What do you do when your skin doesn’t fit anymore?

That’s a question I have been asking myself for four years.

How in the world does one get to the place where their skin ceases to fit?

When I moved from Montana to Utah it was simple to join the homeschool community. I had homeschooled a couple of my children. One of my daughters wanted to homeschool her kids and we shared some friends who homeschooled their kids.

Then, I discovered that I had a tool that I had been using with my children for over thirty years that was a great fit for mom’s and dad’s who homeschooled, who wanted to help their children love to learn. I called it The Closet, and that name worked for a few years. Eventually, I changed the name to The Spark Station.

Shortly after I began sharing the Spark Station with families I was asked to speak at the FORUM, a large and well know gathering of homeschool parents. The room was packed and the presentation was a roaring success. But now I had a new problem. I needed a website and I needed to call it something. Driving down the freeway one day with my daughter she said, “Well, why not call it the Home School Coach.” And so I became The Home School Coach.

I loved sharing the Spark Station but over time it morphed from a learning tool to a family connection tool. I didn’t plan it that way, it just happened because what I am really good at is family connections. I’ll never forget the day that a dad came up to me after a training and with tears in his eyes said, “I  always wanted to connect with my kids but I was so busy I just didn’t know how. Thank you for showing me.” That’s when I first noticed my skin was getting tight.

A home school coach knows about curriculum and how to transition to high school and how to set up the school day and how to……right? Wrong. Here is what I knew about. I knew how to help busy moms’ and dads’ connect with their kids. I knew how to help mom’s find space for themselves in a busy day. I knew how to help parents like being with their kids. I knew about the difference between adults and children, and how those differences could make or break a relationship. And because I had seven grown children I knew the importance of this information before kids were grown and gone from home. I knew that this insight could help families be happier.

When I understood that parent-child relationships and helping moms’ and dads’ take responsibility for those relationships was my gift, well,  that’s when my skin got tighter!

After so many years I was The Home School Coach. I felt limited to talking about homeschool and inspiring kids to learn and answering those pesky curriculum and high school questions, but I had much more to offer.

My skin began to fit less and less. Life felt itchy and uncomfortable. That’s when the big question surfaced –

What do you do when your skin doesn’t fit anymore?

As a lizard ages they have to periodically shed their skin. This allows for proper growth. The time comes when it is just too uncomfortable to continue to wear the old skin. Shedding your skin isn’t an easy or an attractive process. In fact, it can be downright uncomfortable and it’s not pleasant to watch. The skin begins to split and then the animal rubs itself on rocks and branches to get the old skin off. It’s a patchy process! It can be a downright grouchy business. The new skin is tender and it takes time for it to toughen up and for the animal to feel its old self again.

That is the messy, uncomfortable and sometimes painful process that I have been going through. I began by changing the topic of my message from inspiring kids to learn, to helping families connect. It took a few years to make the change and fully develop my message.

Then I began serious work on a book that had been shaping itself in my mind for years. I knew it would be life-changing for parents and their families. It took almost two years from start to finish. But, halleluiah, it is now available for pre-sale and launches on May 9, 2017. In fact, you can get a FREE chapter of the book. 

Now I’m ready for the next step. I am changing where and how you will be seeing me in the future. I have a fully revamped website. I will look a bit different on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, even Linked In.

I know, I know, it will take some adjustment for me and for you. But, sometimes we have to shed our skin for our own proper growth. I hope you will stick around as I shed this old skin and expose the new.

There will be a place on the website for mom’s and dad’s who homeschool. There will be a place for those that don’t. There will be tons of ideas, thoughts, and articles for parents who want more connected and happier families. There will be a bunch of great books over the next few years, beginning with the newest one, Becoming a Present Parent, How to connect with Your Kids in Five Minutes or Less,  which you can pre-order HERE.

I’d like to invite you to take a look at some of the changes. Visit the website. Join me on Twitter. See the changes on my Facebook Fan page, with a few more to come.

I think you will like this new skin. I know I’m going to. But as I said, shedding your skin is a messy and uncomfortable business. I’d sure like to hear from you. What do you think of the new skin? How does the website look, the book, me? Leave a comment below and let me know. I’ll thank you for it.

