Homeschooling, Schools

Homeschooling in Bacolod is Best for Our Kids

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Anybody can homeschool their child or children but homeschooling may not be for everybody. But for our family, homeschooling in Bacolod proved to be the best course. Here are the things that we did in our family.

Homeschooling in Bacolod

These are all our family’s experiences and they will differ with that of other families. Our home dynamics are different. But we would love to hear from you, too. Do leave a message at the comment section.

homeschooling in the Philippines - homeschooling in Bacolod
Dindin does her Math PACE.

Making the Decision

As parents, we decide for many things for our young kids. That is part of parenting. And part of it is choosing the “right” school for our child. We have wanted to homeschool since I was pregnant with our eldest. So everything we did for and with our eldest, we had homeschooling in Bacolod at the back of our minds.

Things just kind of fell into place years later. When we decided to homeschool our child, it was kind of easy making the shift. We are already on our third year, so this post is more than two years delayed. But I am writing this because I have already entertained countless inquiries about homeschooling in Bacolod.

Choosing to Homeschool Our Child

The decision to homeschool didn’t happen overnight. It was years of thinking and consideration as well as research. We also prayed a lot about this. The more that we read about homeschooling, the more that we were drawn to adapt the lifestyle.

My husband and I were products of homes who value education. He finished from a private school and I from a public school, but it cannot be denied that our parents put high value in providing quality education.

homeschooling in the Philippines - homeschooling in Bacolod
Though I am the supervisor, my husband takes an active role in homeschooling our children. He spends time with them and does many activities with them. He is also the one reading to them at night.

Moreover, our parents have provided us with homes conducive for learning. They have given us competitive advantage to excel in school.

Beating the System

I think it is safe to say that my husband and I have performed very well in school during our years.

However, there were things that we did not like about traditional school. And these are the very same reasons why we are homeschooling in Bacolod.

While we both aced the system, we just think that there are students who would better excel outside the school. They just have different competencies and personalities that are not highlighted in school. In short, we feel that regular school is not for everybody.

Trad School Experience

By the way, our daughter Dindin did go to regular school. We loved Bright Kids Preschool Bacolod and our daughter also loved her time there. This kinder school has a progressive curriculum and learning is designed to be fun.

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Dindin finished her Kinder 2 from Bright Kids Preschool.

Since preschool kids have more time outdoors than poring over schoolwork, my daughter learned a lot. She also honed her writing skills there.

Hiring a Writing Tutor

Our daughter went through Kinder at 4 years old with a very good reading ability. But she was not very good at writing, primarily because she lacked practice. We got her a writing tutor for two weeks before Kinder school started just so she could cope with copying from the board. It worked.

At first she was kind of slow and got tired of writing easily. But with the patience of the teachers and constant practice, she was able to cope. Now, she is making her own fonts.

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We are not afraid to get our hands dirty. We sometimes spend time in the garden and I let the kids handle soil. Here we are preparing their fairy dish gardens.

So you see, we did try traditional school and if we found a school that applied such training for elementary kids, we might have sent our daughter there.

Specialized Training for Homeschooled Children

One of the things that I like about homeschooling is the very short class session. If my daughter finishes her goals for the day, she is free to play and do whatever she wants. But we do limit her TV time and the use of gadgets. Also we have more time to spend in special training that enhance her natural abilities.

homeschooling in the Philippines - homeschooling in Bacolod
Dindin also donated her Christmas painting to the Negrense Volunteers for Change. The foundation used it as one of the designs for Christmas cards and her work raised P100,000 for the foundation’s work. That is being socially relevant.

She is musically inclined so she takes voice lessons from Coach John Raymond Castiller of Voice Chords Music Studio. Additionally, she likes dancing, so she studies ballet at the Garcia-Sanchez School of Dance.

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Last summer, our daughter started learning to play golf. She joined the summer program and liked it. She was bugging us since she was 4 about golf but we thought that she was not yet ready. Now, she is liking it and we hope to be able to continue with it. Golf, along with ballet, constitutes her Physical Education.

From time to time, she has painting sessions under Ms. Joan Honoridez (Joan of Art). Now, she is learning to play golf at the Negros Occ. Golf and Country Club. All of these constitute her Music, Arts, and PE aspects.

Yes, we pay for them but at least she gets to choose the courses that she is more interested in. We cannot do all of these if she is in regular school because of budget and time constraints.

