Is your child struggling with reading? If he is, he is certainly not alone. Reading comes easier for some than it does for others. The fact is, however, that the more kids read, the better they become at it. For this reason it is essential that parents encourage children to read daily. From books to magazines, there are many ways that you can encourage your child to develop a love for reading. Here are 10 tips to help you.

1. Buy books about their interests.

If you want to encourage your child to read more, he or she will need to have more books. Visit your local library or book store to find books that your child will be interested in. Many children develop specific interests by the age of 7 or 8. If your child enjoys dinosaurs, purchase books about this topic. His curiosity will encourage him to read.

2. Get a monthly subscription to a magazine just for them.

Magazine subscriptions are another great way to encourage your child to read during his spare time. There are many magazine written monthly specifically for children. Find one that your child will enjoy and allow him to spend alone time with it. He will begin looking forward to the monthly magazine and a love for reading will be born.

3. Find websites centered on reading and give your child access to them.

There are websites available for kids and their parents to help encourage reading. If your child likes technology, this will be a great way to encourage him to read. Find a free websites that will allow your child to have fun, read, and build the skills that he needs to become a good reader.

4. Play games that build reading skills.

There are many family games that you and your child can play together that will encourage him to read. Get the whole family involved and encourage your child to read while spending much needed time with the family.

5. Take advantage of time in the car to help strengthen reading skills.

Look for opportunities to build reading skills. For example, use the time in the car and have your child read signs and billboards to you while on the way. Also keep a book or magazine for times in the car that may be long and boring.

6. Allow them to help other children.

If you have younger children in the home who need help with homework, encourage him to help with the homework. This will provide a great review time for your child and help him feel good about himself, too.

7. Teach reading skills through cooking.

Another great activity to encourage reading is cooking. Have your child read recipes and cooking instructions. This will build reading skills and also help you out in the kitchen!

8. Watch learning videos with a focus on reading.

Videos such as Leap Frog are designed to help encourage a love for reading. These videos are good for children as young as 1 year old. Realize that it never too early to encourage reading.

9. Buy a Kindle.

You have probably hit the kindle wave and are now using technology as a method for reading. Do the same for your kids. Buy a kindle and load it with books that will interest your child. She will enjoy using the device and reading all at the same time.

10. Reward your kids for their accomplishments.

Once your child begins reading more, his skills will greatly improve. Be sure to reward your child once you see grades go up or that he is putting in extra effort to be successful in reading. Make a chart and allow him to be rewarded for reading a specific number of books. This will give him something to work towards and help build skills.

There are many ways for you to encourage your child to read. As a parent, you must create opportunities for your child to become better. Whether it is buying books, playing board games, or cooking with your child, there are many simple ways that you can encourage him to read. What activities will you plan today to help your child develop a love for reading?

Marina is  a SAHM mom and freelance writer who deals in specialty products like etageres, table lamps, artificial plants and a lot more.

As the online homeschool customer,  spend time thinking about the needs you would like met. Begin a list of questions, needs, wants, must haves and then set off on your adventure to locate the best possible elementary online curriculum.

Perhaps you have friends who use an online homeschool curriculum. If so, question them about the resource they use. If you are a member of a homeschool forum, post some of your questions to the forum for feedback. Homeschool reviews are an excellent way to weed out the not so great elementary homeschool curriculums and glean ideas of why some stand out.

Talk to your children about the idea of using an online curriculum. Get a feel for what they would like or not like and why. Reputable sites will usually offer not only demos of their program but also many times a money back guarantee as well. This is a win-win situation for you. You get the chance to test drive the product without spending a dime.

To get you started, here are some questions you might want to add to your list.

Questions Addressed to the Needs/Wants of the Child

• Is the program a skills-based curriculum?
• Will the child be able to learn at their own pace?
• Does the curriculum appeal to different learning styles?
• Are the lessons interactive?
• Does the program have have easy-to-follow online lessons?
• Will my child be motivated?
• Is the elementary online curriculum standards based?
• Is any part of the program geared for beginning, struggling, or learning disabled readers?
• Is any part of the program geared toward gifted learners?
• Are multimedia learning activities involved?
• Do they offer any hands-on activity suggestions or projects?
• Will my child feel successful?
• Does the online curriculum spiral?
• Will using this elementary online curriculum build my child’s confidence?
• Is there any type of built in reward system?
• Is the curriculum entertaining? (that’s a bonus)

Questions Addressed to the Needs/Wants of the Parent

• Can this be a one-stop resource for families of more than one child…does it include multiple grade levels?
• Does the resource include easy to use parent lesson plans or guides?
• Are most of the subject areas I want/need offered?
• Is the record keeping done for you?
• Is there any type of parent support/forum?
• Will the parent be expected to take the position of learning coach/partner?
• Is the online homeschool curriculum affordable?
• Am I required to sign a contract or stay for a certain length of time?
• Do they offer discounts or referral rewards?
• Does the site offer a money back guarantee?
• Does the company have excellent customer service?
• Do the reviews you have read rate the online curriculum with high marks?