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Service at Christmas

Before Thanksgiving, I set a goal for myself. I wanted to do service each day of December. That was a big thing to contemplate. But I felt determined because I wanted to increase my own joy and sense of happiness, as a gift to myself and to the Savior. “In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25: 40

Then just after Christmas, I found a link that gives you one act of service to do each day leading up to Christmas day. Voila!

So my act of goodness for today is to share a wonderful story of family and tradition with you and a recipe that is over 100 years old. It is my favorite cookie recipe of all time. For those who are not gingerbread fans, this cookie is for you. Mild and delicious.

I have used it for gingerbread men and gingerbread houses. It works perfectly.

The Christmas Gingerbread Story

All Ready for Christmas giving

Ninety years ago Ann Gardner, my grandmother on my mother’s side, taught first grade in Star Valley, Wyoming. In fact, she taught all of the grades over a 40 year period of time. She was known as a tough, but fair teacher. My dad, Verl Cazier, was in one of her first-grade classes!

One of her holiday classroom traditions was making gingerbread men with her students. Each child would get a large ball of dough. They would break that into smaller balls, for the body, head, legs, and arms. They would also get a square of cardboard. Each child would flatten the largest ball of dough in the middle of the cardboard square. They would then add the head, arms, and legs by doing the same with the smaller balls of dough. The ‘man’ had to fit in the square of cardboard with nothing hanging over. Then red hot eyes, mouth, nose, and buttons were pressed into the dough.

Each child would then carefully carry their piece of cardboard, with their gingerbread man, to the cafeteria to be baked.

When I was a young mom, making gingerbread houses and villages to pay for our families Christmas, I asked her for her recipe. She gladly shared it with me and the story of what she had done all those years before in her first-grade classes. Since then her gingerbread has graced many Thanksgiving tables, been given as countless Christmas presents and been shaped into numberless gingerbread houses and cookie people.

I hope that you will enjoy this recipe and pass it down to your own families. It is well over a hundred years old and you won’t find a better recipe out there. : )

Ann Gardner’s Gingerbread Man Recipe

1 cup shortening                                                          1 tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar                                                                  ½ tsp nutmeg

1 cup molasses                                                            ½ – 1 tsp cloves

2 eggs                                                                          2 tsp cinnamon

6 cups flour                                                                 (if you like a little bite, add 1/8 tsp

2 tsp baking powder                                                   cayenne pepper)

Cream sugar and shortening. Add molasses and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and mix. Add dry ingredients. When it gets too stiff to mix with a spoon turn it out onto the counter and knead until all the flour is mixed in. Chill one hour.

Roll out ¼ inch thick on tin foil. (If I am making a house I roll it out 1/8 inch thick because I want to cut down on the weight and bulk.) Lift foil onto the pan. Cut out shapes. Remove excess. Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a flat surface. Enjoy!

If you want to try your hand at making a gingerbread house these patterns will get you started. The frosting recipe makes a huge difference too. Here is one that works every time. Be sure that you beat it until it is thick and stands up in peaks and then your house will hold together just right.

Royal Frosting (Meringue Powder)

This frosting is much easy to make and handle. Grease does not break it down and it can be re-beaten for later use. It can be stored in a covered container for up to 6 months. Meringue powder can be purchased at some craft stores and any store that sells cake decorating supplies.

¼ cup meringue powder               ½ cup water             4 cups or 1 pound powdered sugar

Mix the meringue powder and water…beat until it peaks. Add the sugar (1/2 cup more for stiffer frosting) ½ cup at a time on low and then beat on high to desired consistency. This will beat up a bit more quickly than the egg white version.

Royal frosting dries as hard as cement and dries quickly so keep it covered at all times with a damp cloth or in a tightly covered bowl. Keep any utensils, tip, bags etc. covered also.

I experimented with transferring the pattern to a printed page. Right click and save photo. Paste it to Word, Publisher or a similar program. Size it to fit on an 8×10 sheet of paper and print. Cut out pieces, place on your rolled out gingerbread and cut around the paper pattern with a small, sharp knife.

