Heart 'N Mind Homeschool Journal

Good Ways To Recycle Books And Magazines

6/27/2020

by Phoenix Desertsong, Parent of Book Lovers

The need to recycle paper products becomes more important every day. As more old-growth trees are cut down every day, we rob our planet of valuable oxygen. We have to wait decades to replace these valuable natural resources. Of course, we don’t want our kids to pay the price for that!

While paper products are mostly biodegradable - nearly one hundred percent - a great amount of those include books and magazines. Why send them to a landfill when they’re easy to reuse and recycle?

The truth is that old books and magazines do have cultural and historical value. Not only is a good idea to pass them on, but some can even be valuable to collectors! As your kids are growing up, it’s important to teach them about the value of these printed materials after they are done with them.

Of course, you can also send old books and magazines to the recycling bin, especially if they are quite beat up. But,not all recycling companies accept them just as they are. So, what are some good ways to reuse and recycle books and magazines than simply throwing them away?

Donate Old Books and Magazines to Local or College Libraries

Have a bunch of books and magazines that your kids no longer use? Ask your kids which books and magazines they are willing to let go. All kinds of libraries, both public libraries and school libraries, will happily accept donations of old books and magazines in good condition.

The best condition copies of some of the books you donate will end up on library shelves. Others will be put out on racks for sale. These books will be also often used for running fundraisers to raise money for library improvements. In any case, it’s better than letting them gather dust in your home or storage unit

Sell Valuable Old Books and Magazines

There are many resources online to see what your old books and magazines are worth. Several websites exist that allow you to type in or scan the barcode numbers of mass-market books. They will pay you cash and even send you a shipping label to cover shipping costs. However, be aware they usually pay you a small percentage of what the item is actually worth.

Used bookstores still exist, of course. But, many are very picky with what they’ll buy and some don’t actively buy - but accept donations. Also, not everyone has them locally.

There are always flea markets, too. These can be great events to bring your kids to in order to teach them how to run a sale. But, you want to be sure that you’re actually selling something worth bringing and paying for the table space.

Then there’s garage sales, but they typically aren’t big sellers for books and magazines unless you get lucky. One thing that can sell, though, piles of classic magazines like Highlights, National Geographic, and Sports Illustrated.

Speaking of classic magazines, in great shape, they can be worth money. Covers featuring celebrities or sports stars can fetch good money on eBay. For example, you can find many Time Magazine and Sports Illustrated magazines for sale online.

eBay is your best bet for selling books and magazines with actual demand. It’s easy enough to find out - just check current listings and completed listings and see if your book or magazine is anything that sells.

Creative Ways to Reuse Books and Magazines

For books with illustrations or pictures and magazines that don’t have any resale value, you may decide to use them for creative purposes instead. Magazines in particular make excellent craft supplies for both kids and adults. They make great material for collages or scrapbooks. You can even make DIY hanging mobile art with magazine cutouts. You string thread through holes cut into the tops of the shapes and attach the shapes to a clothes hanger.

Another creative option is cutting out articles or pictures to create a vision board or dream board. These can help you visualize goals and dreams you want to achieve in your life - sort of like a visual bucket list. You can create one alongside your kids, as they are good activities for any age. These can include a dream career, a special vacation, or a fancy new car.

Throwing Unwanted Books and Magazines into the Recycling Bin

Whatever you don’t feel like donating, reselling, or reusing creatively, you can always throw into the recycling bin. This includes books and magazines that are in poor condition or ones you’ve already used for cutouts. You’ll want to check what your local recycling pickup or drop-off center accepts first,

Fortunately, there are more areas accepting books and magazines as-is all the time. This includes even magazines printed on glossy paper. Because glossy paper is in much lower demand than regular paper, recycling companies don’t get as much in return as raw material. But, now some companies will take it anyway.

In some areas, to recycle old books you still have to separate the paper from the bindings, whether there’s adhesive or staples - or both - involved in holding them together. There are companies who can remove these bindings with their machinery. But, having to deconstruct books and magazines just for recycling can be a major hassle. So, donating them may be a better option for you if this type of extra labor is involved.

So, if you and your family have some books and magazines you need out of your way, take these good ways to reuse them in mind. Not only is it a good idea to give people another chance to enjoy them, but keeping them out of landfills is great for the environment. Whatever you do, make sure to reuse and recycle whatever paper products you can to save as many trees as we can. Let’s be sure our kids have a very green future!

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5 Homeschooling Mistakes And How to Avoid Them

6/17/2020

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by Phoenix Desertsong, Parent of Three

There are many advantages to homeschooling your kids. Not everyone will do it the same, and in fact, there are many correct ways to do it. How you do homeschool is all up to how your kids learn best. But, there are some common homeschooling mistakes which can put your homeschool success at risk. The good news is that if you find yourself doing any of these five homeschooling mistakes that are easy to make, you can quickly learn how to avoid them.

Don't Set the Bar Too Low for Your Kids' Expectations

In traditional schools, research shows that teacher expectations have a direct effect on student performance. This is no different when it comes to homeschool. The main difference is homeschooling is that you as a parent are the teacher. Parents tend to have much stronger biases than school teachers when it comes to the perception of your child’s abilities.

Biases really become clear when you are homeschooling two or more children. Your son may be a math genius, while struggling to read aloud. Meanwhile, your daughter seems allergic to numbers, but reads aloud like a pro. The important thing is to not simply favor your children’s strengths. You need to set aside any preconceived notions you have about your child’s abilities in order to help them succeed.

The best teachers go into every lesson knowing that they will give every chance to succeed in that lesson. When you expect the best from children, you are far more likely to get their best effort. Sometimes what may be holding one child back in a subject is easily corrected. Be positive and encouraging, especially when a child is doing something he or she struggles at. You may be surprised that a child who appears bad at math just needs it taught in a slightly different way, only to discover that he or she is actually rather good at it.

Of course, don’t set your expectations so high that they are unrealistic. Allow your kids to work through things at their own pace. That’s a major advantage of homeschool: your kids don’t get left behind or get way ahead of the rest of the class. Use that advantage to their advantage.

Don’t Simply Teach the Way YOU Liked to Learn

It’s been said that certain types of teaching styles are better than others. While there is some truth to this, it’s more accurate to say that certain teaching styles are more effective with certain individuals than others. Yes, you may have learned just fine from lectures yourself, but some kids just get bored.

Just because something worked for you in your own learning doesn’t mean it will work for your kids. Even more importantly, if you have multiple kids, they may not learn as well by the same method as the other. The best thing to do is try different teaching styles, such as showing videos, doing hands-on activities, and using highly visual presentations. Then, ask your children for what they prefer and adjust accordingly. There is no one size fits all approach to learning. This has been known for years. That’s yet another advantage of homeschool you should help your kids use to their advantage.

Not Setting Rules For Learning Time (AKA Classroom Management)

This is where I partly disagree with many homeschooling experts: separating “class” time from other regular at-home activities. Some people feel that their own in-home system if discipline, rules, amd consequences are enough. I actually mostly agree with that.

However, it IS important to have some simple rules for learning time, especially if you are trying to have a more regular classroom setting. These rules can be as simple as not talking over others, paying attention, and doing the work in a timely manner. Some children do need that structure to stay on task. Really, it’s more about setting up a routine that kids know what to do and have respect for learning time. Plus, you want to teach your kids good work habits.

Of course, some parents don’t want to set any rules for learning time. They’ll just let their kids sort of wander sometimes. Honestly, if that’s happening, you should be trying to teach a different way. The beauty of children is that if you’re doing it right, you will know, and vice versa. The best rule of thumb is to not be strict and inflexible, but instead adaptable and flexible.

Only Teaching One Thing at a Time

In most traditional school settings, subjects are taught one at a time. This is how many homeschool parents schedule their days, often one subject per hour. It works, right? Well, it’s been found through the years that having an overarching theme throughout the day informing what you do in each subject is more effective. By each subject being interrelated, kids tend to retain what they’ve learned much better.

Some schools have done this for years. One day the class will have Bird Day and another day there will be Cat Day, and so on. This isn’t true everywhere, of course, especially when you get into middle school and junior high where students begin to have different teachers for each subject. But I remember having themed days and weeks in elementary school, and wow, does it make a difference having every subject relate to it. Unfortunately, they weren’t every day and usually had something to do with a holiday or event.

Some educators have made it a point to design curriculums with study units that have a theme that ties together math, reading, science, and social studies. Students have been found to retain more and have more fun with learning when they are taught with themes, even if those themes only show up in loosely related ways.

