24 Ways to Make Learning about Verbs Creative, EASY, and Fun INSIDE: Fun and Easy Action Verb Activities for teaching verb tenses I was browsing Pinterest this morning over a cup of coffee looking for a creative action verb activities. I know, not your typical read-over-coffee topic. But I’m tired of kids falling asleep or worse groaning when we begin talking about verbs and other parts of speech. “There has to be a verb game I can use to bring this area of learning to life!” I dreamed. If verbs are really where all the ACTION is expressed in writing, then why can’t we find ways to make them jump off the page with our kids. I took another big sip and started digging. …Read More »
Best Homeschool Math Curriculum for Struggling Students and Their Parents Since you mentioned math… Five kids later, I can testify that most kids are NOT future mathematicians. In my scientific study five, only one is a math guy. He went all the way through Calculus 3 and cried when it was done. The other four? They burned their books the moment they reached “high enough”. And please… …don’t try to make your artist, dancer, or farmer fit into a mathematicians world. Mathematicians reveal themselves. I knew my son was a math brain long before high school, but I purposefully held him back until he touched 9th grade so I could make sure he didn’t miss life math. Measuring twice, cutting once.Building and managing a budget.Tripling recipes.How to know you have enough gas to make it home.Are the beans on sale for $3.00 a can REALLY a better deal than the ones sitting next to them? Math has always been my love hate subject- yours too? I love math.I just hate teaching it to kids older than 12 because I have to study their math lesson and do all the problems first- then teach them the lesson and have to endure the frustration.I always frustrated my older sons when teaching math. SIGH. Why? Because I don’t know the harder math off of the top of my head. But we survived. And the boys all thrived!!! Lessons from a mom of five boys who all made it through Algebra without dying. Get a clear understanding of what your kids really need to learn: It will have nothing to do with a chapter or page number!Always look for hands on lessons to practice skills!If your kids don’t know how to add, subtract, multiply, divide, solve fractions and decimals, and do percentages… They are NOT ready for algebra.Do a little math every day.Solve math problems on windows with dry erasers or on the sidewalk with chalk.Hang a white board and do math together.If a math curriculum isn’t working DITCH IT! (Try my favorite on for size)Use graph paper for help kids learn to solve math neatly.Make math funny. Solve math with jokes, or get your kids funny shirts. My math kid LOVES his latest shirt. WARNING- You may not think it’s funny because its a higher math shirt. Trust me. It’s funny.Look for math picture books and read aloud daily! Yes, slip in a math book or two each week.Eat the problems. Whenever possible, teach math with food. Best Homeschool Math Curriculum for Struggling Students and Their Parents This is a tricky one. What works for my kids may not work for yours, but here is a list of amazing math curriculum and youtube channels to give you and your kids assistance as they follow their math roadmap to success. Pro Tips: Know what your kids need to learn before starting to teach.Look at the table of contents in your child’s math book. I bet you know how to solve most of the math. Use the Table of contents as a guide. Teach what you KNOW. If you get stuck- turn to the lesson page! Teaching Textbooks is by far the most recommended math curriculum by homeschool moms. They have video lessons so your kids can simply follow along and do the work. Math You See is another homeschool mom favorite. It is very hands-on and makes very small steps forward so your child can achieve mastery. My boys didn’t love it; but I know MANY homeschool families who do!Evan Moor is HANDS DOWN my favorite publisher for teaching materials for kids PreK-6th grade! I discovered them before entering into homeschooling. Easy to follow and fun, I recommend them for all subjects- but especially math, history and science!All Things Algebra. I WISH I had found Gina when my older sons were beginning pre-algebra! Her curriculum is hands-on, challenging, but fun. She’s not cheap- but her materials are WORTH the money!Abeka Math is wonderful! They appeal to me, someone who loves color. “If mama doesn’t love the math curriculum, no one will.” Kids with Special needs? Teaching Math to Students with Autism Homeschooling Kids with Dyslexia YouTube Channels for Math help The trick is finding the correct teaching from someone you can relate to and learn from, right? The Organic Chemistry Tutor saved us when my sons hit Algebra and beyond. Math MashUp Is great! Goofy Math to make your kids laugh These are video my kids loved, or that I loved to torture them with when they needed to learn or practice a concept. Sergeant Seven will have your kids master their 7 multiplication facts in 7 minutes. School house rock! Why? Because it works. The number three is our favorite! Goodies I’ve created for over the years. Printable Math Basics through grade 6 Your Turn! Did I miss anything that worked well in your home? PLEASE share below!!
