Backyard Book Clubs
Want to encourage reading, practice speaking and listening skills, and have fun with your kids? Host a Backyard Book Club! Backyard Book Club Kit has all you need – just add books and kids! Don’t worry! There isn’t one right way to run a book club and you don’t need a backyard. All you need is some enthusiasm, a kid, a book, and this kit. Book clubs and reading help kids develop empathy, relate to characters, practice speaking and listening skills, and learn about the world around them. This 16-page customizable book club kit makes it easy to get started. You know your kids and their reading levels the best so the books here are just a recommendation to get you started. The suggested plans are aimed at grades 3-8 but are easily customizable for other ages. This kit is great for parents, teachers, tutors, grandparents, camps, backyards or Zoom meetings, and club leaders. The kit is an instant download upon purchase once your order goes through. I’ve been so excited to take my classroom experiences and turn it into an easy to use product that families can use at home this summer, whether they have reluctant readers or advanced…
Summer Tutoring Openings 2023
How can you help fill in the gaps in academic development that have widened over the past few years? Summer is a great time to work on basic skills of reading, writing, math, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Summer tutoring clients will participate virtually in real-world project-based learning activities, complete summer reading, or practice for standardized tests. Tutoring is virtual via Zoom so no need to live locally! Below are the summer tutoring options for 2023. National Park ELA Project (Reading/Writing/Research/Problem Solving for grades 4-9) No homework, once a week sessions Mini Golf Course Math Project (Math/Problem Solving with some ELA for grades 4-6) No homework, once a week sessions Preread next year’s reading texts or required summer school reading (grades 4-12) Parents provide the book lists and books. Reading homework, once a week session ACT/SAT Test Prep – mainly Reading, Language, Writing and test taking tips (grades 10-12) Take practice tests as homework, once a week sessions Virtual private tutoring sessions will be on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays June 12 – August 24. Registration is open and only a few spots are left. Feel free to pass along my website or this email if you have friends or relatives…
Guestroom Checklist
When was the last time you gave your guestroom a refresh? Having a restful space for guests is a sign of good hospitality that is not that hard or expensive to achieve. Here’s a guestroom checklist with 10 things to check in your guest space. Bedding: Fresh bedding, extra pillow, and extra blanket (refresh/wash your bedding if it’s been awhile. Consider replacing your pillows if needed.) Guest Info: Wifi password/contact info/welcome note/housekey Entertainment: A book, card game or puzzle Lighting: Lamp near bed (it’s nice to not have to walk across a dark unfamiliar room to find the bed), maybe a nightlight for bathroom or room Outlets: Access to an outlet or power strip ( for charging electronics or medical devices) Bathroom: Toiletry supplies (a few extra guest supplies like toothpaste, ear plugs, and cotton swabs or even the travel kits you get on the airplane), good shampoo/conditioner/soap, disinfectant spray or wipes available, and extra toilet paper Food and Drinks: Snacks, bottled water, and a note about kitchen access or breakfast time Temperature: Heat/ac info if it’s ok for guests to adjust, a fan in the room Clothes: Laundry access (washer, dryer, steamer), a place to hang up their clothes…
10 Test Taking Tips
How can you help a student confidently take a test? Fear tends to grip students when teachers, parents or tutors talk about testing or preparing for tests. My 10 free Test Taking Tips will help students so that they can focus confidently on the test, not on their worries. Students and parents can smile more and sigh less! Well prepared students will work to the best of their abilities. Read everything! Read everything on the page including the directions, the passage, the questions, and every answer choice. If time allows, rereading the passage, too. Read the question twice. Sometimes you misread or your brain tricks you into thinking something different than what it’s really asking. Rereading will help you understand what the question is really asking. Underline important words or numbers in the questions. These clues might help determine the answer or eliminate wrong answers. Think about what the answer is. Before reading the multiple choice answers or before writing your answer, think about what the right answer is. Eliminate wrong answers. Cross out wrong answers before selecting the correct one. Even if you can only eliminate one or two answers, you will have a better choice of picking the…
Before, During, and After Travel Tips
What should you do before, during, and after your travels besides pack your bags? Recently I posted about international travel niceties and necessities so I wanted to expand on those travel tips to include things you can do before, during, and after your trip to save time and help your travels go smoothly. Having recently traveled to the countries of Georgia and Turkey, I tried out my own tips before, during, and after traveling. With each international trip we take, I try to evaluate my packing and see what I would do differently the next time or what one investment I might make to my capsule wardrobe. Before my next winter trip I want to add a black crew neck merino wool sweater, otherwise I was pretty happy with my minimalist packing. Below are my travel tips for saving time and avoiding travel stress on your next international trip. Ahead of time: Lots of packing lists abound: here’s mine Pack your bag 90% full or less so you have room for souvenirs (or consider bringing a foldable duffle bag if you need an extra bag on the way home) Never pack a bag heavier than you can carry. Often you…