*Guest Post Home-schooling can be a frustrating experience especially if you have active kids that keep getting distracted. But that doesn't mean that it is impossible to home-school your kids with success. If it is done correctly, it can be a rewarding experience for parents. The following are 5 tips on home-schooling your kids. Keep the Study Sessions Short Parents should not force the children to sit down for a long time and finish all their studies at one time. Children have a short attention span so parents should create short learning sessions. In this way, the child will be eager to sit down and finish all the study assignment since he knows it will be soon when study time is over. You can use persuasion to make your children sit down to study, for example, no study no TV, cook his favourite food if he studies, or take him cycling at the park if he studies. Make Lesson Learning Fun Parents should try to make the lesson learning fun. Research shows that kids … [Read more...]
Homeschooling on the Road on a Budget
*Guest Post If you do school at home, you homeschool. If you do it on the road, it stands to reason that you “roadschool!” There are as many options available to roadschoolers as there are to homeschoolers . . . and there are thousands. You could spend thousands of dollars on museums and activities. You could even consider it money well spent if it goes to furthering your child’s education. But, maybe you don’t have thousands to spend. Your child’s education does NOT need to suffer as a result. In fact, their education will be incomparably enhanced if you take advantage of the low-cost opportunities all around you as you travel the country. There are inexpensive and even free ways to enhance your homeschooling across the country, you just need to know where to look. Reciprocal Museum Memberships Reciprocal memberships offer discounted or free admission to participating museums, zoos, aquariums, and more all over the United States. North American Reciprocal … [Read more...]
Determining When DIY Won’t Cut It
**Article was made possible by site supporter Amanda Green Determining When DIY Won't Cut It Many homeowners do a lot of their home maintenance themselves. Some choose to do so for enjoyment, while others are simply trying to keep the budget under control. Whatever the reasons, it can be a good way to achieve needed goals while spending less money. Of course, the most important thing to think about when doing home maintenance is whether it's a job you are really up to doing yourself or whether it's something that calls for the expertise of a professional. It can be very easy to get in over your head, or simply not get good results. What we all need is some guidance on how to know what we can handle and when we should call professional help. To get started, consider some of these factors. The Ability of a Layperson to Do the Job Some things are inherently out of the question for DIY. A very common situation is pest control. Homeowners get concerned about ants or spiders, … [Read more...]
Free Month of ABCMouse Kids Educational Web Site
Free Month of ABCMouse Kids Educational Web Site ABCmouse is an online kid’s learning site that features a full online curriculum for kids: Preschool through Kindergarten (ages 2-6). They currently have a large TV campaign running with a TON of airtime on Labor Day (Monday, 9/2. So, this would be a great time to tell your readers about this offer--in order to capitalize on the TV commercials that are currently running. The Step-by-Step Learning Path presents the full ABCmouse.com curriculum in a carefully designed program of more than 450 lessons in six levels. As your child completes each lesson, he or she is guided to the next one and is motivated to continue learning by ABCmouse.com’s Tickets and Rewards System. … [Read more...]
Shaping Up Summer by Lizann Flatt
Shaping Up Summer by Lizann Flatt Summer time is in the air. It is wonderful to see my back yard full of birds again, the grass turning green, and the flowers in bloom. Summer is a beautiful time of year and a great time to get the kids outside and learning! This past week I was sent the book Shaping Up Summer for the purpose of this review and I was excited to get outside with the kids, read this book and find new shapes! In Shaping Up Summer you will read about some wonderful animals and what their lives would be like if they did everything in shapes. I love the interaction with the kids in this book and how they are able to find the shapes that are being talked about. We also sat outside and found even more shapes of our own as we read. It was great! On the Back Do you think that math matters to the animals and plants? What if nature knew numbers like you? Would insects map their flight paths? Would beavers build geometric dams? Would moles mine … [Read more...]
Starting from Scratch – What You Should Know about Food and Cooking By Sarah Elton
Starting from Scratch – What You Should Know about Food and Cooking By Sarah Elton I received a copy of Starting from Scratch for the purpose of this review. Now that you all know that...where should I begin? This book has everything a child might want to know about food and cooking. The who, the what, the when, the where, the how and the why of everything. This book was filled with so much information that even I was interested and could not put it down. From our taste buds to meals around the world! Your child will also learn about all of the different utensils in the kitchen, why we use a recipe and why it is important to make things from scratch. This book will teach them what it means to broil, grill and braise, how to set the table and then how to clean it all up! This is truly one of the most in depth childrens books I have ever read. This is a book my 8 year old loves because it is teaching her the basics that she has always wanted to learn! Two years ago my … [Read more...]
Whistlefritz – French for Kids Review & Giveaway!
Whistlefritz – French for Kids Review & Giveaway! Ends 5/26/14! My daughter has been learning Latin and Spanish since she was in kindergarten and I am happy to now say that she is adding french to that list as well. Her Latin and Spanish have been part of her schooling and now we are learning some French together at home. Recently I was sent a copy of Wistlefritz French Learning Songs on CD and their French for kids DVD. I enjoy learning new things and the songs and the way that they teach the kids is so upbeat. My daughter and I could not resist dancing along to the music on the CD and laughing and learning along with the DVD. This is honestly something I would purchase for her in the future now that I have seen how well they really do work. My daughter might not know the exact words she is singing yet but she is able to sing along with the songs easily and she loves it! Allons Danser! Let's Dance! French Learning Songs Quand Je Serai … [Read more...]
Lapdesk Perfect for Home Schooling Review & Giveaway!
