Living is learning. I actually think and half expect that they will lead me in their learning.
I recommend How Children Learn, The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child: Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start, LEARNING ALL THE TIME

Bedroom slipper for dad! by En. Nov 2009.

How do I come about homeschooling? 9 April 2010

Friday night.
I thought of homeschooling before but brushed it aside, thinking that I am not capable of doing so. I am not a degree holder and I am weak academically . I don't specialise in anything great and my general knowledge is poor.
When En was 4+, my hubby and I browsed for kindies in our area. I don't like that most kindies now operate in shoplots where there is no outdoor garden and play area. Classes among 4,5 and 6 years old are separated by a low flimsy divider. I am put off by countless books in the curriculum, let alone homework. When En went for a trial class at one kindie which doesn't believe in homework drilling, I was so shocked seeing how the teachers ran the class. It has no respect for children in the way they deal with them. En was not allowed to explore freely while she learns. The teacher gave her a stern stare when she tried to flip the story book she was holding!
I finally found a kindie which run in a huge bungalow house with pool, mini garden, sandpit etc. It is like a dream come true. Unfortunately,  it's too academically incline. The headmistress said "I gotta prepare my child to Chinese School which is tough at even Standard 1"
I decided not to send En to kindie when she turned 5. Then I came across "Learning Beyond Schooling", a book by Chong Wai Leng. That was my first step to homeschooling. When I found out more about it, there was no turning back. It's like I have discovered the best and most beautiful education.
I didn't get support from my mom, relatives and many friends. I got a bigger objection from my husband's family. I received rude and unjustiable comments about me. I was opinionated but frustrated for not able to explain well and convince people what I am doing is not wrong. As time goes by, the negative remarks fell on deaf ears and I just brushed it off. I made the decision that I will homeschool EnHui no matter what.

Left- Sept 2007, En@ 3 years& 4 months old. She liked stacking yoghurt tubs.

Right- Aug 2008, Hui @14months old. It suprised me when I saw her with so many pieces of clothes on. She put it on, all by herself. :)