Best Non-Summer Reading Programs for Kids
by Sun Bae
Hi everyone.
Based on reader feedback, and also since December marks the month of
gift giving, I’ve decided to write a brief article on the best
non-summer reading programs for kids.
To be honest, although there are tons of summer reading programs out
there, I didn’t think there would be too many available during the
off-summer months. And although my hunch was correct, I was still able
to find several that translate into free food, entertainment, and
prizes for your kids.
The great thing about participating in these programs is that knocking
off the reading lists should be relatively simple since your child can
write down the same book that she read across multiple reading programs!
So without further adieu, here is the list of the best non-summer reading programs....read more
Give the Gift That Keeps Giving Back: Ten Reasons Why You Should Give Junior the Gift of Learning a New Language
by Beth Butler
The sooner you begin introducing a second language into the lives
of your children, the sooner these children begin to acquire a lifetime
of language skills. Did you know that the most recent research suggests
that the ability to learn a second language is highest between birth
and age five?
Allow us to explore, during these hectic days of shopping for
Christmas and Hanukkah gifts, what you should be gifting to your
special little someone. While the entire nation is in a tizzy over
what is to become of our economic future, you need to be concerned
about what is in store for the future of your child.
We live in an ever shrinking world, and we realize that all of us
need to speak more than just English here in the United States. What
is it that other nations have seen for decades about teaching their
young children two and sometimes three and four languages? ...read more
Financial Eduction for Teens: Making It Real, Making It Matter, Making It Last
By Jill Suskind Teaching
teenagers about money is one of the most important things a parent can do to
prepare them for their future.Barbara McRae, MCC, Bestselling author of Coach Your Teen To Success
says, “As a nationally known parent-teen expert, I believe financial literacy
is one of the primary responsibilities of a parent to offer their children in
preparation for adulthood.”It is
critical that we, as parents and educators confront our own limitations AND
expertise in this area if we are to assume this responsibility effectively. David and Tom Gardner, in The
Motley Fool: Investment Guide for Teens say,“Few people ever receive any kind
of formal education about money. Most adults are playing it by ear…most of them
are very insecure about their money. …And quietly, if not openly, many people
feel ill equipped to face the challenge of managing money throughout their
lives.”
As
a financial literacy educator, I urge you to consider that financial literacy
is NOT really about delivering information.That is to say, information about money is critical, but not
foundational.Money mastery comes
from a set of habits and attitudes, and it’s the job of educators to identify
these thoughts and behaviors and then teach them to the teens in our lives.
Here
are three foundational lessons that you can do with your teen.These lessons are journal writing
lessons that encourage introspection and clarity on the subject of money.
...read more
Perspective in Parenting: What is it, and Why is it So Important?
by Jay Lambert, MPA MSW LCSW
I have found that it is easy to become flippant in our casual
conversations and routine activities, because they are...well, casual and
routine. And we all do it - we all fall prey to complacency from time to time,
in both word and deed. It’s not something I think we should beat ourselves up
over, but we should make sure to take the time regularly to remind ourselves of
what really does matter in our lives and how deeply we feel about them. Because
without recognition of the true value of things in our lives - in other words,
without perspective - we would never be able to reconnect with those things and
would end up losing them in the long run. Perspective is indeed a key component
of connection, because it is the ability to see things for their true worth and
value on a consistent basis. When we lose perspective, regardless of how long
we lose it, we run the real risk of not putting our time and energy into what
truly matters and thus losing the connection we have to those things and people
that matter most.
Which begs the question: Why does a lack of perspective cause
disconnection? Good question.
.....read more
Festive Art Activities Bring Families Together
by Dave Coates
The visual arts provide a wonderful opportunity for children
to freely express themselves, and the holiday season offers many ways to engage
children in artful displays. Even very young children relish the chance to take
part in holiday decorating, dining, and merry-making. Children also benefit
from creating art, because it helps relieve stress through a healthy outlet.
Spruce of your holiday table
Invite your children to create festive place cards. You’ll need
to provide them with stiff card stock folded down to a small tent. Set up a
creativity station with colorful markers and pencils or paints. Make sure you
cover the art area, so that your kids do not have to worry about art accidents!
Finally, help them to imagine holiday images that make them happy. Perhaps your
children love the look of candy canes, stockings, elves, candles, snowmen,
gingerbread or decorated trees. They may want to embellish each letter of the
names they will be writing. For younger children, please make sure that you
print out the names of your dinner guests to avoid frustration.
....read more
Teaching Math Through Visuals & Play by Sarah Major, M.Ed
I read an article the other day that really tugged at my
heart. The author mourned the fact that kindergarten as it should be seems to
be a thing of the past. Gone is the free play, the crayons and paint, the
housekeeping center, the emphasis on learning social interactions and skills.
Today there is a widespread, headlong dash towards increasing academics in
kindergarten, even to the point of an increased focus on testing in
kindergarten.
I’ve taught beginners both in my home and in schools. No
matter how much I agree with the author’s viewpoint regarding the true work of
kindergarten, I am not sure there is much we can do very soon to change the dash
towards academics for beginners. What we can do is change how our children
learn the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. If we can utilize visuals
and play, kids will gain the knowledge they need, but will not feel the stress
of “doing school” too early. Best of all, using visuals and play will have the
effect of cutting “school time” greatly. When I taught kindergarten in my home,
the children far surpassed grade level expectations, but we did all our
learning through creative play and visuals, and all our learning was done in
less than two hours a day including coloring and craft time. Those were the days!
What we were doing was working inside a system, but not using the regular
system’s methodology. What follows are some suggestions for teaching math
through visuals and play.
...read more
The Twelve Days of Christmas-Easy as Pi!
by Susan Jarema
The holidays are here, the kids are at home and families are
spending more time together. Here's your chance to make your family time a
learning time by incorporating math into your busy holiday schedule. Math can
be found in all sorts of activities we do in this season. Learning to combine
math in your daily routine is one of the best ways to help your child develop
strong math skills. Here are 12 great ways to combine math in your Christmas
activities.
1. Santa Claus
Tracking Santa's big trip is a great exercise in geography,
cartography, distance, speed, temperature and time zones. How far is it to the
North Pole? What's the temperature at the North Pole? Does Santa have any
daylight? How far does Santa have to travel? How fast is he going? What if
Santa had to travel to the moon? Why can't we find Santa? Maybe he actually
lives at the magnetic North Pole, which changes every year! ....read more
Supporting Home Instruction with Online Tutoring by Bruce Friend
In several recent articles,
I have discussed how online courses expand learning opportunities. Online tutoring can also be a great way to
supplement the instruction that home educators provide to their students. The
online format saves time and money--and allows students to participate from
their home.
Conduct an Internet
search using the phrase “online tutoring,” and you will find a wide array of
companies that provide services ranging from basic homework help to live
tutoring sessions on specific academic topics and skills. The sheer volume of
options can seem daunting at first, so you may want to keep some of the
following ideas in mind as you look for the services that best meet your
individual needs.
When selecting an
online tutoring service, you should ask many of the same questions you would
ask if you were enrolling in an online course.Such questions include but are not limited to the following:...read more
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