Lapdesk Perfect for Home Schooling Review & Giveaway Ends 5/24/14! As most of you know I have decided to take that leap and home school my daughter. With homeschooling comes a lot of responsibility and time. I am looking forward to this venture and I know that she is as well! Recently I was sent a Lapdesk for the purpose of this review. I knew that this would be something that my daughter would use daily while home schooling because she loves to be outside. With his Lapdesk she can now take her work with her as she sits in the grass! Lapdesk is versatile in that you can use it to write out your essay or you can sit you computer on it while you are typing away at the keyboard. Both of which she is doing every day! You can even purchase the desks with pencil holders or other great features that will fit your current needs. I also love all the different patterns and styles you can find at LapGear My daughters Lapdesk is pink and black with bit white polka-dots … [Read more...]
The Young Scientist Club – The Magic School Bus Engineering Bus Review & Giveaway
The Young Scientist Club - The Magic School Bus Engineering Bus Ends 4/30/14! I am so excited for this new adventure of mine. Home schooling my child is something I have always wanted to do....but I never had the courage to do it before. Now that I have taken that leap I have been coming up with fun and amazing ways to teach my daughter. For example I have been using a The Young Scientist Club kit to teach her everything she needs to know about Engineering! Thanks to The Young Scientist Club I was able to review The Magic School Bus Engineering Bus. This fun educational kit includes not 1, not 10....but 33 engineering kits for your kids to explore. From cooking in a solar oven to learning about gravity! This kit really does have something for everyone! I could not wait to review this kit from The Young Scientist Club because my daughter is a scientist in the making. She loves to learn the why and the how of everything around her. When this kit arrived she … [Read more...]
Weighting the Cost and Benefits of Genetic Testing
Weighting the Cost and Benefits of Genetic Testing It was not that long ago that the purpose of one of life’s most interesting molecules was discovered. Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA as it is more commonly known, is a code that contains all the information needed to create a living organism. Human DNA can tell the story of ancestors long past and even give clues as to how Homo sapiens are changing as a species. Using the most modern scientific methods, anyone can learn more about themselves by undergoing DNA testing. Some people would love to see what such a test would say about their genetic makeup but sometimes worry about privacy concerns – learn more at Genetic Testing Laboratories. Many people state that the genetic testing cost is worth it because of all the information that can be learned about oneself and ones ancestry. Studying Specific Health Markers The amount of information sorted in DNA is enormous. However, scientists … [Read more...]
The Big Decision – Retirment Infographic – Living at Home or Assisted Living?
The years all seem to be going by faster and faster. With each passing year my husband and I focus more and more and retirement. We want to make sure that we are financially secure in our old age. Brought to you by: Merrill Gardens Retirement Community … [Read more...]
Magical Foaming Soap! Super Fun & Simple Science Experiment!
Magical Foaming Soap! Super Fun & Simple Science Experiment! Here is a super fun and super easy science experiment you can for very cheap! This can be done with kids at any age! I have an 8 and 9 year old and so the science lessons can be adjusted to the appropriate age. You can make it just simple or go in depth and have them write in a journal about what is going on scientifically, however in depth you want to take these it will still result in the same ending which is FUN! My kids write what they are going to do, a hypothesis of what they think will happen, the process of what happened and a conclusion of the overall experiment and what went on with it. You can even get the crayons out and have them draw what happened and what it looked like to include some art as well. I like to take pictures and then print them out and the kids can paste those pictures into their journal so they don’t forget what the experiment looked like. Magical Foaming … [Read more...]
Bubbly Foam! A Fun Science Experiment For Your Little One!
Bubbly Foam! A Fun Science Experiment For Your Little One! I used to do a version of this experiment (elephant’s toothpaste) at school growing up but it was done up at the front of class and we had to stand back and it just honestly isn't safe for little kids. The reaction is different with this experiment for sure because the ingredients are different but it’s along the same line and still really fun and this one is kid friendly! This is fun for the kids to see that they can make foam! Yes my kids decided to inspect the foam with their hand held magnifying glass as well. They could see a lot of tiny bubbles and that was super fun for them! Bubbly Foam! What you need – Empty water bottle Hydrogen peroxide Dish soap Packet of active yeast Food coloring Funnel Measuring cup Directions – (You might want to take this experiment outside or have the bottle in the middle of a cookie sheet because this will be foaming out … [Read more...]
Expanding Balloons! Simple Yet Spectacular Science Experiment!
Expanding Balloons! Simple Yet Spectacular Science Experiment! Making carbon dioxide and filling up a balloon with it! Ok, yes yes, you could just blow up the balloon but this is a thousand times more fun and they get to see the reaction between an acid and a base… This always gets a fun reaction and I love doing this one with the kids! Expanding Balloons! What you need: Empty plastic water bottle Balloon (or more because it's hard to just do one) Baking soda Vinegar Funnel to make life easier Directions: Fill empty water bottle half full with vinegar Put the tip of the funnel inside the balloon and add about 2 TBS of baking soda inside the balloon. Wrap the end of the balloon around the opening of the water bottle, making sure you don’t tip any of the baking soda into the vinegar. Have the child then tip the balloon upright making sure the baking soda dumps into the vinegar. Watch the reaction of baking soda and … [Read more...]
Slithering Water Science Experiment!
Slithering Water Science Experiment! Now this is a super easy and cheap science experiment! This slithering water experiment takes some time depending on how tall your glasses are, so you can start it in the morning and leave it on the kitchen counter or washer and dryer and go back and observe throughout the day and evening. I had my kids write their observations down in their journal every time they went to observe the water slithering up and down! This is a two part science experiment. It wasn’t supposed to be but it turned out to be more than we thought which is always fun! Essentially this is using capillary action - To make the pictures come out better and for us to see the water go through the paper towel, we decided to color the water with purple food coloring which is where the next experiment took place. Slithering Water What you need: Two drinking glasses you can see through One paper towel or a half of one if you have big paper … [Read more...]