Create a Hands-on Daily Classroom Schedule for StudentsChildren work best with structure and continuity. It is easier for the younger ones to know what to expect during the day. Our classroom schedule was straightforward and only changed during field trips and rainy days. I decided to create a daily schedule that was on the children's eye level and one in which they could interact.
Multiplying By 11The easy way to multiply by eleven when they're learning their times tables!
Viewing NEOWISE (July 2020)We have a rare opportunity to see the NEOWISE comet as it approaches Earth this July. It is viewable in the Northern Hemisphere about an hour after sunset. Look to the northwest as the sky becomes fully dark. If you find the Big Dipper (Ursa Major), look below the dipper bowl. It will appear as a fuzzy star with a long tail for about an hour, as long as the sky is clear.
Viewing the Solar EclipseYou don't need a pinhole camera or special lenses to enjoy a solar eclipse. Here are some alternative methods from California during the full eclipse today.
Use Nature Photos as Lesson PlansI was out mowing the lawn, which has a ditch running through the whole backyard, when I saw this creature run out of a hole in the side of the ground. I immediately knew what it was, but it looked so strange! It could only be a wolf spider mommy with lots of babies on her back.
Homemade Math Bingo GameI home schooled most of our children until their sophomore year of highschool. I preferred to spend most of my education budget on big ticket items, such as microscopes and year passes to various museums and for field trips. I had to be creative on our other curriculum.
Use Blue Ink When StudyingWhen I was a student I used to write important details in blue. A week before exams and recorded weekly quizzes, I write an output of the weekly lessons on a piece of paper using blue ink. I write them in blue so that I can recall which words I wrote with such color.
Viewing the 2017 Solar EclipseOn August, 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will be visible in the US, crossing the entire length of the country from coast to coast. Much of the country will have to travel to see totality and many are already making plans.
Online Textbook Trade-in TipsDo you ever plan on using Amazon's trade-in program to get rid of old textbooks. Before you send in a book, cancel your trade-in submission and wait a couple of days to see if they will raise the price. I did this recently and the company added $8.00 to the trade-in value.
Remembering the Order of the PlanetsThis is a great way to remember the planets to teach to your kids! My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nachos
Reusing Styrofoam Peanuts For StudentsWhile teaching visual arts and elementary math, packing peanuts were desirable freebies from my students' parents. They served as visual counters for math operations.
Encourage Students To Be Frugal In CollegeSome of my daughters' friends ran up huge debts at university. Their parents had said "We will pay your college bills". This sounds practical, but the students had carelessly charged everything to their college accounts, thinking that it did not matter, parents would pay.
Check Into Employer Tuition Assistance ProgramsAny national business may have a program that helps with higher education. The trick is to ask when you are interviewed for the job or talk to some of the employees before applying.
Using Tennis Balls on Chair LegsA lot of people take a tennis ball, cut it in 4 directions and put it on the bottom of a walker to prevent dragging the legs of the walker. This also keeps the walker from damaging hard wood floors.
Styrofoam Cup Science LessonI found a really cute way to teach a science lesson. Once I was cutting styrofoam cups into little squares and they stuck to my hand even when I turned my had upside down.
Saving Money on College TextbooksWhen going back to college after years, I discovered the college bookstore is a big rip-off. If you go online, like Amazon, amongst others, you can get brand new editions, sometimes called international versions, (same exact book, just looks different on the outside) for a fraction of the price.
Saving Money For CollegeI suggest buying savings bonds for an easy way to double your money. I also suggest either saving all your spare change or just a specific coin of your choosing. We saved coins for one year and just put $651.62 in the bank.
Free Educational Materials on the InternetWhether you are a teacher, homeschooler, or interested parent, you can find lots of interesting free educational materials from the internet. My husband, the teacher, just received a whole box of materials from the National Institute for Mental Health.
College Scholarship TipsMay is coming soon. Some schools are very good at helping kids look for scholarships; others are not. Often times home schoolers and adults need guidance for scholarships as well.
Memory Tricks For SpellingI always had trouble with these words; super and supper, diner and dinner, desert and dessert. I couldn't remember which words had the double letters in them. My daughter, a 5th grade teacher, told me of a easy way to get the spelling correct.
Power Outage Survival Kit for College StudentMy niece is about to leave for college. In addition to the normal stuff a college bound student requires, I prepared a mini "college survival" kit, all packed within a small tupperware like container
Grammar Tip: "Than" vs "Then"My mother always taught me that speaking, and writing well was the sign of intelligence. It distresses me how many usually well-spoken people mix up the two simple words THAN and THEN when writing. I figured out a mnemonic I hope will help.
