Here are my latest posts:
Writing, documenting and creating memories through travel scrapbooking in Japan
Introduction During our winter trip to Japan this time as a mother of two school-aged children, I paid special attention to, and was intrigued by the print-rich environment surrounding us every day. Colorful billboards with flashing slogans, JR maps dotted with tiny Japanese characters, and the endless supplies of flyers and brochures that line every…
Cantonese/Canadian Mom’s favourite places to take kids in Singapore
Below are places that would appeal to families from overseas if you are visiting Singapore the first time! My recommendations are not listed in order of preference. Sentosa- Adventure Cove (here) Sentosa- Skyline Luge and Skyride (here) Sentosa- Dolphin Island (here) I personally haven’t taken my kids there, but many of my friends have visited.…
What “Small-Moment Writing” looks like in First Grade (at home)
Lucy Calkins’ units are not perfect, but her “whole language” approach does nurture a love of writing. She places a strong emphasis on writer’s craft, and it is not at all too early for 6-7 year olds to start thinking about how authors make a purposeful choice of vocabulary, sentence formation, voice OR tone in…
Maomi Stars- 6 features that make the app a game-changer for Cantonese learning
Introduction Language options (Simplified/Traditional, Cantonese/Mandarin!)Theme-based characters Speaking component Mini-games/ interactive elements to consolidate learning Real children’s voices Curriculum that will continue to expand Conclusion Introduction I often get asked why, being Cantonese myself, I do not teach my children to read and write Cantonese in Traditional Chinese? There are just many more resources in Singapore…
Learning through the arts- Drawing the English Alphabet
I didn’t use worksheets or workbooks for my kids when they learned to write the alphabet. I taught them initially by using colored sand and then by using whiteboards and sketchbooks. It is important to not force your child to write. Instead, encourage scribbling and doodling by exposing your child to materials and drawing tools…
How to practice Past Tense using “Hey Jack” series (Grade 1-3)
If you haven’t already noticed, many young children’s books are written in the simple present tense. For teachers, this is wonderful to see since exposing children to different tenses in books is one way to get them familiar with its usage. Simple present tense is used to: describe facts or habitsdescribe scheduled events This is…
MUST-HAVE literacy resources to support your child at home (Ages 1-7)
(I will keep updating the blog. This is first published in 2022, and last updated as of April 2022.). I have since then launched my own Science of Reading course that will help you understand HOW a child learns to read so you can make full use of the resources you already have at home,…
IG / ZOOM LIVE: Starting the “Write” Way for Ages 3-6
I had the pleasure of doing a LIVE workshop with Rajini from @mrsmogan discussing common student issues we have observed in the classroom as teachers. We shared some possible reasons leading to these problems, and what parents could do to support. Our LIVE is divided into 5 sections: Sharky HandwritingPoor SpellingUnclear Beginning, Middle, and EndReluctant…
Setting up a writing center for a 6 year old
Why set up a writing center? At home, a writing center provides an inviting environment so that your child can access writing tools, explore different materials and build a habit of writing. Since I am teaching Kai and Kei to read and write, I do Guided Writing lessons where I teach the skills, and let…
Offering structured choice to encourage writing
What is structured choiceExamples of structured choice in writingProviding structured choice for practicing spellingProviding structured choice through different writing genresNarratives/RecountHow-to WritingOpinion WritingReportsProviding structured choice within a writing centerConclusion 1. What is structured choice? Structured choice is nothing new in terms of behavioral/parenting strategy. A structured choice presents a child with options which are acceptable for…
Maximizing 洪恩识字 to learn Chinese (7 tips and printables)
**iHuman has kindly reached out and offered a discounted bundle for my followers (here) on the apps and add-ons: 识字永久+识字子集永久+成语永久+拼音永久 Technology can be useful to support learning so I am not entirely opposed to apps as long as children use technology with the right intentions. I started looking into Chinese learning apps after Kai finished…
Using “Touch and Tell, Touch and Say, Touch and Read” strategies to foster independence in writing
These are the 3 strategies that I teach in the classroom which I have recently introduced at home to help Kai and Kei with writing. I find that when children are encouraged to say things aloud, they often notice things that are often overlooked when they “think silently” to themselves. Encouraging children to use their…
How we practice writing Chinese at home without using any worksheets
This is going to be a quick post to document what I’ve been doing with Kai and Kei to encourage writing Chinese. I am not particularly fond of worksheets, and try to come up with alternative ways to incorporate writing as part of our weekly Chinese homeschooling routines. Kai- Almost 6 years old 1. Morning…
My DIY resources for using 四五快读 （Book 4）
And I finally completed this huge project… all 400+ cards from the five books of 四五快读 . Mneumonics is a very powerful technique that can help us remember a large amount of information. These cards, drawn to reflect the form and meaning of each character, have helped me teach my kids to read Chinese. I…
Supporting your child to write stories with a clear Beginning, Middle and End- foldable trilingual template
Every story should have a beginning, middle and end (BME). One of the many literacy skills a child needs to learn early on is is BOTH to identify BME of any stories, and to write a story with a clear BME. The Picture Book Teacher (here) has a great blog post on the importance of…
Our English and Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival resources 2021
This post will document the books that I purchased to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival this year and the links to where you could purchase Mid-Autumn Festival books in Singapore. I have also included a DIY book which your child can add illustrations to, if you don’t manage to buy books in time this year! 从前有个月饼村 Under…
What we need to know about children’s stages of writing development
Many parents ask me: When does a child start writing? It is difficult to answer this question since writing could be anything from “meaningful scribbles,” “letter formation” to “spelling accurately.” Children as young as 2 years old begin making marks on paper to show their thoughts and ideas. Children go through stages of writing development when…
Using the Story Grammar Marker (SGM) to support reading, writing and speaking (Titanic Unit) and others
Children’s stories are more or less structured the same way. The structure, also called “story grammar” divides a story into smaller segments. Depending on what programs you use, the story grammar elements could be different, but character, setting, problem, events are usually standard. It is important that children learn to identify parts of a story…
My DIY resource for using 四五快读 (Book 3)
Kei is 4 years and 3 months and it’s been a rewarding journey so far teaching him to read Chinese using 四五快读. I can’t believe we made it to Book 3! We continue using the same strategies to review the characters before reading the full passage. https://youtu.be/gj6-HDGVctA And Lesson 27 passage: Please refer to my…
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…
Ms Claudia Lee Kimura 