Review: National Geographic Home Learning Essentials

 

National Geographic

Home Learning Essentials

Beginner's United States Atlas, Third Edition: (ages 7-10) The fully updated edition of this popular atlas introduces young readers to the wonders of all of America's states and territories, with maps, fun facts, geographical features, and more. It’s accessible design showcases what's unique about each state and territory and every profile starts with a colorful map and essay and includes capital cities; population; important land and water features; state birds, flowers, and flags. It's all packaged in a bigger format, with a refreshed design, and bold, bright photos and illustrations.

United States Atlas, 6th Edition: (ages 8-12) Current, authoritative, and produced by the expert cartographers at National Geographic, this best-selling United States atlas is newly updated with all the latest info and is packed with maps, stats, facts, and pictures. National Geographic's world-renowned cartographers have paired up with education experts to create maps of all 50 states, U.S. territories, and Washington, D.C., that pinpoint the physical features, capitals, and other towns and cities. Discover the latest data along with colorful photography of each state and the people who live there. Key points reflect the latest information about land and water, people, and places. Essays cover each region of the country while eight specially themed maps on nature, population, economy, energy, climate, and more delve deeper into key issues. State birds and state flags add to the high visual interest.

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2021: (ages 8-12) - The latest installment of the New York Times best-selling almanac is edutainment at its best. With features like Homework Help and STEM related topics, and deep dives into history, geography and cultures from the world, combined with facts, crafts and activities, this is the go-to reference for both the school day and down time. This new edition also includes the Almanac Challenge 2021 — which inspires kids to reduce their plastic waste and encourage others to do the same — and also highlights the winner of the 2020 Almanac Challenge.

You can purchase these books from ShopDisney, Amazon. and other major retailers.

My Thoughts

As many people probably are doing right now, we find ourselves in the position of distance learning for school and began to throw in unofficial homeschooling. These National Geographic books for kids are awesome - my son loves all the detail in the United States Atlas, 6th Edition. Our current lesson is learning about the Midwest, where we live. The atlases are divvied up by region, making it even easier to explore. There are facts about the USA itself, each region, and each individual state plus information on our territories. A glossary and index are at the back.

The Beginner's United States Atlas, Third Edition edition has a little less of the same great details which is great for younger learners. You can see in the photo above the detail comparison for the state of Minnesota.

My son is very into nature and often asks to learn about specific animals so we are supplementing his education with the National Geographic Kids Almanac 2021 as well as the National Geographic Ultimate Weird But True book. After utilizing National Geographic Kids and other websites, we then turn to these two books for added fun facts. 

I'm sure we'll be adding more National Geographic books to our collection in the future! What a great way to make learning fun!

IELTS Online Test Preparation with BestMyTest

IELTS Indicator is an online testing service that anyone can take right from home. The test includes four different skills. These skills include listening, reading, writing and speaking in the English language. When you take the test, you receive an indicative score for each different skill. Your performance on the test is  marked by a professional IELTS examiner and you typically receive your result within seven business days.

Taking the test is the easy part. IELTS Online Test Preparation is important if you hope to ace your IELTS on your first try.  BestMyTest offers courses for all skill levels to help you achieve success. They offer personalized study plans and diagnostic reports based on how you perform on a full simulation test. To help  you get a feel for their services, the reading and listening test diagnostic results are available in the free trial. By using this program, students can communicate with an instructor to help them overcome any English/IELTS related hurdles. Plus, they get hands-on help throughout their English studies. In addition, each plan includes a specific number of speaking and writing reviews to help you prepare for those areas as well.

My signing up with BestMyTest., you can again access to tons of awesome features including:

• 1000+ IELTS practice questions
• 2000+ commonly used IELTS vocabulary words
• 200 IELTS lessons organized into a study guide
• 30 full-length 3 hour Academic test simulations
• 20 full-length 3 hour General Training test simulations

Another great advantage is that the courses offer an IELTS Reading Practice Test and a IELTS Writing Practice Test. These practice tests will prepare you for the real test so  you go into them with confidence. Learning the English language can help you advance in almost any career.  With BestMyTest, you can get a leg up on the competition and ace your IELTS Online Test.

***DISCOUNT CODE***

If you're interested in signing up, right now would be a great time. BestMyTest is currently offering 10% off all their plan. Simply enter code 2DEALSPOTIELTS to receive this discount.

