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How to Make and Use a Reflective Journal
A reflective journal is not as commonly known as some other journals like trigger journals and dream journals. Reflective journals are generally used by students to discuss and reflect on learning experiences in their lives. These are useful in public school systems but become increasingly useful in homeschool environments that are centered on how a child learns best. Let’s look at how to make and use a reflective journal for your students. We will also look at what to know about how it works. Parts of a Reflective Journal Reflective journals have a specific setup that most educators use and use well. Each page of the journal should be reflective…
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Solar Powered Radios for Emergencies
Information can give you the knowledge that you need to make the best and safest decisions during a survival situation. Without the local news updates, you won’t know where dangers are in certain areas. You won’t know where you need to flee to if you and your family have to bug out. Also, you won’t know about situations where chaos is unfolding and if you stumble into that, it could be life-threatening. You can’t afford to be in the dark about what’s going on and you must have a way to communicate with others. This is why you need a solar-powered radio. RunningSnail Crank and Solar-Powered Weather Radio A RunningSnail…
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Three Brain Exercises for Kids
One of the top trending topics in health recently is about brain health. People want to do their best to improve their brain health by working on muscle memory and preventing age-related brain conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia. However, this is also important for kids who are still growing and learning their cognitive skills. Here are some things to consider when it comes to brain training and brain exercises for kids. Benefits of Brain Exercises First of all, let’s discuss some of the reasons you might want to have your kids do brain exercises. With these exercises, you are helping to boost your child’s brain development during a very pivotal…
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5 Tips for Kids to Stop Germ Spread
Are you worried about how your virtual, at-home schooling experience will go during the 2020 and 2021 calendar year? Many parents share your concerns and fears. One lesson that’s never too early to begin teaching at home is how to prevent the spread of germs. Keeping your germs to yourself is extremely valuable, whether in a pandemic or not. Your older kids already probably have a good handle on covering their mouths when sneezing or coughing. However, if your children are in preschool or still in the early grades, then they may not have yet established self-control. This is an important time to instill good habits. Also keep in mind that…
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Social Distancing at School: Best Practices to Teach Kids
You may be wondering with so many schools doing a hybrid school session for fall 20200 & beyond, how you will possibly get your children to wear masks at school and keep them on in order to prevent the spread of germs. Children are notorious germ spreaders. If you need any convincing, just think of their daily habits. Talking too close to each other, touching unnecessarily, slobbering on toys which they then share because of that is what they were told to do, and other delightful germ infested practices seem to be the standard kid modus operandi, at least for younger children. While it may be more difficult to control…
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Intro: Back-To-School Tips Series for 2020
2020… Back to school… The thought of going back-to-school for the 2020 – 2021 school year is likely to cause a fair amount of anxiety for even the most chill of moms. How can anyone who has kids and expects to keep working — either from home or in their workspace — handle all of the increased responsibility? Moms (and some dads) will have to participate in homeschooling again. There will need to be a good mix of educational, gross and motor skill development, technological, artistic, and skill-building activities. Parents will also be expected to make sure their kids get enough fresh air and some socialization. And keep the kids…
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Homeschooling: How to Cope with Waning Attention Spans
One of the biggest challenges that parents have been facing during the coronavirus crisis of 2020 is that they are expected to successfully home school their children while balancing their own work from home computers. A quick log onto social media (don’t do it) and you’ll likely see parents proverbially pulling their hair out over the inability to get kids to stop playing with their siblings, fighting, whining, or procrastinating so they can buckle down and get their school work completed in a timely fashion. Help Their Brains: Break It Down It may seem counterproductive, but believe it or not, the best way to get kids to focus on school…
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Homeschooling: Success for Kids With Learning Challenges
Happy Mother’s Day! I have no idea what my family has planned for me today! We will see… On to the topic for today… Children with learning challenges may find the e-learning environment to be especially difficult. With the Coronavirus pandemic raising stress levels on the whole, your best bet if dealing with kids who have a learning challenge is to be patient and try to reflect a calm demeanor. Below find some basic coping skills to help you get through this trying time as a home schooling parent. Keep an Eye on the Ball If your child was previously enrolled in a special program to help facilitate learning and…
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Homeschooling: Combine Learning and Play
Are you one of the many parents who has been homeschooling during this stay-at-home time? You might have hoped things would settle out as you got used to your new routine. But — to your chagrin — are you struggling to keep your kids under control and happy? Your frustration levels may be reaching an all-time high right now, but rest assured. The entire world is with you and feels your struggles. One of the most important components of a well-rounded education and balanced school day is play. Yes – even the most sophisticated educational games in the world won’t replace the cognitive and social skills gained by engaging in…
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Homeschooling: Include Some Life Skills Too
With the stay-at-home orders being continued in most places as we try to continue to flatten the curve of the Coronavirus pandemic, you may find yourself at near wit’s end. It’s a task to balance working from home with kids and their homework without trying to kill each other. As social media reports suggest, parents are starting to become a bit tense. It’s a challenge with all of the social isolation and too much time spent under the same roof with a gaggle of restless kids underfoot. One opportunity that you can take during this stress-filled time in our lives is to teach kids about life skills. Like most of…
