J Summary (5Y4M15D) - I Love Jesus Very Much

Mommy: "Joshie, we are going to church today."

Joshie: "I know. I love Jesus very much."

Mommy touched to tears.

We are about to leave...
...
Joshie: "I want to stay home with Daddy."

Mommy: @@@!!!??? Lesson learned: Take everything with a pinch of salt!

The Power & the Touch of a Mother's Hands

Do not underestimate the significance of your hands... A mother's hands can bring warm memories of childhood, and reading this reminded me of my own mother, who nursed me with her hands when I was a child.

I am inspired... by the book "The Mission of Motherhood" by Sally Clarkson, who poignantly made me realise the power and the touch of a mother's hands and I quote:

"As I look back to the memories of my childhood, a strong image that comes to my mind is that of my mother's loving hands."

During illnesses...

"My memories of (childhood) illnesses... my mother would gently stroke my brow as she talked softly or told me stories and gave me her full attention."

While reading...

"As a young child, sitting next to her in a big children's book. Her fingers would point to the enticing, heart-delighting pictures and turn the pages of the large volumes as we leisurely sat together and talked and read."

Conquering fear...

"...when I was having recurring nightmare... I remember the comfort of my mother's hands when she came to my bedside. She would take my hand in hers as she knelt to pray with me, soothing away my fears and comforting me as she entreated God to take all of my bad thoughts away." 

During church service...

"...when I fidgeted in church services, I remember my mother's hands massaging my own, pulling and squeezing each of my fingers as she quietly played finger games with me." 

Oh may I be the kind of mom who holds my child with such loving and thoughtful hands.

J Summary (5Y4M14D) - Buying Ice-Cream with His Reward Points

 

J has been saving up his smileys from the Children's bonus system that we set up and have been paid out as cash. Today, he asked for an ice-cream after playing the piano. I thought that it would be a good chance for him to use the tokens that he has saved up. So we went to his piggy bank and took out 20 kr. The ice-cream costed 15 kr. and I asked him how much he should get as change back.

 

He got it right that it was 5 kr. although initially he said 4 kr. I wrote it down on paper. I also suggested that he put the 20 kr. into his wallet. This evening, we took a short walk down the lake and J bought an ice-cream and shared it with us.

 

He was very proud that he went shopping with his own wallet and his own money. He was very excited to try buying the ice-cream himself.

 

I think this helps to give tangible rewards for his hard work and give him a concrete purpose for learning Maths. I told him that if he ernestly learn Maths, he would be able to count and manage his money.

 

It was a fun activity and we made memories together.

J Summary (5Y4M13D) - That's Life... Boys will be Boys

Mommy: "J, Mommy is going out. Remember to do your Maths homework, write your Chinese characters and practice your piano with Daddy."

J: * Big Grin *

Door closed...

J: "Come, Daddy, Mommy is gone. Now let's go and do our boys' stuff. (drengeting)"

Mommy came home.

Maths homework not done. Montessori materials kept. Chinese character not done and of course, piano untouched!

Montessori Activity: Thousand Chain - Linear Counting

AGE: 5 and up (after the child who has experience with the Decimal System, Teen Board, Ten Board and Hundred Board)

OBJECTIVE(S):

1. To give the child a means of counting other than one-by-one.
2. Learn to count in bases other than ten.
3. Preparation for multiplication skill.
4. Development of Order, independent, concentration and coordination.
5. Development of mathematical mind.

MATERIALS:

1. 1 thousand chain consisting of 100 ten-bars

2. 1 hundred chain consisting of 10 ten-bars.
3. 1 hundred-cube

4. 10 hundred-squares
5. 1 box or an envelope containing arrow tags:
- Green arrow tags 1-9
- Blue arrow tags 10-90
- Red arrow tags 100-900
- 1 green arrow tag 1000
6. Pointer for counting (optional)
7. 1 large runner or paper runner

PRESENTATION:

1. Show your child how to hold the 1000-chain.

2. Slowly fold the 1000-chain first into a hundred-square and draw your child to notice how it looks like a 100-square.

3. Place a100-square next to it to show that they are the same. You can also stack it on top, showing that they are the same.

4. Straighten out the 1000-chain.

5. Repeat until the whole chain has been folded into 10 hundred-squares and place each of the hundred-square next to the hundred square you have made.

6. Count how many hundred-squares there are.

7. Place the hundred-squares you have made on top of each other to make a thousand cube and draw your child's attention that it looks like a thousand-cube by placing the thousand cube next to it or on top of it.

8. Take out the unit arrows (green), tell your child what they are called and tag them to the left of the 100-chain, by taking a counter, count "1" and tag 1.

9. Take out the green tag 2, count "1, 2" with the counter and tag 2.

10. Take out the ten arrows (blue) and continue in the same manner, counting and tagging 10, 20... 90, in multiple of 10 until you reach 100 and place the hundred tag (red) at the 100th bead.

11. When you reach to 100, place the arrow tag as well as the hundred-square next to the 100th bead. Repeat this for every hundred (even at the 1000th bead)

12. Take out the hundred arrows (red) and continue in the same manner, counting and tagging 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900.

