After taking childrens supplements, my kids soon started to become a lot more energized and healthy. They now rarely have sick days and their school attendance record is virtually perfect. Not having to miss school has really helped them maintain their grades and it has also saved me a fortune on doctors bills.

Based on my research, here are 5 best vitamins for children that can help your child have a stronger immune system:

Vitamin C

Vitamin C for kids is essential for building up a healthy immune system and fending off germs and bacteria. Studies have shown Vitamin C can prevent the common cold as well as help treat it. Easy ways for your kids to have a daily dose of vitamin C is by taking a vitamin C kids supplement or by drinking a daily glass or orange juice or eating an apple.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E can serve as a powerful antioxidant, improving the appearance of skin and also helping block pollution from entering the lungs. A best vitamin for kids, it can be found in foods such as avocados, asparagus, pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Or alternatively you can buy a kids-friendly vitamin E supplement.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D has many health purposes but plays a particularly strong role in improving bone health. Strong bones are important for a healthy immune system and healthy children in general, and so are a great childrens vitamin for kids to consume on a regular basis. As with other vitamins they can be taken in a pill form of vitamin D kids can also consume it by eating various types of fish and also eggs.

Vitamin B

Vitamin B helps make energy, protein and also helps red blood cells carry sufficient amounts of oxygen around the body. All of these can help maintain your child’s natural defense system against germs and bacteria and so it is a good vitamin for kids to take. Gummy vitamins for kids often include Vitamin B and foods that contain high levels of vitamin B can be found in most meats, poultry, seafood, fish, dairy products and beans.

Multivitamins

Multivitamins for children are perhaps the easiest way for children to consume all of the required vitamins for maintaining a strong immune system. The best multivitamin for kids is usually found at specialty health food stores and they are often fruit flavored which can make them much more appealing to kids. A multivitamin is great as in one pill your kid can get all they need to maintain a healthy immune system and it can also work out more economical as you will only have to buy one bottle of vitamins at a time as opposed to multiple.

Vitamins really do have the power to strengthen your child’s immune system, which can help him or her have much more energy, be sick less often and even do better in school as a result. If you want to know more about these vitamins as well as others that are good for your kids health, do some research online and consult your family doctor. A healthy kid is a happy kid, so taking an active interest in their diet and their daily vitamin intake is highly commendable.

Check out our top 5 suggestions for teaching your kids to read online:

1. Show Your Kids How To Type

Get your kids familiar with the keyboard from an early age and show them how to type basic words. Ask them to read the words they type out aloud and you can make it fun by rewarding them small prizes when they pronounce it right. You might even want to try typing out your children’s favorite stories or nursery rhymes and then teaching them how to read and pronounce all of the words. Showing your kids how to type from an young age is a great way to teach them this essential life skill and prepare them for the technological world we live in.

2. Use Phonic Skill Websites

Try websites such as Starfall to teach your kids how to pronounce the letters of the alphabet. Websites such as these show kids that reading is fun and doesn’t have to be boring. As well as teaching ABC’s Starfall has lots of games and illustrated stories to choose from, making it one of the best online reading for kids website available!

3. Explore Online Reading Games For Kids

There are countless other free reading games for kids available online. PBS offers many fun educational games that your kids are sure to love and their games are updated regularly. Kids can learn while they play educational games with their favorite Sesame Street or Arthur characters – just to name a few. These free reading games for kids will entertain them while they learn and will also potentially save you a lot of money by avoiding buying expensive computer games or having to hire a reading tutor.

4. Try Guided Reading

Literactive is a free guided reading tool that is specifically aimed at young children. This very kids friendly software is free to download and makes online reading for kids fun and easy to follow. Try having your kids use this software for around half an hour a day for a week or so and you will likely be amazed at how quickly their reading skills improve.

5. Test Their Comprehension

Test your kids understanding of what they are reading by asking them to define some of the words they pronounce or ask them questions about the narrative after they have completed reading a story. You can make charts that track their comprehension progress and you can award prizes for when they show significant advancement. It is important that kids feel motivated and determined to learn to read, so testing and rewarding your kids after reading games is a great way to keep them interested in reading.