For those of you that want to make a gingerbread house with your children but find the whole idea a bit intimidating why not check out this article which shows you how to do it with less fuss, mess, and intimidation. It works every time and I have helped thousands of kids make them from as young as 18 months old. They love the whole project and I have yet to have a child who wasn’t over the moon about the results.

Each year our family makes these gingerbread houses as part of our

Getting Ready and Aftermath!

Thanksgiving tradition. You will see from the photos that each child house is unique and each one is pleased with the results. I hope that each of you has a wonderfully Present and connected holiday with those you love.

P.S. Why not take a peek at my new book which will be released May 2017 and get a complimentary chapter. The ideas you find will help you make that Present and connected Christmas a reality despite the business of the season.

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I had the opportunity to go camping for four days, twice this summer. When I was a younger mom, with seven kids at home, we went camping a lot. I loved cooking over the fire and toasting marshmallows. But now my kids are grown and camping had become something from my past.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel going camping again. And it wasn’t just any camping, it was ‘rough’ camping. You know, no flush toilets or showers, just an outhouse, and a fire pit. Yikes! However, I survived and was again reminded why I used to take my kids camping, as I interacted and watched my grandkids learn about and experience the great outdoors.

The following article by Simon Baker will remind you of some of the reason we take the time and trouble to get our kids out of doors through camping. It’s sprinkled with some super pictures of my own grandkids and our camping experience.

There are a few weeks of summer left and Labor Day is coming up. Why not take a couple of days and go camping. Enjoy!

5 Reasons to Take Your Kids Camping

It might not seem like a good idea to bring your kids when you go camping. However, bringing your kids with you is less work and stress than leaving them alone at home. For one, you won’t need to worry about them staying up too late or how they’re treating each other while you’re gone. You won’t even need to feel stressed about who’s going to look after them. : )

If you’re still not buying the idea, here are 5 more reasons why you should consider taking your kid’s camping.

1. It increases your children’s physical activity

With the internet and all the cool devices today, it isn’t surprising to find a lot of kids who would rather sit on the couch and play mobile games than to spend time outdoors. The problem with this is that it encourages a sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, it can make children overweight and weak.

Camping encourages your kids to participate in a lot of outdoor activities. You will also be exposing them to the sunshine and fresh air, which are essential in boosting their natural immune system. Camping activities can strengthen their muscles and bones, too.

2. It helps them appreciate what they have

It’s easy to take things for granted if you have everything within easy reach at home. You have food ready when you get hungry. You have a roof over your head when the weather gets bad.

With camping, you’ll be able to let your kids see a different way of life. You can teach them how to create fire from scratch and barbecue on it. You can teach them to cook simple meals and the importance of cleaning up after themselves (to keep the rodents and small animals at bay). There will also be a lot of hard work, particularly when it comes to erecting tents, hauling drinking water or chopping firewood.

When you get back home they will have an appreciation for hot water from the tap, clean sheets, and a refrigerator. For a while at least, they will be very grateful for home.

3. It builds memories

Even though you may experience a few mishaps while camping, they’re likely to be the same memories you’ll be laughing at in a few years. Camping allows you to bond with your children in a different way than you do at home.

There will also be fewer distractions so you won’t need to compete for your child’s attention or them for yours. It’s a great break for everyone in the family.

4. It’s a cheaper alternative for a family vacation

Camping is an affordable way to vacation with your family. With proper planning and preparation, there are ways to make it even more affordable.

National and state campsites are  far less expensive than hotels or theme parks. Meals cooked on the fire are cheaper than restaurants and often taste better. It isn’t hard to find a place with water for fishing and canoeing and that costs less than a fancy waterpark.

You can build up the necessary equipment over  time so that it doesn’t need to break the bank. Look for durable equipment, high on quality and be less concerned with name brands.

A great option to consider is an electric cool box. You can fill it with ready-to-cook meals and lots of water so you won’t have to buy from nearby stores. Make sure there’s enough snacks for everyone and include sandwiches, cookies, and chips in your box.

