Supporting sentence-writing using predictable books- Odonata series

What are predictable books? Predictable books , also known as patterned books, are stories with a predictable pattern. These books contain repeating words, phrases or sentences throughout the story. Predictable books are written so that children can easily guess what comes next. BILINGUISTICS (here) has a detailed post introducing the different types of predictable books

Letting your child’s questions drive learning at home- all about volcanoes

Inquiry at home One benefit of working with my child at home is that I don’t have to worry about following learning standards or curriculum. I can take the time to observe my children’s interests, and let their curiosity determine what projects that they do. After watching the movie ” The Octonauts and the Ring

10 ways to use sticky notes to support literacy at home

I use a lot of sticky-notes in the classroom! I use them for assessments, I use them for Reading Groups, and I use them during Writer’s Workshops. It’s no surprise that I’ve found ways to incorporate them at home when working with Kai and Kei. I use them so much that I keep a stash

Celebrating Dragon Boat Festival with 10 activities

The last time I watched a dragon boat race was probably at least 7 years ago in Hong Kong before moving to Singapore. It brings back so much memories watching dragon boat races videos with my children, taking me back to the afternoons in Stanley (Hong Kong) where the annual boat race isn’t just about

My favorite Chinese storybooks with a “magical” element

I buy and collect books with certain themes that I think can lead to meaningful reading and writing activities. “MAGIC” is one theme that I find fascinating with children of all ages. I particularly like the “magical” theme because by simply adding “magic” in front of any ordinary objects can potentially turn it into a

Celebrating Children’s Day in Singapore 2021

Last year’s 子供の日 (May 5th) happened during Singapore’s Circuit Breaker (4 months lockdown) when I had a hectic schedule teaching online classes and managing Kai and Kei’s learning. As a result, we didn’t celebrate KODOMO NO HI that fully. This year, I am taking this opportunity to document the resources that I found and the

Guiding your child to write authentically (3-5 years old)

A while ago, I posted something on Instagram regarding purposeful and meaningful writing that I thought I should elaborate on in a blogpost. I wrote: From Age 3 until now, Kai did many kinds of writing that reflected his interests and need. After all, writing is not only the act of making marks on the

Learning how to use prepositions with an Easter egg hunt treasure map

Sometimes the best and most meaningful activities with my kids are ones that are not planned, but spontaneous and improvised on the spot based on what they want to do! Last night, Kai wanted to do a treasure map to show where we could hide all the Easter eggs in our condo, so we decided

Mommy’s Game Plan for Spring: 5-senses Goldfish Journal (Part 3)

Lahlahbanana recently introduced me to this amazing Chinese-learning platform Lingobuddies (here). After browsing the website as a premium member, the first thing I downloaded was a Goldfish Journal Template and a 5-Senses dice. As some of you may recall, I have posted about using sensory details to help a child write descriptively (See post here

My DIY resources for using 四五快读 (Book 2)

Kei is 3 years and 10 months, and he reached Book 2 just a week ago! This is him reading Lesson 11, which is the first lesson of 第二册. Please refer to my other blog posts for tips on how to practice individual characters: My DIY resources for using 四五快读 (Book 1) >> HERE My