One great example I’ve found has to do with animals with predictable life cycles, particularly frogs. You don’t just teach about a frog’s predictable life cycle during science time. You can have a book about a frog during reading time that covers a lot of the same concepts through a story. Then, you can teach multiplication using frog legs, such as if there are 5 frogs with 4 legs each, how many frog legs? It’s a cute example, but even younger children will pick up on a lot of these concepts more easily because it was taught in a fun and interesting way.

Teaching is NOT Telling

Yes, even though this seems like a really basic mistake,teachers and parents alike still do the whole “tell, not show” thing. Yes, it is far more common for teachers to “show, not tell” even in a lecture setting, but the opposite is more common than you think. Yes, there are some students that are perfectly fine with being told about something. But, in many cases, simply telling about something isn’t enough to make it stick with your student.

Teaching is NOT just telling. Yes, telling is a part of it, but you have to show an example of what you’re telling for it to be most effective. Really, the best way not to fall into the “tell, not show” trap is to change up your learning styles. Switch up between using hands-on activities, visual aids, tech-based learning, and more. Also remember that as a teacher, you are learning, too. You might be learning a different way, in that you’re learning how to teach more effectively, but you are. As you learn and improve your teaching methods, you’ll see your children improve in their own learning, too.

We hope that you’ve found this advice helpful and hope that it can help you become a better homeschool teacher. Do you find yourself making any of these homeschooling mistakes yourself? How have you overcome certain difficulties in your own homeschool?

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Where to Find The Best Homeschool Resources

1/13/2020

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Oh, the Places You Will Go For Your Homeschooling Supplies!

by Phoenix Desertsong, Parent of Three

Homeschool has become an extremely popular trend in education in recent years for many different reasons. But, if you ask most homeschool parents why they are homeschooling, the answer you’ll most likely get is they’re having fun with being such a big part of their child’s education. Still, there are some parents on the fence about homeschooling, even though they’re considering it. The main concern for parents unsure about homeschooling is they aren’t sure where to find the best homeschool resources.

Sure, the internet can be a great resource for homeschool lesson plans, tips and tricks, and more. But, a major part of the homeschool experience is making sure your children are an active part of getting what they need. After all, one of the main benefits of homeschooling is the ability to greatly personalize your child’s educational experience. So, read on for where to find the best homeschooling supplies.

Your Local Bookstore Can Be Your Homeschool Store

The first thing many homeschool parents will do is to type amazon.com into their browser. This is not a bad thing. After all, many communities no longer have a local bookstore anymore. But, there are other options besides Amazon, and you’d be surprised to hear some of them are less expensive.

Now, if you do have a local bookstore, it’s one of the best homeschool resources you can have. You may have a used bookstore. That works, too. In fact, if you don’t have a new or used bookstore nearby, you can even browse the books of your local thrift store. They usually have a lot, because they don’t typically sell that well. Thrift stores even have textbooks sometimes, so just be sure they’re fairly recent - teaching with out-of-date books is counterproductive, and yes, some public schools still do.

Whatever store you have that sells books of any kind (yes, even if it’s just the limited bookshelf at Walmart) arm yourself with a list of books to buy that fit with your homeschool curriculum. Turn it into a sort of a scavenger hunt. Of course, you have to be flexible. If you are lucky enough to have a larger bookstore in your area, there will be plenty of options to choose from - if you don’t mind paying full retail price.

Even living in a major metro area with several big-chain bookstores, I would still go the used bookstore, thrift store, and big box store route. Part of the fun of getting books is having a list of what you need but having fun and learning to be flexible. Also, used books are going to save you a lot of money and your kids get to be part of the process, which serves as its own homeschool lesson.

Of course, if you have a big chain like Barnes and Noble and they’re having a good sale, it’s a great place to round things out. You can always use Amazon for what you can’t find and need to cover - or even eBay. But, the more involved your child is in the book selection and buying process, the better.

The Magazine Rack Can Be a Great Homeschool Resource

Magazines are an old school way to find homeschool resources, but yes, they do still exist. I don’t recommend paying full retail price, because some companies practically give magazine subscriptions away these days. People also will post boxes of old magazines on classified sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Thrift stores and used bookstores practically give them away, too.

Not only do magazines offer great reading material and exciting photography to stimulate your kids’ learning, but they also serve another purpose. Magazines are perfect material for arts and crafts projects, scrapbooks, poster boards, and more. The magazines you get should be on topics your kids actually enjoy.

Be sure to ask your family and friends if they have old magazines laying around they don’t want. At the very least you’ll have some material arts and crafts projects and save some money in the process. The best magazines for homeschool is a topic I plan to cover in a future article.

The Internet is the Most Obvious Homeschool Resource

Of course, with the internet, there are many websites offering help with supplementing or even creating your curriculum. You can find a lot of it for free through simple searches, and there are plenty of homeschool blogs out there with plenty of links and resources. Not everything online is free, though, especially if you’re looking for curriculum.

But while the Internet is an obvious homeschool resource, it can also be overwhelming and confusing. Plus, as I already mentioned, a lot of it isn’t free. Years ago, you could find a lot more for free, but a lot of the best homeschool resources are now stuck behind a paywall. Personally, I wouldn’t pay for very many of them, although there are a couple that I do like that are well worth your money. I’ll get to these another time.

In general, if you find something that requires a subscription, do your homework on the company. See if other homeschool parents have a lot of nice things to say about it. Of course, there are some shady companies out there that offer “free trials” but will later charge you if you cancel anyway. So, don’t pay for anything until you do your research.

The Public Library is a Homeschool Parent’s Best Friend

You can get more value out of a library card than ever. Of course, they have the books and references that your kids can take home and use as long as they return them by the due date. Libraries also have videos and educational CD’s. But, some libraries now also have streaming services, so just by signing in with your library card, you can gain access to a lot of the library’s resources - including many of those same videos, audiobooks, and even ebooks - from home for free.

Libraries also have computers with educational software on them. These computers are often going to be always in use in busier areas. Again, though, some of these resources become available to you online through the use of your library card - but it depends on where you live.

The other plus about libraries is the events designed especially for kids. Even smaller libraries in rural areas will have events like these. These include story time, book discussions, and more. Book discussions are especially useful for homeschooled kids as they not only help your child learn to read, but also help develop critical thinking skills.

Teach Alongside Other Homeschool Parents

Some homeschool parents will invite other homeschoolers to join them at their house and teach everyone together. Not everyone likes to do this, as teaching styles can be vastly different when it comes to homeschool. Of course, experiencing a different way of doing things can be good for both you and the kids. You can also offer to do this yourself if you feel comfortable doing so.

The other good thing about connecting with other local homeschoolers is many of them are happy to either loan or give you used materials that they no longer need for their own children. Homeschool parents are often happy to just pass on materials rather than let them sit around or be donated to a thrift store where they may not be found for a long time. Outside of the occasional textbook, homeschool materials don’t resell well. So, you save money, and other parents get satisfaction from passing it on to other kids.

A Trip to the Museum is Actually Underrated for Homeschool

Not everyone lives in an urban area - as we do - where there are lots of choices for museums. Some parents think that museums will just bore their kids. Of course, there are childrens’ museums and exhibits at many other kinds of museums such as art and science museums made just for kids. Again, not everyone has easy access to these, but if you can manage a trip once in a while, it can be very rewarding, especially for homeschoolers.

Trips to the museum do more than just help your kids appreciate art, history, science, and more. Because you are homeschooling, your kids can choose what exhibits to spend the most time with, whereas on a school trip you basically have to follow the crowd. Of course, the preferred way for many people to go to museums is to join group tours. I find most children get bored this way and their attention will wander.

If your kids are willing to be patient and pay attention to the guide, great, but I find this to not be the case. My experience is that you let the kids spend the most time with what interests them most rather than force them to try to take in everything. Many museums are huge and can be very overwhelming. Of course, there are local history and topical museums, too, and these tend to be easier for kids, since there’s a lot less to take in.

Your Everyday Errands Are a Great Homeschool Learning Opportunity

You may not think that trip to the gas station, post office, and supermarket are an opportunity to learn, but they are. At the gas station, you have the opportunity to teach about gas prices, how much gas your vehicle needs, and more. The post office can teach about what it costs to ship items and all about how mailing, packaging, and shipping work.

