Books For The 4th of July

It is almost time to celebrate the birthday of our nation!  Here are some books to read to your kiddos to help them learn more about our country:

 The 4th of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh introduces young readers to all of the major players in the Declaration of Independence and how and why the document was created. It also shows how the news of this document spread and how it affected those along the way. The illustrations are beautiful and show what life was like during this amazing time in our history.

The Story of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Patricia A. Pingry tells the story of what inspired  Francis Scott Key  during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814 to write the poem that would  later become our National Anthem. The book also explains all the ways to show respect as the song is played or sung.

We the People by Lynne Cheney teaches the history and importance of our Constitution.














  The Story of America's Birthday by Particia Pingry is suitable for toddlers on up.  It teaches about our country's birthday with beautiful illustrations and simple text.


Crankee Doodle is a humorous take on Yankee Doodle's ride to town.  It also explains what they mean by "calling it macaroni"!

Grammar Lessons and Ideas

I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because my six kiddos keep me running more than a run-on sentence.

I don't know about you, but Grammar is not the most exciting thing to teach your kiddos!  Here are a few ideas for making it a little easier:

1. SuperTeacher Worksheets has a ton of grammar worksheets for your child to practice with.

2.Turn it into a game! Use index cards and write noun, verb, adjective, and adverb on half of them.  Write matching words on the other half.  Have your child use the cards to play a Memory type matching game or Go Fish.

3. Schoolhouse Rock videos are a fun way to introduce your child to grammar rules:

For more Schoolhouse rock videos, check here.

4. For your older kiddos, you may want to check out Daily Grammar. Daily Grammar features 440 lessons and 88 quizzes, all free!

5. Go on a Scavenger Hunt! Give your child a magazine or newspaper and have them hunt for different parts of speech.

Some Great Math Resources From a Blog Reader

 

 

The winner of my Frito Lay Giveaway shared some great math websites, and I thought I would pass them along!

 

Math Worksheets: http://www.worksheets-for-math.com/html/free_math_worksheets.html

Free Fun Worksheets: http://www.learningworkroom.com/Free_Worksheets.php

Kahn Academy (Excellent site for quizzes, videos, etc. my kids started using it in Kindergarten): http://www.khanacademy.org/

Math Skills (tons of links): http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skill_builders/fractions_math_first_1st_grade.htm

 

Thank you Steph!  Also thank you to mycutegraphics.com for the adorable clip art above!



July 2013 Traceable Calendar

You can print out a free traceable calendar perfect for teaching your little ones how to keep track of the days here.

Win a Frito-Lay Backyard Party Fan Pack

A package of goodies arrived at my doorstep just in time for summer festivities! With 6 active and involved boys, our backyard can seem like party central with kids (and grown-ups) coming over to jump on the trampoline, bat in the batting cage, or just coming over to hang out.  But, when they all come over, I need to make sure we have some goodies to eat.  Luckily Frito Lay brands have some amazing goodies like the ones pictured below for making your backyard party central.

 

 The barbeque dip is to die for by the way! It has real pieces of beef inside - yum!

In addition to the yummy chips and dips, their chefs have prepared some great recipes for backyard entertaining. Just click on the pictures for the yummy recipes!

Frito-Lay Flavor Kitchen Chef Jody will be sharing tips and recipes during a Facebook Fan Chat.  The chat will take place on the Frito-Lay Facebook Page on June 25 from 8 – 9 p.m. ET! They will be giving away fun prizes all night long, so don’t miss your chance to win!

 

The folks at Frito Lay have also offered to give one of my lucky readers the same pack they sent me!

 

Your Frito-Lay Backyard Party Fan Pack will include:

• Tampico Lantern

·         2-Piece Chip and Dip Set

·         1 bag of Tostitos® SCOOPS!® Tortilla Chips

·         1 jar of Tostitos® Chunky Salsa – Medium

·         1 bag of use RUFFLES® MAX Smokehouse Style BBQ Potato Chips

·         1 jar of RUFFLES® Ultimate Barbeque Dip

Disclosure: I was given the package above and a package to give away in order to facilitate this review and giveaway.  No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are my own.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monsters University - Free Printables

Monsters University is in theaters today (June 21, 2013)!  Our boys are so excited to see it, but we have to wait until my hubby has a day off.   Will you be seeing it?

Before (or after) heading to the movie theater, print out these fun, free activity pages for your kids.

Click on the links below to download your free printable activity sheets:

Spot The Difference

Coloring Page

Design Your Own Schoool Crest

Archie On The Loose

Test Your Memory

Design An MU ID

On-Line Games for Reading Practice

 Here are some fun games for helping your child to increase their reading skills:
  

Word Search

URL: abcya.com/word_search_jr.htm
Levels: Grades 1-3
Skills: Vocabulary, Spelling
Description: This is a unique spin on the classic word search puzzle. It's a good idea for the teacher to set each game up as the user is prompted to decide how the game is played (on a printable, or on the computer) and which words will be featured in each puzzle. Once the game destination is selected and the words entered, students are presented with what appears to be a random set of letters. Somewhere in that set is a word, however, and the player must find it. Finding the most words wins the game.

ABC Bingo

URL: abcya.com/kindergarten_alphabet_bingo.htm
Levels: Grades K-1
Skills: Letters, Spelling
Description: In this version of bingo, students get to choose the size of their game grids, whether they'll be asked to identify letters based on the sound they make or their name, and whether they will be working with upper or lower-case characters. After all the choices have been made, the player will hear either a letter's name or the sound it makes. S/he must then identify that letter on the game grid. If s/he correctly identifies enough letters so that a straight or diagonal line is formed across the whole game grid, the player wins.

Alphabet Action

URL: learningplanet.com/act/fl/aact/index.asp
Levels: Grades K-1
Skills: Letters, Spelling
Description: This game is terrific for early learners. The entire alphabet is laid out, with each letter serving as a clickable link. Clicking a letter will activate an animation that both says the name of the letter out loud, and displays a picture of an object whose name begins or ends with that letter.

ABC Finder

URL: learningplanet.com/act/abcorder.asp
Levels: Grades K-1
Skills: Letters, Spelling
Description: Students encounter a section of the alphabet. Flatbed train cars roll onto the screen, with two letters placed in alphabetical order. Players are asked to decide which letter, from the alphabet section below, comes next. A correct answer results in an animated celebration on the flatbed car. Ten correct answers win the game.

Missing Letter / Busy Letter

URL: meddybemps.com/MissingBusy/Index.html
Levels: Grades 1-3
Skills: Letters, Spelling
Description: One of the letters of the alphabet is missing because it is busy being used in words. Students identify the missing letter, then must identify that letter in a writing sample. Once all the letters have been correctly identified, the player wins.