Our Homeschool Room

During my son’s reading time yesterday, I noticed that he could already read Level 3 of the I Can Read Books series. I checked the back page and saw that Level 3 is actually for confident readers. I was quite surprised since he has been a reluctant reader from the beginning and it has only been lately that he has loved to read. So, I decided to let him take the online reading assessment from Sonlight..and surprise , suprise.. my 6 year old ( 7 this October) has a Grade 3 reading level! Wow! Amazing! .. My daughter has taken this test when she was 8 and got a Grade 7 reading level, but that... 

Ever since I read that having classical music as a background music while studying is good for the brain, I’ve been regularly playing Mozart or Bethoven’s music during our homeschool. The music really gives a feeling of peace and a relaxed atmosphere. But sometimes, I get bored with having classical music as our background, so I switch to contemporary christian music. My kids enjoy this more than the classical music and I can even find them singing while doing their work. But I admit some songs distracts them especially the fast songs while doing work which requires more concentration.... 

When I was pregnant with my 1st child, I have read a lot of articles on the importance of reading aloud to babies and toddlers. Since I was a stay-at home mom I really spent a lot of time with my baby after she was born. I started reading to her when she was still a few months old. My baby was a very active one and it seemed that when I read to her, she stopped everything she did and sit still to listen to me. So, that started the habit of reading to my child until such time when she can read on her own and now she’s a voracious reader and certified bookworm. It was quite easy raising her... 

During my primary years in the traditional school a few decades back, I remember we used to have a flag raising ceremony every morning where we sing the Philippine National Anthem. It was a good exercise as it reminds us to be more aware of our country, love her and be patriotic. So for our homeschool, I also decided that we sing the national anthem(s) before the start of the class. And since we are a cross-cultural family in a cross-cultural setting, we end up singing 3 national anthems ( yes, in 3 different languages) everyday! Of course, I sing the Philippine National Anthem with more passion...