6 Tips For Homeschool Science Labs

This post is sponsored by College Prep Science. Copyright 2020 by Greg Landry

Introduction: Homeschooling is rewarding, but it can also be a challenge. Greg Landry has some great ideas to help both parents and kids enjoy the homeschooling experience. Check out his article below.

I fell in love with science labs in college and graduate school. I loved being able to “see” the science happening rather than just reading about it. As a homeschool dad and former college professor, I'm passionate about teaching science, in particular, Christ-centered lab science to homeschooled students. But, I know that on average we don’t provide enough lab experience for our homeschooled students – often very little. And, for many of them, that puts them at a tremendous disadvantage going into college – and in understanding how science works.

If you’re a homeschool parent, may I offer a few homeschool science lab suggestions:

1. Allow your 6th-12th grade students to explore science, dissections, interactions of matter, experiments, etc. Most students love exploring and experimenting once they get started. 
2. Teach them the scientific method and why it’s important.
3. As they explore, teach them to record their observations and results.
4. Teach them to create a lab report (the written result of the scientific method) for each of their explorations or experiments.
5. Keep those exploration and experiment notes and lab reports in a lab notebook as a record of their work. Label it for the subject and time period – colleges may want to see it.
6. Periodically review those lab manuals for lab ideas, etc.

If you’d prefer not to dissect/explore/experiment at home, we offer two options that enable your students to complete their lab requirements for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics:

1. In-Person Two-Day Labs – 15 Nationwide Locations

Our two-day Biology and Chemistry Lab Intensives that allow students to complete a school year of Biology or Chemistry labs in two days or both of them in three days. I have the privilege of interacting with 7th-12th grade students as we cover wide-ranging and in-depth college-prep labs, appropriate background information, and lab reports. These are offered at 15 locations across the U.S. Students earn a full school year lab credit for each intensive they complete.

2. Our Virtual Homeschool Science Laboratory – Accessed from a Computer
   This enables students to virtually walk into and use a great science lab - from their computer at home. All the experiments are ready to go with background information and step-by-step instructions. Students actually perform the experiment from their computer – filling a beaker with hot water, putting a thermometer in the water to measure the temperature, mixing chemicals by pouring from beakers, determining the mass of items in a physics experiment by placing items on a balance, etc. It’s very realistic and enables them to experience the lab, collect data, and produce lab reports over the period of a school year at a pace they choose.. Students earn a full school year lab credit for each set of labs they complete for either Biology, Chemistry, or Physics.
   

​Homeschool dad, scientist, and former college professor, Greg Landry, offers live, online homeschool science classes, Homeschool ACT Prep Bootcamp, the Homeschool Mom’s Science Podcast, in-person two-day science lab intensives nationwide, freebies for homeschool moms, and student-produced homeschool print publications.

Tell me the Answer! Barron’s says “will do” with a fun new book.

Barron's has new additions to the best-selling series! These fun-filled Q&A book is packed with answers to questions that curious children want to know—and parents are only too happy to have them look up and discover on their own. Each book contains more than 200 answers to questions on different topics: the Universe, Space, the Earth, Humans, Everyday Phenomena, and more. The books are organized according to different topics and tabbed for easy reference—and the last tab includes fun stickers. A hidden spiral binding makes it easy to flip back and forth, while entertaining illustrations and activities make learning fun. (Ages 8 and up).

Earth & Sky includes intriguing questions such as:

• What is an exoplanet?
• Who was Copernicus?
• What is a light year?
• How does a star shine?
• What is the equator?
• How do sailors make use of the stars?
• And many more

Parents may find the answers as interesting as their kids do!

Tell Me Earth & Sky
Sophie de Mullenheim
122 pp., 5 ½" x 8"
$14.99, Can$17.99
ISBN 978-1-4380-5060-7

                                           My Thoughts:

I am a huge fan of space! When I heard about this latest release from Barron's I knew it was going to have to go into my collection. Not only is is an easy read, it's interesting and fun! All ages will get a kick out of the creative design and organization of this information packed book! Everything from the history of space so far, to scientific facts is included. Plus, who doesn't love when a book adds stickers as well?

I'm looking forward to bringing this into my classroom to inspire my students to work on space related projects. They are the perfect age to enjoy each page and learn some valuable facts that they can carry with them. Barron's always produces the best content, and this book is a wonderful addition for any space lover, library, or family!

