Archive by Author | Lisa McAfee

Online Math Games

Jul2

Summer is a great time to review math facts so that your student doesn’t forget all of the knowledge that they worked so hard to gain throughout the year. How about using some fun online games to help?

Fun 4 the Brain This website has games that children review and learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Math is Fun has tutorials on various math topics and practice for grades 1-6 and algebra too.

Math Play There are games on this website for grades 1-8!

Looking for math worksheets? Math-Aids creates worksheets and flashcards and you have several options from which to choose. There are so many topics to choose from that I think you will find something for each of your students since it is multi-age beginning at kindergarten and includes some geometry worksheets. click here

Math playground has games for a variety of math levels, including fractions, geometry, and algebra. check it out!

Looking for games that focus on fractions? How about math games?

Softschools has games and online practice for all mathematical operations.

Play Kids Games not only has games to play, but you can also have your student print out the results of the games. It’s a great way to track practice and improve skills.

Happy Playing!

~Lisa~

Bible Curriculum and Resources

Jun25

Some of the moms who come for portfolio reviews have asked if I can recommend some bible curriculums. I must say, that it is hard to find something beyond bible stories. I do have some ideas for you to check, but please add to my list if you have found a resource you like. I have not personally used these purchased curriculums, but they have come recommended to me.

Big Book of Bible Truths Book I These stories are from a Presbyterian minister and look interesting.

The Big Book of Bible Truths Book II These stories are by the same author as the previous listing.

Bible Truths, Bob Jones University Press This curriculum is for Pre-K through 12th grade and came highly recommended by the ladies in my bible study. 🙂 This is the description from the BJUP website for Bible Truths Grade 2: “A Servant’s Heart (4th edition) guides teachers as they help students understand God’s truth for practical living. Included are scripturally supported overviews of key biblical doctrines, a daily lesson plan, unit memory verse and hymn, supplemental read-aloud stories, unit review activity sheets, reproducible learning activity pages, instructions for one-on-one and group learning activities, a glossary of biblical terms, and a CD of corresponding reproducibles. Lessons also integrate a missionary story and an application novel.”

Looking for a bible reading plan? Here are several that would be easy for an older student to do or you to read aloud to your child(ren). click here

Your Story Hour has been around a very long time! I can actually recommend these because we owned several CD’s. They are interesting and   these stories are about Christians who did extraordinary things.  You will recognize quite a few of the people that are featured. I think you and your children will enjoy these. In addition, there are interfaith  bible lessons and quizzes that can be either downloaded, sent to your home, or done online.

Just in time for this post is a FREE Giveaway for 20 character books. Titles included in this series are: God I Need to Talk to You about Disrespect; God I Need to Talk to You about Sharing; and God I Need to Talk to You about Whining . Here are more details.  click If you don’t win, you can still buy the books for $2.00 each.

Reading Incentive Programs

Jun20

UPDATED 6/20/12

Do you have a student who needs a little incentive to read? How about food? Pizza Hut has a national reading incentive program for the summer and academic school year for grades 1-6. The summer reading program is called Summer Break Reading Challenge. There are online games, recipes, and activities to do throughout the summer. Any student that reads 5 or more books can enter a contest to win A Dairy of a Wimpy Kid package. During the academic year, Pizza Hut awards students with a free personal pizza. Yum! click here

PizzAchievemnt is a delicious school year reward program is open to home school teachers in areas that have LaRosa’s Pizzerias. This includes Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky; Middletown, OH; Beavercreek, OH; Centerville, OH; Englewood, OH; Huber Heights, OH; Kettering, OH; Mt. Orab, OH; Oxford, OH; Southeast Indiana (Batesville & Greendale). For more details click here

Not wanting to have food be an incentive? Sylvan Learning has a program called Book Adventures that helps students  K-8 pick books, take quizzes, and earn points for rewards. Find out more about the program by clicking here.

