Homeschool Curriculum Archives

Preschool Worksheets: Big and Small Worksheets for Preschool

April 15, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I remember the first time Piglet showed that she was starting to notice differences in sizes. She said “Wow! Mommy! Your hand is much more huger than mine!” *giggle*

Since she has older siblings, she seemed to become aware of the differences between bigger and smaller pretty quickly.

After all, she wasn’t able to do a lot of things her brothers and sisters could because they were “bigger” than her.

To reinforce the idea of size differentiation, I decided to try some big and small worksheets for preschool. And I thought why not add a cute cupcake theme and make them free while I was at it!

I’ve been on a bit of a cupcake roll lately, so if you want to build a quick unit for your preschooler, add these worksheets for preschoolers to our cupcake letter matching activity and our cupcake playdough mats!

Plus, see our other preschool worksheets and activities for kids!

Cupcake Big and Small Worksheets for Preschool

To use these cupcake big and small worksheets, you’ll need the following supplies: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

These printables focus on helping preschoolers learn the difference between items that are “biggest” and those that are “smallest”.

Kids can practice finding the cupcakes that are biggest on one worksheet.

A second worksheet helps them practice finding the smallest cupcake in each row.

I didn’t want to do biggest and smallest on the same worksheet, because that could be a little confusing, especially for young learners.

A complete answer key is included. And, if you use the line art version, you can let the kids color in their cupcakes afterwards.

Scroll down to get your copy of our Cupcake Big and Small Preschool Worksheets!

Try these other fun preschool activities!

To get your copy of our Cupcake Big and Small Preschool Worksheets, click the image or the link below to visit our Store!

>>> Big and Small Worksheets for Preschool <<<

Printable Spanish Flashcards: Spanish Community Words Flashcards

April 11, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Learning about the community is a big part of preschool education. Remember when you were in nursery school and you learned about “community helpers”?

It’s also a key part of learning a foreign language. After all, you live in your community, so learning how to talk about it in your new language can really boost your vocabulary skills.

So I’m excited to share our newest set of printable Spanish flashcards: Spanish Community Words Flashcards!

These are great for kids and adults alike! And, since they come with a pronunciation guide, you and the children will be able to practice reading and saying each word.

Want more practice talking about community helpers in Spanish? Don’t miss our printable Spanish community helpers lesson!

Printable Spanish Flashcards: Spanish Community Words Flashcards

To use these Spanish community words flashcards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided here. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Laminator (if you want the cards to last for a while)
Scissors

This set of flashcards includes the Spanish and English phrases for:

Apartments
Bakery
Farm
Museum
Airport
Library
House
and School!

There’s also a Spanish pronunciation guide to help you get used to saying the Spanish phrases!

Use one set to help kids identify each building or place in their native language. Then use the second set to introduce the new vocabulary. You can even play a matching game!

Scroll down to get your Spanish Community Words Flashcards!

Don’t miss some of our other printable Spanish flashcards!

More Resources for Learning Spanish Community Words:

If you want even more help to learn Spanish, try these great Spanish learning resources!

See more printable resources on my Homeschool Printables Pinterest board!

To get your set of our Spanish Community Words Flashcards, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll receive access to these printable Spanish flashcards, plus lots of other printables, in our exclusive Subscriber Library!

How to Plan a Science Summer with Your Kids

April 8, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Science is one of those homeschool subjects that I always end up putting off.

When I first started homeschooling, I would push it towards the end of the day when we’d finished all of our other subjects.

Science takes a while, because you have to gather up your supplies, set up any experiments, conduct them (which takes a considerable amount of time with kids), and then discuss what you learned.

After a few years, though, I really wised up and started saving science until after the homeschool year ended. So, instead of having school from August to May, we became year-round homeschoolers and planned a science summer with the kids.

I love saving science for summer, because I don’t have to worry about rushing through it after we’ve done our other subjects.

And what’s more, we have more time in the summer to explore the kids’ scientific interests with summer camps, field trips, and outdoor experiments.

Read on to see how you can plan a science summer with the kids this year!

Disclosure: I am a BookShark brand ambassador and am receiving free curriculum as part of my role.

Images c/o: Wavebreakmedia & pressmaster / depositphotos

How to Plan a Science Summer

Choose simple science experiments to try.

Is anyone else out there a chronic overplanner? I am. I can spend countless hours trying to research experiments for the kids to try and then run out of steam right when it’s time to actually do them.

That’s why I love BookShark. All of the science experiments are already planned for you. And what’s even better is that the experiments are age-appropriate, so you won’t have to test it and see if it’s too advanced for your child.

Plus, the experiment instructions are on DVD and you can see the experiment performed, which will give you an idea of what to expect after it’s done. A great way to avoid unexpected messes!

Schedule your experiments by week or concept.

Once you’ve chosen your simple science experiments, it’s good to plan how many you want to do each week or how many you want to for each scientific concept.

The BookShark InquisiKids science curriculum (for Level 1) has 100 different science experiments for kids to try, which is a LOT. So we’ll be narrowing down our choices to about 25 or so.

That way, we can conduct two science experiments per week of our science summer.

Do a science experiment supply check.

Now that you have all of your science experiments planned, you’ll need to do a quick supply check. It’s always better to have your supplies set aside now than try to do it right before you conduct an experiment.

Trust me on this. I’ve had to shelve several science activities over the years because I *thought* I had something that turned out to be missing.

With BookShark, you receive the needed supplies for your experiments along with your science curriculum, which is super handy.

But if you’re using a different program or your own experiment ideas, make a quick list of your needed supplies and head to the store before you get started. You’ll thank yourself later.

Ready to tackle a science summer with your kids? Take a look at BookShark’s complete curriculum options, including science, to make summer science planning a snap!