Connect with Barron's:

Website Facebook  Twitter Google+ Youtube 

Little Passports Review

Holiday time is all about family, traditions, parties, and according to kids … presents! Subscription services – the gifts that keeps on giving – are perfect options for kids, especially when the service provides fun, educational deliveries each month. This year, teach the children in your life about the world around them and instill a love of travel in them with Little Passports. 

Little Passports subscribers receive destination-specific, age-appropriate packages in the mail each month filled with letters, souvenirs, activities, and more. Each kit allows kids ages 3-12 to explore geography, history, culture, and language in fun, engaging, and memorable ways: 

·      The Early Explorers kit encourages children aged 3-5 to explore ongoing themes such as animals, music, and more!

·      The World Edition kit enables kids aged 6-10 to discover a new country every month.

·      The USA Edition kit teaches young people aged 7-12 about all 50 states.

Little Passports also offers some fun kits and products that can be purchased separately including some new items available just in time for the holidays! Kids can learn about climates around the world through at-home simulations with The Weather Lab Activity Kit; explore prehistoric times with the Dinosaur Backpack filled with toys, pictures, and fun fossil facts; and follow Little Passports' characters, Max, Mia, and Toby on their global outings with an Interactive Picture Book.

Our Thoughts

The package arrived in one box, and when I opened it up the suitcase was packed in another smaller box and the papers were packaged in an envelope. It all looked like it came all fancy in the mail right to my kid, it was adorable! She really enjoyed opening it up, her first "special" package in the mail.

The suitcase is cardboard made but is well built and doesn't look cheap at all. The fastener on it works great, it doesn't pop open and spill all the contents out. There are a lot of items in this that makes it fun for my daughter to open up. There's a map, stickers, little postcards and more. Always something new for her to look at that keeps her excitedly digging through the box. 

As a homeschooling mom, I love gizmos and gadgets to go along with our learning. This is perfect for our history and social studies! A gift that keeps on giving with each package that arrives. Each one is colorful, creative and most importantly, educational. I've never seen my daughter more excited to learn about the world because it is done in such a creative process. Little Passports makes her feel special and she loves to tell her younger sister all the cool stuff she learns!

This is something homeschooling parents should look into or just to get as a great gift or supplementation to a child's schooling curriculum. Little Passports keeps learning fun!

Buy yours here and don't forget to check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

Reviewed by Jackie

App Review and #Giveaway: Babbel

If you're having trouble with that High School Spanish you haven't practiced in years, or want to explore a new language, there are a variety of books, sites, and methods for learning. One of these is Babbel. The app and website allows users to start at the beginner level to refresh their skills while learning new ones. 

I opted to try the site and app as I've recently begun getting back into Spanish after years of not using it at all. Both the site and app run well and are overall very easy to use. The one glitch I noticed was that I had to repeat the first lesson over on the app, as I hadn't downloaded the next one when I shut down the tablet. Since I started making sure the next lesson is ready to go, there have been no problems with that, although if you go back and forth between the app and the site version, it doesn't seem to coordinate. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on your outlook. It will give me a chance to re-do a couple of lessons to strengthen my understanding. 

Currently doing this lesson.

The lessons are done in a couple of ways. First, it introduces the user to several words that will be used often in that lesson. You click on the icon to hear what each word sounds like when spoken. After, you go through several exercises where you choose the correct word and fill in blanks in conversations. The conversations are casual scenes generally reflecting typical conversations one would get into. Users are scored as they go and are given the chance to repeat questions they missed at the end of the lesson. 

Overall, I think it's a great tool to use when trying to refresh your knowledge, or learn a new language from the beginning. Obviously, the tools work best if used in conjunction with other things (I'm choosing to watch Spanish novelas with subtitles), but it's an excellent start and I'm looking forward to completing the rest of the lessons available.

GIVEAWAY

Babbel will give a lucky winner a code that will allow them to try the app out for free. To enter, just fill in the Giveaway Tools form below. This giveaway will end 11/15/15 and is open to the US only.  The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to Babbel for offering this fantastic prize.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Learning is fun with Star Wars Workbooks for kids!

Learning is tedious and sometimes, for some kids, just not fun. If you are a family that does a lot of at home teaching, and you like the Star Wars movies, these books are just up your alley! While my son is a bit older, so this is a lot of review for him, he still enjoyed all of the pages filled with Star Wars characters and phrases. 

