Kao Kids Archives - Page 18 of 32

Becks Kao Milestones and growing up The Kao Kids

All pretty now

February 18, 2014

So I spoke too soon.

My sassy little girl, who is now three-half, has gone all girly-feminine on me.

Just like that, she’s suddenly taking a liking to pink things again and all things princessy.

She now insists on wearing a dress whenever we go out, when previously I got so much hell for wanting to put a dress on her…

A sporty dress for Sunday School!

A floral dress handed down from an older sister-friend

I would have never been able to put this cheongsam on a couple of months ago

She also MUST wear a dress to sleep now and dislikes the long-sleeve-top-and-pants ensemble which she used to love. She used to want to be like korkor and didi but well, not anymore.

She needs to wear a sweet PJ to sleep…

She’s starting to like accessorising and making very tacky fashion choices like putting on everything at one go – hat, wristlet, necklace, bag and all the hair clips she’s got.

She loves to have her hair all clipped and tied now

Gotta teach her less is more and classy is the way to go. Heh.

My mother already warned me there’ll be days like this; days of her putting on my shoes and wearing my makeup. I guess I’d better keep my blushers and lipsticks under lock and key for now.

“Look Ma! I can wear your heels!”

I guess it’s a rite of passage for all girls to go through a phase of wishing to be like their mothers. These days, Becks is starting to want to be different from her brothers and is consciously trying to differentiate herself with the choices that she makes and the things that she do. I know deep down, she wants to get attention from me this way and wants to be affirmed by her mother as her mummy’s little precious princess.

Deep down, the little girl is crying out to me, saying, “Look at me, Mama. I may not be as smart like Korkor or as cute as Nat, but I am also special!”

And I’d be a fool of a mother if I didn’t know that and love her just as she is.

Becky love, you’re beautiful. You’ll always be our little darling princess.

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Homelearning fun Invites & Tryouts Learning fun! Reading fun Reviews

At Home with bilingualism! [Read With Me Mommy’s “My Home (我的家)” Book Review]

February 13, 2014

I’m always searching for bilingual books with local content so my children can learn the vocabulary that’s associated with their daily lives. I mean, how many books can you find in the market that can effectively teach preschoolers names of items and places found in a typical home and HDB neighbourhoods in Singapore? Places like the community centre, HDB void deck and sports complex are unique to our country and hardly feature in Chinese or English picture books and graded readers for preschoolers.

So when Read With Me Mommy, a local online Chinese bookstore approached us to do a book review for this made in Singapore book-set, I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Finally! A book my children can identify with:

My Home (我的家) is a set of bilingual books written by local authors, Rayne Ngoi and Cheng Pei Yee, and illustrated by Wang Lu Bo. It comes in a set of 2 books – a picture book and an accompanying activity book. The book follows Jason, an adorable boy who is looking for somebody to play with him (haha, it really is Ben in disguise – always looking for someone to play with!). But everyone at home is just too busy. And so together with his dog, Jason investigates every room in his HDB flat to find a playmate.

I got Ben to review this book with me during one of our once-a-week ‘Chinese Day’…

As we followed Jason through each room as he sought a playmate (and Ben seeing so much of him in the book as Jason, hurhurhur), we started discovering the many items and places that were all too familiar to us – places like the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room, the void deck and the HDB-neightbourhood playground.

And so we learned how to name items and places in both English and Chinese while enjoying the story (written like a poem) with vivid illustrations that were oh-so-very engaging. Ben particularly enjoyed lifting the many little flaps in this 40-page book which is beautifully illustrated.

The bilingual activity book complements the picture book and is specially written for children aged 2 to 6. The activity book contains vocabulary practices, hanyu pinyin learning aids, picture cards, interactive games, DIY handicraft, and sticker matching activities to make the process of learning fun and enjoyable. Here’s a sneak peek of some pages in the activity book:

This book-set is such a wonderful resource for keeps, and I would definitely introduce both the picture and activity books to the younger ones as soon as they are ready. The gem of a book retails at Read With Me Mommy for SGD$32 and is great to be read again and again especially with those flaps that would keep little hands busy!

And I have a giveaway here on the blog!

I have 5 book-sets of My Home (我的家) to give away to 5 readers! To qualify for the random draw, all that’s needed is FOUR SIMPLE STEPS:

1) Like Read With Me Mommy on Facebook

2) Like Zenru Publishing on Facebook

3) Like Motherkao on Facebook (if you haven’t already done so)

4) Leave me a comment here telling me who you’d like to win the book-set for

Giveaway closes on 20 Feb and winners will be randomly picked and announced on the blog.