Bible Object Lessons from Nature for Kids God’s creation is so incredible, and He uses it to restore our souls and reach our hearts. Our kids need this. I need this. Honestly, we all need this, right? After an incredible vacation where my family stayed in a river house in Oregon, I’ve been inspired to create the most amazing, delicious, and inspiring creations studies possible. …Read More »
Crazy Fun Summer Emergent Readers Resources Aspiring readers are just beginning to grasp the basic concepts of book and print. They are acquiring a command of the alphabet with the ability to recognize and name upper- and lowercase letters. They are also developing many phonological awareness skills, such as recognizing phonemes, syllables, and rhyme. Early Emergent readers are beginning to learn sound/symbol relationships–starting with consonants and short vowels–and are able to read CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, as well as a number of high-frequency words. Early Emergent Readers Levels aa-C-Books at this level have: Strong picture supportCarefully controlled textRepetitive patternsControlled, repeated vocabularyNatural languageLarge printWide letter spacingFamiliar conceptsLimited text on a page Lesson plans for emergent readers You’re gonna want a simple plan to follow when working with emergent readers. The great news? They don’t need to be complicated! Sight Words Once your kids master their letters, they will use their emergent reader lessons to master those sight words in a natural and fun way. Each reader will have a few focus words for mastery, but you will want to make sight word practice a repetitive and fun activity during each school day. A little practice goes a long way! Use sight words as handwriting and Fine Motor Skills practice This Sight Words Set comprise from up to 85% of the text in children’s early reading materials. Therefore, a child who knows the Dolch Words has much of the base needed to recognize the majority of the words in a typical selection. EASY & FUN WAY TO LEARN SIGHT WORDS:: After one of the 220 Dolch sight words is called out, use your swatter to swat the word on the matching fly. Fun and engaging Summer Emergent Reader Low Prep Printable! Bonus activities included The beauty of emergent readers is that they are short and predictable texts that help build confidence and mastery! Get your copy here Looking for more emergent readers for summer? If you like this post, check out: Manners for kids Preschool Books for kids
Homeschool and Delayed Reader I spent about 30 minutes searching for my then 10-year old. It was cold and rainy, so I doubted that he had adventured outside. I looked everywhere. We lived in a big home then, so it took me a while to go back and forth while calling his name. Silence. I couldn’t find him anywhere. I walked faster toward the back door so I could begin looking outside. Movement caught my eye as I called again from the kitchen. The little squirt was hiding in plain sight, as still as a statue, curled between a black bean bag and our fluffy black and white dog. “What the heck are you doing?” I asked. He lifted a Magic Tree House Book in the air without making eye contact. I almost spit out my gum. The boy’s reading!!!! Did you catch that he was 10-years old? That’s old enough to thoroughly enjoy the sight of me walking right by without seeing him. It’s also way beyond the “normal” reading age. I get messages from frantic mama’s often about: how to teach their 4-year olds to read What language curriculum to buy for their kindergartener and suggestions for chapter books for 5-year olds Meanwhile, my own kids took their sweet time learning to read. As my son grew into the, “I’m starting to wonder if I am the right teacher for this child” age I began to leave him hanging in a story. My goal became leave him begging for more… And you know what? It worked. We never stressed about his lack of reading skills (out loud). We just kept reading. All five of our sons were delayed readers. Our youngest was the most delayed. His brain had too much going on to be troubled with the task of decoding the dancing syllables on the page. This extra busy, brilliant, and wiggly son couldn’t be bothered until that day he disappeared in plain sight. So how did I get him to read? I didn’t. I just kept reading to him. I read his math instructions, his history and science lessons to him and marinated him in exciting read-alouds. Sure, I pointed to