3 Easy Tips For Reading Picture Books With Children
What picture book could be enjoyed by all ages? I love a good picture book discussion with little kids, big kids, and grandkids! Megan Dowd Lambert, in her book Reading Picture Books with Children: How to Shake up Storytime and Get Kids Talking About What They See, explains The Whole Book Approach to reading picture books with children through examples, tips, and stories of her own journey. It’s a phenomenal resource for parents, teachers, tutors, speech therapists, artists, and librarians that will turn your storytime into a picture book playground. I happened upon this book while browsing the “new book” section at the library. Surprisingly it is not a new publication, but I have been delighted with the find and immediately added it to my educational resource list for my tutoring business. I also knew I would write about it in my newsletter. It’s fine to read a book cover to cover and enjoy the story, but it’s a much richer experience to read and discuss the text, the art, and the book layout. Along with teaching the reader about all the parts of a book, from the jackets to gutters to endpapers, Lambert addresses the importance and steadfastness of…
5 Reasons to Hire a Private Tutor
What is the best benefit when you hire a private tutor? Tired of the lack of harmony at home when it comes to homework time? Hire a private tutor! Not seeing joy in your child’s educational experience? Hire a private tutor. Private tutors do more than just help a child who is failing a course. Tutors help students improve grades, manage workload, strengthen academic and critical thinking skills, reduce stress, and cultivate a healthy attitude about education. All of these help a student to gain confidence at school and at home, ensuring they are prepared for the next grade and beyond. One-on-one personalized educational attention is the primary reason to hire a private tutor. There are big companies like Huntington Learning Centers that provide tutoring or private tutors running small businesses like mine. Some of us are retired certified teachers who love what we do and want to keep on helping students! Sometimes a child needs tutoring for a semester and sometimes for their whole academic career. Those who see the value in tutoring become adept at telling me what they need help with. I love hearing stories about how they later use free campus tutoring in college or go…
10 Necessities to Pack for the ER
What one item would you grab on the way to the hospital? Whether you get the phone call that a family member is headed to the hospital emergency room (ER) or awaken to discover an urgent situation, it can be overwhelming to think about all the immediate tasks, including what to pack for the ER. Clearly, the patient is the number one priority over grabbing a phone charger, but if you have time to pack a bag, here’s a list of 10 necessities to pack for the ER and a few niceties too. Necessities to Grab on the Way to the ER – If You Have Time Phone charger Hearing aid charger or extra batteries Phone Hearing aids, eyeglasses ID and insurance cards List of medications and allergies Emergency contact numbers Book or tablet Comfort items for kids or adults Puzzle books or coloring books If Overnight, Add: Extra underwear or change of clothes Bathroom bag with toothbrush, hairbrush, chapstick, etc. Bathrobe and slippers If possible, leave jewelry and valuables at home or with family POV: Your quiet morning has taken an unexpected turn. As a caregiver, you grab some clothes from your closet and wonder whether you will be…
6 Summer Learning Activities
How can you encourage learning activies, promote problem-solving, and boost confidence in a fun way during summer breaks? Whether you are a parent or a tutor, bridging the summer gap with summer learning activities for kids is probably something you have wondered about. Where do you find summer learning activities that are more fun than a big workbook? How do you engage students in practical activities that are meaningful and fun? How do you avoid the “summer learning slide” and the “I’m bored” complaints? Look no further! Here are 6 educational summer learning activities to help parents and tutors offer educational enrichment in addition to plenty of time to read books. 6 Summer Learning Activities Real World Projects (project-based learning – design a pet-sitting business or ice cream shop or a mini golf course or social media for national parks) https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Shelly-Rees/Category/127822-PBL-Project-Based-Learning-352924 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Digital-Divide-And-Conquer Digital Escape Rooms/Scavenger Hunts https://www.tailorjoy.com/digital-escape-rooms/ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lindsay-Bowden-Secondary-Math/Category/Scavenger-Hunts-384810 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Digiline-Co/Category/-TREASURE-HUNT-CARDS-658675 Reading Contests/Book Clubs https://www.tailorjoy.com/backyard-book-clubs/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/summer-reading-log-printable https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/browse/free?search=summer%20reading%20challenge Visit your public library Field Trips (virtual or in-person) https://freedomhomeschooling.com/virtual-field-trips/ Life Skills (cooking, laundry, car care, grocery shopping, etc.) https://www.tailorjoy.com/10-life-skills-for-the-launching-years/ Start a family business (sports lessons, tutoring, kids cooking, yard work, car detailing, etc.) https://www.tailorjoy.com/business-basics/ There are so many…
Good Character Never Goes Out of Style
What character trait best defines you? In the world of fast fashion and FOMO (fear of missing out), good character never goes out of style. What is good character? Good character is about your values and motives for making choices not just being a good person. A few good character traits are integrity, compassion, loyalty, respect, responsibility, and courtesy. When people hear your name or your child’s name mentioned, what character traits come to mind? Are they the ones you are proud of? Are there some you need to work on? 5 character trait quiz questions To see where you land on building good character, answer with your most honest answer. Speak to others (courtesy and respect) When the store clerk asks how you are doing Look down at your phone and ignore the question Say “Fine” Say “Fine” and ask the question back, making eye contact Help others (compassion and respect) When you are with friends and a stranger drops a whole box of colored pencils in a busy walkway Staring at your phone, you do not notice Walk by, then laugh about it with your friends Pause and see if the person wants help picking them up Leave…
