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Place Value Activities 0

Place Value Math and Favorite Math Activities for Ages 4-6

I have a ton of math activities and free resources to share with you in this post! We started working on Place Value when my kids were about 4. We came across some free Montessori materials and used them for years and years. I thought I would spend a little time highlighting these activities again because I know they’ve gotten a lot of hits through the years.  These activities are...

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Giveaway of Molecules to the MAX! — IMAX Film Newly Release onto DVD (Now Closed)

Just as we were finishing up our Chemistry Unit on the periodic table, the team at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute got in touch with me to see if I would be interested in reviewing and/or hosting a giveaway of their  Giant Screen animated film, Molecules to the MAX! This film has just been released on DVD and Blu-Ray. I talked with the kids (and we watched the trailer www.moleculestothemax.com) and decided...

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Challenging and Inspiring Students without the Overwhelm or Fear of Failure

We all want those things in our homeschool or classroom, right?! In this series, Thoughts on Teaching, I’ve been diving into some of the deeper issues we have as educators. How do we create an environment that helps students blossom and reach their full potential? Today I’m going to talk about the fear of failure and the struggle that can create for some students. In some ways, I notice that...

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Holiday Dishes to Share: Coconut Yummy Bars

This is another recipe our family has made for a long time. My Mom got it from a colleague at work years ago.  It was in our old tattered family recipe box as “Coconut Yummy Bars.” The kids love these and they are really quick to make.  Again, this is something a bring only if I know that it is acceptable to bring desserts with nuts in them. Melt 1...

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Advent Mailbox (For Kind Messages!)

I think I mentioned a week or two ago that we are not doing a traditional Advent Calendar this year.  Instead, our family is going to do some giving… Giving of kind words that is! Each of us in the family has chosen a day (Monday through Friday) to be our day to receive uplifting mail. Today (Tuesday) is LD’s day.  At some point during the day the rest of...

multiplication by 4s multiplication by 9s 0

Multiplication Facts – 4s and 9s Packets (and More!)

Multiplication Facts for the 4s and 9s (and more!)! As my daughter moved into learning her multiplication facts I looked around for the kind of multiplication practice that would help her. The math book she was using went through the math facts a bit too quickly for her.  She needed quite a bit of repetition and wanted bright, colorful worksheets. I wound up making my own sets of practice pages...

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Oil and Water Fireworks Activity

Oil and Water Fireworks! This is such a fun and simple science activity!  This has impressed the kids since they were toddlers… and is helpful for kids studying chemistry to understand the different densities of liquids. Just take a clear glass, fill it with water. Add some vegetable oil.  Carefully, have the kids place a few drops of food dye in various spots around the oil.  Wait for a few...

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Rosa Parks and the Effort to End Segregation (Free Notebook Pages)

Today I wanted to share some of the books, movies, and worksheets we used when we studied the Civil Rights Movement. Exactly sixty years ago, Dec. 1st, 1955,  Rosa Parks refused to give her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and other efforts to end segregation in the South.  These are some of the resources we used when learning about Rosa Parks...

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Readers, I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for this year.  It has a been an amazing year. Of course, at the very top of my list is my family.  My kids and my incredible Hubby are my world; they make me laugh, inspire me, and make each day an adventure!  My heart swells with pride and gratefulness to...

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15 Family Favorite Board and Card Games

We play a lot of games and with the holidays coming up, I thought I would highlight some of our favorites.  DD absolutely *loves* board games so we have a huge selection of card games and board games in our cabinets! I’m going to start with a couple of games that we use regularly in our homeschool, then will highlight some of the games we love pulling out for family...

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Peanut Butter Bars

I have been making these peanut butter bars since high school and really haven’t ever seen them around.  When I bring these everyone raves about them!  They tend to be one of my stand-by desserts if it is a function where I know peanut butter is acceptable. Peanut Butter Bar Recipe: Ingredients: 1 cup crunchy peanut butter 2/3 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar 3...

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Getting Organized for the Holidays and Beyond: Free Winter/Spring 2015 Calendar

The holiday season is here!  This time of year, I really have to keep a close eye on our calendar and plan things out in advance to help keep the stress (and extra errands/shopping) to a minimum. At the same time, I want to make sure we schedule in the fun traditions that make this season special for our family. That takes some planning and organization, especially since we continue...

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What We’re Up to in Our Homeschool (Gr. 2, 5, 7)

This week I’m changing our “Thoughts on Teaching” series up a bit to write about how our homeschool days flow in general.  Each day is pretty different from the one before and is usually a result of what we didn’t get to (or got to only minimally) the day before.  But I keep a general running tab (mentally if not by checklist!) of what we’re doing in each subject. So...

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Chemistry Unit: The Periodic Table

This semester we did a new unit on chemistry and focused on the Periodic Table. We typically use secular resources, but I previewed Chemistry 101: An Overview of God’s Chemical World over the summer on the recommendation of a close friend. It is a wonderful resource. I found the video to be really well done (the kids really enjoyed it) and while there were a few references religion (especially in...