I cant seem to upload images onto blogger. My images are JPG files. I've compressed it to a tiny 33kB sized file but am still getting a message "Error, please try again" after it tries to upload. It started yesterday when I noticed blogger had changed the uploading application/window to something fancy.
I've searched for answers via the "Help" link but it's of no help! Read that some other users in the Help Forum are having same problem (since Aug!), but Blogger hasn't come up with response. I can upload it to Picasa then unto blogger but it's so time consuming that way (especially when Maxis broadband is so unstable).
Anyone else out there having the same problem?
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I’m learning about Maths
Another mother had recommended a book she found useful in teaching maths to her (typically developing) son who’s currently in Year 3.
It is indeed a good book. It’s very easy to read and understand. Of the book’s 196 pages, I read the first 50 pages within an hour or so.
It’s not a workbook. It’s doesn’t give you lesson plans. It doesn’t contain a syllabus. It’s not a book chock full of ideas to teach maths creatively.
It’s written for the parent who “wishes to be an active participant in his or her child’s arithmetic studies”, hence the title “Arithmetic for Parents – A Book for Grownups about Children’s Mathematics”.
It’s written by Ron Aharoni, a maths professor who teaches in university. He “accepted his friend’s invitation to teach maths in elementary school as part of a project, and has since devoted much time to primary mathematics education”.
Here are some excerpts that I’d like to share:
“One of the insights I came by while teaching in elementary school is that elementary mathematics isn’t simple at all. It has depth and beauty.”
“Proper teaching of mathematics depends more on an understanding of the mathematical principles than on educational tricks. It requires familiarity with the way the fine mathematical layers lie one upon the other.”
“What have I learned? Much about teaching, about approaching children, about the way children think. I have learned about the importance of being systematic...I understood that concepts adults perceive as a whole are actually built of many small elements, one upon the other, and that you cannot skip any one of them. I learned...that explanations are usually futile in elementary school: Concepts must originate in the child through personal experience...A large part of what I learned wasn’t new facts, but something completely different: subtleties. It was like looking at a piece of cloth – from afar it seems smooth and uniform, but up close you discover that it is made of fine, interwoven threads. What I believed to be one piece turned out to consist of a delicate texture of ideas.”
“Education researchers use the term “mathematics anxiety”. There are no history anxiety or geography anxiety, but there is mathematics anxiety. Why only mathematics? The main reason lies in its layered structure: Mathematics anxiety arise when one stage is unheedingly skipped...many of the layers of mathematical knowledge are so elementary that they are often easy to miss. And when this happens, and an attempt is made to establish a new layer on top of the missing one, neither the teacher nor the student can discern the origin of the problem.”
Within a week of receiving the book, I had loaned it out to another mother who’s 12 year old child could do maths if it’s presented in numbers, but had difficulty with word problems. She found it useful too.
So if you are interested to purchase the book, (and I do highly recommend it) here are the details:
Title: Arithmetic for Parents – A Book for Grownups about Children’s Mathematics
Author: Ron Aharoni
Publisher: Sumizdat
ISBN-13: 978-0-9779852-5-8
ISBN-10: 0-9779852-5-8
It’s not carried by the major bookstore chain in Malaysia, but is easily bought through the publisher’s website: www.sumizdat.org.
It was my first time ever buying anything over the internet, so I was really anxious and paranoid! But I must say that their customer service (via email) was excellent – went out of the way to reassure me.
It is indeed a good book. It’s very easy to read and understand. Of the book’s 196 pages, I read the first 50 pages within an hour or so.
It’s not a workbook. It’s doesn’t give you lesson plans. It doesn’t contain a syllabus. It’s not a book chock full of ideas to teach maths creatively.
It’s written for the parent who “wishes to be an active participant in his or her child’s arithmetic studies”, hence the title “Arithmetic for Parents – A Book for Grownups about Children’s Mathematics”.
It’s written by Ron Aharoni, a maths professor who teaches in university. He “accepted his friend’s invitation to teach maths in elementary school as part of a project, and has since devoted much time to primary mathematics education”.
Here are some excerpts that I’d like to share:
“One of the insights I came by while teaching in elementary school is that elementary mathematics isn’t simple at all. It has depth and beauty.”
“Proper teaching of mathematics depends more on an understanding of the mathematical principles than on educational tricks. It requires familiarity with the way the fine mathematical layers lie one upon the other.”
“What have I learned? Much about teaching, about approaching children, about the way children think. I have learned about the importance of being systematic...I understood that concepts adults perceive as a whole are actually built of many small elements, one upon the other, and that you cannot skip any one of them. I learned...that explanations are usually futile in elementary school: Concepts must originate in the child through personal experience...A large part of what I learned wasn’t new facts, but something completely different: subtleties. It was like looking at a piece of cloth – from afar it seems smooth and uniform, but up close you discover that it is made of fine, interwoven threads. What I believed to be one piece turned out to consist of a delicate texture of ideas.”
“Education researchers use the term “mathematics anxiety”. There are no history anxiety or geography anxiety, but there is mathematics anxiety. Why only mathematics? The main reason lies in its layered structure: Mathematics anxiety arise when one stage is unheedingly skipped...many of the layers of mathematical knowledge are so elementary that they are often easy to miss. And when this happens, and an attempt is made to establish a new layer on top of the missing one, neither the teacher nor the student can discern the origin of the problem.”
Within a week of receiving the book, I had loaned it out to another mother who’s 12 year old child could do maths if it’s presented in numbers, but had difficulty with word problems. She found it useful too.
So if you are interested to purchase the book, (and I do highly recommend it) here are the details:
Title: Arithmetic for Parents – A Book for Grownups about Children’s Mathematics
Author: Ron Aharoni
Publisher: Sumizdat
ISBN-13: 978-0-9779852-5-8
ISBN-10: 0-9779852-5-8
It’s not carried by the major bookstore chain in Malaysia, but is easily bought through the publisher’s website: www.sumizdat.org.
It was my first time ever buying anything over the internet, so I was really anxious and paranoid! But I must say that their customer service (via email) was excellent – went out of the way to reassure me.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Slowing down
The past 6 weeks have seen both my son and I falling (mildly) ill... twice. That has forced me to slow down drastically.
He didn’t attend school for a few days. His physiotherapy was cut down and made easier when it resumed. He got to play with his cars, trains and trucks. We read for enjoyment, and not with the purpose of learning phonics. We lolled around on bed and he spoke whatever was on his mind.
I got to sleep more. I wasn’t in a state of anxiety, thinking of what I should be doing with him. I wasn’t going around keeping one eye on the time (for the most part anyway). I wasn’t stressed that he still wasn’t feeding himself, or that he still struggles with pulling up his pants, or that he still hates having his teeth brushed, or that he eats so little.
I had time to appreciate the gift of my son.
His personality is developing. He likes to tuck his teddy in. He likes to pretend to be the teacher. He has his favourite foods (steamed fish, roast duck, char siu, corn on the cob, pizza, pasta bake, tortilla wraps, pitta bread, sandwiches). He laughs when watching Mr Bean. Strangely, he likes maths shows (Numberjacks, Maths Mansion, Puzzle Maths, Numbers Count). He’s taken on the Malaysian way of talking with the “lah”, “ah” etc added on. He’ll tell me “I like you because you are nice to me.” He’ll hand teddy to me, asking me to take care of it, and when I pretended not to know how to, he showed me (he hugged it and kissed it). LOL
I had time to reflect.
I remember when he was just a few months old, I hung on to the words of hope offered by my best friend (who also has a son with special needs): It’ll get easier. Caring for him has indeed gotten a lot easier, slowly over time. It’s not easy, but it is getting easier. I’m no longer crippled with fear. He can be left alone in his room with toys for a short period of time, while I quickly fix a meal or have a shower. He sleeps through the night. He’s toilet trained. He can climb into his car seat by himself. He is able to eat mostly what we eat. I can go out with him alone – it’s so liberating – without needing my helper to tag along. He’s learning to dress himself. He’s learning to put on his shoes. He’s learning to drink without a straw from his tumbler. He seldom vomits. There is some semblance of family life.
I’m aware there’s less than 2 months to go before school closes for the year. I’m aware there’s about a year to go before he enters Year 1.
