I Like Homework

I am probably one of the very few lucky kids who do not know how to enjoy the "privilege" of attending a homework-free kindergarten. Since I do not bring home any homework from school, I constantly ask mummy for homework because I LIKE doing it.

Quite often, I will complain "I'm bored, mummy... can you please give me homework?" Well, although I do have a big pile of workbooks, I sometimes "crave" for something different... like the ones that mummy "writes" for me.

Workbooks on my table...

More workbooks under my table...

Last week, when I asked for homework again, mummy wrote a few sums (addition) for me to which I completed within minutes and said "It's so easy. Give me something harder!" Very "action", eh?

Mummy then taught me addition with "carry-over to tens" (not taught in school yet). She cincai explained to me just ONCE and wrote some sums for me to solve. To her surprise, not only did I manage to grasp the concept, I completed all these sums in just under 10 minutes (albeit with a few careless mistakes here and there)...

Sometimes, mummy would give me ejaan too (this is also not given in school). The ejaan that she gives me are very impromptu and I am required to spell and write on the spot. No word list is given in advance. I've mastered my sukukata quite well in school so this is no problem for me too (except for the /ng/ and /ny/ sound which I've yet to learn)

My very first ejaan ;)

When it comes to my Mandarin lessons, mummy is happy to note that I am very self-motivated. Every now and then I will take out my vocabulary book, play the accompanying CD and recite the words happily without being told to do so. I am able to recognize the 200-odd characters in my 2 books now. Mummy recorded this video not because of my reading but because of the way I "sat"...

Amusing but at the same time also made her *shake head*

My Chinese writing... I write better in Chinese (compared to my alphabets). This is about the only homework that I have, given by my Mandarin teacher, Zhang Lao Shi

I like homework... that's what this "Homework Princess" said

Note: This is a brief record of my academic progress at 5 years old

Self-Assigned Homework

My first year in school is ending soon. Being in Nursery Class (in a Montessori kindergarten), I have never brought home any homework at all. Lazy mummy almost never bothers to teach me anything at home. Most of the time, I entertain myself by playing on my own or watching tv. Sometimes, I will read on my own or practice writing without being told to do so. Mummy is most impressed whenever she sees me doing this!

Mummy's favourite sight... peeking from the kitchen to see me keeping myself occupied at my study table...

Writing

I write very much better on my own initiative than when I'm being told to. The reason is obvious. When I write at my own initiative, I'm in the mood to do it! Mummy wasn't aware that I have been writing on my own until she browsed through my books and found these...

Needless to say, she was overjoyed! (and proud too hehe)

Another sample of my self-initiated work (some are good, some are really bad haha)

Colouring

I am not very fond of colouring. I have piles and piles of colouring books at home but hardly touch them at all. Look what happens when I am "forced" to do colouring... ("forced" as in being told to do it when I am not in the mood)

No, this was not done when I was 1 year old. I did this just last week (clearly to show my protest!)

When I'm in the right mood, once again on my own initiative, I can come up with something like this...

It took me a few days to finish colouring this picture (art block sized)

Reading

My reading skill is improving. It's not very good but I am progressing well. I am currently reading the Ladybird's Peter and Jane reading series. I can read books 1a, 1b and 2a independently but still need guidance with some of the words in 3a. When reading other books, I can identify simple words such as in, is, it, this, and, the, of, to, if, that, he, she, we etc. and read only those words while skipping the rest haha.

Reading one of my favourite pages in book 2a

A Cute Monster

I must have felt offended the other day when mummy said I couldn't draw at all (although she did not say it in front of me). Today, I surprised her with a very cute drawing. It's a monster...

Now, who said I can't draw?

I then explained my drawing to her, pointing to its 2 ears (mummy thought those were horns), 2 eyes, 2 mouths, 2 teeth and two shoes haha! Mummy was very impressed. When she praised me again and again, I beamed with pride and happiness.

Cute monster showered with alphabets on the sides...

Inverted Drawing and Writing

There's something strange about my drawings sometimes. Instead of drawing straightforwardly, I prefer to draw in contrast, usually darkening the background to highlight the object... like this door. I told mummy it's a door...

Look at the position of the tiny door knob haha!

Sometimes this reverse-pattern is seen in my writing too. And I even write backwards...

The letter B that didn't quite make it...

Colouring, Writing and Drawing

I'm sure there are many other kids my age who can colour better than me but to mummy, what I produce is good enough. Sometimes, when I'm not engaged in any mischevious activities, I can be the sweetest angel ever, like today, when I just did my colouring quietly while mummy was busy.

I even know how to turn the book to facilitate my strokes hehe...

Here are some of my work, all 100% done by myself:

Coloured using colour pencils.

Coloured using oil pastel. The question mark is mummy's favourite. It's so neatly done.

Most of the pictures are half-done. I always do not have the patience to complete them, citing "hand tired" as the main excuse. Haha!

As for drawing, I can't... yet. The best I can come up with are sad and angry faces. I am still unable to curve the line (of the mouth) to make my smiley faces smile.

Writing? Lagi tak boleh haha. Maybe the only letter I can write is "O" because I can draw circles.