The grocery store is a perfect learning opportunity. You can teach kids about unit prices, how to identify good deals, how to shop sales, how to plan meals, how to budget… the list is almost endless. You can make a fun lesson out of any shopping trip, but grocery shopping offers some of the most valuable real-life lessons.

Find Homeschool Lessons In and Around the Home

Of course, one of the best resources for homeschooling is your own home. The trick is to find activities that don’t feel like lessons. It could be as simple as baking some corn muffins - there’s math involved with measurements and science in the actual baking. If you prepare yourself and drop little lessons during the process, it won’t feel like a lesson. Maybe you’ll plant a small garden in your yard. It’s a great little science project, not only teaching your kids about plant life, but also the responsibility of caring for those plants.

The most important part of homeschool in and around the home is to watch what interests your child the most. You’ll want to weave these subjects your kid already likes into your daily lessons. Almost anything can be turned into something educational that teaches reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, math, science, or social studies. Keep it fun, but make sure your kid learns something.

Are there any other places you would suggest to find homeschool resources? If you’ve never homeschooled before, do you remember anything that worked well for you in school? If you already homeschool, we’d love to hear about cool and unique things you’ve found that work well with your kids!

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Supplementing the Education of Special Needs Children

2/8/2019

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by Laurie Childree, Staff Writer

Whether you special needs child is in home-school or traditional school, there is still a need to supplement their education. This means that you have to get creative when it comes to the curriculum. Your child learns differently, so avoid the cookie cutter.

Personality

Yes, you will take the personality of your child into consideration BEFORE the disability. Personality is how you personalize education.

What are your child's interests?
How does your child learn?
What is your child's temperament?

These and several others questions will need answering when it comes to supplementing the education of your special needs child.

How Do They Learn??

Traditional schools will teach all the children the same way unless they have an IEP or 504 plan. Even these do not guarantee that your child is getting the skills they need in life. Supplementing their education is more than reinforcing academics, it is teaching them life skills. You have to treat them as individuals and tailor lessons to the way they learn the best whether from reading, watching instructional videos, writing about it or doing it themselves.

Simple Is Best

You don't want to overwhelm your child or break the bank so keeping it simple is the best thing to do for both of you, especially in the early stages while you figure out what you are doing. You can supplement education with games, workbooks, printed materials, daily chores and everyday outings. Personalize the lessons to your child, and take advantage of situations that allow you to reinforce what they are learning.

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Benefits of Interactive Ebooks for Homeschool Reading Activities

12/7/2018

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by Phoenix Desertsong, Parent of Three

Ebooks can really help young children get involved with the literary world. Sometimes, it can be hard to get children to sit down long enough to actually read to them. Fortunately, there are many interactive ebooks available today to catch young readers with short attention spans. Learn about some of the benefits of interactive ebooks for homeschool reading activities.

Interactive Ebooks Give Homeschool Students Multimedia Reading Experiences

If you try to sit your five-year old homeschool student down and read him or her a classic book like Treasure Island, it’s likely you’ll encounter some resistance. Even if you are trying to read your child an adaptation made for kids, some children simply do not want to sit long enough to successfully read very much of it.

But, if you get Treasure Island as an interactive ebook, you get a multimedia experience that include cool pirate-themed music and animated pictures. The more of your child’s senses you can get involved in a story, the better. There are even interactive ebooks that can read the story aloud page by page. My own children enjoy the Dr. Seuss interactive ebooks available on mobile devices. Interactive ebooks will often highlight the words as they are read, allowing children to learn the phonics and tone of many words.

Interactive Ebooks Get Homeschool Children with ADD Involved in Reading and Learning

Interactive ebooks have become particularly popular for parents with children who suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). It’s been found that many children with ADD can benefit from interactive ebooks that would never pay attention to a standard book. In these cases, having ebooks available on a computer or other multimedia device such as a tablet get children who wouldn’t touch regular books a chance to read and learn.

With homeschool, you can have reading activities exclusively using interactive ebooks. Some kids that have been diagnosed with ADD or just have issues with paying attention may struggle with focusing during reading time in a traditional school setting. But, with homeschool reading activities, you can choose whatever will get your children reading. After all, as long as they read something they enjoy, it does the job.

Interactive Ebooks Involve Kids Who Need More Activity

Reading standard books may be too much of a passive activity to interest highly active children for long. But, with interactive ebooks, tapping a screen or clicking a mouse to make pictures move or change pictures will capture the attention of many otherwise hyper children. Children don’t even have to sit still to read a book if they are reading it on a mobile device like an Android tablet or iPad. The children still receive the benefits of being read a regular book and it keeps them busy.

So, if you're having trouble getting your homeschool kids to pay attention during reading time, interactive ebooks on either computer, tablet, or other mobile device is something you should definitely try.

Interactive Ebooks Are Great Educational Tools

Some people may think that interactive ebooks are too much like video games. But, the educational value of interactive ebooks can’t be overlooked, especially when it comes to kids seeing the words as they are read. The animations can keep a better hold on your child’s senses, something that still pictures in regular books can’t always do.

Interactive ebooks can help beginning readers learn vocabulary, phonics, context clues, and more. They can even help older readers improve their skills. In any case, interactive ebooks are fun and can teach children even more than just what’s said in the story. Interactive ebooks can be used by parents, daycares, and teachers alike

So, if you have a child who resists story time and wants nothing to do with letting you read him or her a book, try out interactive ebooks. You may just find that interactive ebooks are the key to getting your child to love reading. Who knows. After reading interactive ebooks for awhile, he or she may even pick up a regular book! Interactive ebooks are definitely worth a try, especially for homeschool reading!

Have you ever used interactive ebooks for your own homeschool reading activities?

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Interactive Ebooks For Students and Kids - The Old and the New

12/6/2018

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by Phoenix Desertsong, Published Author

While harder to find than regular ebooks, interactive ebooks, also known as multimedia ebooks, can be lots of fun for children of all ages. Many of these ebooks are interactive books for preschoolers, but they exist for older children, as well. These interactive multimedia ebooks have audio and video features that can add lots of educational and entertainment value beyond the original book itself. While not all are educational ebooks, the interactivity makes them perfect for reading time or homeschool

“Old School” Interactive Ebooks for Kids

Interactive ebooks for kids have actually existed long before ebooks became even a thought on the internet. Some regular kids books actually came with a CD with an interactive version of the book or activities related to the book. They used to be only available at larger bookstores and by special order. Today, you can still buy them online, but some places allow you to download them.

What’s great about interactive ebooks is that your child not only can interact with the book, but can even sometimes alter events within the story itself. No longer are you passively reading the story, but actively being involved with it. Also, by being interactive, there are lots of opportunities for the story to reinforce other reading skills, such as vocabulary or phonics. This makes even older interactive ebooks good learning tools for students.

“Old school” multimedia ebooks either ran directly off of a CD or comes as an executable (EXE) file that you can download. This is because it’s not a document, but instead a program. Some of them even have the ability to have multiple users and allow the child to enter his or her name to personalize the experience. Some even allow you to put the child’s picture into the story, with adult assistance, of course.

Modern Interactive Ebooks

Today, there are still plenty of multimedia ebooks, but they are available today on Amazon KIndle or as apps from the Windows Store, the Google Play store, iTunes, and other similar software download platforms. They offer the same interactivity as the older multimedia ebooks, but often with a small download size and no need for a disc. These newer ebooks are much easier to find and much less expensive than the “old school” multimedia ebooks on CD.

It’s still possible to find some multimedia ebooks in the computer software aisle of big box stores or office supply stores. The ones you can find in these sorts of places tend to be very inexpensive.

Finding Older Interactive Ebooks For Download or Sale

Not every “old school” multimedia ebook has made its way into modern app stores. Some older ebooks may also not be compatible with newer computers. However, if you happen to come across them and you can get them to work, they are still a lot of fun, although they are limited to being run on a personal computer.

If you’re looking for multimedia ebooks not available in your local retail stores, you’ll have to turn to eBay, Amazon, and other online retail websites. This is where they can become expensive. But, it’s also possible to find them at thrift stores or even yard sales. Some of them are even highly collectible if the disc is in top condition.

Whether they’re old or new, multimedia and interactive ebooks can greatly encourage young readers by allowing them to be more actively involved with their favorite stories. Hopefully, by playing along with these interactive books, their interest in regular books will increase dramatically. They were effective back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, and interactive ebooks for students and kids definitely aren’t going anywhere.