Right now though, time has slowed down. It’s not a project. He’s my son. And I love him to bits.
He didn’t attend school for a few days. His physiotherapy was cut down and made easier when it resumed. He got to play with his cars, trains and trucks. We read for enjoyment, and not with the purpose of learning phonics. We lolled around on bed and he spoke whatever was on his mind.
I got to sleep more. I wasn’t in a state of anxiety, thinking of what I should be doing with him. I wasn’t going around keeping one eye on the time (for the most part anyway). I wasn’t stressed that he still wasn’t feeding himself, or that he still struggles with pulling up his pants, or that he still hates having his teeth brushed, or that he eats so little.
I had time to appreciate the gift of my son.
His personality is developing. He likes to tuck his teddy in. He likes to pretend to be the teacher. He has his favourite foods (steamed fish, roast duck, char siu, corn on the cob, pizza, pasta bake, tortilla wraps, pitta bread, sandwiches). He laughs when watching Mr Bean. Strangely, he likes maths shows (Numberjacks, Maths Mansion, Puzzle Maths, Numbers Count). He’s taken on the Malaysian way of talking with the “lah”, “ah” etc added on. He’ll tell me “I like you because you are nice to me.” He’ll hand teddy to me, asking me to take care of it, and when I pretended not to know how to, he showed me (he hugged it and kissed it). LOL
I had time to reflect.
I remember when he was just a few months old, I hung on to the words of hope offered by my best friend (who also has a son with special needs): It’ll get easier. Caring for him has indeed gotten a lot easier, slowly over time. It’s not easy, but it is getting easier. I’m no longer crippled with fear. He can be left alone in his room with toys for a short period of time, while I quickly fix a meal or have a shower. He sleeps through the night. He’s toilet trained. He can climb into his car seat by himself. He is able to eat mostly what we eat. I can go out with him alone – it’s so liberating – without needing my helper to tag along. He’s learning to dress himself. He’s learning to put on his shoes. He’s learning to drink without a straw from his tumbler. He seldom vomits. There is some semblance of family life.
I’m aware there’s less than 2 months to go before school closes for the year. I’m aware there’s about a year to go before he enters Year 1.
Right now though, time has slowed down. It’s not a project. He’s my son. And I love him to bits.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Reflecting on his progress in school
There’s about two months left in the academic year. Looking back, he has progressed quite a bit in terms of school readiness skills but he’s still not ready to be without a shadow aide when the new academic year starts in Jan.
I still need to help him when he drinks, during snack time, when nature calls, when he has to do a whole page of writing, to put on his backpack etc. I also remind him to collect his book or colour pencil (he might have a problem with transitioning from one activity to another).
During computer time, kids share a computer two to one, and I usually intervene to make sure he gets his share of using the mouse and help him so that he and his friend are not too far behind in completing the work as compared to his peers. Some of the kids display strong one-upmanship, and compete to see who finishes first. That irks me but I know it’s a normal part of childhood. Thankfully, he’s not bothered by it.
He has gained acceptance from his classmates. They perceive him as a baby (cos he still has chubby cheeks and requires help) and sometimes point out the funny way in which he moves or asks why I’m there. I’m very thankful that none of them have bullied him or called him names. In fact, one or two of them will sometimes help him (e.g. carries his water bottle or bag to him).
I hesitate to say that he’s made friends. His social skills are improving but still delayed and because of his dysarthria (speech disorder), slow movements (his CP), and self-consciousness, he doesn’t really play with others. He plays alongside them (e.g. he’ll be building his own Lego tower), or chooses to be next to them (observing them).
He’s started to mimic what they play. Just before the holidays, 2 girls went around with a tray of toy bricks shouting “Jelly, jelly!” (pretending to sell jelly), and promptly, he took a tray of Lego pieces copying them. Although no one could understand his pronunciation, he had fun and I was very happy to see that. This is one reason I don’t want to do homeschooling. At home, he pretends to be the teacher teaching me, just like in class when the girls pretend to teach the other girls (seems to be a ‘girl’ game).
It was a big challenge getting him enrolled in kindergarten and we had a rough start but I’m glad things have settled down (and he has settled into it).
I still need to help him when he drinks, during snack time, when nature calls, when he has to do a whole page of writing, to put on his backpack etc. I also remind him to collect his book or colour pencil (he might have a problem with transitioning from one activity to another).
During computer time, kids share a computer two to one, and I usually intervene to make sure he gets his share of using the mouse and help him so that he and his friend are not too far behind in completing the work as compared to his peers. Some of the kids display strong one-upmanship, and compete to see who finishes first. That irks me but I know it’s a normal part of childhood. Thankfully, he’s not bothered by it.
He has gained acceptance from his classmates. They perceive him as a baby (cos he still has chubby cheeks and requires help) and sometimes point out the funny way in which he moves or asks why I’m there. I’m very thankful that none of them have bullied him or called him names. In fact, one or two of them will sometimes help him (e.g. carries his water bottle or bag to him).
I hesitate to say that he’s made friends. His social skills are improving but still delayed and because of his dysarthria (speech disorder), slow movements (his CP), and self-consciousness, he doesn’t really play with others. He plays alongside them (e.g. he’ll be building his own Lego tower), or chooses to be next to them (observing them).
He’s started to mimic what they play. Just before the holidays, 2 girls went around with a tray of toy bricks shouting “Jelly, jelly!” (pretending to sell jelly), and promptly, he took a tray of Lego pieces copying them. Although no one could understand his pronunciation, he had fun and I was very happy to see that. This is one reason I don’t want to do homeschooling. At home, he pretends to be the teacher teaching me, just like in class when the girls pretend to teach the other girls (seems to be a ‘girl’ game).
It was a big challenge getting him enrolled in kindergarten and we had a rough start but I’m glad things have settled down (and he has settled into it).
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Insects, spiders, frogs
Hmm, how did that old nursery rhyme go - the one about what little girls and little boys are made of?
"What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?
Frogs and snails
And puppy-dogs' tails,
That's what little boys are made of"
Well, lately, some of God's creatures are finding their way into our home. In the span of about a month, we've been visited by a small brown frog, two large long legged brown spiders, a large shiny green beetle, and a brown moth.
I started catching them and temporarily place them in plastic containers for him to observe. Hey, I see it as opportunities for quick science lessons!
It is also for him to learn not to be so squeemish around them. In the past, he wasn't afraid of insects and such. That changed when he mimicked how his classmates reacted to a really large (dead) moth that the teacher showed the class. Sigh.
I didn't take a photo of the small frog. He liked observing it and since it was caught during breakfast time, I asked him if he wanted to bring it to school. He did and was quite excited. His teacher however is squeemish about frogs...so I stopped bringing such things to school in case she's also squeemish about other creepy crawlies.
Teaching him not just the names of the parts of the bugs but also observation skills, and labelling. Btw, I helped him colour and write but he added the "thorns" on one of the back legs himself.
That's the second of the large spiders to visit us. It sadly lost 4 of its legs when we found it.
He knows that insects have 6 legs, while spiders, being arachnids have 8. I borrowed that book about spiders from the library cos he was interested in spiders, after the first spider appeared in his bedroom.
I didn't take a photo of the moth. I drew a picture of the moth while he added the spots and coloured it.
Well, that's about the only science that I recently taught my son. Not much time for specific science lessons. But what little bits of science I have taught, he does seem to remember well. Just a few days ago, he saw a picture of a butterfly on a flower and kept on saying "poh-nee-shen". I didn't realise til a few seconds later that he was trying to say "pollination"! LOL
"What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?
Frogs and snails
And puppy-dogs' tails,
That's what little boys are made of"
Well, lately, some of God's creatures are finding their way into our home. In the span of about a month, we've been visited by a small brown frog, two large long legged brown spiders, a large shiny green beetle, and a brown moth.
I started catching them and temporarily place them in plastic containers for him to observe. Hey, I see it as opportunities for quick science lessons!
It is also for him to learn not to be so squeemish around them. In the past, he wasn't afraid of insects and such. That changed when he mimicked how his classmates reacted to a really large (dead) moth that the teacher showed the class. Sigh.
