Fun 4th of July Word Search

If you are looking for a way to keep the kiddos busy this 4th of July, you might want to print out this adorable 4th of July Word search with vocabulary related to the celebration of America's independence. 

Head over here to print it out!

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Learning State Capitals

If your children are studying state capitals, here are two resources to help them.

State Capitals of the US
Blank State Capitals Outline

Slides and Ladders Fact Fluency

If you remember playing Chutes and Ladders as a kid, you will love these adorable slides and ladders fact fluency games from First Grade a la cart! There are free samples of both addition/subtraction for the younger kids and multiplication/division for the older kids.  You can also purchase a whole set from her Teachers Pay Teachers store.


Slides and Ladders Facts Games

Free Dr. Seuss Packet

If you and your children LOVE Dr. Seuss like we do, you will LOVE this free printable Dr. Seuss Packet from Lori's Latest Links. The packet includes a word sort, comprehension maps, a number sort, and more!

Wordless Wednesday

All About Nouns Lesson Plan Ideas

I love this video all about nouns!  Watch it with your child, then have them complete one of the activities below.




apple common and proper nouns

Common and proper nouns practice 

 Zoo nouns

How Crazy Can You Make It? Math Activity

"How Crazy Can You Make It?" ... (All Kinds of Math Happening Here!) from Education Unboxed on Vimeo.

Brain POP Jr. Movie of The Day

Unless you have been hiding under a rock somewhere, you have probably heard of Brain POP which offers educational videos that make learning fun! But... have your heard of the Brain Pop Jr. Movie of the day app that is available for both iphones and ipads?


From their website:
Learn More With Annie and Moby ... Every Week!

Bring learning to your fingertips™ with the BrainPOP Jr.® Movie of the Week app for the iPad®, iPhone®, and iPod touch®. Get a different animated movie every week and check out related quizzes and educational activities - free! BrainPOP Jr. site subscribers can log in and access all BrainPOP Jr. content directly from the app.

Ideal for kids in Kindergarten through grade 3, the BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week app spans subjects within Science, Social Studies, Reading, Writing, Math, Health, Arts and Technology. The gentle, humorous, and relatable characters Annie and Moby serve as guides through each topic, empowering kids to form their own ideas. BrainPOP Jr. content is designed to cultivate critical thinking skills and encourage children to ask questions and make connections. The app is easily navigable by kids ages 5-9.

Since its 2006 launch, BrainPOP Jr. has been a safe and trusted online environment where early learners can further explore what they're studying at school, or delve into any other age-appropriate subject they're curious about. Also check out the award-winning BrainPOP Featured Movie app -
downloaded nearly 1.5 million times - which offers animated movies and quizzes for older students.

For further information, please visit http://www.brainpopjr.com

Science Toys From Trash!

If your kids LOVE science, and you are on a bit of a budget (or even if you aren't!) you will want to check out Toys from Trash for an amazing amount of different scientific toys you can make with your child like the balloon car above. 

The site features experiments divided into categories such as:
*Amazing Astronomy
*Pumps From The Dump
* Math Magic
*Paper Fun
*Motor Generator
* Electricity and Magnetism

and much more!  Activities use things that you have around the house!  Tons of fun!

Toys from Trash

Dive Into Summer Reading Twitter Party!

How do you keep your kids reading and learning all summer long?

Join kids book and magazine publisher @Owlkids TOMORROW 6/26 at 8pm ET for summer reading tips, links to downloadable activities, book & magazine subscription giveaways and more! It's sure to be a valuable hour for parents of young readers!

To learn more about the party & to RSVP, please visit http://bit.ly/owlkidsparty 

Prizes open to residents of the U.S. and Canada!

 

Pyramid Solitaire and Other Card Games for Learning Fun!

Card games are a fun and easy way for your child to practice their basic math facts.  They don't cost a whole lot of money and can be used in an almost unlimited number of ways.  Here is a video of two card games: Pyramid Solitaire and Hop, Skip, and Jump.  Below the video are a few other playing card resources as well.



Place Value War

Target 24

Zaner-Bloser Handwriting and Spelling Instruction

Handwriting and spelling may not be getting nationwide importance, but I still think that it is important for children to develop handwriting and spelling skills.  That is why I was excited when Zaner-Bloser offered a discount for readers of Homeschool Parent.

From their site, "With Zaner-Bloser Handwriting ©2012 you will

• support early reading and writing development through print awareness and improved letter recognition.
• strengthen students' ability to self-regulate.
• encourage ongoing literacy growth to improve written communications.
• reduce the need for handwriting-related intervention.  
  Handwriting Instruction from Zaner-Bloser
  
  
  Spelling Curriculum from Zaner-Bloser
  
  
  Enter code ZBFOP to receive the paid version of ZB Fonts Online for only $14.99. Exp. 12/31/12

Tons of Free Math Games to Play With Your Kids

Games are a fun and effective way to help your child master math skills.  There are tons of free math games available here for kindergarten to fifth grade level.  Why not check a few out and make tonight a game night?

