Skip to main content

Flipping for Joy - The Role Chinese Books Play in Our Homeschooling

A story my boys have been asking me to tell them over and over again is the one in which my Chinese teacher threw my Spelling book out of the window and I had to sorrowfully go out to retrieve it at recess time. The story well encapsulates my subsequent experiences with the Chinese language. Let it be said that it was a hate-hate affair. I went on to fail my "AO" Levels twice before passing finally, I'm sure, due to my desperate prayers out of fear of having to attend Chinese Camp before my entrance to Uni.

Fast-forward 30 years, and I find myself at home with two young boys who are looking to me to teach them the same language I struggled with for so many years. It soon became clear that I needed some help, especially when my older boy recently went into a phase of constantly asking, "What is ______ in Chinese?" and I was forced to Google translate most of the answers.

I have been trying various approaches to our Chinese lessons. I use a lot of kinaesthetic activities with the boys, like learning the different words for colours by tossing beanbags into a basket while on scooter boards. Then there was my discovery of Chinese picture books last year when I realised how inexpensive they were compared to English picture books. And beautifully illustrated, with well-chosen storylines and none of the "twaddle", a term which 19th Century educator Charlotte Mason coined to describe books which lack substance and quality in their writing.
This is how we often do our learning - with a scooter board and lots of scooting around!
In fact, what I liked best was that a lot of the books had been translated from Japanese, French and other European picture books, some of which had never been translated into English. On our trip to Kunming last year, I brought home a suitcase-full of picture books and we have been enjoying them since.

It was therefore with great excitement that we were given the opportunity to review "Flip for Joy", an online bookstore with carefully curated Chinese books for children. I was sourcing for a birthday gift for my sister in the US, who had requested for some Chinese books for her soon-to-born baby girl, whom she wanted to be exposed to the Chinese language.
The Flip for Joy website is so attractive, and easy to navigate!
Doesn't everyone simply flip (over) with joy upon receipt of such a parcel? Or is it just me?
The Flip for Joy website is extremely user-friendly, with bright and cheery colours and three main categories Fun, Knowledge and Love. For a book lover like myself, it's like stepping into paradise! Of course, the fact that the product descriptions were in English certainly helped!

I also appreciated the friendly invitation to ask for recommendations with no obligations to purchase. There were too many choices! I emailed the very friendly and gracious Meiru, who soon replied.with a list of  personalised suggestions for my new baby niece and for our homeschooling purposes.

The whole order was arranged very efficiently by courier, and we were soon greeted by this oh-so-marvellous parcel full of storybook treasures. I think I was more excited than our boys. There's nothing like the prospect of a new book to make my day.

I had ordered a selection of infant books for my little niece, and another set for our homeschool use. Meiru very generously included some additional book treats for us. This was our stash! It was like Christmas Day early!

Oh, joy! Christmas comes early this year :)
Our stash.. with book treats galore! Thank you, Flip for Joy!
The baby books were sent to Florida via my parents. For the little one, Meiru had suggested the Starter Pack A, which included the Chinese translation of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?  by Eric Carle as well as a sweet series of lift the flap board books for babies. I also got some touch and feel books, and a Japanese series which involved parent-child interaction. What a great idea as a baby gift for new parents instead of the usual gift ideas!
The Chinese translation of an Eric Carle favourite!
A sweet story for baby!
Some lovely lift-the-flap books, perfect for little hands!
Brain stimulating activities for parent and child!
Touch and Feel Books for Baby
For the boys, I went with Meiru's recommendation of a set of sequenced early readers which would provide the foundation for their acquisition of the language. My boys have always taken to books with real photographs (I'm not sure if it's a boy thing!) and I knew it would also give myself as a teacher a framework to work with, knowing we could just go through the books in sequence.