Interested in reading for helping others? I love this! Heifer International has a reading program where students help with the feeding and training of families less fortunate. Each reader finds people to sponsor each book they read and then collects the money and help with gifts of livestock and training.  This is a fantastic idea to get your student(s) involved with serving and helping others. click here

Berean Christian Stores has a reading program this summer. Here are the details from their website: read 8 age-appropriate books between May 16th and August 18th to earn one $5 Gift Card! Pretty easy, right? Next, if you read your Bible for 15 minutes a day for 50 days this summer, you can earn another $5 Berean Gift Card! Pick up your $5 Gift Cards on August 18th, 2012 on KID’S DAY ! Bring a friend who has never been to Berean and they will get a $5 Gift Card too! OR if you’re an online only customer, mail the form to our offices, postmarked by August 17th to get your $5 Berean Gift Cards online! For more details click here.

Barnes & Noble’s reading program allows children to earn a free book after they have completed reading 8 books. Click here for more details.

Half Price Books gives students 14 and under the opportunity to earn two $5.00 gift cards for reading in their Feed Your Brain program. How awesome is that? click here

LIBRARY PROGRAMS

I love the programs the library has to promote summer reading. I have listed several within the greater Cincinnati area.

If you live in Hamilton County there is a reading program for preschoolers through adults called Reading Rocks. Check it out!  click here

Do you live in Butler County? There is a summer reading program for ages preschool through teens. See more details

Perhaps you live in West Chester, Middletown, or Trenton? Here are the details for the Midpointe library system.

Mason’s library program began in late May, but it’s not too late to sign up.

Happy reading to all!

~Lisa~

Technology in your Homeschool? Educational apps reviews

Jun18

Technology is a wonderful tool to use in your classroom, but it can be overwhelming too! Today I thought I’d give you some websites that can help you make informed decisions about what games you’d like to let your children use for school and free time. There are so many fun and innovative apps for your children to use that can enhance and reinforce learning.

Common Sense Media The link I have given you is for the educational apps reviews, but the website has reviews for more a variety of media. Common Sense Media is a non-partisan organization that gives information about media so that you can make good choices for your family.

Here is a review site for educational apps for children 0-12 for your iPad and iPhone. Best Kids Apps  ** As a side note** Bookworm is recommended as a game for all ages and I concur. I have it on my iPod and iPad and play it when I can. I really enjoy it. Keeps the ol’ gray matter challenged.  🙂

OHMommy has written reviews of some of her favorite educational apps for preschoolers. I have seen a few of her recommendations on different websites as well and since she has some of her own testers. I am sure her recommendations would be worth looking into.

Do you have a child with Special needs? I found a website that will be helpful to you. I tutor several autistic students and this has given me ideas to use with them. Apps for Children with Special Needs

Have you found any websites or apps that your children enjoy? Please share!

~Lisa~

The Toymaker

Jun17

How many people can say that their dad was a toy maker? Not many I suppose, but I can! My dad was an industrial toy designer at Kenner Toys and worked on products such as The Easy Bake Oven, Sit-N-Spin, Care Bears, Star Wars, GI-Joe, Nerf, Strawberry Shortcake, and play-doh. Pretty cool, huh?

I love my dad, not just because of those things, (although that helped! 🙂 )but because he cared about his family. He would take us on secret candy runs while we were out running errands and would tell us wild stories about a boy named Cedric. My dad always noticed if I got a new outfit or got my hair cut. In a house of five women and no other men, it might have been a matter of survival, but I don’t think so. He worked hard and played even harder with all of us girls.

I am truly blessed to have a dad who still cares.  He believes in me and has certainly done his share of showing me that over the years by moving furniture, teaching art classes to my sons, painting walls, and taking the boys on day trips to Wright Patterson Air Museum. I can call every week and he will listen to me as we discuss concerns and praises. He always prays for me and my family and there is no substitute for that.

He has been a great example to my sons about how to love someone through tough times. He was my mom’s caretaker and encourager when she was fighting cancer. He never once complained during her sickness and was with her throughout her ordeal.

I hope that you have had a great dad too. If not, I am sorry. I do know that even if you have had a dad who wasn’t like mine, you have a dad who loves you and is there for you. That dad is God the Father. He hears, He comforts, He is proud of you.

Happy Father’s Day to all of you. Happy Father’s Day to you, Dad. Thanks for everything! 🙂