It’s April 26 today and we are halfway through our summer vacation. That fast? Yes, but not because it is summer means the children are off the books. Nope. Summer means upping the reading skills by more fun choices.

I’m sure children will get bored if they are not engaged in summer fun activities so reading, and not just clicking on those gadgets, will give them fun and excitement too. Now is the time we parents and teachers and parents lead the way and make them love reading.

I’m sure when they are adults they’d rather read fun stuff than read minute details of work-related literature like contracts, North Carolina health insurance, and manuals.

Here is a list of books for summer reading. Let’s hope the reading continues on till after summer vacation. I know *rolls eyes*, it’s 2009 but it’s still a list

Here is another reading list.

I’m not one who get books with popular animation characters because the children can watch these characters on TV so why bother have them in books? I’d rather children read books that will take them to different places, stir their imagination and make them want to read more. Or maybe be a children’s books author some day.

Instead of having those old knick-knacks just stored in your attic or basement and getting dusty, what about using these for home or restaurant accents like what they did at the Adarna Food and Culture Restaurant? These can be good for aesthetic reasons or as conversational pieces.

Photo taken from a restaurant that features great food and history and culture. Blog post on the food we had coming soon in the food blog.

Do you see an old ice crusher, ironing board, coconut grater (hanging on the wall), a rusty metal basin looking like a bottle cap? That big thing on the wall is a plow, one that is hang on a carabao’s neck for it to pull and plow the fields. continue reading this entry »

I’d never forget the day I heard one of the children say “Home Sweet Home” after our family spent a fun day in an out of town trip.

“Home Sweet Home” indeed, when you are on the road that leads you to home.

Courtesy is something we sometimes take for granted. The daily grind makes us irritated and tired that we overlook the small things that make our lives easier.

I know I am one of those who tend to forget to smile or acknowledge the good that other people do for me, especially if these acts of goodness seem trivial. I’m guilty, yes.

If there is one thing, among other things that gives me irritation, is the lack of courtesy from people who give service to other people, especially from the public service sector. continue reading this entry »

Trees in the (closed) lunch photo entry last week.

Trees by Joyce Kilmer

• THINK that I shall never see

  A poem lovely as a tree.

  A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

  Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

  A tree that looks at God all day,

  And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

  A tree that may in Summer wear

  A nest of robins in her hair;

  Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

  Who intimately lives with rain.

  Poems are made by fools like me,

  But only God can make a tree.

I’ve read about Tomatis years ago during my early foray with the web and I’ve learned from a student about Tomatis Philippines branch. Ok, this is circa late 90s. Among the so many articles I printed about special education, the one about Tomatis method was read again and again. It interested me so.

Fast forward to three years ago, I had a student who underwent a Tomatis Listening Program in Alabang. The parents were so happy with the results. They said that their child, my student, has greatly improved after she underwent a Tomatis Listening Program.

What is Tomatis Method?

The Tomatis Method was developed by Dr. Alfred A. Tomatis, a French Ear-Nose-Throat or ENT specialist. The study of auditory processing and language development was pioneered by him which led to a new multi-disciplinary science called Audio Psycho Phonology or APP.

It was the Tomatis Method which led to the discovery of ear and voice interrelationship: the voice can only reproduce what the ear hears. One of the causes of learning problems is the inability to listen.

The Tomatis Method allows children and adults alike to improve their listening skills for better and improved learning skills in a non-invasive and drug-free way. This can be coupled with occupation and/or speech-language therapy and/or special education services.

Listening and communication are the targeted learning modes wherein the auditory stimulation between the ear and the voice are given focused to stimulate the ear’s ability to listen and the brain’s ability to understand what is being heard.

The Tomatis Method makes use of the Music of Mozart because of these three elements: rhythm for human balance, harmony for reaching emotions and melody for the intellect.

The Tomatis Method also uses Gregorian Chant (which by the way, our nun teachers had us learn to sing via Latin songs) because of its proportional beat that is close to the respiratory rhythm. This beat has a succession of sequences of unequal length said to be found in ocean waves that come one after the other but not identical.

The Tomatis Method re-trains the listening system through:

• use of electronically modified music and language to improve auditory information processing
• enhances the ability to know the difference between frequencies which are all necessary for language development and auditory information processing
• use of Electronic Ear

Why is Listening an important factor in Learning? continue reading this entry »