The Joy of Teaching – Page 33 of 46

July 6, 2016
by Evan-Moor
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Top Picks and Tips for your Homeschool Curriculum

Are you new to homeschooling or looking for the best homeschool curriculum materials to supplement your homeschool curriculum? Evan-Moor has many quality resources that are ideal for homeschoolers! Planning a kindergarten homeschool curriculum, a homeschool math curriculum, homeschool writing curriculum, and curriculums covering art, science, and other engaging topics require thoughtful choices. We understand that the choices can be overwhelming, so we’ve created a brochure of “Homeschool Top Picks” to provide you a quick guide across subject areas.

Take a look at the Evan-Moor Homeschool Brochure. Our brochure provides a quick overview of the kind of lessons and activities we offer for the mastery of basic skills. Find resources that make it easier for you to teach reading, writing, math, language skills, and social studies.

Three top recommendations:

1. Daily Practice series: Our Daily Practice titles provide skills practice across grade levels and curriculum areas: language arts, reading, writing, vocabulary, math, science, and geography. These homeschool resources are paced for every day of the week, making lesson planning easy. Your child will feel a sense of accomplishment as he or she practices key skills in the brief daily lessons. At the end of the week, you will have a snapshot of the skills your child has mastered, and an understanding of which skills require additional practice. View all daily practice titles and get free samplers here.

2. Skill Sharpeners series: These full-color student activity books are perfect for enrichment for your child. Skill Sharpeners titles include Math, Science, Reading, and Spell & Write. Skill Sharpeners can be used for independent practice at grade-level or above-grade level to give your child a challenge. For a struggling student, you can use Skill Sharpeners below-grade level for independent or guided practice. See an overview of the Skill Sharpeners series here. And, read a homeschooler’s review of Skill Sharpeners.

3. History Pockets series: A long-time homeschool favorite, these project-based lessons provide everything you need to bring history topics to life. Meaningful hands-on tasks engage your child in social studies topics. Check out History Pockets for grades 1–3 or History Pockets for grades 4–6.

Budget-friendly options for homeschool:

All of the “top pick” homeschool curriculum resources can be found at www.evan-moor.com. Teacher’s editions can be purchased as e-books to save you shipping costs. Join our email list for coupon and promotion alerts!

Another great option for homeschoolers is to subscribe to Evan-Moor’s online lesson library: TeacherFileBox. You can access all of the resources in the homeschool brochure (plus most of what you can find on our website) for only $99.99 per year or $12.99 per month. If you’re homeschooling children of multiple ages, you gain access to all grade levels of every title! When you subscribe, you also get a free 30-day evaluation.

If you have other Evan-Moor favorites to share with homeschoolers, please leave a comment!

Picture of Lisa Vitarisi Mathews Lisa Vitarisi Mathews is Evan-Moor’s executive editor. She has over 20 years’ experience in PreK–8 education, and has worked closely with teachers across the United States through Evan-Moor product training and workshops.

June 16, 2016
by Evan-Moor
1 Comment

Five Resources that Can Simplify Your School Year

Welcome to summer break! Are you enjoying summertime BBQs, vacations, and lingering over lemonade with a good book? I hope so. As a teacher, I also know that you are already thinking and planning for the coming school year!

I have a list of go-to resources that can help reduce your summer prep time. These resources will help you meet the challenges of fitting everything into the school day, as well as providing meaningful educational experiences for your students.

How to Plan Your School Year: This is a great resource for new teachers, or those who are looking for classroom management and planning ideas.

Monthly Theme Pockets: A teacher resource for each month of the year featuring 3 thematic “pocket” books of content and hands-on learning that students create and themselves. Students end up with a portfolio-like book of their learning about a particular topic. Choose the Monthly Theme Pockets books that have your favorite topics, and you are ready when the time is right!

Daily Practice series: Each “Daily” contains short chunks of 10-15 minutes of daily practice. “Dailies” are available in a number of different subjects in a range of grade levels, including language arts, math, science, and geography. Each “Daily” is a lifesaver for providing practice and content when time is short but the need is there.