Moreover, when you are in regular school, you get a more general approach to MAPEH. So even if you are not good in that subject matter, you are obliged to finish it. If you want more specialized training, you have to pay for them.

Anybody Can Homeschool

What I like about homeschooling is that, anybody can do it. Yeah, I am a stay at home mom, but I also work. And my schedule is pretty demanding, as I also work until the wee hours.

Additionally, I am not the most patient parent either, which is the reason why we had a writing tutor for our daughter. I just don’t have the patience to teach writing.

homeschooling in the Philippines - homeschooling in Bacolod
Our homeschooling setup is not perfect. Look at the room, it is a mess sometimes. So don’t feel so bad about the set up. Things like these happen.

I am a work at home mom with a pretty unpredictable schedule. So I am not like most homeschooling moms who can give their all, preparing curriculum, crafts, and special projects.

But I do have a very supportive husband who is very much into this as I am. Albeit his job, we are still able to pull off homeschooling and teach life lessons to our children.

Homeschooling can still work

And I have heard that there are even working parents who do it. You can also do it even if you have a less than desirable area, or if you cannot really delegate a particular room in your house as your child’s work station. Maybe one of the reasons why it took me too long to write this is because I feel like our set up is less than desirable.

homeschooling in the Philippines - homeschooling in Bacolod
Sometimes, we also doubt ourselves, if we are doing the right thing, if we are doing enough. But if you get answers like these from you child, you are encouraged.

I mean, my daughter has classes in her bedroom but sometimes it can be a mess. Nevertheless, she still gets to study. I also feel that I am not the “perfect” or the “most inspiring” homeschooling mom. But, I know that I still have something to share, hence this post.

Related homeschooling articles

Bacolod Homeschoolers Network

It is also nice to have a homeschooling support group, which we didn’t have when we started. I wanted our daughter to be able to celebrate the special events in school and thought of Nutrition Month.

While preparing, I thought of inviting some homeschooling families that we know to join us in the activity.

homeschooling in the Philippines - homeschooling in Bacolod
I have started a Facebook group for Bacolod homeschoolers and this is our first activity together–celebrating Nutrition Day together at the Welcome Home Garden and Cafe for a field trip.

We connected through a Facebook group that I started. There are only about 10 members there. Some are interested to homeschool while others are already starting the shift. We already had our first outing and we’re hoping that we can grow this group so we can help each other, too.

That is how Bacolod Homeschoolers Network was born.

homeschooling in the Philippines - homeschooling in Bacolod - charity work
We are not all fun and play. We try to incorporate social consciousness to our kids, letting them know that the world does not revolve around them. Supporting SM Bears of Joy is one of the ways that we expose them. We bought bears and we also had the privilege of joining the activity at the Kalipay Foundation where our kids got to meet the kids under the foundation’s care.

Our Homeschooling Provider

We chose the School of Tomorrow primarily because of its Christian curriculum. They are also among the cheapest, which with our budget, is a very important consideration. We would like to be able to set aside some money for special training for our kids.

We have heard reviews that the curriculum of SOT is not very good. But it is okay for our purpose. It’s also used in Bacolod Christian schools and by missionaries that we know. So we are confident that we are on the right track.

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One of the things that we like doing together is baking. We make simple things in the kitchen. It is a way to bond and also learn practical arts. We get to do this anytime we feel like eating something.

While we find that the lessons are pretty easy, it is just perfect for our needs. Our daughter will not have to be burdened by difficult tasks and schoolwork. She has the time and energy to pursue other interests.

For more information about the School of Tomorrow, visit http://sotphil.net/.

Homeschooling Costs

When we started homeschooling in Bacolod three years ago, we bought a study table with chair as well as a whiteboard with stand. We also bought school supplies. Those are pretty much the initial investments.

As for the school, School of Tomorrow charges a one-time family fee of P15,000 when you start in the program. You pay the same amount whether you have one child or 10 children under the program.

Diagnostic Test

If you are considering homeschooling in Bacolod, just know that everyone takes the diagnostic test, which is worth P1,000 before the first-time enrollment.

Registration Fee

Registration fee per student is P3,000 per year plus the materials. You can choose the original colored prints or the local print, without color and on newsprint. We just use the local prints because it is about 50% cheaper than the original print and the lessons are the same.

homeschooling in the Phlippines - homeschooling in Bacolod
We have event-themed activities to cope with the times. Here, the kids are painting eggs for Easter. Yeah, getting them occupied is a year-long thing.

