Must-Read Black History Books for Kids

January 10, 2017 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

In our family, black history is history. We teach it along with every other topic. We’ve covered African history, civil rights, and even jazz history with our children over the years. But we’ve also enjoyed sharing African-American storybooks that help them “see” themselves in stories.

As part of learning about history, we’ve read some wonderful black history books for kids over the years. Today I’m sharing some of the selections that I consider “must-read” books! If I missed any of your favorites, feel free to share your suggestions in the comments!

Image c/o: Brainsil / depositphotos

Must-Read Black History Books for Kids

(Affiliate links provided here for convenience. For more, see our Disclosure Policy.)

1. 100 African-Americans Who Shaped American History by Chrisanne Beckner (If you only get one, make it this one.)

2. Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

3. When the Beat was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip-Hop by Laban Carrick Hill

4. My Name is Truth: The Life of Sojourner Truth by Ann Turner

5. Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America

6. Fly High: The Story of Bessie Coleman by Louise Borden

7. Firebird by Misty Copeland

8. Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan

9. Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

10. A Weed is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver by Aliki

11. Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold

12. Black Cowboys by Ryan P. Randolph

13. Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington by Jabari Asim

14. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles (Check out our Ruby Bridges unit study!)

15. Alvin Ailey by Andrea Davis Pinkney

16. Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell

17. 28 Days: Moments in Black History That Changed the World by Charles R. Smith, Jr.

18. Fort Mose: And the Story of the Man Who Built the First Free Black Settlement in Colonial America by Glennette Tiley Turner

19. Molly, By Golly!: The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Firefighter

20. Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson (Don’t miss our Nelson Mandela unit!)

21. Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull

22. Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney

23. Tommy Traveler in the World of Black History by Tom Feelings (This is a tough one to find, but it is so worth it.)

24. The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch by Chris Barton

25. What Color is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

26. Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her by Amy Novesky

27. Jump Back, Paul: The Life and Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar by Sally Derby

28. Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz

29. Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound by Andrea Davis Pinkney

30. Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson by Barry Denenberg

31. When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson by Pam Munoz Ryan

32. Nothing But Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson by Sue Stauffacher

33. Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins by Carole Boston Weatherford

34. We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

Check out these other black history posts!

Plus, grab our ebook “We Got Jazz” for 120 pages of unit studies and activities about jazz greats, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and more!

Follow my Living History for Kids board on Pinterest for more history teaching ideas!

This post is part of the “Must-Read Books” linkup from iHomeschool Network! Stop by to read more awesome book lists from my fellow bloggers!

STEM for Homeschoolers: How to Build a Toothpick Bridge with Pitsco Education!

January 3, 2017 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

STEM education is a huge priority in our homeschool these days. We’ve got a busy middle schooler and I want her to get a good introduction to science, technology, engineering, and math during these years. That way, as she goes on in her schooling, she won’t be intimidated by these subjects later. And who knows? Maybe she’ll become an engineer herself!

So I jumped at the chance to try the Toothpick Bridges Maker Project from Pitsco Education! See how this curriculum helps kids learn how to build a toothpick bridge and learn about design and engineering at the same time!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

Pitsco Education Toothpick Bridges Maker Project

Pitsco Education offers many, many resources for homeschoolers who want to work on STEM concepts with their kids. Each of the resources are grouped by category. For example, if you want to focus on math, you can browse plenty of awesome math projects. What I love about Pitsco’s product selection is that all of the lessons feature hands-on projects, which are an incredible teaching method for active homeschoolers (like ours).

The Pitsco Education Toothpick Bridges Maker Project was the foundation for our lesson. In the kit, there are:

Structural glue
A ton of toothpicks
Bottles for handling the glue
A toothpick bridge tester
And an instructional video on how to design your own toothpick bridge

We also received the complete lesson plan Masterpiece Toothpick Bridges: A Guide for Teachers and Students, which was a huge help for me as the educator. The plan includes plenty of activities, research, and illustrations to make an entire month of lessons based on this concept. It’s very, very detailed and an excellent in-depth lesson we’ll be working on through the rest of the year.

How to Build a Toothpick Bridge

I was so thankful for the Toothpick Bridges DVD. It really helped my middle schooler to “see” exactly what the process is for designing and creating her bridge.

Since she has ADHD, she watched the video once and said “I got it!” As we started on the project, though, I could see that she didn’t really get it quite yet. So I played it a second time and watched it along with her, pausing frequently to ask about her understanding. That really helped her get a clearer idea of what was involved in the process.

In the Toothpick Bridges teachers’ guide, there are examples of stunning toothpick bridges constructed by students. Some of these are practically works of art. This time, though, we stuck to the basics.

We started by creating a paper template to use as the design for our bridge sides. My middle schooler used the template on the DVD as her guide.

Then it was time to start measuring how many toothpicks we’d need for each side. We laid them down on the template to get a look at how to place them before we started adding glue.

As the video shows, building these bridges takes time. You can only create one side at a time and you can only construct one set of diagonals at a time. Which meant that we’d work on it for a while, let it set up, then resume working on it. For a child with a short attention span, this was an excellent activity for working on a longer-term project.

Once the individual sides dry, you can stand them up and attach them together, forming your bridge. As you can see, we used a LOT of glue. Next time, we’ll cut back on that a bit…lol.

Once our bridge was constructed, it was time to test it! The goal here is to put as much weight as you can possibly can on the bridge to see how much it can bear before it breaks.

As the video showed, we put on some safety goggles first. No one wants to catch a toothpick in the eye.

We placed a piece of wood (from the Toothpick Bridge tester) on the bridge and tied the bucket to a string. Our bridge wasn’t quite wide enough for the piece of wood to lie straight down, so it’s possible that our results were a bit skewed. Next time, we’ll be sure to use the piece of wood as the template for how wide the flatbed of the bridge should be.

We gradually added sand to the bucket until…the bridge broke!

Afterward, we weighed the sand to see how much our bridge could hold before breaking. It was 6.5 pounds! Who knew you could hold up six and a half pounds with just toothpicks!

This was a STEM activity we truly loved. And we’ll be repeating it again this school year now that we have a better understanding of how to engineer a bridge from scratch.

Are you working on STEM concepts with your kids this year? Be sure to check out the incredible products available from Pitsco Education for kids!

Plus, get more ideas for teaching STEM on my STEM for Homeschoolers Pinterest board!

