Random Lernen-Reise in Jul'12 - Part 2

To my surprise, one evening, he took this book and asked me to read to him. Some of the illustration in the book are embossed, looks like 3D. There is the main character, caterpillar in every page, as well as an ant. Ant, being his favorite right now, he was so engrossed in finding them in every page that he actually sat on my lap throughout the book. We did it twice the week. Generally, it’s a good book! :-D

Good book!

I make it a point to bring him earlier to music class every Sat so we can slowly walk from the car park to Hougang Mall and make our way up the escalators one by one all the way till 5^th floor. IZ could step onto the escalator with ease and he knows to lift his feet up when I say walk at the end of it. Weekly practice makes perfect.

Another reason why I bring him early to class is so we have about 10-15mins to roam in the library. Hougang Mall has this very nice children’s corner. IZ especially likes the activity room, as there are many colourful balls in the acrylic box display.

Happy in Children's Section

Activity Room

I try to make it a point to borrow books so to cultivate reading habits in him from young (or so I hope). Hahaha..

The last trip I went, we borrowed these, in conjunction with weather theme he is learning in CS.

All his favorite

I went to Jann’s to continue my missed phonics lesson g-k. I was suddenly inspired by her sharing on country flags and erasers. So this was what I did.

I put the flashcards on the floor and fruit toys mixed. I asked IZ to put the fruit toys to the corresponding flashcards. He could do it well until he reached apple. The toy was a green apple while the apple on the card was red. Then I changed the apple to red apple, and he could place it easily.

The other one IZ couldn’t put together was the pineapple. The toy came without the green head, but the card’s did. Although he knows both are pineapples (or APPLE as he could only say APPLE), he didn’t want to put them together. So we had to chip in to help him.

It’s little wonder IZ knows all the fruits and the cards. We have been flashing the cards since he was 8 months old. Hahaha.. I just wish he could speak a little more…

Matching 101

Additional words he could say at 19 months: yi, er, ba, mei you (in Chinese) and ah, ber, ker sound of a, b and c.

5th Week in Playgroup - 27th Jul'12

And so IZ skipped 2 days of his class on his 5^th week in CS. I shall post a picture of the brief note his teacher wrote at the end of the week.

Selina told me teachers missed him a lot and was happy when IZ returned to school on Friday. He was shy to go into the class at first though, probably coz of the 2 days break. But everything went well after he went in.

Found this piece of work he did in Chinese class. I was particularly impressed by this piece as this is the best piece he has done thus far. For a 19 months old to produce such work, I would say he has done well.
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I would give him a star for this

End of 4th Week in Playgroup – 20th Jul’12

Note from his teacher in the communication book made my day. I am always looking forward to Friday for all the different reason now.

Good progress :-)

We sang a lot of Rain Rain Go Away in both the known versions throughout the weekend.

As we know they just had the Racial Harmony Day in school, where they learned about other races and learned about food that are related, such as roti prata, nasi lemak and all, we bought them for breakfast on Sat to show and let him taste them.

He fell sick when he woke up on Sat. We thought it was mild flu which he caught the 2nd week in school. We were prepared that kids will fall sick when they go to school. He was down with fever, flu and phlegmy cough. I gave him medicine left from the last round he fell sick, but the fever spiked everyday it not every other day.

Poor boy

We brought him to take a breather in PUnggol Park, thinking it would help in recovery.

Taking a breather

I finally gave in on the 5th day and brought him to Dr. Anthony. The queue was horrible as usual although we arrived just when the clinic was opened, our number was 15, and we waited till 12pm before we got to see him. He said IZ was down with bronchitis, inflammation and influenza. For a moment, he made me felt bad for not bringing IZ to see him earlier, but then I really do not want IZ to be fed with chemicals whenever he fall sick.  

Poisons!

End of 3rd Week in Playgroup – 13th Jul’12

I was away the whole week for business trip, thus I had no chance to check on his progress personally except via phone calls to Selina. I was glad to know he was doing better.

Wuxi is well known for their peaches, available only during summer. I brought 2 cartons back and was very happy Issac got to see and touch firsthand experience how peaches look and taste like. They are juicy and sweet!

Havenly!

Note from his teacher end of the week, made my day when I reached home from a tiring and sickly trip:

So proud of him :-)

I tested him to sit cross-legged, and he really understands. As he was making conscious effort to cross his legs, he was hesitant on which leg should cross which one. Nevertheless, I was so proud of him. Another new thing he learnt.

We really appreciate the communication book as it shares with us what was taught during the week, so we can re-cap during the weekend. We brought him to Seletar Reservoir for a stroll, coincidentally the weather so perfect to teach him on sunny, partly cloudy and cloudy. We had fun running about.

Perfect Imperfect Weather

At night when I put him to bed, I tried to ask him to repeat a, b and c after me. He couldn’t follow the letter sound, but when I made phonics sounds, he could repeat, just like what his teacher wrote on the communication book. I was impressed he could follow all the way till f. However, deep down, I’m worried he knows phonics first but not letters.

I also tried to make tornado using a water bottle filled with water. He knows the term tornado but he didn’t find fun in the water bottle, instead he was more interested in the cap. So, maybe my way was not interesting enough.

I felt like wanting to eat crab one of the nights, hubby bought home a very big salted egg butter crab. That was IZ’s first sight of a live (oh well, cooked) crab. I asked him to wake his grandma who already turned in, to eat crab. He went in and gestured the clamping using both his hands and said “kiap kiap” “kiap kiap”. Grandma was very happy and impressed. He loves the crab meat!

Yummylicious!