Take your time and find the best elementary homeschool curriculum for your family. Remember, there really isn’t a perfect curriculum, just pretty darn close.

Jackie Penn, a former public school, and private school teacher, joyfully homeschools her very active teenager who doubles as a bright right-brained learner. Jackie made the arduous journey from classroom teacher to homeschool Mom just over six years ago and has not looked back since.

Personalized lunch boxes or pencil boxes, favorite band backpack or personalized laptops sleeves will make your child stand out in the swarm of boring, done with and out dated lunchboxes and other things. There are many websites that take orders for personalized items at a very cheap rate and also deliver it at your doorstep. All you have to do is place your order, mail them the pictures or the names desired to be printed on the goodies, make an online payment and sit back and relax.

Of course, if you want to drastically cut back on the cost then try customizing them yourself. You could order personalized patches that are easy to sew on. Go to your local craft store and let them pick out beads, iron on patches, ‘sticky’ jewels or fabric paints to decorate with. This is a great way for them to get just the look that they want and as a bonus, you get to spend time together with them and create fun memories. It could even become a tradition.

You’ve likely already bought them a laptop but they are considered too passé and bulky by the younger generations. You may want to consider a ‘tablet’, a sleeker version of a laptop used for surfing, presentations, gaming, music, eBook reading, and so on. Samsung Galaxy, LG and the iPad2 are some of the latest mind-boggling goodies for your son. You may think you can’t afford one but you may be surprised at some of the deals you can find online. Also, you can consider buying used (but you’re likely not going to get the warranty and such as you would with a new one).

You can also frame your kid and his best friend’s picture and make two sets, one for your kid and the other for his best friend. Your kid can give his best friend theirs on the first day of his school!

Of course, something that every child should have is a kid-friendly bible. There are tons out there are made specifically to help children and young adults understand the message and stories in them. If they have a tablet, Kindle or something similar, it’s also possible get online versions of them so they can easily keep it with them where ever they may go.

Lastly, who can deny the power of dressing right, especially in high school? You can buy your kids skinny jeans and tees for his first day of school, which is a rage this fall season. Colors like khaki, beige and grays are in vogue this fall. You can also go for checked full-sleeves shirt for your son and paisley print girly tops for your daughter, as these are the prints dominating the global ramps.

These are some of the things any kid on this planet would love to have and online comparison shopping will make it much easier to get your hands on them.

About the Author:
Veronica Davis is a WAHM with two young boys and enjoys writing about a variety of topics related to family, running a business from home and saving money. She recommends keeping up with Ebay coupons from BehindtheCounter.com or those for your favorite stores online.

My husband and I started taking our kids to State and National Parks and other “natural” locations very early. We love to point out interesting trees, listen for odd sounds, and walk slowly to try to observe wild life in its natural habitat. Our kids know the names of many plants and animals that others don’t, simply because they have been able to observe them in their natural habitat.

We feel it is very important to teach kids about the who, what, when, where and why of nature so that they will appreciate when they are around it. We also feel is it important to teach them various ways to protect the nature and resources. It is crucial that we think about not only leaving the outdoors as we found them but also what we can do to improve how we found the area.

For example, when you see trash, pick it up. But if you see a dirty corner of the street with grass or simple dirt, ask the owner (town or appropriate officials) if you can clean it up and plant a tree or flowers there. I venture to guess you will not be told no. Many people don’t slow down enough to notice nature, much less to care for it.

Examples of things you can do as a family or group include trash pick up days, flower or tree planting days, energy saver days, education days, nature walks, scavenger hunts, or even water conservation days. Recycling programs are also another way to reduce waste, recycle what can be reused and to educate the public on the effects of throwing everything into landfills.

So what are these 10 tips you can use to save energy, resources and money for your family and teach your children to do the same?

1.  Take out screens in windows and seal any open areas.

2.  Use a heavy blanket or draft cover around the edges of exterior doors.

3.  Enjoy the nicer days by turning off heater and opening up the house.

4.  Leave oven door open after baking to allow heat in the room (Caution: keep children
away from the stove or out of the room, if possible).

