Another one going to Primary School

Today I went to register or rather confirm my boy's placing for Standard One at his sister's school. As before, I did not know how to write his Chinese name but this time I have a little helper. Yup! His sister wrote his Chinese name on the form for him. :)

How quickly the time has flown. Next year I shall be one stressed and harried mother of two Primary school children in a Chinese Primary School. Wish me luck! :P

Chinese school has not turned out to be the horrible place I had envisioned. Apart from the homework, the teachers are not the fire breathing dragons with talons that I had feared. They are hardworking, diligent and approachable, so far. I hope it will remain that way. It all remains on the teachers you get. This year my girl is fortunate to have a very kind and understanding class teacher. That really helps a lot!

The kids in her school are a happy lot who are quite disciplined. So far so good. :)

A Little Boy with a Conscience

"Mummy, I accidentally drank the toothpaste. Now you won't give me the toothpaste anymore"

I knew it could not have been an "accident" because he particularly loved that brand of toothpaste given by the dentist because of its smell and taste compared to the normal mint toothpaste. So I pulled him aside and told him this...

"Did you purposely or accidentally drink it? I was not there to see so I don't know. Only you know. Only you know whether you did the right thing or wrong thing."

I pointed to his chest and told him...

"Good people know when they did the wrong thing and they will feel very bad inside and sorry. Only bad people like thieves and robbers sometimes do not feel that what they have done is wrong, they do not feel bad or sorry inside."

A moment later, he ran to me with tears in his eyes.

"Mummy, I am good inside. I purposely drank the toothpaste. Now you won't give me the toothpaste anymore."

I gave him a hug and said that it was very bad to purposely drink all the dirty brushing teeth water along with the toothpaste but he is indeed a very good boy to know that what he did was wrong and feel sorry.

Now.... the question is...... should I still give him the toothpaste????

Free Online Music Theory Course

My girl will be sitting for her first music theory exams this year. She will be sitting for Grade 2 because her teacher thinks that Grade 1 is too easy for her. However, she has a lot of catching up to do in order to sit for her Grade 2 Music Theory exam.

I hadn't realised that, otherwise, I would have preferred that she sits for the exam next year instead. When it comes to music, I wish to let her take it at a pace that is enjoyable and comfortable for her. There is no hurry to complete the grades.

Anyway, I found this really delightful site for her to learn music theory online. Unfortunately, she has no time to use it! I will use it though to learn ahead of her so she can come to me if she has any questions. She often delights in the fact that she can "teach" me Mandarin and Music Theory. "Look mummy, my music theory or my mandarin is so much better than yours now. I can teach you now!"

Back to the site. It is very simple to use and understand. Each topic in the syllabus is clearly explained and easily accessible with related links. I love the interactive exercises with answers when you scroll over or rollover the questions with your mouse. Unfortunately at the moment there are free music theory courses for Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 5 and Grade 6 only but it does say that more will be added soon.

I am too lazy to write my own review about it, so I shall just give a very brief summary or excerpt of what I found on the site. :P

Free Courses in Music Theory Online for Everyone!

Mymusictheory.com - gives online lessons in music theory designed to help you pass the Music Theory exams run by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM). At the moment it has complete free online courses in Grade One, Grade Two and Grade Five, with Grade Six in progress.

About the Online Music Theory Course - Each course is designed to take you step by step through everything you need to know for each grade of the music theory exams. Each tutorial has a set of practice exercises which you can use online; you can also print off the complete exercises for each grade so that you can work on them offline.

I hope this post is useful for parents whose children are studying the music theory exams run by the ABRSM.