Preschool ABC fun: This work book does just that, it makes learning your ABC's fun! From letter recognition to writing upper and lower case words and beginning phonics, your little one is sure to enjoy all the fun pictures and games! Not your typical ABC words. For example, the letter Rr is associated with Rebel troop and reek, while Jj is Jar Jar Binks and jet pack. 

First Grade Math is your typical Math book, but yet you are counting X-wings and Jawa's. You get to travel to Nabu and Tatooine. Light saber graphs make this book exciting to help them learn the basics. Word problems, addition and subtraction, and place value are just a few of the topics covered. 

Second Grade Writing teaches story construction, spelling vocabulary, and creative writing. Write a Review asks you to pick your favorite of the Star Wars movies and write your own review of it. Practicing your letters and cursive writing encourages your child to write neatly. Your child can also create their very own Star Wars species by drawing a picture and writing out the details. 

Second Grade reading encourages comprehension and vocabulary. Filled with stories about Ewoks and Podracing your kiddo is sure to go to new heights. Cross word puzzles and learning how to alphabetize are just a couple of the exercises. This book just shows that reading can be fun, and that it starts early!

We have really enjoyed these work books, and I am thrilled to have them in my arsenal. 

Check out their Website to see their other workbooks and learn where to order.

Give Your Kids a Head Start with #FREE Learning Apps from Kids Academy #MomBuzz

Kids Academy wants to give  you kids a head start with their fun and challenging kids apps. Choose from a variety of games & eBooks that are absolutely free to download on iTunes. Here is a little about some of my favorites.

Preschool and Kindergarten learning kids games free for toddler 

By Kids Academy Co apps: Preschool & Kindergarten Learning Kids Games, Educational Books, Free Songs

My Thoughts

This game allows kids to practice writing their letters and improving handwriting skills. There are two different levels. One has dotted lines. Once they master that, they can move on to practicing without lines, so they learn to write independently. My son is three and he just loves this app. He has a much firmer grasp on his alphabet since we started using it.  Sound like fun? You can download it free on iTunes.

ABCs alphabet phonics & Montessori learn to read app for toddler

By Kids Academy Co apps: Preschool & Kindergarten Learning Kids Games, Educational Books, Free Songs

My Thoughts

Toddlers can get a head start on reading with this fun app. Colorful characters guide them through games and songs that make reading fun.Using the Montessori learning method children can advance at reading and writing at a early age by tracing, rhyming and so much more. I have two children who are three and five and they both had a great time with this app.  Get in on the fun now by downloading the app on iTunes.

Bingo ABCs alphabet phonics song with farm animals cards for toddler free

By Kids Academy Co apps: Preschool & Kindergarten Learning Kids Games, Educational Books, Free Songs

My Thoughts

My daughter loves dogs so this app was her favorite from Kids Academy so far. You can join the lovable Bingo for books, songs, and games.  You can even sing along in Karaoke mode. The app connects letters with familiar images to help stimulate the learning process. This is an effective way for kids to memorize and learn their letters and get a head start on reading. It's also a lot of fun and will have your kids singing at the top of their lungs. Download it now for free on iTunes and see what the buzz is all about.

Book Review: How Many Socks Make A Pair? by Rob Eastaway

How Many Socks Make A Pair?

Surprisingly interesting everyday maths

by

Rob Eastaway

Mid-Summer Fun with Everyday Math - perfect for humidity-soaked middle-aged brains, tireless number nerds, and bored kids who can't wait to get back to school!Did you ever wonder how some people can calculate huge sums quickly in their heads (and on their fingers), or shuffle a deck of cards over and over and still have them lay out in their original order? It's not genius... or magic (although those things help); it's just everyday math! 

What do a limerick, a drawer full of socks, a newspaper, a pile of library books and a bathroom mirror have in common? The answer is that they all have some fascinating, even beautiful, maths hidden within them.

This book is a hands-on demonstration of maths that anyone, even a complete maths-phobe, can actually enjoy. Rob Eastaway explains these amazing feats, along with several other math trick, treats, problems and patterns in the humorous and clearly written How Many Socks Make a Pair?.  

About the AuthorRob Eastaway has written several bestselling books connecting maths with everyday life, including "Why do Buses Come in Threes?" and "How Many Socks Make a Pair?". His first book "What is a googly?", an introduction to cricket, was famously presented by John Major to President Bush (snr) at Camp David in 1992, and was published in the USA under the title "Cricket Explained".

