From the beginning of Level 2 towards the middle of it, there were instances that our son dreaded his Math subject. But as we went towards the end part of Level 2, it was even the first PACE from all his 7 subjects that he completed first! He actually got the hang of Math and began looking forward to it. I so love the mastery approach of The School of Tomorrow curriculum. And have I mentioned, that I am but so relieved?! Aside from them being good at directions (I have no need for my dezl 560LT when I’m around the both of them) and their love for music, the little guy has taken after his father after all, even in Math.

We will head on over to Level 3 come January 2012. Vacay mode it is for us three.

The progress chart above was taken using one of our mini netbooks in our home office. I was out all week during his class today.  I only got to check his tests and seatworks at night. But he was still able to finish all his 1018 PACES today. All 7 of them with perfect scores! One for each of his subjects — Math, English, Social Studies, Science, Word Building, Filipino and Araling Panlipunan.  Before the year ends, he will probably be done with Level 2. My next post will be about his new Math learning — how to “carry” in an addition problem. And this all happened when I was out of the house!  Our six year old homeschooler is one self-reliant second grader.

In one of my son’s recent Science subject, the topic was about the different seasons. The instruction was for him to go pick a leaf in our front yard and identify what kind of leaf it was. Because what we’re using is an international curriculum, we pretty much encounter a lot of stories in his previous levels about playing in the snow and stuff about fall and its beautiful leaves. He now understands how Philippines is located (thanks to our handy globe) wherein we only have dry and wet (rainy) season.

It’s fun that as homeschoolers, our learning extends beyond our homeschool nook. Working with what we have and learning more about our environment. His picking out a leaf from our tiny garden box himself. His many questions that go around it. Even that of compost tumbler and the likes.

As of this writing, he is into his third subject for the day. Lately, we have not been very strict about him being in uniform. We’re not rigid that way. I see anyway that he’s into his “work” and finishing the goals he has set for himself even in his home clothes. So I figured, the purpose why we’re having him in uniform is served anyway. And since it’s supposed to be an official no school day anyway — so we’re homey schooling (comfy) this way. We’re almost halfway to our 6 year old finishing Grade/Level 2. We know we have to slow down. Else, he’d be done with middle school before he turns 10!

Honestly, I don’t want to rush him. But since he is pretty pumped up because of his being able to reach his goal of 5 to 10 pages for each PACE per day and the reward he can exchange his Congratulations slip with.

Congratulations Slip

The reward he is to get for every Congratulation Slip he gets is an Angry Bird stuffed toy. Jed was never into stuffed toys save for his Mr. Mcguire Ty Beanie bear when he was little.  We are really thrilled! Because despite the fact that he is having a hard time reading in Filipino, he is able to absorb a whole lot of things about the Philippine history in his Araling Panlipunan subjects.

We are continuing his supplement classes: Karate and Voice. If you can count some of the education iPad apps like the talking spanish dictionary that he recently got fond of, then that’s another. He’s so much into reading and still wants to be a robot maker and a pastor when he grows up.

Time flies fast. Seems like it was only yesterday when we celebrated Jed’s graduation from Preschool with Ace and Christi. While it is already a given that our family is sold out to School of  Tomorrow’s homeschooling curriculum, I just love how the Living Heritage Academy come up with such wonderful graduation program for us homeschoolers.

I feel that the heart warming program is designed to encourage us homeschoolers to press on. I don’t know how much better it’s going to be like. Because we were told during the graduation that next year’s program will be of the same format as to how they do it in School of Tomorrow.

That’s our giddy boy flashing his graduation certificate with sparkling eyes. All of this makes the challenges of homeschooling (which are not so much, if I may just emphasize) so worth it. This graduate requested for ps3 gift some days ago. But changed his mind for a yakima bike rack for his two wheeler instead.

That’s my homeschooler and me right smack in the middle. The homeschoolers and their parents sang “Trust and Obey” for special number.

