Learn To Spell Your Name Activity for Preschoolers

When teaching my kids the alphabets, I always like to start with letters from their name. That way, the first thing they can spell is their name.

Here is one activity I found that helps them spell their name. Have them arrange the letters of their name to form a snowman. I'm a bit lazy here and opted out of making snowman hats and a scarf. But if you want cuter snowmen, I'd encourage you to do that. I guess we could do the same thing and make caterpillars too.

Gluing and pasting is ideal when kids are still don't know how to write or are still struggling to control their pencil movements. My little girl here really enjoyed this activity. She wanted to do more. This helped her learn not only to put the letters of her name in the right order but also to put the alphabets the right way up.

Strengthening Basic Multiplication Skills in Children

Yesterday, as I presented my student with a worksheet of basic multiplication questions, she started to yawn (unintentionally, of course). I've been working with this kid for the past 2 months to really strengthen her multiplication skills. We've already worked on the individual times tables: 2 - 12. Unfortunately, I only see her 3x a weeks and I doubt she even looks at the multiplication tables the other days. BUT the only way any child is going to be an expert with basic multiplication is to practice, practice, practice everyday until they get it.

The problem is, how to make them practice without boring them out of their minds?

So, this is what we did yesterday... We created a game out of the multiplication grid.

She wrote in the ones that she absolutely knew... ones that she could answer in 2 seconds. The ones where she hesitated, we put a colored paper. So now, she can take home this game, and fill up the missing blanks with counters that show the correct answer. This way, she only practices the ones that she has been having problems remembering. It is sort of like 'target practice'.

So if you have a child that has already learned all the multiplication tables but are still struggling to remember certain ones, this is one way to target those troubled areas and have fun at the same time.

Brainzy: Making Computer Time Fun and Educational For Preschool to 1st Grade

I think many of us parents have a hard time controlling the number of hours our young children are on the computer. It is almost to the point of addiction... or is it just my kids? Every day I hear the same question, "Mom, can I use the computer?"
You can't really ban computer from their lives. So the next best thing would be to make sure they are using their computer time wisely.

Learning does not always equal "boring". Kids can play computer games and be learning at the same time. Brainzy is one such program.

Try a free trial of the Brainzy educational games program today!

This is a paid program. I know there are many free programs out there but not all of them are good quality. There is a free trial for Brainzy. Give it a try before you decide if it is worth your money. See if your children like the games. If they are having fun and you see learning taking place, you should consider adding Brainzy to your education resources.

Go check it out for yourself.



*This post contains affiliate links.

Awesome Worksheets That Make Learning Fun For Your Kids

I'm always looking for ways to make learning fun for my kids. I am currently homeschooling 1 child and have another 2 going to school. Unfortunately, teachers here are not very creative. The culture is such that kids are drilled to pass exams. My kids constantly tell me how boring their homework is.

I am not one to leave all the teaching to the school. I believe as a mother, I am still their number 1 teacher. And so I am always on the net, scouring for fun educational stuff for them. I can only hope to keep their love for learning alive.

So I'm here to tell you about a website that offers a variety of fun worksheets and workbooks...

Education.com provides printable workbooks to help children learn key skills in math, reading and writing. These workbooks are suitable for children in preschool through fifth grade.

New Workbooks on Education.com!

I've downloaded quite a few from their website. If you are seeking fun worksheets for your kids, I encourage you to check out this website. You can download some for free but there is a limit every month. If you want to enjoy the full privileges, there is a fee to pay. They offer a subscription service that grants access to all workbooks. The quality of worksheets you get makes it pretty worth it.

Have a look and tell me if this resource will help in your child's education.

Save 20% by signing up for a Education.com PLUS subscription AND get unlimited workbook downloads!



Here are some of the products available:


Ready to crunch some numbers? This workbook will help your child review numbers and counting, and introduce your little learner to number sequences, order and grouping.


Explore the parts of a plant and the stages of life it goes through. Then try your hand at germinating seeds as you introduce your little bud to important plant processes like photosynthesis.


These worksheets will strengthen your fourth grader's writing conventions and sentence construction, including capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.


What's a metaphor? How do you haiku? Kids will hone reading and writing skills with this book, from a simple syllable counting exercise to inventing rhymes and tangling with the Jabberwocky!