Don’t miss these other science learning ideas for the kids!

And see even more ways to make science fun on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

Free Printable Flashcards: Addition Flashcards 0-10

April 4, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’ve been working to help our kids memorize addition facts for the past few weeks, so I thought I’d make a new set of free printable flashcards: addition flashcards 0-10!

But the thing about addition facts is that they’re pretty boring, right? Naturally, I had to add a little fun to these cards. What’s more fun than a trip to the state fair?

Read on to get your set of these free state fair-themed addition flashcards!

And, for more flashcards to make math learning fun, try our printable polygon flashcards or our fraction flashcards!

Free Printable Flashcards: Addition Flashcards 0-10

To use these addition flashcards 0-10 with your kids, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided here for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (if you want the cards to last for a while)

This pack includes 30 pages of addition flashcards, featuring problems from 0+0 to 10+10.

There’s also an Answer Key included!

Try to play a game where kids can match up even sums and odd sums.

Or have the kids match similar sums to find how many ways they can add numbers and reach the same answer.

You could even challenge kids by giving them an answer and seeing if they can find the math problem that will result in that answer.

Scroll down to get your copy of our free printable flashcards addition flashcards 0-10!

Check out some of our other math learning ideas below!

For more ideas for teaching math, follow my Math Mania board on Pinterest!

To get your set of our Amusement Park Addition Flashcards, subscribe to our email newsletter using the widget below!

You’ll get these printable addition flashcards, plus lots of other freebies that are exclusively for subscribers!

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Monster Truck Measurement for First Grade Printables

April 1, 2019 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Now that we’re winding down first grade with Roo (yay!), I’ve been looking through the math objectives to make sure we touch on as many topics as possible. One of the major math concepts we still had to discuss was: measurement.

For Roo, though, life begins and ends with movement. So I wanted to make learning about measurement as fun as possible. Time to add in some monster trucks with a fun set of monster truck themed measurement for first grade printables!

These are a wonderful way to practice using rulers to measure to the nearest inch, half-inch, and quarter inch, especially if you have active kids who love all things transportation.

Check out our printable Monster Truck Measurement lesson and get a set of your own for FREE! And, for more ways to make math fun, take a look at our outdoor sidewalk chalk math game!

Monster Truck Measurement for First Grade Printables

To use these monster truck measurement for first grade printables, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links included in this post. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

All you have to do is print the worksheets and then follow the instructions!

Kids can choose from measuring to the nearest inch, the nearest half-inch, or the nearest quarter-inch. So these work well for teaching measurement for first grade, but also measuring skills for second grade and rising third grade students.

This product also includes a full answer key, so kids can check their work!

Monster Truck Measurement for First Grade Printables Lesson

Since it was Roo’s first time working on this topic, we started with learning to measure to the nearest inch.

After we talked about the importance of lining up the first line on the ruler with the start of the object, Roo was off and running!

I encouraged him to draw a line from the start of the object to the point at which it lined up with the ruler, and then the same with the end of the object.

The instructions say to measure to the nearest inch, so it was also a good time to talk about estimation. After Roo measured each line of trucks, he wrote down the number on the lines. Easy peasy!

Since Pooh is in second grade, he worked on measuring to the nearest half-inch.

And he ended up learning that .5 and 1/2 are the same thing! (We’re already working on third grade objectives, albeit unconsciously…lol.)

Scroll down to get your copy of our Monster Truck Measurement for First Grade printables!

Don’t miss these other math activities you can do at home!

Plus, learn more about teaching math to kids by following my Math Mania board on Pinterest!

Get your copy of our free Monster Truck Measurement for First Grade Printables when you subscribe to our email newsletter! You’ll get these printables, plus lots of other freebies, in the Subscriber Library!

Spanish Worksheets for Kids: Spanish Family Words Worksheets

March 28, 2019 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

¡Hola, amigos! ¿Estan listos aprender más español?

We’re continuing with our study of Spanish as a family. And, of course, there’s no better topic to start with than “the family” itself!

So, I’m sharing printable Spanish family words worksheets that are wonderful for introducing this topic to kids in both English and Spanish.

If you’re just starting to learn Spanish with your kids and you want to learn how to talk about immediate family members (mother, father, brother, sister, etc.), this pack is perfecto!

Read on to see how to get your copy! And for more Spanish learning fun, don’t miss our Spanish A to Z Alphabet Mega Bundle!

Spanish Worksheets for Kids: Spanish Family Words Worksheets

To use this Spanish family words lesson, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Scissors
Pencils
Laminator (recommended for keeping the flashcards sturdy)

In this Spanish family words lesson, kids will learn the Spanish words for the following family terms:

Father
Mother
Son
Daughter
Family

This set of Spanish worksheets for kids includes two English and Spanish family words matching activities.

Kids can practice completing sentences about family in both English and Spanish.

And they can practice writing sentences about family in both languages!

Plus, there are eight English and Spanish family word flashcards and a pronunciation key!

Because this set of Spanish worksheets also includes the English words and sentences, it’d be wonderful for ESL students who are working on English too!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Spanish Family Words Worksheets!

Want more practice with Spanish? Don’t miss these other Spanish learning ideas!

To get your copy of our ¡La Familia! Spanish Vocabulary Lesson, check it out below!

How to Teach Kids to Type with Typesy Homeschool Typing

March 25, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Typing is one of those skills that was expected to die out. After all, no one uses typewriters anymore, right?

But now that so many kids, including mine, use computers at an early age, typing is actually more important than ever.

The faster and more accurately a child types, the more capable he or she is of using a computer to interact with others, complete school assignments, and work online in the future.

Which is why I was excited to try out Typesy Homeschool Typing with my kids!

We’ve used several homeschool typing programs in the past, but my kids have enjoyed this one the most.