I didn't take a photo of the small frog. He liked observing it and since it was caught during breakfast time, I asked him if he wanted to bring it to school. He did and was quite excited. His teacher however is squeemish about frogs...so I stopped bringing such things to school in case she's also squeemish about other creepy crawlies.
He knows that insects have 6 legs, while spiders, being arachnids have 8. I borrowed that book about spiders from the library cos he was interested in spiders, after the first spider appeared in his bedroom.
I didn't take a photo of the moth. I drew a picture of the moth while he added the spots and coloured it.
Well, that's about the only science that I recently taught my son. Not much time for specific science lessons. But what little bits of science I have taught, he does seem to remember well. Just a few days ago, he saw a picture of a butterfly on a flower and kept on saying "poh-nee-shen". I didn't realise til a few seconds later that he was trying to say "pollination"! LOL
Friday, September 24, 2010
Playcentre Library
Thanks to my friend who was so patient in giving me directions, I recently joined the Playcentre Library in PJ. I had actually followed her there before, but that was more than 5 years ago, and I’m bad with remembering directions.
Glad that she brought me there again as I’ll be able to cut down on buying books and channel the money saved towards the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy I plan for my son later this year.
I highly recommend the place as it has a huge collection of books for kids from about preschooler age. It has picture books, rhyming books, several reader series, factual books, Dr Seuss books, Ladybird books, books in Bahasa Malaysia, etc. Some books are really old (I recognised some Ladybird books from the time I was a kid) but still in readable condition. They do of course have new books but are likely to be more popular.
The library is run entirely by volunteers, which perhaps is why the fees are very reasonable. Membership is RM15 per year with a RM1 registration fee. You may purchase multiple memberships under the same name, and each membership allows you to borrow 2 books each time. I signed up for 3 memberships to start off with.
They are rather strict, so please do adhere to the rules or you’ll be fined or blacklisted. I think that’s just being fair to others.
Details on the library are as follows (and are correct as of the time of typing this post):
Playcentre Library Association
18 Jalan 6/6
46000 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-77817813
Hours: Tues: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Thurs: 9.30am – 12.30pm
Sat: 2.30pm – 4.30pm
Closed on public holidays.
Glad that she brought me there again as I’ll be able to cut down on buying books and channel the money saved towards the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy I plan for my son later this year.
I highly recommend the place as it has a huge collection of books for kids from about preschooler age. It has picture books, rhyming books, several reader series, factual books, Dr Seuss books, Ladybird books, books in Bahasa Malaysia, etc. Some books are really old (I recognised some Ladybird books from the time I was a kid) but still in readable condition. They do of course have new books but are likely to be more popular.
The library is run entirely by volunteers, which perhaps is why the fees are very reasonable. Membership is RM15 per year with a RM1 registration fee. You may purchase multiple memberships under the same name, and each membership allows you to borrow 2 books each time. I signed up for 3 memberships to start off with.
They are rather strict, so please do adhere to the rules or you’ll be fined or blacklisted. I think that’s just being fair to others.
Details on the library are as follows (and are correct as of the time of typing this post):
Playcentre Library Association
18 Jalan 6/6
46000 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-77817813
Hours: Tues: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Thurs: 9.30am – 12.30pm
Sat: 2.30pm – 4.30pm
Closed on public holidays.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Mild cold
He's sick. Just a mild cold, with some phlegm and cough. Didn't attend school since Wednesday.
Went to see a doctor this morning, just to get Promethezine actually, as I was running low. It was such a long wait...2 hours + (excluding the wait to buy back lunch). Sigh.
Luckily my husband came along (he's sick too and needed to see the doctor!) so he waited inside the clinic which was packed with sick people, while my son and I waited at a cafe and later on, in the car.
He must have been tired from this morning's wait. He fell asleep at 5.45pm and is still asleep as I write this at 9pm. Will need to change him into pyjamas and a jumper soon. I hope I dont wake him up.
Not sure where he caught the virus from...
I was mildly sick again about 1-2 weeks ago with a night time chesty cough, so I might have passed it to him. I suspected he was on the verge of falling ill the past week cos he seemed tired quite often and didn't sleep long enough or peacefully at nights.
On Monday night, he fell asleep in his T-shirt and shorts after an outing to Desa Parkcity. I didnt want to wake him to change him into pyjamas and jumper, and just covered him with his duvet. But he kicked it off several times at night even though I kept putting the duvet back on. That wouldn't have been good for him.
Or it could be that he caught the virus from school. On Friday, 3 classmates were absent. On Monday, his teacher and 2 other teachers were sick. On Tuesday, 4 classmates were absent.
Do please pray for a speedy recovery. I want him to get back into his physiotherapy routine, and practice for his school concert, and to be his happy energetic self again.
Went to see a doctor this morning, just to get Promethezine actually, as I was running low. It was such a long wait...2 hours + (excluding the wait to buy back lunch). Sigh.
Luckily my husband came along (he's sick too and needed to see the doctor!) so he waited inside the clinic which was packed with sick people, while my son and I waited at a cafe and later on, in the car.
He must have been tired from this morning's wait. He fell asleep at 5.45pm and is still asleep as I write this at 9pm. Will need to change him into pyjamas and a jumper soon. I hope I dont wake him up.
Not sure where he caught the virus from...
I was mildly sick again about 1-2 weeks ago with a night time chesty cough, so I might have passed it to him. I suspected he was on the verge of falling ill the past week cos he seemed tired quite often and didn't sleep long enough or peacefully at nights.
On Monday night, he fell asleep in his T-shirt and shorts after an outing to Desa Parkcity. I didnt want to wake him to change him into pyjamas and jumper, and just covered him with his duvet. But he kicked it off several times at night even though I kept putting the duvet back on. That wouldn't have been good for him.
Or it could be that he caught the virus from school. On Friday, 3 classmates were absent. On Monday, his teacher and 2 other teachers were sick. On Tuesday, 4 classmates were absent.
Do please pray for a speedy recovery. I want him to get back into his physiotherapy routine, and practice for his school concert, and to be his happy energetic self again.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Craft - a game board
We made this 2 weeks ago. It’s a simplified version of the snakes and ladder game – there are no snakes or ladders!
This was an actual art activity that was carried out at a place we used to go to for a Saturday afternoon free art activity. Back then he wasn’t ready for weaving so he instead pasted cut out coloured squares onto a game board.
For this piece, I pasted coloured paper on a cereal box for a firmer feel. He isn’t yet able to weave by himself but I explained and showed him how it should be done. At certain parts, I held his hand to help him weave it. I wanted him to learn to use both hands. I wanted him to see the pattern.
He wrote the numbers with the Crayola washable markers (I've now forgotten if I held his hand or not). He was able to recite the numbers up to 29 easily. He also got stuck at 39. So at these two points I helped him by asking him to count in 10s (10, 20, 30, 40) to get the idea that after 29 comes 30, and after 39 comes 40.
He chose the stickers to decorate the board. I advised him on which ones that would fit better – some of those he chose were way too big to fit the sides of the board. His visual spatial needs further work.
We played using a large rubber die. I bought it from a novelty shop in 1 Utama (Mini Toons). If thrown hard on the ground, a light inside the die will flicker.
I wanted him to get the idea that addition means the resulting number gets larger. That’s one of the reasons I decided to play this game (maths in a fun way). Recently he became a bit confused between addition and subtraction. School had taught subtraction but I’m not getting much progress in teaching him subtraction at home so, I’ll just focus on addition for now.
For the most part of the game, he was in the lead. Then I started throwing large numbers while he threw small numbers. When I overtook him, he wanted my counter while he’d give his counter to me. LOL! I told him it’s cheating. In the end, he did win. I hope he learned a little about social skills too!
Craft - truck and fire engine
We went twice in Aug, so he made a delivery truck and a fire engine.
I might have a word with the assistant there cos these two times, he only painted the body of the vehicles, the black wheels, and the siren. He didnt paint the windscreen, or draw the outline of the headlights or doors.
He played with the fire engine so much that he broke the front wheels! It's to be expected given the way he bears weight on the vehicle. The body and tyres are only made of cardboard. Satay sticks and hot glue hold the left and right wheels together. .JPG)
I'm glad he likes it and feels proud of his work.Our education system
I was reading a page or two of my institute's magazine a few days ago. The cover story was about the graying population and how we should take charge of our financial future.
