Winter Snowflake School Activities

Oh, here I go again with another link list. Why a link list? I'm usually better at finding ideas thought up by someone else, than I am coming up with them myself. lol Occasionally I manage to surprise myself, but for the most part, I'm a hunter and gatherer and not so much a creator of great ideas. What's more I'm certainly not a scientist, so some of what I'm sharing below could never have come from my simple little head. :)

When I'm trying to keep my kids busy I usually jump online and start rummaging through countless websites to see what other people are doing. Just to save you a little time, I then come here to share what I find! So... here is the best of what I found today on snowflakes:

SnowCrystals.com
This site offers some AMAZING images of real snowflakes. You'll be in complete awe at how beautiful and unique each flake truly is. We've always heard that snowflakes are like fingerprints in that no two are alike, but unlike fingerprints, snowflakes can vary tremendously! This site also shares photos of designer snowflakes as created in a lab. Pretty cool either way, but I think nature has done a pretty fascinating job without any help from us!

This site also shares snowflake physics, a guide to frost and some fun snowflake activities. You could easily spend an entire afternoon here. :)

Enchanted Learning
Make your own crystal snowflake at home! This looks like a lot of fun and will give your kids the opportunity to grow their own crystals. :) You'll need just a few supplies, most of which you may already have at home.

Snowflake Factory
Take a study break and let your kids make a virtual snowflake! After watching a quick haircare commercial, you'll be able to access the snowflake factory, where you're free to unleash your creativity. First select your preferred number of wedges, then click a shape and insert it in the single white wedge, which will in turn give you the exact same shape in all the other wedges. You can finalize by changing your snowflake's color, then giving it a bit of animation... for instance, see your flake in a blizzard. Fun!


Snowflake Templates
These free templates will make the job of creating a perfect paper snowflake super-simple and ever so lovely. This activity is best for older children, unless you're going to do the cutting for them. Most of the templates here are a bit too intricate for small hands, but small eyes will light up like light bulbs as they watch your artwork unfold. :)

Alrighty then... have fun my friends!

Read Aloud Online Storybooks for Your Developing Reader

Just a handful of great FREE online story sites. These can be a fun way to build an enthusiasm for books in children. If I find more online story sites, I'll be sure to add them to this post. :)

Here are my favorites so far:

Storyline Online
This free online audio-streaming service is brought to you by The Screen Actor's Guild Association. Great children's books read aloud by some of your favorite actors and actresses. This is a free online resource, but they do welcome donations. Your kids will thoroughly enjoy the animates story tellers, as images are displayed from the original books.


RIF Reading Planet
Children's stories, read aloud, with words highlighted below animated images. Another great story site that will help your emerging reader's develop a passion for books!

TumbleBooks
Classic books read aloud. Note this particular audio site doesn't include photos, drawings, or animation. Let your children paint the pictures to Alice in Wonderland and Aesop's Fables in their minds as they listen to the narrator. You'll additionally find books for younger children, such as House at Pooh Corner.

PBS Kid's Clifford Stories
This is a fun site for youngsters who enjoy a good Clifford the Big Red Dog story! Choose the story of your liking and listen away! This site doesn't provide animated images, but rather storybook pages that change when you click on the red text. Clicking on the black text will activate the audio feature.

Children's Books Online
This site will require more assistance on your part if you have a young reader who isn't too computer savvy, however I really love this site. It stands apart from the others listed above in a very charming way as the stories presented here come from antique books. The site is completely volunteer driven and they're always looking for new books to add! If you have an antique children's book with vibrant pictures, be sure to let them know. The illustrations from these older stories are classic and the stories will likely be new to your children... possibly to you as well.

KOL Jr. Stories
This site features stories for young children, read aloud, with storybook pages that turn as the narrator speaks. The storybook pages are small, but the voice of the speaker is soft and comforting and some of the characters are familiar, such as Arthur. You'll find animal stories, fairy tales, family stories and rhyming books to explore with you youngsters here!

