School Bluez: 1st Prelim & Periodical Exam

What are your usual reactions when examination week is approaching? Stomach churn, hands sweaty, constant paranoia, yes, I know, i get it, we tend to get nervous.

So how will you take the fact that your preschooler will be taking their very first examinations? Excited? Maybe. Apprehensive? Probably. Clueless? Right. Whatever your reaction maybe, make sure not to pass on the negative vibe you are having to your child. Do not put on the pressure to your preschooler on ACING the exams. Remember they are still children, more learnings to encounter and more knowledge to store. 

The next move you probably take is to conduct study sessions with your little ones. Problem. She is too preoccupied with her favorite cartoon network shows or her toys. Well, here is some list of the lessons we learned as Hayley took her first written examinations:

1. Before examinations, we only checked her bags for assignments, minding not her other lessons. Now, we know that we should review everyday all her lessons for the day, for familiarization and memory retention. This will also help develop an excellent study habit at an early age.

2. Practice writing often. Practice. PRACTICE. Practice.

3. Play teacher to your preschooler. Patience is a MUST.

4. Have a conducive room for study time. Make sure your child will not be destructed either by noise or any activities by other members of the family. Invest a right-sized study table and a small whiteboard. They are also big factors for a good study habit.

5. Make studying a FUN activity. Do not pressure your child. Avoid scolding and punishing.

6. Practice a REWARD SYSTEM everytime she gets a good score!

some Hayley's exam results

Those are only few of our personal takes on studying with Hayley. As a result here are her scores:

SUBJECT                                      Prelim Score                                              Periodical Score
LANGUAGE                                      20/20                                                          18/20
READING                                          14/20                                                          18/20
FILIPINO                                           18/20                                                          20/20
MATH                                                16/20                                                          30/30
SCIENCE                                           13/15                                                          11/20
VALUES                                             20/20                                                          20/20

Keep it up Hayley Girl!

HAYLEY the "PHOTOG"

I envy the young children today. They grew up in an era where they have easy access on almost everything. I was First Year high school when I first touched a computer keyboard and I was scared to break anything. Unlike today when kids as early as Three Years old got PSP's hanging on their fragile neck. These are the changes of our time that we definitely cannot stop.


In this day and age when kids are no longer afraid to touch those high-tech gadgets, their curiosity is extensively common.

Click to see Hayley's Photography

With the sudden sprouting of digital cameras that almost every upper class and average household has, kids are exposed at an early to photography. Little kids can clearly see that the older ones become so addicted of taking pictures and capturing the important events of their lives, that digital cameras become a staple for their everyday living. These kids may just be watching from afar at first, but leave your precious gadgets unattended and within their reach and they will start clicking away.

Most parents may be furious seeing their children holding their expensive cameras. DO NOT GET ANGRY. Do not ever SHOUT at them. Who left those cameras anyway? Instead, keep them more interested and slowly introduce them to the art of taking pictures.

"They might break the cameras", most parents may say. More likely, but if YOU SHOW THEM HOW THEN LET THEM TRY ,there is no more room for apprehension. Just be patient and generous with your encouragement and they will be taking pictures that will make you proud.

Isn't it good that you got something in common with your children? Loving to do the same thing means more time to spend with each other. 

Capitalize on kids curiosity, and sense of adventure when trying to capture their attention and really get them interested in digital photography. It is a fun and rewarding hobby that could actually turn into quite a profitable career, depending on your child's level of interest.  

School Bluez: Hayley's 1st STAR

On her Second week in school, Hayley received her very first STAR! A star for having a PERFECT ATTENDANCE for the first two weeks of classes. She may be tardy but she never missed a class.

For years, prep-schools, day cares and early childhood education uses REWARD in reinforcing effective learning among their pupils. The infamous STAR is the most over used reward among kids. Getting a STAR is a big deal that is why they work harder. 


For parents, REWARDING means getting a little bit EXPENSIVE. Reward connotes to materials gifts for their children. Some may look at it as SPOILING but as study says REWARDS are generally considered more effective than punishment in enforcing positive behavior.

In popular use, positive reinforcement is often used as a synonym for reward, with people (not behavior) thus being "reinforced," but this is contrary to the term's consistent technical usage, as it is a dimension of behavior, and not the person, which is strengthened. Negative reinforcement is often used by laypeople and even social scientists outside psychology as a synonym for punishment. This is contrary to modern technical use, but it was B. F. Skinner who first used it this way in his 1938 book. By 1953, however, he followed others in thus employing the word punishment, and he re-cast negative reinforcement for the removal of aversive stimuli.

                                                                           -wikipedia-

Furthermore, REWARDS induce learning, approach behavior and feelings of positive emotions. So do not get frugal with rewarding your kids. 


Go HAYLEY. Go AIM for more STARS!