Author: Julie Meyers Pron

Many younger kids actually look forward to getting homework; it’s a rite of passage, an entry to being “big.” And when children are young, their homework should never overwhelm. Homework for young children should do the following, which will each be focused on in upcoming entries of the Julieverse Homework Help series: Teach routine, time management, and organization skillsReinforce concepts learned in school (yes, this means some homework will be busy-work)Enhance a home-school connection When should a child do his homework? Every family routine is different, but what’s important here is that you have a routine. Most children, after sitting…

Game creation is an excellent way to teach children to create and solve problems on their own. When given the opportunity, they’ll use many learning elements, such as math, writing, reading, geography, and, sometimes, science, all without probing and pushing from parents and teachers. And making a game is simple, with very few supplies and a lot of rewards. It also offers the opportunity to cater to both competitive and cooperative learning. On a Tuesday after a doctor’s appointment, rather than rushing the kids back to school, I gave them the option to stay home. “However,” I explained, “you’ll have…

From homework to spelling activities to games, there are so many ways to use notecards (3×5, 4×6, 5×7, or other sizes) to help your children learn and help them with homework. I always keep them on hand–in fact, they’re hidden in drawers in most rooms in our home. Here are some ways to use note cards to help your children with homework. Using note cards to supplement learning 3×5 cards are the easiest way to reinforce a spelling word, a word pattern, or a math problem. When my kids are having trouble with a series of math facts or need…

Even in grad school, I continued to confuse the emergent literacy terms phonics, phonemic awareness, and phonological awareness, so it’s difficult to imagine a Kindergarten parent without training in education having a strong grasp on what teachers and reading specialists are working with their children to understand. Therefore, it’s probably even more difficult for a parent to gather ideas on how to make the learning process fun for her beginning reader. I’ll try to break down the differences for you and show you just how easy it is to make beginning reading skills fun with simple activities to enhance learning…

I never need an excuse to bake or be creative in the kitchen, and I love it when my kids join in the fun. Not only does cooking together offer the opportunity to bond with children, but it also helps them to expand their palettes, and it’s an excellent learning opportunity. How to reinforce reading skills while cooking Use Kid-Friendly Cookbooks Have a few child-friendly cookbooks on hand and easily accessible to your children. Encourage your kids to help you create your meal menus by paging through and reading their cookbooks. A few of our favorite books include The Cookbook…

When you’re aspiring to become a better chef, it can be difficult to know where to start, especially when cooking is a hobby and you don’t want to spend a lot of money. Luckily, there are a number of ways you can improve your cooking skills without spending a fortune on classes or specialty cookware. Thanks to mobile technology and applications (apps), you can work on your culinary craft in your kitchen. ChefsFeed App Like any art form, culinary art needs inspiration. Eating at new, exciting restaurants, trying new foods, and researching food trends as well as classic recipes helps…

Tips and strategies for journaling with kids. This post has lots of ideas, journal topics, journal prompts, and suggestions to get kids to write in their journals. Until high school, I never had a teacher set aside time to journal. I kept a diary (just like every other 10-year-old girl) who shared her inner-most thoughts “Jason was so cute today! He wore an aqua-colored polo shirt” and “Sally Green is such a square peg. I learned that term when my dad and I watched a tv show tonight. She has warts!” Yes, sigh. I’m quoting myself. I really did write these deep thoughts…

With the increase in journal-type books that kids have fallen into for giggles and inner-most thoughts (see last week’s post of new journal-style books kids love reading), journaling is something kids are enjoying more. Encouraging kids to write (or draw) in journals helps them to express their feelings and thoughts and gives parents a greater opportunity to connect. Below are several different types of journals for kids to enjoy. Last month, when I purchased a simple notebook for my 8-year-old, I was amazed at how quickly I “lost” him to the process. His pages quickly filled with daily-life-related sketches and…

When connecting with books, most kids look for a character they identify with or aim to be. Images help to tell the stories, and so does the first-person point of view. Reading a story from a child’s point of view makes kids feel a closer part of the book, and the fiction genre’s subcategory of Journal-themed books helps kids related on an even closer level: the narrator is bringing the reader their innermost thoughts and secrets. Many of the books listed below mix reading and illustrations, some more heavily towards reading, others rely on images to tell the story. Most…

Topics and ideas for journaling in school to encourage higher-level thinking. Great ideas for teachers, homeschool, and home. You can use these topics in discussions, too. Children as young as kindergarten should be encouraged to journal on a regular basis. Some teachers have students journal for morning work while others use it as a transition. Alternatively, families can use journaling for after-school or before-school activities, a calming step in the nighttime routine, or a part of the homework hour. No matter when they do it when children learn that writing is a normal part of their day, they begin to…