Read on to see why? And for more curriculum choices for early grades, take a look at our minimalist kindergarten curriculum picks!

Disclosure: I received access to this program in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own.

How to Teach Kids to Type with Typesy Homeschool Typing

When you first begin using Typesy Homeschool Typing, you have the option to set typing and accuracy goals for your children.

If you’re unsure about their abilities, you can simply use the recommended goals and then adjust as you see fit.

Naturally, Typesy begins with a discussion of correct hand and finger placement, as well as proper sitting posture. What I love about it is that the program uses short videos that do all of the teaching for you.

My kids just started a lesson and were off on their own in no time!

Like most typing programs, Typesy begins with a lesson on home row keys. As kids work on typing those letters fluently, they can simply follow the on-screen prompts.

Since Typesy is completely online, there is no program to download and no special textbooks to buy. Students can simply follow the course and pick up where they leave off each day.

My six-year-old has been asking to do more of it every day since.

What about kids who tend to get bored easily?

Typesy Homeschool Typing has several online typing games for kids that are great for keeping their attention and improving their typing skills.

My most active learner was thrilled to see that they have a game called “Type-Man”, a typing version of Pac-Man.

It was fun, it helped him practice his typing, and it was no-stress. After all, we want our kids to enjoy what they learn, right?

If you’re looking for a simple, no-prep, fun typing program for kids, I can definitely recommend Typesy Homeschool Typing. Check it out for yourself and see how your kids like learning to type with Typesy!

Don’t miss these other homeschool curriculum choices!

And see more choices for your homeschool year on my Homeschool Curriculum Choices Pinterest board!

25 Fun Money Activities for Second Grade

March 21, 2019 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

Money is one of those math topics that kids generally love to learn about. They all want money, so they usually don’t mind learning how to count it. At least mine didn’t.

Since Pooh is in second grade, learning to work with money is one of our main objectives for math this school year. So I’ve started using several money activities for second grade to help him grasp this concept as easily as possible.

Plus, I’m sharing a new printable today that can help your kids learn to work with money too!

Take a look at the 25 different money activities for kids below to find some super cool ways to get your kids counting change and dollars!

Psssttt…don’t forget to read all the way to the end to grab a new free resource for learning to count money with your students!

And for more fun with math, don’t miss our DIY Geometry Dice for a quick hands-on geometry activity!

25 Fun Money Activities for Second Grade

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

1. Dollars and Cents Concentration Game – Look! We’re Learning!

2. International Currency Collecting – Rainy Day Mum

3. Teaching Coin Recognition – Mosswood Connections

4. Apple Counting Money Game – You’ve Got This Math

5. Coin Scavenger Hunt – School Time Snippets

6. Money Smarts Math Game – Left Brain Craft Brain

7. Discovering Money Lapbook – Homeschool Share

8. How Much are Words Worth Game – Homeschooling My Kinetic Kids

9. Caterpillar Money Counting Printable – J Daniel 4’s Mom

10. Money Recognition Busy Bag – 3 Princess and 1 Dude

11. Printable Board Game Savings Worksheet – Artsy Fartsy Mama

12. Piggy Bank Coin Counting Clip Cards – The Art Kit Blog

13. Printable Safari Spelling Game – In Our Pond

14. Printable Coin Sorting Match Activity – Fantastic Fun and Learning

15. Making Change Task Cards – You’ve Got This Math

16. Money Battleship Game – School Time Snippets

17. The Money Game – Teach Beside Me

18. Build an Ice Cream Sundae Money Math Practice – Science Kiddo

19. DIY Spend, Save, Give Jars – Mess for Less

20. DIY Money Box for Kids – Craftulate

21. Chemical Reactions with Pennies from Creative Family Fun

22. Free Money Fractions and Probability Activity from Life Over C’s

23. Money Math Problems for 1st-3rd Grade from Planet Smarty Pants

24. Skip counting nickels and dimes from Sugar Aunts

25. Set up a simple store with your kids! (Directions below!)

Fun Money Activities for Second Grade – Set Up a Store!

What money lesson is complete without a game of “Store”? Usually kids learn about the concept of money when we go shopping.

They ask us for toys and we say “No, we don’t have money for that.” Then they realize: money = the ability to buy toys. 🙂

That’s a great place to start teaching them about money!

To set up our “store”, I asked the kids to go to their rooms and pick three things each. They came back with their most prized possessions. It was actually pretty cute.

Then I just arbitrarily assigned prices to each item using sticky notes. And our store was complete!

Now I might skimp on my store “shelves”, but I try to use realistic play money. (Ours is from Learning Resources.) I think it’s important for kids to learn what actual coins look like so they can recognize them in real life.

It’s somewhat ironic to be teaching with dollars and coins when we almost always use cards now, but it’s so important that kids understand how money works.

That’s a much easier lesson to learn with coins than cards. I mean, you can swipe cards all day without actually realizing how much money you spend. (Ask me how I know…lol.)

When we make “purchases” in our store, we add up the total using a calculator, count out our money, and we’re off!

Another way we like to teach money in second grade is by playing Monopoly Junior. It’s a fun and easy way for younger kids to learn about concepts such as buying and selling, property, and budgeting.

Fun Money Activities for Second Grade – Learning about Money Printables

Want even more practice with learning about money? We have a new set of learning printables to add to our list of fun money activities for second grade and other early elementary grade levels!

To use these learning about money printables, you’ll need the following:

This set includes three money activities:

One “Count Your Money” activity, complete with answer key
One “Let’s Budget for a Party” activity (Perfect for learning to follow a budget!)
And one “What Do Adults Pay for These Things?” activity

A full set of instructions is also included!

These are wonderful for introducing kids to the idea of how money is used in the real world!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Learning About Money Printables!