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Free Ebooks For Kids: How to Find the Best Free Ebooks For Your Children

12/5/2018

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by Phoenix Desertsong, Parent of Three

Nook Kids eBook Reader at Barnes and Noble

Ebooks are a hot commodity on the internet. Many of them are given away for free to promote products and in marketing for companies. But, best of all, free ebooks are a great way for up and coming authors to gain an easier chance of discovery and name recognition. So, it's often possible to find great free ebooks for kids. Still, witheverything that comes for free, there will be some that won't be worth your time. So, here's how to find the best free ebooks for your children.

Find Free Ebooks from Up-and-Coming Children’s Authors

It’s quite common for aspiring book writers and novelists to turn to distributing free ebooks online to get their work out into the world. There are many reasons authors do this. Some are sick of being rejected by literary agents and publishers and decide to self-publish their work. By giving out a free ebook or two, up-and-coming authors can get people to visit their website and sign up for mailing lists. Many self-published authors have done extremely well this way.

Despite what some people may think, many authors who put out free ebooks are actually publishing quality work. Keep in mind that publishers tend to reject books before they even see anything of the actual manuscript. Publishers will typically reject anything that doesn’t fit in a certain genre or doesn't have an obvious market.

In particular, many children’s book writers have turned to giving away free ebooks for their first couple of books in order to build their audience. Sometimes, small presses and literary agents who are happy to take a chance on indie authors will discover them this way. Most of the time, these authors are happy to just build their own book business. So, if you discover a quality free ebook from an up-and-coming children’s author - or any author for that matter - be sure to share it with your friends and family.

Free Children’s Ebooks Are Easy to Find, But Which Are Good?

There are so many websites on which you can find free children’s ebooks. Of course, the major online booksellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble are a great place to start. Kindle and Nook are happy to let authors offer ebooks for free just to build their sales rankings.

But, there are also plenty of independent websites that exist almost entirely for the purpose of distributing free children’s ebooks. One good way of getting free kids’ ebooks is to join kids clubs online. These clubs tend to send you free children’s ebooks monthly or even weekly just by signing up by email.

Most sites that let you download free ebooks will require that you register with the site by email. While most sites are safe, be aware that you may receive a lot of unwanted email due to sites that will sell your email to mailing lists. How sites plan to use your email address should be in the fine print so look at this before you sign up with any sites.

Don't pay subscription fees to any free ebooks sites because authors typically give everything away for free. Always beware of sites that ask you to sign up for a free trial to download any books. While many of these are also legiitate book clubs that are actually no obligitation if you cancel before the trial period ends, read the fine print.

Beware of educational websites that will be sneaky by asking for your PayPal email address. Do NOT sign up for these as they are trying to subscribe you for auto payments, which may still remain active even if you cancel. While PayPal is good about getting you your money back if you have proof of cancellation, it can take ten days for that money to be returned. Save yourself the headache and avoid them. it's a common scam, and even if you are willing to pay, they often don't provide what they promise.

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Always Look Over Free Ebooks Entirely Yourself Before Reading Them With Your Child

Before reading any ebook with your child, definitely be sure there will be no unwelcome surprises. While discovering a book together can be fun, you never know what you'll find in something you downloaded for free from the internet. Unless you know the author, even if you got it from Amazon or Barnes and Noble, it's better safe than sorry to know the entire book’s contents before sharing it with your child. Most of the time it will be fine, but you never know what strange things a free ebook will have.

Be aware that some of these sites have educational ebooks with certain political or religious slants. You will want to review ebooks carefully before actually showing them to your children, of course. Sometimes these slants and agendas are hidden within the book and aren’t openly advertised. Keep this in mind when downloading free children’s ebooks, even from major retailers.

Free ebooks for kids are an awesome resource for homeschool or reading time. Just be careful what ebook sites you use and look over what you download carefully. You can find some great educational and entertaining resources for your child thanks to free ebooks.

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Educational Ebooks for Kids

11/29/2018

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by Phoenix Desertsong, Parent of Three

Many types of ebooks are available for children. While there are many great children’s fiction ebooks released every year, there are also plenty of new nonfiction, educational ebooks to check out. Educational ebooks aren’t just for teaching children about a subject they’re curious about. There are several other benefits that educational ebooks for kids offer.

Educational Ebooks for Kids Are Great Supplements for Homeschool Reading

Homeschoolers are happy to use educational ebooks to supplement their child’s studies. Not only are they less expensive than traditional workbooks in many cases, there are plenty even available for free. There are plenty of ebooks that are usable as teaching aids in subjects or topics that your child may be struggling with in school.

Like many children’s ebooks, many educational ebooks for kids are interactive. Some have silly songs or memorable, colorful animations. These can help children to memorize certain facts or better understand certain concepts.

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Educational Ebooks for Kids Include Textbooks

To keep up with the exploding popularity of educational ebooks, some traditional textbooks are alsonow available in ebook form. Often, they are available at far cheaper prices than the hardcover versions. From composition to math to social studies, you can find online textbooks, sometimes even for free.

Not only are textbook ebooks great for homeschool, but also for supplemental learning. They also help for non-traditional schools or children with disabilities that may not be able to handle traditional textbooks.

Educational Ebooks Are Great for Small Kids

Small children love looking at and interacting with ebooks. Many of the ebooks designed for smaller children include music, slideshows, and other activities. Through having fun, small kids can actually learn a lot. These interactive educational ebooks are great for helping kids learn their ABCs, numbers, colors, shapes, and much more.

With the easy availability and portability of educational ebooks, it’s not surprising how popular they have become. Just using your favorite search engine, you can find plenty of free or inexpensive educational ebooks on just about any topic or subject your child likes or needs to learn. At any age, there’s an educational ebook that can help with something in your child’s continuing education.

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Teach Kids to Love Nature Using Creativity

7/23/2018

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Fostering Nature Appreciation in Children

by Lyn Lomasi; Owner of Intent-sive Nature & Brand Shamans Content Community

For some kids, it may be instinct to get out and explore nature. However, in the age of video games and computer technology, the same cannot be said for all children. Some kids hardly play outside, let alone learn to love and appreciate nature. Fortunately, with creativity you can teach even the most unaware and unwilling kids to love nature. Generally, once they get out there and start enjoying it in various ways, it comes naturally.

Visit a Nature Reserve

Nature reserves can hold some of the most captivating wildlife scenery, especially to young minds. They often have a large amount of different plants and animals. Also, they are designed especially for the purpose of preserving and appreciating nature. Nature reserves can offer uniquely creative programs, tours, and classes you won't find anywhere else. One way to find a nature reserve in your area is to visit the Nature Conservancy at Nature.org. You also may want to check your local parks and recreation department.

Gardening

Gardening is an activity that will allow kids to observe nature from start to finish. This makes an excellent candidate for creatively teaching a child to love nature. Many kids will enjoy various aspects of preparing, planting, observing, and (where necessary) harvesting a garden. Some great starter plants for kids include bean plants, sunflowers, bulb plants, and sprouted plants. Allow the kids to be creative and design the arrangement of plants. Also consider getting the kids involved in the community by creating bucket gardens for the hungry or homeless.

Family Nature Night

Ever thought of dedicating a special night just to nature? Holding a family nature night is one way to instill the love of nature. It also can create some great family bonding time and memories. Various activities can be done during family nature night, such as star gazing, bird watching, insect observing, nature crafts, gardening, and so much more. Nature crafts can be anything from bird and squirrel feeders to collages, handcrafted jewelry, and wreaths. Since it's about nature appreciation, be sure to stick to all natural and eco-friendly crafting. To take this a step further, consider making it a regular habit.

Last updated 2/17/2022

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How to Have a Family Nature Night

7/22/2018

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by Lyn Lomasi; Owner of Intent-sive Nature & Brand Shamans Content Community

One way to appreciate nature or enforce previous nature appreciation lessons is to have a family nature night. Whether your family members are nature gurus or just getting started, this can be a fun activity. Adults and kids of all ages can participate in some or all ways.

Natural Observation & Sample Collection

When you have a family nature night, kids and adults can collect samples from nature to examine, talk about and treasure. These can be things like fallen leaves, pine cones, flower petals and more. Just be sure to choose only fallen items, as you're there to observe and enjoy nature, not destroy it. Insects, frogs, lizards and other small creatures are great to observe in their natural environments as well. Night time may reveal things you didn't see during the day. A nature scavenger hunt is one fun way to enjoy the item collection (leave animals and insects out of this part).

