Preschool Math Worksheets- Count and Clip Cards These Adorable Christmas themed Preschool Math Worksheets activities are ready to delight your kids! Kids will get to count the Christmas images, identify the number and then clip a clothes pin to the correct number! So much fun for your preschoolers! Learn more
MORNING TUBS – NURSERY RHYMES Do you need Nursery Rhymes Morning Tubs for your preschool or kindergarten class? Morning tubs are often used as students are coming in and settling in for the day. They engage kids while attendance is being taken, homework folders are being opened and checked, and those types of daily tasks. Morning tubs are great for a couple of reasons. Learn More I am a PROUD affiliate with Planning Playtime!
KINDERGARTEN MORNING TUBS – JANUARY Do you need January Morning Tubs for your kindergarten class? Morning tubs are often used as students are coming in and settling in for the day. They engage kids while attendance is being taken, homework folders are being opened and checked, and those types of daily tasks. Morning tubs are great for a couple of reasons. (read More) Get your today! I am a PROUD affiliate with Planning Playtime!
Gingerbread Man Printable Unit Fun filled Centers and Worksheets for your Preschool Gingerbread Man Printables. Kids will love these hands-on learning games and activities that work on counting, number formation and order, letter recognition, patterns and more. 84 Pages of Fun Printables in this Set!! Get Your copy today This Gingerbread Man Printables set also includes 15 no-prep worksheets that reinforce scissor practice, tracing, letters, numbers, patterns and more. These are print and go printables that are great for last minute sub plans or extra practice. This unit includes: 16 Hands-on, Interactive Math and Literacy Centers15 No-Prep Extra Practice Worksheets Make lessons more memorable by adding Taste and Smell and all the senses! Here are some DELICIOUS ways to spice up learning. Prepare your printable goodies for your preschoolers! 2. Whip up a batch of gingerbread cookies together. The Pioneer Woman to the rescue! 3. Learn the history of gingerbread. Answer the question, “What’s a fairing?” 4. Peek at the LARGEST gingerbread house. 5. Ooh and Ahhh over the delicious creations of the National Gingerbread Competition! 6. Make a gingerbread paper village! Your older kids will LOVE this craft. Download your fun craft 7. Grab a few cookies and enjoy a traditional story together! Watch this Read Aloud Here
Change the Toilet Paper Roll Song! Sung to the tune of This Old Man! Get your free copy Looking for Toilet Paper Crafts? https://abetterwaytohomeschool.com/toilet-paper-roll-activities-for-the-win.html
Critical Thinking Activities- Begin with WONDER Teach your kids to THINK by “wondering” out-loud. Hmmm Be intentional I wonder WHERE toilet paper was invented? our rice comes from? that missing sock goes once it packs itself and leaves the dryer? you will love when you move out someday? Hmmm I wonder WHAT would happen if I didn’t eat every bite on my plate. I take the time to send a card or visit in person rather than text message. I unplugged all electronic devices for the day Hmmm I wonder WHY you can hear me unwrap chocolate from across the house, but you don’t hear me ask you a question when we are two feet apart. it’s colder at the top of a mountain if heat rises? the author chose to end this book they way she did? Hmmm I wonder WHEN we can lay outsode and look at the clouds go by? you will realize how much I respect you as a person? you will no longer need me to show you how to do that because you become a pro? Hmmm I wonder WHO discovered moldy cheese is edible? will cure cancer? comes to complete stops at stop signs more: men, women, new drivers? was the first person to sky dive/snorkel/ strap themselves into a rocket ship decided link is a girl color? Hmmm I wonder HOW people use this math concept in real life? many different words we can think of together that would replace the word “said” how we can organize our day so we are BOTH content with our progress tonight? how I can help you achieve your goals?Wonder.It’s caught by our kids when they see our own curiousity and excitement. Be ok if wondering causes you to chase rabbits that are not on your to-do list. At the end of the day, we want our kids to be excited, curious, and motivated to learn……and those things are discovered along the way. Get your copy
Unit Study of Sound Alike words- Homophones Some words and concepts are trickier to master in the English Language. Like homophones. They sound the same, but have entirely different meanings. One brilliant way you massage those sound-alike words into our kids minds is to draw them. Check out the Language Nerds for ideas. Collect a list of most common homophones. Get some index cards and some colored pencils/markers. Each week, take the time to draw or find images that illustrate a group of synonyms. Example: Pair, pare, pear. On the front: draw/glue the image and the word; but, write the word in a spot that you can easily cover with your thumb. On the back: write just the word. A few times a week play games with the words. Pick 4 and create! Shuffle the deck and have your child pick 4 cards.Together, build the craziest, funniest, or weirdest sentence possible! ABC Order Give your student all, or a collection of the cards.Have them place the words in alphabetic order. Synonym sort! Group the words by parts of speech:Noun- pearVerb- pareAdjective-pair Spelling Bee!! Show just the imageSay the word-Spell Scrabble tiles Flip a wordSpell with scrabble letter tiles Build it!! Pick 4-5 words to build with play doe, sticks and rocks, or Legos! Challenging words need to be massaged in to our children’s minds. Have fun!!