Art for All Seasons: This teacher resource contains child-friendly art projects for every season that integrate with your curriculum.

TeacherFileBox: Consider a subscription to this huge library of Evan-Moor learning resources—all resources and all grades available for download to you for a small monthly fee. This option is great for those who need resources for differentiated instruction and a variety of topics and themes. You can even search by your favorite Evan-Moor titles. You can download pages or project pages, as you need them throughout the year. Visit this TeacherFileBox Pinterest board for a brochure, videos, and sample lessons.

Adding a few strategic resources to your collection can make a big difference in meeting the needs of your students. You will also have peace of mind knowing that you are prepared for anything the moment that you need it. Best wishes for a relaxing summer and a great school year ahead!

Marti Beeck started her career in education as a parent volunteer in her three children’s classrooms. Her many years of teaching experience, including adult school, intervention, and the primary classroom, was inspired by her background in brain-based learning. After working for four years as an editor in educational publishing, Marti currently works as a freelance writer and content developer.

June 3, 2016
by Evan-Moor
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How to Create Meaningful Workbox Activities

Do you ever wish for a magic wand that would help your kids remember everything the FIRST time you told them? That would certainly save a lot of chocolate consumption at my house. Maybe at your house, too?

However, our brains were wired to practice. Even as babies, they listened to us name animals again and again before they could say them on their own. They practiced walking while holding onto furniture before they let go and took those precious first steps. They listened to us read the same book over and over, and then they somehow memorized it and let us know when we missed a word.

The reality is that kids need to practice. Practicing skills can give kids the opportunity to increase both their abilities and their confidence.

In the homeschool world, children often have “workboxes” with individual assignments based on what each child’s homeschool program says they should practice. In the classroom world, students have “work stations” or “centers” with assignments to practice either what was taught in a group lesson OR skills that students need to review and practice.

No matter what you call it, one thing is the same:
Our kids need meaningful ways to practice the knowledge and skills we teach them. However, the type of practice makes all the difference.

What makes a workbox activity “meaningful”?
For an activity to be meaningful, it has to be meaningful to your child first. If your child views an activity to be important or fun, they are MUCH more likely to remember the skills they are using.

As our child’s teacher, we can set up him or her up for success by choosing activities that are meaningful to both our child, as well as, what we value. Dare I say, I encourage you to look outside your curriculum. Seek out meaningful activities that inspire real learning for your child, not just giving them activities that set them up to memorize and then forget it all later.

Knowing where to start providing kids with meaningful practice can be tricky. However, I have found TeacherFileBox to be the most economical and time saving method!

What is TeacherFileBox?
TeacherFileBox is a collection of over 450 digital Evan-Moor publications for grades PreK-8. It is available in both monthly and annual subscription options.

How to Use TeacherFileBox:
If you want your child to practice a skill he/she learned in a language arts lesson, you can quickly search for activities in the search bar. You can also refine your search by grade level, subject, and specific skill, too!

For example, if I teach my child a lesson on compound words, I can search TeacherFileBox for related activities to use for practice in their workboxes later that week.

Why Teacher File Box saves time and money for your workboxes:

TeacherFileBox has great options that not only practice the compound word skills, but also offer a wide range of connections to other skills. By using multiple skills within one activity, your child’s brain is set up to be more engaged and more likely to remember!

Going back to my compound words example, take a look at this screen shot.

The first activity is a fun game to practice. Another is a connected compound words in a geography lesson. A third option practices compound words with Spanish roots as well. My favorite is an activity that allows the child to figure out compound words using word cards!

If your child needs lots of practice, you have several options for the same price!

How TeacherFileBox helps me create custom workbox activities:
One of my favorite reasons that I use TeacherFileBox activities for my workboxes is that I can adjust the skill level based on my child’s progress.

For example, if my child is breezing through addition and subtraction in grade 2, I already have access to addition and subtraction activities in grade 3.