See more ways to make math fun on my Math Mania Pinterest board!

Don’t miss these other math learning printables for kids!

To get your copy of our Learning About Money Printable Set, just sign up for our email newsletter! It’s free and you’ll get these, plus lots of other learning printables in our exclusive Subscriber Library!

Use the widget below to get started.

Weather ASL Coloring Pages: ASL Weather Fingerspelling Worksheets

March 18, 2019 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

It’s been a while since I shared some sign language printables with you guys, but no more!

Last week, I shared our set of printable Spanish flashcards: Spanish Weather Flashcards. Today I’m sharing a new sign language resource: Weather ASL Coloring Pages: ASL Weather Fingerspelling Worksheets!

These are fun for practicing sign language fingerspelling, but they’d also be great for a weather unit!

Read on to get your copy! And if you love these, don’t miss our list of American Sign Language resources for homeschoolers!

Weather ASL Coloring Pages: ASL Weather Fingerspelling Worksheets

To use these ASL weather fingerspelling worksheets, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided here for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

This Sign Language Weather Fingerspelling Lesson includes:

Four pages featuring weather symbols, along with the English word and the ASL letters for each word
Four coloring pages featuring black and white weather symbols and the ASL letters for each word
Two fingerspelling matching worksheets featuring English words and pictures
And an answer key!

Kids can study the ASL letters on the color printables to learn which letters match up with the English alphabet.

Then they can color the black and white page and write the English word on each blank line under the ASL spelling.

Simple!

Plus, students can get additional practice by matching each fingerspelled weather word to the correct English word and picture.

Perfect for early learners who are working on spelling skills!

If you want to learn ASL weather signs (not spellings), check out our free video lesson: How to Sign Weather and the Seasons in ASL!

Scroll on down to get your ASL Weather Coloring Pages!

Don’t miss our other sign language printables!

Get even more resources for learning ASL by following me on Pinterest!

To get your copy of our Weather ASL Coloring Pages, pick up our ASL for Kids Learning Bundle! It has our ASL alphabet flashcards, our ASL number flashcards, and these weather ASL fingerspelling printables inside!

>>>>> ASL for Kids Learning Bundle <<<<<

Charlotte’s Web Craft for Kids: Fun Floating Spider Craft

March 14, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Charlotte’s Web is one of the books that I automatically associate with childhood. I listened to it read aloud in elementary school (third grade, I think) and I read it myself so many times I lost count.

When our six-year-old and I started reading it as part of our BookShark Level 1 curriculum, she discovered that she loved it just as much as I did. Some things never change.

So I thought it would be fun to make a quick and easy Charlotte’s Web craft that she could enjoy and that’s how we came up with this floating spider craft!

This only took us a few minutes to make and it gave us a chance to get outside and play. It’s perfect for early grades.

See how to make your own below! And, for more fun with book-themed crafts, check out our Farm Paper Bag Puppets based on Big Red Barn!

Disclosure: I am a BookShark brand ambassador and am receiving free curriculum as part of my role.

Charlotte’s Web Craft for Kids: Fun Floating Spider Craft

We’ve been working our way through BookShark Level 1 with our first grader this year and we’ve gotten to read so many wonderful children’s books the past few months.

I have to admit, though, that when I opened the box and saw Charlotte’s Web in there, I did a little leap for joy.

If you’ve read the book, you probably remember that Charlotte’s egg sac finally hatches and all of her babies venture out into the world. When Wilbur (the pig) sees them shoot out silk and sail off on the wind, he starts to panic.

Three of them end up staying near him and…(I’m going to stop before I retell the entire book.)

Anyway, the idea of spiders sailing off on the wind is what helped us come up with this simple craft.

To make this easy Charlotte’s Web craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

What we’re basically making is a spider wearing a parachute. Easy peasy!

To make this, use a hole puncher to punch a hole in each side of the coffee filter. You want the holes to be directly across from each other.

I made one hole on the left and the other directly across on the right. Then I turned the filter around and did the same thing again to have four holes in all.

Then cut about a three foot length of string and cut that into four equal pieces. Thread one piece of string through each hole in the filter.

Connect opposing sides by typing the left and right side strings together with a simple knot. Leave about an inch or two loose at the end. Turn the filter around and do the same thing again. You should end up with four strings tied into two.

Then you just tie each of the tied strings around the spider and you’re done!

Make sure that the length of string is even on all sides. If the spider isn’t hanging directly beneath the filter’s middle, it won’t float.

Also – you want the weight of the spider to be evenly distributed. We tied one set of strings together around the front and the other together around the back.

All that’s left to do is take it outside…

…and watch it float!

You don’t have to throw it or anything. If you hold the filter open and up, the spider should float gently to the ground.

Super neat!

I think Charlotte would be proud.

If you’re looking for a literature-rich homeschool curriculum, I cannot recommend BookShark enough. We have had so much fun reading classic stories, and learning about the vocabulary, history, and science behind them this year.

Take a look at the different BookShark levels to find which one is best suited for your child! And don’t forget to request your free catalog!

If you loved this Charlotte’s Web craft, check out these other simple crafts you can make with your family!

And for more ways to add crafting to your homeschool day, follow my Simple Crafts for Kids board on Pinterest!

Should You Use Standardized Testing with Your Homeschooler?

March 11, 2019 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

The term “standardized testing” is enough to strike fear into the hearts of most school kids. This process can often mean whether they pass a grade or remain behind their classmates during the next year.

For homeschoolers, though, standardized testing can create other concerns, especially because so many of us have students who are working at different grade levels in different subjects.

If you have a student who is working on fourth grade math and sixth grade ELA, will homeschool standardized testing even work?