Plant Something

Depending on the season, some garden fun with the right plants can be a great addition to a family nature night. Pick out seeds or transplants ahead of time. You might even consider making small container vegetable gardens to donate to the homeless. Plant them in a bucket with irrigation holes at the bottom to create a sustainable food source that's also portable.If you're unable to plant outdoors, you can still use pots and plant indoors.

Photo Session

Photos can help create lasting memories, as well as beautiful displays. Take pictures of the family enjoying nature, as well as pictures of the nature itself. Nature pictures can be used later to create albums, posters, computer screensavers, puzzles, collages, other art projects, and so much more.

Collage-Making

Speaking of collages, how about making a natural one? Compile collected items from nature, like leaves, dried flowers, small nuts and more. The items can be glued to recycled poster board or cardboard. Homemade glue using just flour and water works very well for this. The consistency should be thick, but not enough that it looks like dough. It takes a while to dry, but holds well afterward. The creation can then be placed in a poster-size collage frame to accent any room in the house.

Sky Gazing

Sky gazing is another excellent way to enjoy family nature night. Lie out on the lawn on blankets or beach towels. Stare up at the sky and discuss what you see. This could be the stars, moon, cloud shapes, birds, dragonflies, tall trees, etc.

Quiet Time

Before or after the sky gazing, everyone can close their eyes and just listen to nature. Suggest a certain amount of time for everyone to be completely quiet and just listen. When that time is up, the family can talk about what they heard, where the sounds may have come from, and what or who may have made them. This is a good activity to end family nature night with, as it is relaxing and will get everyone in the calm mode shortly before bedtime.

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3 Tips for Avoiding Homeschool Burnout

5/16/2018

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by Phoenix Desertsong, Parent of Three

Taking full responsibility for your child's education through homeschooling can be fun and exciting. There are many choices to be made. While this freedom has many benefits, parents can also find themselves suffering from homeschool burnout.

Some common reasons for burnout aren't even directly related to homeschooling. These reasons can include a new baby or an illness. But, the changes in routines and added responsibilities of doing homeschool can also be factors that lead to homeschool burnout.

However, homeschool burnout doesn't need to be a bad thing. It should instead be seen as a wake-up call that you need to make adjustments. Here are 3 tips on avoiding homeschool burnout.

Be Patient with Homeschool and Yourself

Just as you need patience as a parent, you need to be even more patient in your additional role as homeschool teacher. Don't try to be perfect. Have realistic expectations for each day. It's easy to plan too much. Don't set the bar too high.

You're going to have good days and bad days. Everyone does. Even the best laid plans can go away. So, don't stress as long as you're making some progress everyday.

Be Flexible With Your Schedule and Teaching Methods

A major advantage of homeschool is that if you find one teaching method doesn't work, you can change it! In fact, this may be the greatest advantage over traditional school environments. So, if you're burnt out by doing things a certain way, you can try a different method. Also, you may find doing homeschool activities at different times and breaking things up could help relieve tension and stress. Being flexible helps you recognize when you're burning out so you can switch things up.

Don't Go Overboard with Your Homeschool Plans

Because you are in full control of your homeschool schedule, it can be easy to pack too much into a day. This is especially true when you're doing a lot of social activities. Even if your child seems to be able to handle it, you need to be able to as well. A burnt out parent isn't any good, as your child will feed off your frustration, which can increase your chances of burnout.

Also, whenever possible, it's a good idea to get homeschool support from your spouse, partner, friends, or neighbors. There are also homeschool groups that can help you with social events. Don't try to do everything by yourself if you don't have to and know your limits. Find that happy place where you feel that you can still teach your child effectively and still be an effective parent afterwards, too.

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Ten Little Fishies from Super Simple Songs - Simple Songs for Kids and Preschoolers

2/1/2018

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by Phoenix Desertsong, Parent of Three

Super Simple Songs has been around for a very long time. Along with Dave and Ava, they are the channel that I turn to most for simple songs and nursery rhymes for my daughters. For the longest time, my oldest daughter always wanted to watch "Baby Shark." While there are many versions of the classic "Baby Shark" song available online, the Super Simple Songs version is the best one out there, in my opinion. My daughters seem to agree.

However, while my younger daughter still really enjoyed "Baby Shark," my older daughter was growing tired of it. Fortunately, Super Simple Songs came out with a "follow-up" to "Baby Shark" called the "Ten Little Fishies" song. It features the ever so popular Baby Shark and ten very elusive little fishies. Both of my daughters really got into this one.

"Ten Little Fishies" is a nice simple song that always calms my children down that also promotes counting, which is always good for young kids and preschoolers. The singer, whose name is Caitie, is always very pleasant to listen to. I've noticed the videos she sings on tend to be their favorites. They like the guy, Tobee, too, who sings "Baby Shark."

Super Simple Songs always puts out quality work. This is only the latest in a huge library of kid-friendly and sneakily educational music videos.

Watch the "Ten Little Fishies" song on YouTube:

I was in no way compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

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Skidamarink with Dave and Ava - Kids Nursery Rhymes on YouTube

2/1/2018

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by Phoenix Desertsong, Parent of Three

Dave and Ava in "Skidamarink" (Source: Dave and Ava TV Facebook)

My daughters really love the Dave and Ava Nursery Rhymes animated series on YouTube. So, when they came out with a "Skidamarink" video in time for Valentine's Day, they were really excited. They were both already familiar with the song courtesy of Super Simple Songs. But, the Dave and Ava version, as usual, was much more exciting than previous versions they had seen.

The Dave and Ava version of "Skidamarink" is a magical adventure through a wonderland full of hearts. Dave and Ava even ride a hot-air balloon shaped like a heart. There's plenty of action, jumping and laughing through a magical world of imagination. I like how Dave and Ava is adding more imaginary elements to their videos, as they did with "Hush Little Baby." The little kids really enjoy the colorful 3D animations and of course the music and singing is top-notch, as always.

Watch "Skidamarink" and other beloved nursery rhymes rediscovered on YouTube by Dave and Ava:

I was in no way compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

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Elementary Learning Supplies You Can Find At The Dollar Store

11/15/2017

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by Lyn Lomasi; Owner of Intent-sive Nature & Brand Shamans Content Community

Learning doesn't have to be expensive. Kids can learn from the simplest of items. Many elementary learning essentials can be found at the local dollar store. You'd be surprised what you can find for a dollar. Whenever we are running low on learning materials or need to add to our collection, we hit the dollar store first.

Flash Cards

Basic elementary flash cards can often be found at the dollar store. True they aren't generally more than $5. But if you can get them for only a dollar, why spend more? Flash cards help kids remember things like shapes, colors, numbers, addition, sight words, and so much more. We often find brand name flash cards for multiple subjects and grade levels at our local dollar store.

Books

Yes, you can still find elementary-aged books for a buck. Borrow the expensive books from the library. Then head to the dollar store for the bargain books. You never know what you might find. While you can't go expecting a specific book, it's very easy to find great deals on books for the kids at the dollar store. We've scored anything from easy readers, to science textbooks, popular fairy-tales, children's novels, and more.

Worksheets and Workbooks

I love that we can usually find worksheets and workbooks for elementary grade levels . We like to laminate our worksheets to use over and over. But workbooks and reproducible worksheets can often be expensive. That was a dilemma until we started finding them at the local dollar store. We're a family who likes to learn. So we can never have enough of these. The dollar store has lowered our spending on this significantly.

General School Supplies

Pens, pencils, markers, colored pencils and other basic school supplies can add up quickly. We're always able to find every supply we need for our elementary drawer at the local dollar store. We have a special learning area that we keep stocked with all the basic supplies. Elementary kids are often destructive with their supplies. They also use them up quickly, especially paper and writing/drawing mediums. But when we get them from the dollar store, it isn't taking as much of a chunk out of the budget.

There is much more that we often find at the local dollar store. It varies from week to week. But it's always a fun adventure to find out what they have next. What essential elementary learning supplies can you save on at your local dollar store?

LAST UPDATED 2/17/2022

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Keep Homeschooled Tweens Social

11/5/2017

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by Lyn Lomasi,Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

So, you've decided to homeschool your tween and don't know what you should be doing about social interaction? Maybe you're not new to homeschooling, but just curious about some methods other than your own. As a mom and homeschool teacher to kids in a wide age range, I've experimented with several different techniques. Learning how to keep homeschooled tweens social is not as difficult as it may seem. Learn how to keep homeschooled tweens social from a long-time homeschooling mom of 6.