There are so many fun learning games for reading that your kids will likely love and get a lot out of educationally. Try different reading games for kids and see what works and what doesn’t. Take some time to explore the many different reading options available online and remember to have fun!

Covered in pumpkin guts, you may be looking for cleaner, better alternatives to all the sugar-filled activities that the month of October is known for. Amidst all of the Halloween games and activities for kids, why not have them learn something while they’re at it? There are plenty of Halloween activities for kids that will not only entertain them, but teach them something as well.

Educational Halloween Games

1. Go digital! In today’s technological world, you can find almost everything online, and Halloween games are no different! There are tons of Halloween games online that will keep your little one busy for hours! Sites like primarygames.com and others offer incredible Halloween games that kids will enjoy. When it comes to Halloween, educational games may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but they do exist and can make learning especially fun. Educational game websites are great because there’s no mess to clean up, and many are absolutely free.

2. Crunch some numbers! One of the most popular forms of online Halloween games are actually math games. Halloween math games allow children to practice their mathematical skills while still having fun with ghosts, goblins and ghouls. A typical Halloween math game allows kids to practice their addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and even critical reasoning skills. When your child complains about hating math, Halloween games could be just the thing to change their mind.

3.Play with words! A lot of the educational games websites contain word games that enable children to practice their skills with words, letter and grammar. From word scrambles to word searches to crossword puzzles, there are many Halloween-themed word games that can help your child better their language skills. These games may not be more popular than interactive Halloween math games, but they are just as educational and important. The free kids Halloween games are sure to capture your children’s attention for hours, time that you can feel good about them spending.

4. Read up! There is nothing better than reading to and with your child. Reading is an incredible activity that no amount of educational game websites could ever compete with. Grab a couple of Halloween books and read with your children, but make it an interactive experience by discussing each page and the pictures if there are some. Reading has the amazing potential to increase your child’s vocabulary, knowledge and overall brain health and development, so be sure to take advantage of this fun reading to maximize your child’s growth.

5. Get in the kitchen! Cooking is a fun activity that is incredibly educational, and cooking and baking for Halloween is even more fun. Why not run to the kitchen and make Halloween cookies? Have your kids measure, count and use their fraction skills when putting ingredients in the bowl. For example, you could show them that when a recipe calls for 1/2 cup, that is equivalent to two 1/4 cups or even four 1/8 cups. Or, you could even whip up a batch of “witch’s stew” filled with vegetables, chicken and “worm” spaghetti noodles. Cooking is not only educational, but you also get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

What are your favorite interactive Halloween games? Does your family participate in Halloween games for kids online?

Back to school means a lot of different things like earlier bed times, family sit-down dinners and piles of homework, but it also means the daily after school snack! Kids often return home from a long day at school and want something to hold them over until dinner. However, most after school snacks for kids are greasy, sugary and just plain unhealthy. Luckily, there are tons of healthy after school snack recipes to help you feed your children nutritious, filling and enjoyable food!  Nutritious snacks for kids are better if they are snacks kids can make because they don’t need parents to make it for them.

Easy After School Snacks

Check out some of our ideas for healthy snacks:

1. Apples and peanut butter. Whether you’re looking for healthy snacks for preschoolers or something for a teenager, the key is to make them delicious and easy to eat. Nothing hits the spot like a nice crunchy, sweet apple and salty peanut butter.This is one of many easy after school snacks that takes no time to prepare and is absolutely delicious. Apples and peanut butter are one of the smartest healthy snack choices because it has fiber in the apple and protein in the peanut butter to kids full until dinner!

2. Smoothie. Nothing beats the after school blues like a refreshing fruit smoothie. Simply whirl up some 100% fruit juice, frozen fruit and some lowfat yogurt and you have one of  the most delicious healthy after school snacks for kids!