In our family, we’ve resisted standardized testing over the years. Since our state only requires us to test every three years, we’ve been able to avoid a lot of the pressure that public school students in our area face.

But, we still have to administer a test, which means considering several factors before choosing an exam. Here’s a look at how we chose our homeschool standardized testing program and how you can use it with your own kids!

Image c/o: VIPDesignUSA / depositphotos

Does Standardized Testing Work for Homeschoolers?

At heart, I’m completely anti-testing. I was a good student in school and I always did well on my tests. But, times have definitely changed since then.

For several years, our local public school system used the CRCT. The test was so difficult that many educators and administrators were sentenced to jail because of providing false test scores in order to keep their jobs.

We didn’t want to place that kind of pressure on our kids, so we only tested every three years, as our state law required.

My husband and I aren’t interested in teaching children to test well. We want them to learn material that will help them in their lives and future careers and, for many years, I just didn’t see how testing would help them reach that goal.

As my kids have gotten older, though, I’ve started to notice some things that caused me to reconsider my anti-testing stance.

For one thing, all of my kids have different skills and talents. One of them is a natural linguist and was bored to tears by studying the ELA material for their specific grade level.

One of them is a natural mathematician who has almost no patience to learn the math lessons assigned to their grade level.

And yet another is so eager to learn that they have already skipped a couple of grades.

It was time to assess where everyone was so I could omit the material they already knew and work on strengthening each child’s weaker areas.

What to Consider When Choosing A Standardized Testing Program

Another reason why I was hesitant to use homeschool standardized testing with my kids was their attention issues. Two of our children have ADD/ADHD and, honestly, the length of some of these tests are a bit much for my ADD as well.

So I knew I would need to choose an at-home standardized testing program that would be simple enough for me to administer and relaxed enough for my children to complete.

Which is why I was thrilled to learn about the Stanford-10 test.

I wouldn’t need to take my kids to an offsite testing location. I wouldn’t need to have someone else proctor the test. And I wouldn’t have to grade it myself. The ultimate low-stress standardized testing option for homeschoolers.

Do you use homeschool standardized testing with your kids? How do you go about choosing your program? Share your experiences in the comments!

Check out these other ways to make learning simple in your homeschool!

See even more ways to plan your homeschooling year on my Homeschool Planning Pinterest board!

How to Afford Homeschooling eBook Download

Colorful Birds Color Matching Activity for Kids

March 7, 2019 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

After what felt like the longest winter ever, we’re finally starting to see birds return to our neighborhood.

In our part of the country, we see lots of robins, cardinals, and occasionally blue jays, all of which have their unique color patterns.

That gave me an idea for a fun bird color matching activity for kids!

Just in time for spring!

Easy and Fun Color Matching Activity for Kids

This is a perfect quick learning activity for little ones.

You’ll only need a couple of supplies and you can prep it in less than five minutes!

Read on to see how to get your copy free!

And for more ways to learn about birds this spring, don’t miss our printable bird identification flashcards!

Work on color recognition with this cute bird-themed color matching activity for kids! So simple for an early learning activity!

Colorful Birds Color Matching Activity for Kids

To use this color matching activity for kids, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Scissors
Glue stick (optional)
Laminator (optional)
Hook and loop sticky dots (optional)

To get started, simply print the tree color board and the colorful birds pages.

Bird Color Matching Activity for Preschoolers

Cut the birds out and let the kids match each bird to the correct color spot in the tree.

You can have them glue the birds to their color squares.

Or you can laminate both pages and use hook and loop stickers to make a reusable activity.

Preschool Bird Color Matching Activity for Kids

This would be great for a busy bag or an early learning center!

Get a look at this activity in the video below!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Colorful Birds Color Matching Activity!

Check out these other early learning ideas for kids!

Share some of these lovely children's books about birds with your kids this spring or fall! These are wonderful for learning more about how these incredible creatures live!

These simple bird species identification cards are fun for learning about common bird species during spring! Use them with early grades science lessons!

Help tots and preschoolers practice letter and number literacy with these spring literacy mats! These are wonderful for welcoming the warmer weather with little ones!

To get your copy of our Colorful Birds Color Matching Activity, just click the image or the link below to have it – and our weekly newsletter – sent to your email inbox.

Click here to get your free printable resource!

>>> Colorful Birds Matching Activity <<<

Learn to match colors with your little ones with this fun and easy bird color matching activity for preschoolers!

Spring Sight Words! Spring Sight Words Flashcards

March 4, 2019 by Selena Robinson 8 Comments

The first day of spring is approaching! Woohoo!

Since Roo has been working on sight words lately, I thought I’d make some spring sight words flashcards and I’m sharing them with you all today!

Learning to read sight words is a huge leap forward for early literacy skills. It’s the first step toward reading short stories.

Preschoolers and kindergartners who master sight words will be on their way to reading in no time!

These are so fun for working on early reading skills with preschoolers and kindergarteners!

Plus, you can use them for matching games, writing practice, and more!

Read on to see how to get your set.

If you enjoy these, be sure to check out our other spring resources, including our Busy Bee Scissor Skills Worksheets and our All About Flowers printable unit!

These spring sight words learning cards are great for building reading skills!

Spring Sight Words Flashcards for Kids

To use these spring sight words flashcards, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (for making the cards sturdy)
Hook and loop adhesive coins (optional)
Dry erase markers (optional)

Spring Noun Sight Words Practice for Kids

These flashcards feature eight spring-themed sight words, including:

Bird
Seed
Rabbit
Duck
Garden
Flower
Rain
and Day

There are three sets of cards: one with pictures and words, one with just pictures, and one with just words.

Spring Sight Words Practice for Pre-readers

Once a child learns to recognize the words and pictures together, try reviewing the word cards to help them start identifying sight words on their own!