The world is your classroom. Don't just teach at home. This is my number one rule as a homeschool teacher. Keeping my kids in public often has been the best method of keeping them social, hands-down. The kids and I learn in many different places. Parks, museums, the grocery store, the library, the post office, and so many more places in your city can all be your classroom. This enhances social skills, as well as helps provide a very diverse and well-rounded learning experience. Many homeschoolers follow this mantra. For this reason and others, some homeschooled tweens may actually have a more balanced daily social life than those in traditional schools.

Attend community events and other social gatherings. Most communities will have something going on just about every day. Also, remember that family gatherings provide great social experiences as well. Attend as many family and friend hosted gatherings as possible. If no one is hosting events, throw your own and invite as many people as you can handle. Look in newspapers, school listings, community bulletins and websites, and more to keep up with what's going o in your area. Attend as many of these gatherings as you can. Like the 'world is your classroom' mantra, this is much the same, as far as providing a well-rounded social atmosphere for your homeschooled tween.

Involve your homeschooled tween in sports. Athletics can be a great way for your tween to meet some new peers who have similar interests. Organizations like the Boys and Girls clubs and YMCA offer sports programs for tweens who are both homeschooled and in traditional schools. Your tween may be able to join sports teams from schools in the area, depending on your state's regulations and those of the school district. There are also leagues just for homeschoolers, church leagues, and other local leagues that anyone can join. Allow your tween to choose the sport that interests them the most.

Join a homeschool group. Most areas have groups and organizations created just for homeschoolers. Some involve sharing teaching duties, others may involve field trips and gatherings, and some may be a combination of both. Do your research and be sure to look for one that not only fits your preferred option, but also fits your educational style. Many homeschooled groups are geared toward a specific method or religion. For instance, you may find an unschooling group, a Christian Montessori group, an eclectic group, and more. It's important to know what a group is about before you join to avoid disagreements or heartbreak later down the road.

Invite your tween's friends over regularly. Just like any other tween, homeschooled tweens want to hang out with friends and relatives of their age group. Invite friends over whenever possible to help keep your homeschooled tween socially active. Slumber parties, friend fun days, and cookouts are also a good idea (when you can handle it) because this creates a larger social setting.

Keeping homeschooled tweens social is really about finding a variety of social and public activities to keep your tween busy with. Because homeschool is so versatile, it's actually quite simple to keep homeschooled tweens social. With some styles of homeschooling, it may just come naturally.

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"Dave and Ava" Nursery Rhymes on YouTube Review - Kids' YouTube Video Series Reviews

12/16/2016

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by R.A. Rowell; Co-Owner of Intent-sive Nature & the Brand Shamans network

You can never start your kids' learning too early! One of the classic ways to educate babies and toddlers is the use of nursery rhymes! Today, there's a nearly limitless amount of resources when it comes to nursery rhymes. But, the one series that my older daughter has been most interested since she was 6 months old is Dave and Ava on YouTube. We discovered them through the use of the YouTube Kids app on Android. Here's the link to their YouTube channel.

Dave and Ava's slogan is "Rediscover Nursery Rhymes!" Compared to many of the other related cartoon series on YouTube, Dave and Ava is on the higher-quality side. The animation is excellent and the singing and music is generally top-notch. They have very long videos, too. While they repeat the same ones over and over again, it means you don't have to change the video for awhile. This seems to be the case with most of the nursery rhyme videos. But, Dave and Ava's are the nursery rhymes on YouTube that would capture my daughter's attention the longest.

"Dave and Ava" Nursery Rhymes (Image Source: Dave and Ava Facebook)

The animation is superb and the quality of the songs is pretty good. They also have educational videos that teach ABC's, counting, colors, phonics, and more. These videos can be great for pre-k homeschool. Besides the nursery rhymes, they cover a lot of good educational material. Some of the videos are especially amusing. After you hear them literally hundreds of times, they get old, but she and her younger sister still enjoy them.

If you have a child ages 0-6 and you're looking for a good video series on YouTube for your child to watch, I'd definitely recommend this series. Dave and Ava also have a mobile app for Apple and Android, which you can subscribe to monthly or yearly. The app also features some other activities, as well. For ad-free entertainment that can last your child months or years, it's a good deal for Apple or Android device users.

Dave and Ava currently put out new videos regularly on YouTube.

If you know any other really good YouTube video series for kids or other great nursery rhymes on YouTube, let us know in the comments!

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Anyone Can Homeschool: It's Not as Daunting as Some May Think

4/1/2016

by Alicia Bodine, Contributing Writer

The first thing you need to know is the regulations your state has put in to place. There are only 6 states that require you to have a teaching degree in order to home school your children. Those states are Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and North Dakota. So unless you live in one of those states, you are not required to be a teacher to home school.

I have been home schooling my daughter for 5 years and I do not posses a teaching degree. My daughter is also advanced and a year ahead for her age. I have a sister who never did very well in school who is now home schooling her three children successfully. All curriculums come with easy to follow teachers manuals so don't panic. There are three things that will help anyone become a great home schooling parent. They are 1. Take it one subject at a time 2. Plan ahead and 3. Stay organized. If you can do those three things you will experience success.

1. Take it one subject at a time. Any task can seem overwhelming if you are looking at the big picture. Break down the task by categories. In this case you have 4 main subjects. You have Math, Language Arts, History, and Science. Take each curriculum and count out how many pages the main book is. Divide the number of pages by the number of days you must home school (most states it is 180 days). That will give you the number of pages you need to cover per day to finish the curriculum in 1 year. Take one day to set up a schedule for each subject based on how much material needs to be covered in per day.

2. Plan ahead. Take a look at least a week before at what material needs to be covered for the following week. Check to see if there are any extra materials you need such as items for a science experiment. One week we needed some celery and food coloring to do an experiment and by planning ahead I was able to do the experiment on time. Also check to see if Language Arts is going to require you to begin a book report. You may want to take the weekend to go to the library and pick something out so you will be ready. It only takes 15-20 minutes to look through each of the subjects to see if there is anything else you need to have before that weeks lessons begin.

3. Stay organized. Keep a journal for all the days your child attends school. Make sure that you home school for 180 days. You can use a calendar to keep track if you prefer. Next, keep a journal for grades. Write down participation grades, workbook page grades, tests, quizzes, experiments, and projects. Have a folder for each subject and keep all completed school work in that folder. It is easy to do if you label the folder with the subject name and school grade. You can keep these in your attic when the year is completed. Finally, stay organized by writing out your daily assignment for the upcoming week. Then each day you just look to your chart and complete what is written on the chart.
If you follow all three of these things you will have no trouble with home schooling. Remember to take advantage of library programs and community activities.

This article was previously published on the Yahoo Contributor Network.

4th Grade Native American Indian Project

3/29/2016

by Alicia Bodine, Contributing Writer

Introducing the Topic

Discuss which Indians were native to your state. We live in New Jersey so our project was geared toward the Lenape Indians. Cover the Indian tribes way of life. What did they eat? How did they survive? How did they view the land and the animals? Make this project as educational for your students as possible. Give them some computer time to research the Indians they will be doing their report on.

It's Project Time

Create a list of instructions for your students and print them out. This way the student will be clear as to what should be included in the village and the parents will know how to help their children. Most parents will need to purchase some items for the project.

The project should include the following instructions:

This village needs to be 3 dimensional. That means whatever you use to put your pieced on needs to be thick and sturdy. You can use a piece of wood you may have around the house or a thick piece of cardboard.
Include a river. Rivers were essential for the Indian's survival. It doesn't matter if you paint the river, color the river, or use some sort of blue cloth to create the river. That is where each student's individuality comes in. Indians used canoes so there should be one somewhere near the river. My daughter made her canoe out of brown clay. You can also make one out of wood or use a toy canoe.
Include a garden where the women and children grew their vegetables. You can buy little vegetables. The best time to get some little pumpkins, apples, and berries is Halloween and Thanksgiving time. Craft stores have them in abundance. If you don't have the money to buy any you can make them out of pieces of paper and just paint them.
Research the type of home your Native Indians lived in and create some. My daughter made her's out of brown clay. I have seen some made out of toothpicks. Be creative, but remember it must be 3 dimensional and not just a painted picture.
Make sure somewhere in the distance you include animals and a forest. Indians were hunters and they hunted their animals in the forest. They used all kinds of animals for food, clothing, and parts of their shelter.
Include several Indians. There should be male, female, and Indian children in your village. You can buy some Indians or make some yourself.
Add some other items associated with your tribe of Indians. Bows and arrows, Axes, weaved baskets, and campfires should all be considered. We even had a little pot hanging over the campfire.