Math Game Freebies

Number Writing Freebie

If your little ones are working on writing their numbers, you will love this freebie from Wild About Teaching. 
This free printable packet includes handwriting practice, ten frame examples, even vs. odd, one more, one less, number partners, etc. for each number 0-20. 
Number Writing Freebie

Habitat Map - From Discovery Education

Summer is a great time to get out and explore the World around you!  I just found this habitat map from Discovery Education that you and your child can use to learn about the different aquatic plants and animals that live in your area.  Simply click on the area where you live and start learning. 


Habitat Map

Lattice Multiplication and Freebies

Although I am a traditional algorithm for multiplication kind of girl, some kiddos find using the lattice method of multiplication easier to understand. If your child is having difficulty with multiplication, try this:



Here are some free multiplication worksheets to practice with:

Ropin' Multiplication Two and Three Digit Multiplication

Lighthouse Multiplication

Father's Day Mad Lib Activity

Father's Day is coming up soon, so you may want to print out this adorable Father's Day Mad Lib type activity from What the Teacher Wants.  Kids always say the funniest and cutest things, so this one is bound to make Dad feel extra special! Print it out, have your child complete it, and tuck it in your father's day card for an extra special memory.

Father's Day Mad Lib

Summer Fun With Math Packet

If you are looking for a fun way to practice math with your kiddos this summer, you will want to check out this free math packet from Mixing in Math.  It is a free 28-page PDF filled with summer-themed activities that will make practicing math fun this summer.

Activities include a 5-second dash, where your child will move like various animals, and see how far they can go in 5 seconds.  Another activity involves creating a "giant" museum in which kids create scale models of everyday objects.

Click here to get the Mixing in Math Packet

As a mom of 6 boys I can so relate

Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus Activities and Lesson Plan

I love this adorable book! Watch the video here:

Writing
There are some great writing prompts in this teacher's guide.

Make up your own prompts using your child's picture.  Your child can write their own version of the book.

 Reading

Have your child keep track of each of the four different types of sentences he/she hears in the book.

Main Ideas - Have your child complete this main idea graphic organizer.

4 Ways to Write A Number Free Printable

I love this adorable worksheet that focuses on 4 different ways to write a number from Peterson's Pad. Your child will practice with writing the number in 4 ways: as a number, in word form, in expanded form, and in picture form using base ten blocks.

Catch The Monkeys Multiplication Game

If your kiddos re working on multiplication, you will love this free printable board game!  This adorable monkey math game reviews Multiplication facts up to 9x9. Your child plays the game by moving around the math game board and calculating the missing number in the multiplication equation as they go.


A fun way to develop mastery of basic times tables!

Catch the Monkey Multiplication Game

Make TV Watching Educational

I would love to say that I was one of those wonderful parents who don't allow my kiddos to watch TV, but that couldn't be farther than the truth.  Luckily, my boys are pretty active and don't choose to watch much television, but when they do, I would like it to be educational and useful.  Here are some ways to engage your child in learning when they are watching TV:

1. During a commercial, ask your child to make a prediction about what is going to happen after the commercial break.  Children are taught in school that good readers make predictions as they are reading.

2. Ask your child to think about the setting used in the show they are watching.  What do they think the setting might contribute to the storyline?

3. After watching a television show, ask your child what the problem in the show was.  How was it solved?

4. Ask your child to classify what they are watching as fiction or non-fiction.  Why did they say that?

5. Ask your child to tell you about the characters in a show they are watching.  What type of person are they?

6. Have your child write a summary of what they watched.

7. Keep a chart of the number of commercials on a show.  Have your child record what fraction or percentage of the show was advertising.

You can print out this form to keep track

8.  Do some research on something interesting they learned from the show.

9.  Keep track of interesting vocabulary words they hear.  Have them look up the meaning and give them "points" anytime they use that word during the day.

Those are just a few suggestions... Could you think of any others?

Vote for Me in the Top 25 Homeschool Blogs

I would love a vote if you have the time! Please and thank you! Just click on the star below.

Typing Practice

If your kiddos are working in their typing skills, you might want to check out Dance Mat Typing.  The site features four different levels with 3 stages each (total of 12 different stages) for your child to practice their typing skills on-line.  They also have 12 worksheets that can be printed for your child to practice off-line as well.

Where Do Fingerprints Come From?

I found this video absolutely fascinating!