13. At the 1000th bead, place the cube.

14. Stand at the beginning of the chain and count the arrow tags: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000

15. Ask your child how many he had at the end: 1000

16. Then practice counting backwards: 1000, 900, 800, 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100... 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

VIDEON DEMONSTRATION:

https://youtu.be/mb3PBGEnYSc?si=8cYXK4KMRid94xQR

http://youtu.be/dFWENQI3QzY

https://youtu.be/ordq1I3_LgM?si=bw6N41U-PffEpAsb

POINTS OF INTEREST:

1. Seeing different length of chains.
2. Seeing different color tags.

VARIATION:

1. Writing the tag numbers on paper.
2. Let children write the number of counting in bead chains.

REFERENCES:

http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Thousand_Chain

http://www.infomontessori.com/mathematics/skip-and-counting-linear-counting.htm

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

J completed this on 24 July 2014 (5Y4M19D) with guidance. It is still a little too difficult for him to do on his own.

The materials:

1. 1 thousand chain consisting of 100 ten-bars

2. 1 hundred chain consisting of 10 ten-bars.

3. 1 hundred-cube

4. 10 hundred-squares

5. 1 box or an envelope containing arrow tags:

- Green arrow tags 1-9

- Blue arrow tags 10-90

- Red arrow tags 100-900

- 1 green arrow tag 1000

6. Pointer for counting (optional)

7. 1 large runner or paper runner

2. Slowly fold the 1000-chain first into a hundred-square and draw your child to notice how it looks like a 100-square.

3. Place a100-square next to it to show that they are the same.

You can also stack it on top, showing that they are the same.

Updates:

13 February 2024: C (7Y8M28D) tried it for the first time today. She could do all of it.

Montessori Activity: Hundred Chain - Linear Counting

AGE: 5 and up (after the child who has experience with the Decimal System, Teen Board, Ten Board and Hundred Board)

OBJECTIVE(S):

1. To give the child a means of counting other than one-by-one.
2. Learn to count in bases other than ten.
3. Preparation for multiplication skill.
4. Development of Order, independent, concentration and coordination.
5. Development of mathematical mind.

MATERIALS:

1. 1 hundred chain consisting of 10 ten-bars
2. 1 hundred-square
3. 1 box or an envelop containing arrowed tags:
- Green tags1-9
- Blue tags10-90
- A red tag100
4. 1 pointer for counting
5. 1 large mat

PRESENTATION:

1. Show your child how to hold the 100-chain by both ends and put it vertically on the mat.

2. Slowly fold the 100-chain into a hundred-square and draw your child to notice how it looks like a 100-square.

3. Place the 100-square on top of the folded 100-chain to show that they are the same.

4. Straighten out the 100-chain.

5. Take out the unit arrows (green), tell your child what it they are called and tag them to the left of the 100-chain, by taking a counter, count "1" and tag 1.

6. Take out the green tag 2, count "1, 2" with the counter and tag 2.

7. Continue the same manner for the rest of bead chains.

8. Take out the ten arrows (blue) and continue in the same manner, counting and tagging 10, 20... 90, in multiple of 10 until you reach 100 and place the hundred tag (red) at the 100th bead.

9. Count with the child all the arrow tags: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100

10. Then practise counting backwards: 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

VIDEON DEMONSTRATION:

http://youtu.be/dFWENQI3QzY

POINTS OF INTEREST:

1. Seeing different length of chains.
2. Seeing different color tags.

VARIATION:

1. Writing the tag numbers on paper.
2. Let children write the number of counting in bead chains.

REFERENCES:

http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Hundred_Chain

http://www.infomontessori.com/mathematics/skip-and-counting-linear-counting.htm

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The Montessori Hundred Chain is available from Amazon:

J Summary (5Y4M9D) - The Trials and Tribulations of an (Aspiring) Trilingual Family...

It has been a very successful 3-week English immersion summer school exprience for Joshie. He started to speak to us in English (even in full sentences) by his own initiative... which has never happened before.

But then he said, "Mommy, let's do the montessori videos in English, and not Mandarin, as no one understands. What is the point of learning Chinese. Let's just speak English. (Or in that line...)"

Mommy: @@@@!!!!????

The by-result of English exposure on Chinese... Every good thing is a double-edged sword... it cuts both ways... after paying so much for the summer school, so now, we will work on cutting down on the exposure to English!!!

J Summary (5Y4M9D) - Off-the-Record... Is God Male or Female?

On the way to the kindergarten today, Joshie asked if Jesus is a man or a woman and if God is a man or a woman. Joshie said, "Jesus is a man, right. What about God?"

Hmmm.... I have never really thought so much about of the gender of God. God is just God to me.

So I tried explained that I suppose God is male, since the Bible calls God "Him", which is the masculine version of the personal pronoun (but I didn't try to explain what masculine and personal pronoun means).

To which Joshie replied, "Yes of course, because man is stronger than woman. And thus God must be a man!!! I am stronger than you, Mommy."