What struck me was not that Malaysia is fast heading towards an ageing country, or about the high income disparity, or about Malaysia being stuck in the middle income trap.
What struck me was a comment by an economist who's a member of the National Economic Advisory Council, and former Advisor to Bank Negara. He said at a recent conference that Malaysia ranks as one of the highest income disparity economies in Asia. While the service sector is growing, foreign investment is declining. Another danger sign is poor education: advanced economies characteristically have higher-skilled human resources, which are the result of succesful education systems producing good teachers. Educationally, Malaysia has been underperforming in terms of enrolment and output: teachers are not becoming better educated.
I suspected something's not right about the education system. I think more and more ordinary folk feel it too (judging from growing enrolment numbers in non-national schools). The comment above comes from not just anybody, so it carries with it some weight and credibility.
I guess I've to put in more effort in setting a strong foundation for my son!
What struck me was not that Malaysia is fast heading towards an ageing country, or about the high income disparity, or about Malaysia being stuck in the middle income trap.
What struck me was a comment by an economist who's a member of the National Economic Advisory Council, and former Advisor to Bank Negara. He said at a recent conference that Malaysia ranks as one of the highest income disparity economies in Asia. While the service sector is growing, foreign investment is declining. Another danger sign is poor education: advanced economies characteristically have higher-skilled human resources, which are the result of succesful education systems producing good teachers. Educationally, Malaysia has been underperforming in terms of enrolment and output: teachers are not becoming better educated.
I suspected something's not right about the education system. I think more and more ordinary folk feel it too (judging from growing enrolment numbers in non-national schools). The comment above comes from not just anybody, so it carries with it some weight and credibility.
I guess I've to put in more effort in setting a strong foundation for my son!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Olbas Oil Inhalant Decongestant
About a week ago, I caught another cold. This time my sinuses were hurting, my eyes watery, phlegm was building up. I sniffed this before bed time, put a few drops on my shirt and went to bed. It really did bring relief! Amazing. Didn't need medicines.
Olbas Oil an inhalant decongestant for immediate relief from catarrh, colds & sinuses
Olbas is a non greasy mixture of essential pure plant oils originated in Switzerland for relief of bronchial and nasal congestion and hayfever by inhalation.
How to Use:
Adults & children aged 2 and over:
Inhale 2 or 3 drops from tissue to clear painful sinuses and nasal congestion. At night sprinkle 2 or 3 drops onto a tissue tucked inside the pillowcase for all night relief.
I'm told that unfortunately it's not sold here. So I'm hoping a relative who's coming back from UK is able to find it and bring back a bottle.
Thanks Fe for introducing it to us. Will return yours tomorrow as I'm better now.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Pattern activity - blank coloured name cards
At last Saturday's music class, the teacher showed us the blank coloured name cards that he bought from Carrefour. He suggested we get them too for our kids (to make patterns) as it's very useful and handy.
We had lunch after getting some groceries. After feeding him, I brought out the cards to occupy him while it was my turn to eat. This was one of the patterns I made with the cards, and had him repeat it. It has 5 colours but made up of 7 cards (2 colours repeated). This was the first time I tried 7 items with him. He could repeat the pattern. But given his fine motor impairment, I allowed him to use his words to request the colour he wanted instead of pick it out from the case.
This was one of the patterns we played with when we got home. I wanted to try something different, not just the usual linear patterns. He had a lot of difficulty with this when I asked him to build the pattern from scratch. Perhaps because it's non linear. Perhaps because it requires spatial awareness. So I did the second flower myself. The third I completed by myself except for the centre red card (intentional). He spotted it was missing (visual discrimination) and told me so. The fourth flower, I completed it except for two missing petals, for which he correctly placed the cards. The fifth flower, I started off with the purple petal, and asked him what comes next until the entire flower was completed.
Very useful cards indeed! Thanks for suggesting it! I've got a few more maths ideas on its use, and am already thinking of getting another box of it.
I happen to be in Desa Parkcity's Max Value (Jusco) supermarket walking down the aisle and spotted the very same stack of cards! So now you know it's also available there.
This was one of the patterns we played with when we got home. I wanted to try something different, not just the usual linear patterns. He had a lot of difficulty with this when I asked him to build the pattern from scratch. Perhaps because it's non linear. Perhaps because it requires spatial awareness. So I did the second flower myself. The third I completed by myself except for the centre red card (intentional). He spotted it was missing (visual discrimination) and told me so. The fourth flower, I completed it except for two missing petals, for which he correctly placed the cards. The fifth flower, I started off with the purple petal, and asked him what comes next until the entire flower was completed. I turned the tidying up of the cards into another activity with him. He was to sort all the cards there into groups by colour alternating the use of his left and right hands, and also trying to do it with the palm open. Then we counted them as he passed them to me to keep in the box (maths).
When keeping each colour group, I had him compete with me to see who could collect the most cards (to quicken his reflexes). Then I had him count and compare who had more, who had less (maths). After a few rounds of that, I changed it to an addition activity (my cards + his cards = how many cards).
Very useful cards indeed! Thanks for suggesting it! I've got a few more maths ideas on its use, and am already thinking of getting another box of it.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Mooncake Festival
We attended my friend’s homegroup mooncake festival gathering last Saturday evening. It was my son’s first time celebrating it with a lantern of his own. (Elly, thanks for being so thoughtful and getting a car shaped lantern for him!) Mooncake festival is also known as Mid-autumn festival or lantern festival.
There were about 20 kids, half of whom were in the 2-6 age group. Initially my son was shy as he didn’t know any of them except my friend’s daughters, and it was his first time at the host’s house. The more the other mums tried to persuade him to join the rest in playing ball, or playing 
Frisbee, the closer he stuck to me.
Frisbee, the closer he stuck to me. I liked the way he has become more confident in replying when asked his name and his age. Not so long ago, he’d just stay silent.
He had KFC chicken for dinner (they had some firm kid’s favourites like pizza too) and luckily didn’t vomit. He started to warm up when my friend brought him in to the lounge and played ball with him, giving me a chance to have my dinner. Nice to have a few minutes to myself (while knowing he’s safe) and have some adult conversation that didn’t revolve around him! : )
He got into the joyous spirit when the kids performed a fun and fast action song, with the adults cheering them on. It was good to see that he paid attention to the speaker when he shared the story of how the mooncake festival came to be (ie able to pay attention not just to a teacher). He was seated with my sister, and it was nice to see that he didn’t need me to be right next to him. I was seated slightly behind him.
After the adults helped to light up the kids’ lanterns, everyone was off walking around the neighbourhood. I’m glad that he wanted to join in. He was quite focused on holding the lantern, making sure it didn’t drag on the road. I thought it was pretty good that he held it up the whole time as it must have gotten a little tiring for him (arm muscles not strong).It was then time for the mooncakes, fruits and desserts...and fireworks. Both of us were a little scared by the fireworks, especially with the ones that whizzed and spun like crazy. He liked to see the fireworks but at a safe distance. While he didn’t want to play with the sparklers, he did observe the kids play with them. I reckon he’s still a little too young for sparklers.
It was way past his bedtime and he was getting tired. While saying our goodbyes, some of the other mums asked if he was happy. He said yes. So although he wasn’t all out excited, he was happy.
For me, I enjoyed the evening even though I didn’t know most of the people there. I especially liked the warmth and acceptance. They were genuinely nice folk. No one seemed to notice he was disabled. No one asked if he could do this or do that. He was just one of the kids who was a bit shy. It was also nice to meet with two other playgroup parents whom I last met when he was 2+. They both noticed that he had improved so much and gave me a pat on the back (not literally). It was a good break from the routine, and to be able to socialise and relax!
Thanks for thinking of us and inviting us, Elly! You have wonderfully warm and caring homegroup members.
Article in Star Education: Thinking out of the box
The article below appeared in Sunday's Star newspaper, Education pullout. It's about schools in China, but it applies to schools in Malaysia too!
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China wants its youngsters to get their creative juices flowing instead of blindly memorising facts.
CHINESE schools have to get their students to be creative and think for themselves, instead of expecting them to only memorise facts and figures.
Its Premier Wen Jiabao has said that rote-learning which is deeply ingrained in the national education system, should be replaced with other methods of learning where students will begin to think and analyse.
