Reasons Why I Started The Great Leap Academy

I am not a professional educator nor do I have a business degree. I came up with the premise for this business before I knew much about it. I am simply a mom who homeschools and sings and really hopes to make a difference in this world. I have traveled to many different countries and this has helped me learn the ins and outs of what a real world education looks like. The decision to start an enrichment school business was born of a magical, spur of the moment epiphany and I was encouraged to make it a reality by the shortcomings I saw in today’s society and with traditional schooling. These shortcomings are:

1.      Society deems that going to college is a must when it shouldn’t be.

In today’s society it is often implied to our young people that it is impossible to succeed in life without a college degree. This could not be further from the truth. While college is one way to be successful, there are so many other ways to achieve success as well. If your child strives to become a doctor, then college is a must to make that dream a reality, and there is nothing wrong with that. But if your child wants to be something else such as a farmer, an artist, an insurance agent, or an actor then those are all attainable without a college degree. There are plenty of mid to high paying jobs available that do not require a college degree and do not want to limit my child’s future with just one path for him to choose from: college or nothing. College is not meant for everyone and there are so many other options out there.

2.      Irrelevance within traditional schooling.

Part of the problem that I have with traditional schooling in today’s society is the teaching of mostly irrelevant or useless information. An example of a subject that is irrelevant to be taught in school is Filipino. Don’t get me wrong, I want my child to learn how to speak Filipino, but I accomplish that by speaking to him in Filipino and going to different historical places. To me that is the best way to learn a subject, by immersing yourself in it and making it a part of your daily life. For me, studying Filipino for 10 years is a waste of time.  Being forced to learn what “pandiwa” and “pang-abays” are will not be relevant in your adult life.

Unless a child aspires to be an engineer, architect, or mathematician then I see no reason for him to waste years of his life studying subjects such as Trigonometry or Geometry. It makes more sense to cater the learning to the subjects that most interest the child and it is easy to determine what children are interested in during the early stages of their lives. As a homeschooling mom I encourage my son to study what interests him most. If I can tell that he likes dinosaurs more than constellations, then I focus on dinosaurs. If he does not seem interested in learning about the parts of a flower then I try teaching him the parts of a car instead.  My style of teaching is based on the things my child is interested in as well as other important factors such as character formation, financial literacy, literacy in reading and writing, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, learning to use a calculator, learning how to pay bills and write a check, and other general life skills. Basically, I make sure he learns the basics but allow him to do in depth studies on the subjects that he finds interesting. I find this to be more efficient and easier than forcing him to spend an entire semester studying something he finds boring.

3.      Traditional schools kill a child’s creativity.

 (Photo Credit: https://abeerelkotb.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/reflection-on-video-4-school-kills-creativity/)

During his famous TED talk in 2006, Sir Ken Robinson discussed his beliefs on why traditional education kills creativity. According to him, traditional school is built to be a one size fits all program which forces children to all think the same way. To me all children are different and should be allowed to express themselves and learn in their own way. Some children are visual learners while others are kinesthetic learners. The style of learning that works with one child isn’t necessarily the best style of learning for the next child. There are many different forms of intelligence, such as being nature smart, musically smart, reasoning smart, word smart, etc. Just because a child does not make the honor roll doesn’t mean that he is not smart, it just means the school is measuring everyone on one form of intelligence which is different from his. Traditional school does not afford children to be able to share different forms of creativity or imagination or grow their kind of intelligence. Our children are the future leaders of our country and we need them to be able to think outside the box, and traditional schools do not encourage them to do so.

4.      Most enrichment centers in the Philippines are focused on one program and they are far from one another.

This is a problem to most parents, especially during the summer. When a child wants to be involved in different activities, or two siblings have different interests, each center is far from the other. For example: one of your children wants to take up ballet but the other child wants to take up painting and music. Well, the ballet school is 1 KM from your home, the painting classes are 5 KM from your home, and the music school is another 3 KM from your home. All this driving around from place to place is time consuming and not cost effective. This is one of the many reasons why my partners, consultants and I developed the Great Leap Academy.

The Great Leap Academy is the first enrichment school to take different kinds of research-based, internationally-recognized enrichment programs and put them all under one roof. Coming to our center is like being able to shop for different programs based on your child’s interests or weaknesses. At Great Leap Academy you will find a roster of programs including:

·         Music Together - from the U.S.

·         Ikids Mental Arithmetic – from Malaysia

·         Mighty Math – from Singapore

·         Mighty Science – from Singapore

·         And so much more!

Here at Great Leap Academy we believe that it is essential to expose children to many different enrichment programs, which is why we offer a full suite of supplemental classes that consist of:

·         Math

·         Science

·         Music & Movement

·         Drama

·         Ballet

·         Sports

·         Reading & Language

Our in depth classes are taught by specially trained teachers who give each child in-depth, focus experience learning. You will be amazed by how much your child will learn and how much fun they will have doing it! Our balanced approach provides opportunities for your child to grow, develop a positive outlook, acquire a love for learning, and become confident during their well-spent time at The Great Leap Academy.