words, tracked with my finger, and read slowly and carefully, but I kept reading without adding pressure on him. That day he curled up in the beanbag with our dog and read his first chapter book launched him from not reading, to devouring books almost overnight. Some may be tempted to roll their eyes. A 10-year old reading Magic Tree House? Big Deal. I think that’s where so many people miss the point. The point is not to rush your kids through the easy readers and into the ocean of “Big Kids Books”, the point is to get your kids to love to read. I mean head over heels in love with reading, reading. I make it a point to never roll my eyes at the book choices of my kids to their face. Instead, we embrace the fact that they love to read. Magic Tree House for Big Kids? You Bet! My son burned through 1-3 books a day when he discovered he could read. I even sat him down and picked his brain. Together, we created learning activities to go along with the books he was reading. Excited, overjoyed, and proud. That’s how those silly little kid books made him feel. Related: Don’t panic if your kids aren’t reading yet. Just keep reading to them. It will click eventually. The goal is NOT when they read, but THAT they LOVE to read. When that cold rainy day comes and you are frantically searching for them, just be sure to check the beanbag in the corner! Do your kids love Magic Tree House Books? Click here to grab some fun activities for books 1 and 2. Print this free homeschool mom reminder. This post comes with a free printable reminder list to help keep your heart focused on the heart of homeschooling. I always have the hardest staying focused. This printable simplifies it! Here is a sneak preview… Download Your Free Printable Download the checklist. You’ll get the printable, plus join 9,000+ homeschool moms who receive my weekly parenting tips and ideas!Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal.Place it on your refrigerator as a helpful reminder.
How to Homeschool: Quick Start Videos to Rescue “Help! We just decided to homeschool our kids and I’m freaking out!” I’ve received various translations of the same message from so many family members, neighbors, friends, and readers that I’m, putting all the answers on one page. –>THIS ONE. Homeschooling is like eating and elephant, you’ll have to do it one bite at a time. Pages: Page 1 Page 2
Yes, Your Child’s Mind is POWERFUL and Creative ! Do you try to make handwriting sound a whole lot more fun than we both know it is to your kids? Yeah, my kids saw through that plan too. Kind of like the time I tried to hide carrots into a cake, but neglected to make the bits small enough to get by my little veggie detector. I know, you worry that your child’s only prospect for future employment is in the medical field. Surely, you are staring at at a doctor’s handwriting page. Right? …Read More »
71 Easy Adorable And Inexpensive Mothers Day Crafts Inside: A treasure for you to tuck away for your kids’ teenage years. She gave you heartburn while you were pregnant. photo by Inna Lesyk He ran you ragged for hours on end when he was three. … Read More »
Renewable Energy Freebie This is a free SAMPLE of my Renewable Energy Unit. Included: Solar powerWhat can be powered by the sun? Looking for more? …Read More »
Homeschool Math: Grab your Roadmap to Success BEFORE you spend a moment worrying about math curriculum, let me share a secret. I didn’t understand where I was supposed to go until I’d been on the road almost 20 years. It’s crazy that it’s taken me almost two decades to truly understand this thing we call MATH. … Read More »
Ant Farm Kits: An Easy Science Lesson for Multiple Ages Our boys exchange names every year for Christmas and then are blessed to buy gifts for their selected brother. This year, our youngest picked out an Ant Farm for his brother. Not only is this an excellent gift for the animal lover of our family, but it has turned into an amazing “cross-grade” science lesson. … Read More »
