Tried & True Tips for Tuesday!

How does a week go by but it feels like months or even as though it never happened? I cannot believe that a week ago we were out of town without a care in the world. Coming back always seems to take too much effort, do you ever realize that? It's as though my brain is still on siesta mode. My husband has been texting me so much yesterday and today about how much he misses me and asks how the kids are, that I think it is hitting him too. He usually averages 4 texts a day, but this week has been so much more already!

Today, I am sharing some of my favorite tips with you. My kids absolutely love Search & Find books, but wish they could cross off what they find, so they could stop and take a break if need be. A simple transparancy does the trick! I slip one over the page and they use a dry-erase marker to keep track of everything. Once they are through, just wipe it down and move it to the next page

Transparancies strike again! Each child has a subject file folder, where they keep their notes, loose worksheets and any other information I need to pass on to them for that subject. Stapling on a transparancy to the back of each page allows us to use it for quizzes, quick notes and games. It saves us paper and can be used over and over again!

You can find awesome fact-a-day calendars for around 1 dollar right now and NOW is the time to buy them! We buy them now, based on the facts and use the facts like flashcards for learning or fun fact of the day. They don't have to be done in the right order or on a certain date, the information is good for any day and this Historical Events one is perfect for our Fact-of-the-Day for History. What a fun way to begin each subject. After we read it, I cut off the date portion and just slip them into a folder, this way I can band them togethether when we are done with them and pass them along to a new family! Do this for younger students with colorful calendars that have beautiful pictures and you can use them for art work and collages. Cut out the Months and Days of the Week and laminate them and you have instant flashcards for an ordering game. Cut out 1 month of calendar squares numbered 1-31 and you have flashcards for counting, skip counting, adding, subtracting...you get creative!

Enjoy every minute my friends!

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School Days...

Happy Monday my friends! What a weekend it has been! As we are on our travels this month, I wanted to let you all know that school does not stop! We school year round and educate 24 hours a day. Long car trips are just as good as a classroom and new adventures are just as good lessons. A simple Science lesson is even taught riding the spinning tea cups!

I have mentioned before that we use Seton School as a curriculum and some of the books are a bit on the pricey side. One way we extend the life of our books to last through 3 children OR just workbooks that have certain pages that need more work than what the workbook offers, like tracing pages and similar is a tip that that will have you excited to finally put to use those long ago shelved office supplies. Our simple way of solving this problem is to use transparency sheets! Place one on top of the page you want to preserve and it works as a dry erase page that can easily be written on with dry erase marker and then wiped clean. Also great for Tic Tac Toe and Hangman in the car without crumpling up loads of paper!

Ahhh..the binder ring, this simple invention has me so happy on a daily basis, I use them for EVERYTHING! A great way to keep track of spelling words each and every week along with studying along the way is so simple!

1. Have the student write out each word on an index card using the Say It - Spell It - Say It method of learning. (Upon completion, review each word in the ring)
2. Have the student go back the next day and trace each word using a colored pencil or something else colorful using the same method as the day before. (Upon completion, review each word in the ring)

3. Have the student return on day 3 to highlight each letter with a highlighter, once again using the same method as before.  (Upon completion, review each word in the ring)

4. Have the student return on day 4 to punch a hole in the corner of each index card as he says the word and spells the word.  (Upon completion, review each word in the ring)

5. It's test day! Your student should be ready for their test!

Use a colored index card to separate the different lessons, so the student knows where each new lesson begins. At the end of the school year, your student can then see exactly how many words they now know how to spell! Binder rings come in many different sizes and you can keep going bigger as the stack gets larger.

Of all the things I teach my children, I only hope they come away with the desire to travel. On the go is the best education anyone can be given. Enjoy every minute my friends!

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