BBC- CBeebies Story Time
Watch and read along stories with lively animation, fitting for young children ages 6 and under. These stories are presented in a British accent which can be a lot of fun if you're not accustomed to hearing one! lol

Making New Year's Resolutions with Your Children

I wanted to share my opinion of the tradition of drafting up a list of things to do better in 2010. Doing so, could be a great homeschooling activity, but it could also be a huge time-waster!

We all have those things we'd like to work on, goals we wish to achieve and goal setting is entirely healthy and should be praised! I don't take issue with this in the slightest. I think the problem I see with creating New Year's Resolutions has more to do with how I see adults responding to their lists weeks into the new year.

When we don't see our dreams realized.... fighting those cravings, surrendering to television over walking around the block, or finding writer's block day after day when trying to compose that masterpiece, our usual reaction is to ditch that list and wait until next year! lol What are we teaching ourselves? What are we telling our kids?

Promise me that if you're going to sit down with your kids and create a New Year's Resolutions together that you'll follow the following guidelines:

1. Set realistic goals... after all, you'll still be you when you flip that calendar page.
2. Give yourself some wiggle room. Again... you aren't likely going to change overnight. When you've been dieting for 3 days and you crave a Twix bar... it might not be the end of your diet to have one. I mean, so long as it's just one... your diet doesn't have to be over.
3. Don't beat yourself up if you find yourself a victim of old habits. If I knew how to change into someone else overnight I would have done it a long time ago. Seriously! I've changed in huge ways over the last 20+ years and in some minor ways over the last 5. Never overnight.
4. Recruit a friend or an accountability partner to help you stay on track. If you're doing this with your children, you already have one!
5. Smile! This is all positive. You're wanting to take better care of yourself and those around you. You should feel proud that you're healthy enough to set the goals and yes... you can do it! 
6. If you hit a road block.... DON'T WAIT UNTIL JANUARY 1, 2011 to pick yourself back up! lol I can't tell you how many times I've seen people do that with diets. Trust me... there's really nothing magical about January. :) In fact, where I live it's pretty unremarkable to say the least.

Ok... are we clear? lol Have fun with this! If you're not feeling ready for battle, maybe set small goals like cleaning your bedroom closet and keeping it clean all year? Hey, that's reasonable isn't it? Maybe you and your children could set a goal of making your beds everyday, tackling a difficult subject, or spending more time with the grandparents. If you want to teach them to reach out to others... encourage them to save a bit of their allowance each week for Harvesters or for a toy drive in the Fall? Maybe you could all save and adopt a family for Christmas next year! Now you're thinking!

Happy New Year!
~Wendy

Your Organic Garden

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Safer® brand. All opinions are 100% mine.

Calling all homeschooling gardeners! How many of you have either gone organic or have considered the move that benefits not only the health of our environment, but that of your family's? Research shows that going organic lessens the chance of disease and promotes long-term benefits to both body and mind!

Most homeschoolers by nature possess the do-it-yourself mentality. At the same time, we are of the general mindset that anything done at home, with love and great nurturing, will promote a much healthier result than anything we might just pick up somewhere, or left to another to do for us. This is certainly the case with gardening. So many of us garden to save money and to leave the mystery out of what we're actually consuming. Organic gardening involves increasing the vitamin and mineral content in your soil rather than depleting it, but also prevents soil contamination through harmful pesticides that will create a toxic runoff and add to water pollution which in turn affects everything and everyone in it's path, from birds to humans.

Going organic promotes natural flavors in your vegetables, just the way nature intended!  You can learn more about going organic, the benefits and just what's involved by visiting saferbrand.com. I love this site as it not only explains the benefits to my family and the environment, but provides information on how to go organic. You'll find all the products necessary, including environmentally (and family-friendly) pest control. After all, going organic shouldn't mean contending with unwanted critters!