No Prep Thanksgiving Activities for Elementary! If you need awesome fun Thanksgiving themed activities for your kids, you’ve come to the right place. Just print and go! These activities have very little prep time and are sure to delight your elementary age kids! Thanksgiving Math Activities Included in this pack: Addition: “Owl” Show you my facts!Multiplication: “Owl” Show you my facts!Round to the nearest 10Round to the nearest 100Round to the nearest 1,000Addition: Color by SUMWho, who, who is first? (ordinal number practice- 2 3rd Grade Math: A-Mazing TurkeyGame: What’s the Number?EASY-Color by Number- Number RecognitionMedium-Color by Number Multiples of 2, 3, 4, 5 ,6, 10 Thanksgiving Reading and Writing Activities: Thanksgiving BINGO (4 game boards, 7 pages game pieces)Thanksgiving Scattergories!Reading for Facts! It’s all about the turkey!Reading: Color by Sight wordsThanksgiving AcrosticThanksgiving NounsThanksgiving VerbsThanksgiving Adjectives Thanksgiving Science Activities: Thanksgiving/PumpkinsLife Cycle of a Pumpkin (2 pages: booklet and labels)Life Cycle of a Thanksgiving Turkey Additional Thanksgiving and Christmas FUN
Fall Jokes Solved with Single Digit Multiplication If you need awesome multiplication practice for your kids, you’ve come to the right place. Just print and go! With all of my youngest kids in high school math now, I can assure you that one of the foundational skills your kids need to master is their math facts. I like to make learning these fun with hands-on games, jokes, and fun activities. Math mastery for the win! Additional Math FUN
Toddler Worksheet: Christmas Cupcake Fun These adorable activities will delight your Preschoolers! These are perfect to add to your toddler and preschool activities file! Cupcake themed Activities Included: Easy Memory GameChallenging Memory GameBINGO!Roll and Color!Connect the PAIRSPunch and Lace Fine Motor SkillsFollow the path scissors skills Christmas Cupcake Fun! You May Also Like: All About Me: My BodyTurkey Color by NumberLetter D ActivitiesKindergarten Printables: Fall and ThanksgivingScissors Skills worksheets and Fine Motor Practice: WinterSnowman Math: KindergartenWinter Writing Booklet and Writing Prompts39 Fall and Thanksgiving Fine Motor Skills Activities30 Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, and Activities21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kindergarteners Print this free homeschool mom reminder. This post comes with a free printable reminder list to help keep your heart focused on the heart of homeschooling. I always have the hardest staying focused. This printable simplifies it! Here is a sneak preview… Download Your Free Printable Download the checklist. You’ll get the printable, plus join 9,000+ homeschool moms who receive my weekly parenting tips and ideas!Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal.Place it on your refrigerator as a helpful reminder.
How to Make Learning Fun: EASY! She lays awake at night tossing and turning. She tries to rest, but when she closes her eyes she sees the slumped over image of her son burned into her memory. “I failed again.” She is confused. She read all the latest and greatest articles on how to teach her child, but when she tries to follow the advice, her son closes down and she becomes frustrated, discouraged and depressed. “I’m messing up my kid!” …Read More »
All About Bees Freebie This is a Free Sample! Insects cannot be explored without studying the queens of insects: honeybees! …Read More »
ABW 9: Hands-on Learning Made EASY with Amy What if there was a way to simplify learning, magnify time away from worksheets, and increase connections with your kids? Would you sleep better at night? I have GREAT news for you sweet friend… There’s an EASY button! …Read More »
Hebrew for Homeschoolers: Perfect Timing! My kids informed me there are three weeks left of school this year. Silly boys. Don’t they know the sun is shining? We’ll be lucky to get that far! In the summer, we always have everyone do some sort of self-study. Physical fitness, daily reading, yard work and friend time are all on the kids’ wishlist for their free time. But so is independent learning. Hebrew! The kids want to learn Hebrew! … Read More »
Elderberry Recipes and Printables: A Pretty Plant with Amazing Benefits! Elderberries are on the rise thanks to their healthy and anti-inflammatory effects. Even though this is old news to our grandmothers, some of us (cough-cough) have only recently begun looking to this wonder berry. Health Benefits of Elderberries …Read More »
Typing for Kids Made Easy with the BEST Online Program “MOM! This is so cool! The game knows where I am in the lessons and adapts to fit the keys I’m learning!” I wasn’t looking for another thing for my sons to do every day. Already busy with math, writing, sword fighting and Lego I didn’t think they needed another task to complete. But they asked so nicely… …Read More »