My Rating: [rating=5]

Zaiel joined the summer class at Bloomfields Learning Circle this year. The children’s summer program focuses on reading, writing, arts & crafts, and indoor and outdoor fun. We weren’t able to enroll him last school year (in a Nursery class) so I pushed through with homeschooling. I haven’t blogged about our homeschooling experience yet but hopefully I can share it with you one of these days.

The School

I learned about Bloomfields Learning Circle through my dear cousin Ate Tina. She can only say positive remarks about BLC. The preschool is located in a small village and it’s quite tricky to go there if it’s your first time. The place is homey, with kid-friendly air-conditioned classrooms and a garden for outdoor play.

BLC is a Progressive School specializing in preschool learning and SPED programs. A progressive type of learning, as I’ve understood it, gives emphasis on experiential learning. For example, kids in a progressive school acquire knowledge through direct experience – play, hands-on projects, and social interaction. Traditional schools, on the other hand, focuses more on lectures, worksheets, and texts.

I’m not saying that traditional schools are inferior because I spent almost half of my life studying in these schools. I just strongly feel that my son will fully blossom from this learning approach, and I want him to experience schooling as a fun and worry-free adventure.

They have manipulative materials for developing and cultivating skills through Sensory Play. This Sand Box is one of their many tools.

The classrooms are conducive to learning. BLC may not have those state-of-the-art study rooms, but their classrooms are furnished with all the necessary decorations and learning materials.

The rate for summer classes is PhP 6,500. Progressive schools’ tuition fees are higher compared to traditional schools. I’ve scouted a few progressive preschools in Quezon City but their rates range from 70K to 100K. I’m relieved that BLC’s tuition has not yet reached that mark, in fact they are one of the affordable (if not the most) progressive schools in QC.

The photo below shows Teacher Belle singing the Phonics song.

They’ve set up personal spaces for the children’s bags and artworks.

Classrooms are painted in cheerful colors. Here is Zaiel waiting for his turn to wash his hands before eating his snacks.

The Teachers

The teachers are very friendly and they speak in such a way that the kids would feel welcomed and loved. It’s important for me that they should not intimidate the kids.

They use English as a medium of communication but they also speak in Filipino from time to time. Progressive schools allow room for mistakes, so teachers don’t bluntly point out a child’s error. They also encourage self-expression so they allow children to make noise and speak their minds while having discussions. The style of teaching is very informal, so both the teachers and the students are at ease with one another. Another selling point for me is their low student-teacher ratio.

The Activities

Their 2-hour long everyday sessions included singing and dancing, arts and crafts, reading and writing, and playing. In the morning, while they wait for all the students to come in, early birds are given activities to improve their fine motor skills. For Zaiel to improve his grip on the pencil, Teacher Rac always assist him with the clothespin activity.

Teachers encourage them to play with the Play-Doh to improve their fine motor skills and creativity.

They have “Mat Activities” (activities done while they are on the mat/carpet). These include storytelling, playing pretend, reciting words and reading, singing and dancing, “jumping on letters and pictures” activity, and more. They were singing the Pinocchio song in the video below.

Zaiel is happiest during snack time!

Each student makes his or her own Alphabet books (for Letter Recognition), with pasted pictures and short descriptive sentences. These books feature “sight words” and recognizing these words is a step toward learning how to read. I’ll soon blog about how I teach Zaiel about sight words, including the tools and videos I use.

The children enjoy doing arts & crafts. They have done finger painting, collage making, and more.

Bloomfields Learning Circle may be a progressive school but they also make use of worksheets. The good part is, they don’t overwhelm the students with these.

Check out Zaiel’s artworks and worksheets.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Last Day

Teacher Belle threw a pool party for the kids. She prepared the food for the children and for us parents as well. Thank you!

Zaiel’s Progress

My son’s interest in school (and learning in general) skyrocketed. I was surprised when after just one week of attending summer class, he woke up one morning telling me he wants to do his homework right away. After two weeks, he was always asking me to hurry up (’cause he was afraid to miss school) and he would pack his own baon inside his bag. Every time I leave the classroom he would start crying, but on the third week, he would usher me outside of the classroom and tell me to join my mommy friends in the playground.

I’m happy that Zaiel is now more sociable, more expressive, more confident, and more independent. The summer class at BLC is so worth it.

I also let him took the Assessment test to know if he’s ready for Kindergarten. He’s already 4 (turning 5 in roughly 7 months) and I was worried that he may be too old to be in the Nursery class. He passed the Brigance screening so we’re going to save a year’s worth of tuition! I was watching when he was taking the test and I was so proud that he was able to follow all the instructions without difficulty. Our homeschooling paid off!

Teacher Belle asked me to follow up on his reading and writing skills. He’s doing well so far.

We have already reserved a slot for this school year. Zaiel will eventually enter the “big schools” (traditional schools) in 2 or 3 years and I’m sure that with BLC’s assistance, he will be more than ready by then.

Bloomfields Learning Circle of Quezon City
10 B Troy Compound Brgy. Pasong Tamo, Tandang Sora, QC
bloomfieldslearningcircle.com
facebook.com/bloomfieldslearningcircle

Published: 2014-05-27 20:55:33