End of 2nd Week in Playgroup - 6th Jul'12

Edited on 12th Jul'12: Mid of second week, as his dad was away for business trip, we chatted with him over Skype. When asked if he likes going to school, he shook his head and nodded almost immediately, shook and nodded, couldn't decide if he likes or not. To us, it was a good sign, there IS SOMETHING in school that he likes in school afterall. :-)

He finally didn't cry when Selina dropped him to school in the morning, on the last day of second week, on his 9th day of school. And he kissed and hugged every teacher before leaving the school.

Below his progress for the week, I would say, "welll done son!"

Teacher's comment on his comm book

His artwork - weather clock

Theme for this term is Weather and Fabric. It didn't take him long before he knows what's sunny and rainy. He will gesture with his hands, how rain drops. As shared by teacher, they were showed video on how rain is formed, I did the same at home.

I managed to search Mister Sun Sun on youtube and watched together with him.



Additional words he could say at 19 months: heart, frog, crab

Random Lernen-Reise - Jul'12 Part 1

30th Jun'12:

J for Jiu Jiu (or Da Jiu)

1st Jul'12:

Bought some Chinese books from Popular, let our Chinese Lernen-Reise begin!

2nd Jul'12:

B for butterfly

7th Jul'12:

Got this small magnetic board to draw on-the-go from Jann (even when picking his dad up in the airport!)

Second Week in Playgroup - 5th Jul'12

Selina feedback that IZ is getting better in school... **beaming in pride**

Sitting by himself at the other end on top of the picture

At the most left from this angle

Third Day in PG – 27th Jun’12

I decided to let Selina send him to school while I went to Mc’D to get my breakfast. Partly so IZ get used to not having me around, partly so I can eat breakfast in CS. If I were to leave my spot for a while, I would have no place to sit to wait till he finished school.

Happily, I brought my Mc’D breakfast up, and was surprised to see Selina and IZ sitting at the reception area as teachers were not ready. And IZ started crying seeing me. Duhz!

He started off crying once the door was closed. But teacher did make it easier, staying with him initially and let him by himself.

Teacher stayed close

He was ok by Montessori time, but still cried when the class was dismissed.

Independent during Montessori time

I bought a Groupon deal for Build A Bear, building one bear at only S$9.90. I thought there’s no better time to build one for him, as I will not be going to school with him from tomorrow onwards.

Rub little heart

Kiss and may all his wishes come true

Place the heart into the bear

He adores the bear

It was like he knows what's going on, he likes the bear more than any of the soft toys he has. Felt belonged probably?

Second Day in PG – 26th Jun’12

He started crying at temperature checkpoint, I asked Selina to send him in, I followed halfway.

I went down for prata breakfast to take a breather from seeing him crying and went up again to be tortured.

Supposedly yummy prata

Just like the first day, he was engrossed in Montessori material that he forgot about crying for that short while.

His fave Montessori time

Guided by teacher, holding on to his water bottle

Standing on the most right - hanging on to his comfort item

From the CCTV, I saw that he cried on and off and hang on to his water bottle the whole time. He finished the whole bottle at the end of school.He cried when he came out from class.

Still hanging on to already emptied bottle

Knocked out after school

First Day in PG – 25th Jun’12

As I mentioned in my post on Last English Class in MLG, we are moving on to Playgroup (PG) in CS Montessori, located just opposite our place, on roof top in NEX.

I have applied for 3 half days to company him to school. I had mixed feelings about it, to let go completely so he’ll not cry or not miss anything in his childhood. Thus, I have decided to bite the bullet and “enjoy” his crying moments in school.

On the first day, he was still sleeping at 7.40am. School starts at 8.30am, I had to wake him up and prepare him to school.

Sleeping prince

Ready to go to school - not knowing what holds

We arrived pretty early to school, at about 8.20am, temperature checked and cleared. Then we waited for our turn to check mouth, hands and feet. Teacher Susan took off his socks and checked. Quite detail I would say.

Then Teacher Susan sent him into the room, and asked him to wave bye to me. There he started crying. I asked Teacher Susan to quickly close the door. I couldn’t bear seeing him crying. Selina (our helper) already started to tear. I was too depressed to feel anything.

Then I watched from the CCTV, he was crying so badly and kept pointing to the door. Forgive me, there’s not much photo from all the crying as my heart broken into pieces, I felt weak all over I didn’t think much of taking picture.

IZ sitting on teacher's lap

As time flies, he settled down during Montessori time. He was able to sit and do something. I was quite proud of him at that point of time.

Crying at the start of Montessori time - at the most right standing

Teacher guiding IZ at the top of the pic

Doing it himself

Made a friend

Returning the material to the shelf - top right corner

When class ended, he was crying all over again.

Lesson B for Bear - 24th Jun’12

It is quite difficult for me to do classes and take photo the same time. I have to rely on the dad, who are not doing a good job, but better than none. Hahaha..

We woke up, and he wanted to sit on his table. So I asked if he wants to do some work. He nodded his head. So I grabbed my stuffs out and started. 

Waiting in anticipation

I started off by letting him trace the capital and lower case of B using marker. 

Guiding him to trace

Then I asked him to take out B items from the bag, naming each as he took them out, and when he placed them back in.

Blue ball!

B items!

Then I took out the bear mask and asked him to put glue. He enjoyed putting glue on, and then placing the brown papers on the mask.

Putting the glue on

Pasting brown paper

I put the mask on him after, took a picture of him and showed him. He was happy. I tried to read Goldilocks and the 3 Bears to end the class, but he wanted more. 

IZ wearing bear mask he made

Unsuccessful story reading

I didn’t prepare for more, so I grabbed a piece of drawing block and asked the dad to draw a bear face and let him paint with blue. 

Painting the bear blue

Blue Bear

Display his work

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Past Lessons:
Lesson A for Apple - 14th Jun'12
Lesson A for Ant - 18th Jun'12