5. It’s a good opportunity to enhance their skills

Camping skills don’t come naturally to everyone. They need to be taught and learned. Taking your kids camping gives you the chance to teach them survival lessons they’ll be able to teach their kids. It’s a good opportunity to pass on or even start your own family traditions. You can learn many things together – to identify flowers and trees, animals and how to care for the earth. Camping can also enhance your children’s social skills. They’ll be able to meet a lot of people from different places and with different cultures, depending on your chosen campsite. If you find a lot of kids in your area, make sure to invite them over for a campfire, some smores, and a few scary stories. These experiences are the ones your kids will remember for a long time.

Camping is a truly connected, family activity that pays dividends for the time and effort it takes. So use what’s left of the summer and take your kids camping.

Author Bio:

Simon Barker writes to inspire people about low-cost ways of traveling and camping. Aside from sharing his best tips in saving while making the best out of his trips, he also does in-depth electric cool box reviews.

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HAVE MORE POINTS OF CONNECTION THIS SUMMER AND FEWER POINTS OF CONTENTION!

Summer is a wonderful time for families. There is so much to do, so much fun to be had. But it can also be stressful for the very same reasons.

The summer months are an important time to implement strategies to stay Present as a family, to utilize touchpoints and minimize points of contention.

• Are you open to being more connected as a family this summer?
• Are you ready to maximize relationship building with your kids?

If so, I invite you to join me for a night of virtual training on how to use what already happens in your family daily to solidify your family relationships, feel better as a parent and to add more enjoyment to your summer days.

YOU’LL COME AWAY WITH…

*Two skills which will enhance your ability to tune into your children and genuinely connect every day, multiple times a day.

*An increased understanding of three touchpoints that happen in your home daily and how utilizing these touchpoints can increase your ability to be Present with your children no matter how busy the summer gets.

BONUS: A PDF copy of three chapters from the upcoming book: Becoming a Present Parent: Maximizing Presence in Five Minutes or Less

• Chapter Three: Master Important Skills – This will give you all you need to know and to begin practicing all six basic skills which will increase your ability to connect with your children more consistently.
• Chapter Four: Utilize Touchpoints. This chapter will teach you about four additional Touchpoints which can ramp up your ability to be PRESENT all summer long.
• Chapter 9- Adjust Your approach. What would happen if being Present with our children was our ultimate goal rather than ticking things off our list?

JOIN ME FROM YOUR HOME FOR
A SUMMER OF PRESENCE

When: Thursday, July 28th
6pm-8pm MST

ONLY $39
(Couples attend for the same price)

JOIN NOW

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One of the chapters in my upcoming book is about the stories we tell ourselves and how those stories affect our relationships with our kids.

You’ve all heard this old saying or something like it, “What you say is what you get.” It’s true.

If you say “My kids are driving me nuts,” they’ll drive you nuts. If you say “I can’t stand my kids today,” or “My kids are so sloppy, messy, noisy, naughty, etc.,” that’s what you’ll get. It’s what you perceive is happening, regardless of what’s actually going on. This will influence your response and your ability to be Present.

The negative stories you tell yourself over and over again impact how you feel about your children and your ability to be Present with them. Negative thoughts hinder you from achieving things you want. Positive thoughts do the opposite.

Saying, “My kids are so messy,” or “My son doesn’t respect me,” generates low energy. This low energy attracts the very thing which is distressing us. If our words are, “I love being with my kids,” “My daughter is sure helpful today,” or “I’m having a peaceful day,” we generate high energy which attracts what we want to have happen.

Think of all the phrases we say and hear over and over again about kids:

• You’re driving me crazy.
• You’re so messy.
• You’re so noisy.
• I can’t get a minute’s peace.
• Why can’t you listen to me? You never listen!
• You’re so irresponsible.
• I don’t know what I’m going to do with you!
• You make me so mad.
• You’re so sloppy, disobedient, messy, argumentative, quarrelsome, etc.
• You’re wearing me out.
• I can’t listen one more minute.

If we want better outcomes, we need to watch our words. Say what you want, not what you don’t want. Words are your thoughts/stories put into concrete form. Words generate emotions. You’ll feel the way you speak. How you feel moves you to an action which gives you a result, either good or bad. Your words move you closer to or away from the ability to be Present.

Take responsibility for your thoughts, the stories and emotions they create, and your responses. Stop blaming. Take responsibility for your words, which are your stories in concrete form.