I have indeed started using the set as part of our daily Chinese lessons. We are taking our time to go through each section and the boys have already picked up the terms for family members and parts of the body and are starting on new vocabulary for the different parts of a house. I have been writing out the words on flash cards to reinforce their learning with games and actions. I love the fact that it's finally working for us! We are gradually working through the set of 18 books, categorised in order of difficulty. This homeschool mama is going to take these books on holiday with us, because it will be so easy to learn on the go!
These are perfect for homeschoolers wanting to teach their children new vocabulary!

Enjoying the lesson on parts of the body!
The simple way we learn - simple but effective!

The second set I ordered was a lovely illustrated series of stories on values (影响孩子一生的情商故事（15册+5张DVD+父母导读手册) which came with accompanying DVDs. My sons are visual and auditory learners too and love audio books, so I thought this might work for them. Well, turns out they love the books themselves so much that we have only watched the DVDs once. The series has been perfect for bedtime with the sweet and gentle illustrations and tales of animal adventures which put forth a clear message without being overly moralistic like the Chinese books I was so familiar with and disliked in my childhood. The authors and illustrators are from Spain, Italy and the US!

These books have become fodder for mealtime discussions too. There's the one about the bear who was bored and decided to paint the world around him different colours; it talks about contentment and  the beauty of nature just the way it is. My boys' favourite at the moment (because it resonates with them a bit too much, I admit!) is about a cake making competition which turned into a disaster because each animal claimed his was best. In the end, they learned to cooperate to make the best and most "luscious, delectable cake" ever, as my 5-year-old puts it. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the set of 15 with them!
Each of these stories is based on a value or character trait to be emphasised.
And for the book treats... I could not wait to see what Meiru had handpicked for our boys!

My favourite choice was the set by a Korean author and illustrator which teaches very specific concepts in Chinese like colours, prepositions, and parts of the body; loved the humour infused in the stories!
Learning about prepositions in Chinese!
Inspired by the book 纸飞机飞到哪里去了？Is the airplane flying over my head?
Another book which I personally could not imagine ploughing through for its length was 100晨的房子. More than its length, I wasn't sure if my 5-year-old would find the concept interesting yet at his age. But he loved it! We enjoyed a nice afternoon going through and counting the different levels up to 100, and predicting the kinds of animals he was going to find living at each level. It was a fun read!

A fun read, involving counting and lots of visual discrimination!
To be enjoyed next...
And this one too!
And so we have it! This blog post sure took a long time to write because of the bounty of books we had to review and enjoy. I must say it was one of our most enjoyable reviews of the year... and the enjoyment is carrying on, because, as quoted in Flip for Joy's Christmas promotion of a free $5 e-voucher for any expenditure over $50, a book is a gift you can open again and again. Thank you, Flip for Joy, for helping us bring the joy back into learning the language on our homeschooling journey!

 And now to share the joy with others in this season of peace, joy and giving:

 Parenting on Purpose is pleased to host a giveaway for Flip for Joy books. Simply complete the following by 20 Dec 2015. Two readers will be selected to win a $20 e-gift card each. The card is valid for one time usage and may be used within the next 6 months:
1. Like Parenting on Purpose on Facebook. 
2. Like the Parenting on Purpose Facebook post of the review and share the post on your Facebook account.
3. Visit Flip for Joy at www.flipforjoy.com.sg/bookstore 
4. Leave a comment under the  Facebook post telling us which is your favourite title and why. 
"A book is a gift you can open again and again." - Garrison Keillor
Share the joy of reading this Christmas and receive a $5 Flip for Joy e-gift card (valid for 6 months) for every $50 nett spent in the month of December.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Sapana VJanuary 27, 2017 at 12:29 AM

    Chinese is a tough language to learn in comparison to English. Good efforts are required to learn and even more for teaching. Good Luck.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Malacca with the Kids: March 2015

