Educational Articles

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Adding a Little More Poetry to Our Lives

We can tend to think of poetry as being outside of our normal interests. And we can assume that poetry is boring or inaccessible, especially for children. But with April being National Poetry Month, it’s a good time to evaluate these assumptions about poetry and its place in our reading repertoire. And kids can especially enjoy and benefit from poetry. So during this National Poetry Month, let’s consider adding a little more poetry to our lives. Poetry is for kids too The rhyming nature of poetry can appeal to children in the same way as a well rhythmed song. And …

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Learn with Cookies on National Oreo Cookie Day

Did you know that there is actually an official day to celebrate Oreo cookies! At first thought, we’d likely pass this by as a day to let our kids eat a few Oreos, or even to enjoy a few ourselves. But you can have so much fun learning and playing with Oreos. Your kids really can learn with cookies! So on March 6, National Oreo Cookie Day, let’s use Oreos to help our kids learn in a really fun way. Learning Activities As you work on these fun learning activities, you can also learn the signs for LEARN and COUNT. …

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silly learning days

Silly Learning Days to Enjoy in January

Winter days can get long, and it’s easy to run out of ideas to keep little ones busy and engaged. When you’re out of ideas, it’s fun to check for fun calendar days. It seems like most days are some kind of national celebration of something. So if you need an idea to create some fun for your kids, check the calendar. You’re sure to find a way to enjoy some silly learning days, and those can be the most memorable for your kids. Here are a couple silly learning days to squeeze in before the end of January. National …

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Build Your Own Back-to-School Plan

Do You Have Learning Goals for Your Kids?

It’s the beginning of a new year, and so it’s time for setting new goals. January is the month where we tend to make big plans and work hard to accomplish them…for a short time at least. Do you ever work with your kids to set goals for the new year? Kids can set goals too, and they often are much better at sticking to them than we are. As you think through goals with and for your kids, consider going beyond habits or behavior. Think about setting some learning goals for your kids this year. In addition to it …

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kids love to learn about the rainforest

Kids Love to Learn About the Rainforest!

Did you know that June 22 is World Rainforest Day? Rainforests can be so fun to learn about with your kids! With such a variety of animals and their beautiful and unique plants, there is so much to engage and inspire our children. Kids love to learn about the rainforest, and it’s a great way to fill these summer days! The Animals Mountain gorillas, the sloth, jaguars, parrots, poisonous frogs, howler monkeys, and the enormous anaconda are some of the animals you can learn about here at The Rainforest Alliance.   At Rainforest Animals, you can find simple one-page descriptions of …

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have fun learning about weather

Have Fun Learning About Weather Together

Children love science, especially when it is a hands-on activity. And science really is fun and easy when it’s on a child’s level. This time of year, when the seasons are changing, it’s a great time to observe different types of weather. Our Rachel and the Treeschoolers: Rainy Day Guide is full of fun and easy activities you can do at home to help explore the weather and create some wonderful memories, too! Take a Weather Nature Walk, Make your Own TreeSchoolers Play, Make a Rainy Day Book, and practice singing and signing some of the weather terminology explored in …

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10 Easy Ways to Practice Place Value at Home

Learning place value is a foundational skill children need to be successful in math. Teachers often note that refreshing students’ place value skills is important. This is because understanding place value helps children to build more complex skills as they grow. Practicing place value at home can help to keep your child ready to tackle whatever new math awaits them in the classroom. Practicing math at home with movement and song can be rewarding. Our My Signing Time subscribers love Practice Time 1, 2, 3. It is a fun series available on our My Signing Time App that practices ASL …

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Signing Time Academy Instructor Making a Difference in the World

Kimberly Churchill, owner of Lil Signing Hands in St. Philips, NL Canada, & Signing Time Academy Instructor, is making a difference in her community and in the world. Kimberly’s son, Carter, who at 3 months of age, was diagnosed as profoundly deaf. She immersed herself to learn everything she could about Deaf culture and community, including learning American Sign Language (ASL). She chose to learn with Baby Signing Time, then transitioned into Signing Time and TreeSchoolers to broaden communication with her son. She continued her ASL education locally through the Newfoundland and Labrador Association for the Deaf. Carter also has …

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5 Mistakes You’re Making When Signing With Your Baby

By Colleen Brunetti, M.Ed., C.H.C. The decision to sign with your baby is a smart one. In fact, research has shown that signing with children from infancy to right through the time speech develops – and beyond- can contribute to improvements in IQ and language development in amazing ways. But is there a right and wrong way to get started? Here are five common pitfalls families face when signing with Baby. 1. Listening to the nay-sayers: I hear it all the time, “My mother-in-law says she’ll never speak if I sign!” or “My son’s daycare provider says signing delays language! …

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