Gymnademics Update + Trial Class Giveaway

Very quickly, Naomi has come to the end of her term at Gymnademics. You can read my first post on our Gymnademics experience here: Having fun at Gymnademics.

When I look back on how she was when we first started out, I marvel at how much she has grown!

Now she pays attention during flashcard time…

…and is mostly able to match the correct word cards to the pictures, with some prompting.

She’s learnt a few moves, like this assisted handstand…

…and has come up with some of her own!

She’s more willing to participate in the movement activities and follows instructions well. Here she is, pretending to be a sleeping bunny.

And she has become a total whizz at the fruit relay. I usually have to ask the teachers for a couple more fruits for her because she would finish her basket of items ahead of time.

The trapeze remains one of her favourite activities.

Part of what I like about Gymndemics is that the learning is not only confined to the classroom but is supported by a home learning package. As I mentioned in my previous post, this home learning package includes the flashcards of the words of the week in English and in Chinese, together with the accompanying pictures, and the lyrics to songs and rhymes. In addition to this, there is are two further learning/art and craft activities related to the theme of the month that you and your child can have fun with.

All that material has proven very helpful on lazy afternoons when I’m wondering how to entertain the kids! To execute it the true Glenn Doman way, I believe you are supposed to sit down with your child a few times a day and flash them the sequence of cards. I have heard success stories from others about how this method has helped their very young children to read. Gymnademics‘ home-learning package provides you with the necessary material to support you in this.

Unfortunately for my kids, I’m not that hardworking. Still, I’ve found that the kids love scrolling through the pictures and words on my laptop, flashcard style. Noey usually gets involved trying to teach Naomi to identify her pictures and words and I try to get the both of them to repeat the Chinese words after me. It’s a good, easy 20 min activity.

We’ve also had fun with some of the craft activities, which usually do not require much extra prep work. Great for quick craft days!

On top of these, Naomi and I have got the whole family in singing the Welcome and Goodbye songs. Her favourite one is has me singing “Naomi, Naomi, are you here?” to which she’ll reply “Yes, Yes, I am here!” That’s exactly what she’s doing in the pic below!

It has been fun learning and growing Gymnademics and we’re really grateful to Gymnademics for offering us the opportunity to try their programme.

Some good news for the readers of this blog: You too can have the opportunity to attend a class at Gymnademics as we have THREE TRIAL CLASS PASSES (worth $48 each) to give away!

To win one of these passes for yourself, here’s what you have to do:

1. LIKE the Life is in the Small Things Facebook page.
2. SHARE the link to this post on your Facebook page. Please remember to set the settings for the shared post as PUBLIC so that I will be able to see it, and let me know in your comment!
3. Leave a comment here or on Facebook to share a favourite bonding activity you and your child enjoy. 

Contest ends Friday 15 March 2013, 11.59pm. I know you want those passes, so get cracking and good luck!

Gymnademics
SAFRA Toa Payoh
293 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh #02-01
Singapore 319387
Tel: 6259 0307 | 8518 7910 | 9651 9331
Website: www.gymnademics.com
Email: info@gymnademics.com

*******************

GIVEAWAY RESULTS!

Thank you everyone for your keen interest in this giveaway — we had 22 entrants! We also enjoyed learning about your favourite bonding activity with your child. Our favourite activities are reading and going out for walks in the park, and it was good getting some new ideas.

In my usual fashion, I popped everyone’s names onto slips of paper and drew the winners’ names out of a hat.

And here are the winners!

Congratulations to Phyllis Tan, Gina Tan and Mommy Chuck/Geraldine you have each won a Gymnademics Trial Class Pass! I will be contacting you for your details shortly.

Thanks to all who participated!

* Naomi was invited by Gymnademics to try their class for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are strictly my own and are based on my own observations, as well as information provided by Gymnademics.