Everyday Adventures: 2012

Another Challenge...Facing Consequences

By Mommy Donna and Kib - November 03, 2012

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Level 2, Yahoo!

By Mommy Donna and Kib - September 27, 2012

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Books Galore

By Mommy Donna and Kib - September 20, 2012

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Kib's Diary

By Mommy Donna and Kib - August 14, 2012

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I love history. I appreciate artifacts. I have intense hunger for knowledge, for knowing how everything began and how it evolved to the present. That is why I like reading books about facts, history and almanac, watching documentaries on History Channel, Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel. I want my son to also have this passion so that he will be able to appreciate his heritage and he will have this concern of preserving the culture for future generation. He may still be young to really know the story behind these things, but I know that soon, he himself will be the one to search for it.

Part of our homeschooling adventure is going to museum trips. So far, Kib and I have been to eleven museums (Aerospace Museum, Philippine Science Centrum, Museo Pambata, Myth of the Human Body, National Museum, Museum in Corregidor, Cebu Museum, Loboc Church Museum, Dambana ng Kagitingan, Metropolitan Museum and CCP Museum). I was able to take pictures on some museums, but some museums don't allow photography inside for security reasons (I do understand because they house priceless treasures).

Kib's picture outside the Aerospace Museum. We came in there late because we still came from a car show but the museum personnel are very kind to still let us in and didn't let us pay for the entrance fee anymore. You can see here the history of Philippine Air Force, the different kinds of weaponry they used during the WW II, and at the back you can see the old models of airplanes and helicopters PAF used. There you can also see the presidential airplane of Ferdinand Marcos, equivalent to Air Force One of USA. Pictures can be taken inside the museum. Kib was 3 years old at this time.

At Philippine Science Centrum. It's an interactive museum where children can learn science by doing some experiments to prove some scientific laws and principles. Pictures can be taken inside.

Myth of the Human Body exhibit. It's a travelling exhibit and if I'm not mistaken, this exhibit stayed here in the Philippines for almost a year. Exhibits here are REAL humans (Note: most of the exhibited humans are Chinese) and they are plasticized. Each human is artistically dissected so that we will be able to see the different parts of the human body. This exhibit also shows unhealthy body organs which will make us ponder on doing healthy living. Pictures are not allowed inside the museum.

At Museo Pambata. Another interactive museum specifically designed for young kids. It's a fun way to learn about Philippine history and culture and science. Pictures can be taken inside the museum.

At Corregidor. The whole island itself is considered a museum because it shows us what happened during World War II. Here at Malinta Tunnel they showcase a lights and sounds show featuring the story of World War II. There are lots of memorials in the island, making you realize how destructive wars can be and make you hope that no more wars in the future. I was able to take 300+ pictures on our trip there. You can take pictures anywhere, no restrictions were given by the tour guide.

At National Museum. National Museum had been divided into three: Museum of the Filipino People, National Art Gallery, and Planetarium. We were able to go to the first two only. Museum of the Filipino People charges an entrance fee while the National Art Gallery don't. Museum of the Filipino People is now at the old Finance Building near Rizal Park. It houses the historical artifacts. Pictures are not allowed to be taken there. The National Art Gallery will be exclusively for artworks of National Artists. During our visit, National Art Gallery is under renovation so there are some areas of the building that are closed for public viewing. In this picture you can see me and Kib posing at the back of Spolarium, the most treasured artpiece by Juan Luna. Pictures can be taken inside, however, you must turn off the camera flash.

At Dambana ng Kagitingan. We went there on Good Friday and a lot of people are visiting the area. We weren't able to climb up the cross because of the long queue to the elevator and we weren't able to see the museum as well because we forgot our ticket in the car and we only have few minutes left before the museum closes. For sure, we will go back there.

At Metropolitan Museum of Manila. The only permanent exhibit there is the gold and pottery section, the rest changes from time to time. At the time of our visit there were some works of the contemporary artists and some of the artworks of Felix Hidalgo. Another section showcases different Philippine maps from 1500s (from the time it was discovered) until the present. The maps are very interesting, you can really see how the Philippines grew big. This is the only picture that I have of the museum since photography isn't allowed inside.

At CCP Museum. There were artworks all over, on the corridors leading to the different halls inside. There's a permanent exhibit on the fourth floor showcasing traditional musical instruments from the Philippines and some from our neighboring countries. Included in the permanent exhibit is a section about Filipino way of life. During our visit, we were able to see the sketches made by Tony DeZuniga, a Filipino cartoonist; photographs by Rick Rocamora, which later to be donated to the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation; and an art and literary exhibit of various artists and writers commemorating the 40th year of Martial Law. We were blessed to be part of the opening of the said exhibit. Photography is not allowed inside CCP Museum.