3. Baked chips and salsa. Talk about easy after school snacks! This satisfying healthy kid snack is a great way to sneak some extra veggies in your kid’s diet. Be sure to buy the baked chip variety which has very little fat and often is made from whole grains. You can also sprinkle a little lowfat cheese and heat it up in the microwave and serve with salsa for a healthy nacho treat.

4. Frozen grapes. Frozen grapes are some of the cheapest and healthiest after school snacks for children around! Simply place grapes in the freezer and freeze until hard. Healthy fun snacks need to be easy to eat and these grapes have all the qualities you look for in a snack. They even have the consistency of ice cream when chewed! Kids will never look at grapes the same way again.

5. Baked sweet potato fries and ketchup. While it sounds complicated, it couldn’t be easier. Simply cut a sweet potato into matchsticks, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Sweet, crispy and salty, these nutritional snacks for kids are sure to be gobbled up. Serve with ketchup, or even applesauce for dipping!

What are your favorite healthy after school snacks for children? Let us know in the comments below!

When you help your child study, you are strengthening your bond with them, encouraging good study skills and showing them that you care. However, helping kids with homework can turn into a nightmare. Kicking, screaming, frustration and discouragement can quickly become a mainstay with parents helping with homework, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are practical ways to effectively be a valuable resource and asset to your child’s education, and once you learn how to help children with homework, you will see how easy it can be.

Tips for Helping Kids with Homework

1. Set the scene. To create a routine and structure, study in the same time and place with your kids every day. Remove distractions and set up the location to be conducive to studying. Make sure the T.V., cellphones, iPods, etc. are off and all attention is on the work. Make sure you have everything you need before you sit down to help with flow and concentration. Maintaining consistency in the time, location and style of the studying is one of the biggest ways how to help children with homework.

2. Don’t do all the work. You can help your children without doing their entire project, or writing the whole paper. Developing good study habits happens only when you are forced to do the majority of the work. The object here is to guide the child in their homework instead of completing it and then explaining to them what you did. If they can learn good study habits, they’ll be set up for success for the rest of their lives.

First, talk about the assignment, gauge their ability to successfully complete the assignment and encourage them as they begin. Always have them try the math problem, for example, before you start showing them what to do. Let them do the work and you just guide them along. Helping children study is all about being there for support and instruction, not taking the responsibility of the assignment away from them.

3. Keep communication with the teacher. Do your best to stay in the loop with assignments, due dates, etc. without being an overly-involved nuisance to the teacher. Nowadays, a lot of schools have websites that post all of the teacher’s assignments, information alerts, upcoming tests and other pertinent information. These websites are fantastic tools to us, and can help you avoid making your child feel like you don’t trust them. Use the website together and it will feel like a joint effort. Be sure to check in with the teacher every once in awhile to see if there is any area that needs improvement and how you might best be able to help your child acquire good studying skills.

Involvement, when practiced at a healthy level, can be one of the best tools to develop your child as a student and an individual.

Have you learned how to help kids with homework? What advice would you give to parents? Sound off in the comment section below!

Believe it or not, children’s learning styles differ from one child to the next. Kids learn best at different speeds, through different methods and in varying settings.

Understanding your child’s specific learning style will help you to better assist them in their education. It is irrational to get angry with a child for failing to learn a concept through an instruction manner that their brains cannot fully grasp. Your learning style may be different than your child’s, and it is important that both you and your child take a learning style test in order to ensure your child is learning in his or her “language”. It might be useful as well to discover your learning style, so that you will be aware of how you process information best.

Different Types of Learning Styles

1.Visual Learner -Some individuals learn best through visuals. If your child is a visual learner, they will respond well to pictures, seeing the math problem written out, diagrams, charts, etc. The visual learning style lends itself to assignment sheets, to-do lists that can be checked off, video tutorials and written notes.

2. Auditory Learner  – Auditory learners tend to benefit most from traditional teaching techniques. Many teachers use a lecture-style forum, presenting information by talking to their students. Regulating voice tone, inflection, and body language will help all students maintain interest and attention. Auditory learners succeed when directions are read aloud, speeches are required, or information is presented and requested verbally.

