Real MOMS Chatting it up LIVE

Last Tuesday night the 24/7 MOMS Live chatting was filled with great ideas on Learning Beyond The Classroom Home+Work = FUN. So, if you missed our weekly live show - team member Amy took some great notes for us to share all of the REAL mom ideas that were chatted about.

Websites for Word Games, Spelling List Games/Quizzes, Etc:

Education.com

Funbrain.com

SpellingCity.com

Helping and Encouraging Your Child’s Reading:

Nintendo DS Learning-Related games (Brain Age, Math Play, etc)

Computer CD learning games (cartoon character themed, Dr. Seuss)

Make flashcards with photos of things/people your child knows

Have them help you make the grocery lists or “To-Do” lists (this helps model organization as well!)

Label items around your house with single words to learn (table, sofa, etc.).

Magazine subscriptions for holidays/birthdays: Sports Illustrated for Kids, High Five, Highlights, National Geographic for Kids, Focus on the Family’s Children’s magazines, Spider, etc.

(Get better deals for magazines at BestDealMagazines.com or Magazines.com)

Let them see you reading for fun, as well as to learn something new

Cooking and science activities help to teach reading and/or math

Create with them their own homemade books

Order for them custom books which include their name,the name of friends, pets, etc.

Reward them with books

Play word games with them (crosswords, search-a-word, hangman, scrabble, word bingo, etc.)

Share with them books that you enjoyed during your childhood

Record them reading or record yourself reading to them

Record via DVD family members reading to them (for relatives across the miles)

Find them books on CD, audio stories, etc.

Spend some fun time at the library discovering the many resources there (and story times, reading programs, etc.)

Find books about things they are interested in

Help them write their own stories and/or books

Use scrabble pieces (or similar) to work on the spelling of words

Make reading with your kids a priority. Continue to read, even with your older children (read the same books they are reading at school, book clubs, etc)

Teach your children to respond to you in full sentences. Compliment their vocabulary and encourage their use of dictionary, thesaurus –that they may learn where to find the answers

Journaling and scrapbooking are good writing and reading encouragement activities

Family spelling bees

Write them special messages and notes – and have them write back to you.

Reading Rewards:

Chart their reading or time spent reading towards a goal. Reward them with a goal or an enjoyed activity

Chuck E. Cheese Reading Reward Chart:

http://www.chuckecheese.com/promotions/pdf/RewardReading.pdf

Ticket to Reading Rewards is a reading incentive program that encourages Middle School students to read books outside the classroom:

http://tickettoreadingrewards.org/

Find promotional reading gifts for kids:

http://www.positivepromotions.com/default.asp

Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 7,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books:

http://www.bookadventure.com/

Finding Books and Magazines at an Affordable Price:

Library book sales, Homeschooling group fundraisers, or church yard sales

Garage sales

HalfPrice Books stores or (HalfPriceBooks.com)

PaperbackSwap.com, BookMooch.com

Look for (or organize) book swaps within your child’s school, library, community events, or playgroup.

Math Learning Help/Ideas:

Cooking and science activities help to teach math skills

Have them help you calculate change from money, unit prices, and measuring activities

Show them real-life examples of how math matters and is used in everyday life

Here are some “Helping Your Child Learn Math” Ideas:

http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/math/index.html

http://www.math.com/parents/articles/pnew797h.html

DisneyLand Ideas and Travel Guides:

Disneyworld likely has similar books, our trip was to Disneyland last March:

Facebook: (“Disneyland is MY happiest place on earth” is the name of the group)

Disney Travel Books:

Birnbaum’s Disneyland Resort (Birnbaum Travel Guides)

Fodor’s Disneyland and Southern California With Kids

Hidden Mickeys, By Steven M. Barrett (This is a guidebook which can help you find actual “Hidden Mickeys” drawn and disguised throughout Disneyland).

The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, 2009 by Bob Sehlinger

Find these guidebooks at local libraries, thrift store, secondhand book stores or online. Paperbackswap.com is a good source for previous year’s books. Having your own copy is nice for travelling with the book and marking pages. When I was in Disneyland, I saw people had torn certain sections out of the books and had those parts in their backpacks. Usually last year’s book is ok – you can find updates online, from friends and in the Facebook group.