Free Winter Printables for Preschoolers

December 13, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Winter is a great time to get kids excited about learning! Especially when the weather is so awful no one wants to venture outside. 🙂

If you have older kids (like I do), it can be tough to keep your younger ones involved in your homeschooling lessons. Our preschooler always wants to be at the table with her older siblings during class, no matter what we’re learning about. I could be teaching organic chemistry and she’d want to be involved.

So I use a lot of preschool printables to keep her learning along with the older kids. If you enjoy using winter printables with your children, these free winter printables for preschoolers are a fun way to let your younger kids get involved!

And if you love these, don’t miss our printable winter sight word flashcards – perfect for working on early reading skills!

Free Winter Printables for Preschoolers

1. Free Snowflake Counting Flashcards – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Printable Winter Clothes Dress Up Busy Bag – Teaching Mama

3. Printable Winter Easy Pack for Kids – Kids Activities Blog

4. Winter Printable Pack for Toddlers and Preschoolers – Totschooling

5. Printable Winter Nature Walk Trivia – Rain or Shine Mamma

6. Roll A Snowman Printable Game – Kiddy Charts

7. Free Winter Coloring Pages – Crafty Morning

8. Free Winter Printable Activity Pack – A Little Pinch of Perfect

9. Printable Winter Bucket List for Preschoolers – No Time for Flashcards

10. Winter Color by Number Printables – Itsy Bitsy Fun

11. Color the Snowman Buttons Printable – Gift of Curiosity

12. Winter PreK/K Pack – This Reading Mama

13. Arctic Animal Flash Cards – Look! We’re Learning!

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Basic Coding for Kids with Bitsbox!

December 9, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

My sixth-grader is a bit…shall we say, math-averse? She can do the work, but she really, really, really doesn’t like it. Teaching her math can be frustrating for both of us. And, since she has ADHD, keeping her attentive during lessons is a challenge all its own.

But, in today’s society, learning a STEM skill, such as computer coding, is critical to understanding the modern world and developing a stable career. There’s just no way around it.

Naturally, I want my daughter to feel comfortable pursuing a career in any sector she wants. But I was at a loss as to how to get her excited about STEM learning. Which is why I was so glad to be selected to try the Bitsbox monthly subscription box!

Read on to see how we’ve been using Bitsbox to teach basic coding for kids in a super fun way! Plus, learn how to save 20 percent on your first month’s subscription!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Why Teaching Basic Coding for Kids Can Be Tough

I think that I might be a member of the last generation born before the widespread use of the Internet. I vividly remember the day we got our first modem. It was a huge event.

I’m mentioning that because writing computer coding is just not something I learned as a child. It wasn’t until after I became an adult and got started as a web content writer that I discovered how webpages are made. It was fascinating, but the learning curve was steep.

I knew that I wanted my kids, especially my daughters, to learn coding at an early age. But let’s face it: writing computer code is NOT the most glamorous thing in the world. And since my oldest daughter has ADHD, I was concerned that the required attention to detail would make it almost impossible for her.

Thanks to Bitsbox, though, I don’t have to even wonder how to make coding interesting. It’s all been done for me! This is the very first time my daughter said “That was fun. I want to learn more.” about anything involving a STEM-related skill. Which is a huge win for us.

How Bitsbox Makes Basic Coding for Kids a Snap

So what’s so special about Bitsbox? For one thing, the site is set up specifically for kids, so as a parent there’s very little direct instruction you’ll have to do. While I love teaching my children, by middle school I want them to develop some kind of independence and using Bitsbox really reinforced that with my daughter.

When you visit the site, you have the option to subscribe to the monthly box program or make a one-time purchase of a specific kit. Once you make your selection of either the Basic Bitsbox or the Deluxe Bitsbox, you just wait to receive your box in the mail. The first box is animal-themed, which was a perfect fit for our daughter, who loves all things animal.

Look at all these goodies!

Our Bitsbox, which is the most like the Deluxe Bitsbox, featured a slew of animal-themed apps written as code language on individual “Super Cards”. There were also stickers, temporary tattoos, miniature cards (for bite-sized coding), an envelope holder for our cards, and a VIP button.

Plus, we got a mystery toy – a Safari Origami set!

Each card gives a four-digit code that allows users to begin working on an app of their own. Once a student enters the code, he or she can write code in basic HTML that creates and animates an app on a virtual tablet that appears on the screen.

The cards progress from very, very easy to a bit more complex. The first app my daughter tried was called “Food Fight”, which walks you through coding that changes the background color of the tablet screen, places a piece of pie in the center, and then makes it explode. Fun, right?

But what caught my eye right away were the additional questions included in each Bitsbox app’s instructions. How can you change the background to a different color? Can you make an icon dance instead of explode?

Those are great, because they encouraged my daughter to look at coding as instructions that tell a webpage, program, or document what to do. Rather than just copying down the coding on the card, she started to think about what the instructions were actually implementing. That’s how you encourage kids to become engineers – by developing critical thinking.

After a few of the other basic apps, she wanted to move on to one of the more complex appls – Run Dodo Run. The coding actually lets kids make their (basic) computer game!

The instructions include a primer on working with coordinate geometry – something we’ll actually be talking about in math this year. So I copied the coordinates on the board and had her find a few ordered pairs.

As she learned, the numbers in the coding can mean anything from the places on the screen you want icons to appear to how fast you want objects to move or how high you want them to stand.

When she first entered the coding, the game wouldn’t work. And guess what? I refused to help her find the mistake. After a few minutes, she called out “I found it!”, corrected it, and voila! Her game worked just fine.

This is a child who can get so frustrated with a mistake in a math problem that she wants to quit. But she wanted to see her Bitsbox app work, so she stuck with it. The fact that the program encouraged her to see her project through was one of the biggest benefits I saw from using the box. And this was on the very first day.

Take a look at how her coded game works in the video above!

She had such fun with this program that she wants to work with it everyday. I see a future coder in our family!

If you’re ready to get your kids excited about computer coding, I cannot recommend Bitsbox enough. It’s worth a try to see how much it helps your children learn just how awesome writing code can be!

And now for the really awesome news: You can score a 20 percent discount on your first month’s subscription to Bitsbox! Just use the unique promo code SELENA20 at checkout and – boom! – 20 percent comes off the price of your first box! And you can use it on a one-month, three-month, or twelve-month subscription. So there’s no length requirement to get your discount!

Just a note: You can use this 20 percent off code on any Bitsbox subscription, but it is not valid for purchases from the one-time product shop or for subscription renewals. All subscriptions renew automatically on the first of each month, so if you want to cancel, you’ll have to contact the company before then. But I really don’t think you’ll want to cancel. 🙂

To learn more about Bitsbox, subscribe to the company’s mailing list for news about products or sign up for the special mailing list for educators to get tips for how to use Bitsbox for your kids!