Work at Library for Scholastic KnowledgeThe thing that really gave me extra knowledge in the classes I was taking in college, was working in the library-books/periodicals. You just pick up on so much stuff by working there that you otherwise wouldn't know about.
Study Tip: Rewrite Lecture NotesHere's what I found helpful when I was in college. The notes I took during lecture were usually messy, and could be hard to read and study from. Therefore, I would rewrite my lecture notes.
Sell Textbooks OnlineIf you have college textbooks that the store you bought them from won't take them back, because they aren't going to use them anymore, check online. They were no longer using my husband's math book, so I went online and found a place that would pay me $14 for the book.
Saving Money on College BooksOne of the worst "visible" expenses I had to deal with at college was books and supplies. If you're a freshman, you will be knocked directly on your butt at the cost of a semester's worth of "educational materials."
Birthday Box for CollegeOur older daughter recently went away to college for the first time, and will not be home until after her birthday to celebrate. So her 18th birthday will not pass by unnoticed while she is at school, I put together a birthday in a box that can be used by her suite mates help her celebrate!
Finding Secondhand TextbooksIf you're looking for second-hand textbooks, check out second-hand book stores and library book sales (I've found brand new textbooks for as little as fifty cents at these sales). You can ask former students and teachers if they're getting rid of their old books.
Get Up Early to do College HomeworkI started college the same time my youngest entered K-5. I was having trouble juggling my homework with housework and family obligations. I found that if I took care of my family obligations and did not touch my school work until early morning things went smoother.
Life Lessons Graduation Gift IdeaUpdated: Our 17 year old daughter, Kara, is graduating from high school in a few months. I wanted to present her with a gift that will have meaning long after she moves into the dorm.
Tips for College FairsVisiting a big college fair is a great way to get a little face-to-face information. I realized, though, that my kids were spending a lot of their time filling out send-me-more-info forms, which reduced the time they had for asking questions and getting a feel for each school.
Dorm Room NecessitiesSending our oldest away to college was going to be difficult enough as she selected a college 4.5 hours away. In order to provide some basic DORM ROOM necessities, I began collecting items last September to present to her upon graduation from High school.
Sending Coupons To College StudentMy daughter is away at college and she loves to get mail. Whenever I send her a card I like to enclose a little surprise, something that will fit inside a card like a bookmark, flat decorative magnet, stickers, shampoo samples, etc.
Get Dishes That Fit Your MicrowaveI bought my nephew a microwave to take to college with him. At the store I gathered up some plates, cups and bowls of varying sizes to be sure they fit in the microwave. No need to return the microwave for a different size.
Tips for Parents Sending Kids to CollegeA few tips as your student goes away to college. Send an umbrella. They may never have used one in high school, but they will to walk all the way across campus in a downpour.
Buy Individual Chapters Of Your TextbookI am currently attending college and found that the teachers will usually give reading assignments from just a few chapters of the expensive textbooks; however, they are usually known ahead of time when the teacher hands out the syllabus.
Buying Textbooks OnlineMy Son is going to college and we are on a tight budget. We found a site that has used books that are cheap.
Organize College Subjects In Separate DrawersA helpful hint to help a college student keep from getting buried: get a 5 drawer rolling file cabinet. One drawer per subject; easy get at and keeps subjects separated.
Warm Up Your Brain With Sudoku Before StudyingI accidentally discovered that if I 'warm up' my brain by doing 1 or 2 sudoku puzzles before studying math, the lesson seems easier and sticks in my brain better.
Saving Money on TextbooksTips and ideas for saving money on textbooks. Consider not buying the book until you've been to the first session of the class. Sometimes you find out that the professor plans to use the book very little, or not at all.
College Survival KitThis is an idea for a going away gift for anyone going to college. My neighbors daughter is leaving for college and I wanted to give her something special to take with her. I found a very nice small vintage looking suitcase at an estate sale.
Lunar Eclipse (March 2007)There will be a total lunar eclipse this Saturday evening. People who live in Europe will get the whole show but the U.S. East Coast will see the moon come up fully eclipsed.
Apply for Financial Aid EarlyIf you are a loved one is going to college this fall, apply for financial aid as early as possible. The amount of aid you get is based on your need level, fund availability, and the date your application process is completed. It pays to be on top of it.
Packaging Lesson For TeachersPackaging Lesson For Teachers. Try this with your class, scout group, kids, or adult birthday party! Especially good for Earth Day (April).
Credit Cards and New College StudentsCredit card companies fall over themselves to offer credit to new college students. If you have a child heading off to college, be sure to warn them about this because they can quickly amass high interest credit card debt that could haunt them, and you, for years to come.