With Mike Askew, he wrote "Maths for Mums & Dads", a book that helps parents to understand the new methods being used to teach maths, and offers ideas for how to make maths more engaging and fun at home. An American edition was published in 2010 entitled "Old Dogs, New Math".

Rob appears regularly on radio in the UK, and is a regular speaker. He has given talks about maths to just about every age groups in the UK, USA and Australia. He was President of the Mathematical Association from 2007-8. He is married with three young children.
How Many Socks Make A Pair can be purchased on Amazon.

Keep up with Rob Eastaway on Facebook and his website, robeastaway.com.


Our Thoughts
I like math.  I was good at it in school . . . which was a long time ago!  Nowadays, I use a calculator for just about everything.  With a business and a tight budget, I can't afford to make math mistakes! How Many Socks Make a Pair? is an entertaining book that shows the reader the math behind some every day things.  Chapters 2 (Calculating without a calculator) and 3 (Pick a card, any card) were my favorites. 

Math is being taught in our schools today in a very different way than when I was in school.  I knew some of the tricks in Chapter 2, like multiplying by 9 using your fingers and the Divisibility Test, but I didn't know The Gypsy Method or Squaring in your head. Chapter 3 was intriguing because growing up, a relative often did card tricks and us little kids could never figure one of them out.  The card trick that confused us so much as kids isn't mentioned in this book, but similar tricks are easily explained, so I have a better understanding what was going on in the one trick.

How Many Socks Make a Pair? goes on in further chapters to talk about coin tossing, palindromes, magic squares, triangles, and limericks among much more.  Definitely recommended - easy reading for anyone interested in math, including, as Rob Eastaway says, mathsphobes!  This would be a good book for kids, too; there are easily-understood demonstrations to help anyone learn.

LeapPad3 Makes Learning Fun!

 I have a four-year-old daughter and she is always trying to grab her older brother and sister's iPods. I tried to let her play some learning games on my iPad and she wound up sitting on it and cracking the screen. After that experience I was thrilled to get the opportunity to test out the LeapPad3. Its a sturdy handheld tablet designed just for kids and its tough enough to put up with all they can throw at it. Right off the bat, I can tell you ours has been dropped, thrown and kicked more than once and its none the worse for wear. Even the stylus is fixed securely with a string to prevent it getting lost. But lets move on to some of the other features.

 The LeapPad3 comes complete with one game already installed and thousands of apps and cartridges you can purchase for an additional content.The game that comes with the LeapPad is a virtual pet game called PetPadParty. You can choose between cats, dogs, bears, penguins, robots and more. You can give them names and set them up in a virtual world. You can choose its name, colors, and care for it. Its definitely a cute game and my daughter is an animal lover so she really enjoyed it.

In addition to the game that is already installed, you can also go online to the store to find hundreds of other game options. You get one game for free with your initial purchase.  My daughter picked out Escape of the Sillies. When they get away they bring happiness to our world.  This game teaches counting skills and is perfect for preschool age.  I also allows you to add your own pictures to the faces of the Sillies. This free games feature generic characters, but you can also pick from many of your favorite personalities including Cars, Team Umi Zoomi, Magic School Bus, Dora, Sponge Bob, and tons more. They have a great selection, but given the price of the device, it would have been nice to have one or two more games included at no additional cost, even if it was a few more generic ones. I would also like to see as least one book or coloring pages included in the initial package.

In addition to all the fun games, there is still way more this system has to offer. There is a built in Wi-Fi system you can connect to the internet to download right onto the tablet. There is a camera, you can film videos, listen to music, and pretty much everything  you'd find on a adult tablet, just made simple to use so kids can handle it independently. The touch screen is receptive and the battery is rechargeable which is a really big plus.

 The LeapPad3 is  perfect for home and travel.  You can take with you in the car, to the doctor's office, or just about anywhere. The best part is that while your kids are having fun they are also learning. Every single game from LeapPad is educational. There is no violence, no mindless activity--just reading and counting and challenging kids' cognitive abilities. It challenges them again and again and can continue to do so well into their grade school years because the games and books automatically adjust to your child's level of learning. Whether you are trying to teach a preschooler basic letters and numbers or encourage an older child to improve their reading skills, you are bound to find something for everyone with the LeapPad3.

If you want to learn more about the LeapPad3 or any of the other great products from LeapFrog, be sure to visit their website. You can also follow them on face book to keep up with the latest  promotions. Give your kids a head start on reading and check out LeapFrog today.