Students in China perform well in exams and tests in which they are required to memorise answers, but rate less well in creativity and critical thinking, hampering the country’s ambitions to move its economy up the value chain.
Quoting Nobel prize winner Albert Einstein Einstein, Wen said imagination was more powerful than knowledge.
“Students don’t only need knowledge, they have to learn how to act and use their brains,” Wen said. The scientistis had also written that the spirit of learning and creative thought were lost in strict rote learning.
“We must encourage students to think independently, freely express themselves, get them to believe in themselves, protect and stimulate their imagination and creativity,” Wen said.
Other countries in Asia, including Singapore and Japan, have struggled to address similar problems in education systems which stress exam results and conformity.
China’s ruling Communist Party keeps a tight grip on what can be taught in schools and allows no dissent on sensitive subjects.
Wen did not suggest how schools were supposed to alter their teaching methods to encourage freer thinking, but said that education reform was vital for the country to develop and prosper. — Reuters
--------------
China wants its youngsters to get their creative juices flowing instead of blindly memorising facts.
CHINESE schools have to get their students to be creative and think for themselves, instead of expecting them to only memorise facts and figures.
Its Premier Wen Jiabao has said that rote-learning which is deeply ingrained in the national education system, should be replaced with other methods of learning where students will begin to think and analyse.
Students in China perform well in exams and tests in which they are required to memorise answers, but rate less well in creativity and critical thinking, hampering the country’s ambitions to move its economy up the value chain.
Quoting Nobel prize winner Albert Einstein Einstein, Wen said imagination was more powerful than knowledge.
“Students don’t only need knowledge, they have to learn how to act and use their brains,” Wen said. The scientistis had also written that the spirit of learning and creative thought were lost in strict rote learning.
“We must encourage students to think independently, freely express themselves, get them to believe in themselves, protect and stimulate their imagination and creativity,” Wen said.
Other countries in Asia, including Singapore and Japan, have struggled to address similar problems in education systems which stress exam results and conformity.
China’s ruling Communist Party keeps a tight grip on what can be taught in schools and allows no dissent on sensitive subjects.
Wen did not suggest how schools were supposed to alter their teaching methods to encourage freer thinking, but said that education reform was vital for the country to develop and prosper. — Reuters
Article by Justin Webb: I have to believe in miracles
I had the chance to read last Sunday's papers and found this article interesting. Although my son's condition is different from the author's son's, I too wait for a cure. I'm a highly risk averse person, so I'm waiting for proven research on the use of stem cells in "treating" cerebral palsy.
The article below appeared in the Sunday Telegraph.
-------
All human life passes through the Today programme studio. A world-class sprinter comes in, a senior politician, an author of self-help books, a comedian, an economist, a musician. Their stories come and go – moments of mini-drama spatchcocked between the news bulletin and the weather. As a presenter, you always have an eye on the clock and on what is coming next. Well, almost always.
Last week, as my colleague Sarah Montague was interviewing someone, I felt a sudden desire to burst into tears: it was, as they say in cheap thrillers, personal. The interview, utterly routine, was on the subject of stem-cell tourists, who take sick relatives to dodgy foreign hospitals in order to receive stem-cell therapy of dubious benefit and possible harm. There was a warning (from the Government or the doctors, it matters little) that people should be careful.
As Sarah and her interviewee were talking, I saw clearly and inescapably the sleeping face of my 10-year-old son Sam, who has an auto-immune disease, Type 1 Diabetes. Before I had left the house at 3.15 that morning, I had gone upstairs to prick his finger, fiddling about in the dark for the equipment and waking him in the process. As ever, he had been sweet and stoical as I checked his blood and administered insulin. He went back to sleep and I went to work.
But the truth is that my wife Sarah and I carry his illness with us like an extra piece of luggage; it comes with us on holiday, it sits reproachfully next to us at a jolly lunch with friends, and it stalks us in the office.
We know deep in our hearts that when someone suggests that a cure is at hand for the illness that threatens our son day and night, we would do anything to seize it. We would go to any hospital anywhere. Not because we are stupid, but because we love him.
By all means let us hear the warnings about the dodgy stem cells, and let us heed them, but let us not forget that seeking cures for sick relatives is a basic human desire; it is a good thing, not a cause for finger-wagging.
The fact is that we are not rational in this area of our lives, and nor should we be. A year ago, making a Radio 4 documentary, I interviewed a stem-cell expert at Harvard University who is working on Type 1 Diabetes. I was secretly horrified when he announced that he was knocking off early that day. Did he not realise that every minute out of the lab was a minute wasted! Could he not do night shifts as well?
Later I visited another Type 1 researcher who has what most people believe are rather crackpot theories about the causes of the disease and how it might be cured. She finds it difficult to get funding from traditional means but on her notice board she has cards and letters from around the world, sent by people who have enclosed money to help. Are they mad to place their cash on this long shot? No: they are human.
And I know what many of them are thinking. They know that in 1921 in a hospital in Canada, two doctors decided to act on their hunch and try giving a child dying of Type 1 Diabetes insulin derived from cows. Fourteen-year-old Leonard Thompson had been carried in by his dad, very close to death. From the dawn of time until that day everyone in the world who had developed Type 1 had died within weeks: there was no escape. They injected Leonard and he woke. They rushed round the ward injecting the other children as well – surely one of the great medical miracle stories of all time. Leonard Thompson lived into his late twenties.
In other words, those of us afflicted by this disease believe in miracles because all our children have been saved by a miracle. You can tell us that stem-cell therapies are untested, and we can respond that so was the insulin used on Leonard Thompson. We live in the rational world where all this talk of cures co-exists with a day-to-day reality that says you just have to get on with it; but we have our faith.
I do not exaggerate when I say that I begin every day with a glance at a Google alert that says "Type 1 Diabetes" and "cure". So far no luck: but a huge effort is under way and in Sam's lifetime it is not impossible. The wonderful fundraising efforts of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation have already had a significant impact in reducing the capacity of the disease to kill.
Nowadays a person in the western world who develops Type 1 Diabetes can expect, with luck and frequent blood-sugar checks and insulin injections with every meal, to live much longer. But it can be a pretty miserable life, particularly if you are undisciplined or poor. Family days out get very difficult when insulin needs to be transported and kept cold, when fruit juice is forbidden (too many carbohydrates too quickly absorbed) and when parents are exhausted and worried.
Having said that, I am deeply, painfully aware that our travails are minor compared with those that some parents suffer. Sam is still Sam. He is happy and affectionate and full of vigour and ambition. He is a classic case of the value of modernity. When people moan about our culture, the priorities and the fixations of the modern Western world, I think of Sam, who is cared for by NHS doctors, using insulin made by a US company. From the very moment he was diagnosed and rushed to hospital, he has benefited from the care and intellectual effort and wealth and pro-life priorities of the modern world. To suggest otherwise, as Jeremiahs sometimes do, is to be disrespectful to the many people who devote their lives to caring for those with chronic illnesses, and, frankly, to the UK taxpayers who bankroll the whole enterprise with good grace.
One good thing has come out of Sam's illness. It is pretty small but here it is anyway: I think I am better at my job. Too many reporters are insulated from the distress of the world. As a young man I travelled to wars and famines and felt sympathy but never attachment. To those folks rushing off for the dodgy cell therapy, I now feel a genuine closeness. I also feel angry when I see Sam's disease misreported – confused, typically, with the more common Type 2 Diabetes that you generally get from over-eating. Too many medical and scientific stories are lazily reported: now I know the distress this can cause.
As for Sam, he is fine. He wastes no time at all fretting about cures and miracles. That's for Mum and Dad. We'll do it for him. And if one day I turn on my computer at 4 in the morning and someone in Timbuktu has found a cure, I shall wait until 9am, then I'll be on my way before the pips have stopped sounding...
Justin Webb presents the 'Today' programme on Radio 4
The article below appeared in the Sunday Telegraph.
-------
All human life passes through the Today programme studio. A world-class sprinter comes in, a senior politician, an author of self-help books, a comedian, an economist, a musician. Their stories come and go – moments of mini-drama spatchcocked between the news bulletin and the weather. As a presenter, you always have an eye on the clock and on what is coming next. Well, almost always.