Become a fan of Safer Brand and the option of going organic by visiting Safer brand's facebook page.Stay on top of this wonderful product by becoming a fan! They'll keep you up on all the latest and greatest in the world of organic gardening and the products to get you there.


Additionally, Safer brand is officially on twitter, so if you're into tweeting, be sure to tweet all about it! Follow Safer Brand on Twitter and share the excitement of better health with your friends.

My favorite part of Safer Brand's website is the section on houseplants. I don't have a  green thumb and am always trying to learn how I can better care for my houseplants. I have one plant in particular I've been able to keep alive for 8 years, but it's a very hardy plant that doesn't take much water. Anything else you give me loses it's luster in about 6 weeks! lol Safer Brand provides products that keep your plants looking and feeling their best. They even offer a product that prevents wilting!

Happy Gardening my friends!

Merry Christmas from The Homeschooling Blog!

A day late, but hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend!

Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year to all you awesome homeschoolers and homeschooler wannabes!

Whether you're taking a nice little break from your homeschooling activities or chugging forward without delay we hope you and your family have an amazing week!

Merry Christmas!

New Twists on the Dry Erase Marker... Wowzers!

I just discovered a new decorating tool in a very unlikely place! If you're not yet familiar with EXPO BrightSticks Wet-Erase Fluorescent Markers you're missing out on a bold new way to express yourself on non-porous surfaces. For me, that means windows! lol I had a bit of fun this afternoon decorating the storm door on the back of my house. Isn't this fun? For my husband's birthday I'm thinking I should shout it out to the world on our van windows. lol Nothing says Happy Birthday like a brightly colored greeting on the back of your automobile.

You'll love these markers as they're low odor, nontoxic, and wipe off with absolutely no effort... all you'll need is a damp cloth. This means your kids can even play with them. What's more... their artwork will look neon under black light or fluorescent lamps. Pretty cool! Now we just have to go out and get a black light! I always wanted a good reason to acquire a black light.

Expo makes great wet-erase markers, as I mentioned above, but what do they offer for those needing dry-erase markers? Can I just say that EXPO is our first choice for the kids to take to school? Why? Because they're nontoxic and low order. This is actually hard to find sometimes. Since we took a break from homeschool, we were surprised to find that our kids were actually required to bring 2 dry erase markers to school... did you know they don't use chalk boards anymore? lol It's true, and can I tell you that I had to look in 3 stores before I found the right fit? They were EXPO! Additionally, I prefer Expo's chisel tip markers over the rounded variety we've found with other manufactures.

Another plus EXPO has going for it is their dry-erase cleaning solution and eraser. Do you have problems with your dry erase boards looking discolored... leaving behind heavy tones of color, even after you've taken cleaning supplies to them? It's because you weren't using the right product. The cleaner, like the markers themselves is completely nontoxic and therefor safe for your children to use. :)

Speaking of dry erase markers, since our last shopping excursion for school supplies, they've actually come out with a retractable dry-erase marker. I especially like this for myself. No mess and I can make a quick note to my refrigerator calendar with just one hand. Aren't we moms just always multi-tasking? I rarely have two hands for anything anymore, so these retractables are a welcome addition in my home. What's more they're smear proof and quick drying and like their regular dry-erase markers, are made with a chisel tip rather than a rounded point. This gives you the flexibility to write with a fine line or broad line, all with just one marker.

There are so many benefits to using dry erase markers in your homeschool. The first one that comes to my mind is the environment. Think of how many trees you'd save if you did most of your lessons on a dry erase board? Maybe just use paper for testing and artwork or special assignments? What's more, you can now turn a window into a learning station with the wet-erase markers! Maybe practice multiplication on your storm door... just for something a little different. Perhaps make a game. Play hangman for instance and use what's outside your window as clues!

What a great last minute stocking stuffer idea! Especially the wet-erase markers for your kids. Stock up on the EXPO Click Retractable markers for yourself and your spouse too. Isn't technology a wonderful thing? lol And we thought it only applied to electronics.

