Keeping Notes

A habit we inculcate since he learns his alphabet. We give him notebooks and let him scribble, doodle, write stories and whatever he wants in it. And fill up the books he certainly did. He drew. He writes. He learns to spell by doing it.

He used to spend the time commuting from our home to his kindie, which was 30 minutes away (but only 5 minutes walk from his grandad's home) writing and drawing in the notebooks. He doesn't do this in the car anymore now that he's older, preferring to chat with us more. But he still has unlimited supply of notebooks and he's allowed to use it any way he wants. He has unlimited supply of A4 papers too. ;p It's nice to sometime flip through the books and "read" all the stories he conjured up.

I mentioned this once. My Mom used to think that it is a waste to spend time doodling away like this. I don't. I think of it as a creative outlet. For his imagination to be set free. Life and learning shouldn't just come from memorising textbook. 

Anyways, he learnt alphabets and numbers by a game we play in the car - I let him read out the number plates of the cars in front of us. Flashcards were boring (for me and him) but the "game" was fun! He learnt his addition and subtraction eating french fries - by counting them. Worked, I guess. Because he is quite good in maths (and science too). But I guess I somehow let languages suffer. His Arabic is good but Malay & English are his weak subjects.

Comments

  1. "Life and learning shouldn't just come from memorising textbook." Could we please appoint you as Japan's minister of education?!

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    1. Education in Malaysia isn't all the perfect either. We parents lament about the obsession of having perfect grades in school exams, the quality of our education and complain loudly about less-than-average teachers but while at it, we send our kids to tuition, subject them to hours and hours of memorising etc. I still do not see why children at the age of two needs to bring home homework from daycare but ask these to other parents, they say it's because otherwise their children won't be able to catch up. Catch up for what? An all A in tests?

      But don't mind me. I'm too ambivalent about it. Thank goodness that boy of mine has good brain. With a set of parents that aren't hellbent about him getting great results, it'll probably be a complete disaster for him and his future.

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  2. Good for him. I can't count for nuts but maybe if I try the french fries approach, it might help me ... LOL!

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    Replies
    1. LOL.

      Well, you make good amount of $$$ even with that "counting deficiency" of yours. ;p

      Delete
  3. Arabic is so popular here in London.
    There so so many rich customers from Kuwait.
    They spend a lot of money on perfumes!

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    Replies
    1. Plenty of them here too, and not just as tourists spending big money. ^^

      Anyway, it's different from my time. No all school offered Arabic. But Malay kids now all learn Arabic in National schools (and of course in religious school too!)

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  4. how nice having such a mommy that is so not contemporary, allowing all creativity and innovation.. :)

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    1. Either that or the Mommy so lazy to make sure Son work hard. xD

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  5. but i guess another reason is that raimie is brought up very well, he's a good boy, so giving him unlimited supply of papers will never be a wrong thing to do..

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    1. Unlimited supply doesn't mean he can waste them tau! A4 papers are used for maths calculation or doing origami. If he want to doodle, then it's the *free Mommy got them from Bankers* notebook. ^^

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  6. unlike my two nephews, keep asking for papers yet just scribble a little and then flip to a new page and leaving the whole house so messy with flying papers around!!

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    1. Kids like that lar.. Raimie also was like that at first but now he learns not to waste paper. Use one piece of paper and write on it until it's full, just like Mommy likes to do. ;p

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  7. maybe to be more environmental friendly, use recycled papers lah.. or maybe get him a tab/pad so he can scribble electronically~~ :)

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    1. Yeah, a pad/tab maybe more environmental friendly BUT they are so not pocket/wallet friendly. Hallo - even his Mommy still uses a RM400 handphone remember? ;p

      Or you want to sponsor izit? ;)

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  8. hey, i think the car plate game is a good one!! can help them to learn addition of numbers in a very effective way.. also to train on their memory too.. :)

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    1. and it beats boredom of being stuck in a jam.

      I somehow don't quite agree with people putting a player in their cars. At home watch TV, in car also watch ah? Better talk with your passengers lar...

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  9. Ooooh, he has got unlimited supply of notebooks? I need a lot! Can I have some that are not used? ;)) ;)) :p

    Yes, I do agree with you on doodling and setting our imagination free.

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    Replies
    1. I've got a lot, free ones every year. After distributing them to colleagues in my department, I usually have a few left over and I brought them home for Raimie's use. Hubby brings back a few too. Love free notebooks! ;)

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    2. how cool is that! I'd love free notebooks! ;))

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  10. wahhhh aku pun suka notebook2 nih :D hmmm tapi adam aku idak minat sangat lahhhh.. ada je alasan untuk tidak menulis apa2. tapi anis ok lahhh, sekarang dok sibuk belajar bahasa korea pulakkk.. hadehhhhh..

    bagus la Raimie nih !!

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    Replies
    1. bahasa Korea senang sket pada Jepun. Tak fenin belajar kanji sebab hangul tu simple jerk. ;)

      Anis - hwaiting! ^^

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