Last week, as my colleague Sarah Montague was interviewing someone, I felt a sudden desire to burst into tears: it was, as they say in cheap thrillers, personal. The interview, utterly routine, was on the subject of stem-cell tourists, who take sick relatives to dodgy foreign hospitals in order to receive stem-cell therapy of dubious benefit and possible harm. There was a warning (from the Government or the doctors, it matters little) that people should be careful.
As Sarah and her interviewee were talking, I saw clearly and inescapably the sleeping face of my 10-year-old son Sam, who has an auto-immune disease, Type 1 Diabetes. Before I had left the house at 3.15 that morning, I had gone upstairs to prick his finger, fiddling about in the dark for the equipment and waking him in the process. As ever, he had been sweet and stoical as I checked his blood and administered insulin. He went back to sleep and I went to work.
But the truth is that my wife Sarah and I carry his illness with us like an extra piece of luggage; it comes with us on holiday, it sits reproachfully next to us at a jolly lunch with friends, and it stalks us in the office.
We know deep in our hearts that when someone suggests that a cure is at hand for the illness that threatens our son day and night, we would do anything to seize it. We would go to any hospital anywhere. Not because we are stupid, but because we love him.
By all means let us hear the warnings about the dodgy stem cells, and let us heed them, but let us not forget that seeking cures for sick relatives is a basic human desire; it is a good thing, not a cause for finger-wagging.
The fact is that we are not rational in this area of our lives, and nor should we be. A year ago, making a Radio 4 documentary, I interviewed a stem-cell expert at Harvard University who is working on Type 1 Diabetes. I was secretly horrified when he announced that he was knocking off early that day. Did he not realise that every minute out of the lab was a minute wasted! Could he not do night shifts as well?
Later I visited another Type 1 researcher who has what most people believe are rather crackpot theories about the causes of the disease and how it might be cured. She finds it difficult to get funding from traditional means but on her notice board she has cards and letters from around the world, sent by people who have enclosed money to help. Are they mad to place their cash on this long shot? No: they are human.
And I know what many of them are thinking. They know that in 1921 in a hospital in Canada, two doctors decided to act on their hunch and try giving a child dying of Type 1 Diabetes insulin derived from cows. Fourteen-year-old Leonard Thompson had been carried in by his dad, very close to death. From the dawn of time until that day everyone in the world who had developed Type 1 had died within weeks: there was no escape. They injected Leonard and he woke. They rushed round the ward injecting the other children as well – surely one of the great medical miracle stories of all time. Leonard Thompson lived into his late twenties.
In other words, those of us afflicted by this disease believe in miracles because all our children have been saved by a miracle. You can tell us that stem-cell therapies are untested, and we can respond that so was the insulin used on Leonard Thompson. We live in the rational world where all this talk of cures co-exists with a day-to-day reality that says you just have to get on with it; but we have our faith.
I do not exaggerate when I say that I begin every day with a glance at a Google alert that says "Type 1 Diabetes" and "cure". So far no luck: but a huge effort is under way and in Sam's lifetime it is not impossible. The wonderful fundraising efforts of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation have already had a significant impact in reducing the capacity of the disease to kill.
Nowadays a person in the western world who develops Type 1 Diabetes can expect, with luck and frequent blood-sugar checks and insulin injections with every meal, to live much longer. But it can be a pretty miserable life, particularly if you are undisciplined or poor. Family days out get very difficult when insulin needs to be transported and kept cold, when fruit juice is forbidden (too many carbohydrates too quickly absorbed) and when parents are exhausted and worried.
Having said that, I am deeply, painfully aware that our travails are minor compared with those that some parents suffer. Sam is still Sam. He is happy and affectionate and full of vigour and ambition. He is a classic case of the value of modernity. When people moan about our culture, the priorities and the fixations of the modern Western world, I think of Sam, who is cared for by NHS doctors, using insulin made by a US company. From the very moment he was diagnosed and rushed to hospital, he has benefited from the care and intellectual effort and wealth and pro-life priorities of the modern world. To suggest otherwise, as Jeremiahs sometimes do, is to be disrespectful to the many people who devote their lives to caring for those with chronic illnesses, and, frankly, to the UK taxpayers who bankroll the whole enterprise with good grace.
One good thing has come out of Sam's illness. It is pretty small but here it is anyway: I think I am better at my job. Too many reporters are insulated from the distress of the world. As a young man I travelled to wars and famines and felt sympathy but never attachment. To those folks rushing off for the dodgy cell therapy, I now feel a genuine closeness. I also feel angry when I see Sam's disease misreported – confused, typically, with the more common Type 2 Diabetes that you generally get from over-eating. Too many medical and scientific stories are lazily reported: now I know the distress this can cause.
As for Sam, he is fine. He wastes no time at all fretting about cures and miracles. That's for Mum and Dad. We'll do it for him. And if one day I turn on my computer at 4 in the morning and someone in Timbuktu has found a cure, I shall wait until 9am, then I'll be on my way before the pips have stopped sounding...
Justin Webb presents the 'Today' programme on Radio 4
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Photos of chalkboard and whiteboard activity
Another "less often" played with item - the chalkboard, made it's appearance. He entertained himself while I cooked lunch.
When I popped to check on him, I saw this. He didn't reply when I asked him what it was.
After I had set the table and went in to get him, he was still at it and there were a few more letters. Anyone care to enlighten me on what you see? I mean, apart from the words ben and hen.
He now likes to play teacher (pretends to be the teacher, teaching me). I quite like it cos I get to see what he has learnt.
After I did some simple sums (e.g. 2-2=0, 3-3=0) with him, it was his turn with the whiteboard marker. He wrote out the sum 6+7=. Then he got stuck cos he didn't know the answer! LOL.
Actually, I think he wanted to write the sum 6-6. But he's getting a bit confused with + and -. Then with that confusion, the 7 came up instead of 6. I helped him work out that sum using the "counting on" method (ie count 6 more starting from 7).
Since he ended up with an addition sum, I wanted to reinforce the "commutative law" for addition. Put simply, commutative law means for e.g. 6+7=7+6, and 2+3=3+2. He could easily write the correct answer for 7+6.
I'm also teaching him even numbers / skip counting by 2s. He knows 2,4,6,8,10 very well because of the Team Umizoomi song at the end of the show. But I wanted to extend that to 20. So, I did it this way, as a join the dots activity. (It's also good for fine motor practice).
After that, he wanted control over the whiteboard! I got the hint that he had enough, so I gave him free reign. See photo below for what he decided to do...
It was time to let loose, so I joined in the fun and added two front teeth, dots for the eyeballs and nostrils. Looks like something from Spongebob.
Can you see he wanted to be teacher again, and copied my "join the dots" activity? It's just to the bottom right of the star. He drew dots/dashes in blue (looks like a cresent moon), and numbers at different parts. Funny boy! : )
After I did some simple sums (e.g. 2-2=0, 3-3=0) with him, it was his turn with the whiteboard marker. He wrote out the sum 6+7=. Then he got stuck cos he didn't know the answer! LOL.
Actually, I think he wanted to write the sum 6-6. But he's getting a bit confused with + and -. Then with that confusion, the 7 came up instead of 6. I helped him work out that sum using the "counting on" method (ie count 6 more starting from 7).
Since he ended up with an addition sum, I wanted to reinforce the "commutative law" for addition. Put simply, commutative law means for e.g. 6+7=7+6, and 2+3=3+2. He could easily write the correct answer for 7+6.
After that, he wanted control over the whiteboard! I got the hint that he had enough, so I gave him free reign. See photo below for what he decided to do...
Can you see he wanted to be teacher again, and copied my "join the dots" activity? It's just to the bottom right of the star. He drew dots/dashes in blue (looks like a cresent moon), and numbers at different parts. Funny boy! : )
Photos of block play
These were taken this week. School holidays = more play time!
His block play has improved. He's not just lining up the blocks horizontally on the floor, or merely stacking them up to form a single tower. He's moved on to "bridging" and other forms.
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I thought he was making a pattern with the blocks. The blocks were arranged as: cuboid, cube, cuboid, cube etc.
Actually, he said those were trucks! The cube represents the cab portion of a truck where the driver sits, while the cuboid is the trailer portion.