As if you needed another reason to purchase the Expo brand, for every package of EXPO makers sold in the US this November and December, EXPO will donate one marker to the Kids in Need Foundation up to 100,000 markers! This foundation operates resource centers across the nation where teachers from Title 1 schools are allowed to shop for free school supplies. Cool!

Gaining Your Teaching Certification from Home with USC

Homeschooling is no doubt one of the most difficult yet rewarding functions a parent can provide for their child. Being able to see them grow intellectually and seeing their faces light up during the "ah-ha" moments is what drives most parents to choose and continue this type of education. As the educator, you are making sure that your children get the highest quality education. To improve your child's education even further you may want to consider USC's Master's of Arts in Teaching program. By improving upon your already great teaching style with a university already respected for producing high-caliber teachers, your children can benefit even more. They can then say that they were taught by the best teacher that they could find, you!

For parents who are not yet certified teachers and for those who are, another resource, CertificationMap, can help with the all too confusing questions regarding teacher certification. Credentials are broken down state by state into easy to understand information. Parents may also consider a career in teaching after their children have gone off to college, and CertificationMap is a great starting point. These two resources can start you off in a great new career doing the thing that you already love doing, teaching! Also, please see CertificationMap's blog which contains inspirational teacher stories and other great resources.

Happy teaching!

Fun & Free 1st Grade Game & Activity Links

My daughter wanted me to share a handful of her favorite online websites. She's a first grader, but these are by no means restricted to 7 year olds. lol Many of these sites will appeal to preschool children, through 3rd grade. Especially Train Tracker which allows you to construct your own railroad and Build Your Wild Self where you can turn a cartoon child into a bizarre cartoony animal with elephant ears and deer antlers! lol

Have fun!

Train Tracker   My daughter's favorite site
Mini Face Maker
Mosaic Painter
Build Your Wild Self   Her #2!
Holiday Activities
Peep and the Big Wide World
Star Fall Great learn to read site!
PBS Kids

The Idea of Netflix for Children's Books!

While the idea isn't a new one, (this program works like Netflix) it's still revolutionary! lol Growupwithbooks.com offers an online rental service, but rather than circulating DVD's, you get books!

I LOVE this idea for a variety of reasons, mainly for convenience. However... I will confess my primary reason is I have a really bad habit of not returning library books on time and paying late fees. If I'm programed that way, this service would make a lot more sense! lol If I'm going to be shelling out money anyway, why not have books delivered to my door, several times a month, for my growing readers to enjoy?

My kids love books, especially new books. We have a good number of books in our library, but nothing is as exciting as something never before read, exciting and new, even if the book has been opened by other children, it's still new to them, and nothing else can compare.

I discovered this service just this morning while watching the news and thought immediately of all the homeschoolers out there who could benefit. Think of all those days you have to drag the kids to the library, when it's snowing, or someone's under the weather, but darn it anyway...  those books are already past due and you can't even renew them  onine this time around because they're reserved for someone else. Ever been there? I don't advocate skipping the library altogether... I do think we should support our community libraries and teach our children how to use them, but I also love what growupwithbooks.com offers.

There are no late charges with this service. You pick your plan and pay the same amount every month, then return books via USPS for free... keep favorite books as long as you like, return them when you're done for other books you've selected from your online book queue. Pretty simple and straigtforward! Oh, and for those of you who are germophobes like yours truly, you'll be pleased to learn that this company sanitizes all books between shipments, so you don't even have to worry about cooties! lol

A Family Christmas to Remember in Branson

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you made special plans for your family this Christmas? If not, there's still time! Maybe you've been putting off that family vacation, have had regrets, and now are under the mistaken notion that it's just too late to plan a special getaway for 2009. Have no fear! A Christmas to remember awaits you in Branson!