The Great Leap Academy also offers a one on one tutorial program which supports additional learning to homeschoolers and after-schoolers. This program can help your child succeed in either traditional school or homeschool. Parents can choose from many different lesson types for these sessions and a lesson plan will be curtailed to your child’s specific needs.

I realized that there should be an enrichment program like this in the Philippines, and since there wasn’t, I made one. It was a problem within our society and I set out to solve it. Overcoming problems is what helps us to evolve. Finding a solution to a problem is what led us to create The Great Leap Academy. I hope you will join us. :)

The Miracle Story Of Our Little DC

            

        Four years ago, when he was just four months old, my little DC was diagnosed with vesicoureteral reflux or VUR. Vesico-uretic reflux (VUR) occurs when the valve between the ureters and the bladder is not working properly. Urine can flow backwards into the ureters, sometimes as far as the kidneys. If infected urine flows into the kidneys, this can damage them. There are 5 grades of VUR reflux and my son was diagnosed with grade 5, the most severe.

                Each month we had to rush him to the Emergency Room because he was having high fever, chills and turning blue. We always hoped for good news, but it seemed like we never heard any. The doctors told us that high grade reflux, especially grade 5, rarely resolved on its own despite years of observation and treatment. We were told to prepare ourselves both emotionally and financially for the very real possibility that our son would need to undergo major surgery at the age of 3. They also told us that if his condition worsens and surgery won’t work, he may eventually require a kidney transplant. The news was devastating. At an age when most children were excited about starting school, my son would be waiting for a kidney donor to appear so that he could live.

                Every day for the first four years of his life, he has had to take prophylactic antibiotics in order to avoid urinary tract infections and renal scarring. Each year he was exposed to all different types of machines that emit radiation, such as ultrasound scans and voiding cystourethograms (VCUG). He even had to have a circumcision in order to clear the passage to his urethra.

                We prayed every night. We went from church to church and pleaded with God through the intercession of Mama Mary (Our Lady of Manaoag) to please cure our precious little boy. Sometimes I would feel like maybe he was cured already because to look at him he appeared so healthy, but it was never the case.

                And then August 22 came, a date that is forever burned in our memories as the most special day of the year, because on that day the doctors announced that our precious baby’s VUR had been downgraded from grade 5 to grade 1 and he would no longer be required to take the antibiotics. My tears of joy are overflowing. There are not enough words on earth that can express the sincere gratitude I feel towards all of his doctors – Dr. Bisnar, a truly phenomenal urosurgeon, Dr. Canonigo the best pediatric nephrologist, and last but certainly not least I also express my gratitude to Dr. Bolong, his fantastic pediatric urologist.

                For four years I prayed for a miracle. Even in the depths of despair I never gave up hope. Some people shrug miracles off as being merely coincidence or hopeless fantasy, but every time I see my son laughing and playing I am reminded of just how real they are. 

3 Reasons It Is OK To Homeschool (or Unschool) Your Teenager

School break season is over and children are heading back to school. While many children are excited about getting back into the classroom, there are many others whose stomachs are filled with dread at the thought. The transition from grade school to high school can leave some teenagers feeling overwhelmed or unhappy. The social hierarchy of high school has students dealing with the formations of cliques, bullies, and social pressure to fit in which can lead your once happy learner to become sullen and feeling lackluster about school. If your teenager has fallen out of love with school, there are other learning options available. Allowing your child to learn at home in his own way and at his own pace may sound scary when you have always followed the rules of structured learning, but many teenagers who are struggling in school become happy and find a renewed vigor for learning once they are able to learn in a home environment that they are comfortable in. If the thought of letting your child learn at home has you feeling a bit wary, consider these facts:

Children Who Are Unschooled Do Go To College

            

It is a myth that only those with a high school diploma can go to college. Millions of homeschooled kids have attended college locally and even in Ivy League colleges in the States. In fact, many homeschooled/unschooled kids enroll in college as early as when they are sixteen. While they may sometimes have to go through more loopholes than traditionally schooled kids, the fact of the matter is that anything that can be done with a high school diploma can also be done without one. Many unschooled adults hold a college degree, and not because their parents forced them to go to college, but because they themselves wanted to go.

Many Unschooled Children Grow Up to Have Strong Leadership Skills

            

In a structured school setting, much emphasis is put on learning academics, but there is no focus on teaching time management and self-motivation. The students do what they are supposed to do when they are supposed to do it because a teacher or a parent tells them that they have to. But children who learn outside of the structured school environment have the responsibility put solely on their shoulders. If they want to become a doctor one day, then they have to take the initiative to focus their time and energy performing tasks and learning skills that will get them there, without anyone standing behind them telling them that they have to. For this reason unschooled children do better when they go off to college than many traditionally schooled children simply because while all that freedom and responsibility is new to traditionally schooled children, there are skills that unschooled children have already mastered. The early development of these skills leads unschooled children to grow up to be highly motivated, self-driven, and responsible adults, who in turn make great leaders.