Happy graduation, Jed! We are proud of you. Our prayer remains that you will love God above all and grow up to be a blessing to the people around you. Seeing that you are doing academically and non-academically (karate) good as well are just a wonderful bonus for us. We love you to the moon and back.

While I cannot emphasize enough how our family loves the benefits we get from homeschooling (especially so that it so fits our son’s personality – again, we have mentioned time and again that homeschooling is not for everyone), I am told by well meaning people that I am altogether wasting my license in teaching by not using it professionally. Because you really don’t need a professional license to homeschool your child.

When I decided to take teaching degrees four years back, I was not exactly thinking of stashing it away. In fact, my hope was to look for greener pastures in the land of milk and honey like some friends and loved ones have done. But God clearly has better things in mind for us, our family and our ministry.  He showed us ways on supplementing our income by monetizing websites and earning through internet marketing. He used our blogging mentor, NeilMaranan.com, a classmate from one of the teaching degrees I took, to usher us through it. Now we are paying it forward as we freely conduct tutorials on blogging to people we know. Some of them have actually started earning themselves.

It works best for us as I always consider being my son’s Supervisor during our homeschool class as teaching no less. The fulfillment we get from seeing right before my eyes how he is developing through every PACE is indescribable. The opportunities that God sends our way when we obey Him are just countless! It totally made all the challenges along the way well worth it.

It was March last year when he graduated from Preschool with Ace and Christi with 2 Awards: Best in Sound Recognition and Most Number of Excellent Marks. It was a pleasant surprise for both the hubby and me, since we did not know until Jed was called that he was going to accept awards. While we are not so keen on him grabbing awards and trophies, that moment really made us proud of our son! Oh how time flies, it’s as if it was just yesterday that he got introduced to Abbie Antelope, the first animal and (æ) sound in Preschool with Ace and Christi.

Homeschoolers under School of Tomorrow are assessed through post test of every curriculum they finish. This allows for a neutral, non-biased assessment of staff and the admin of Living Heritage Academy, which is the homeschooling arm of School of Tomorrow.

When my son encountered this in his Science PACE last week, we had to wait until night time until he was able to work on the experiment.  This is also why photos and videos in this entry will show you in my son’s favorite dress down (literally) attire and not in his school uniform. He said he does not mind since “it is so hot.”

He wrote his observation thereafter:

- “There is day and night. The flashlight is sun. The globe is earth. I am turning the earth. Half bright half dark.”

I was busy working on some research on diet pills that actually work that I told him to work on it by himself. But his excitement got me to my feet and decided to take a video of him as he was doing his little experiment.

Aside from nurturing in our child respect for the country and the Christian flag, these two flags that sit on our son’s office also serve more than a single function. i.e.:

Phillippine/National Flag is raised:
1. Request permission to score.
2. Recite Memory Verse
3. Request permission for breaks (drinking, playing, etc.)

Christian Flag is raised:
1. Help with subject or lesson.
2. “Supervisor Score” strips.
3. Supervisor’s Initial (for check-ups and self tests)
4. Long or Detailed Questions

The additional functions of the flags during our homeschool time do not just allow for the students to develop a love and respect for what are represented in them, but also teach them the importance of following rules. Whenever our son raises any of the two flags, it also forces me to break from doing tasks while I am in my workstation working on some myotein research or just squeezing in some va jobs.

I try my best not to accommodate his questions if he does not do his part and raise a flag. This encourages him to focus on what should be done. We all know how a toddler’s pumped up energy can just make them do things as they please. This practically makes homeschoooling  as a good training ground for our son.

The writing routine that is incorporated in his five subjects helps a great deal in improving his fine motor skills.

This writing exercise he did yesterday coincided with his recent fascination over things that rhyme.

“Ted met Jed on a red jet.”

And he was even more thrilled to see not just his name on his PACE but his favorite Ninong Ted’s name as well. This definitely spiced up this writing routine for him.

Approximately a month since he started with Level 1 and I have seen more improvements in his fine motor skills. It will only be a matter of time until he becomes expert on tying the laces of Ateliers Arthur shoes. Our homeschooler is growing up fast!