It's just another week which we are not progressing and doing homeschool as we always. MS had suddenly experience nose bleeding every night with severe headache. I give it couple of days to see how it's going on. Alhamdulillah it's reduce. Possibly hub said I had heater on for too hot, although I put it on timer. Temperature is playing out and it was so hard to figure out the average temperature.
PS is on her mock exam week, therefore she as usual nervous. This had also give me some stress and to try to familiar or how to go through mock exam with online school. The exam paper will be able to upload on the morning of the exam on the day the lesson is. All paper is on high tier. Some of them she haven't got to learn yet. She's panicking. But, I told her, we still got couple of month to go through. This time I know she will have to listen to my strategy in learning.
I am also found out that while I don't like exam orientated learning style, which what I am trying to do in our homeschool, it can be slightly hard when suddenly coming to study for exam. Learning for knowledge and learning for exam is totally different. Especially over here in UK, there are several exam board. Not all exam paper is on same topic. Therefore the curriculum had to be teach depends on exam board. I know couple of homeschool in North East where they had took GCSE. But, not IGCSE. PS will take International GCSE as what it's call now. Which is same level as O level and also she will have to go for higher tier. Therefore the exam can be really tough. So, the learning style had to change from learning to study for knowledge to learning for exam. Especially International GCSE is fully theory exam without any coursework.
Therefore I had learn many things here. I had putting very less pressure on kid and possibly mix of unschooling method as well. But, I found out this are not really good when it comes to exam. Well, of course it depends on what exam board you take and what tier. I want my kids possibly except AS who will Insya Allah go to Darul Ulom, the other will take IGCSE. I would like them to take higher tier especially with maths. For other subject as well, from Key Stage 4, we had to target what exam board will be because many books out there is mainly for ACA, not Edexcel. Also depends on GCSE or IGCSE.
I am actually glad that I can see things clearly altough not fully clearly with PS case. I was relaxing before because with first college as well as I do expect she can take the exam when ever she ready. I don't in some way putting pressure for them on exam, because I do want to play with their head that we learn for exam. But, in some way, it is important. to help to see through how kids are doing. And how they going to put what they learn into paper. It's different. As what I found out, learning from video, documentary and etc, sort of unschooling method, is good for learning and knowledge and if the kids do not have to take exam especially as IGCSE exam. It's ok if we the parent aka teacher only have to grade out own kids. Not others. or if only college and uni only want to see portfolio. This can be the case in UK in many college. But, I do not like kids to actually attend college. Not girls. I possibly will send MS. But, not my girls. college is not a place unless a proper college for A level. I don't like the environment of college.
Therefore like MS , who is on key Stage 4 maths, when it comes to his revision soon, will need to used edexcel book start right from there on top of any other workbook and exercise book. I need to familiarise him with exam format paper as well. I think test is needed from now on , not just for MS but also for S. To actually go through together in lesson and workbook, experiment even presentation about what they learn will not be enough as their brain is not been through time test.
Back to this week, S had finish all her worksheet from midnprinting that I print out. I didn't realise that. I was busy yesterday to go out and haven't manage to print it yet as suddenly I cannot connect my notebook with printer. She likely have around 60 set of worksheet to go with division with mindsprinting. She currently doing 2 set a day, therefore she might be able to finish it by end of this year. From January, she will than start topic on measurement but not with mindsprinting, but with conquer Maths and various printed worksheet.
I am also working with MS and S for science. Every of this lesson now will be done with me. Which in some way make me busy than ever. I think independent learning is not really good in secondary in some way and at some point, unless when they do revision or homework. This is the time when they need guide more than ever. Also lots of time need to be put there on resource, teaching lesson and on lesson it self.
AS is fine. He didn't do much work this week as I was busy with PS and also as I had to start getting back on my business since couple of weeks back. But, this time Insya Allah it will not effect much on our schedule for homeschool as I had got many lesson plan prepare. For AS, we easily catch up. I don't have much plan set up for him on Friday, therefore we usually catch up what we cannot on Friday. He also happy with his karate class now. Alhamdulillah.
PS wanted some extra activities. I told her, I will let her and MS to go bicycle riding on the forest next to our house. It's where people go bike ride and walking. Hub always bring them through there but now he usually go with his friend. Therefore I though PS can go with MS together like half an hour which is the forest is only at the end of our street. I am so particular especially with girls going out on their own. It's safe Alhamdulillah where I live, but I don't want to build confident for her that it's ok to go out on her own unless if she willing to wear full nikab. Which we never discuss about nikab, and I don't mind if she did or not in this very soon, but might be later Insya Allah. When she will be with similar company.
Wasn't much going on, but still today I am going to catch up with what left behind.
5 comments:
Assalamualaykum,
I think you are right about the learning style for exams. It is different and I have been trying to adapt to that style more from the start of secondary. I also find that the kids need more help as they go through secondary - its because the subjects are more complex and we need to guide them on how to answer questions for tests. I know some people say their kids did their exam studies by themselves, but I don't see that happening here!
Also now that Interhigh will be teaching A levels would you consider that for PS?
Salam ummrashid,
Masya Allah, I am totally agree with you. I don't see it happening here as well with the exam! At first I was keeping the learning style as I was thinking that I've been through the exam and so many of them. But, I think the problem is, when the kids are in primary, as well as in school, the curriculum seems relax and suddenly they been bombarded with harder task especially after Key stage 4. Sabeera said that Key stage 3 seems easy, but suddenly everything change when it coem to key stage 4. In school now , they get kids to do exam from year 10. Lots of her school friends said that they did not ready yet and they not even finish the who curriculum yet.
And absolutely I found that kids cannot do their exam by studies themselves. I meant I did went through that before, some subject is fine, but core subject you just can't. Not English, maths and science. Especially if they take IGCSE and higher tier and if we want them to have good result. They need guidance from time to time. Now, I am trying to pull weight on Syameem and Sumrah as much as I can with answering technique and etc. Even I think it's important from small as I had started with seif and this proved a lots when he put answer in his workbook. The answering style if different than just learning for knowledge.! They do need plenty help in secondary than primary. Now I realise, yes. So, it's more hard work I think while they growing. I find out that work for Seif is rather easy peasy to organise, but for secondary is getting harder.
By the way, I am quiet interested in A level with Interhigh. But, unfortunately I had lan for her to attend alimah course from 9-12 am after ramadhan next year, Insya Allah. Therefore she will go through her A level possibly by distance learning. For Syameem, i'm still thinking. I like to send her to college for A level just to get him a bit more into team work and etc, but still see how things goes.
Salaam, So we both have lots of hard work ahead with our kids! By the way I noticed Interhigh A levels will be taught in the evenings - so there might be time to combine A levels and alimah course, don't you think so?
Oh yes, we do have I think..oh dear..it was quiet horrible with all this different type of exam board, and different type of science award and level..unlike in my malaysian..all confusing to be honest, because different level and award come with different syllabus!
Anyway, I did notice that. And was talking to PS yesterday about it as she said it seems lots of the subject taught in the evening. I know that actually it's not as muc worth the money to be honest in some way as they are many things we can easily do with our kids to advance them better, but PS just love someone to be there to teach her! And I cannot do that all the time, unfortunately. So, I will see what subject offer.
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