You’re in control of the stories you tell; stories about yourself, your family, your children and the world, the past, the present and the future. Knowing this gives you ALL the power.

REMEMBER the summer Zing I mentioned was coming? Well, it’s here. On June 30th at 7pm MST I will be hosting a webinar for mom’s and dad’s who want to be PRESENT this summer in fun and easy ways. Ways that occur every day all ready. No pre-planning. No extra time or fuss.  Check it out here. I hope you’ll join me.

Happy Summer,
Mary Ann

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As much as we love summer and our kids both can challenge our patience and our energy. The upcoming book – Becoming a Present Parent: Maximizing Presence in Five Minutes or Less teaches you how to use touchpoints to connect with your kids. Let me share one touchpoint that will really sweeten the summer pie!

Maggie doing her family work.

TOUCHPOINT 4 – Chores and Family Work

Thinking about the word WORK can make a parent groan inside because work is often a point of contention in a family. But work can be a place where we create a touchpoint rather than a point of contention if building relationships is our ultimate goal.

CHORES

Often we get so involved in the management portion of family life that it’s difficult to address the relationship portion. We’ll cover this topic in depth in chapter 9. For now, know that when we’re Present things work out better.

Everyone wants support when facing a tough job. No one wants to be isolated in a mess. We sometimes forget our kids feel the same way we do.

Moms have had the experience of walking into a disaster of a kitchen after a long day. Your family’s watching TV, and here you are, in this messy kitchen. Where do you start?

How does it feel when your husband abandons his show, comes in and begins helping you pick up? And how does it feel when he also asks you how your day went? It’s amazing!

This happens to dads in garages and backyards. How does it feel when your seventeen-year-old volunteers to help get the backyard in order? How about when your thirteen-year-old offers to spend time helping you organize the garage? It feels better doesn’t it?

When a child is faced with what seems like a daunting task, check on them. Put your hand on their back or rub a shoulder and say, “Let me give you a hand.” Help them for 2-3 minutes while having a mini-conversation. Then head off to the next child or to your own work. It makes all the difference in how chores feel and in how well they get done. It solidifies relationships. It allows you to be Present with your child for a few minutes. Chores can be a touchpoint!

FAMILY WORK

Family work is another time when you can create a touchpoint rather than a point of contention. When working as a family we need to keep in mind the objective isn’t just to get another item off the to-do list – we’re creating relationships and bonding our family.

I love gardening alone. I love the quiet and feeling the dirt in my fingers. But I understand it’s an opportunity for me to teach and connect with my grandchildren. Gardening can be transformed into an enduring memory for us all when I remember the garden isn’t what’s important, the relationship is.

Add fun to any work you do as a family – sing, dance as you clean, play great music, tell jokes, laugh, have mini-conversations and lots of random touches.

Things aren’t going to work out all of the time. You’ll have family work that turns into chaos or contention. We’re all imperfect, we get tired, and we have grouchy moments. It’s inevitable. But what if you could make family work more pleasant even one-quarter of the time?

If you can be Present as you work together even one-quarter of the time, your family members will feel supported and relationships will be built. You’ll experience GREAT results in the happiness level of your family.

Happy Summer,
Mary Ann

PS At the end of June I will be offering a webinar on using multiple touchpoints this summer to bond your family, have less points of contention and increase the fun. Watch for it!

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As you know I have been writing a new book – Becoming a Present Parent: Maximizing Presence in Five Minutes or Less. I started in August 2015 and finished in January 2016. Since then I have been learning the dance of being an independent author. Whew, it has required a lot of dance lessons!!

However, the book is in the formatting and cover design stage and it is going to actually make it to press this summer. Woohoo. I will breathe a sigh of relief for sure.

While we wait for the books release I thought I would share a bit of the content with you.

ACTIVE LISTENING

When we’re Present, we listen to connect with the speaker and to understand how they feel about what they’re saying. It’s active and engaged and seeks to hear the words and, more importantly, to hear the heart.

Because this type of listening doesn’t come naturally, I’ve had to develop steps to make it happen more often. They may be helpful to you also.