Do also check out Read With Me Mommy for more Chinese and bilingual titles!

And the winners are…

Congratulations! I hope the people you’d like to win this book set for would have a smashing time reading!

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Going Out! Invites & Tryouts Reviews The Kao Kids

The epic Lego Movie experience (warning: contains spoilers!)

February 6, 2014

When he found out that we were going to catch the movie premiere of The Lego Movie, Ben couldn’t contain his excitement for days. He loves, loves, loves Lego and everything he can create with them (although it is still more of Duplo for now) and is a huge fan of the Lego Star Wars – The Movie (he’s watched it like 6 times, I think) ever since we showed it to him at home.

We watched the premiere of The Lego Movie at Golden Village Vivocity in 3D on Monday, and I must say… *beep beep spoiler alert*

<cue to close page if you don’t want to know>

…that I was pleasantly surprised by the twist and the very heart-warming ending. I went in with zero expectations – I really don’t know what to expect from Lego blocks and Lego people, y’unno – but came out a really happy movie-goer.

So beyond the anyone-can-be-a-hero / the-ordinary-can-be-extraordinary message, I think what warmed all our hearts that evening was that the love between father-son was the overarching theme that ran through the computer-animated movie. And I have to say I liked that part best (the heartstrings-tugging part, although the action and humour were also great) – especially since Fatherkao was also there to watch the movie with his sons, and even more especially since the boys (big and small) love, love, love to play with Lego together.

I did wish, however, that the management / logistics folks from the cinema would think about the kids and distribute a couple of kid-sized 3D glasses whenever they are screening a kid-friendly movie in 3D cos’ my kids absolutely hated putting them on. They were heavy and kept falling off; Nat couldn’t even wear one and had to watch the movie unfocused the whole time. Bah.

No like these glasses, say Ben and Becks!

Nonetheless, the kids liked the show and Ben couldn’t stop going on and on about how “everyone can be a master builder” and that certainly is inspiring him to play with Lego more. Thank you, Golden Village, for the kind invitation to experience such an awesome theatrical adventure!

Looks like more Lego it is for the boy who would be turning five in a few weeks. I don’t have to think too hard about birthday presents this year.

Disclosure: We received tickets to watch the premiere of The Lego Movie from Golden Village. All opinions here are our own.

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Everyday fun! Family life as we know it Happy days Milestones and growing up The darndest kid quotes and antics

A tale of three camps

February 5, 2014

These kids do play well together on good days. These days the house is nicely split into two camps: the Domesticated Camp and the Grunting zoom-vroom-bsssh-cheebaaaboooom! Camp, helmed by Becks and Ben respectively.

The Domesticated Camp, where the sorting and folding never ends

The Grunting Boys Camp, where the world is what you imagine to be and the noise you make never ends

Of course, Nat has pledged allegiance to both sides, and is a much sought-after member of each camp. I’m just glad that one is teaching my 23-month-old how to fold towels and the other is teaching him how to squawk like a boy with Lego and Transformers.

I’m really not complaining.

These good days must be cherished and I’ve since started my own: the Tired People Camp. I told the kids that they are welcome to join me any time.

The Tired People Camp, where the Zzzzz never ends

Can’t wait to receive new members!

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Becks Kao Ben Kao Enrichment Invites & Tryouts Learning fun! Reviews The Kao Kids

Learning the Eye Level way: Math Programme Review

February 3, 2014

Ben is enrolled in Eye Level‘s Math Programme and has been attending their once-a-week Math lesson for two months now. At each lesson he attends, he’s basically exposed to two things: Basic Thinking Math and Critical Thinking Math.

For about an hour or so, he would complete the two tasks (two booklets for each lesson that his teacher would give him) under the close supervision of his teacher. Teacher Emily reads him the instructions in the booklet, guides him when he needs help and teaches him the key concepts for each lesson. However, unlike in a private tuition setting, she doesn’t hover over him for the entire time he’s there. She also attends to other students in the class who may or may not be at the same level and standard as Ben, and together with other kids, everyone present engages in self-directed – but heavily scaffolded – learning.

Ben in class with his teacher and another older student

The classroom setting: Ben in class with his teacher and another student

I was told the ratio of teacher to student for the Math Programme is 1:8, but at Ben’s timeslot, Teacher Emily usually handles 2 to 3 students (including Ben) at one time. Which is great, I think. Not too many to distract him (he can get very distracted, alright), but enough to spur him on to sit down and concentrate, just like them. It’s also good that the kids are also older, and he learns from their example.