Summer Reading Log Printable
Where will your reading adventures take you? Grab a summer reading log printable and head into the world of imagination and practical life. Where will you go first? Narnia? Wonderland? The local international restaurant? The treehouse store? Your first summer job? Real-world reading involves fiction, classics, nonfiction, maps, menus, training material, pamphlets, owner manuals, and more. Having a summer reading log printable lets you record your adventures – no matter your age! Why THIS summer reading log printable? Lots of great book logs exist all over the internet, however, I couldn’t find one that had less than a hundred books or art that could be used for multiple ages. That led me to create a summer reading log sheet with just over 20 slots for recording book titles and promoting reading fiction and nonfiction. I encourage my readers and tutoring clients to try real-world reading. I ask them to record the book title and give it a 5-star rating. Coloring is optional. This reading log can be used in the summer or any vacation break. It can be used for individuals, for homeschool readers, for reading groups, for ESL adults, for moms groups, for elementary readers or even high schoolers.…
Teachers Pay Teachers Review
What quality educational resource do you wish you could add to your teacher or tutor toolkit? Teachers Pay Teachers, an online marketplace, is a powerful educational resource for teachers, tutors, and parents powered by educators. Instead of a few supplemental activities that only go with one particular curriculum, imagine the whole teacher supply store, your favorite teacher’s file cabinet, data-driven best practices resources, creative ideas, pretty things, suggestions for every topic under the sun, and the homeschool curriculum conference all in one place! That is Teachers Pay Teachers in a nutshell. What is TPT? I discovered this online resource while teaching elementary school and it became even more useful when I started my tutoring business. I knew how to teach the topics, but I was willing to purchase some fun original educational resources or extension activities for my summer school lessons. With over 9 million resources, this is a treasure trove for buyers and sellers of original educational resources. Teachers may need to fill gaps in the curriculum, post anchor charts, or create warm-up material. There are lesson plans, games, flashcards, room decorations, speech therapy activities, assessments, special education resources, seasonal themes, worksheets, projects, foreign languages, ESL, task cards, classroom…
Cure Senioritis in 4 Steps
When was the last time you got a case of senioritis? What is senioritis and how can you cure senioritis? Senioritis is defined as a decrease in motivation and academic performance at the end of the senior year of high school when the college acceptance letters and final exam exemptions begin arriving. We all know that it’s much broader than that and senioritis strikes older and younger students alike. Even teachers and parents can get a case of the “I don’t care anymore” attitude when the summer vacation or job change is just around the corner. Spring fever is a similar attitude where students lose focus in the classroom because they can’t wait to get outside and enjoy the longer days. They have a “let’s just get this done quickly” mentality. Here are 4 steps to cure senioritis and spring fever and finish the school year strong, plus more resources for additional reading. Go outside This is a game-changer. Did you know that spending 20 minutes a day outside will make you healthier, more productive, and lower your stress level? Whether you are the student, the teacher, or the parent, take some time to go outside each day. Put a…
Collecting Useful Tutoring Resources
Looking for tutoring resources to use with clients? Need online tutoring resources? Just getting started tutoring? Only have materials at one grade level? Want resources for summer learning or homeschooling? Don’t worry! I’ve got tutoring resources, freebies, and tips for organizing your resources. Invest in quality materials Whether you are just setting up your tutoring business or you are looking for more materials, invest in quality materials you can use for multiple clients. Investigate the internet for low-cost or free tutoring resources such as worksheets, printable reference sheets, online review games, and tutorials, but also be willing to invest in your business and your clients. Sometimes paid products can save you time and money and are worth the investment. Look at online market places like Teachers Pay Teachers or Etsy or use search engines like Pinterest. Did you know that TPT shops all list at least 1 free resource? Invent a reference system Invent a list of tutoring resources by subject or grade level for quick reference. Old school was a tall file cabinet. Now it’s a slide in your Google slide deck or a basket of supplies for your tutoring desk. However you store them, I suggest keeping…
How to make kombucha at home with 3 ingredients
How do you feel about the rising prices of kombucha? Get a scoby, some tea, and some sugar, and for a fraction of the cost you can make kombucha at home with 3 ingredients. Kombucha and other fermented foods continue to rise in popularity although they have been around forever. The prices are also on the rise which is what made me look into making kombucha at home and how I discovered the ultimate resource. Learn how to make kombucha at home In my quest to learn how to make kombucha at home, I came across The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea by Hannah Crum and Alex LeGory at my local library. Of all the resources I found, this one has been my favorite and the most helpful. Each one of my questions, from recipes to fermentation time, has been answered by the Kombucha Mama. It truly is the “one go-to resource for all things kombucha.” Learn to troubleshoot and branch out From brewing techniques to flavor combinations to troubleshooting, to how to travel internationally with your scoby (helpful for my future plans for international scoby hotels startups), to highlights of…