If my child is struggling with telling time activities in grade 2, I can have her practice activities from grade 1 to build confidence.

I don’t have to buy another curriculum or keep track of multiple workbooks for each subject. I can easily just adjust my search options to find the best meaningful activities for my child.

Workboxes in Action:

One of my favorite series of books in TeacherFileBox is called Take It to Your Seat. These hands-on activities are designed for children to practice skills independently. The Take It To Your Seat series includes these titles (for grades K–6.) Preview sample centers from TeacherFileBox for each resource:

Another way we use TeacherFileBox in our workboxes is with individualized lessons with mom. If my third grader is studying economics, I can pull an activity from TeacherFileBox for her to work with me while my other child is during her own workbox activities. This allows more focused time for me to work with each of my children one-to-one to check for their understanding, have quality discussions, and keep our learning enjoyable.

The most important endorsement:

Even if I adore a teaching resource, it will only work if my children like it, too. The most important reason TeacherFileBox works for us is because my kids find the activities to be meaningful and not a “waste of time.” This is the most important endorsement of Evan-Moor’s quality and why I personally use Evan-Moor in my daily homeschooling.

I cannot imagine homeschooling without using TeacherFileBox in our workboxes. If you have not tried this combination, then I highly encourage you to sign up for the free trial of TeacherFileBox today.

Amy Michaels is a certified teacher with 11 years of elementary classroom experience who is actively homeschooling her own children. Her mission is share the best teaching methods and resources with all homeschoolers. Amy supports parents through her podcasts, webinars, and online training for homeschoolers on her website www.thrivehomeschooling.com.

May 19, 2016
by Evan-Moor
1 Comment

10 Ways to Avoid the Summer Brain Drain: Ideas for Summer Learning Activities

As a parent of three children, I’ve been met with groans at the suggestion of schoolwork during the summer. However, learning can be “disguised” as summer fun, and basic skill practice can be presented in spaced practice over summer days. Here are a few favorite ideas for summer learning experiences.

Collect piles of good books and make time to read! Libraries, used-book stores, and thrift stores can provide new reading material.
Enroll in summer reading programs at your local library, or encourage your children to keep a reading log of books.
Be a tourist in your town and visit museums, parks, and interesting sites. Make a “wish list” of activities to do with your children.
Help children create and write a blog about summer adventures. This Pinterest site provides sources for helping kids create their own blog.
Make a journal so that children can write or draw pictures about the events of a given day or week, or write reviews about favorite books, movies, and outings.
Get creative and try new arts and crafts or cooking projects, having your child take the lead in reading directions, gathering supplies, and applying math in measurements. Our favorite projects have been making ice cream from scratch and making soap! This blog provides ideas on using math in the kitchen with young children.
Plant a small vegetable, herb, or flower garden. This Kids Gardening website offers many great ideas, including planting a pirate’s garden, growing your own salad, and building a fairy house.
Create an obstacle course outside. Have children plan a design on paper, and then build the course together. Our summer learning Pinterest board includes many ideas for backyard summer fun and more!
Ensure that “screen” time is meaningful and educational.
Set aside periods of time for reading and practice of basic skills. If you’re interested in summer enrichment books, I recommend Evan-Moor’s Daily Summer Activities for grades PreK–8. I’ve used these activity books with my children and appreciate the teacher-developed activities that review all the core skills in reading, math, writing, language arts, vocabulary, and geography.

We are interested in hearing how you keep learning alive over the summer months. Please share your ideas!

Image of Theresa Wooler Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer and homeschool educator, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.

May 5, 2016
by Evan-Moor
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Review of How to Teach Art to Children

I will confess that art used to intimidate me when I was a child. I wasn’t good at it. I struggled to be creative in art class in school. I couldn’t draw, paint, or sculpt. I was so logical that I really didn’t know how to be creative.

As an adult, I learned all about the elements of art from a college student, when I had the privilege of hosting a teacher intern who majored in art. Suddenly, art didn’t seem so intimidating any more.