At Cebu Museum. This is the former penitentiary of Cebu converted into a museum. This showcases the history of Cebu, the evolution of journalism, the Philippine politics, Lagang (a kind of artwork using shells), Philippine bridges. Pictures can be taken inside the museum except for the section where it showcases the gold mask. Above you can see Kib looking around the section of Philippine bridges.

At Loboc Church. This is the second oldest church in Bohol. It has still the original flooring and walls. This picture was taken inside the church. Photography is not allowed inside the museum as there were already lots of artifacts that has been stolen. The museum guide gave me a tapis as we enter the church premises because I was wearing shorts then.

Digital cameras let us take unlimited pictures. I was able to take lots of pictures for Kib to see when he grows up and he will be able to reminisce his visit to these museums. More museum visits to come!

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Homeschooling Everywhere

By Mommy Donna and Kib - June 20, 2012

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Homeschooling: A Family Bonding Activity

By Mommy Donna and Kib - June 05, 2012

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Socialization? Why Bother?

By Mommy Donna and Kib - June 02, 2012

This is one of the misunderstood aspects of human development, and a homeschooled child, as most people say, lacks this. First, let me define what socialization is.

In sociology, socialization refers to the lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies, providing an individual with the skills and habits necessary for participating within his or her own society (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialization). Socialization is the means by which human infants begin to acquire the skills necessary to perform as a functioning member of their society, and is the most influential learning process one can experience.

Let me simplify this: socialization is a never-ending way of learning and adjusting to the culture so that an individual may be an accepted member of the society. With this meaning alone, socialization cannot just be learned and end in school. Does that mean when we graduate from college we are fully "socialized" so to speak? Margaret Zysk, a homeschooling parent from Idaho, whenever people will pose their concerns about her children's interaction with other kids, she will respond, "Go to your local public school, walk down the hallways and see what behaviors you would want your child to emulate." I love her answer so much.

What most people know about socialization is just simply interacting with people of the same age group, which is a BIG, BIG misconception about socialization. Socialization is more than interaction. Socialization is about values formation, appreciation of one's culture, and citizenship.

I can say that even if Kib is homeschooled, I don't forget to teach him values and things that will make him a worthy Filipino citizen. He may not be with kids of same age all the time, but he knows how to interact with people of different ages. Kib may be a playful kid, but not a dangerous and hostile one. Kib may be a alone most of the time, but he always give his smile to people.

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Homeschooling Challenges

By Mommy Donna and Kib - June 02, 2012

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Learning Experiences Outside the Four Walls of our Home

By Mommy Donna and Kib - May 28, 2012

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School of Tomorrow--Our Homeschool Provider

By Mommy Donna and Kib - May 25, 2012

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My Quest for Good and Quality Books

By Mommy Donna and Kib - May 25, 2012

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Sing, Spell, Read and Write

By Mommy Donna and Kib - May 23, 2012

I first learned about this reading curriculum when I was still teaching in a regular school. I find this curriculum very effective in terms of teaching a child how to read and write and I read a lot of reviews about this both from regular school teachers and homeschooling parents.

And, my search for this kit is on....

I know that it is locally available in the Philippines but I don't know where to purchase it. I looked at the Internet and all I can see are US version which is a bit pricey. I was asking my brother to buy one for Kib but he doesn't want to get one because it's expensive =(

I went at 31st Manila International Book Fair in 2010 to look for books that me and Kib can use for our homeschooling adventure. I was so happy to see different publishers and bookstores selling different kinds of books, from workbooks to storybooks to references to curriculum packs. Seeing curriculum packs being sold by several distributors, my quest for Sing, Spell, Read and Write was awakened. I rounded up the whole convention center for several times to look for this kit. On my last round, I was able to glance upon this kit and without hesitation, I bought the kit for P5,000 (I already forgot the actual amount). C&E Publishing, Inc. is the authorized distributor of this kit here in the Philippines.

The package contains storybooks, workbooks, flashcards and posters. The only missing from the US version are the reward tokens.

The storybooks are written based on phonics. There are 17 storybooks and 3 workbooks. First workbook is for the basics, learning how to write the letters of the alphabet and learning the letter sounds. The other two workbooks work hand-in-hand; you do the Raceway Book first for the phonics/vocabulary enrichment; second, read the storybook and last, answer the Assessment Book for story comprehension and word review. Right now we are on Book 16, almost done with the pack, yahoo!

Kib and I started with the first workbook (Off We Go) in November 2010. We finished the book

in February 2011. Before I introduced reading to Kib, I make sure that he has mastered the basic letter sounds. On May 2011 I started teaching Kib how to read CVC words. So happy he was able to master reading CVC words in two months! Kib's reading ability is far better than the average. Watch the video of Kib reading a book.

Kib Reading a Book

This is where Kib read a story. You can see the letter sounds that can be learned from this book.

The kit is still in good condition, even the workbooks. What I did is I photocopied the workbook so that I can share (or even sell) the kit to my friends after I have used it.