Unit Study of Pasta The pastabilities are endless! Grab your FREE Unity Study Planner here 😎Begin with humor 👉 Can you “pasta” sauce please? 👉 I walked right “pasta” restaurant without realizing it. 👉 Pasta la vista, baby. 👉 Pasta than a speeding bullet. Sprinkle a few MAGIC materials: ✅ A singing pasta timer ✅ A hand crank pasta machine ✅ For the littles (don’t eat these noodles!) ✅ Grandma, if she’s close by! Set the stage Happy Italian background music Gather your ingredients! 🥚Eggs 🥚Flour 🥚Olive oil 🥚Salt Sprinkle some “schoo-lish looking activities if you dare! 🥰 Learn Some Italian! 🥰 Create your Italian Bucket list. 🥰 Coloring pages for younger kids make this lesson more fun. 🥰 Get the whole stack of Italian books for the younger kids from the library. 🥰 Do a research project on Da Vinci! The BEST part? Serve your pasta and Buon appetito! (Enjoy)Teaching kids to cook one meal at a time!
A Growing Collection of Unit Studies Don’t over think teaching your kids- Insert any TopicHere’s how it works. Brew a cup of wonderfulGrab your unit Study PlannerBrainstorm a topicMap it out over a day, week, or longerCollect materialsExplode learning! …Read More »
Custom Advent Calendar as a Gift? WOW! I Squealed when I opened the first two “Bekki, you should post these online so people know how much you mean to me…” My little sister sent me a box filled with manilla envelopes, dated Dec1- Dec 25. When I tore open the first envelope I SQUEALED. This is by FAR, the BEST gifts I’ve ever received in the mail. HandmadeThoughtfulPaper adorablenessand a story that build each day… Want to bless your sister, mom, wife, daughter, or bestie? Here’s how to build your own Custom Advent Calendar Kit Step 1: Pause and close your eyes. Who comes to mind? Pick her. Step 2: Assemble your materials Supplies. You’ll need card making supplies. There are many kits available, but my amazing sister used goodies she had on hand. You can buy a hand full of cards, or even find advent DIY ornaments. Trust me, it’s the thought that counts! Step 3: Envelopes! Place each day’s card inside the manilla envelope and write the date on the front. My sister, Jackie included fun number stickers for me inside too, so I could number the set as I open them! Step 4: Box the envelopes up and mail them to your loved one. When I called my sister to say thank you, she said, “You told me you never receive letters in the mail and I just had to fix that! Blessed beyond blessed. That’s what your bestie will be. Send some Mini Clothes pins and ribbon and she can hang them each year:) PS- Remember to teach your kids to write good old fashioned letters, it’s such a small way to make a HUGE difference in someone’s day.