3.Tactile Learner -Students who benefit from tactile learning, are most responsive to learning through kinesthetics, which means feeling objects, touching and experiencing the material that they’re being taught. The kinesthetic learning style is one of the most popular styles, and centers around complete engagement in the learning process. Students will soak up information by doing an experiment, acting out a skit, going on a field trip or some other activity-based lesson.

If you’re interested in finding out which of the styles of learning is best for your child, he or she can take an online learning style test, or you can have a professional administer the test.  Discovering your child’s learning style can avoid years of struggling in school due to being forced to learn a certain way that is not the way they learn best. Because there are different adult and children learning styles, children may get frustrated because they are being taught in a manner that merely confuses them, as they are in a classroom surround by many different types of learners, but just one teaching method.

Once you test the different student learning styles and discover what your child is, you can adapt your at-home study techniques to enhance their learning experience. For example, if your child is a tactile learner, it would be wise to include hands-on learning tools such as using M&Ms for math problems, or actual coin money to explain money transactions and subtraction and addition problems. Be sure to adjust your at-home teaching to whichever method your child responds the best to, and watch their comprehension and grades improve dramatically!

When Bullying Goes Too Far

Awhile back, we touched on how to avoid spoiling your child for a better social life in school. On the opposite spectrum of the spoiled bully, however, is the good child that goes ignored. Sirdeaner Walker was one of these children, taking his own life when the school did not address bullying he’d reported several times. He was only 11 years old.

Here are five steps to telling that your child’s being bullied — and acting proactively.

Five Ways to Tell Your Child’s Being Bullied – And How to Address It

1. Ask Questions at Parent-Teacher Conferences. When you attend parent-teacher conferences, make sure to ask your child’s teacher how they’re doing socially. Ask if they’ve ever made a complaint, or even a vague comment, about negative relationships with other children. Do not write it off as “kids being kids;” make sure the school addresses any bullying on their campus. The child that is bullying needs just as much help as the child(ren) he/she’s terrorizing.
2. Ask Your Child About Their Friends… And Their Not-So-Friends. Rather than blatantly asking a child how they’re being treated at school — which they might answer dismissively — try approaching their school social life at a different angle. Ask about their friends. Ask if there are kids that aren’t so friendly. This will show your child you have an interest and help him or her open up to you.
3. Observe Changes in Behavior. A bullied child may suddenly show a behavioral change when entering the school or new grade. Don’t think this is just the mood swings involved in growing up; be aware of your child’s feelings.
4. Attend School and Extracurricular Events. If a school is having a holiday event or sports event that your child is part of, make sure you attend. You can observe how your child interacts with other children.
5. Pick Your Child Up from School. If your child normally takes the bus, offer to pick them up once in awhile. Are there things happening after school? Many bullies choose to terrorize other children after school’s let out.

You can help bolster your child’s self-esteem through activities they love. You can also teach them how to turn to the adults at their school and how to stand up against bullies.