Plus, you can keep up with Bitsbox on social media using the following networks:

Don’t forget to use the special promo code SELENA20 to save 20 percent off your first month’s subscription! And when you sign up and receive your first box, be sure to let me know how you and your children like it!

Get more tips for teaching STEM to your kids with my STEM for Homeschoolers board on Pinterest!

ASL Lesson 11: How to Use Signs for School in Sign Language

November 29, 2016 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

It’s time for another American Sign Language lesson and, in this video, we’re learning how to use signs for school in sign language!

In the deaf community, schooling is a HUGE part of life. Many deaf children and adults attend institutions that are specifically geared to the deaf and hard-of-hearing, so they make lifelong connections at these schools. Some deaf kids and adults, though, attend public schools where they receive instruction alongside hearing individuals with the aid of an interpreter.

Either way, learning how to use signs related to school is important if you’re going to try to talk about education or schooling with a deaf or hard-of-hearing person. And learning these signs can help!

If you enjoy this lesson, stop by and check out how to sign animals in ASL and how to talk about weather in sign language too!

How to Use Signs for School in Sign Language

In this video, you’ll learn the ASL signs for the following words:

School
Book
Homeschool
Homework
Graduation
Backpack
Math
Science
Reading
English
Writing
and History!

Just a quick note here: In ASL, the sign “English” typically does not refer to the school subject. It generally refers to the English language. Deaf people who are hard-of-hearing or who attend hearing schools, though, may use the sign for “English” to refer to the subject or the study of English lit.

Not many deaf kids are homeschooled (at least not that I know of), but since we’re homeschoolers, I had to include the sign for “homeschool”. And it’s a literal compound sign: the sign for “home” and the sign for “school” stuck together. 🙂

If you enjoyed this ASL lesson on school signs, check out some of our other American Sign Language lessons!

And get more ASL tips on my American Sign Language Lessons board on Pinterest!

Printable Spanish Flashcards: Spanish Alphabet Flashcards

November 25, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’ve been working on basic Spanish with our kids for some time, but I realized recently that I’ve never shared a set of flashcards that focus on learning the Spanish alphabet. Whoops!

These Spanish alphabet flashcards are a perfect resource to help your children learn to memorize all 29 letters of the Spanish alphabet. (Yes, there are 29 letters.)

Plus, the kids can use the flashcards to learn a different Spanish word for each letter as well as how to pronounce them all! Read on to see how to get a copy of these cards for your students!

If you enjoy these printables, be sure to check out our other printable Spanish flashcards, including our Spanish verb flashcards and our Spanish color flashcards!

Printable Spanish Flashcards: Spanish Alphabet Flashcards

To use these Spanish alphabet picture cards, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are used below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

Printer (with ink)
Printer paper
Scissors
Laminator (Good for keeping the cards sturdy)

In this printable Spanish flashcards pack, there are:

One set of alphabet flashcards in Spanish featuring one picture and vocabulary word for each letter of the alphabet
One set of English flashcards showing the English words for each Spanish letter card
And a complete Spanish alphabet pronunciation guide!

Scroll down to get your set of these Spanish alphabet learning cards for kids!

If you love these Spanish alphabet flashcards, check out our other Spanish learning printables!

To get your set of these Spanish alphabet cards, check them out below!

100 of the Very Best Picture Books for Preschoolers

November 21, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I’ve been a parent for nearly 13 years and we have four children. So I can tell you that it’s easy to get into the “routine” of parenting – just kind of going from day to day trying to keep your head above the water.

But something happens when your last child begins preschool. Personally, that snapped me out of the routine mindset and into the “treasure every moment” way of thinking. The thought that this is my last child to teach at home was a real jolt.

Piglet started PreK this fall, so we’re officially teaching our very last preschooler. And, since she already has a good grasp on letters, numbers, colors, counting, and shapes, I want to spend a lot of her preschool year exploring wonderful children’s books.

So I thought I’d make an ultimate list of the very best picture books for preschoolers. There are 100 of the best children’s picture books on this list, including modern stories and classic picture books that preschool-aged kids will love to read! But be warned, parents: Expect to read a lot of these over and over again.

If you love these selections, don’t miss our preschool homeschool reading list for this year!

100 Picture Books for Preschoolers

This post contains affiliate links. See our Disclosure Policy for details.

1. Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

3. The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

4. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

5. Waiting is Not Easy! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems

6. The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

7. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

8. Press Here by Herve Tullet

9. The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin

10. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

11. Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty

12. First 100 Animals by Roger Priddy

13. Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry

14. My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook

15. The Going-to-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

16. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

17. Good, Good Father by Chris Tomlin

18. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr

19. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

20. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

21. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

22. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes! by James Dean

23. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

24. Hands Are Not for Hitting by Martine Agassi, Ph.D.

25. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

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25 Fun Penguin Crafts and Activities for Kids

November 18, 2016 by Selena Robinson 5 Comments

It’s mid-November down here in the Southern U.S. and we’ve (finally) started to get some cold weather. So there’s no doubt that winter’s around the corner.

I have to be honest: Winter is probably my least favorite season. Me and cold weather just do not get along. (I’m from Florida. What can I say?)

But I do love making winter-themed crafts with the family, so I thought I’d find some super cute penguin crafts for kids to share today! And I’m not just saying that. These are really, really adorable.

These penguin crafts for kids would be a great way to add art to a winter or Arctic unit!

If your kids like these, don’t forget to check out some snowman crafts for kids you can make too!

25 Fun Penguin Crafts and Activities for Kids

1. Coffee Filter Penguin Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Tacky the Penguin Craft – I Heart Crafty Things

3. Penguin Sensory Bottle – Teaching Mama

4. Penguin Feathers Science Experiment – Raising Little Superheroes

5. Sledding Penguins Frozen Banana Snack – Reading Confetti

6. Easy Penguin Bookmark Corner – Red Ted Art

7. Paper Heart Penguin Craft – Crafty Morning

8. Penguin Coloring Page Craft – Kids Activities Blog

9. Round Penguin Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

10. Girl Penguin Craft for Kids – Housing a Forest

11. Penguin Footprint Art – Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

12. Paper Cup Penguin Craft – The Imagination Tree

13. Easy Origami Penguin Cards – Red Ted Art

14. Penguin Ice Cube Counting Game – Preschool Powol Packets

15. Skating Penguin Small World – Adventures of Adam

16. Macaroni Penguin – Parenting Chaos

17. Penguin Snowball I Spy Game – Simple Fun for Kids

18. Penguin Lacing Cards – Living Life and Learning

19. Penguin Water Bead Sensory Bin – 3 Dinosaurs

20. Circle Penguin Craft – Reading Confetti

21. Clay Penguin Photo Holder – Artsy Craftsy Mom

22. Penguin Puppets – I Can Teach My Child

23. Royal Penguin Kids’ Craft – I Heart Crafty Things

24. DIY Penguin Math Counters – The Educators’ Spin On It

25. Popsicle Stick Bow Tie Penguin Craft – Crafty Morning

If you loved these penguin crafts for kids, check out more of our winter learning ideas!