Once I understood the elements of art, then I could better appreciate artwork. I now knew specific things that I was able to think about and discuss as I studied art. When I taught my students, they could also understand these elements of art, even if they were not naturally creative or artistic themselves.

Fast-forward 15 years to homeschooling my own children: I first begin by teaching them about the elements of art. It gives us great topics as we study famous artist’s patterns in their work. We also compare and contrast how artists each use the elements differently.

If you are curious about these elements of art, they are quite easy to teach with Evan-Moor’s How to Teach Art to Children. This book has activities to both teach and practice each element for children in grades 1-6.

My children have found these activities to be engaging and fun. There is a good balance of instruction and freedom for personal creativity. Here is an example of the bookmarks we made using the element of line to create interest.

Evan-Moor has given you everything you need to teach your child about these elements of art:

Line
Shape
Color
Value
Texture
Form
Space

I also really like how this book has two parts: one part to teach about the elements and the second part provide opportunities for students to use the elements. Teaching with this two-part method helps the child first understand each element. Then, the child will have an opportunity to apply his or her understanding of this element in a focused way.

As a formerly art-challenged student myself, I really appreciate how the assignments set the kids up to be successful even if they are not naturally artistic. Each child still has the opportunity to use just one element in a simple way in their artwork.

As a budget-conscious homeschooler, I appreciate that this resource can be used each year as a basic art curriculum. Your child can repeat the assignments, but apply new techniques they gain each year as they grow in their knowledge of art elements.

If you subscribe to TeacherFileBox (Evan-Moor’s digital online library), How to Teach Art to Children is included in your membership as well.

How to Teach Art to Children is well worth your time as a resource that will help your child be creative, and also understand and discuss all types of artwork with others.

April 22, 2016
by Evan-Moor
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Factor Fun! Math Multiplication Games

picture of hand flipping over a card from a deck of cards

Facts Flip: Each player flips over a card and multiplies it by the target number. Player with greatest product takes both cards!

Learning multiplication facts boils down to practice. (Lots of practice!) Mix in games to help students practice multiplication skills while having fun. Most of these games require easily found items such as dice, dominoes, or a deck of cards.

Multiplication Facts Flip:
In this multiplication card game, pairs of students use playing cards or homemade cards.

Prepare cards numbered 0 through 9 (two or three sets per student).
Choose a target number and write it on the board.
Give each pair of students a supply of cards.
Students divide cards and put them facedown between them.
Each player turns over a top card, multiplies it by the target number on the board, and says the product.
The player with the greater product takes both cards.

Variation: Multiplication War:
Students flip over cards and try to be the first to correctly multiply the numbers on the two cards. The first player to call out the answer keeps both cards. If both students call out the correct answer, they each get a card.

Download printables for “Multiplication Facts Flip” and “Generate a Product” games here: Math multiplication games from Ten-Minute Activities, Grades 1–3.

We’re on a Roll:

Divide the class into pairs.
Give each pair two dice.
Write on the board the operations you want each group to perform. (For example: x1, x3, x5, X7, x9)
Each pair rolls their dice. They all mentally add the numbers shown on the dice together and then perform each operation listed on the board.

For example: Roll the dice. One shows a 6, the other a 4. Add 6 and 4 together to get 10. Then 10 is multiplied by 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9.

Variation: You can use dominoes in place of dice. Dominoes are placed facedown. Students flip over one domino at a time, add the numbers together, and perform the pre-set operations.

Download printables for this game as well as “Multiplication Magic” and “More Nifty Nines” here: Math multiplication games from Ten-Minute Activities, Grades 4–6.

More Math Resources

See these other Evan-Moor math books and e-books for supplemental math practice.