1. Totally Gross Game of Science and other board games. This board game teaches your child about biology, chemistry, and other sciences that are in high demand on high school and college class lists. Give your child a love for science early and they will apply themselves towards the rigorous studies necessary to find the campus or online college of their dreams!
2. Lego Town Developers Kit and other Lego kits. Everyone loves Legos! This set gets children ready for exciting careers in engineering and construction. Help foster your child’s building skills with a fun and educational Lego set and they’ll be enrolling an engineering degree program before you know it.
3. Flower Presses. Flower pressing is unique in that it fosters a love for both science and art. Children learn more about biology and ecology by pressing not just flowers, but all kinds of different plants; introduce them to the vascular structure of a leaf through a creative project! Once the flower pressing is complete, use the results for more arts and crafts. The horticulture department at world-renown Colorado State University would applaud this early childhood learning.
4. Telescopes. I’ve personally loved telescopes my whole life. I received my first telescope for Christmas at ten years old, and found myself taking Astronomy for my general education in college to look through the “bigger and better” equipment. A telescope is attractive to almost any age and, best of all, can lead to a very fulfilling education and lucrative career. They even make nearly indestructible telescopes for little hands!
5. Binoculars. Like the telescope, this is a toy (or serious tool, depending on the monetary expenditure) that can be enjoyed by all ages. Telescopes open up a world of moons, planets, and stars, fostering a love for the solar system. Binoculars conversely focus on our ecosystems, letting children explore birds, trees, and bugs.
6. Musical Instruments. As early as rattles and as late as band in junior high and high school, music is an option for all ages. You can purchase wooden and plastic music toys such as drums, xylophones, and bells to encourage children’s love for musical learning. It’s a proven fact that students that participate in musical programs perform higher than other students.
7. Rubik’s Cube. Rubik’s cubes come in all shapes and sizes these days and can both entertain and educate children practically anywhere. Leave one in the back seat of the car and see what your child thinks about mathematics.
8. Abacus and other wooden counting toys. The abacus was man’s first calculator; why not let it be your child’s too? Teach children how to count at an exceptionally early age with an abacus or other toys that let them flip and turn pieces.
9. Transforming figurines. Transforming toy figurines of all kinds are on the markets these days. Not only do these foster a child’s imagination, they teach children about space and matter; find out just how many forms the same toy can take!
10. Stuffed Animals. For especially young children, stuffed animals act as an introduction to ecology and the animal kingdom. This could later foster into a love for biology and learning. Stuffed animals of exotic and extinct creatures are especially nurturing for inquiring minds!

1. Enroll your child in preschool first. Enrolling a child in preschool gets them acquainted with spending time with other children and learning basic concepts. This provides an obvious head start in kindergarten.
2. Familiarize your child with the company of other children. Attend parent-child events like summer swim classes so that children may interact with others their age before being thrown into the kindergarten environment. While preschool helps with this, additional activities (or neighborhood friends!) can only further take the edge off.
3. Read to your child. Children that are read to at an early age have a higher likelihood to enjoy reading–a quintessential part of learning–as they grow older. Get your child acquainted with reading time by acclimating them to the routine of being read to bright and early.
4. Prepare your child for a day without you. Children that have separation anxiety have a harder time facing kindergarten. By letting your child stay with a friend for the day or attend a couple of educational programs without you, you prepare them for the independence they will have to face when they enter the kindergarten classroom.
5. Get your child acclimated to routine. Your child will be doing the same activities around the same time of day in kindergarten. Helping your child adjust to the concept of a daily routine early will make life less stressful later when the kindergarten classroom imposes routine on your child’s daytime hours. Routines can be taught to children in fun ways, such as daily chore time followed by daily snack time.

If you follow these five simple steps, your child will be on the right track for the first day of kindergarten. Have any other suggestions or questions on how to help a child face their first year of K-12 school? Feel free to discuss!

I won this gift for a little girl in need at my school.  Stephenie*, whose nickname is Butterfly, is a 7 year old girl whose house bunt down on Monday, December 15, 2010 only days before Christmas.  They are living with the mother’s friend right now in an apartment.  She loves animals.  She had a class pet that passed away and she wrote about him for weeks and weeks after the event.  She doesn’t have any pets of her own, but has talked about wanting one and I am sure that she will LOVE her Zhu Zhu Pet!  I am sure that her face will be filled with emotion when she receives this present.  Thank you so much!

The K-12 Directory of Schools Blog team is excited about the joy that the Zhu Zhu Pet Giveaway Contest brought during the 2009 holiday season. We encourage our readers to check back for more interesting things for parents and children alike. Future free giveaways are always a possibility and we are open for suggestions. We will continue to be one of the leading providers of K-12 news, learning, and articles, from guides on online dinosaur lessons to reviews on schools across the country.

*Names were protected for confidentiality purposes. The Zhu Zhu Pet Giveaway Contest ended the last week of December 2009.