Mommy: "@!!!@@@???"

J Summary (5Y4M9D) - Off-the-Record... "Børnecheck"

Today, we happened to talk about that it is very expensive to raise up a child, to which J replied, "How can it be? You receive "børnecheck." (kids allowance from the Danish government)

We were amazed how 5-year old J knew about børnecheck as we have never told him before.

In any case, we told him that if we depend on the børnecheck alone, he would be eating only plain bread everyday and it cost more than that to raise up a child.

J Summary (5Y3M29D) - The "Garang Guni Man"

29 June 2014 (5Y3M20D) - Is it the simplicity and contentment of a child's play or simply Joshie being the Garang Guni Man*?.... shoe box, net packaging, McDonalds toys... rubber bands...

We bought him Lego... etc., but Joshie derives the most pleasure from scavenging our waste bin... and turning his finds into toys... nad making theatre props with it.

Lesson learned:

1. No need to spend money on expensive toys - they will not be used. Just give him our junk.

2. When a toy is not played with, just put it in the waste bin and the Garang Guni man will come by and play with it the whole day!!!

* A Singaporean expression for the person who collects all kinds of junks.

J Summary (5Y4M7D) - My Thoughts...

Being a mom, I find teaching academics skills, teaching life skills and inculcating values the most difficult, in the order of increasing difficulty. However, if values are not inculcated, it will have adverse effect on both academic skills and life skills. It is a little easier to work on the academics - after all, you just need a curriculum guide, an iron will determination and the discipline to... develop the good habit. And what is the meaning of having high educational attainments and even life skills without the right values? But alas, am I weakest at inculcating values!!! How do I teach it? How do I model it? How can we raise a wholehearted child? The best solution is to knee and pray for grace, forgiveness and wisdom for our child and for myself. I can trust God that He will give grace for all the mistakes that I make along the way of motherhood, and I will trust him to guard J's heart.

 

Tonight, putting J to bed, I asked if he would like to say the good night prayer. He prayed thanking God for his parents, and then he told God that he would like to sing Him, "Jesus Loves You." That was the first song I taught him. I sang to J, while he was still in my womb. It was touching to hear him picked that song. Then J cheekily prayed that he would be able to sleep in mommy and daddy's room.

 

I want to remember this prayer, his prayer and to hold it close to my heart.

Montessori Activity: Ten Board & Beads (Presentation 3)

AGE: From 4.5 years old (After the child has worked with the teen and the golden bead material for the 45 layout)

OBJECTIVE(S):

1.     To help the child discover that numerals 1 to 9 added to larger numerals can make a variety of numbers.

2.     To teach sequence, the numbers from 11 to 99.

MATERIAL:

1.     1 set of Ten Board

2.     1 set of unit cards with numerals 1 - 9

3.     1 container with 45 golden ten-bars

4.     1 container with 10 or 45 golden unit beads.

PRESENTATION 3 (COUNTING 1 TO 99):

 

1.     Place a unit bead to the right of the Unit Tile 1 and say: “1.”

2.     Add another unit bead and place both to the right of the Tile 2 and say: “2.”

3.     Add another unit bead and place all three next to Tile 3 and say: “3.” Continue up to “9”.

4.     Add another unit bead, but say: “10 units are the same as one ten.” And exchange them for a ten-bar.

5.     Place the ten-bar to the right of the top “10” section on the board and say: “Ten.”

6.     Add a unit bead to the ten-bar, slide the Tile 1 over the zero and say: “This is eleven.”

7.     Add another unit bead to the unit bead and ten-bar, remove Tile 1 and slide in Tile 2 and say: “Twelve.”

8.   Continue to add one bead at a time, using the appropriate tile to form the number on the board and say the number’s name.

9.   Whenever you add the tenth unit bead, exchange the beads for a ten-bar and slide the bars down to the right of the next section on the board.

10.  Encourage the child to complete with the remaining numbers in your presence in the same manner counting all the way to 99.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION:

http://youtu.be/73l3tZjGRjs

http://youtu.be/rmi86o0E-ng

CONTROL OF ERROR:

The number of beads, correct amounts will use up all 45 of the ten bars and unit beads.

POINTS OF INTEREST:

1.     Learning the number of different combinations that can be made from combining these materials.

2.     Seeing the ten beads on a bead bar and the single units.

3.     The unit beads in the little container.

4.     Watching the quantity of golden bead bars grow from 1 to 9.

5.     Seeing the relationship between the 45 layout and the ten board.

VARIATIONS:

1.     Select numbers and ask the child to provide the quantity

2.     Select quantities and ask the child to provide the correct symbols.



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Although this activity is recommended for children 4.5 years and up, J tried this only for the first time today at 5+ years old (5Y4M7D). We recorded the videos below for memory. He could say the numbers in Chinese very well now, but we are still practicing saying the numbers in English and Danish.

REFERENCES:

http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Tens_Board

http://faculty.fullerton.edu/syen/mts/math/4-3.htm