 *This post contains affiliate links. 

Homeschoolers May Excel Better Than School Bound Children

Many people these days are unhappy with the government's school education system. The idea of homeschooling is appealing to some but there is the fear of taking a path that is unfamiliar. Maybe this infographic will give you some confidence in homeschooling.


Created by: CollegeAtHome.com

Although homeschooling seems favorable, the decision to homeschool or not cannot be made without doing some homework. Many factors have to be considered such as the home environment, parents' work commitment and also the child's attitude.

Whether you are homeschooling or not, you're welcome to share why you chose one over the other and how that is working out for your children.

What You Can Do When Reading With Little Kids

I came across an article that shared 10 tips on how you can make reading with your children more enjoyable. Here is the article: Early Literacy Strategies

 2 tips that I particularly like are "‘Plant’ words during the ‘preview’" and "Make connections". Read the article for further explanation.

MAMAS READING TIPS

• My kids always enjoy our reading session more when I use funny voices for the different characters.
• It is okay to skim through the book without reading it word for word. Some young kids do not have the patience sit through the entire book. Or they have yet to learn how to enjoy reading books. So you can keep your reading session short by just flipping through the pages and talking about the pictures. Summarize the story in your own words or change the story in a way that you know will catch their attention. For example, instead of focusing on the story, you could flip through the pages and ask your child to point out certain things in the picture e.g. "where's the dog in this page?" or "can you find the blue flower in this page?"
• Interactive books are fun for young children. As you read, they get to lift the flaps or press buttons.
• Don't push your child to read. If they don't want to read anymore, let them go even if you're in the middle of the story. Try to find another time to read. Maybe they don't want to read because it is not interesting to them. After a while, you should get an idea of what kind of books they like.
• It shouldn't just be about learning to read. Be careful not to ask too many questions while you're reading. Sometimes you just need to enjoy the book together. Remember, education happens when you make it fun.

Here are some books that I've enjoyed reading with my kids.

Putting Literacy Into Playing

I read a book many years ago about how we can put literacy into our children's playing. Yup, we should encourage our children to read, write or count when they play. Do it in such a way that literacy becomes a part of their playing. That way, they won't see it as "studying" or "learning" and become all stressed about it.

Here is an example of how that can be done. My children were playing "masak-masak" (pretend cooking). My daughter decided to makeshift a mini food shop with blocks. They took turns becoming the cook, waiter and customers. Where does literacy come in? Well, a menu was written. Orders were also written down. In the end, receipts were issued. They could have made a signage for their shop's name but they didn't feel like it.

 My receipt. Just realized I've been wrongly billed. Wrong total. Hehehe.

 My little waitress.

 Eager customers.

The shop. Chef is hard at work.

So, the next time your kids play, play along with them and show them how their playing can be further enriched with literacy.

BIG Sale On School Curriculum at CurrClick

CurrClick is having their Back to Homeschool Sale now until 24th August 2012. Discounts are up to 75%.

This is the time to save money buying fun and interesting educational materials for your children. I've already done some shopping and bought some stuff for my 5 year old son. I bought a few books from this publisher: Kid Brilliance

Here is one that I got.

Guess What! - Among The Flowers
On one page it shows a close up of a flower or insect. Ask your child to guess what it is. The next page shows the full picture and there is some information about that flower or insect. This is a fun science lesson and could lead to more discussion and exploration.

Another one I got was this.

The First Anti-Coloring Book
I happen to come across this book called Young at Art a few years ago. From it I learn the importance of letting little children scribble. It is important part of their development. If we force them to draw shapes too early or give them coloring books, we actually limit their imagination and self expression. So anyway, this Anticoloring book is by the same author of Young at Art (Susan Striker). Each page is an art activity that allows the child's imagination to soar. For example, one activity is for the child to draw and name a new species of fish that scientist just discovered.

Okay, why don't you go check out the Currclick sale yourself. You can search the materials by age, subject, product type or publisher.
CLICK HERE TO---> Enjoy the low prices now before the sale ends.

Summer Learning

Summer is around the corner. The kids will be out and family vacations will be underway soon. However, it's also important to view this as a time to get your child ready for the new school year ahead. Parents often find it hard to figure out what to do to ensure that their children are productive throughout the summer. There is more than one way to keep your child learning and growing while they still have fun. The truth is you don't want to stop the learning process even though it is summer.