A. STOP what you’re doing. Turn away from any technology, book or project. If you truly can’t stop, tell your child you can see this is important to them and you want to hear what they have to say. Set a specific time when you’ll be free and keep it. Saying “we’ll talk about it later” is not specific and sends the message you’re not available to them, that whatever else you’re doing is more interesting or more important. If at all possible STOP and listen now!

B. Make eye contact with your child. I remember reading that an infant can tell the difference between a face which is in order and one with the features jumbled.

From my experience, I know babies are interested their parent’s faces. They look at their parent’s faces constantly and reach out to touch them. Infants want us to look back at them. As we grow older, desire for eye contact with the people in our lives that matter to us remains.

Eye contact is looking directly into your child’s eyes and not looking away at other things or looking down. When we look at our children as we listen to them, it sends a powerful message that we care, that we hear them, that they matter.

C. Respond to what your child is feeling, not only what they’re saying. When you’re Present you’ll respond to feelings more quickly and more accurately. This helps your child feel heard. You can say things like, “Boy – how maddening!” or “You didn’t like that did you?” or “How did you feel?” This helps your child know that you view their feelings as valid and important.

D. Listen with patience and interest. Whatever you’re feeling, your child will know! They’re like energy magnets. If your energy is inwardly impatient, they’ll know. If you’re dying to get back to your stuff, they’ll feel it. If you’re bored out of your mind, it’s coming across loud and clear. It may all be on a subconscious level, but they know. Hold thoughts in your mind which will help you maintain interest and patience.

For example, you can think, “I sure love this kid. They’re so interesting, funny, kind, thoughtful,” whatever. Hold thoughts which allow you to embrace fully the moment you’re sharing with your child.

Avoid interrupting. Ask only those questions which help clarify. Your job at this moment is not to teach, reprimand or to fix. It’s to listen.

Being present with your child is an end in itself. It isn’t about resolution, teaching, making progress, none of that. It’s about connection, pure and simple. You can always teach later. Right now, be Present!

During a day, there are dozens of opportunities to stop and listen. We can’t actively listen in all of them. But if we can increase those times we do, it will have a big impact on our relationships.

Remember, being Present is a gift we give another person without thought of return. It means giving full attention, our whole self, nothing left on the table.

I do have something special in the works to add a bit of zing to your summer and to help you get a head start on Becoming a Present Parent. Watch for it. : )

Happy Summer,
Mary Ann

PS I do have something special in the works to add a bit of zing to your summer and to help you get a head start on Becoming a Present Parent. Watch for it. : )

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Summer is almost here and that means lots of kids with lots of time on their hands. For the most part, we want our kids outside playing and having fun but there’s no getting around the fact that they will spend time on their digital devices. Here are some great apps that are safe, fun and can be educational.

Tons of educational apps are now available for download but this doesn’t mean that all of them are good for your kids. Bad educational apps can provide distractions instead of learning, and if you aren’t careful, there are even apps that shouldn’t be on your kid’s phone.

As a parent, you want to ensure your kids are learning from good sources and here are 10 of the best educational apps for your kids:

1. Kids ABC Letters Lite

This app will help your child become familiar with his ABCs. It includes fun games, such as creating letters through colorful puzzle pieces. This version, however, isn’t complete. As it’s a lite version, you may have to pay to get the complete app.

2. Marble Math Junior

Marble Math Junior mixes marble maze games with math problems. It’s best for children who are still learning to read as it includes a voice that reads the problems to your child.

3. Endless Alphabet

This is a monster-themed app that teaches kids how to spell. It doesn’t have a time limit and it doesn’t even keep scores. This helps assure that your child can work on spelling skills without feeling pressured or stressed out.

4. Superhero Comic Book Maker

If you want to enhance your child’s creativity, then this app is a must. It lets children write their own stories, just like a comic book. There are different scenes your child can choose from, and there’s also the option to move the character the way they want.

5. WriteReader Pro

WriterReader Pro is suitable for children age 5 and up. It allows kids to write their own stories while making sure their parents are able to monitor their progress.

6. Read Me Stories

Reading stories to your children is one of the precious moments you share with them. You can download this app which enables you to read a new book to your child every day or let them read a new story by themselves. It’s a good app for practicing, whether at the park or school.

