mum's thoughts

Visiting Our Local Kumon

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early children education, education, schools, mum's thoughts
the Kumon flyer I got as a memento from our visit

I have been toying with the idea of enrolling the little man to Kumon, I am thinking it would be a great enhancement to the lessons we will have at home when I decide to homeschool him. Some mommy blogger friends were talking about it online a few weeks back and since I’ve been meaning to check it out anyway, I decided to pay the local branch a visit. It was located at the Blas F. Ople Diversions Road in Bulihan. And I am glad that Jared’s dad was around to drive us there since this area is really out-of-the-way.

Our visit was so timely as a parent orientation was slated in a week. This orientation is a pre-requisite to enrollment and this is when potential students are assessed, too.

Kumon in a nutshell

It is an afterschool supplemental learning program. Its structured Math or Reading programs are comprehensive and individualized to match each child’s learning pace. It has been around for 50 years and has been accepted by 47 countries around the world.

Students go to the center twice in a week and are given homework daily for non-center days.

Tuition Fees

Monthly tuition is Php1,800 for children grade six and below. There is also a one-time Registration Fee of Php500.

How to enroll

All you have to do is find a Kumon Center, attend the Parent Orientation and have your child take the Diagnostic Test. When your child pass, the parents and the Kumon instructors will then discuss the study projection especially made for your child.

The Malolos City Study Center is a small facility that can accommodate only a number of students at a time. I find this most ideal as the little man can really do away with the stress related to seeing one too many unfamiliar faces and objects at the same time.

I am scheduled to attend their next orientation, I will let you know how it goes.

Malolos City Study Center
Unit 1 Caltex, Blas F. Ople Diversion Rd., Bulihan, City of Malolos 3000
:phone:  {044)662-4501
:cell: 0917-5420385
ph.kumonglobal.com

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mum's thoughts, Parenting 101, Tips and Tricks

art as an effective tool for early childhood learning

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children learning, early childhood education, parenting 101, mum's thoughts, tips + tricks
this image first appeared on Jared’s Little Corner

Art is not only one perfect way to express oneself but it is also one effective tool to promote learning in little children. By using fun + colorful materials you will be sure that your little ones will develop a good studying + learning habit early on in life. + by utilizing enjoyable ways to teach them new ideas + skills, they will be sure to learn the things you teach them in no time at all! + by doing so, who knows, your child might just grow up to be the next Picasso or create one of those amazing lds paintings  + dabble in the arts when he is all grown up!

So how do you start early childhood learning by using art + art materials that are readily available at home or can be easily found in your local crafts or school supplies shops? Make sure that you get the basic art supplies, which can include clay, crayons, water color + the likes. You may also add in a sheaf of colored papers + a pair of safety scissors to your stash. Bear in mind that little children are drawn to colorful things so make sure you choose the most engaging colors you can find.

Here are a few suggestions for activities you might want to do with your kiddos:

  • Color away ~ give your little ones a box of crayons + a coloring book {you can also check out for free printables online} or a number of blank plain paper he can doodle + scribble on. Do not limit his canvass to that paper + move on to painting egg shells, bottles + whatever objects he may opt for {as long as mum approves, of course! ;)}
  • Endless fun with colored papers + a pair of scissors ~ let your little one cut away by providing him colorful paper strips to cut into little shapes he desires. Just make sure you get him the age-appropriate ones to ensure that he won’t be hurting himself while using the scissors. You can also make an artwork by pasting all the cut outs onto a sheet of paper, forming whatever shapes you like
  • Watercolor fun ~ simply give your kiddo a pallet + a blank paper + let him create his very first watercolor masterpiece. He can draw shapes, letters, numbers or whatever he fancies. Just let his imagination run wild!
  • Create with clay ~ help him create his favorite characters or his favorite food using this gooey, colorful stuff. I bet he will have a grand time!
Bear in mind that the art activities you ought to be doing should depend on the age + abilities of your children. Also, do not forget to consider to follow your child’s lead in every activity. Happy learning! 😉
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Jared, jared's nook, mum's thoughts, tot schooling

teaching the little man with materials easily found at home

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mum's thoughts, motherhood, early children education, children learning, pink stuff, homeschooling, Jared, Jared's nook,

I never miss the chance to teach my little man anything I can whenever an opportunity presented itself. There are numerous stuff around the house that we can use to work on Jared’s hand-eye coordination skills ~ pasta, macaroni, various re-purposed containers in different sizes, I’ve got an assortment of them here at home. Anything to get those little, grubby hands busy, really! + these cute pink rubber stamps are just one of them.

I originally bought these to adorn my postcards but it turned out to pique the little man’s interest so the stamps are now kept safe together with his other tot school stuffs. He use the tiny blocks to make several towers by stacking them one top of the other, or to make a choo-choo train by arranging them up in a straight line. We also count them all up or I ask him to name the items found on each rubber block on other occasions. I just simply let his imagination run wild as he plays!

Homeschooling our tots need not burn a whole in our pockets, we just need a little imagination + a handful of creativity! I will share more about our tot schooling fun next time, or see more of Jared in action with these rubber stamps on this Kids in Doodles post! 🙂

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Sharing my pink stamps with:

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