您好! I’m Po Tim , the Fortune Cookie Mom
Bilingual Homeschooling Mom of Five
My Story
Before Blogging
I am a Linguistics graduate from BYU with a TESOL and Music Minor. I love to play the piano, sing in choirs and am a former Chinese teacher. I studied and lived in the United States for more than 10 years, and am currently living in Hong Kong.
I am an out-going person who enjoys public speaking, and being a teacher has been my dream since kindergarten. The best part of being a teacher is seeing the CHANGE and IMPROVEMENT in students. I believe teachers change the world through teaching.
Our Journey of Homeschooling
After we moved back to Hong Kong, we decided to homeschool our children. But “homeschooling” was an extremely non-traditional and unfamiliar concept to me. I had never heard of the term “homeschooling” until studying aboard in the United States. HOW COULD I HOMESCHOOL MY CHILDREN? And in Hong Kong!
After weeks of researching all about homeschooling, I finally had an idea of what homeschooling was and it’s advantages for my children and me. I became quite excited to share my knowledge and my love of learning with my precious children. I was especially excited about teaching different subjects in both English and Chinese. I suddenly realized how blessed we were to be living in Hong Kong, because my kids could practice speaking Chinese.
I started homeschooling my girls in September 2015. It has turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made for my kids. It has allowed me to really focus on my children’s learning and development, and gives me an excuse to research and designed different fun lessons and activities for my children. It has also allowed my children to be kids and have fun while every other kid in Hong Kong starts school at the age of two or younger (They aren’t even potty train yet). I get to witness, first hand, the academic, physical, and emotional progress my children make which has been a blessing I wouldn’t ever want to give up. Of course, it isn’t always easy, there are ups and downs, and difficulties on the homeschooling road, but it has been worth it.
Click HERE to watch how we home-school in Hong Kong.
Becoming a Homeschooling Blogger
There are a ton of English teaching materials and resources out there, but very few in Chinese. That’s the main reason I started my blog, so I could share my Chinese printable with others.
Even if I was a tech-savvy girl, writing everything in English, my second language, would have been challenging enough, but I am not so dealing with all the technical things plus homeschooling my four kids is a struggle at times. Even with all the challenges, I fell in love with blogging. I love to see how others benefit from my printables and free challenges. I love connecting with parents and educators all over the world who share the same goals.
I have the best of both worlds. I am able to homeschool my kids and help them with their Chinese, I also can use my skills and passion to provide more Chinese learning materials online.
Why am I Teaching Chinese at Home?
Teaching my own kids Chinese at home has been my dream and goal.
- They are half Chinese, and nothing is better than teaching the language with the culture, so they will know who they are and where they came from.
- My parents don’t know any English, the only way for my kids to connect and get to know my parents is talking with them in Cantonese.
- Knowing another language is beneficial for kids.
- It’s rewarding seeing my kids reading Chinese books, speaking Cantonese with me, and loving all the aspects of the Chinese language and culture.
I have been teaching my kids for years now, and I have so many tips and experiences I want to share with you.
You don’t have to be fluent in Chinese or be a natural teacher to teach your kids Chinese at home. I’m going to show you different methods and PROVIDE resources to Help you have success.
Join the other hundreds of parents who want to teach kids Chinese at home. You can do it too!
I started teaching my oldest child Chinese when she was 4 years old. I focused on maintaining her interest in the Chinese language and culture and motivating her to learn Chinese independently.
When she was 6 years old, she learned the 500 basic Chinese characters within 4 months.
Since then, her interest in learning Chinese has skyrocketed. She loves reading Chinese books, listening to different tales from China and eating yummy local Chinese food.
And my other kids followed her example.
I’m so proud of her and my other kids.
THANK YOU for reading my story! I’d love to hear your story as well.
Let’s get connect!
Po Tim King
Special thanks to my husband, Brenden for taking this beautiful photo of us.
About This Blog
I want to share the insights and experiences I have gained throughout my Homeschooling journey with you and your family. You’ll be able to start off right and avoid the many of the difficulties I faced.
I am just a mother with a passion for teaching Chinese to my kids.
You will find:
- Tips for teaching Chinese at home
- More beautiful and practical Chinese printables for young kids
- Fun games, crafts, activities, and other educational resources
You won’t find:
- Any advanced or higher education Chinese resources
- Curriculum from Chinese schools
By the way, please forgive my non-native English. I promise each of you that I will try my best to proofread and rewrite as much as possible. Very honestly, learning English is so HARD. I have spent almost my whole life studying it, but I am not even close to native-like. I’m proud of who I am, and that I can speak multiple languages.
Thanks for your understanding and support.
Best Chinese Resources
Chinese Theme Packs
Learn Chinese through fun activities based around different themes.
Such as seasons, holidays, manners, etc.
Chinese Literature-Based Printable
Learn Chinese through activities based around different lovable
children’s books
Asian-Style Clipart
Cute clipart drawn in a
anime style.
Introducing Chinese at Home
Create a Solid Foundation that engages kids and helps them to learn independently
Live the Chinese Language
Integrate Chinese learning into your daily life, create an immersive environment for your child with practical daily tasks, to increase Chinese language exposure at home.
Featured On
I Am A Proud Member Of:
Connect with me
身为职业妈妈的我,常常牺牲睡眠来自作教材。版主全方位学习的新年教材真让我省下不少宝贵的时间找资料。四岁的女儿对中文学习有点抗拒。我们善用版主提供的迷你故事书和生字卡来增强她对语文的认识。版主的中文单词棋盘游戏更让女儿投入学习, 因为她想赢嘛！版主的教材可让小孩边玩边学, 太棒了。
This is the second 5-Day Challenge that we have done with Fortune Cookie Mom. Both have been very beneficial to our family. I am a homeschool mom of three little kids. We are not Chinese and do not speak any Chinese. With the help of Fortune Cookie Mom, we are slowly learning! The challenges have given me fun activities to do at home with the kids. Each one has reignited my kid's interest in learning. It has been a fun experience for everybody!