Check Out Textbooks From The Library!I graduated from college not that many years ago, and picked up a few tips during my years at my university! One of the things I wished I had started doing right away was borrowing textbooks from the campus library . . .
Fun Sites for Summer LearningHere are 3 sites I found while surfing. Do you have any sites to recommend for summer learning?
Avoid the Standard Meal Plan at CollegeUnless you are an athlete that must eat copious amounts of food to maintain weight, muscle, and stamina, the standard meal plan is not advisable.
Don't Shop During the 1st Week of CollegeMove in with the items you will need. Do not plan to head to your local mall to pick up sheets, towels, etc. when you move in and by all means avoid the grocery store. Plan to eat everything on campus for a week, or bring groceries from home.
Easy Ways to Get a Little Cash at CollegeIf you are in need of a little extra cash fast try these simple tips.
Collect pop cans and return them for deposit. Looking for an easier way to get some cash? Donate plasma. Take part in a psychological experiment.
Become a Resident AssistantIf you're looking for ways to save money at school, why not become a resident assistant? RAs are generally given free room and board in exchange for planning programs for other residents on their floor, helping solve any problems, and just being someone their residents can talk to.
Seek Out Jobs that Pay Your College TuitionIf you need a job to help pay for school, why not look for one that will also pay part of your tuition? National companies that supplement wages with tuition money include UPS, FedEx, and Home Depot.
Get Local Scholarships for CollegeLook to local sources when applying for scholarships. You are much more likely to get a scholarship from the school's PTA than you are to get the scholarships given by giants like Coca-Cola and Calgon. It's all a numbers game. National scholarship searches will have hundreds more applicants than local organizations.
Study as You WishYou will hear from lots of people that the best way to study is in a quiet comfortable location free of distractions. While that works for many people, it doesn't work for everyone. I had a roommate that couldn't stand any sort of distraction when studying. I on the other hand cannot stand the quiet.
Tips for Studying a Foreign LanguageIf you will be majoring or minoring in a foreign language you may find it beneficial to check your essays in a version of Microsoft Word that is capable of editing in the chosen language.
Doing Laundry at CollegeHopefully you have found yourself at a school that offers free laundry facilities. If so, do laundry all the time and be proud that you are saving hundreds of dollars annually in washing and drying costs. If you live off campus, bus the laundry in and do it for free.
Studying Music?Are you - or is a member of your family in a chorus/choir or studying music? You can now download classical excerpts to listen to and practice with at home very inexpensively. I like the UK site http://www.eclassical.com. The pieces are less then $1 each.
Assassin GameWhen I was in college, we played a fun game called Assassin. The purpose of assassin is to shoot your named target with a toy gun. When you "killed" them you then picked up their target.
College Student Care PackagesCare packages are always welcomed by college students, but they are expensive to ship. Instead, I recommend trying gift cards or money. Then the student can get whatever he or she needs or wants. Also, Wal-Mart has a reloadable shopping card now that a parent can put money on.
Inexpensive Higher EducationOur state allows older citizens to attend higher education for $l0 a semester. This allows them to take classes to help with hobbies, learn new skills, etc. It saves a bundle. They audit the class but who cares when learning how to use software or increase hobby skills.
Study Smart by Drawing Colorful PicturesStudying can be boring. After reading an entire chapter of text, can you remember the facts presented in the chapter? How much of what you read can you actually understand and apply during the tests or exams?
Sunshine Box for CollegeWhen my daughter was away from home for the first time and living with a total stranger roomy. I took a page from my Amish friends and made them each a "Sunshine Box." Whenever an Amish person is ill or down about something, the community and family make a Sunshine Box.
Decorating Tips for College StudentsBeing a college student for the past couple of years, I've had to figure out ways to decorate my apartments I've lived in to not only represent my style, but do it cheaply. And the answer is very clear, especially for those living in college towns: dumpsters.
Fastweb.com - College Scholarship OpportunitiesIf you have a high school senior in your household, check out http://www.fastweb.com for lots and lots of scholarship opportunities. Many require writing an essay -- if your son or daughter is good at creative writing, they will have an edge!
Preserving Workbooks for the Next ChildIf your children have workbooks that you'll want them to re-do or pass on to siblings just tape the top edge of a sheet protector down to the table (we use duck tape) then lift the protector flap up and slide the workbook under.
Homeschooler's Tip: Save Money on Workbook PagesInstead of making copies of workbook pages, which often infringes on copyright laws, use a page protector. Cut off the left border (with the holes) a little smaller than the page, and slip the sleeve over the page. Use dry-erase markers for mess-free work.
Two Years at Community CollegeNew college students should consider spending two years at a community college even if he/she has good grades and test scores. Check your local college, quite often, core requirements are transferable and much cheaper to obtain.