Unschooled Children Are Sociable

            

There is a bit of a stigma surrounding untraditionally schooled children that leads people to falsely believe that they are “weird” or socially awkward. This could not be further from the truth. Children who are schooled in a home environment participate in sports, church, and community activities just like traditionally schooled children. If anything, unschooled children are often better socialized than their traditional counterparts because instead of doing the majority of their socializing solely with children their own age, unschooled children socialize with children and adults of all ages, which better prepares them for having to deal with people of all ages once they reach adulthood.

            

If your child is struggling to learn or fit in at school, then consider letting him start this school year by learning at home in his own way. Keep in mind that school is one place where children can learn and grow, but it is not the only place. Instead of dreading the school year, you and your teenager could be excitedly imagining new possibilities. If you need more information, there's this book entitled Homeschooling: The Teen Years which you may download in Kindle at $14.00. This book reveals secrets on how to make homeschooling work for you and your teen, plus, it has inspiring stories from real homeschooling families. 

Watch this Heart-Wrenching Video and Help Save Babies with Patau Syndrome

Here's a very heart-wrenching moment of parents with their precious child. The couple who knew that their unborn child was not developing properly documented their own journey. Watching it made me realize the most painful experience a parent could have.

 

                                                          Credits: Dallas Morning News via YouTube

Support

Sadly, many of the children with Patau Syndrome do not reach their first birthday. Let us support and help raise awareness and funds to families with children with Patau Syndrome. Go to www.trisomy.org for more information on how to help and donate.

 Patau Syndrome, also called Trisomy 13 syndrome is a disorder of human chromosomes which occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 live born infants. Trisomy refers to three copies of a chromosome instead of the normal two and in Trisomy 13 there is the presence of an extra #13 chromosome. Approximately 80% of infants with Trisomy 13 syndrome will have a full trisomy (affecting all cells) while the remainder will have a trisomy due to a rearrangement of cells called a translocation (an attachment of all or part of one chromosome to another chromosome) or have mosaicism (two different cell lines in an individual such as normal cells and trisomy cells).
Infants born with Trisomy 13 have a recognizable pattern of physical features that often allows the health professional to make the diagnosis of the syndrome. (Genetic testing must be done to confirm diagnosis.) Notable physical birth defects and, sometimes, anatomic changes of internal organs are present. Findings of significance include small head size (microcephaly); small eyes (microphthalmia) or sometimes an absent eye or faulty development of the retina. Cleft lip or cleft palate or both occur in about 60% of children. In addition, there are a number of less medically significant physical findings that are helpful in diagnosis. These include variations of ear shape, changes on the palm of the hand, and extra fingers and toes. Changes in foot development, including changes to the heel, the so-called rocker bottom foot, can occur.

Source of information: John C. Carey, MD, MPH, Medical Advisor for SOFT
Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics, University of Utah
Copyright 2012
Support Organization for Trisomy 18, 13 and Related Disorders
2982 South Union St. Rochester, NY 14624 800-716-7638
www.trisomy.org

Homeschooling Conference 2014

I and my husband just attended Educating For Life Homeschooling Conference last September 6 in Bayanihan Center and I was amazed by numerous people that are so passionate about home schooling.  The conference was organized by Unilab, TheLearning Basket, Manila Workshops and supported by HAPI or the Homeschool Association of thePhilippine Island.

Keynote speaker Irma Chua, who is a mom of six, shared her experience doing homeschooling in the Philippines for about 20 years. Haven’t you realized it yet? Home education is a lifestyle! It is the learning and bonding process that makes our family experience worth dying for togetherJ. 

Big Daddy Jake, Dennis Poliquit, also shared his experience being a homeschooling dad of his two twins. My favorite mommy blogger Tina Rodriguez of Truly Rich Mom shared her wisdom too! 

Formal Homeschooling in the Future

Honestly, I am more on “unschooling” Little DC right now. We do not  have a homeschool provider and we don't follow a formal curriculum. All our activities are play-based and based on my son's interest. I am not an expert and even after the conference, I still have a lot of questions in mind. 

My only problem with formal homeschooling is the formal curriculum and my problem with the formal curriculum is “irrelevance”. There are a lot of topics that I have to teach which for me is not needed for my son’s future. Please correct me if i'm wrong but if I continue with unschooling method and only teach based on my son’s interest, he won’t get any diploma right? I have this kind of dilemma and I still need more time to ponder and evaluate what I need to teach my son.  