Malacca has always been our go-to place for a short getaway. Most of the time, it's been without the kids. We love soaking in the ambience of Jonker Street and strolling by the river. Of course, the food never fails to draw us back to this laidback town with its sleepy atmosphere. The facade of Malacca has, however, changed over the years. Imposing mega malls loom over two-storey shophouses. I would probably have not brought the boys along as the streets are narrow and traffic seemingly never ebbing, but when I googled "Malacca for Kids" this time round, there were quite a few options for the kids to enjoy. Of course, the main reason why we decided to go was because we were attending my dearest  cousin's wedding dinner. This brings back memories of how my cousins and I used to hang around at Chinese restaurants. We would be so thrilled to be on an actual stage... And our choice of accommodation was largely influenced by the water play area wh...
1 comment
Read more

Setting Up a Finnish School in the Home

The issue of private tuition has again come to the forefront after a senior education official pronounced in parliament that the Singapore education system is "run on the basis that tuition is not necessary". Ms Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Education, added that schools provide "comprehensive levelling-up programmes" as well as remedial and supplementary classes to support weaker students. In the days that followed, mainstream and social media agencies were abuzz with reports from parents and students alike, many of whom disagreed with Ms Indranee's assessment of the education scene. They argued that private tuition is already a multi-million dollar industry, and that its very existence disputes notions that tuition is unnecessary. From the perspective of an educator in Singapore, I can understand the comments made by the Senior Minister of State, especially since it is the responsibility of the Education Ministry to teach our school childre...
9 comments
Read more

"Monkeying Around": A Review of My Gym Singapore

Our 2/1/2-year old son E has always been an active child. When he was an infant, E would crawl around and get into all sorts of mischief, until one day when he discovered that he could climb on  his poor Daddy, in an inspired moment of pretend play - Daddy was his mountain and he was Sir Edmund Hilary - the first person to scale Mt Everest! It was therefore with great excitement that we we heard that Parenting on Purpose had been invited by My Gym Singapore  to participate in a series of four classes. We agreed at once; knowing that our little boy would thoroughly enjoy gym class - this was also a chance for our exuberant toddler to work off his energy and hopefully fall fast asleep after getting home. Our little son having a swing of a time at gym class.  My Gym  has an interesting educational philosophy that emphasises building self esteem in children. This is an excerpt from the company's website: The philosophy that guides My Gym’s programming and bre...
3 comments
Read more

Schooling for Gold: a Parent Reflects on Singapore's First Olympic Gold Medallist

50.39 seconds. The (less than) one minute of time that made history for the small island nation of Singapore. Millions in Singapore and around the world watched as 21-year-old Joseph Schooling defeated his long-time idol and heavily-decorated Olympian Michael Phelps, the man described as "the most-decorated Olympian of all time". Indeed most of the international news footage had been previously focussed on Phelps, given that the American is expected to retire at this year's Rio Olympics. The New York Times even ran an article with the headline: " Somebody (His Name’s Joseph Schooling) Finally Beats Michael Phelps"! For Joseph Schooling, it could not have been a prouder moment, as he not only bagged Singapore's first and only Olympic Gold, it was also a race that proved he had not only matched, but also beaten his childhood idol. Indeed a 2008 photograph of 13-year-old Schooling standing side by side with Michael Phelps has been spreading like wildfire o...
1 comment
Read more

Hong Kong for Kids: Our Dorsett Wanchai Experience

It was only a few months back when we had our lovely holiday experience in Hong Kong. We had then stayed in the Cosmopolitan Hotel, a lovely place located at the northern tip of Hong Kong island, near the world-famous Ocean Park. Most people have asked us why we chose Hong Kong as a destination for our kids given the island's reputation as more of a food and shopping paradise. We shared with them that there is actually more than meets the eye to this territory known affectionately as the "Pearl of the Orient".  The view from Stanley, one of our favourite spots in the beautiful city of Hong Kong. Rooms in Hong Kong are small, and we had a hard time looking for a place to stay that could meet the needs of our two very energetic children. We settled for the Cosmopolitan Hotel, given that it was one of the few hotels that had affordable prices for its Family Quad Room, a large room that could accommodate all four of us comfortably. We were pleasantly surprised when we r...
11 comments
Read more