And you can get more fun winter teaching tips on my Winter Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

This post is part of the Penguin free unit study roundup! Stop by to read more penguin learning ideas from my fellow bloggers!

Toilet Paper Roll Penguin – Playdough and Popsicles

Children’s Books about Penguins – The Jenny Evolution

Fun Penguin Life Cycle App – iGameMom

Penguin Sight Words – Adventures of Adam

Do You Want to Dress a Penguin? – Sight Sound and Reading

Penguin Dress Up Activity – Schooling a Monkey

Penguin Videos for Kids – Tales of Education at Home

Slippery Ice Science Experiment – Craft Create Calm

Penguin Notebooking Pages – The Natural Homeschool

10 of The Best ADHD Homeschooling Tips Around

November 8, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

We’ve been writing about homeschooling with ADHD for a while. Which makes sense because we’re homeschooling kids with ADHD in our own family. 🙂

If you picture ADHD as a condition that involves constant motion, you’d be right…and wrong. Some kids are physically hyperactive, while others are mentally hyperactive, and still others are both and/or emotionally intense. ADHD looks different in different kids.

And that means that homeschooling a child with ADHD calls for some serious adaptation on the part of the homeschooling parent. Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t, so I’ve rounded up 10 of the best ADHD homeschooling tips around. Read through these and try them with your kids!

Image c/o: Yaruta / depositphotos

10 of the Best ADHD Homeschooling Tips

1. Read as much about ADHD and ADD as possible to find out how this disorder can affect children. Then be willing to incorporate as many learning strategies as you can. Here’s a list of my must-read books for ADHD homeschooling parents.

2. Stop trying to create the “ideal” homeschooling life. You know that mental picture of the parent smilingly teaching several children at the kitchen table? Yeah, forget that. Here’s why.

3. Spend some time watching your child to find out which type of ADHD he or she has. Learning how the disorder affects them personally can give you valuable insights into how to teach them. Brush up on the different types of ADHD for more.

4. Create a daily routine for your child that is ADHD-friendly. Bear in mind: This will NOT be a timed schedule, but a daily framework he or she can come to expect. Learn more about how to develop an ADHD daily routine that works for you.

5. Help your child set realistic learning goals that are tailored to his or her abilities. Then encourage them to meet those goals. Read more about how to help kids with ADHD meet their learning goals.

6. Consider making lifestyle changes to help your kids with ADHD sleep better at night. It’s a fact that kids learn better when they’re well rested. (Don’t we all?) Find out how to help your child with ADHD improve his or her sleep habits.

7. Adapt your teaching methods to suit your child’s attention span. While we want to help our kids learn to concentrate, they simply won’t if we teach them in the traditional manner. Here are a few ways to change up your teaching methods for kids with ADHD.

8. Use hands-on math activities. Math is often a headache for kids who have ADHD and/or attention issues. Executive functioning problems can make it difficult for children to follow a math problem through to the end and execute the required steps to solve it. Get some ideas from this list of math activities for ADHD students!

9. Limit the use of screens in your child’s day. Kids with ADHD who have a lot of screen time each day often struggle with attention span more than those who don’t, which can make homeschooling tougher. Take a look at how you can set screen time limits for your kids with ADHD.

10. Use a flexible homeschooling schedule and always, always, always be willing to change it. Try this list of 15 homeschool ADHD schedule ideas!

Want more ADHD homeschooling tips? Don’t miss these posts!

And for more support, grab a copy of my ebook “Homeschooling with ADHD”!

Follow my ADHD Tips board on Pinterest for more ideas!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Bears Unit Study for Kids

November 1, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

The days are getting shorter and shorter, which means that many of our forest friends are starting to gather food for winter. And that got me to thinking about bears, one of my favorite animals.

We have bears here in Georgia, but (fortunately) I have never seen one near my house. So I put together another one of our homeschool unit studies: a simple bears unit study for kids who want to learn more about these amazing mammals! There are videos, printables, and crafts below that you and your kids can use to study our furry friends!

If you like these, be sure to check out our list of bear books for kids to go along with this unit!

Homeschool Unit Studies: Bears Unit Study for Kids

Start your unit by learning about some of the most common bears around: The brown bear, the grizzly bear, and the black bear.

Brown Bear Facts for Kids:

Watch the following video and then ask your child to answer a few questions about brown bears.

Name three ecosystems in which brown bears live. (Answer: Rivers, meadows, and forests)
What else do brown bears use their sense of smell for besides sensing danger? (Answer: Communicating with other bears)
List three of the things brown bears eat. (Answer: Sedge grass, flies, salmon)
What skills do brown bear parents teach cubs? (Answer: Survival, hunting, and how to find shelter)
What animals often live in the same ecosystems with brown bears? (Answers include: Squirrels, wolves, deer, fish, bald eagles)

Grizzly Bear Facts for Kids:

To learn about the grizzly bear, watch this video and try to answer the questions that follow.

How did the grizzly bear gets its name? (Answer: Because the silver tips on its fur give it a “grizzled” appearance.)
What features set a grizzly bear apart from a black bear? (Answer: Grizzly bears have a large hump on their shoulders right behind their heads. Grizzly bears have claws that are twice as large as the black bear’s. Grizzly bears have curved profiles, while black bears have straighter profiles.)
What does a grizzly bear use its muscular shoulder hump for? (Answer: For help in digging up their food.)
How fast can a grizzly bear run? (Answer: Between 35 and 40 miles an hour.)
How much can a grizzly bear weigh? (Answer: Up to 700 pounds.)
Does a grizzly bear eat a lot of meat? (Answer: No, 85% of its diet consists of vegetables.)
How much distance does a grizzly bear travel in a day? (Answer: Up to 20 or 30 miles.)