[Source: Online Reading For Kids With Studydog

Titanic Lapbook

When I first read about lapbooks, I thought they were an interesting and fun way to learn, regardless of whether you are homeschooling or not.  However, I never got round to doing one with my kids.

Well, a few days ago my daughter decides to do one herself. I'm actually very happy that she took the initiative to do it herself. She told me that this year is the 100th Anniversary of the Titanic. She's educating me instead now :) So, here is the lap book she put together without any help from me.

She used a manila pocket folder and cut it so it can open up. You'll find resources for this Titanic lapbook here.

I believe she got the idea of doing Titanic from our little train ride the other day. While on the train, there was a little tv monitor and they showed the thriller for the Titanic movie. It just goes to show that children can be inspired from anything and anywhere.

Pillows That Encourage Your Kids To Read

As parents, we all know how important it is to get our children to love reading. When they love to read, their imagination soars and learning takes place automatically. Well, here is one way to foster they love of reading in your children... story book pillow. Here is a short review by Unique Baby.

A lot of people ask, what is story book pillow? Well it is a story book featuring 10 colorful pages to enhance your children interest to read, and yet a soft and comfy pillows for hugs and sleep. The material of the pillow book which is 100% cotton,your child will love to cuddle up to a nice soft pillow and story at the same time.

Babies love colorful things, which is why manufacturers make it a point to make books, toys and all baby products a lot more pleasing to the baby's exploring eyes. Story time and bedtime become one in this charming, plush, comfy pillow. It's an entire classic storybook tucked into a big, huggable bedside companion for your little princess/prince.

We need to cultivate the habits of reading to them since young, and reading to them improve the interaction and your relationship with your child. Such an interaction is priceless for both mummy and baby.

Before I end, the pillow books is actually meant for age 3 and above. Usage to children before 3 years old need to be under adult's supervision. Not only on pillow books, but pillows generally should not be put nearby babies in order to prevent suffocation. As long as you supervise your child while they are playing with the books or anything soft, that is perfectly fine.

The pillow books are available in 4 designs, and will make great gifts for children around the world. The colorful pages will keep the child interest to read them over and over again. For further information, please visit our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UniqueBabyCollection or email us at uniquebabycollection@gmail.com

Check it out. It would make a nice gift for your little ones.

The Importance of Handwriting Practice For Children

I came across an article in CNN titled "Connecting the dots between handwriting and high scores". It talked about the findings of Dr. Laura Dinehart, an assistant professor at the Florida International University School of Education. She took a look at 1000 second graders and compared information to when they were in pre-kindergarten. She found that students who received better handwriting grades in pre-kindergarten, were getting better scores in 2nd grade.

What's the connection?
They are not very clear and actually have more questions on why this is so. Another research does suggest a possible link: physically writing out the alphabets helps children recognize the letters faster than those who use the keyboard.

Why is this finding important for parents to know?
Well, in this day and age where kids rather be on the computer than on the table writing, we must encourage our children to write. Give them crayons, color pencils, pencils and whatever they fancy. Keep it fun. We must not underestimate the importance of them developing the fine motor skills when writing. Here's what Dinehart says "“What we do know is that kids with greater experiences in early childhood do better later on, and writing can’t be discounted from that".

It can be boring to repetitively write letters page after page. So why not find ways to make writing more meaningful and fun. You can have them fill in the blanks. For example, when writing the letter "b", list out words that start with that letter. Maybe even create a poem with all those words. Write out the poem but put a blank where all the "b" letters should be and let your child fill that out.

I am a __boy
Who like to play __all
I hit it with my __at
Then go home to __athe my cat

It doesn't have to make sense. It can even be silly. They probably like silly.

So, do your children like to write?

Sale On Children's Learning Materials

I don't know if you've heard of CurrClick. It is a website that sells curriculum and you'll find all sorts of learning materials there such as lap books, printables, unit studies etc....

Well, I got a whisper telling me that they're having a sale right now. It's a WHISPER SALE and so, it's a little hush hush. They only tell it to a few special people and we get to tell it to people we think are special enough to know :) The sale is on a secret page on their website.

