Abacus

Date:  Dec 4, 2013

In School, they will teach our kids to do addition and subtraction from RIGHT to LEFT.  So, they will have to learn how to do the math operations from RIGHT to LEFT.  The correct way.

I aslo sent Jay to CMA so that he can learn how to use Abacus as well as doing mental calculations in his head.  For Abacus, one will need to compute calculations from LEFT to RIGHT.

So, in order to combine and blend this skill into his day to day life properly, I let him do some Math assessment book without the Abacus.  And then, made him correct his own work by checking the answer using the Abacus.

He likes it.  As he gets to use the red pen to mark his own homework.  When there is something that is wrong?  Then, he gets to see why he got it wrong and try to get the answers correct.

K2 & Spelling

Date:  Nov 6, 2012

For a 6 years old, he should be every day spending his time in the playground.  But time changes.  Now, the spelling and 听写 started as young as K2.  Kids in K2 will need to not only recognise but read and write both a set of English words and Chinese characters.

Jay Jay gave a surprising response to this home work this week.  What I did is simple, I told him to "Study on his own" while I go take a shower.  That means, look at the spelling words and learn to write it on a piece of paper.

OK.  When I come out of the shower, he cries.  I was wonder what happen.  Then, I look at the words and the Chinese words… wow, it is a bit harder this week.  It's all about mysteries and discoveries.  So, normally, we will teach him word by word, explain to him the meaning, and he learned word by word.  But since today, he has to learn on his on for the first time, I think he felt scare.  I don't know why, then, he say it is very hard, he does not know how to spell and learn to spell "discovery" … so, I calm him down and teach him… "Disco" & "Very" … or learn it with "Dis" + "Cover" + "y"… and so on.  And by then, he learned again… 

So, I think I got to do some adjustment so that he will learn how to learn on his own, instead of relying on parents or teachers to teach them.

Same for the Chinese.  There are few words he does not how to write, but the impression he gave is, he don't know all.  So, again, I ask him to write not according to the sequence… 太， 月，上，天，白，阳，学，家。。。。。 WOW.  out of 10 characters, he already knew eight of them, that is 80%, what can I asked more?  Just because he does not know how to write 回 and 亮, he felt bad?  

So, again, I need to comfort him, and tell him that how much he already knew, and just have to break it up, divide and concur to do the learning...

40 minutes later… Jay learned every characters, every English words… See … no problem...

And I can see he has huge improvement on his Chinese Word writing too.

Why?  Look carefully, even the notepad I have is using the Chinese square letter boxes.  So, that is why he tries to write it on the square… sometimes using 4 squares and sometimes using the small squares.  I am using the Penultimate with "Month Planner Paper".  cool!

This is the last week there are going to have spelling and 听写.  So far, Jay has been learning it very well.  And we also gives him lots of own time to play his toys..

 

Jay Jay Home Work

Date:  July 31, 2012

This week, Jay Jay has to present "One of the the food that is good for health".

I printed out a lot of food photo and let him choose.  Hmmmm…. Steak.. no… Clam, Mussels?  nope…. 

and Finally, he chosen Home Made Chocolate Ice Cream.

So, I am surprise that Jay Jay's Chinese righting is much better than before.  Although it is not the best, but at least he can write a bit.

So, what is so good about Home Made Chocolate Ice Cream?

1.  It's home made.  So, mommy don't have to put in so much sugar, so it is less sweet and thus less chance to get cavity.  (hahaha like that also can)

2.  Look at the ingredient.  Chocolate.  It is good for your heart.  can lower down blood pressure.  A simple search on google will tell you this.

3.  Again, milk is the ingredient.  Got calcium good for your bones.

4.  But of course, you cannot eat too much.  Eat a little a day, will improve your health.

Helping Out Homework

Date:  May 14, 2012

I think I have given Jay Jay a wonderful childhood that he needs.  From next year onwards, there will be a lot more homework.  There will be a lot more educational stuffs instead of Legos, outing, travelling.  It is time for him to get serious about his homework.  Of course, parent plays a very important role here.

This week assignment is a Mandarin Presentation of "My favorite Sea Creature".

At first, not only Jay Jay, but most of his friends wanted to do "Hermit Crab".  Now, I have no idea why is that, but since this is a Mandarin presentation, you have to know how to read and write Hermit Crab in Mandarin.  寄居蟹, how many of these 6 years old really know how to write this Chinese word for Hermit Crab.  How many even recognize the word?  So, if you cannot regconize the word, it is very very hard to make them understand what is hermit crab.

So, after much consideration, and convincing Jay Jay doing a hermit crab will be a disaster for both parents and himself.  HaHaHa... so, He agrees to change the topic.  So, after some quick thoughts... I went to youtube and make favorite some of the undersea documentary... especially octopus.  And then, I show it to Jay Jay on the TV.  He quietly watch the youtube that I have downloaded for him to watch.  It is about a octopus.  And how the scientist experiment on them so that to prove that octopus is very smart.  He watch it with amaze, and like it.

八爪鱼

Even the chinese work is so simple to write.  And most of the kids will know at least two words.  :)

So, we begun to construct our story board.  Of course, we decided not to draw, as Jay Jay did not know how to draw super nicely yet.  So, it will be paper cutting to form the presentation.

Octopus live in a big sea (ocean).  Sea is blue, and there are sea weeds.

So, glue them onto the sea (blue) paper.

Jay Jay remembers from the youtube documentary, how the octopus open a glass bottle and grab the fish (food) inside of the bottle.  So, he decided to have a bottle in the sea.

So, you end up with a yellow bottle, and a yellow cover.  The octopus will open the cover, and then grab and eat the fish inside.  So, you need to cut a fish inside the bottle.

How many legs does optopus have?  EIGHT!  Yes, there you cut 8 legs and paste them together.

Next, Octopus is smart, very clever, right?  That is why he has a big head.  With two eyes, and a big suction mouth.  He loves to eat.

Here is the favorite part, where he uses the hole puncher to punch some holes on the orange paper.  We end up with all these orange circle dots.  So, these are the suction on the octopus legs.  He has a lot of suction and can suck and hold an object very tight, and wont let go of it.

Lastly, writing the chinese word for Octopus.  By the way, octopus has three hearts, two for pumping blood to the gills, and one pumping blood to the legs and other parts.

Almost finish.  label the number on the legs.  Write a "Big Head" there... since he learn how to write it in Chinese.

And wala.... This is his presentations... One that he likes...

Wow, it is a great achievement.  Jay Jay present it using his madarin.  And it is quite all right.  He also bows and thank for people for listening too.  Well done!!!