Black Bear Facts for Kids

Now it’s time to learn a bit about black bears! Watch this video and then discuss the following questions. Just to be technical: This video refers to pandas as bears, which they are not. Other than that, it’s okay. 🙂

Where do black bears live? (Answer: In the forests of North America, Mexico, and Canada)
How do black bears keep themselves fed during hibernation? (Answer: They live off the energy from stored body fat.)
Is a black bear an omnivore, herbivore, or carnivore? (Answer: Omnivores, because they eat almost anything, including berries, fruit, and other animals.)
Do black bears live alone or in groups? (Answer: Black bears are solitary animals, typically living alone.)

Bear Printables for Kids

These bear printables for kids include activities for each elementary grade level!

Grade Tot/PK: Printable Bear Snores On Pack – 3 Dinosaurs
Grade PK: Printable Bear Math Patterns – Fun-A-Day
Grade PK: Brown Bear, Brown Bear Printable Activity – Growing Book by Book
Grade 1: Black Bear Reading Comprehension Worksheet – Comprehension Worksheets
Grades 1-2: Bear Essentials Lesson Plan – National Park Service
Grade 2: Grizzly Bear Printable – Enchanted Learning
Grade 3: Black Bear Worksheet – Education.com
Grade 3: Grizzly Bears Facts Worksheet – Education.com
Grade 4: Bear Essentials Lesson Plan – National Park Service
Grades 4-6:Grizzly Bears and Wolves Curriculum – U.S. Forest Service

Bear Activities and Crafts for Kids

Add some hands-on fun with these adorable bear activities and crafts!

Books about Bears:

Read about these lovable mammals with these fun bear books for kids!

Children’s Books about Bears – Look! We’re Learning!

And don’t miss these other fun posts!

See more science learning ideas on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

50 Winter Books for Kids

October 28, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

It takes a while for cold weather to reach us all the way down here in the South. But once it comes, it tends to stay for the rest of the season. Around the middle of November, we pull out our coats and we typically wear them without a break until April. 🙂

Last year, I shared plenty of free winter printables for kids and this year I wanted to follow up with a fun book list: Winter Books for Kids! I hope you love these stories! There are beautiful board books, cozy stories, and even a few nonfiction books to help kids learn more about this season!

50 Winter Books for Kids

1. Bright Baby Touch-and-Feel Winter by Roger Priddy

2. Animals in Winter (Let’s Read and Find Out Science) by Henrietta Bancroft

3. Winter is Coming by Tony Johnston

4. Winter Walk by Virginia Snow

5. The Mitten by Jan Brett

6. The Berenstain Bears’ Winter Wonderland by Jan & Mike Berenstain

7. The Storm Whale in Winter by Benji Davies

8. Winter Woes by Marty Kelley

9. The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming

10. Daniel’s Winter Adventure (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) by Becky Friedman

11. Winter: A Pop-Up Book by David Carter

12. Let It Snow by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

13. The Animals’ Winter Sleep by Lynda Graham-Barber

14. Before Morning by Joyce Sidman

15. A Warm Winter Tail by Carrie A. Pearson

16. Winter Lullaby by Barbara Seuling

17. Mouse’s First Snow by Lauren Thompson

18. It’s Winter! (Celebrate the Seasons!) by Susan Swan

19. Ride the Big Machines in Winter: My Big Machines by Carmen Mok

20. Bugs and Bugsicles: Insects in the Winter by Amy S. Hansen

21. Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen

22. All About Animals in Winter by Martha E. H. Rustad

23. No Two Alike by Keith Baker

24. A Winter’s Tale (Peter Rabbit) by Beatrix Potter

25. Winter by Gerda Muller

26. Winter, Awake! by Linda Kroll

27. Winter Pony by Jean Slaughter Doty

28. One Winter’s Day by M. Christina Butler

29. How Do You Know It’s Winter (Rookie Read-About Science) by Lisa M. Herrington

30. A Bed for the Winter, Level 1 by Karen Wallace

31. Little Critter: Just a Snowman by Mercer Mayer

32. Winter is Here! by Heidi Pross Gray

33. Winter Eyes by Douglas Florian

34. Guess How Much I Love You in the Winter: Deluxe Paper-Cut Edition by Sam McBratney

35. Winter on the Farm (Little House Picture Book) by Laura Ingalls Wilder

36. Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman

37. The Science of Snow: The Story of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino

38. Winter, Winter, Cold and Snow by Sharon Gibson Palermo

39. Lemonade in Winter: A Book about Two Kids Counting Money by Emily Jenkins

40. Winter’s Tale by Robert Sabuda

41. Winter Friends by Carl R. Sams II

42. When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan

43. The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Snow by Joanna Cole

44. Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser

45. One Winter’s Night by Claire Freedman

46. Winter Snow by Liesbet Slegers

47. The Winter Visitors by Karel Hayes

48. I See Winter by Charles Ghigna

49. Waiting Through Winter by Jason Farley

50. Baby Loves Winter: A Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Book

Love these cold weather stories? Grab more of our winter learning resources!

Need more winter activity inspiration? Follow my Winter Activities for Kids board on Pinterest!

20 Adorable Bear Books for Kids to Read

October 26, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I think of fall, I start picturing taking a long, long nap.

Hey, a mother of four can dream, right?

But for some animals, hibernation is a necessary part of life and that includes bears!

At the library recently, our preschooler found several books about bears that were just downright adorable and that got me searching for fun and educational, not to mention cute, bear books for kids.

Here’s a list of the titles we’ve found. By the way, these would be wonderful read aloud selections for a bear unit or even a hibernation unit!

Be sure to check these out when you’re building your homeschool reading list for this year!

For more books, browse our list of fall books for kids and leaf books for kids too!

20 Adorable Bear Books for Kids to Read:

1. National Geographic Readers: Bears by National Geographic Kids

2. The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach

3. Bears: Polar Bears, Black Bears, and Grizzly Bears by Deborah Hodge

4. Bear Snores On (The Bear Books) by Karma Wilson

5. The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland

6. Bears (Wildlife) by Diane Swanson

7. Breaking News: Bear Alert! by David Biedrzycki

8. Our Amazing World: Bears by Kay De Silva

9. Big Smelly Bear by Britta Teckentrup

10. Grizzly Bears by Molly Kolpin

11. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear

12. Sneeze, Big Bear, Sneeze! by Maureen Wright

13. The Grizzly Bear Who Lost His GRRRRR! by Rob Biddulph

14. National Geographic Little Kids Look and Learn: Bears by National Geographic Kids

15. American Black Bears by Molly Kolpin

16. Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom

17. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh

18. Don’t Feed the Bear by Kathleen Doherty

19. I Have A Little Problem, Said the Bear by Heinz Janisch

20. Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris

Don’t miss these other book lists for kids!