A Safe Space: Adventures in Fostering

Fostering challenges traditional notions of what a family is and what a family should be. At the end of the day, what is your idea of "family"? The younger child seemed a little troubled during bedtime. "Mummy..." he said. "Yes Darling," replied Mummy. "It will be very sad when R has to go home to the tummy mummy and daddy one day."  "Yes, Darling. It will be very sad." "But it's all up to God, right?" "Yes it is. You know that R's tummy mummy and daddy can't take care of any child right now? That's why R is with us." "Yes I know. R is with us just for awhile. Not like Kor Kor and I. The four of us are a forever family." "Yes we are. So how will you feel when R goes back to the tummy mummy and daddy?" "It will be sad, but it will be all right." The older child, who was a silent participant in the conversation, decided to speak at th...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Father I Will Never Be

We recently went on a holiday to Fraser's Hill, one of the less-visited places in Malaysia. For Sue and I, this is a place that is filled with memories. It was, for her, a childhood oasis, a place where her family would visit year after year, and build many precious memories together. It was, for me, a special place where I visited with a band of dear brothers during our university days, and where we set a stake in the ground, to declare that we wanted to surrender all of our days to the glory of God. It was, for Sue and I, the location of our honeymoon, the place where we enjoyed our first few days of marital bliss; the place where we chiselled our marriage covenant and planned for our future as one.  This is how I remember Fraser's Hill. Shrouded in mist and somewhat mysterious; a grand legacy of days gone by. I remember my first visit there as a single young man, not yet a quarter of a century old, but yet imbued with the desire to be the best father I could be sho...
2 comments
Read more

The Insecurities of a Homeschooling Dad

Social media can be very deceiving. We scroll through the news feeds of people we know (or of celebrity bloggers and content experts), and assume that they are living perfect lives. With every holiday photo they post, every food picture presented, or every insightful article they write, we slip into social media envy and  assume that our friends are enjoying the time of their lives. And many people assume that of me as well. They seem to think that I am living the dream life with a wonderful job and wonderful kids. And when I meet people at my various engagements, I seem to get the nod that I am the model citizen of social media society.  A recent holiday in Disneyland. After long queues under the hot sun, we were quite the "model" family! There is some truth to this. At this moment, I can say that there is no other job I would rather do; to be my own boss and to conduct training workshops for others, sometimes with my wife; what more could a man ask for? And my kids? T...
2 comments
Read more

Parenting Your Child for Marriage

It's not often that the Father of the Bride gets to speak at a wedding. Oftentimes, the only words are in response to the question, "Who presents this woman to be married to this man?" In that instance, it is normally a mild-mannered man, one who shuns the attention of the moment, who barely manages to whisper out the refrain, "I do."  A precious photo of a very special couple.  This was completely not what happened at a wedding I was at almost three weeks ago. In response to that question, the Father of the Bride seemed to have an entire speech prepared for the Groom, "I present to you the key to my daughter's heart, " he declared. "I have protected her heart all her life until this point, and now I am handing over this responsibility to you." And with a firm voice, he presented this solemn reminder: "Remember that you will not be able to do this on your own, but only with God's help, and by spending time with Him daily....
Post a Comment
Read more

Of Yellow Ribbons & Fathers for Life - the Legacy of Jason Wong

Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree It's been three long years Do ya still want me If I don't see a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree I'll stay on the bus Forget about us Put the blame on me If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree The old folk song Tie A Yellow Ribbon is based on a delightful American story that tells of an ex-convict who returns home to his loved one after serving time in prison. Prior to his release, he had requested for her to tie a yellow ribbon around a tree outside of the town where she lived. And if there was no ribbon there, he would simply go on his way, understanding that she might never forgive him. However, when he passed by the tree, there were 100 yellow ribbons, symbolising that his sweetheart had forgiven him, and that he would be welcomed home. Learning to love and accept one another. The popular Yellow Ribbon Project is based on this premise. Founded in 2004 by Senior Prisons Of...
Post a Comment
Read more