Decide ahead of time how many points each of the above aspects should account for.

Assessment & Tips

Make sure the total equals 100 points. You can give children an added 5-10 points for creativity if warranted.
Bring in some extra items in case there are some children in the class who can not afford to do this project at home. It will give them a little encouragement and help make them feel more comfortable about doing the project.
Let the parents know that many little figures can be purchased at craft stores. We got all of our Indians and animals from the craft store as well as the campfire, axe, basket, vegetables, and clay.

This article was previous published on the Yahoo Contributor Network.

Using Your Child's Interests to Enhance Learning

3/3/2016

Easy, Fun Ways to Teach Your Child

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Your child is special and unique and should be taught accordingly. We all face the struggle of trying to get our children to memorize their facts and do their homework. We spend so much time searching for a better answer. I like the method of using a child's interests to enhance learning. While I can't guarantee you that my answer is the only answer, I can guarantee you that it's at least worth a try. Your child will definitely have fun and probably learn some things along the way.

So, what is this secret method? Well, it may not be a secret, but sometimes we don't think about it. What I suggest doing is keying in on your child's interests to form your lesson plans. This can work for homeschool or just plain studying. First, you should make a list of the top ten things your child enjoys the most. Next, using this list, think of ways you can use these interests to help your child learn. Here's an example of a miniature plan for a hypothetical child named Johnny.

Find your child's key interests and use them to teach him lessons. Johnny enjoys swimming, playing basketball, video games, visiting the park, climbing trees, and many other outdoor activities. Johnny is struggling in multiplication and division. He also hates to read. His mom decides to take him to the park and play a game of basketball with him. During basketball, she asks him "If I can make 3 baskets in 5 minutes, how many baskets can I make in fifteen minutes?" Well, Johnny is confused, so his mom says, "All you have to do is see how many 5s it takes to make fifteen by skip counting first." Johnny's answer is 3, so his mom then says "So, if I make 3 baskets 3 times, what does that give me. You can count by 3s." When Johnny answers "9", his mother is very happy.

Keep up the rhythm to enhance learning skills. In Johnny's case, his mom continues to play games like this with him, being sure to show him visually what she is talking about. For reading, Johnny's mom purchases a few different computer games that enhance reading and comprehension because Johnny likes video games. Since he likes games with action, she makes sure that all the games have plenty of that. The video games are played at least 3 times per week. She also makes sure that Johnny has fun practice for both subjects every day. Sometimes the games she makes up are the same and sometimes they're not.

Keep it fun and consistent. As you can see, Johnny's mom has begun to draw on her son's interests to get him more interested in learning. It's just as simple for you to do the same. Your games can be simple or complex. Gear the complexity around you and your child. Don't make learning seem like a chore. Make it fun and your child will view it as such. During homework time, play little games with the homework problems. Just be creative at all times, always drawing on your child's interests. When your child starts to get excited wondering what you will do each day, instead of groaning about the homework, that's when you know you've made a real difference.

Read Across America Day: How Teachers, Homeschools, & Parents Can Get Kids Involved

2/6/2016

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Read Across America Day is an annual holiday celebrated across the United States. This reading holiday was started on March 2, 1998 by the NEA, or the National Education Association. Everyone is encouraged to celebrate reading on Dr. Seuss’s birthday (March 2) every year.

Read Across America is actually a literacy campaign that lasts all year. However, Read Across America Day is still important, as it encourages the promotion of everyday reading and gets free books out to students and schools across America.

How Can Your School Or Organization Celebrate Or Get Involved?

There are many ways to celebrate or get involved with this special day. Find great ways to celebrate on Seussville, including printable activities and guides. ReadingRockets is also offering free downloadable print guides for parents, teachers, and anyone else interested in improving children's reading achievement. They also link to similar free publications from other sources.

Another idea on getting involved is to volunteer to read to children at schools, hospitals, and daycare centers. To do this, you will need to contact the appropriate departments at the locations you are interested in offering your services to.

Simply celebrating the holiday by reading with or to your children or students and holding your own events and activities also helps to promote this special day. Some teachers and parents like to use t-shirts and other fun gear to get children excited about Read Across America Day.

LEFbooks.org (The Literacy Empowerment Foundation) is giving away free books to literary organizations and schools across America, for a small handling fee of 65 cents per book. They do this throughout the year. To promote Read Across America Day, help a teacher or organization become aware of this or request some books for your own literary organization. The books are currently for reading levels from Preschool up to grade 2.

How We Celebrate and You Can Too!

As a homeschool teacher and public school parent, I also happen to be celebrating Read Across America Day with my kids. In the past, we’ve made hats similar to the one worn by the "Cat In The Hat" in Dr. Seuss's books. The children could then wear the hats and read Dr. Seuss stories aloud to one another. We’ve also attended library storytime events. Usually, we get out and do a variety of activities throughout the week of Read Across America Day. Although we read a great deal every day, I still feel it is important to celebrate this day and let the children know just how important reading is.

Any other ideas you have related to celebrating reading and motivating children to read will also help to promote and celebrate Read Across America Day. There is no exact formula or limit to reading, celebrating reading, or promoting reading. Simply get out there and do it.

How To Homeschool For Free

2/6/2016

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

So, you want to homeschool your kids, but people are telling you it’s going to be expensive, right? They’re so wrong! Learn how to homeschool for for free using these and other resources.

Use a Free Online Curriculum

There are tons of sources if you’re looking for a free online curriculum. Some of my favorites include Easy Peasy All In One Homeschool, Easy Peasy All In One High School, and Khan Academy. However, these are far from the only resources. Do a web search for free online curriculum or free homeschool curriculum to find even more. Amazon also has some great resources if you do an Amazon search for “free homeschool”. Some are free books or curriculum resources and others teach you more about how to homeschool for free.

Make Use of Free Printable Homeschool Worksheets

There are many sites out there with free printable worksheets for teachers and homeschoolers. Look for them in every grade level, concept, and subject. We even have free printable worksheets here at Heart and Mind Homeschool. You don’t want to base your child’s education solely on worksheets. However, they can definitely play a big part, as it helps them learn and practice each concept.

Write the Lessons Yourself, Based on State Standards

Whether you choose to write all of the lessons yourself or just some, it’s a rewarding experience. Creating them based on your child’s needs is not only free but beneficial to your child’s homeschool education. To find your state’s standards, visit the department of education for your specific state. They each have different standards and requirements. You’ll also need to check with that same department or board for the appropriate laws and regulations.

Utilize Free Events and Free Days at Zoos, Museums, & More

Many zoos, museums, state parks, farms, factories, and other venues hold free days. If you look around, there also free events for kids going on all the time in most areas. These are awesome when it comes to homeschooling for free. If you check ahead of time, you can pair them with your child’s lessons to get even more from the experience.

Make Use of Free Online Videos and Lectures

Did you know there are bucket loads of free educational videos and lectures all over the web? Do a search and see what you come up with. Some of our favorites include WatchKnowLearn, NeoK12, PBS, DiscoveryKids, History.com, Open Yale Courses, MIT Open Courseware, and SchoolTube. Don’t limit your kids to these choices. There are tons more out there. Have fun exploring and learning together with the help of fun and informative videos made by kids, parents, teachers, and more.

Homeschooling for free is actually quite easy to do, if you you get creative. Use these ideas or come up with your own. Whatever you do, learn and have fun!

Prepare Your Child for First Grade: A Readiness Checklist

1/30/2016

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Is your kindergartner ready to move on to the first grade? Does your child have all the essential skills to have a smooth transition into longer days and more work? Use the list below to help determine if your child is ready for the new challenge. This is a checklist of skills your child should have learned in kindergarten. If your child has mastered the first grade readiness skill, you can check it off. If your child still needs to work on a skill, take note of it and help prepare your child for first grade. The summer break before that next grade level starts is a great time to practice these readiness skills.