This setting, which he’s exposed to once a week, is proving to be extremely beneficial for me at home. At home, Ben is now able to sit down on his own to complete his work (he gets homework to revise the concepts he’s learned at Eye Level). He doesn’t need me to accompany him anymore (*finally*) and is able to cancel out distractions from his siblings all by himself to complete his work.

Ben completing his work at home

Hurrah for self directed, independent learning, I say.

Eye Level Learning Center’s Math Programme is designed to help students improve their mathematical thinking and problem solving skills by enabling them to master concepts each step of the way as students progress through the curriculum. For now, Ben has got his numbers 1 to 110 all settled in terms of counting (in order and in tens), writing, ascending and descending orders and simple problem solving (involving counting). He’s moving on to addition and subtraction this month – something which he is already acquainted with – and I can’t wait for the programme to extend this learning for him, simply because I am really bad with teaching anything beyond simple math. Hurhurhur.

He also tells me he enjoys Critical Thinking Math more, because it’s “more fun and interesting”. For critical thinking, he gets his spatial sense, depth perception and problem-solving and reasoning skills developed with puzzles, blocks and shapes and math games that are very well designed to engage young minds.

$Basic Thinking Math at Level 10 (counting from 1 -20): Ben did these in December$

Basic Thinking Math at Level 2 (counting from 1 -20): Ben did these in December

$A glimpse from the pages of one of the Critical Thinking Math booklets: Ben learned patterns here$

A glimpse from the pages of one of the Critical Thinking Math booklets: Ben learned patterns here

Like I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, the kids really look forward to going for Math enrichment every week – Becks is at Play Math (and I shared my review of the programme here) and Ben at the Math Programme (SGD$120 for a once-a-week lesson, and SGD$150 for twice a week). I’m just really glad they’ve been offered this opportunity because it has gotten them interested in Math, all thanks to the fact that the programmes at Eye Level are so thoughtfully designed to engage the little ones. I don’t remember being so happy learning Math at preschool – what with all the forced memorisation of multiplication tables and assessment books – and I am heartened to have my preschoolers like numbers and even finding it fun to count.

AND JUST FOR MOTHERKAO READERS:

Eye Level is extending a promotional offer to all Motherkao readers! For $10 (usual price $60), your child can take the diagnostic test, attend a trial lesson (30-45 min) and get a complimentary study skill analysis.

Simply quote [Motherkao] to enjoy this offer via walk-in to any of the Eye Level Learning Centres island-wide. You can also leave a Facebook message on Eye Level’s Facebook Page or make a telephone enquiry to any of the Eye Level centres.

Disclosure: Ben and Becks have been invited to attend Eye Level’s Math and Play Math for a term of three months. Motherkao has accepted sponsorship for her reviews of their programmes and endorsement of the centre. All opinions here are Motherkao’s own (with input from Ben).

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Homelearning fun Learning fun! Milestones and growing up

Teaching the Kao Kids: Routines I

February 2, 2014

I went to the warehouse sale at The Learning Store last year and returned with quite a few great finds.

These posters are two of them:

I’ve placed them on the walls of our learning corners and incorporated a daily routine for the kids: they literally go face the wall everyday, hurhurhur.

For three-year-old Becks, she “faces” the Letter Formation poster and traces each Uppercase and Lowercase letter of the alphabet with her finger. It helps that this poster has arrow directions and my instructions for her is that she follows the numbers and the directions of the arrows. She’s currently still learning letters and letter sounds (she’s not moved on to words yet except simple ones like ‘I’, ‘You’,’He’,’She’, ‘Yes’, ‘No’) and this is supposed to help her trace in pencil with more ease.

I didn’t have this poster when Ben was learning his letters so he went straight to pencil and tracer. He still gets his directions wrong sometimes when he writes his words and finds shortcuts to skip certain strokes (like he’d argue how the lowercase letter ‘m’ should be written like the MacDonald’s sign just because it looks more cool) but with Becks she’s accurate to the tee when it comes to writing her letters on paper. I credit this daily routine of finger-tracing for that.

I also find the Numbers 1-99 poster extremely helpful in helping the kids count and recognise numbers. Ben is learning numbers 1 to 100 and he often has difficulties moving on after the 9s. He would go, “41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49… er… then what?” when he reaches the next tenth and I find that making him “face” this poster helps. Sometimes I just make him read out the last row on the right (10, 20, 30, 40…) to get him to think in tenths, and this bolsters his confidence when he does his math homework.