Since I consider all who come to my blog very special people, I'm going to tell you where that secret sales page is...

http://www.currclick.com/cclick_wintersale.php

IMPORTANT:
To qualify for the discount, you must add items to your cart FROM THE SPECIAL SALES PAGE.
The sales end on 16th February 2012.

You can whisper this sale to someone else.
Happy shopping.

Teach Values With Stories

We all want our children to learn and display values such as kindness, honesty, responsible, diligence, patience, optimism etc.... Well, here's one way to teach them that: through stories.

Check out http://freestoriesforkids.com/

You'll find plenty of stories and each has a value attached. Read one every night before you put them to bed. There's a Workbook of Values for you to download too.

Happy Reading!

Logic Game: Factory Balls

Here's another Bonte Game called Factory Balls. They actually have Factory Balls 4 now. This is the first one. Dip the ball into the paint. Use the tools they give you to create a pattern that matches the one they want. Have fun thinking!

Once again, another game to help your children learn problem solving and creative thinking. Have a try and leave me a comment.

Click this link to play the game: FACTORY BALLS

Logic Game: Duck, Think Outside The Flock

I came across Bonte Games. If you want to train your children to think, you should get them to play these games. Maybe not so suitable for really young children (unless they are a genius, and maybe they are). You should try it out too. See if you have the brains to figure it out.

This one is called Duck. No instructions given. You have to figure out what the task is. It could be as easy as putting the ducks in a row. Once you complete the task, the ducks will swim away. Good luck.

Drop a comment to tell me how you did.

Click here to play the game: Duck, think outside the flock

ClickN Kids Promotion

If you're looking for a reading or spelling software for your children, you'll want to check out ClickN READ Phonics and ClickN SPELL.

ClickN READ Phonics and ClickN SPELL online learning programs have everything you need to teach reading and spelling guaranteed or your money back. Try 4 lessons with your child now, absolutely free! ClickN READ Phonics and ClickN SPELL are designed to teach beginning reading and spelling for children as early as the age of 3 years old. ClickN KIDS products are also a great solution for older children that may be struggling with their reading and spelling skills and have also proven to be very successful working with learning disabilities as well as individuals learning English as a second language.

By the way, they have just launched their newest product, Looney Tunes Phonics with the zany antics of the lovable Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Taz and friends. My son prefers the animations on this new one compared to the old one. Unfortunately, there is no option for us to make a switch. So, he'll just have to stick to the old one.

Here's the promotion for the month of September 2011. Click on my affiliate links below to access the site.
Buy 1 ClickN READ Student Get the 2nd FREE! Use coupon code: 2STUDENTFREE exp. 9/30/11

What Online Course Would You Take?

There is no end to learning. Education is a lifelong pursuit. I'm sure you've heard these sayings before.

I was very happy when I finally graduated from university. I was happy I didn't have to take any more exams. If I had to do university all over again, I would definitely chose a different field of study. I have a bachelor's degree in psychology but I have not done anything related to it. I don't think I gained any skills either. All I learned were the theories and didn't do much practical work. I don't remember much what I learned in the classes. However, I know I improved in my writing because I had to write lots and lots of research papers.
I think online degree programs in music would be very beneficial to me now. So many parents want their children to learn music. Music teachers can really earn a good living. I was looking around for a music teacher and the fees really made my jaw drop.

It is not that difficult to get a degree or certification these days. In today's tech world, you can easily sign up for online courses. Not needing to attend classes physically makes this the ideal solution for people who:

• don't have the funds to travel far or overseas to attend university
• are working but want to upgrade their skills by taking work-related courses so they can advance their carrier
• can only do studies part-time
• who are busy taking care of a young family but also want to pursue an education
• want to take courses for personal interests during their free time

You might wonder if these online degrees are legitimate or a scam? Yes, that is one thing you have to be careful about.

• Make sure the college or university is accredited
• Check to see if the credits you earned are transferable
• Make sure they have a legitimate phone number
• If it is too good to be true, it probably is. If you don't have to work much for it, you better think twice.
• Do they withhold information until after you pay? Legitimate programs will provide you as much information as possible so you can make a wise decision.
• Check the legitimacy of the program with The Database of Accredited Post-secondary Institutions and Programs or the Better Business Bureau

As convenient as online education is, I believe that physically attending a university is an unforgettable experience. The social aspect of university life should not be missed (if you can help it). However, if you've already been there and done that, online courses is a good option for furthering education.

