Think Ahead is one of the offerings we have for this summer.  Just like our other programs, it will run for about a month, 22 days to be exact.  As per what I’ve written in the brochure, Think Ahead will offer advanced lessons in Reading and Math, in a stress-free and encouraging learning environment.

Teachers at this point might say, yeah right, easier said than done.  Yup, I admit that this program is not going to be a walk in the park.  On the contrary, it will be complicated and tricky.  It will involve a lot of thinking and planning.  Reading and Math encompass a lot of skills.  Hence, time pressure is imminent.  I have to produce evident results in less than a month.  To make matters more challenging, I’ve been handling toddlers for quite some time now and suddenly, I am to make a 360 degree turn, and teach the oldest preschoolers.  Honestly, I am nervous as hell… but, thankfully, the adventurous me is all hyped and excited.  I am looking forward to planning and conceptualizing the program.  It will be tough but I am ready to face it.  Hence, I started this topic to document my activities as I go through the whole Think Ahead process.  Hopefully, the end-product of it all is an effective and reliable program for reading and math.

Well, that’s what I did with my costume… I improvised!  As a teacher, we are also required to be in any national costume.  Now this is pretty much stressful for me… with me being so pregnant and all.  Good thing pregnant ladies seem to get all the luck.  I have a friend who lent me a preggy gown that with a little bit of imagination, can be transformed into a national costume for India.  Though it was a bit big, I settled for it.  This leaves me with a second dilemma.  Indian women are heavily accessorized.   If I were to buy chunky gold earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, I might as well go back to Plaridel and rent a 500 peso Kimono.  I was determined to make everything low cost that’s why I came up with an ingenious plan.  I bought 2 yards of fancy gold ribbons (the ones with plenty of glittery embellishments) and made my own.  Also, I bought a pack of gold sequins and a false eyelash glue.  The next day, I woke up early and rigidly put together what I had been imagining all night.  After less than two hours, I believe I have almost perfected the looks of an Indian woman… for only 100 pesos…  I am so proud of myself!

So you see, with a little bit of money but plenty of ingenuity and imagination, you can make anything happen!

I am aware of how difficult it is to search the internet and local bookstores for instructional materials such as flashcards. Faced with that dilemma, I decided to make my own by sourcing the net for images, doing my own lay-out, printing, and laminating. As I was doing this, I realized that even if there are a thousand images ready to be copied, most are water-marked… I guess not all artists are really willing to share their pictures to us. However, with a few editing, I managed to come up with a decent number of cards for lessons we tackled in class. Flashcards are valuable tools in the classroom, especially when it comes to building vocabulary and comprehension skills. So here below are some flash cards I used in my own class… feel free to print and use them. (more…)

Our theme for the month of January is “Ways to Travel”. I am now in the process of coming up with some worksheets related to the topic. Will be adding more in the coming days.

Worksheet 1: Counting Things that Go (1 to 5)

Worksheet 2: Color the Cars (Reading color words)

Worksheet 3: Big and Small Transportation

Worksheet 4: Park the Cars! (Tracing Broken Lines)

Worksheet 5: Circle the Same Pictures (Transportation)

Worksheet 6: Land, Water, and Air Transportation (Color and Sort)

Worksheet 8: Trucks and Letters( M,S,L,F,T,H)

Worksheet 9: Cars and Numbers (Matching)