Posters can have a positive effect on the process of learning, especially in the visual sense. I find that when used appropriately and sparingly, they can help more learning to take place for my preschoolers. With good, age-appropriate posters, I get to create a little literacy corner for the kids at home that can foster independent learning.

Also in this series: For the love of reading | Choosing engaging titles | Graded readers

Read the 2nd post I wrote about routines involving wall charts here.

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Family life as we know it Homelearning fun Milestones and growing up

Letters, I wrote

February 1, 2014

Ben turns 5 this month and I am wrecking my brains to find ways to get him to read. He loves to be read to, and still wants to imagine stories with picture books, most of time ignoring the words on the pages. When I plonk him next to his Scholastic readers, he’ll read them – yes, he would – but I highly suspect he does them from memory because when he’s asked how to read each word without the readers, he gives me a clueless look.

So I have started doing this:

Writing him letters and putting them in the mail.

He gets very excited to receive something from the mail box that’s addressed to him, and tries his best to make sense of every word in the letter to decode the message.

He’s gotten two letters so far, and he’s looking forward to more, I know. Let’s hope this trick would get him interested!

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Going Out! Happy days Milestones and growing up Motherkao loves...

A-galloping we go!

January 31, 2014

Well, hello Stallion!

It’s Chinese New Year and the year of the horse is here. Oooh, happy feelings all stirruped, cos’ it’s my favouritest animal in the whole wide world, and we all can’t wait to gallop into the new year to feast and fellowship with family and friends!

Have a blessed time, everyone! Giddy up, keep a stable diet and let’s grab life by the reins this year!

P/S: I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who left me messages and sent hugs and encouraging words my way after I shared how challenging it has been these days to stay home with the Kao kids. I believe ever more now in angels, because of people like you.

PP/S: So couldn’t resist those horse puns!

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Fatherkao loves... Food, glorious food! Motherkao loves... Motherkao's recipes Product Reviews Reviews

Red wine ribeye seared with love, with compliments from OBE Organic

January 24, 2014

My husband and I love to watch Top Chef and MasterChef together. We get our inspiration to bake and cook from these reality shows. Besides being grippingly entertaining, they are really educational for noob cooks like us, and I always fantasised being able to serve up gourmet looking food all prettily plated and all some day.

Recently, OBE Organic sent us some Australian ribeye steaks, minced beef and beef cubes. Ooooh, how we love our beef! It didn’t take long before Fatherkao jumped into action, got into the kitchen and worked like a chef, taking inspiration from all the reality TV we’ve been watching.

And then single-handedly, he transformed this…

To this…

In a matter of minutes! Looks like somebody’s gonna beat me in fulfilling that crazy dream of mine sooner than I think!

The ribeye steak seared perfectly by him and drizzled with the sauce he made was heavenly. Every bite melted in my mouth and the huge cut that Huber’s Butchery sent us for each portion was so huge it was truly satisfying. I am so not looking at my husband the same way again – man, this man can make a mean plate of steak, and with so much luuurrvve.

Talk about the way through a man’s heart. This woman’s heart has been won over and over with every time he steps into the kitchen. *swoon*

I tried convincing him to share his recipe on my blog, and although he’s pretty hazy on the details and not giving me precise, exact measurements, I managed to make out what went into his red wine sauce.

Here it is; and oh yes, remember to get OBE Organic Beef which is certified 100% organic and natural, free of chemicals and growth promotants, and delivers amazingly great flavour.

Steak in Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

Ribeye steaks
knobs of salted butter
shallots and garlic
olive oil for frying
bottle of red wine (we used a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot South African wine, Nederburg)
a dash of red wine vinegar
a ladle of chicken stock (we make ours with carrots, onions and chicken bones)

Instructions:

1) Fry shallots and garlic with olive oil till caramelised, then add a dash of red wine vinegar.

2) Add 4 glasses of red wine. Let the pan’s contents bubble until the wine has reduced by three-quarters.

3) Now add a ladle or two of chicken stock, butter and reduce the rest of the wine, 1-2 glasses at a time. Regularly skim away any impurities by weaving a small ladle in and out of the top of the sauce. Taste regularly and check for seasoning.

4) Heat a grill pan to sear the steaks with oil and cook them, turning once, 4-5 mins for rare, 7-8 mins for medium, 8-10 mins for well done.

5) Serve the steaks on a bed of greens and pour the red wine sauce around. Remember to pass the sauce through a sieve to remove fine impurities.

You can get premium quality organic beef from OBE Organic at Huber’s Butchery. Shop online till the cows come home at Huber’s or visit their Butchery and Bistro @ Dempsey.