Games and centers:

Math Games: Centers for Up to 6 Players

Take It to Your Seat: Math Centers, Grades K–6

Flashcard Set for Ages 6-7+ with Multiplication and Division Facts to 9s

Daily math practice activities (also available as interactive lessons)

Daily Math Practice, Grades 1–6

Daily Word Problems: Math, Grades 1–6

Supplemental practice:

Math Fundamentals, Grades 1–6

Building Math Fluency, Grades 1–6

April 12, 2016
by Evan-Moor
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Military Families: Easing the Transition of Moving Schools

letter writing 1 My children have experienced many tearful goodbyes with school friends who move across the world due to a military deployment. While heart wrenching, I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for the military child who is moving and adapting to a new school, new home, and new surroundings.

This blog is dedicated to the brave military families who serve our country. It offers just a few ideas to ease the transition for a child who is affected by a military deployment.

Helpful Sites

Moving Schools Again? Get Help Transitioning Military Kids to a New School: In this article, military families share their ideas for helping children adapt to a new school, including ways to use your base and ideas for nurturing new friendships.

Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC): This nonprofit organization focuses on “ensuring quality educational opportunities for all military children affected by mobility and family separation.” It provides many resources for parents, including guides such as: A Military Parent’s Guide to School Policies and Transitions.

The Educator’s Guide to the Military Child During Deployment: The booklet for teachers provides information about phases of deployment, impacts on students, intervention strategies for elementary, middle, and high schools, and additional website links.

Books to Read

The Monterey public library has created a short guide of books to read called “Military Families: Saying Goodbye and Hello.”

Books for Younger Readers

My Red Balloon, by Eve Bunting
Pilot Mom, by Kathleen Benner Duble
Daddy, You’re My Hero! by Michelle Ferguson-Cohen
Captain Cat, by Syd Hoff
Love, Lizzie: Letters to a Military Mom, by Lisa Tucker McElroy
My Father Is in the Navy, by Robin McKinley
When Dad’s at Sea, by Mindy L. Pelton
The Impossible Patriotism Project, by Linda Skeers
While You Are Away, by Eileen Spinelli
Red, White, and Blue Good-bye, by Sarah Wones Tomp

Books for Older Readers

My Hero: Military Kids Write About Their Moms and Dads, by Allen Appel
Off to War: Voices of Soldiers’ Children, by Deborah Ellis
Piper Reed, the Great Gypsy, by Kimberly Willis Holt
Piper Reed, Navy Brat, by Kimberly Willis Holt
100 Days and 99 Nights, by Alan Madison
Soldier Mom, by Alice Mead
I Live at a Military Post, by Stasia Ward Kehoe
All Those Secrets of the World, by Jane Yolen

Activities to Say Good-Bye

Find a memorable way to say good-bye! For example, classmates can create a simple keepsake for the moving student or sign a large card. As a class project or individual activity, sending a postcard to a classmate who has moved is a simple way to keep in touch. Here are a few ideas:

This We Are Teachers article shares 5 ways to say good-bye to a moving student, including making a memory book, having students sign a t-shirt, and simply writing letters.
These sites provide examples for making your own postcards: DIY postcards for kids and draw your own postcard.

If you have other ideas for helping children through a military move, please share in the comments section.

April 1, 2016
by Evan-Moor
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Poetry Unit “Ice Breakers” and Poetry Starters

When it comes to teaching poetry, there seems to be a great divide between those who love it and those who dread it. I enjoyed studying poetry in college courses, yet I was nervous about teaching poetry to high school students. How do you convey the deep meaning packed in a few words or inspire students to write their own poetry?

A colleague suggested using a simple free verse poem template to introduce a poetry unit. The “These Have I Loved” poem proved to be an effective “ice breaker” for my poetry unit, and it has been adaptable for many grade levels.

If you need an easy poetry lesson to introduce your poetry unit, here are a few ideas:

1. “These Have I Loved” Poem

Students write their own free verse poem entitled “These Have I Loved.” The poem begins with “These Have I loved” and follows with a list of favorite sights, sounds, and life experiences.

The free verse poetry form is less intimidating to students as they begin writing their own poetry. It helps to write your own poem to read to students as a model. I also found that a whole-class brainstorm helped to get students’ creative juices flowing. Encourage students to appeal to all of the senses and vividly describe their favorite things.

