Hi there.
It’s been a while.
Actually, almost a year since I last wrote here on Little Dots Learning.
I didn’t mean to disappear for so long. Life simply became very full.
Between work, therapies, lesson planning, school requirements, and all the little things that come with raising a child with unique needs, writing slowly took a back seat. But as a new school year approaches, I found myself looking back on the past 12 months and thinking:
Wow. We really did that.
When we enrolled Theodore in Kinder last year, I honestly didn’t know what to expect.
I wasn’t putting pressure on him.
I knew he had unique learning and communication needs. I knew he was behind in some areas compared to other children his age.
My hope was simple, that he would learn a few new things, enjoy the experience, and slowly gain confidence.
But Theodore had other plans. He gave us so much more than we expected.
Today, I can proudly say that he completed Kinder (even writing those words makes me emotional, LOL)
Because if you’ve followed our journey for a while, you know how much we worried about his speech, his communication, and whether he would be able to keep up with a structured learning environment.
There were many moments when I wondered if we were doing enough.
Would the lack of regular therapy sessions affect him? Would homeschooling move too quickly for him? Would he feel overwhelmed? Would we be able to support him properly?
Looking back now, I realize that Theodore was learning even when I couldn’t always see it.
One of the biggest surprises this year was seeing how much he grew academically.
Of course, he already knew his alphabet, songs, and nursery rhymes but what amazed me was how he started understanding actual concepts.
Basic arithmetic.
Addition.
Subtraction.
And occasionally, he would surprise us by knowing the answer to simple multiplication questions before we even expected him to. There were so many moments where my husband and I would just look at each other and think…
“Wait… naiintindihan na niya yun???”
Those moments made all the hard work worth it.
His speech journey also looks very different today compared to a year ago.
We’re no longer attending regular speech therapy at the center. Unfortunately, Theodore had a difficult experience there and became very resistant to returning. Instead, we shifted our focus to online support and working with him more consistently at home.
And honestly? We’ve seen more progress than we expected. Theodore talks so much now.
He repeats dialogue from his favorite cartoons.
He uses longer phrases and multiple sentences.
The challenge today isn’t getting words out anymore.
The challenge is helping him use those words in conversation, so our next goal is helping him answer questions naturally, tell us stories about his day, and have more back-and-forth conversations.
But compared to where we were before, we’re INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL.
One thing I haven’t shared much about is our homeschool experience.
Before the school year started, we were so excited. We chose a homeschool provider that was more affordable than some of the larger programs in Manila. We even rented a small unit near the area because we were looking forward to participating in meetups, seminars, enrichment classes, and connecting with other homeschool families.
As first-time homeschoolers, we were hoping to find community.
Unfortunately, that part didn’t happen the way we imagined. Aside from the initial kickoff event before classes started, we never really found our place.
I tried joining groups, I applied to local communities. I even attempted to start one myself But nothing really took off. And if I’m being honest, that was disappointing, Not because of the school itself.
The curriculum was good, the administration was helpful and academically, we were happy.
I think we were simply hoping for more connection and support as new homeschooling parents. Maybe it was just our experience and maybe our expectations were different. Either way, it taught me something valuable about what families like ours need when starting this journey.
As we prepare for another school year, we’re facing a new decision. Theodore is now eligible for Grade 1. Can you believe that??! HAHA.
Now we’re praying and thinking carefully about our next steps. Do we try a traditional school? OR do we continue homeschooling with a different provider? I mean, what would help him thrive the most?
We don’t have all the answers yet, but one thing is certain. I will continue being his primary educator. I am beyond excited and thrilled, the lesson plans and our activities are ready. My heart is still fully invested in helping him learn.
I think that’s also why I’m writing again. No, not because everything is finally figured out but I believe we’re entering a new chapter. For the past year, I’ve been focused on work and on helping Theodore through Kinder and now that a new school year is beginning, I know there will be new experiences, new lessons, new challenges, and probably new printable resources too. So I’d love to share those with other moms walking a similar path.
Hi there moms, and co-parents, if you’re still here reading after all this time, thank you. I hope you’re still learning alongside us and I hope we get to connect, for real, soon.
One little dot at a time.
Love and blessings,