Spring Sight Words Literacy Practice for Kids

How to Use Spring Sight Words Flashcards with Early Readers

Introduce these noun spring-themed sight words to students by reviewing all of the cards together.

Be sure to read through each word carefully. Spell it out loud with your students.

Learning Spring Sight Words with Early Readers

Talk about the pictures on each card as well. This can be especially helpful for ELL students.

Fun Noun Sight Words Practice for Early Readers

Use the picture matching cards to build confidence and recognition skills.

Spring Sight Words Practice at Literacy Centers

Move on to the labeling cards for students who are ready to read the words on their own.

You can also laminate the cards and let students use the blank labels to write the sight words themselves.

Or add hook and loop adhesive coins to turn these into reusable matching activities for centers!

Scroll down to pick up your set of spring sight words flashcards!

Don’t miss these other spring learning ideas for kids!

Grab these fun busy bee scissor skills printables to help little ones practice using scissors!

These spring science ideas are wonderful for teaching science to the kids this year!

Make this easy spring toilet roll butterfly craft with your kids! So fun and simple for little ones!

These Spring Sight Words learning cards are included in our Seasons of Sight! Sight Words Learning Cards set!

With this resource, you can introduce your students to 32 seasonally-themed noun sight words and use a hands-on approach for mastery.

A handy sight words chart is also included.

See this product in full in the video!

To pick up this early literacy resource, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check it out below!

Spring A to Z Alphabet Flashcards

February 25, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Do you feel that? That’s spring in the air!

I’m not a fan of winter and, every year, I count down the days until I can hear baby birds chirping outside. To help the kids get excited for spring too, I thought I’d share a super cute set of Spring A to Z Alphabet Flashcards!

These are so adorable for helping little ones learn about the alphabet in a fun, spring-themed way!

Read on to see how to get your set of these alphabet flashcards free!

And, if you’re in the mood for more spring learning fun, don’t miss our All About Flowers Unit Study! It’s a complete thematic unit for grades 1-4!

Spring A to Z Alphabet Flashcards

To use these spring A to Z alphabet flashcards, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Laminator (optional: for making the cards durable)
Scissors

This set features 26 letter flashcards with sweet spring words and pictures.

Toddlers can use them to learn the letters of the alphabet in order.

Preschoolers and kindergartners can use them to practice beginning phonics, since the name of each picture begins with the letter on the card.

Challenge your little ones to see if they can put the cards in order from A to Z! Or say each word and let your child guess the beginning letter. If they guess right, they get to keep the card!

Scroll down to get your set of our Spring A to Z Alphabet Flashcards!

Check out these other fun spring printables for kids!

See more ways to make spring learning fun on my Spring Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

To get your copy of our Spring A to Z Alphabet Flashcards, sign up for our email newsletter! It’s free and you’ll get access to these printables and lots more in our exclusive Subscriber Library!

Just use the widget below to get started.

Shoot and Score! A Printable Multiplication Game for Kids

February 18, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

If I want my boys to learn anything at all, I just have to find a way to include basketball. They are big fans of the sport and they love everything B-ball related.

So when I was ready for them to practice multiplication facts, I thought “What better way to get them interested than to make times tables into a basketball-themed game?” And that’s how the printable multiplication game Shoot and Score! was born.

Read on to see how to “score” a copy of this game for yourself!

By the way, if you enjoy this printable, grab a set of our free college basketball worksheets also! They’re perfect for keeping the kids learning while watching the college basketball tournament this year!

Shoot and Score! Printable Multiplication Game

To play this printable multiplication game, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Cardstock (for backing the flashcards)
Laminator (optional: for the game board and the cards)

The goal of Shoot and Score! is to “shoot” the correct number through the multiplication problem “hoop” it matches!

Full instructions are provided and the game can be played by 1-4 players.

This game includes multiplication facts from 2, 5, and 10 times tables.

Plus, there’s an answer key in the back for kids to check their work!

Scroll down to get your Shoot and Score! Printable Multiplication Game!

Check out these other fun basketball learning activities!

Check out the Shoot and Score printable multiplication game for yourself below!

Free Printable Flashcards: ASL Number Flashcards

February 14, 2019 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Over the last month, we’ve featured free printable flashcards for learning shapes, colors, and alphabet animals. Today I’m sharing a set of free ASL number flashcards for learning how to sign the numbers 0-9 in sign language!

I’ve been using American Sign Language since I was a child. In fact, my husband, I, and our four children attend an American Sign Language congregation, and we thoroughly enjoy it. One of the first concepts we started teaching our kids was how to count in sign language and that’s where these sign language number flashcards came in handy!

I hope these are helpful in teaching your kids how to sign the numbers from 0 to 9! Once kids learn how to count numbers in sign language, help them learn the alphabet with our sign language alphabet flashcards!

What’s In the ASL Number Flashcards Pack?

To use these flashcards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided for convenience. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (for keeping the flashcards durable)

This 11-page printable pack includes:

A set showing the ASL numbers from 0-9 with number words
A set showing the ASL numbers from 0-9 with numerals
And a set showing the ASL numbers by themselves

You might decide to use the first sets to help kids learn how to relate numerals and number words, along with the sign language numbers. The third set is perfect for reviewing numbers and conducting a pop quiz.

With younger learners, you could make two copies and play a matching game.

Scroll down to get your Sign Language Numbers flashcards!

Resources for Learning to Count in Sign Language:

For more ways to teach counting in sign language, try these resources!

1. ABCs and Counting in Sign Language – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Numbering in American Sign Language: Number Signs for Everyone – Dawn Sign Press

3. Hand Sign Numbers 1-10 Toys – Plan Toys

4. Help Me Learn: Counting 1-10 in American Sign Language – Joan and Allen Silvey

Be sure to grab these printable resources for kids!