I can think of no place more festive, fun, and family oriented than Branson, Missouri at Christmas time. If you're looking for a special Christmas gift to share this year, take your family on an unexpected journey to the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing where you will enjoy the Santa's Coming to Town package. Santa himself will deliver gifts, milk and cookies to your room! Can you imagine your children's reaction? lol That would be an unforgetable event if there ever was one. Shhh, don't tell... let it be a surprise!

If what you have in mind looks more like a couples getaway... consider a very special packaged named after my all time favorite movie "It's a Wonderful Life" with a starting range of only $329 per night. What makes the life so wonderful with this package? If you like the idea of a relaxing spa treatment to relieve stress you might be carrying from work, school, kids or life in general... then you know the answer! lol This package includes a spa treatment for two and a full breakfast. This may be the ingredients for the perfect couples getaway, where you could throw in a little holiday shopping. Come home refreshed and ready to play Santa!

The last time I ventured to Branson it was during the Christmas season some 6 years ago. I still remember how warm and festive the city was, we took in a show, did a little shopping, visited Silver Dollar City and Marvel Cave. It was a great time, and yes it was relaxing. I went without the kids, but now that my kids are older, I would totally want them with us. Branson is a magical place at Christmas time... the lights, the atmosphere, the shopping and food. You really can't go wrong!

The Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel offer you all the luxury and enjoyment you might imagine and located within just minutes of all the best Branson has to offer.  The must sees at this time (in my ever so humble opinion) are the Titanic Museum (a 2-story Titanic-shaped building) built half-scale to the original. It's a must see and something your children will never forget. Another great attraction of sorts is the Branson IMAX! They also offer a Dinosaur Museum, miniture golf courses, amusement parks, a zoo and so much more!

Kid Friendly, Mom Approved Online Games!

Are you looking for a few games to keep your young kids buys, entertained, out of your hair all while learning basic computer skills? Check out Big Fish Games and their awesome selection of children's online games. :)

They have Dora, Diego, Spongebob, Lego games, Chicken Invaders, Etch-a-Sketch, Frogs in Love, I Spy and much more! Just in time for Christmas too. What better gift than something that won't further clutter up your house, break, or get lost? What could be better than keeping you kids busy while you're making dinner or as an incentive for working hard than a little fun time solving puzzles, saving the day, or looking for clues?

Here are a couple games for you to visit... check them out!




If you'd like to see all the games Big Fish has to offer for kids and for adults, visit their Big Fish Games Home Page!

Charter's End of the Year Groundbreaking Sweepstakes!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter Communication. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey folks... Charter is at it again with yet another great sweepstakes, but this one is the grand-daddy of them all! With 38 days of specials that started just after Cyber Monday, you have plenty of time to get in on all the fun and excitement.

In addition to a great sweepstakes, Charter is offering amazing deals on their products and services! If this sounds good to you, be sure to check out Charter's Daily Deal Web Site where you'll find something new each day! You'll find multiple chances to win cool things such as camcorders and televisions, webcams, IPods, webcams, and many other fantastic electronic must haves! They're even giving away Big Love and Entourage box-sets. Are you a fan?

So, how do you stay on top of all the great promotions and giveaways Charter consistency offers? The best way to keep up with the daily deals is to become a fan of Charter on Facebook. They'll return the favor by keeping you abreast of all the latest and greatest Charter has to offer including the Daily Deal Web Site!

Wouldn't it be cool to win something this year? You've no doubt been working hard to provide a wonderful Christmas for your children, your spouse, friends, extended family, that sweet lady across the street who brings you cookies every holiday... wouldn't it be cool if Santa delivered the surprise of a sweepstakes win? This might just be a great Christmas for one of my readers... take my advice and enter the Charter sweepstakes and you might just have a Christmas you'll never forget!

How Does the Computer Age Impact Homeschooled Children?

