*This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Momtrends. All opinions are 100% my own. Since even before both of our sons were born, my husband and I were concerned about how we were going to save for the college educations. We value education tremendously but we are also realistic about the growing costs associated with going away to college. One of the savings options that immediately became appealing to us was the 529 college savings plan. It is a type of investment account that can be used for higher-education savings which is particularly beneficial for families. Just about anyone can open a 529 account, including parents, grandparents, other relatives, and even friends as long as they are a United States citizen or resident alien. This is very convenient because, very often, loved ones are more than willing to contribute to saving for the education of the young people whom they care for. Giving to a 529 plan for holidays and birthdays … [Read more...]
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Bloom Teacher Gift Tag Printable
It's almost surreal to think that the end of the school year is almost upon us. Wasn't it just yesterday that we were all getting ready for Back to School? The good news is that this means that warmer weather is coming along with all of the other wonderful activities that signal the beginning of summer. This past Friday, I was driving to school when I received a phone call from a former teaching colleague and dear friend of mine. She was contacting me to let me know that she had run into the parent of one of my former students. This particular parent also worked as the pupil services secretary at my former school so I had the pleasure of having two of her children as my students. Her older son is currently attending college in Westchester County and she wanted to let me know that he will be graduating in June with a degree in English. He told her to let me know that I inspired him to become an English teacher when he was in my English Language Arts class in middle school. … [Read more...]
Science Project Idea: Cloud Experiment
Those of you who follow me on social media know that, last month, I helped my twelve year-old son with his Science project for school. Although I am an educator, Science has never been my strongest subject and I struggled to find a project idea that I could help him with while enjoying ourselves at the same time. We eventually settled on analyzing food dyes in a variety of popular candies. Next year, when my younger son enters fifth grade, I will have to help both of my boys with their Science projects and I know that it is going to be a lot of work. As a result, I have already begun to experiment with some fun ideas that I have found online and I'm hoping to choose some of them next spring when it's time for my boys to submit their finished projects to their school's yearly Science Fair. This experiment is to teach kids how rain happens. Clouds form when water droplets from the earth evaporate into the air. They are … [Read more...]
10 Presidents Day Activities For Kids
Are you excited to teach your children all about Presidents Day? Do you want them to have a deeper understanding of the holiday and how it relates to their lives today? If helping your child get a better grasp of Presidents Day is on your agenda, take a peek below at 10 Presidents Day activities for kids that you can try this holiday season! Teaching your kids about Presidents Day can be fun, informative, and even budget friendly. Here is how you can get started. 1. Create your own faux poll station. Understanding how our presidents are chosen is part of understanding Presidents Day! Talk to your child about the voting system, how one votes, and what age they have to be to vote. Create a faux poll station where children can cast their own vote to get an understanding of how democracy works. You can even look at pictures of ballots and stations online. 2. Look at examples of where presidents have been memorialized. Some of our most famous presidents have been memorialized in … [Read more...]
Ways To Advocate For Your Children Academically
Children need someone to be there for them in every way possible, but especially academically. If you would like to be an academic advocate for your child, here are some tips to keep in mind. Communicate with Your Child’s Teacher Make sure the communication lines are open with your child’s teacher. If you think they might be struggling or just want to know what’s going on, make sure you get in touch with their teacher. When it comes to your child, you can’t possibly over communicate. Help with Homework Sometimes it’s easy to brush off the fact that our children are self-sufficient and can do their homework on their own. Take time to help your child with his or her homework. It’s nice when you can sit beside them and answer any questions they may have about it. Ask Them How They Are Doing School can be difficult for children, which is why it’s important to ask them how they are doing. It may be hard to get a straight answer out of some kids, but it’s a question worth … [Read more...]
10 Homework Tips For Working Moms
Working moms have the best of both worlds, we get to work and be parents! However, it can be quite a rush when evening time rolls around and dinner, homework, and bedtime approach rather quickly. Homework is especially an important but difficult time because everyone is already tired, but it still needs done. Here are 10 homework tips for the working mom. Create a schedule and a timeframe in which the homework should be done in. This will give everyone peace of mind. Prioritize what needs done first. Is there demanding homework that your child needs to work on first? If so, help them with that first so there’s less pressure later. Know how your child learns. Another tip for helping your kids with their homework is knowing how they learn. Maybe they complete their homework better in a room by themselves. Don’t be afraid to work on big projects together. This can be an awesome bonding experience for you and your child. Do your “homework” as your children do theirs! … [Read more...]
5 Ways Teachers Can Impact Their Students
As a teacher, you probably want to impact your students as positively as possible. Although you go to work and it can feel just like any other job, there are ways you can impact your students. Don’t get stuck in a rut, use these tips to keep impacting the students of our future. #1. Show You Care Asking your students how they are is just one way you can show them you care. Go above and beyond and show them you care. For example: if a student drops his/her textbooks help pick them up. If your student is having a bad day, take the time to listen. If they ask for extra help, show them you care by spending the extra time teaching/tutoring them. #2. Spend Time Answering Questions There are always those students who have extra questions. They don’t quite learn at the same pace as the other students and that’s okay. Spend time answering the questions of those students and you will impact them more than you ever thought possible. #3. Serve … [Read more...]
10 Ways To Get Your Children Reading More At Home
This week are parent-teacher conferences at my school. If I had to choose the number one question that most parents ask me every year it would have to be how they can get their kids to read more at home. Many of them have noticed that their children are only interested in spending time on the Internet or on their electronic devices than with a good book. As a Literacy Specialist, I know all too well the importance of having kids read outside of school. Not only does it improve their reading comprehension, but it also helps to better their reading stamina and their fluency. These are all skills that they will need to navigate texts academically as well as on the state exams. Here are some of the tips that I give the parents of my own students to help them support their children in reading more at home: Create a reading nook or area in your home where your child can read quietly without interruptions that is stocked with books, newspapers and magazines that they like to … [Read more...]
32 Ways You Can Keep Kids Learning Over The Summer
Summer seems to rapidly approach every year and many of my students' parents have approached me for advice on how to support their children's learning at home. I always tell parents that allowing their kids to have fun is extremely important, but you also want to ensure they are learning in some capacity. Here are 32 ways that all parents can keep their child learning this summer: Take them to your local library! Read to your child, and with your child, regularly. Help them master different math concepts as you cook together. Play counting and math games while swimming in the pool. Take nature hikes and use science terms to study nature. Complete science experiments as a family in your kitchen. Do arts and crafts together a few times a week outdoors. Sign up for educational learning boxes that are delivered to your front door and are very affordable. Listen to educational songs and talk about the lyrics and compare it to poetry and poetic terms. Create … [Read more...]
Our First Science Fair Project! #Education #STEM
I've never been very good at Science. As a matter of fact, I had to take the Biology Regents in high school a few times before I finally passed it. As a result, I have been dreading some of the science projects that I knew my son would have to complete now that he is in middle school. This week, he had to submit his first science fair project and we spent a lot of time choosing just the right activity that we could do here at home. We finally settled on creating a simulation of the Rock Cycle using crayons. It might sound like this is an easy project but, in all actuality, it is quite detailed and aimed at simulating how Sedimentary, Igneous, and Metamorphic rocks are created in nature. I actually learned a lot myself about this process as I assisted my son through all of the steps. Since Sedimentary rocks are compacted and cemented together from sediments, we used crayon shavings that we pressed together in aluminum foil to create them. We then went on to … [Read more...]