And get more tips for teaching kids how to sign on my American Sign Language lessons Pinterest board!

Get our ASL Numbers flashcards free when you sign up for our weekly newsletter below! In the welcome email, you’ll get access to our special password-protected page for subscribers.

Or get our Sign Language Number Flashcards, plus our Sign Language Alphabet Flashcards and our ASL Weather Fingerspelling Printables, in our ASL for Kids Learning Bundle!

20 Adorable Counting Books for Kids

February 11, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Learning to count is one of the most important skills for early learners. After all, until you learn to count, you won’t be able to tell that your sibling got more cookies than you.

Which, if you ask any three-year-old, is one of the world’s greatest injustices.

We loved using manipulatives and printables to help our kids learn to count. But another wonderful resource for teaching counting is storybooks. And that’s why I wanted to share this list of adorable counting books for kids!

This list is full of cute kids’ books about counting that help children learn to count by 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s – all the way to 100! They’re perfect for building literacy skills and math fluency at the same time.

Read on to see which counting books made the list! And for more practice with counting, check out our free printable Toy Counting to 100 flashcards!

20 Adorable Counting Books for Kids

This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.

1. Anno’s Counting Book – by Mitsumasa Anno

2. Counting with Tiny Cat – by Viviane Schwarz

3. So Many Bunnies: A Bedtime ABC and Counting Book – by Rick Walton

4. Counting with a Ladybug – by DK Publishing

5. One Gorilla: A Counting Book – by Anthony Browne

6. Sheep Won’t Sleep: Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s – by Judy Cox

7. Each Orange Had 8 Slices – by Paul Giganti, Jr.

8. 100 Bugs!: A Counting Book – by Kate Narita

9. Counting Our Way to Maine – by Maggie Smith

10. What Can You Spot?: Counting – by Max and Sid

See even more counting books for kids below!

11. On the Launchpad: A Counting Book about Rockets – by Michael Dahl

12. Push, Dig, Scoop!: A Construction Counting Rhyme – by Rhonda Gowler Greene

13. Ten Apples Up On Top! – by Dr. Seuss

14. How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? – by Jane Yolen

15. Counting with Frida: A Bilingual Counting Book – by Patty Rodriguez

16. Curious George Learns to Count from 1 to 100 – by H.A. Rey

17. Butterfly Colors and Counting – by Jerry Pallotta

18. Counting Kisses: A Kiss and Read Book – by Karen Katz

19. 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo: A Counting Book – by Eric Carle

20. 12 Ways to Get to 11 – by Eve Merriam

Did you love this list of super cute counting books for kids? Don’t miss these other early math learning activities!

Get even more ideas for teaching early math on my Math Mania Pinterest board!

Printable Spanish Flashcards: Spanish Color Flashcards

February 7, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I hope you’ve been enjoying our Printable Spanish Flashcards series! Today I’m sharing a new set of flashcards: Spanish Color Flashcards!

I don’t know why it took me so long to make these.

After all, learning to identify colors is one of the most important concepts for toddlers and preschoolers. Chalk it up to mommy brain.

There are actually several ways to identify Spanish colors. For example, purple can be expressed as either morado or purpúra, while brown can be identified as either café or marrón.

In this set of flashcards, I went with morado and café, but the other words are perfectly fine also.

Read on to see how to get your set of printable Spanish color flashcards!

And, for more foreign language learning, check out our Spanish Alphabet Mega Learning Kit!

Printable Spanish Flashcards: Spanish Color Flashcards

To use these Spanish color word flashcards, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Scissors
Laminator (if you want the cards to last)

After they’re printed, just cut them out, laminate them, and you’re good to go!

This product includes three sets of flashcards: one in Spanish, one in English, and one blank set. A pronunciation key is also provided to help you say the Spanish words correctly.

You can print several sets and use them as a matching game.

Or you might attach the blank set of cards (the ones that only have the color blocks on them) to household objects with masking tape and challenge your kids to identify the correct color in Spanish.

There are plenty of ways to use these!

Since the English color words are also included, these would be a wonderful learning tool for early learners as well!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Spanish Color Flashcards!

Don’t miss these other Spanish learning resources for kids!

And don’t miss our other printable Spanish flashcards!

To get your set of these Spanish color flashcards, check out the details below!

Simple Green Eggs and Ham Inspired Poetry Activity

February 4, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Since we’ve been working through BookShark Level 1 with our youngest, we’ve gotten to read plenty of wonderful stories. When I looked at the bookshelf and noticed we had yet to read Green Eggs and Ham, though, I wanted to jump for joy.

As a child, I read The Cat In the Hat first. But Green Eggs and Ham is, by far, my favorite Dr. Seuss book. I love it so much.

With the help of our BookShark program, we turned this classic story into a simple Green Eggs and Ham poetry activity. My first grader loved it!

Take a look at how we extended this story into a super easy creative writing lesson! And for more practice with ELA, don’t miss our printable Construction Contractions Language Arts lesson!

Disclosure: I am a BookShark brand ambassador and am receiving free curriculum as part of my role.

Easy Green Eggs and Ham Poetry Activity for Kids

To do this simple Green Eggs and Ham poetry activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Green printer paper
Black marker
White Posterboard or Giant Wipe Off Index Card
Dry Erase Marker (only needed if you’re using the wipe off index card)

We began by reading Green Eggs and Ham. Our little one read it to me while I sat and looked on. She found the story and the illustrations hilarious.

At one point, after Sam-I-am offered the green eggs and ham again, she actually said “He just told you he doesn’t like it!”

In our BookShark Level 1 lesson, the curriculum guide encouraged us to work on writing our own poem based on a food that we would not like to eat.

