Fathers Day 2013 Ecard

Here’s a fun and easy project for Father’s Day that can be done at home or even in the classroom. This lesson is modeled after one of the current video trends on YouTube.

Click on the link below to see one of our finished projects filmed on the iPhone and dropped into iMovie:

Fathers Day Project 2013

Here’s how to create a Father’s Day Project of your own:

1) Draw a portrait of Dad

2) Follow this worksheet which you will turn into individual pages as seen in the video. Younger children might need help coming up with similes. You can guide them by suggesting…”Hmmm…dad is pretty strong…what is a strong animal that you can think of that we can compare to Dad?” Some examples are: He is as busy as a bee. He is as funny as a hyena.

3) Then type each line of the worksheet onto a separate piece of paper.

4) You can use a camera phone or any other type of video camera to film. Practice with children taking their time with switching the papers. Have them watch the video of the final project so that they can see what they are trying to achieve.

5) Send to Dad on Father’s Day giving him a video that will melt his heart.

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T-shirts that Tickle Your Teachers

We have started making t-shirts for special days of the school year. I picked up a handful of white t-shirts from Walmart and a pack of printable iron-on sheets from our local craft store. They are so easy to make. Check out the website and see all the possibilities there are. So far we have made a t-shirt for Valentine's Day and one for Teacher Appreciation Day. My son wears the shirt and then sees how long it takes his teacher to notice the special message he is wearing.

Spreading Holiday Cheer

This year, we decided to give extra holiday cheer to our neighbors as we delivered our family Christmas card. After dinner one evening, we put on our warm winter coats and headed out into the cold up and down our street. At each house we rang the bell, and when our neighbors answered, our 3 kids did their best to deliver a Christmas Carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". At the end of the song, they handed over our Christmas card and candy canes for all the kids in the house. It was an impromptu idea that turned out to be so much FUN!
Here are some other fun links for activities to do with your kids when they're home from school over this holiday vacation:
Kaboose: Christmas Crafts
Enchanted Learning Christmas Crafts and Printable Activities
Family Fun: A Homemade Christmas
DLTK's Christmas Crafts
Amazing Moms Christmas Crafts

Kindergarten Ready or Not

A friend of mine recently asked for my advice on whether or not he would put his son in kindergarten this year or give him one more year of preschool. He and his wife have decided that they definitely want their son to be older in kindergarten. However, they wondered if there would be a benefit to starting him in kindergarten this year with the intention of having him repeat it again next year. His reasons were that it would save a considerable amount of money by not having to pay for preschool. Also, it would give him one year of practice in kindergarten and then he could do it again next year as the real deal.
I remember my son being quite a bit younger than the other kids in his class and I wondered about putting him into kindergarten for 2 years or giving him one more year of preschool and making him a year older before he began. So, I could relate to this logic.
But, here are some things that I recommend for people who are considering putting their child in kindergarten before the child is ready to take it seriously. Kindergarten is rather rigorous now, not like it was when we were kids. There is a very high expectation for behavior and achievement. A child that is not mature enough will feel like they are not able to keep up with the other kids. This could result in being labeled by the teacher as immature and possibly being labeled by peers as well. He may also develop self-confidence issues when trying to compare himself to other kids that are older and more mature. Once a child has experienced an entire school year, whether or not they were ready, they have experienced all of its special moments. When they repeat the same grade level, none of those special moments are a surprise. The year may seem a little less magical and for a child, may even seem boring and predictable.
So, here are some alternatives that parents may want to consider when waiting for one extra year to start kindergarten. Some preschools offer a pre-K program that is a transitional year between preschool and kindergarten. Parents may also choose to increase the days that their child goes to preschool. Kindergarten is five days a week. For older kids, preschool can be an opportunity to begin getting into that routine.
But I definitely do not recommend using kindergarten as a dress rehearsal, or a training camp. It is something that should be taken seriously the first time through.
Here are some other articles to read about kindergarten readiness:
http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/ready-for-kindergarten
http://school.familyeducation.com/kindergarten/school-readiness/38491.html
http://www.education.com/topic/kindergarten-readiness/

Countdown to the End of Summer Vacation

For schools that follow a traditional calendar, August marks the end of summer vacation. And the end of summer vacation means headed back to school. Here are some things you can be doing this month at home to help kids ease back into the routine of school.
1) Resume an early bed time. Often times in summer we let the kids stay up late at night and sleep in each morning. Use the month of August to work back up to whatever time it is that you need to wake up during the school year. Waiting until the last minute will result in tired children showing up for the first day of school. Not a good impression for the student or the teacher.
2) Try to simulate an eating schedule that will be similar to the schedule your child will be on at school. Often times kids are rushed in the morning and forget to eat breakfast or are used to eating breakfast later during the summer. But, missing their opportunity to have breakfast at home before school can sometimes mean that they will not be able to eat until lunch time. Kids have a hard time concentrating in class when they are hungry.
3) Give a refresher course for the brain. If you haven't done so already, pick up a summer workbook from your local bookstore or online and have your child work in it for a predetermined amount of time each day. There are so many workbooks out there to choose from. We recommend Summer Bridge Activities, but there are others out there that are similar and will accomplish the same goal.
4) Rediscover reading. If your child read all summer, good for you...and good for your child. If your child was not so consistent with summer reading, head off to the library, the bookstore, or an online bookstore and pick out a couple new books. Actually, because summer should be about reading for enjoyment, let your child select his/her own book(s). Though, even after your child selects a book, you should check it to make sure the content is appropriate and that it is a good reading level.
5) Get organized. Start clearing out a work space that you will use when homework starts. Gather supplies in a pencil box or another container to keep close by.
6) Finally, enjoy the last days of summer!