First Grade Readiness Checklist

1. Does your child know the entire alphabet, along with all the accompanying sounds in capital and lowercase?
2. Does your child read two and three letter words easily?
3. Does your child count from 1 to 100 and back down from 100 to 1?
4. Does your child understand, create, and identify simple patterns?
5. Does your child write his/her first and last name?
6. Does your child write simple sentences, such as "The cat is fat"?
7. Does your child write all 26 letters in capital and lowercase? (Note: They don't have to be perfectly neat, just legible and not upside down or backwards)
8. Does your child recognize and identify all of the basic colors
9. Does your child skip count by 2's, 5's, and 10's up to at least 100? (2,4,6,8...and 5,10,15,20...)
10. Does your child write all of the numbers between 1 and 100?
11. Does your child know basic word families? (at, bat, cat, fat go together & an, ban, can, Dan, fan go together)
12. Does your child recognize and identify basic shapes?
13. Does your child recognize and identify basic coins (dollar coin, 50 cent piece, quarter, dime, and nickel) and their value?
14. Does your child know the difference between consonants and vowels?
15. Does your child understand comparisons/opposites? (greater than/less than, hot/cold, shorter/taller...)
16. Does your child know that sentences start with a capital letter?
17. Does your child know that sentences end with a period?
18. Does your child know that questions end with a question mark?
19. Does your child tell time on the hour and half hour?
20. Does your child understand and recognize rhyming words?
21. Does your child recognize and understand one-half?
22. Does your child speak in complete sentences?
23. Does your child mark vowels in a word or sentence if asked?
24. Does your child complete assignments based on oral direction? (draw a red line over the cat, circle the blue monkey...)
25. Does your child read months and days on a calendar?
26. Does your child make it until 4 pm without a nap?

If your child can complete these skills well, she should be well prepared for first grade. While this may not be an accurate list for every school district (as standards vary), it can help you determine some of the skills required for your child to start first grade smoothly.

If you notice that your child lacks some of these essential first grade skills, do not worry or stress. Take time out each day to focus on one skill at a time. Not all children learn things at the same speed. Each child is unique. While one 6 year old may be able to complete them all or be ahead of them, another 6 year old may only be able to do 10 or so.

The important thing to remember is to take it slow and not get frustrated with your almost first grader. Just because "Sally" can read a chapter book, it does not make her better than "Susan", who cannot. Try many different methods of teaching your child a first grade readiness skill. If one method doesn't work, try another.

Children whose parents focus on the positive efforts they make, rather than the skills they can't master, fare better in school. A child who is yelled at, rushed, or forced to do schoolwork is more likely to fail in school than a child who is encouraged for her strengths, rather than belittled for her weaknesses.

How to Homeschool: Track Elementary Academic Records, Report Cards, etc

1/27/2016

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

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.

What Records and Grades Will You Track?

This might seem like a question that has a simple answer, but it may not. Does your state require attendance records? If so, you will need to record attendance daily. Even if they do not, this is something you just may want to have for your personal records. This way, if any questions or issues related to attendance or truancy come up later, you always have it for reference. Some states require records of the lessons or materials used to teach the children, as well as grades and scores received daily and on lessons. Some have no regulation or requirements on this at all.

Do I Really Need to Track Everything?

Whether your state requires it or not, you may choose to record this information for your own personal information. You never know when the information will come in handy personally or professionally. It is always better to have too many records than it is to be caught off guard and have none. While some states require no record-keeping and are not allowed to inquire about your child's studies, other states are allowed to ask and you are required to provide that information when asked. Outside of following regulations, keeping records will help you keep your child on track.

Preparing Homeschool Record-Keeping and Grade-Tracking Methods

Teacher's planners can be purchased at office supply and teacher supply stores. There are also many homeschool sites that offer printable plans. I personally prefer to use a combination of my own forms and a few quality ones I've found online. Remember that you are going to need several things, including attendance forms, grade sheets, report card sheets, a curriculum and material list, and more. Those are the basics, but your state may ask for more.

Documenting the Grades in a Homeschool

Determine how often you will take down grades and what exactly needs to be graded. You can determine this by evaluating your individual needs and comparing it to state requirements. You may have extra tracking that you would like to do outside of what is asked for. Because you are the teacher, unless your state requires a specific method, you can choose how to determine grades. You may simply follow what is done by area schools, operate on a pass/fail plan, or opt for something else. As long as your method is in compliance with area regulations, being consistent matters more than the method itself.

*Please note that laws and requirements vary by area. Please check with the area Department of Education to see what is required in your state. This guide is meant for informational purposes only.

Useful Resources:

Home School Laws
Homeschool Reporting Online
Homeschooling Planners

Free Homeschool Lessons: Neighborhood Knowledge

1/27/2016

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Does your child know his neighborhood well? Not just the street you live on, but knowledge of the entire neighborhood is important. If your child ever gets lost, he should know how to get home. Neighborhood knowledge is essential for kids of all ages, but is usually taught in Kindergarten. Use this free homeschool lesson to teach your child all about his neighborhood.

Teach your child his address. This and the phone number are extremely important for your child to know. Not only is it the first step in learning about the neighborhood, but it will also be helpful if your child ever gets lost. I like to use songs to teach the kids their address. Make up a catchy tune that goes along well with the sound of your home address. Sing it to your child and have him sing along too. Also have your child practice writing down the address on paper.

Take walks often. This is a simple, but useful way of teaching your child about the neighborhood. Getting around by foot and by car are two different things. Your child can become more familiar with the area, including parts that can only be seen by walking. This provides a good visual for map-making and studying. Don't forget to collect things from nature on the walk that you can use in other school projects.

Show them where the police and fire stations are located. Your child needs to learn where these important destinations are located. Even if your child is young, there may be a time when he needs the information. A child may get lost, kidnapped, or have another emergency. Knowing where these are located can help him in many situations.

Make a simple map. Draw a simple map of your neighborhood, making sure to include your house, anything surrounding it, and any landmarks, such as a fire station, library, museum, and stores. Have your child study the map. You can point out certain things as well as have him point out certain things to you. Talk about how to get to each place and have him tell you directions as well. Let the child make his own map after the above activities.

Use home, stores, and trusted neighbors as safe havens. Talk your child about strangers and where they can go if they are in danger. Young children should always be with an adult. But emergencies can happen and they need to know what to do. Talk to your child about specific scenarios and locations and give them a breakdown about which places are safe to go in each situation. For instance, while the home is generally a safe haven, if there's an emergency and you are injured or cannot help, there should be a trusted nearby neighbor, store, or police station the child can go to.

Homeschool Myths: Working or Single Parents Can't Educate Their Kids at Home

1/23/2016

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

As a veteran homeschool mom, I have been asked pretty much every question in the book about educating kids at home. One thing that comes up often is the subject of work. Can working parents or single parents successfully educate their kids from home?

Is Homeschool Even an Option for Working and Single Parents?

The first reaction for many might be "No way!" However, that answer can be quite inaccurate. It's definitely possible to operate a home school even when parents or guardians have full time jobs. It's even possible for single parents, who may have to hold down two jobs. There are many options that could allow for this. Some working parents may hire a homeschool tutor or work from home. Others might assign their kids schoolwork and just have another adult supervise to make sure they get it done. Another method is to work school around the work schedule. That's one of the benefits of homeschooling. You can do it at any time of the day necessary and in any method that works for all involved.

Is it Better for Homeschool Parents to Stay Home With the Kids or Work?

This question is very broad because the answer will depend on who you ask. There is no right or wrong way that covers everyone, so there is no better or worse option. Just like any other method that you consider, think about what's best for the students and the situation combined. Parents who stay home are not better than those who don't and vice versa. The most important factor is that the kids are learning. If education is going on and it's working, then you've made the right choice.

Should Working Parents Educate Their Kids at Home?

The bottom line is that while it’s possible and works for some, whether a family should choose this option actually depends on the family and many other factors. Just like choosing other educational options, the success rate on this happening does not depend on the method, but on whether the method is a good fit for each student and each family.

How Can I Tell if This is a Good Choice for Me?

Can your children work well independently? If so, are they of age to do so on their own? If they require adult supervision due to age or maturity levels, is there a trusted adult available during your work schedule? If the above does not work, is there enough time for the children to study after you get off work? These and other factors will help you determine if this is the right homeschool method for your family or not.

More Homeschool Myths

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Easy, Fun Ways to Teach Your Child

Read Across America Day: How Teachers, Homeschools, & Parents Can Get Kids Involved

How To Homeschool For Free

Prepare Your Child for First Grade: A Readiness Checklist

How to Homeschool: Track Elementary Academic Records, Report Cards, etc

Free Homeschool Lessons: Neighborhood Knowledge

Homeschool Myths: Working or Single Parents Can't Educate Their Kids at Home

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