They were lined up closely because there was a traffic jam on the highway (his words!). When I asked why caused the jam, he took a cylinder block to the front of the queue and said that a person was crossing the road but got into an accident, at which point he knocked over the cylinder and it rolled across the floor. Okaaay...guess he's not short on imagination! LOL
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Actually, he said those were trucks! The cube represents the cab portion of a truck where the driver sits, while the cuboid is the trailer portion.
They were lined up closely because there was a traffic jam on the highway (his words!). When I asked why caused the jam, he took a cylinder block to the front of the queue and said that a person was crossing the road but got into an accident, at which point he knocked over the cylinder and it rolled across the floor. Okaaay...guess he's not short on imagination! LOL
Photos of grouping activity
Grouping is another early maths skill. I usually use my small stash of buttons or stamps for a grouping activity.
It's the school hols, and since we're pretty much home bound, toys less often played with were making an appearance! : )
Besides maths, it also involves the "Knowledge and Understanding of our world" aspect of UK's Early Years Foundation.
I also wanted him to be creative in using other items as props, hence the wooden blocks, plastic tubs seen in the photos.
That's the group of sea creatures.
Insects and forest animals together. The blocks here are supposed to be trees.
Cold climate sea creatures with an iceberg (KFC tub and white block). The cactus in the background was accidentally in the shot.
Farm animals plus a pet rabbit.
Safari / savannah animals gathered round a watering hole. Dragonfly's there cos you'd find them near ponds and lakes.
It's the school hols, and since we're pretty much home bound, toys less often played with were making an appearance! : )
Besides maths, it also involves the "Knowledge and Understanding of our world" aspect of UK's Early Years Foundation.
I also wanted him to be creative in using other items as props, hence the wooden blocks, plastic tubs seen in the photos.
Photos of Patterns
These photos were taken at the end of Aug. I didn't have time to post them immediately and then we both fell ill. So I'm getting round to it now...
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On two separate occassions, I left him with the box of coloured sticks and went off to attend to something. When I came back, he had created this pattern and the pattern in the photo below.
In the past, he could recognise patterns (up to 5 items) that I drew on the whiteboard, but not if it's done using these sticks. So, that's progress.
Schools, schools, schools
There are so many types of schools in Malaysia that you’d think I’d be spoilt for choice in choosing one for my son. There are 3 international schools, 3 private schools, and 2 government school within a 10km distance from home. Seeing that he has a disability (though he’s mild/considered “high-functioning”), it then becomes a whole different story.
Schools that wouldn’t even appear on my radar are boarding schools (unlikely there are any for his age), religious schools, Tamil schools, and homeschooling (I do not have what it takes to implement it).
Schools that the majority attend are government schools using the local syllabus, where all subjects are taught in Bahasa Malaysia, the national language (except when it comes to teaching English as a subject). Classes are huge with a ratio of 1 teacher: 40 to 50 students. No teaching assistant, no shadow aides. It’s also common that parents send their kids to external tuition centres after school hours (a few days in a week) where they are taught the same stuff as what they’re supposed to be taught in school, and sometimes by the very same teachers who teach in their school. Strange?
A few selected government schools have what’s called “special class” (for kids with special needs) which are within the same premises as mainstream classes. Kids that are roughly of the same intellectual ability are grouped together regardless of their special needs. Class size varies. From what I understand, resources and skills are limited. Sometimes very little real teaching takes place. If the teacher deems a child suitable to be placed back in mainstream, they unfortunately are often unkindly labelled by the normally developing kids.
The other type of public school, the Chinese school, is gaining in popularity even among non-Chinese kids. Chinese schools are legendary for the amount of homework (a lot of rote learning, and copying chunks of text to practise writing the Chinese characters). My son’s fine motor skills are impaired, so even a little line that’s written slightly wrong may give the sentence a totally different meaning. It’s also way too taxing on him to do so much writing (motor co-ordination and planning is difficult). Furthermore, a single written Chinese character can have up to 4 intonations. Given my son’s dysarthria (a speech disorder) I can imagine how incredibly frustrating it’d be for him and for the listener. To top it all off, I do not know Mandarin (oral or written).
That leaves us with private schools, which use the local syllabus (commonly termed as private schools) and those which use an international syllabus like the British, American, or Japanese curriculum (commonly termed as international schools). Thankfully the government in recent years, has allowed Malaysians to attend international schools.
Education has become a huge business. In Malaysia money probably talks louder than it does in developed countries. So you’d think that so long as one is willing to pay the high fees being charged, then those private schools and international schools would be welcoming you in. Wrong. Most private schools require kids to sit for an assessment (even those just entering Year 1 at age 5 or 6). Well, that’s their prerogative – some private or international schools are clearly very competitive while others are less so. I can forget about the competitive ones.
Most private schools do not allow shadow aides. I get the impression that unfortunately, shadow aides are viewed as threats or spies.
When it comes to kids with special needs, it’s common that international schools don’t distinguish between those with behavioural issues, learning or physical disabilities, and they often have sentences like this in their website:
The school does not currently have a Learning Support Unit for students with Special Educational Needs. Hence each application is considered carefully to ensure that we are able to offer an appropriate learning environment to all our students
One international school has this on their website:
The school has no special provision for children with special educational needs. Children with special educational needs are admitted to the school where in the professional opinion of the principal the child can gain real benefit from following the curriculum provided by the school and the child´s attendance at the school will not hinder the effective education of other students. When appropriate the offer of admission of a child with special educational needs may be dependent upon parents providing additional support at their own expense.
I was keen on this school because their fees were reasonable (part of a non-profit foundation) and I heard good things about it from another parent. When I called to enquire, they said they have a long waiting list for Year 1 and they currently don’t have any kids with special needs. I got the hint!
I did find an international school that was more accommodating towards special needs kids. But it’d be a struggle to pay their high fees.
There’s hope yet (perhaps our only hope). We had visited an international school that is relatively speaking, a little more welcoming to kids with special needs. Fees are reasonable. Problem is he’ll need to sit for the assessment which involves working through worksheets for an hour straight. If he loses focus, he’s likely to be rejected. I don’t know, but to me, that sounds tough for any 5 year old kid. If he is accepted, it’ll be a huge relief for us...never mind about the 40km drive there (80km for a round trip)!
Schools that wouldn’t even appear on my radar are boarding schools (unlikely there are any for his age), religious schools, Tamil schools, and homeschooling (I do not have what it takes to implement it).
Schools that the majority attend are government schools using the local syllabus, where all subjects are taught in Bahasa Malaysia, the national language (except when it comes to teaching English as a subject). Classes are huge with a ratio of 1 teacher: 40 to 50 students. No teaching assistant, no shadow aides. It’s also common that parents send their kids to external tuition centres after school hours (a few days in a week) where they are taught the same stuff as what they’re supposed to be taught in school, and sometimes by the very same teachers who teach in their school. Strange?
A few selected government schools have what’s called “special class” (for kids with special needs) which are within the same premises as mainstream classes. Kids that are roughly of the same intellectual ability are grouped together regardless of their special needs. Class size varies. From what I understand, resources and skills are limited. Sometimes very little real teaching takes place. If the teacher deems a child suitable to be placed back in mainstream, they unfortunately are often unkindly labelled by the normally developing kids.
The other type of public school, the Chinese school, is gaining in popularity even among non-Chinese kids. Chinese schools are legendary for the amount of homework (a lot of rote learning, and copying chunks of text to practise writing the Chinese characters). My son’s fine motor skills are impaired, so even a little line that’s written slightly wrong may give the sentence a totally different meaning. It’s also way too taxing on him to do so much writing (motor co-ordination and planning is difficult). Furthermore, a single written Chinese character can have up to 4 intonations. Given my son’s dysarthria (a speech disorder) I can imagine how incredibly frustrating it’d be for him and for the listener. To top it all off, I do not know Mandarin (oral or written).
That leaves us with private schools, which use the local syllabus (commonly termed as private schools) and those which use an international syllabus like the British, American, or Japanese curriculum (commonly termed as international schools). Thankfully the government in recent years, has allowed Malaysians to attend international schools.