For our first year, we paid about P24,000 for Level 1. For Level 2, it was down to approximately P7,500 and now on the third year, we paid almost P11,000–still, homeschooling in Bacolod is so much cheaper than sending our child to a private school. Plus, we don’t have expenses related to school, such as uniforms, shoes, bags, allowance, and peer pressure (which can be more expensive).

Other costs to consider for provincial students are shipping fees of the materials as well as the bank fees.

Full Payment

The school fees with SOT need to be paid in full upon enrollment. Installment is not available for homeschooling in Bacolod. We pay directly through Metrobank.

The Shift to Homeschooling

The first step we took when we decided to homeschool our daughter was to contact School of Tomorrow. We corresponded through emails and phone calls. Before enrollment, our daughter had to undergo their diagnostic test just to determine what she knows.

It is not really to grade the child or to give credits, but just so the assessors would know if the child needs to cover more areas. In our case, our daughter was ready for Level 1 and was enrolled as such.

homeschooling in the Phlippines - homeschooling in Bacolod
Since Dindin is now in Grade 3, we get to do more science experiments. Here she is doing the “Air Has Weight” test.

However, she had a subject area where she had wrong answers, so a workbook was added to our materials. And that is fine because they can just easily complete the requirements and cope with the level. A personal appearance by the parents and the child is required at the SOT office for orientation. Then you can start your homeschooling in  Bacolod journey.

homeschooling in the Philippines - homeschooling in Bacolod
Reading plays a very important part in our homeschooling journey. We encourage an environment conducive for raising readers by having books all over the place that they can easily access and by limiting TV and gadget time. They have no choice really but either to read or play.

Enrollment

When everything has been accomplished, the next step is enrollment. Since we live in the province, everything is done through long distance. 

We deposit our payments to the school’s Metrobank account. We then email a scanned copy of the deposit slip. Upon confirmation, we receive all the materials that we need for the entire school year.

homeschooling in the Philippines - homeschooling in Bacolod
Our little one, who will soon be 3, has picked the homeschooling practice of her older sister. She says that this is also her PACE. We have a 15-minute session each day.

After our daughter is done with her workbooks, which are called PACEs, we send some of them back. Our academic adviser then checks it along with the Master Record Sheet.

Furthermore, I also send grades and assessments from her dance teacher and voice coach These are then assessed before you can enroll your child for the next level.

That is our homeschooling in Bacolod story. What’s yours?

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60 thoughts on “Homeschooling in Bacolod is Best for Our Kids

  1. Mommy this article opened my eyes to homeschooling i had the same concerns with regards to interaction with other kids but then i realized they are exposed to being bullied at school. My daughter went to progressive school and when she entered grade school we have no choice but to go to st john hua ming which is a total shift from progressive to traditional. We are the kind of parents who value real experiences like travelling to our daughter which i believe can expose her to cultures and different expriences. We should have considered home schooling thank you moms for the info

    1. That’s great. Yeah, just let me know if you need more information when you actually decide to homeschool your daughter. And perhaps you can join us, too. 😀

      1. Good day ma’am. Gusto ko man tani e home school ang 3 kids ko. Nag kadto ako sa DepEd pero wala sila May mabulig sa akon about homeschooling. How can I start with this kag accredited man ini sang DepEd? Thanks

  2. Congratulations!
    While reading I remember: but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
    Hope Achie & Siobe will find their own genius.
    Hope to join the group soon ?

  3. We’re rockin’ homeschooling too 😀 I’m glad that more and more people are considering homeschooling these days. Back in 2007 it was harder because there were fewer resources and same minded people to talk to. 🙂

    1. True sis. Now on our third year, we are bonding with other parents who have shifted to homeschooling or are already planning to make the shift. Happiness! <3

  4. Hello, Marz! I have finally made my decision to homeschool my two youngest children this year. Though we haven’t started our school year yet, I am excited to embark on this journey. Looking forward to sharing my experiences as well.

    By the way, you are one of those that inspired me to homeschool my children. Thank you for your life!

    1. Wow. I love this article! I should have read this before…
      Ella has lot of questions because 1 of her classmates will be homeschooled next school year, and I told her that if this present situation on covid 19 will not flatten, I might decide on homeschooling her. Daw nag stick sa mind nya and everyday she would ask me about homeschooling.
      We read the article together. She had an ear to ear smile when I asked her if it answered her questions. Thanks.