Plus, see more tips for raising readers on my Reading for Kids Pinterest board!

Fun Snowman Crafts for Kids

October 21, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I have to be honest. Winter is not my favorite season. There’s just something about cold weather that makes me want to curl up in bed and never get up. What I’m saying is that I’m basically a bear. 🙂

But I do love sharing winter crafts with my kids! Since we live in the South, we almost never see actual snow during winter, so we have to make our own. And these fun snowman crafts for kids are a simple way to do it! Check out these easy crafts you can share with your children this winter!

If you love these, don’t miss our All About Snowflakes Unit – a learning pack for kids in grades K-3! And if you have younger children, our Winter Sight Word Flashcards are an easy way to reinforce reading skills!

Fun Snowman Crafts for Kids

1. Borax Crystal Snowman – Science Kiddo

2. Cupcake Liner Snowman – I Heart Crafty Things

3. Snowman Factory – Buggy and Buddy

4. Melting Snowman Baking Soda Science Activity – Little Bins for Little Hands

5. Magic Foaming Snowman – Fun at Home with Kids

6. Build a Snowman Activity Tray – Happy Hooligans

7. Shredded Paper Snowman – Housing a Forest

8. Snowman Suncatcher – Craftulate

9. Squishy Snowman Sensory Bag – Mama Papa Bubba

10. Easy Snowman Footprint Craft – Teach Mama

11. Paper Snowman Craft – Easy Peasy and Fun

12. Tin Can Snowman – Hands On as We Grow

13. Snowman Stick Puppets – I Heart Crafty Things

14. LEGO Snowman – Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

15. Name Snowmen – Fun-A-Day

16. Build a Snowman Bottle – Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

17. Melting Snowman Slime – Little Bins for Little Hands

18. Egg Carton Snowman – Sugar Aunts

19. Paper Plate Snowman – I Heart Crafty Things

20. Cotton Ball Snowman – Easy Peasy and Fun

Make winter even more fun for your kids with these activities!

Plus, get more winter activity ideas on my Winter Activities for Kids Pinterest board!

Stop by and get more winter craft and activity inspiration from these posts!

Snowflake Printable Math Activity from Playdough and Popsicles

Exciting Children’s Reading List about Snow from Crafty Mama in ME

Board Books Celebrating Winter from The Jenny Evolution

Snow Science from iGameMom

Snowman Ornament from CraftCreateCalm

Melting Ice Science Experiment from Tales of Education at Home

Want to Build a Snowman? from Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading

Literacy Games for Kids: Outdoor Ice Scrabble from Schooling a Monkey

Snow Games for Kids Outside from FrogMom

Simple Homeschool Reading List for 6th Grade

October 13, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Since we have a sixth grader this year (our first middle schooler!), I’ve been looking around for great kids’ books for her age range for some time.

If you have a tween, I don’t have to tell you that it actually seems as if you’re parenting two different children: one that acts about 20 and one that acts about 6. My daughter switches between both age levels almost simultaneously.

I really wanted her to progress to reading thought-provoking books this year, but I also want her to indulge her silly side a bit. So I put together this homeschool reading list for 6th grade. There are serious and eye-opening selections, as well as some playful ones – perfect for both sides of the tween mind.

Be sure to see our preschool reading list and our third grade reading list for this year also!

Image c/o: robertsrob / depositphotos

Homeschool Reading List for 6th Grade

1. The View from Saturday – E.L. Konigsburg

2. Miracle’s Boys – Jacqueline Woodson

3. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

4. Drama – Raina Telgemeier

5. Homeless Bird – Gloria Whelan

6. The Skin I’m In – Sharon G. Flake

7. Bud, Not Buddy – Christopher Paul Curtis

8. Dork Diaries #1: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life – Rachel Renee Russell

9. M.C. Higgins, The Great – Virginia Hamilton

10. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life – James Patterson

11. Sounder – William H. Armstrong

12. Out of My Mind – Sharon M. Draper

Don’t miss our other book lists!

Plus, get more tips for raising readers on my Reading for Kids Pinterest board!

25 Insect Activities for Kids

October 10, 2016 by Selena Robinson 11 Comments

Kids just love learning about insects! Maybe it’s because they’re so small. Or because they make grown adults (like myself) flee in terror. Either way, bugs are a super popular topic for learning in our family.

If you have budding entomologists in your home, they’ll love these insect activities for kids! There are printables, hands-on experiments, crafts, and games for kids of all ages who want to find out more about these amazing, creepy-crawly creatures!

For more buggy fun, try these cool picture books about bugs for kids to read!

25 Insect Activities for Kids

1. Bug Printables Pack – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Insect Sensory Bin – Stir the Wonder

3. Melting Insect Sensory Painting – Crayon Box Chronicles

4. Insect Small World – Childhood 101

5. Draw the Missing Half Insect Printables – Adventure in a Box

6. Insect Play Dough Prints – Learning 4 Kids

7. Insects Unit Study – Gift of Curiosity

8. Insect Emergent Readers – The Measured Mom

9. Montessori-Inspired Insect Unit – Living Montessori Now

10. Insect Nature Study Printables – Homeschool Creations

11. Insect Investigation Worksheet – Kitchen Counter Chronicles

12. DIY Insect Memory Game – Kids Activities Blog

13. Insect Hotel Activity – Teach Beside Me

14. Picture Books about Bugs – Look! We’re Learning!

15. Insect Counting Cards – Pre-K Pages

16. Build an Insect Activity – Handmade Kids Art

17. Insect Movement Game – Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

18. Insect Do a Dot Printables – Housing a Forest

19. Insect Lab Nature Investigation – Inner Child Fun

20. Indoor Bug Hunt – No Time for Flashcards

21. Melting Insects in Ice Activity – Learning 4 Kids

22. Learning about Insect Body Parts – Gift of Curiosity

23. Bugs in a Jar Math Game – The Measured Mom

24. Insect Alphabet Matching Game – Pre-K Pages

25. Ladybug Learning Activity Pack – Look! We’re Learning!

Don’t miss these other fun bug-themed activities!

Find more ideas for teaching kids about animals on my It’s Science Pinterest board!

This post is part of the 31 Days of ABCs series! Read on to see other great posts!

After taking a break last year due to the arrival of Baby #3, we are back with one of my favorite series, the 31 Days of ABC! You can look forward to 31 more days of activities, crafts, books, apps, and more, all dedicated to teaching young children the alphabet.