I just have to ask because now that my kids are temporarily in a brick and mortar school I see just how much computer-based learning public schools incorporate into their curriculum. Not just work done online, but actual computer classes on how to do things like create and save files, create a PowerPoint presentation and less suprising, how to create Microsoft Word documents. This at the tender age of 7. Yes, you heard me right.

Last Spring my then 7 year-old son, who was experiencing his very first semester in a public school gave us a PowerPoint presentation at our first parent-teacher conference. This was a presentation he created. Very cool, but a bit scary too! lol I mean, would I have even thought to teach him that at home? I'm glad we had that experience as it has woke me up to the fact that things have changed considerably since I was his age some 30 years ago. Wow, have things changed. Something tells me in just a year or two my kids will be teaching me all about the workings of my computer and any program I might care to operate.

So, I just wonder what homeschoolers might be doing to keep up in the area of technology? I hadn't given it much thought until just recently. We really need to be sure our children (those homeschooled) can compete with those in the brick and mortar schools when they're together in the same job market one day.

I don't really have advice for homeschoolers... just questions I guess! lol I would like to research this through my readers, so I might have a good starting point when I bring my kids back home in a couple years. I'm very interested to hear from everyone! Please share!

Bidazzled Online Auction Site... Great Buys While Helping a Charity!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Bidazzled. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you like the idea of shopping an online auction sites and getting a great deal on things like laptops, digital cameras, XBOX 360's, cell phones and more... while at the same time helping out a charity for lung cancer, have I got news for you! Bidazzled offers you as much as 90% off retail (typically 80%) and your bids help support a great cause.

This is a brand new auction site, so if you haven't heard about them yet, you haven't been left in the dark for too long! Bidazzled is considered to be a Penny Auction site, or Pay-Per-Bid auction where bids are purchased in advance. It's somewhat a different idea than what I've come accustomed to through eBay so I'm right there with you if you have about a million questions! lol

Here are the basics... It's free to register and you'll start with 5 free bids (so you can try it without buying any bids to start with), there's a video to teach you how the auctions work, and a Bidazzled for Dummies page! lol I'm there now.

Bids cost just $1 and you'll recieve bonus bids if you purchase a bid pack. Bonus bids will also be awarded for referrals to the action site. This is truly an everyone wins proposal!  You get a great buy on something you want anyway, while at the same time helping out a charity that serves to cure and treat lung cancer. You can learn more about The Ruch Foundation at http://www.ruchfoundation.com/.

If you don't win the auction you're bidding on Bidazzled will give you as many as 50 bonus bids as a thank you just for trying! Have you ever head of such a thing? You really can't lose on this site.

If you register with Bidazzled and are interested in an additional 15 bids (without obligation), register with *Blog: BBP1202A
*Twitter: BTP1202A
This offer is good through January 15th so don't delay! Let me know what you think! :)

Happy bidding!

Comparing Winners to Whiners

My kids are enrolled in TaeKwonDo training and one of the things they stress to these kids is maintaining a positive attitude. I love that! I think we can all use a bit of encouragment in that area... some more than others. lol

Today they came home with a few printed words, worth hanging onto. I wanted to share a few of them with you:

WINNERS are positive, optimistic, pro-active, and excited about their goals and activities in life.

WHINERS are negative, pessimistic, reactive and love to whine about everything and anything.

WINNERS develop self-discipline in order to bring out their absolute best in themselves and in others...

WHINERS lack discipline of their minds and are often critical of themselves and others.

WINNERS give value to others, they train hard and make a positive contribution to their team

WHINERS love to moan, groan and complain, and their negative attitude takes away from their team.

WINNERS brighten a room when they enter.

WHINERS brighten a room when they leave.

Ok... the last two lines where my favorite, so I typed them out in boldface. I think just those two lines pretty much sums things up. Don't you? My new goal and at the top of my New Year's Resolution List is to be the woman who brightens a room when I enter! Oh, I'd hate to be that other woman. :~o

Create Your Own Math Worksheets! Free to Boot!