Here’s one teen’s example of “These Have I Loved.”

For teacher reference: the poem is based on a section of Rupert Brooke’s poem “The Great Lover.”

2. Poetry Starters

Poetry Time for Grades PreK-1: This download includes poetry starters, rhyming ideas, riddles, story time ideas, and pattern cards for creative expression.

Shape Poem for Grades 1-6: A shape poem is a fun way to introduce students to poetry. This unit includes an overview, levels I-II-III, and step-by-step organizer to assist students in writing their own shape poems.

“I Saw” Poetry Writing for Grades 3–6: Students describe an ordinary thing that they see everyday in a new and interesting way. This lesson provides an example, teaching suggestions, and a form on which students can organize their thoughts before writing a poem.

3. Evan-Moor Poetry Resources

These poetry resources provide you with plenty of lessons to help children read, write, and appreciate poetry:

Poetry Patterns and Themes, Grades 3–6

Read and Understand: Poetry, Grades 2–3, 3–4, 4–5, 5–6

Writing Poetry with Children, Grades 1–6

4. National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month! The Academy of American Poets created this poetry celebration in 1996. Visit their site for ideas and inspiration to celebrate poetry with your students.

Do you have other tips for introducing poetry to your students? Please share in the comments section.

Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer and homeschool educator, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.

March 24, 2016
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

Homeschool Review of Skill Sharpeners Activity Books

One of the most common questions homeschoolers ask is, “How do I know if I am covering it ALL?” Homeschoolers can easily get overwhelmed by trying to “teach it all,” but Evan-Moor has great educational materials to make sure that homeschoolers are covered. Evan-Moor has a stellar reputation for making an educational workbook for kids in topics ranging from reading to math to science. Many of its workbooks are used by teachers and homeschooling parents.

When Evan-Moor generously asked me to choose one of their products to review, I jumped at the chance to try Skill Sharpeners. Why? As a homeschooler, I wanted to see how my children would do with using the basic skills for their grade level. These eye-catching skill sharpener workbooks were just the right option.

There are six Evan-Moor Skill Sharpeners to choose from for grades Pre-K–6. Each workbook is divided into themes or units that allow the student to focus on each section of the book. These can be used at home as a review for what kids are learning in class or they can add a lesson review element to a homeschool curriculum. There is an answer key in the back, so the kids can easily check their own work.
Keep in mind that these look like a workbook, but Evan-Moor does a wonderful job of mixing basic skill practice with applying the skills in useful, realistic ways. Kids can easily see how these skills can be put to use in everyday situations. The colorful illustrations and pages really appeal to kids, too!

Skill Sharpeners features
The Evan-Moor Skill Sharpeners activity books help homeschoolers make sure the foundational subjects are not only taught but practiced in meaningful ways. These skill sharpener workbooks can be a great starting place if you are building your own curriculum. Here are some features of each of the three books in the Skill Sharpeners Trio:

Reading – Each reading unit has an original color-illustrated story that is the basis for that unit. The kids read the story and then do a mix of comprehension skills and word study skills based on the story. My kids enjoy the stories and typically grab this book first. Personally, I like the variety of skills covered in this book. I also appreciate that there are both fiction and nonfiction selections. skill sharpeners

Math – Each math unit is based on a theme (Farm, Robots, etc.), so the illustrations, story problems, graphs, etc., all relate back to the theme. There is a “test your skills” page at the end of each unit, which my kids seem to enjoy.

Science – Each science unit is on a specific topic (Magnets, Animal Groups, etc.) where the kids learn about the topic and use the skills to complete the pages. There is also at least one (sometimes two) hands-on activity that can be done to extend the science skills.

Note: Skill Sharpeners: Spell & Write, Skill Sharpeners: Critical Thinking, and Skill Sharpeners: Geography were not reviewed here, but are available on Evan-Moor’s website.