      1. Ohhh that’s so nice! Why not? The only thing that has changed for us is the stocking up on groceries during the quarantine. As a work at home mom with homeschooled kids, this is pretty much our daily routine.

  5. Very well written Sig! If I was younger and had more energy, definitely home schoolin or if I may call it UNschooling is a very tempting option for my preemie girl. Will share this with my friends.

  6. This is informative. I have always wondered about homeschooling. It’s not very popular in our country yet, but I hope that parents can be more informed and, maybe, consider this option on education through your post..❤️?? I wondred about the “social” aspect of homeschooling but I found my answer na here 🙂

    1. Awesome! And you’ve met my kids so if somebody asks, you can now say that homeschooling has worked for someone you know. 😀

  7. If I’m a wahm, I would also choose homeschooling for Gabby. Dindin and Siobe are very well adjusted kids socially and quite gifted academically. There will be a lot of naysayers syempre because homeschooling is not that common. So far, I like Bright Kids for Gabby. She has improved a lot.

    1. Hi! Very informative and helpful. I too am thinking of having my child with Special needs place under a home school program but I don’t know how and where to start

  8. It is always a common notion that kids who homeschool are anti-social, but Dindin and Siobe have proven this wrong. Such well adjusted children! Dindin and Siobe should be the poster kids for homeschooling in the country. Glad to see that this unconventional way of educating is finally getting the positive attention it deserves. Good job on being able to handle it!

    1. Thank you! I am proud of our kids. And I am so glad our efforts paid off. It was intentional on our part to let them learn social skills at the same time intentionally look for opportunities for them to practice them.

  9. Before I came home to Bacolod, I have heard a lot about homeschooling, especially from Bo Sanchez. Another friend, a fellow blogger and a native of Bacolod, also have her child into this method. Such method may not work for some while it may be beneficial to others. In Dindin’s case, I believe that homeschooling works better for her, especially with her progress when it comes to absorbing knowledge and new things. She’s ahead of other children her age and a normal school may hamper, instead of uplift her level of development. 🙂

  10. This blog has all the information we need to know about homeschooling. Others may still opt for traditional schooling but homeschooling doesn’t make the child learn any less. I have a good friend whose children are homeschooled and they like the flexibility in terms of time and schedule.

  11. If only I can, if only i can work from home with full benefits, i will definitely homeschool my little boy. Continue to inspire more parents.. write more about your homeschool experience 🙂

  12. This is a thorough post about homeschooling, with a lot of my questions about the whole process answered. Homeschooling is truly a very good option to consider for educating our kids in these times. I think there are a lot of benefits to doing this, such as being able to avoid bullying. I think it really boils down to our preferences. If only I had a ton of patience and time, this is really something I would consider! 🙂

  13. Working from home and homeschooling are some of the most effective means to address traffic issues. If only our government paid more attention and support to these programs, parents won’t be so scared of trying something that’s outside of their comfort zones.

    I also see the growth of homeschooling in the coming years as millennial kids tend to have shorter attention span – an issue that is not always acknowledged and addressed in traditional schools. The classrooms are very crowded and students’ special needs, strengths, and challenges are more often overlooked as the teachers follow a strict time -based curriculum. I honestly feel that homeschooled students have stronger orientation of their progress and have more applied practical knowledge than their classroomed counterparts.

    I’m definitely considering the switch with my 3rd child and your article is a big help in showcasing its benefits to the family and the society should they have any questions.

  14. Very informative. Now parents who are considering homeschooling for their children will have a guide and best information in making a choice. Thank you for sharing this Loving Mama with overflowing love for your children ♡♥♡

  15. Homeschooling is very much misunderstood that people think it is about isolating the child from his or her peers. That is not the aim of homeschooling. It is to take away limits in learning…letting the child learn the things outside of the traditional classroom.