I really really like this site and you will too! If you have a printer, paper, and a computer you have all the tools you need to create worksheets for your homeschool. Custom made worksheets!

Check out FreeMathWorksheets.net where you decide the type of math problems your worksheet will have, the number of problems, instructions for your student, even the page title. You'll decide page font size, whether or not to include decimals and then  you'll generate your worksheet with or without an answer key.
The possibilities for worksheets are endless! If you need to supplement your math program with a bit of seat work in addition, subtraction, multiplication or division, you've found a new friend!

While on this unbelievable site, be sure to take a peak at what else they offer for customized worksheets including games and maps. You'll find these links at the bottom of their site page. :)

On an unrelated note, hats of to Blogger for improving the posting function for their blogs. I LOVE IT! Didn't even know to expect changes and am delighted to have a few new functions available as well as a bit of a new look. Very cool! Maybe next update add the underline function? That would really be a nice bonus!

Get Your Teaching Degree Online... Seriously

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.

A growing number of people are currently enjoying the freedom that comes from earning their degree online. Imagine keeping up with your work schedule and family obligations while still earning a degree! Whether you're currently a licensed teacher wishing to earn your Master's or you're someone who has been living with an unfulfilled passion to teach, the prospect of earning your degree in your free time, will no doubt be an exciting one! Although this degree can be earned online, it does require a certain amount of field-based experience in your own neck of the woods... something every teacher should have under their belt.

Maybe you're currently home with your children and wondering what the next season of life will look like for you? Maybe you're wondering why you've found a post on earning a teaching degree on a homeschooling blog? Maybe you're wondering what any of this has to do with you! lol I'm all about getting an education, regardless of where we find ourselves in life. If you're home with you children, whether homeschooling or not, you realize you'll not always be in the same place. One day, when your children are grown... or perhaps even sooner you may decide to pursue a career. Perhaps it's your spouse who you'd like to send back to school? With the way the economy has been, maybe this is the time to enter another career field?

Never let yourself grow stale! There is far too much competition out there to not have a college degree and a Master's is almost an essential these days. Learn more about this exciting program, including a tuition reimbursement program, the opportunity to be part of the USC Trojan Family, and the satisfaction of gaining your degree from a School of Education ranked #22 in the US and #9 for private universities... one that has been educating teachers for over 100 years.

Imagine the excitement of gaining your degree! You'll find program information and details about the University of Southern California for both aspiring teachers and those currently in the field. Go check it out!

Teaching Multiplication with Circles and Stars

I always feel the need to preface what I share about homeschooling strategies with the following: My kids have been attending public school since January of '09. The struggles with our special needs child along with the advice and council of his doctors led us that direction. It's likely only a temporary situation, but my kids are doing very well in school and our son who is on the autism spectrum has made great strides... mostly socially as he was in desperate need of peer modeling.

Ok... now on with my post! lol My son brought home a game that he was instructed to share with me and now I'm excited to share it with you. Whether you're just now introducing multiplication to your student, or trying to reinforce the skill in a student you've already been working with, you've got to try this!

The game is called "Circles and Stars". All you need to play is a pair of dice and pencil & paper.

1. Have your child roll his/her dice. Then have him/her take that number and draw it out in circles on a sheet of paper. Have him/her also write the actual number (start of the equation) down below the circles.
2. Now you roll the second dice. Take whatever number you roll and draw that number of stars inside each of the circles your child drew. Then have him/her write your number after his to complete the math sentence: "his/her number" X "your number" =
3. Have him/her determine the answer by counting all the stars.

My son for example rolled a 4, I rolled a 5... so he drew 4 circles and I drew 5 stars inside each of those circles. He then counted by 5's to get his answer after having that visual before him. If he'd been stuck... he could have just counted all the stars and had his answer.

This gives the child the opportunity to see more than just numbers when learning to solve a multiplication problem. It teaches adding as a step to multiplication! It's a simple game and super affordable. Nothing to buy but the dice!