So I pulled out our giant laminated index card and started a couple of sentences. Then it was up to our first grader to fill in the blanks with her own ideas for yucky food and where she wouldn’t eat it.

Then I thought it would be a little more fun to let her write her answers on some “green eggs” of our own. So I just cut out some wiggly shapes from green paper.

She started by choosing a strange food color – “gold”. Then the food she added was noodles. Incidentally, she’d just had noodles for lunch that day. It’s entirely possible she was trying to tell me something.

When we started thinking of words that rhymed with noodles, she got to “doodles” and decided that would work.

Then it was time to think of a place she wouldn’t like to eat her strange food. She choose “at home”.

Which definitely made me think she was trying to tell me something.

And, naturally, if you won’t eat them at home, then you won’t eat them with a gnome either.

And her rhyme was done!

I asked her what she thought the lesson of the story was. She said “Don’t say you don’t like something just because it looks weird. You should try it.”

Score! Now let’s see if she remembers that little lesson the next time I serve dinner.

This Green Eggs and Ham poetry activity was just one of the activities in BookShark Level 1 for this book. Take a look at BookShark’s curriculum to see more ways you can use it to bring stories to life with your kids!

Check out these other reading activities for children!

And see more ways to make story time fun on my Reading for Kids Pinterest board!

Preschool Worksheets: Preschool Sorting Worksheets

January 31, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Have you ever taken a preschooler out to shop for clothes?

My four-year-old has recently developed a severe aversion to particular colors and textures, so shopping for clothing is…an interesting experience.

Here’s a sample exchange:

Me: “What do you think about this shirt?”

Her: *waves both arms frantically* “No, Mom! I only like purple right now!”

Clearly, she knows her colors.

Preschoolers typically do a great job at distinguishing colors, sizes, and quantities when it comes to things they prefer, but learning to sort common objects by color or amount can still be a little tricky.

So I’m sharing a brand new set of preschool worksheets today: color and number preschool sorting worksheets!

Preschool Sorting Worksheets for Colors and Numbers

These printables are a great way to give little learners some practice in recognizing colors, counting from one to four, and classifying items as sets – all in one activity!

Plus, they get a little fine motor practice too!

Read on to see how to get your set.

And, if you like these, check out our Apple Activities Preschool Bundle for more early learning fun!

Help preschoolers learn to sort objects by color and number with these colorful cubes preschool sorting worksheets! Just print, cut out the color cubes, and let the kids get to work!

Preschool Worksheets: Color and Number Preschool Sorting Worksheets

To use these Colorful Cubes! color and number preschool sorting worksheets, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printable Color Cube Preschool Sorting Worksheets

This cut-and-paste activity is a perfect hands-on lesson for preschoolers on colors and counting!

This product includes four color and number sorting worksheets, with directions.

Colorful Cubes Preschool Sorting Worksheets

Two printable pages of color cubes are included as well. Plus, a full answer key!

Once the kids cut out the color cubes, they can practice gluing the correct number of cubes in the right section on each worksheet.

You might want to have the kids match up the cubes before gluing.

That way, they’ll get a little extra practice and they’ll have time to switch any cubes around before gluing them down.

(Hint: If your child tends to have a meltdown over mistakes – like mine – the extra practice is totally worth it.)

Each worksheet has a section for different colors and quantities of color cubes.

Printable Colorful Cube Sorting Activity

There are enough color cubes on the two pages to fill all four worksheets – with several left over.

So if you want the kids to get a little extra scissor skills practice, they can work on cutting out the extra cubes afterward!

Scroll down to get your copy of our Color and Number Preschool Sorting Worksheets!

Check out some of our other printable preschool learning activities!

This pumpkin themed kindergarten ordinal number lesson is perfect for teaching early learners!

This fun ice cream themed shape sorting activity for kids is so cool for practicing shape recognition!

Use this fun hands on color mail sorting activity to help little ones practice color recognition! Prep it once and use at centers or in busy bags!

These preschool sorting worksheets are a fun way to practice recognizing colors and counting items in a set!

To get your set of these Colorful Cubes! color and number sorting worksheets, visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store or check them out below!

Free Printable Flashcards: Spanish Months of the Year Flashcards

January 28, 2019 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Want to learn more español with your kids? These Spanish months of the year flashcards are perfect for learning los meses del año!

You can use these for calendar time, spelling practice, a matching game, and more. And, since the English and Spanish month words are on each card, you can even use them to introduce the months of the year in English. Great for a preschool calendar unit!

If you’ve been following along with our free printable flashcards series, you’ll remember that we’ve already featured Spanish days of the week flashcards, Spanish food flashcards, Spanish family flashcards, and Spanish opposite word flashcards. Be sure to add these to your growing Spanish flashcards collection!

Need more Spanish language learning resources? Don’t miss our list of kids’ books for learning Spanish at home!

What’s In the Spanish Months of the Year Flashcards Pack?

To use these Spanish months of the year flashcards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are provided below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer Paper
Laminator (if you want the cards to last for a while)
Scissors

This pack includes three sets of months of the year flashcards. One set features both English and Spanish months, another features only English, and the third displays the Spanish months and abbreviations only.

Use them to review English and Spanish months of the year with your young learners!

As you’ll notice, the months of the year are not capitalized in Spanish. Don’t worry! That’s not a typo. 🙂

In Spanish, days of the week and months of the year are both written in all lowercase letters.

The resource also includes a pronunciation key to help you say the words correctly.

Scroll down to get your printable Spanish months of the year flashcards!

Don’t miss these other printable Spanish flashcards!

And be sure to follow my Foreign Language for Homeschoolers Pinterest board for more Spanish education ideas!

To get your copy of our printable Spanish months of the year flashcards, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll get these flashcards absolutely free, plus you’ll score lots of other printable freebies!