Here at Truly Rich and Blessed (and even before, when this space was still called “Truly Rich Mom”), I sometimes make what I call “true confessions.” It is not my intention for people to think that I live a “perfect life” nor that I can “do it all.” Because I don’t and I can’t. Thus, my penchant for writing “keeping-it-real” or confession posts.
I fail and falter at many things actually — and when it comes to being a homeschooling mom, I count teaching Filipino to my kids as one of my “failures.”
Like many other parents, I guess I thought that it would be easy for our kids to learn how to speak, read and write (even just basic sentences) in Filipino. After all, I grew up in Brunei, without any formal education in Filipino, but I can still converse in Tagalog — more than enough to survive college life at the University of the Philippines!
I also had similar sentiments to those of my fellow homeschool mom May of Fully Housewifed, specifically about teaching kids Tagalog — my husband and I started our family as Catholic lay missionaries in Timor Leste, and English sort of became our “default” language when speaking to our kids. When we finally returned to Manila, it had already become a habit — one that we have been trying hard to break for some time now, because we realized the importance of teaching our kids to speak and understand Filipino (for starters, at least).
Throwback to 2010 in Timor Leste! (Sorry for the low-res photo!)
Fast forward to the present time… I have finally admitted to myself (and now, to the whole world!) that giving Filipino lessons to kids is not one of my strengths. So imagine my delight (and relief!) when my friends at The Learning Library agreed to help me out!
The Learning Library: Making Reading and Filipino Fun for Kids
Here’s a bit of info about The Learning Library, quoted from their website:
THE LEARNING LIBRARY offers English and Filipino programs that help improve comprehension and make learning enjoyable. By developing fundamental skills through enjoyable and accessible literature, we advance independent learning critical to long-term academic success.
– Literature-based, highly interactive programs anchored on a collection of over 4,000 of the best children’s books
– Close alignment with your child’s school curriculum to enhance academic performance
– Detailed pre- and post-assessment of your child’s comprehension and communication skills
– Excellent, experienced and passionate teachers helping your children be the best learners they can be
Our two older kids had their assessment at The Learning Library branch nearest to us and have already started attending classes. Truth to tell, I was a bit ashamed of myself after hearing the teacher’s feedback about their Filipino skills (or lack thereof)! To be fair to my kids, I won’t share what their assessment results are here. Still, as my wise friends from The Learning Basket told me, at least we’re starting somewhere!
Our not-so-baby girl “reading” while waiting for her siblings’ assessment to be done
As previously mentioned, The Learning Library doesn’t just offer Filipino lessons for kids — they also have different programs related to reading, writing and even speaking. Check out their Summer Workshops below (or here, on their website):
How The Learning Library makes Filipino lessons for kids fun
What’s great about The Learning Library is that they offer programs even beyond summer — so if your kids need further lessons and enrichment, they are a great option! I’m hoping and praying that the kids can still have Filipino lessons after this summer, specifically under the Wika’y Galing program. Watch the video below and see how this program helps make Filipino lessons for kids fun and enjoyable:
Of course, my husband and I are also committed to helping our kids be more fluent in Filipino (specifically Tagalog, since that’s the dialect we speak) — by reading more books in Filipino, watching videos like the ones here, and singing Filipino songs, among other things. (I’m also hoping and praying we can get DVDs of the Tagalog version of Superbook, plus other values-based Filipino/Tagalog shows somehow!) Pray for us, please?
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Special thanks again to The Learning Library for coming to my rescue! If you want to learn more about The Learning Library and its programs, check out their website: www.learninglibraries.com, get their updates on or .
