$12 for a 1 year subscription to National Geographic Kids magazine- a savings of 76%
You can Get It Here (details below)
Deal found on Parenthood.com
(feel free to click on the above link to take you directly to the website for more details)
Tailored to the abilities and interests of children 6 and up, National Geographic Kids magazine offers the same type of quality content as the [Read more…]
All kids needs help in school, or encouragement. The kids who do great in school, do so for a reason. Extra help at home and that extra effort from the student. Newmark Learning is fantastic- I love this program. It’s very interesting, a new take on some old ideas- and it works.
A great way to get involved with your kids education at home is spending time working with them, and encouraging them. Yes, we need to do that! It’s vital and important as parents. Parents are super busy, but our children come first. Help them get ahead- or stay ahead.
A great way to do this is with the Newmark Parent Involvement kits. These kits are great, simple and just fabulous. They include books geared toward a certain subject, as well as a a parent guide and a reading journal. The books are easy to read and perfect for little readers. We gave the Social Studies Parent Involvement Kit. This particular kit is geared toward pre K through second grade. The books involve topics like, maps, birthdays, towns, etc. All topics easily accessible to little ones. The vibrant large pictures and simple words are a great way to get kids to read along with parents at story time.
There is also an absolutely outstanding product available from Newmark called Sight Word Readers. This is a great way to teach little ones sight words, words which are read quickly and almost breezed over when reading. These books range in topic from baby animals to vegetables and counting. The astounding thing about this is, the sight words actually stick. After 2-3 “read throughs” to your child they will [Read more…]
You may be thinking to yourself, “I’m a mother; that’s a full time career; I missed my window to go to
school; I’m too old, and that’s that.” Or perhaps you are continuing to work and raise your children at
the same time, but you feel like you’re not getting anywhere – this can certainly be an equally frustrating
experience. But does that mean that you’re shut out of the golden gates of education forever? Of course
not! Now more than ever before, people are finding it easier to go back to school in a variety of different
ways. Here are a few reasons why you should consider signing up for classes when it’s time for everyone
else to go back to school.
Online is the way to go for many. Especially if you’re a stay at home mom, you should consider
earning your degree online. Many schools are now offering you the chance to earn your degree without
ever having to set foot on an actual campus. Of course you need to make sure that the institution you’re
attending is accredited and has a track record of success. But just because you spend most of your time
at home doesn’t you can’t further your education! Just look for the magic words “click here” on the
university’s home page and go to town!
Distance learning can help you improve! Additionally, many students report greater success and
higher grades when they studied online versus entering an actual classroom. If you are a Facebook or
Twitter user, you can still [Read more…]
An adorable game, new from Educational Insights this year, is Grandma’s Trunk.
Grandma’s Trunk
Pack in the fun with 5 games in 1! Tons of fun is packed into this suitcase classic! With 5 ways to play, kids will practice letter names and sounds, build memory skills, create stories, and even play fun riddle games! Includes adorable cardboard trunk (which doubles as package), 26 alphabet picture cards, 26 alphabet riddle cards, and guide. Grades K+
There are so many ways you can play this game- one of the easiest being “packing up” the letters into Grandma’s Trunk that go with each sound or picture. There are 5 ways to play- and more ways to improvise. 😛
The game and “trunk” are both cute and durable, these should last for awhile. The various ways to play make learning (and fun!) at any age an option, and the bright colors and images draw kids right in. As for us- packing up for a trip is an added bonus- it makes Little giggle, because there is an added element for this game- packing up for his own private trip to grandmas! (Have Sippy, and grandma’s trunk- will PRETEND to Travel, lol.)
Tons of fun is packed into this suitcase classic! With 5 ways to play, kids will practice [Read more…]
An argument could be made that preparation for college begins the day you bring your little bundle
of joy into the world. For your part, you set up a college fund to start saving for his future and you
begin to teach him the basics. Over the course of his childhood you will help him to learn academically,
but you will also instill in him a love of knowledge, a strong work ethic, and a sense of personal
responsibility; all will help him once he is out of the nest and on his own, working towards a future in
which he is independent, confident, capable, and self-sufficient. All those skills required for study in online accredited colleges, which require a different set of personal skills than state universities. At least, that’s the goal. At least, that’s the goal. But if you fail to adequately prepare your child for the rigorous demands of study at the college level, he may never realize these dreams. So here are a few areas you’ll certainly want to look into as a way to get your child ready for residence in the ivory tower of education.