I am so happy to be working with an amazing group of kid bloggers, who will be sharing their amazing ideas with us in the coming days. And this year for the first year we are also adding a giveaway, so be sure to scroll to the end and enter for a chance to win!

So join us as we jump, skip, hop, and read our way through the alphabet this October!

31 Days of ABC

Teaching the ABCs – October 1

All Done Monkey: Creating a Preschool Letter of the Week Curriculum

A – October 2

Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails: Apple Scented Glitter Glue and Apple Craft

B – October 3

Witty Hoots: How to Make Fabulous Button Bookmarks

C – October 4

Preschool Powol Packets: Construction Truck Preschool Action Rhyme

D – October 5

ArtsyCraftsyMom: Printable Dinosaur Alphabet Sequencing Puzzle

E – October 6

Preschool Powol Packets: Elephant Art Project and Thailand Lesson

F – October 7

Spanglish Monkey: Spanish-English ABC Flashcards

G – October 8

Royal Baloo: Simple Ghost Painting Project

H – October 9

Peakle Pie

I – October 10

Look! We’re Learning!

J – October 11

All Done Monkey

K – October 12

Preschool Powol Packets

L – October 13

Raising a Trilingual Child

M – October 14

Creative World of Varya

N – October 15

Peakle Pie

O – October 16

For the Love of Spanish

P – October 17

Little Hiccups

Q – October 18

All Done Monkey

R – October 19

Sugar, Spice & Glitter

S – October 20

Crafty Mama in ME

T – October 21

Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes

U – October 22

Witty Hoots

V – October 23

Creative World of Varya

W – October 24

X – October 25

All Done Monkey

Y – October 26

Our Daily Craft

Z – October 27

123’s – October 28

Hispanic Mama

Prewriting – October 29

Sugar Aunts

Books, Songs, & Apps – October 30

The Jenny Evolution

Alphabet Clip Cards – October 31

The Kindergarten ConnectionFind more great resources in 31 Days of ABCs 2013 and 2014!

25 Airplane Crafts for Kids

October 7, 2016 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

My three-year-old is constantly on the lookout for airplanes in the sky. If one of the other kids spots one, she has a fit until we show her where to look. Sometimes she doesn’t see it in time and then, well, let’s say she doesn’t handle that well. 🙂

Children of all ages love airplanes. There’s just something about the idea of flying through the sky that sends their imaginations soaring! So I rounded up 25 airplane crafts for kids that are fun, easy to make, and let kids “fly” just as high as they want!

If you love these, don’t miss our list of 25 leaf crafts or our list of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory crafts for kids!

25 Airplane Crafts for Kids:

1. How to Make a Paper Airplane – Tinkerlab

2. Paper Airplane Launcher – Frugal Fun 4 Boys

3. STEM Paper Airplane Challenge – Kids Activities Blog

4. Airplane Clothespin Kids’ Craft – DIY Inspired

5. Airplane Play Dough – My Nearest and Dearest

6. Airplane Coloring Pages – Itsy Bitsy Fun

7. Airplane Sensory Bin – My Mundane and Miraculous Life

8. Footprint Airplane Canvas – Glued to My Crafts

9. DIY Airplane Crayons – Nothing If Not Intentional

10. Star Wars Paper Airplane Comparison – Royal Baloo

11. Craft Stick Airplane – Pleasantest Thing

12. Make an Airplane Runway for Kids – Dirt and Boogers

13. Paper Airplane Races – Creative Family Fun

14. A is for Airplane Craft – Kidz Activities

15. Giant Paper Airplanes – Fireflies and Mud Pies

16. Wooden Toy Airplane Craft – Moms and Crafters

17. Stunt Paper Airplane – Craftulate

18. Design a Propeller Plane – Planet Smarty

19. Paper Airplane Hangers

20. Egg Crate Airplane – Schooling a Monkey

21. Easy Toilet Paper Airplane – Spaceships and Laser Beams

22. Make a Straw and Paper Airplane – Tinkerlab

23. Paper Airplane Canvas Art – Mom Endeavors

24. Toilet Roll Airplane – Your Modern Family

25. LEGO Paper Airplane Launcher – Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Don’t miss these other crafts for children!

See more fun crafts for kids to make on my Simple Crafts for Kids Pinterest board!

This post is part of the Free Unit Studies blog hop! Stop by to read more fun airplane posts from these bloggers!

Styrofoam Cup Airplane Craft from Playdough and Popsicles

Exciting Reading List of Airplane Children’s Books from Crafty Mama in ME

Airplane Crafts for Kids from Look! We’re Learning!

Airplane Board Books for Toddlers from The Jenny Evolution

Airplane Travel from iGameMom

Learning Numbers with Airplanes from My Storytime Corner

Airplane Preschool Printables from Living Life and Learning

Airplane Color by letter Sight Words from Mrs. Karle’s Sight and Sound Reading

Airplane High Frequency Words from Adventures of Adam

Clothespin Airplane Engineering Challenge from Schooling a Monkey

ASL Lesson 10: How to Ask Questions in Sign Language

October 4, 2016 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

It’s been almost literally forever, but I’ve got another sign language lesson for you today! And it only took 365 days! This lesson is all about how to ask questions in ASL.

When you’re first learning sign language, using questions can be kind of awkward. First, they nearly always appear at the end of a sentence, which is weird to English speakers.

Example: “Where did you eat last night?”

In ASL, you would sign: “Last night, you eat where?” (Or something similar)

So it can be kind of strange using them. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll be signing questions all over the place! Read on to learn more about how to ask questions in sign language!

How to Ask Questions in Sign Language

This video includes a lesson in how to sign these common question words:

Who
What
Where
Why
When
How
What’s up

I also talk a little about how these question words are used. For example, “What’s up?” in sign language is often used as an informal greeting, just as it is in English. (“Hey! What’s up?) But it’s also used to ask for more information or for an explanation of a concept.

So you might see a sentence signed like this: “That book, what’s up?” – which means “What is that book about?” Or you might see this: “Before happen, what’s up?” – which means “Tell me about what happened earlier.” In English, “What’s up” is still considered slang, but it’s perfectly proper grammar in ASL!

Take a look at the video to see more about how to use question words in sign language!

Do you have any specific American Sign Language topics you’d like to learn more about? Give me some suggestions in the comments!

Don’t miss these other sign language resources!

Learn more about how to use American Sign Language in your homeschool on my Pinterest board!

Preschool Homeschool Reading List

September 30, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Reading is a huge part of our homeschool. Huge. The kids spent time reading literally every single day. Based on my experiences in life, I think that the most important part of a good education is learning to love reading. Think about it: If you love to read, you can truly learn anything you want, whenever you want!

