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A love for animals may come naturally for some kids, but not so much for others. Whether your kids show signs of care toward animals or not, it's important to guide and foster it early one. My kids and I are huge advocates for animals, both through journalism and in action. We've physically rescued animals in need and also strive to help them in many ways, both directly and indirectly. Teaching kids to respect animals is a fun and rewarding experience.

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_Your kids may know how to cook at home. But can they also cook while camping? While some things may be the same or similar, there are different techniques when it comes to preparing food without a kitchen. Being able to cook in the wild is an important survival skill for kids. Plus, it's something impressive they can brag about to their friends. Our family enjoys camping and the outdoors and is well-versed on what to do with food in these situations.

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_When making the decision to homeschool your children, there will be a variety of things you'll need to be aware of. Some of those things include laws, where to find resources and materials, how to plan a schedule and curriculum, and even record-keeping and grading. Elementary record-keeping is often simpler than during high school (and possibly also in grades 6 - 8). This is due to the necessity of transcripts and course credits in higher grade levels. As a veteran homeschool mom, I've tried many record keeping methods.

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_This slideshow displays cute animal pics with fun facts about each. Flip through the images for a fun glimpse at both wild and domesticated animals.

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_by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

Does your child play with a pet regularly? If your answer is no, I can give you plenty of reasons to start that habit. If pets are not allowed in your place of residence, consider taking your child to visit shelter pets or those belonging to friends.

Research shows that having pets reduces anxiety, which is very good for a positive learning environment. That information can be found in many places. But did you know about these other educational benefits?
Playing with pets helps with fine motor skills. Just like other types of active play, when kids are interacting with pets, it helps them develop important physical skills. Playing with pets is unique in that your child not only needs to pay attention to their own play and movements, but to those of the pet as well. Fine motor skills are critical to various educational processes, even down to holding a pencil.

Playing with pets teaches compassion and gentleness. When your child plays with an animal, the animals needs have to come first. Children also need to be gentle to make sure they are not hurting the animal. This helps instill compassion as well as the act of being gentle.

Pet care and play can also be used in many lessons. Need to teach your child counting skills? Use the number of treats awarded to a pet during play. Does your child need to learn about responsibility? Make a schedule for playing with the pet at a certain time every day. The possibilities are endless.

Let your child play with a pet today and every day!
_Lyn is a freelance web journalist, the Community Advocate at Yahoo! Contributor Network, and a Y! Shine Parenting Guru. She's also the founder of Write W.A.V.E. Media, parent company to LifeSuccessfully.com and several others. She enjoys publishing freelance writers and supports advocacy through journalism. She has been published all over the web with major media companies, as well as smaller businesses and organizations. Contact Lyn for guidance in the world of freelance writing.

Lyn on Twitter: @LynLomasi
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_by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

Welcome to Heart and Mind Homeschool, where you can find resources for every subject and grade level.

Today's kids are active and have busy schedules, which can take away from their studying time. But education needs to be a priority. With my own kids in mind, I've developed several methods for studying that are quick, enjoyable, and (more importantly) effective.

By reading one story per day that includes critical material in each core subject along with fun activities, your child can keep up with studies while still getting in time for fun. Each story includes simple activities that provoke understanding of the material. If your child does not understand the lesson, stories can be repeated as necessary.

We also have a variety of supplemental resources that can be used separately or in combination with our story concept. The separate materials are offered because as long-time home educators, we know full well that each child has their own unique learning styles. Some may not do well with our story concept or may want or need additional practice.

The best part about Heart and Mind Homeschool is that most resources and materials are completely free. To help keep that zero cost, we do serve ads on the site. But we do our best to keep them as family-friendly as possible.

We look forward to being a learning resource in you home. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
_Lyn is a freelance web journalist, the Community Advocate at Yahoo! Contributor Network, and a Y! Shine Parenting Guru. She's also the founder of Write W.A.V.E. Media, parent company to LifeSuccessfully.com and several others. She enjoys publishing freelance writers and supports advocacy through journalism. She has been published all over the web with major media companies, as well as smaller businesses and organizations. Contact Lyn for guidance in the world of freelance writing.

Lyn on Twitter: @LynLomasi
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