Education has become a huge business. In Malaysia money probably talks louder than it does in developed countries. So you’d think that so long as one is willing to pay the high fees being charged, then those private schools and international schools would be welcoming you in. Wrong. Most private schools require kids to sit for an assessment (even those just entering Year 1 at age 5 or 6). Well, that’s their prerogative – some private or international schools are clearly very competitive while others are less so. I can forget about the competitive ones.
Most private schools do not allow shadow aides. I get the impression that unfortunately, shadow aides are viewed as threats or spies.
When it comes to kids with special needs, it’s common that international schools don’t distinguish between those with behavioural issues, learning or physical disabilities, and they often have sentences like this in their website:
The school does not currently have a Learning Support Unit for students with Special Educational Needs. Hence each application is considered carefully to ensure that we are able to offer an appropriate learning environment to all our students
One international school has this on their website:
The school has no special provision for children with special educational needs. Children with special educational needs are admitted to the school where in the professional opinion of the principal the child can gain real benefit from following the curriculum provided by the school and the child´s attendance at the school will not hinder the effective education of other students. When appropriate the offer of admission of a child with special educational needs may be dependent upon parents providing additional support at their own expense.
I was keen on this school because their fees were reasonable (part of a non-profit foundation) and I heard good things about it from another parent. When I called to enquire, they said they have a long waiting list for Year 1 and they currently don’t have any kids with special needs. I got the hint!
I did find an international school that was more accommodating towards special needs kids. But it’d be a struggle to pay their high fees.
There’s hope yet (perhaps our only hope). We had visited an international school that is relatively speaking, a little more welcoming to kids with special needs. Fees are reasonable. Problem is he’ll need to sit for the assessment which involves working through worksheets for an hour straight. If he loses focus, he’s likely to be rejected. I don’t know, but to me, that sounds tough for any 5 year old kid. If he is accepted, it’ll be a huge relief for us...never mind about the 40km drive there (80km for a round trip)!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri
May you have a meaningful reunion and joyous celebration with your family and loved ones. For those who are driving out of town, have a safe journey.
By the way, the decoration photographed above was an art and craft activity (paper ketupat decoration for Raya) I did with my son two days ago, but didn’t have time to post.
It was done in kindergarten before the hols, but I modified it by pasting the coloured paper on to cardboard so it’s easier for my son to weave it through the slits. Of course I did most of the work, but he helped in the weaving. He is proud of it, so that hopefully builds on his confidence to try new things though it might be hard.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Rested
Both of us rested most of last week and were much better by Sunday night. Thank you for your prayers.
Since we didn’t do much, I had a lot of time to simply sit back and enjoy being with my son. He’s so adorable even though he’s almost 5. He’s obviously grown so much from the time he was a baby but to me, he’s still so cute in looks and in mannerism. So ‘geram’ at times! I hugged him lots. I kissed him lots. I smelled him lots too! LOL.
The week long school holidays have started so we’ve had a few late nights recently. On Sunday night, we went on a very brief family shopping trip to buy mooncake. I was happy cos it’s extremely rare that we shop as a family (it wasn’t not too crowded as it was late).
We resumed activities on Monday, with my monthly grocery shopping. He was happily pushing the shopping cart. As the cart got heavier, he decided to be my little helper instead, pretending to help me select items, carry them and place them in the cart.
At the frozen section, he kept on huffing and puffing whenever I opened the compartment door. It puzzled me, but after a while (I stocked up on a lot of frozen stuff) I figured it out. He had watched a show on TV where steam came out of the mouths of people when they talked cos it was very cold. So, he might have been testing to see if it was cold enough, or testing to see if it was true. Funny boy.
He started his Neurosuit therapy on Monday afternoon but was so tired that he fell asleep in the car ride home (10 min ride) and napped for 2.5 hours still in his Neurosuit.
So today, he had physiotherapy without the suit on (decided to start slow instead). By the way, he’s progressing well in his physiotherapy.
I’ve decided not to do the other errands I had planned for the week cos my throat’s sore again. I also suspect that my son’s sore throat has returned as his drool has increased a lot more (again). So it’ll be a stay-at-home holiday for us.
Since we didn’t do much, I had a lot of time to simply sit back and enjoy being with my son. He’s so adorable even though he’s almost 5. He’s obviously grown so much from the time he was a baby but to me, he’s still so cute in looks and in mannerism. So ‘geram’ at times! I hugged him lots. I kissed him lots. I smelled him lots too! LOL.
The week long school holidays have started so we’ve had a few late nights recently. On Sunday night, we went on a very brief family shopping trip to buy mooncake. I was happy cos it’s extremely rare that we shop as a family (it wasn’t not too crowded as it was late).
We resumed activities on Monday, with my monthly grocery shopping. He was happily pushing the shopping cart. As the cart got heavier, he decided to be my little helper instead, pretending to help me select items, carry them and place them in the cart.
At the frozen section, he kept on huffing and puffing whenever I opened the compartment door. It puzzled me, but after a while (I stocked up on a lot of frozen stuff) I figured it out. He had watched a show on TV where steam came out of the mouths of people when they talked cos it was very cold. So, he might have been testing to see if it was cold enough, or testing to see if it was true. Funny boy.
He started his Neurosuit therapy on Monday afternoon but was so tired that he fell asleep in the car ride home (10 min ride) and napped for 2.5 hours still in his Neurosuit.
So today, he had physiotherapy without the suit on (decided to start slow instead). By the way, he’s progressing well in his physiotherapy.
I’ve decided not to do the other errands I had planned for the week cos my throat’s sore again. I also suspect that my son’s sore throat has returned as his drool has increased a lot more (again). So it’ll be a stay-at-home holiday for us.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Mildly sick
We’re both mildly sick! We didnt do much yesterday despite it being a public holiday (Merdeka Day). We didn’t attend school today, and probably won’t tomorrow too.
I suspected that he started having a sore throat about a week ago as he was drooling. A few days ago, he started coughing just a little bit. Yesterday he had slightly loose stools, a teensy bit of runny nose, his voice changed slightly and he was coughing more.
Out came the Promethazine and I gave him his first dose yesterday. I’ve learnt I must catch it early on or else we risk having it escalate to a lung infection, nebuliser runs to the hospital etc. So today, I started him on Afrin, a nasal spray to dry up his runny nose.
He took a 3 hour nap this afternoon, of which I napped with him for an hour (bliss!), and the rest I spent on household administrative matters and reading further about teaching him Montessori maths.
His tummy is getting better (gave him on probiotics) but is not fully recovered as evidenced when he passed wind that was extra smelly tonight. LOL.
His appetite is down and he still on soya milk today. That means he might lose a bit of weight again. We’re trying to help him catch up on his growth cos the facilities (table & chairs, toilet bowls, sinks) in the private Primary school we’re eyeing, are more suited to older (and thus bigger) kids.
As for me, well, I’ve probably caught a cold – slight aches, tiredness, sore throat. I just need panadol, Vit C, lots of water and plenty of rest.
We’ve both not been sleeping well the past few nights. Hope we both get the rest we need tonight. Pls pray for speedy recovery for both of us.
I suspected that he started having a sore throat about a week ago as he was drooling. A few days ago, he started coughing just a little bit. Yesterday he had slightly loose stools, a teensy bit of runny nose, his voice changed slightly and he was coughing more.
Out came the Promethazine and I gave him his first dose yesterday. I’ve learnt I must catch it early on or else we risk having it escalate to a lung infection, nebuliser runs to the hospital etc. So today, I started him on Afrin, a nasal spray to dry up his runny nose.
He took a 3 hour nap this afternoon, of which I napped with him for an hour (bliss!), and the rest I spent on household administrative matters and reading further about teaching him Montessori maths.
His tummy is getting better (gave him on probiotics) but is not fully recovered as evidenced when he passed wind that was extra smelly tonight. LOL.
His appetite is down and he still on soya milk today. That means he might lose a bit of weight again. We’re trying to help him catch up on his growth cos the facilities (table & chairs, toilet bowls, sinks) in the private Primary school we’re eyeing, are more suited to older (and thus bigger) kids.
As for me, well, I’ve probably caught a cold – slight aches, tiredness, sore throat. I just need panadol, Vit C, lots of water and plenty of rest.
We’ve both not been sleeping well the past few nights. Hope we both get the rest we need tonight. Pls pray for speedy recovery for both of us.
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