Paper Project for Kids- The Snowman Challenge Free Printable –>> Snowman-ChallengeDownload …Read More »
PAPER PROJECT FOR KIDS- Books of the Bible Craft! Paper projects can help transform your homeschooling!! Today’s Paper Project: Books of the Bible Craft. This one will delight you and your kids!! Enter to win! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Paper Project for Kids- Notebooking Paper projects can help transform your homeschooling!! Today’s Paper Project: Notebooking
Paper Project for Kids- Fortune Teller Folds Short and easy to follow videos with a new paper project in each clip.Paper projects can help transform your homeschooling!! Today’s Paper Project: Fortune Folds
Paper Projects for Kids- Mini Booklets Short and easy to follow videos with a new paper project in each clip. Paper projects can help transform your homeschooling!! …Read More »
The Powerful Giggle-Stress Busters for Students He sneaks up behind me with a grin. “Hey mom,” he whispers. “wanna see something funny? SWHOOSH! Out comes the phone with the goofy picture, corny joke, or hilarious video. Laughter. Science knows its benefits , the Bible declares its power, our kids love its affect, and by-golly, we all need a good healthy dose of it. Did you know that the funny bone is connected to learning retention, relieving stress, thinking creatively, and is a magic wand to teaching students?Bekki Sayler “But I’m not funny,” you say. You can change that! Start studying and collecting good, clean, goofy jokes, images, and videos. If you want to be a super hero start surprising your kids/students with jokes every day. But there are rules. Here are some research-supported tips for using humor to increase retention, from Sarah Henerdon Do Use humor to enhance classroom joyUse humor to develop a sense of communityUse content-related humorUse age-appropriate humor“Sandwich” humor between instruction and repetition Avoid SarcasmCruel or inappropriate humorForced humorOff-topic humorToo much humor Weaving laughter, smiles, and giggles into teaching and learning is an unfair advantage in the hands of a homeschool mom, classroom teacher, or professional eduator. Laughter disarms resistance and allows information to get catapulted directly into the center of the memory. It’s why Crash Course videos are so powerful for students. While we do not agree with all of the facts or view points, we do lean heavily on them for science and history because of the perfect blend of valuable vocabulary and processes with unsurpassable and surprising humor. Kids and their parents need a daily dose of laughter to combat stress. Because stress is so bad. Science says so and we KNOW so. Physical Symptoms of Stress SweatingIncreased heart rate or blood pressureVertigoShortness of breathMuscle tensionHeadaches and stomachachesFatigue Emotional Symptoms of Stress Hostility, irritability, and other mood changesIncreased worryingHelplessnessLoneliness Behavioral Symptoms of Stress Binge or reduced eatingDrug or alcohol misuseErratic sleep habits Cognitive Symptoms of Stress Memory lossLoss of concentrationNegative outlookDissociation (i.e., disconnection from your thoughts, feelings, and identity) Why Add Laughter to teaching? Short-term benefits of laughter Cools down your stress responseDecrease your heart rate and blood pressureGives you that “ahhhh” feeling afterwards Long-term effects of laughter Improves your immune systemRelieves painmake it easier to cope with difficult situationshelps you connect with other peoplelessens your stress, depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier An Unfunny Mom’g guide to Adding Humor to Teaching TRY. Hold fast to the FACT that humor can be learned. In fact, developing or refining your sense of humor may be easier than you think.Turn on your humor radar. Look for funny appropriate humor everywhere: shows you watch, music you listen to, greeting cards, memes, videos.Laugh. Don’t hold in your giggles. Let it out to play. Be like these quintuplets.Find funny friends and spend time with them. Teach your kids to do the same. (Just teach the rules above!)Add eye rolling humor into your kids’ day with notes, goofy learning activities, and jokes. How to Seamlessly add Humor to Math Lessons Get a set of joke filled math lessons that reenforce core math skills.Print them out.Select 1-3 joke pages for every few days.Sit back and watch the smiles creep in. We need these!! Important: Know what isn’t funny. Don’t laugh at the expense of others. Some forms of humor aren’t appropriate. Give your kids some grace as they work this out in their lives! You may need to set some boundaries. I have five sons- we definitely have joke boundaries.