Naturally, we try to start our kids out with daily reading at a very young age. So, since Piglet is starting preschool this year, we’ve put together her preschool homeschool reading list. Look out for activities to go along with these stories in the coming months!

Image c/o: Andy-pix / depositphotos

Preschool Homeschool Reading List

1. The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

2. Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

3. Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

4. The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems

5. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Animals

6. Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

7. The Mitten by Jan Brett

8. The Cloud Book by Tomie dePaola

9. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

10. Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell

11. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

12. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

13. Press Here by Herve Tullet

14. Corduroy by Don Freeman

15. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

16. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

17. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

18. Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

19. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle

20. Curious George by H.A. Rey

21. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

22. Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

23. Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry

24. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

Don’t miss these other book lists for kids!

Get more ideas for raising readers on my Reading for Kids Pinterest board!

15 Homeschool ADHD Schedule Ideas

September 26, 2016 by Selena Robinson 3 Comments

Homeschool planning season is typically an exciting time of year for parents. We get to get out our planners, write up lesson plans, and schedule our days to make sure we cover all of the objectives for the year.

But if you’re homeschooling children with ADHD, it’s not that simple. I still feel the excitement of the new school year, but it’s tempered a bit by the knowledge that, no matter how I plan our day, my kids are simply not going to get everything done. (Which is one reason why I’m not using a homeschool planner this year.)

Over the years, I’ve tried so many different homeschooling schedules I’ve lost track of them all. None of them worked. Not one. So I’ve learned a few ways to tweak our school day so that my kids can keep up, stay interested, and enjoy what they learn. Here are 15 different homeschool ADHD schedule ideas that have worked for us and may work for you too!

Image c/o: photousvp77 / depositphotos

15 Homeschool ADHD Schedule Ideas

1. Alternate sit down subjects with moving subjects.

2. Incorporate brain breaks every 20 minutes.

3. Use video liberally – teach for 10 minutes, then show a short video about the concept.

4. Add games into each subject: flashcards, drawing, balance games, call-and-response games, etc.

5. Do the subject your child hates first.

6. Or do the subject your child hates last.

7. Separate your kids for complex subjects and rotate them.

8. Have school in different areas of the house during the day.

9. Use the car for roadschooling.

10.Have a school lesson outdoors.

11. Ask your child which subject they’d like to do first.

12. Alternate weeks for certain subjects.

13. Drop an elective your child hates.

14. Use the library for a different subject each week.

15. Observe your child’s maximum attention span and time lessons to match it.

The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks eBook

What’s Working for Us This Year:

I’ve used all of these at one time or another. This year, we’ve been using a combination of Numbers 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, and 12.

Alternate sit down subjects with moving subjects. – I usually begin the day with reading. We sit down with books and listen to someone reading to us. Then we get up and do a project or a craft – anything that lets them move.
Use video liberally. – I rebelled against using video in my schooling for a long time. I think I’m just old-fashioned. But it makes such a big difference in helping the kids retain what they learn. I try to introduce the topic and give them questions to look for the answers to in the video, then we discuss it.
Do the subject your child hates last. – My oldest daughter hates math. I tried doing it first with her, but that didn’t work. She’d delay so much that we’d never get to the other subjects. Now we do it last and that seems to work better.
Separate your kids for complex subjects and rotate them. – When it’s time for my oldest to do math, she needs complete concentration. So I send my younger ones off to play in their rooms. In the morning, when they’re doing math, she’s in her room working on writing.
Use the car for roadschooling. – I have just recently discovered the wonder of audiobooks and they are a lifesaver. If I have to leave the house for a while, I have the kids bring their books and they listen as we ride. Then we discuss what they’ve read.
Alternate weeks for certain subjects. – I no longer try to cover every single subject every single week. I typically do history one week, geography the next, and the science the week after that. While I make sure the three R’s are done regularly, I take a break on the others. It’s less overwhelming for the kids and for me.

How have you adjusted your homeschooling schedule for your kids with ADHD? Do you have any tried and true homeschool ADHD schedule ideas to share? Let me know in the comments!

Get more ideas for homeschooling kids with ADHD!

And learn even more in our ebook: Homeschooling with ADHD!

Follow my ADHD Tips board on Pinterest for more tips and suggestions!

This post is part of the 8th Annual Back to Homeschool Blog Hop from iHomeschool Network! Click on over to read more homeschool posts from my fellow bloggers!

Free Fall Printables for Preschoolers

September 26, 2016 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

Preschoolers love learning about fall and autumn! The leaves are changing colors, the air is getting colder, and you can catch glimpses of all kinds of animals!

I love sharing fall printables whenever I can, so I thought I’d share a list of fun and free fall printables for preschoolers that you and your PreK learner can work on together! There are printable activities, coloring pages, crafts, and more – all of which are perfect for welcoming autumn!

If you love these fall printables, don’t miss my Apple Tree Counting Mat for Preschoolers or our Fall Sight Word Flashcards!

25 Free Fall Printables for Preschoolers

1. Leaf Identification Flashcards – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Printable Fall Gross Movement Game – Gift of Curiosity

3. Fall Preschool Song Printable – No Time for Flashcards

4. Nighttime Scavenger Hunt Printable – Edventures with Kids

5. Fall Tree ABC Match Printable – I Heart Crafty Things

6. Fall Preschool Pack – 3 Dinosaurs

7. Fall PreK Learning Pack – Totschooling

8. Fall Printable Activity Pack – A Little Pinch of Perfect

9. Fall PreK Pack – This Reading Mama

10. Fall Clothes Dress Up Printable – Teaching Mama

11. Printable Autumn Leaf Puppets – Picklebums

12. Fall Roll and Color Math Printable – Fantastic Fun and Learning

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Our Third Grade Homeschool Reading List

September 23, 2016 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I was in elementary school many years ago (I have no intention of saying how many years ago), I remember third grade as being a kind of pivot point in my early education. In our first grade reading and second grade reading classes, we read lots of books, but they were mostly easy readers and a few small chapter books.

In third grade, though, our reading levels jumped quite a bit and I started to read books that really stayed with me. I can even remember some of the read-aloud sessions we had in the classroom. (You know the ones where you have to sit cross-legged on the floor around the teacher? Those.)

So I wanted to introduce my third grader to some of those same classic children’s books, while introducing him to some newer works that are just as good. Here’s a look at the third grade homeschool reading list we’re using for this school year!

Image c/o: kwanchaidp / Deposit Photos