Disclosure: This post was made possible from the kind folks from Huber’s and OBE Organic who fed the Kaos really good stuff from really good cows.

P/S: Just cannot resist the pun!

Also linking up with:

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Becks Kao Enrichment Invites & Tryouts Learning fun! Reviews The Kao Kids

Learning the Eye Level way: Play Math Programme Review

January 21, 2014

The kids have been attending Math enrichment classes at Eye Level Learning Center at City Square Mall for more than a month now and they are always looking forward to their lessons. It’s like a routine they anticipate weekly, with us either driving or taking the NEL down to Farrer Park followed by an engaging lesson with their respective teachers, complete with getting their fruit reward stickers and some play time with blocks and counters at the centre’s play corner after class, and then have the day end with a treat of Hongkong Egglet from our favourite stall at Basement 2.

Becks attends Eye Level’s Play Math Programme where she gets to experience mathematical concepts in a fun and engaging way. Play Math is a programme specially tailored for ages 2.5 to 4 years old and is aimed at laying the foundation for developing a preschooler’s understanding in Math. The child learns how to sort, match, classify, count and recognise patterns at Play Math.

And the best part of this progamme? It’s a one-to-one lesson (about 30 -45 minutes) with the teacher, and done through story-telling and lots of sticker fun!

At every lesson, Becks receives an activity booklet which is filled with colourful illustrations that follow a story. Each activity booklet is designed to help her advance in her understanding of mathematical concepts like correspondence, sorting and classifying, comparing and counting according to levels, and the level for her to begin with was first determined using their diagnostic assessment which she sat for in December.

$Eye Level_Play Math Fun for Becks 2$

Becks getting ready for class and having her lesson with her teacher. Every lesson involves counting, tracing, cutting, glueing and lots of stickers!

$Fun times (clockwise): Becks playing after class while waiting for Ben and peeling off stickers for her reward chart$

Fun times (clockwise): Becks playing after class while waiting for Ben and peeling off stickers for her reward chart

The girl started at Level 33 and has now progressed to Level 38.

Here’s a glimpse of what’s in the activity booklet that she gets to do with her teacher at Eye Level Learning Center. I had the opportunity to take her through one activity booklet at home recently (she was given homework for one of the public holidays as the centre was closed) and we had a fun time together with it.

In this activity booklet, Becks learned the numbers 1 to 3 through a circus story about unicycles, bicycles and tricycles:

$Eye level_Play Math Stories$

Very captivating illustrations to engage a preschooler, I say

The activities that follow include getting her to group items, count, and put the corresponding number of stickers for the things she’s counted:

$Eye level_Play Math Activities$

Becks favourite part has got to be peeling stickers off and putting them in the book

She also got to practise drawing lines and strokes which would help her develop good hand-eye coordination and better control when she starts writing her numbers:

$Eye level_Play Math Activities_Join the dots$

This ‘follow the circle to the the square’ kind of activity appears several times in one booklet – this is to teach the child to read and write from left to right, help in hand-eye coordination and strengthen the finger muscles so she gets better control when writing her numbers

We had a good time doing this together. I sat next to her and read her the instructions and she proceeded to do every task rather happily, although she did say her teacher was more animated when reading the story than I was. I can tell she really enjoys doing every booklet – from the one time we did it together at home, and from my interaction with her after every class. She gets to bring home the activity booklet after every lesson and would sometimes come home to erase some of the things she’s done so she could do them again at home. That’s how much she likes it!

I would say that Eye Level has scored some wins with their Play Math Programme, which I find engaging and value for money (at SGD$140 per month). Firstly, the lesson is conducted in a one-to-one setting and an experienced teacher is assigned to the child to take her through the booklet in a fun way. Secondly, the booklet itself is designed to keep the child engaged for at least 45 minutes with its colourful illustrations, stories and activities. Thirdly, the child gets to bring the materials home so she can revisit what she’s learned from the week’s lesson, thereby solidifying the learning and keeping the interest alive, at least till the next week where she gets to read another story, meet new characters and work on different activities.

Who would have thought we could learn Math this way? I’d thought my counting lessons were quite fun, but I have to admit that Becks is having a fun-ner time at Eye Level, and I’m really glad that she was invited to attend lessons there for a term (hurray for the opportunity to outsource!).

Note to self: must.find.more.creative.ways.to.teach! but until then, thank you, Eye Level Learning Center for the kind invitation!

AND JUST FOR MOTHERKAO READERS: