Filipino Homeschool Issues

Deped Alternative Learning System – A System Fit for Homeschoolers

Jun 26, 2015 | Posted by in College Prep, Filipino Homeschool Issues, Homeschool, Homeschool High School | 4
Alternative Learning System for Homeschoolers

  This is an update of my previous post about Guitar Babe taking up DepEd ALS Exam. In my previous post, I wrote about how she was able to enroll in a college while she was waiting to take the exam. She took the exam last January 2015 and we waited with bated breath for the results. She was not very confident because she had a hard time with some of the Tagalog words. She admitted that there was a whole section of the exam that she just couldn’t understand because of the Tagalog statements. Don’t get me wrong please: my kids speak both English and Tagalog well but when it comes to deep-level Tagalog…Read more …

Taking the ALS A&E Exam – Alternative Learning System Accreditation and Equivalency Test for Homeschoolers

Jan 31, 2015 | Posted by in Filipino Homeschool Issues, home, Homeschool, Homeschool High School | 26
ALS

Guitar Babe took the ALS A&E exam last Sunday, January 25, 2015. I may have mentioned in the past that she is already in college and is doing very well – she’s on the Dean’s List for the last two trimesters, however she got into her college without the benefit of her high school diploma. “What?! How did that happen???” You may be wondering. So let me back track a bit. My children have not been enrolled with any homeschool provider for the last two years. Because of this, Guitar Babe does not have a high school transcript / diploma. I found out from a teacher friend of mine about DepEd Alternative Learning System (ALS).…Read more …

Categorizing Homeschoolers in The Philippines

Dec 13, 2011 | Posted by in Filipino Homeschool Issues | 0

About two years after we began homeschooling, I went to the Department of Education office here in Quezon City and inquired about the PEPTest. It was a very discouraging experience because aside from being sent from one person to another, I was questioned several times if I had the qualifications to teach or if I was running my own school. The worst was having someone tell me that my children are classified as out-of-school youths because they are not going to school. I felt that this was too extreme a classification and too demeaning. According to the National Statistical Coordination Board, out-of-school youths(OSY) are defined as boys and girls who belong to any of these…Read more …

Homeschooling Through Sicknesses, Pregnancies and Other Distressing Times

Aug 6, 2011 | Posted by in Filipino Homeschool Issues, Homeschool | 2

Through the nine years we have homeschooled, we’ve gone through two pregnancies, two deaths of close family relatives, countless sicknesses and hospital confinements,  and even transferred homes two times. The most distressing periods were the times when Gary D. left to work abroad – one in 2000 and the next in 2008. My children and I are, unfortunately, plagued with all sorts of allergies. It’s one of the things my genes have passed on to them. It’s hard to have to deal with it. Certain kinds of foods have placed my children in the hospital. Dust mites, pollens and change in temperatures bring on allergic rhinitis, skin asthma and  asthma attacks. The stress of it…Read more …

Homeschool Update 2011

Jul 8, 2011 | Posted by in Filipino Homeschool Issues, Homeschool | 2

Phew! We have begun our new homeschool year in the middle of June. We are now about three weeks into it and I must say that it’s been a bit overwhelming for me. I am now teaching three children in three different levels. The eldest I must prepare for her college education, the following child must be caught up and the third one is only beginning to seriously study. As I teach the three, I am concerned with our youngest boy who is still four years old – he is always very busy playing – and I don’t get to spend much time with him. He joins us for a few minutes at a time…Read more …

The 1st Philippines Homeschool Fair by HAPI

May 30, 2011 | Posted by in Filipino Homeschool Issues, HAPI | 4

Last May 21, we attended the very 1st Philippines Homeschool Fair by HAPI or Homeschool Association of the Philippine Islands. It was an exciting day for us as our two daughters are performing in the talent showcase. I was also looking forward to meeting more homeschool families and watching their talented children. We watched so many homeschoolers show their talents in music and dance. We renewed friendships with fellow homeschool moms that we haven’t seen for awhile and got to meet other families as well. It is encouraging to see the number of homeschoolers that attended the fair. We were in awe of the various projects that the homeschooler exhibited. We didn’t participate in the…Read more …

“Why Are You Homeschooling?” and Other Tiring Questions

May 27, 2011 | Posted by in Filipino Homeschool Issues | 2

When our family and friends find out for the first time that we are homeschooling, I can already tell that there will be a barrage of questions. Questions like “Why are you doing that?” “Why are you keeping your kids at home?” “Why are you overprotecting them?” “Is it cheaper to homeschool?” implying that we don’t have enough resources to send them to school. So many questions which make us feel as if we need to explain our decision to them. Consider this, when people ask you “Why?”, they are asking you to explain or to defend your decision. Before doing so, stop and think about the person asking: “Is it worth my time and…Read more …

Homeschool Q & A: How to Know What to Teach

Mar 21, 2011 | Posted by in Filipino Homeschool Issues, Homeschool | 2

As a further response to those who have written me asking how I chose our curriculum, here is the continuation to my previous blog post. The first four years we homeschooled, my children were enrolled in two other schools where the curriculum was already laid out for us. There was no need for us to decide because that decision has already been made for us. And this is a good thing. I say this because for someone who has no experience in homeschooling like me before, having a curriculum dictated by the school solved a lot of problems for me. I wasn’t going into this blind. It was easy because I didn’t have to make…Read more …

Homeschool Q&A: Guitar Babe’s Curriculum

Mar 19, 2011 | Posted by in Filipino Homeschool Issues, Homeschool, Question and Answer Time | 3

I received several emails regarding Kid’s World Integrated School and Kreative Kids, Moms & Dads after I blogged about why we like it. Most are asking me for more information about KWIS/KKMD and their tuition fee. Since we are set to have our year-end ceremony by next week, I have not found out yet what their program for next year is or how much the tuition fee is. Once I do, I will post it here. Another question I got frequently is how I chose curriculum for my children. My quick answer would be with much trial and error. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you’d know that I’m a product reviewer.…Read more …

Q&A Time: 10 Reasons Why We Like Kreative Kids, Moms & Dads

Feb 7, 2011 | Posted by in Filipino Homeschool Issues, Homeschool, Kreative Kids | 5

Some time ago, I received a follow-up email from Inquiring Mom. I already answered some of her emails in the past here. She asked me why we decided to enroll our kids at Kid’s World Integrated School/Kreative Kids, Moms and Dads after going independent for two years. I’ve decided to share here the reasons why we like KWIS/KKMD. Here it goes: 1. MAPE – Every Saturday, we go all the way to Ortigas where all the homeschoolers meet. They have floorball, music, arts, performing arts and a lot of other extras. All these activities are included in our low enrollment fee. 2. Open curriculum – KWIS/KKMD does not impose what curriculum we would like to…Read more …