  16. I think homeschooling is a great idea for the kids nowadays. This is true, homeschooling has been misunderstood and not yet popular in our country. I’m glad that School of Tomorrow is offering these kind of services, plus it’s from a Christian community which is big plus because I want my future children to be more dedicated to God. With the guidance of the parents, I’m sure children will not just learn but also enjoy learning together with their families. Super like! 🙂

  17. Ive been reading a lot about homeschooling lately. What i didnt know was the fees.. I thought il be doing everything all by myself and i was worried bout the materials and lesson plans. This was an eye opener. My kids are into schooling and in 4th grade now. Currently this trend is not yet so popular here. I will definitely read more about homeschooling. Theres a lot that i need to know…

  18. I recently gave birth to our son and I want to homeschool him but I do not know where to start. This somehow gave me information on how they do it.

  19. I’ve been thinking of homeschooling my kids actually. Like you, I also work from home which is a bit demanding. You’re right that traditional scooling isn’t for everyone talaga plus walang stress sa umaga, less gastos. I think I need to do more research about this.

  20. I love the idea of home schooling. I for one, wanted myself to stay home when I was a kid. Then I thought that socializing is lacking in the area, unless you have a lot of children in your place. lol

  21. Happy that a lot of people are now considering homeschooling. I believe it is more effective and cost efficient than the regular schools plus you get to bond more with your kids 🙂

  22. My mentor’s daughter is also homeschooled, and I have been enlightened. Their daughter is given a chance to discover what she wants (she’s only around 8 or 9 years old I think) but whenever we talk to her, it’s amazing how she’s good at expressing and asking questions. Social interaction might be an issue, but an easy one to resolve. I must say, it is a bold move to do homeschooling. A bold move, because it requires a lot more than the conventional schooling, but brave nonetheless. Plus, the kids get to spend more time with family and gets more motivated because he/she’s around her support system. Great post!

    1. No problem at all with socialization sis because it can be addressed. 😀 Great to know that you know somebody who is also a homeschooling family! 😀

  23. Before I can’t see the positive sides of homeschooling but now, I love the idea of it. More bonding with your daughter and less stress for them.

  24. I’ve never seen homeschooling this way before. I guess there are really different ways to educate and to learn. We all have unique ways of learning and I agree that there are people who will learn more by homeschooling. This ks a great post for those who are still not knowledgeable about homeschooling.

  25. I know a lot of friends who are mom who have chosen to homeschool their kids. They’ve shared a lot about how other parents could be discriminating about homeschooling, but I think it’s challenging to the part of the parents and it’s great that they’re making an effort to develop their children’s minds at the comfort of their homes. 🙂 Good luck and kudos to you!

  26. I am so blessed by this blog post, enlightened me in a whole different level as I am starting to learn everything about homeschool as we intend to embark on this whole new journey this year. Thanks for sharing all thoughtful information. I hope to connect with you soon.

  27. My sister is an 8 years old chess player. And she competes for the country. Do you provide varsity sholarships? Im interested in enrolling my sister to home schooling. We are from nueva vizcaya. How often do we need to go to the school? How much would it cost? Ty

  28. Reading your blog gave me a positive outlook about homeschooling…I wanted my child to learn more skills than sitting in the classroom from 7am-4pm doing the usuals..My son can be easily distracted and having a lot of students in the classroom is not giving him progress..I would like to ask how to contact School of Tomorrow?Thank you very much.

  29. your comment is on point..exactly my thoughts..I am definitely considering Home schooling…do you think it is possible to stop during midyear of regular school and shift to homeschooling in the next semester? My kid is totally out of focus now since I transferred him into a new school and everything around him is totally new but he actually likes the school. However, he’s behavior is something teachers of regular students cannot cope since there are around 30 students in the classroom.

    1. Hmmm I am not sure about stopping. But I think you can make arrangements for that. I just dont know if the existing grades may be credited for the same level.

  30. What can you say about independent homeschooling? We live in a province where homeschooling is not known so no schools are accredited for homeschooling here. Thus, I want to do independent homeschooling.

    1. Where are you based sis? We live in Bacolod City and so all our providers are in Manila. I know of some parents who do independent homeschooling. It’s just not for our family because I find it too tedious. 😀

      1. maam i want to homeschool my kid and nephew..can u help me how ….nd ko kablo kung paano sugudan. bcoz of the covid ..nd gd me kasigurado sang ila safety …so plano ko pang home school na lang sila. salamat mommy sigrid…:)

        1. Hi Mommy Girly! You can contact School of Tomorrow for the guidelines for new students. You will have to source it directly from Manila. If you want, here in Bacolod, Alliance Church uses the same curriculum and they will supervise you while homeschooling. However, fees are higher. 🙂 Hope this helps.

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