How I use the Skill Sharpeners books in our curriculum
Before I tell you how I use these helpful educational workbooks, I want you to know that there are several “right” ways to use Skill Sharpeners activity books. You can adapt them for what is right for your family. Some ideas are:

Use the books as ideas for what skills to teach in a lesson, and then use the books for practice.
Use the books in workboxes or centers as review activities.
Use these books as an informal assessment to see what skills are easy for your child and which your child needs more practice in.
Use these books as practice during winter or summer breaks to keep those skills sharp while you take time off of your regular homeschooling schedule.

Since we already had a curriculum in place and started the Skill Sharpeners Trio in February, I used these books as an informal assessment to help me understand which skills my kids had mastered, as well as what skills needed more teaching and practice.

When my kids started working through these books, they quickly completed the first unit in each book with ease. Making certain that kids feel successful right away is an intentional and common characteristic of Evan-Moor publications. By the third unit in each book, the level of thinking required to complete each unit was a little more involved than Unit 1, but still very manageable.

By the sixth unit in each book, my kids were still able to do their assignments, but it did take them more time. We started slowing down a little at this point because I wanted to make sure they were still engaged.

We are about to start Unit 8 in all three workbooks, and my kids are still happy and excited to sharpen their skills. They like that they are learning a few new skills, and I appreciate knowing what skills we need to keep practicing on our own.

How I use the Skill Sharpeners books to guide my instruction
Since the skills covered in each book are aligned with state standards for that particular grade level, I use these books as an informal assessment of how my kids are doing. And while I think it is very rare for students to be performing on their exact grade level in all subjects, using the Skill Sharpeners books allows me to see if they are on track for their grade level.

For example, if my child finds the grade 3 fractions practice to be super easy, that tells me I need to start working on fraction skills for grade 4 for that child. Or if my child starts to struggle with triple-digit subtraction, then I know we need to spend more time practicing those skills in the future. I easily keep track by making a quick note of which skills were easy and which they needed extra support or time to complete. This allows me to customize each child’s lessons for his or her individual needs.

Homeschool Tip

I use Evan-Moor’s TeacherFileBox to find grade-level-specific activities for each skill. Check out my post about using TeacherFileBox for meaningful workbox activities.

Until then, go grab your Skill Sharpeners books!

See you next time,
Amy

*Disclaimer – while I did receive three Skill Sharpeners books to review, all of these opinions are my own and reflect my honest thoughts and experiences of using this product.

Amy Michaels Profile Amy Michaels is a certified teacher with 11 years of elementary classroom experience who is actively homeschooling her own children. Her mission is share the best teaching methods and resources with all homeschoolers. Amy supports parents through her podcasts, webinars, and online training for homeschoolers on her website www.thrivehomeschooling.com.

March 18, 2016
by Evan-Moor
0 comments

Raising Healthy Eaters and National Nutrition Month

National Nutrition Month-blog As parents and teachers, we know that food and nutrition contribute to a child’s energy and ability to concentrate and learn. If you need fresh ideas for family lunches or dinners, or want to incorporate nutrition topics in your lesson plans, check out the Kids Eat Right site by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This site provides great information for parents and teachers on keeping kids healthy through the right food. Article topics include breakfast in schools, helping kids cope with food peer pressure, building a healthy sandwich, raising healthy eaters, and my favorite, “Quick and Healthy Meals Without Using the Stove.”

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has also designated March as National Nutrition Month®—an annual nutrition education campaign that focuses on developing sound eating and physical-activity habits.

In the spirit of National Nutrition Month and the theme “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right,” we wanted to share two favorite recipes by Evan-Moor’s co-founders.

This easy and healthy cauliflower dish makes a regular appearance on the dinner table of Evan-Moor co-founder and CEO, Bill Evans, and his wife, Marilyn:

Cauliflower Slaw Recipe
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown and the Food Network

Evan-Moor co-founder Jo Ellen Moore enjoys the simplicity and flavor of this salmon dish and says it’s easy for a mid-week meal:

Salmon with Lemon, Capers, and Rosemary
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis and the Food Network

Enjoy!