7. Barefoot World Atlas

This app will familiarize your child with animals, people and everything about the world. It has a 3D rendition of the globe and children can zoom in or rotate the viewing angle to get a closer look at the descriptions and photos. It also has BBC presenter Nick Carter to guide your child. What’s great about the app is that it shows your child landmarks and distinct natural features from the comfort of their bedroom.

8. Poptropica

Poptropica is a role-playing app that adds a fun twist to mystery solving. It’s particularly geared towards children ages 6 to 15. In this app, kids create their own avatars which are used to conquer quests. They can change not only the avatars’ facial features but their attributes as well. The game can be saved for future gaming sessions.

9. The Robot Factory

The Robot Factory is created for school age children. It encourages kids to explore, design and create robots. After designing the robot, children can test their creation and then redesign the robot.

10. Duolingo

If you’re looking for a way to help your child learn more than one language, then Duolingo is one of the best educational language apps you can find. It’s great for visual learners and kids can earn badges every time they are successful with a new level.

Author Bio:

Rose Cabrera is the lead content writer for Top Security Review. She’s passionate about sharing security tips and tricks to help keep the whole family safe.

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• Homeschooling Students With Dyslexia

It is quite common for parents of children with dyslexia to feel confused and frustrated about the way forward. However, there is no need to worry about a lack of study materials or education opportunities for children with dyslexia. You will find a plethora of study guides and curriculum on the internet. In this article, we are going to learn about the steps you should take to homeschool a kid with dyslexia.

Get Started By Learning What Dyslexia Is:

Dyslexia is a commonly diagnosed disability of learning. It describes a learning condition where an individual finds it difficult to learn and read by following conventional learning instructions. Dyslexic children have a different way of thinking. These differences are prominent in the case of learning and language processing. Contrary to popular belief, dyslexic children are brilliant sometimes. They can be very creative and gifted when in a system that addresses their needs. Dyslexia can run in the families.

Dyslexics can give an impression of being moderate or low achievers when they follow conventional learning methods. With proper guidance, they regularly accomplish against instructive standard benchmarks at all levels. By and large, they can be considered “profoundly visual” learners who have extraordinary trouble with dialect handling of non-visualizable words, (for example, relational words) and with the dominance of phonics and interpreting aptitudes.

Dyslexia is not a malady. There is no cure. It is not behavioral, mental, or social. It is not a mental issue and regardless of normal conviction, dyslexics definitely don’t see in reverse. Dyslexics decipher things by visualising it.

Should You Be Worried?

No. almost 40% of entrepreneurs are dyslexic. Just because dyslexic children face learning difficulties doesn’t mean they are gone cases. Despite their struggle with reading, writing, and spelling aptitudes, they have a host of unique and significant talents. Learn more about dyslexia to give your child the best chance of progress.

Take Parent Education Classes:

It is quite unfortunate that some parents forget to learn about their child’s condition while homeschooling them. It’s very important to know everything about your childs dyslexia. It lets you teach your children in a method where they can have optimum learning and also help them realize what dyslexia is. If you and your children know about the strengths and weaknesses of dyslexia, your job will become so much easier. Dyslexia is actually one of the most researched disorders. Therefore, you won’t find any shortage of study materials.

Advantages to Homeschooling a Child With Dyslexia:

Homeschooling has some great benefits for kids with dyslexia. Home school programs designed specifically for dyslexic students takes into account the fundamentally distinct guideline in every branch of knowledge such as spelling, reading, comprehension and composition.

It also considers children’s areas of interests and concentrates on those areas while setting up lessons. Homeschooling protects your child from being compared with his/her peers, with more trouble free learning. Homeschooling lets your child work at their own pace utilizing assets that work best with their unique qualities. Homeschooling essentially keeps your child away from an inflexible system and state sanctioned testing that is required in government funded schools.

Although it can be difficult at times, homeschooling a child with dyslexia can be an immensely beneficial activity for both of you. Work to build an atmosphere of comfort. Trust your own abilities to make the best out your child’s potential.

