Educational Articles

Build Your Own Back-to-School Plan

Build Your Own Back-to-School Plan with Signing Time

The calendar keeps speeding along, and now we’re in the thick of the back-to-school season. But many of us have little ones who are still at home and are not heading back to school. And many of our school-aged kids could use some extra help outside of school. And then there are the kids who are ready to start learning even though they are still too young for school. In each of these situations, My Signing Time can help. Check out our back-to-school resources, and see what tools you can use to build your own back-to-school plan. Are you looking …

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look at the night sky

Look At the Night Sky with Your Kids

Tomorrow (June 30) is National Meteor Watch Day, and that got me thinking about learning astronomy with my kids when they were little. On our library trips, my kids would check out so many books about the planets, the sun, and the stars. One of my kids has an enormous book about the cosmos, and we still love to look at its amazing photos. Kids really do love to learn about the universe, and they are amazed when they are able to spot something in the sky. Since it’s National Meteor Watch Day, it’s a great time to learn about …

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help your children to enjoy reading

Help Your Children to Enjoy Reading

Our kids’ reading level and enjoyment of reading can be a hot button topic. And there could never be an article that could answer every individual situation. While some of our kids will be natural readers, others will show less interest, and others will struggle. Your child may end up anywhere on this spectrum. Even so, there are some basics to getting our kids started in reading. There are some ways to encourage a love of reading despite the level of ability. You can help your children to enjoy reading. Be an example The starting point for most parenting dilemmas …

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National Inventors Month

National Inventors Month Helps Kids to Dream Big

National Inventors Month is for recognizing the people who have changed the world with their inventions. Where would we be without inventors? Every day, we each use several things that someone invented. And it took courage to come up with an idea, design and test it, and then release it to the public. We can appreciate the individuals who came up with these wonderful inventions throughout history, and we can celebrate our own kids’ ideas and efforts to invent too. Do you have little inventors in your home or in your classroom? I know a little boy who always has …

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look up at the sky

Look Up at the Sky with Your Kids Today

Today is National Look Up at the Sky Day! What does that mean? Well, it’s a day to take a moment to stop and look up. Instead of moving forward with the rush of our lives, we can take time to notice the sky, no matter what time of day it is, and appreciate everything about that moment. There has been a heightened emphasis on awareness in the last few years. So today, let’s take a moment to look up at the sky. The History The history of National Look Up at the Sky Day isn’t very clear. But it …

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learning about farm animals

It’s a Great Time for Learning about Farm Animals

Little ones love to learn about farm animals. And we parents love to teach them about farm animals. We often ask our kids things like, “What does a cow say?” When we talk about any specific animal, our little ones will burst out with the sound that animal makes. So as we approach National Farm Animals Day on April 10, let’s look at ways to have even more fun learning about farm animals with our kids. Picture Books  There are so many resources available for learning about farm animals. This is a good time to take a trip to your …

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adding a little more poetry to our lives

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

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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