1. AP classes. Advanced prep classes are probably just what you suspect; they are college level
courses meant to prepare your child for what he will face at a university. Often, they come with
bonuses like a higher possible GPA (5.0 as opposed to 4.0) and even college credit (so your child
can get some of his general education out of the way in high school). However, they are quite
difficult, so only advanced students should consider taking them.
2. Testing. The biggest hurdle for most kids looking to get into college is the standardized testing
they must complete. Your child will certainly have to take the SAT (Standardized Admission
Test), the results of which will determine the universities willing to consider him for entrance.
And you [Read more…]
CoSI is the Center of Science and Industry, and it’s almost within walking distance of the center of Columbus. Voted #1 Science Center in the country by Parents Magazine, CoSI is a wonderful science learning center where children of all ages (even ones over 18) can learn and interact with science in new ways.
Their exhibits are ever expanding and changing. At the time of our visit, we saw a new exhibit being built called Race, which is about diversity through the eyes of history and science. Sounds pretty interesting, and I am excited to see what they do with this topic. I wish we were able to see it, and am hoping to be able to get back to CoSI during the events duration (January 28-May 6, 2012).
The exhibits which we were most interested in were Ocean, Space and Gadgets. All of the exhibits are fun and engaging, but our favorites were these 3. Ocean has visitors walk through an ‘underwater cavern’, which is actually just a dimly lit cavern to an underwater exploration deck. On this deck there is a submarine you can get into, as well as a one man partially submerged submarine. Also, there is a classroom with lots of ocean critters and educational experiences to partake in. I liked how it felt like we were transported under the sea, while still being open enough for those of us who are a touch claustrophobic to feel comfortable. The kids really liked the submarines and getting to have a hands on experience with them. That was very unusual and super fun for both of them- and I did see a few older kids (and their fathers) go into it as well.
Next we explored Space. Space is all about space exploration and science. Including space shuttles, planetary rovers and even a space toilet to sit on. We had a ‘gas’ trying that out. There is an exhibit all about Niel Armstrong, who was born in Ohio, you can drive a radio controlled Mars Rover over martian terrain, and land a space shuttle. All right there in the safety of CoSI!
“Enter COSI’s Space exhibit through a dizzying black hole, then ride in a space capsule, test your skills as an “armchair” astronaut, or maneuver a rover through a Martian landscape. Explore the effects of gravity on different planets. Learn about life in orbit inside a mockup of the International Space Station or watch NASA TV live in the Galaxy Lounge.”
Last but not least [Read more…]
Even if your child is still a toddler that just means there is plenty of time to start thinking about their
college education! Okay, so this might be scary for you to consider – you don’t want them all grown
up just yet – but, especially if you are paying back your own student loans, thinking about your child’s
future now instead of later means that your additional planning time will help them out in the long
run … and may give them an extra boost for success. Besides starting up the college fund most people
wish their parents had put away for them, here are a few other sources to help fund your child’s future
educational experiences.
Scholarships and fellowships. Scholarships and fellowships are the best option because they’re totally
free! Scholarships can be found almost anywhere you look (your child’s future guidance counselor will
prove invaluable when the time comes to hunt them up), and are usually tailored to a particular area of
your child’s expertise (if they’re musically inclined, for instance, you would look into music scholarships).
Outstanding scholars are usually subject to a fantastic array of scholarships and fellowships as well.
Grants (or more free money!) You can look into applying for a federal Pell Grant, which are offered to
undergraduate students whose families make under $20,000 annually. Another grant that may prove
helpful is the Federal Supplement Educational Opportunity Grant, designed for needy undergrads. If
your child maintains a 3.0 GPA during high school, during their first year in college [Read more…]