Parents should learn to explore viable options for their kids. It may be scary at first, but, all it takes to homeschool (I think) is just time management and PASSION (and may I add Patience! A lot of it!). I truly believe that it is something to keep and develop here in the Philippines, especially now that sending a child to school is getting more expensive.

The event is very inspiring but I wish DepEd would have participated by giving us insights on how to properly organize our home education sessions. (Or maybe DepEd was there but i didn't pay attention coz i was busy shopping books and cds at The Learning Basket?  haha!) 

Parents need a very detailed or a technical guide about home education. Being a newbie, I sometimes find it frustrating to go reading from blog to blog just to search the instructions from DepEd. These questions still remain in my mind

1.   Where do we get the instructions online that come from DepEd?

2.   Where can we get a cheaper resource or materials?

3.   How do we get a good “customized” curriculum that won’t put us in a dilemma later on when we enroll our kids to college?

4.   If I choose to homeschool independently, where can I get the right support? What I mean by this is communicating with the right authority here in the Philippines, not just forums where interpretation totally differs at times.

For me, homeschooling is not a matter of trial and error. This decision must be taken seriously because it involves the lives and future of our children. When you decide to homeschool, you must be passionate about it. It is a decision which requires your commitment to continue your purpose with confidence. Good thing that the speakers were so good in helping us understand what homeschooling is all about.

P.S. We are trying to raise good children who will be the future of our country. Why is it that home education is not getting as much support as the private schools? What do we need to do to set up this system? I need your thoughts teacher mommies. Until we meet again in the next conference!

Before Five In A Row

I am a very relaxed teacher mommy. I homeschool (unschool) Little DC everyday in "petiks-mode". Right now I only depend on his time. Everything that we do is learning to him. We do not rely on a structured curriculum or a planned activity. We learn through play, but I always make it a point to read and sing to him every morning and evening. I refuse to call that a structure but a religious routine ever since he was inside my tummy. I am happy that Little DC loves books and learning for him has always been filled with excitement and enthusiasm. Right now we are using Before Five In A Row (BFIAR) books bought from Rainbow Resource for our daily reading ritual. As much as possible, we try to associate or connect our activities that day with the book. My style is, we do not plan the activities out or as written in the BFIAR curriculum, we just go with the flow based on my son's interest that day and try to connect its relevance to the book. So happy that Little DC loves his BFIAR books already. Sometimes he would ask me to read 5 different books in a day. 

I Teach My Son the Other Way – Talk to Strangers

I know you must be wondering why I let my Little DC talk to strangers. Not talking to people you don’t know is not all about safety. It is about how you can teach your child about communicating politely with others and using common sense when there is danger or not. How could my child learn how to prevent danger when he himself cannot tell danger from ordinary events?

(Photo Credit: http://www.narrativecommunications.com/)

Trusting my son’s perceptions

Not all strangers are bad. Who else will they turn to if they're lost and need help and there's no policeman around? Teaching our children when it's appropriate to talk to strangers and when it's not, could make our children more confident in discriminating bad people in the society. This keeps him safer rather than not knowing at all anything about how the mind of strangers who are bad work. Seriously, if you observe your child, they tend to do what they think they should do and not what you say they should do. We should not argue with what they think is right. I always let experience provide the lesson. We cannot over rule their judgment. We are here to guide without making them feel inconvenient.

 Photo Credit: Julia Passamani http://www.chicagonow.com/

Talking to strangers doesn't mean he should go with the stranger

Little DC’s communication and comprehension skills made him smart and confident in expressing what he feels about other people and towards any event. 

Here are some of our advice to him:

Photo Credit: Diane http://hotdiggetyblog.com/parenting-tip-what-is-the-secret-word/

• There's no big guy or girl who would ask for a toddler's help except me and daddy, so never give help to big guys and girls you don't know. 

• You can talk to people you don't know but never go with them. 

• Run if somebody offers you candies, lollipops, popcorn, sandwich, hotdog, balloons, toys and anything from people you don't know 

• If you are lost, look for a policeman or manong guard. If there are no people in uniform around, look for a lola or a lady who has a child and ask them. 

There is a big difference in the sequence of events. If you are talking about safety, I am confident Little DC could say "no" politely (or maybe rudely). If he is being forced to go with a stranger, then he should make a scene at once to catch the attention of the other adults around. We are actually role playing and practicing shouting "HELP!!!" inside the house already.

Learning how the world behaves

Teaching how to differentiate between threatening situations and how to respond to it makes more sense than not to let them talk with strangers. Evaluating based on instincts could make them safer than just not talking at all. Children are compliant by nature, but I do not want Little DC to lose common sense. I would feel better if I can raise a child who fights than raise a meek one whom the world can abuse later. Every day life is a fight and Little DC is on it. He is strong and getting smarter each day. This is one good way to develop logical and analytical thinking skills – talk to strangers!