About the Author

Atif Qazi is the owner of SchoolingSOS and an Engineer by profession. He is a former homeschooler who has teamed up with like-minded people to spread his knowledge of this topic. You can follow his topics on Twitter @Schooling_SOS

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Image via Pixabay by moerschy

As the temperature increases, so too do the opportunities for learning science outdoors. When kids explore their environment and connect classroom concepts to their own worlds, they develop not only a deeper understanding but also a more engaged approach to learning science. If you’re looking for ways to teach science to your kids outside as the weather warms, you’ll be inspired by these four outdoor science lessons for warmer weather.

1. Cannonball Splash Physics

Swimming is such an important life skill, and including swimming and water-related activities in science lessons is a perfect way to keep kids interested in what they are learning while teaching them water safety. That’s why one of my favorite outdoor science lessons for warmer weather is Cannonball Splash Physics.

Confident, competent swimmers love to do cannonballs, and using the popular swimming pool jump is a great way to teach kids the science behind winning the splash game. Learning about fluid dynamics helps jumpers understand how to make the biggest splash, so it’s a good idea to let kids experiment with dropping spheres into water first. Water displacement and fluid dynamics will make more sense to kids when they can see what happens on a smaller scale than when they watch people cannonball into a swimming pool.

Kids can experiment with their cannonball technique after learning about fluid dynamics and water displacement to see if they can make a larger splash using their new science knowledge. Try recording kids in slow motion on a smartphone or tablet so they can watch the science behind their cannonballs in action. This outdoor science lesson for warmer weather is sure to make a splash with your kids!

2. Water Balloon Drop

Allowing kids to experiment with water balloons helps them to cool off when the weather gets warm. It also gives them hands-on experience with learning the scientific method, as they form hypotheses about the experiment results in Water Balloon Drop. Kids may like to experiment to find the fastest way to pop a water balloon, which shapes of water balloons are easier to pop, the height of drop required to pop the balloon, and more.

Another option for Water Balloon Drop is to observe the splatter patterns that occur when dropping the balloons from various heights. This outdoor science lesson for warmer weather will help kids to determine whether a water balloon dropped from a greater height falls with more speed and has a larger spatter pattern than a water balloon of the same size dropped from a lower height. Consider adding paint to the balloons to help kids see the splatters more clearly.

3. Chalk Rockets

Most kids love to use chalk outside when the weather warms up, and this spring and summer you can use it to teach science through fun chemical reactions. Chalk Rockets require cornstarch, water, food coloring, film canisters, and Alka-Seltzer tablets. Kids can practice measuring by making liquid sidewalk chalk with the cornstarch, water, and food coloring.

Ask kids to make a hypothesis about what will happen when they add pieces of the Alka-Seltzer tablets to the canisters and put on the lids. Then, break the tablets into three or four pieces and drop them into one canister at a time, before quickly putting on the canister lid and flipping over the canister. Stand back and watch the rocket fly and then observe the chalk art it leaves behind. Students should observe each canister and record height and distance traveled. They may want to experiment by adding more tablet pieces to a canister or changing liquid amounts in each canister.

4. Rainbow Bubble Snakes

Nicer weather means bubbles, and Rainbow Bubble Snakes is an outdoor science lesson for warmer weather that kids will love. This science lesson involves elasticity, surface tension, and chemistry. To allow kids to explore these concepts, help them to create Rainbow Bubble Snakes with an empty water bottle, duct tape, a sock, water, dish soap, and food coloring.

Cut off the bottom of the water bottle and slide the sock over the open bottom. Secure the sock with duct tape. Kids should dip the sock-covered bubble blower into the dish soap/water/food coloring solution and then blow through the neck of the bottle. Once kids see how the Rainbow Bubble Snakes form, they should experiment by blowing with more or less force, adding more dish soap to the solution, and measuring the length of their snakes.

Getting outside as the weather improves can be an educational experience for the whole family. Outdoor science lessons for warmer weather give kids the opportunity to experiment in a hands-on way while asking questions and gaining a better understanding of the scientific method and science concepts.

If you loved this post by Jamie Strand then you will also love Five Ways to Help Your Child Think Like a Scientist. 

Jamie Strand is an unashamed nerd. He teaches community college and loves spending time with his two daughters. He wants to share his love of science and math with kids today and that’s why he and friend got together to create SciCamps.org. Jamie enjoys hiking, camping, and doing science experiments with his daughters.

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