If you have a soon-to-be college bound child, you can use the Federal Student Aid College Finder to help you choose a university that fits your needs.
http://studentaid2.ed.gov/gotocollege/collegefinder/advanced_find.asp

So, if you could take a course online, what would you learn?

Teaching Your Kids To Play The Piano

We recently bought a 2nd hand piano because my girl seems very interested in learning to play. Before getting the piano, she was tinkling on my mom's keyboard. I've thought her to read the notes, so she is quite okay in playing. Initially, she just played with her right hand. Eventually, I took out my old piano books and encouraged her to play with both hands. She is better than me in one aspect: After playing the piece using the notes, she will commit the song to memory and play without the notes. That is one thing I cannot do.

Now that we've got the piano, the other 2 boys also will go over and tinkle about. So far all they play is Old McDonald Had A Farm, the chiming of the clock and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. I'm trying to get D1 to learn to read notes. We're going bonkers with Old McDonald Had A Farm :)

I've opted not to send the kids to a piano teacher or music school. They just want to play for fun and I don't want to kill their passion with music exams. We will see how it goes a few years down the road. Plus, piano lessons these days are quadruple the price what my mom used to pay for my piano lessons. Just checking around, the average price now is about RM80-RM100 for beginners. I have 3 kids, that's too much money for me. I learned until Grade 5. I think I can teach my kids a little bit.

Anyway, I found some great stuff online. If you want to teach your kids to play the piano, you might find these helpful.

• Ten week note reading method by Jon Schmidt. I love these guy's music. I've downloaded his instructions and it is an interesting way of learning how to read notes. 
• Free music sheets for piano. Fun songs for your kids to play. They cater to different levels.
• More free music sheets. I downloaded Pachelbel's Canon in D here. Love that song.

I know there are more cool stuff out there to help our kids learn music. I'll keep this list updated as I go along. I'm also enjoying my piano playing once again. Haven't been playing for so many years.
Before I go, enjoy the magic of Jon Schmidt. He truly is a one of a kind pianist. Very inspiring.

This piece is called All Of Me and it was this piece that I was introduced to his music. I fell in love with it straightaway. Hope you like it too. Watch for the part where he uses his whole arm to play.

Homeschool Curriculum on Sale: Up To 75% Off

CurrClick is having their "Back To Homeschool Sale" now.You'll find discounts up to 75% off. The sale is on until 25 August 2011.

This is the time to save money buying homeschool curriculum for your children. I've already bought some for my kids. Some stuff were free.

Here is a list of things I currently got and the price I got it at:

• The Seven Continents - Speedy Geography - $0.50 (This is now on sale for $0.25)
  It includes vocabulary words, fill-in-the-blanks, fact cards, diagrams (labeled & blank), mazes, and website links.
• The Five Oceans - Speedy Geography - $0.50 (This is now on sale for $0.25)
  Learn more about the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Southern and Arctic oceans.
• Hummingbird Copywork & Fun! - $0.50 (This is now on sale for $0.25)
  Got this because my boy has become a bird enthusiast.
• Human Body Copywork & Fun! Volume 1 - $0.50 (This is now on sale for $0.25)
  My girl also wanted copywork like the Hummingbird exercise I got for my son. She chose this topic.
• What Did You Say? Bookmarks Freebie! #1 - Free
  Making bookmarks is one thing my kids like to do.
• Clouds Mini Helper  - Free
  Very simple lesson on types of clouds.
• Sayings & Phrases #1-10 [BUNDLE] - $3.00
  This is a bundle of 10 lessons. Each lesson covers 5 sayings. Children learn sayings and phrases such as "Turn over a new leaf", "Get a taste of your own medicine", "The early bird gets the worm" etc...

I figured I could spare some money from my paypal. Afterall, it is for my kids' education. I'm actually very happy. For a few dollars, I got quite a lot of stuff. AND what I buy for the older kids, I can keep and reuse it  for the younger kids. My kids are happy too. They quite enjoy the materials I bought.

There's lots of choices and I'm sure you'll find something fun for your kids to do, not forgetting educational of course. So take a look and don't miss out on this great sale. Just click on my affiliate link below to access all that wonderful discounts.