5.  Collect rain water to use for flushing, washing or watering.

6.  Insulate your attic with extra blankets or purchase insulation.

7.  Wrap pipes with foam sleeves or cover with blankets.

8.  Cover your water heater with a blanket to keep the water warm longer.

9.  Play in the yard rather than going out to the movies.

10. Make your own yummy treats from fresh produce rather than buying it in the stores.

About the Author
Christy Baldwin is a stay at home mom and homeschooler for her children. She and her family live in Westerville, Ohio and enjoy spending time together in the outdoors. Christy has written 3 children’s books which can be found and purchased at www.amazon.com or on the publisher’s website at www.tribute-books.com.

My family made the choice to homeschool two years ago. My eldest daughter completed kindergarten and is about to start the first grade. We are obviously just beginners on this huge, very fulfilling adventure but my husband and I have thought deeply about the challenges ahead. Everyone faces challenges, and there are some typical ones that homeschoolers may find on their path. How do we overcome them?

Choosing a curriculum

There are so many curriculum choices available that it can be hard to know where to start. It can be tempting to order them all but they are not cheap! How do you know make a choice?

I have found that reading online message boards for homeschooling families is a great help. We decided to opt for a Christian homeschool academy that provides flexible curriculum choices but that also offered us the freedom to add in other books. We bought several math programs before finding one that our daughter loved, for instance. I find that starting with K gives parents and children the chance to explore both the kid’s learning style and the parent’s teaching style. Expect to spend more money on materials while you are going through this process and to settle down during later years.

Teaching older kids – what to do with littles?

Homeschooling older children when you also have babies, toddlers, or you are suffering from pregnancy signs and symptoms can be hard. The key is finding a routine that works for everyone in the family. My younger child is happy to do legos by himself or listen to the lessons his sister is engaging in during the morning hours but he won’t have any of that during the afternoon. That is why we now do work that requires a lot of concentration before lunch while we read books and do science experiments in the afternoon. I have found that my younger one learns a lot, too, even though he is not yet actively participating.

Confidence

New homeschoolers especially (people like me!) may feel overwhelmed at times, and question their ability to teach and the progress their children are making. Several things can help in this regard. I found the support of an online academy very reassuring during the first year. Checklists that specify what skills children in certain grades or of certain ages should have are also useful in that they can point out areas you need to work on or just confirm you are doing fine. Talking to parents of other children, both public schooled and homeschooled, and finding out what they are doing can also be confidence-building or provide constructive self criticism.

Socialization

The “S” word, I have to mention it. It is the mantra of everyone who is opposed to homeschooling but also sometimes the worry of homeschoolers. My very social daughter is an active participant in the world and, besides socializing with same-age kids at church, the homeschool the co-op and karate and music classes, she also communicates with people from every walk of life on a daily basis. She is out in the world a lot more than schooled kids tend to be. Recently, she learned how bread is baked in a bakery and loved it and we also took a trip to the local police station where she interviewed several police officers. She may not have to deal with peer pressure but she socializes plenty! Your kids can, too.

About the Author:
Olivia Malloy has two children and writes about pregnancy, childbirth and babies at Trying To Conceive. With the help of her free ovulation calendar, you can pinpoint your most fertile days to increases your chances of getting pregnant.

We’ve all seen it or, at least, heard about it: the homeschooled child who wins the geography bee, or the one who graduates at the age of 15, or the one who excels in musical accomplishments.

Now, obviously, a student does not have to be homeschooled in order to accomplish one of the feats above, nor does every homeschooled child excel in such notable ways.  However, every homeschooling parent desires for success in teaching their children at home and launching them into the world to become all that God has intended for them to be.

The flip side to this statement is that no one wants to fail when it comes to teaching their children at home.  So, what are the five necessary ingredients to homeschooling success?

The first one is the desire to foster a closer relationship with each of your children and your kids with one another.  If you don’t want to spend more time together and deepen these relationships (or, at least, want to want to spend more time together), then homeschooling may not be the best choice for you.

However, I am sure that you have heard it said before that at the end of the day, no one is going to say, “I wish that I had spent more time at work or by myself or with my canary.”

No, the universal regret that aging and dying people declare is their sadness over not spending enough time with their loved ones.  Teaching your children at home is an amazing opportunity to spend more time with your dearest loved ones and have no regrets.

The second ingredient to homeschooling success is a teachable spirit on the part of the parent.  This is essential because, like it or not, you will learn so much more teaching your own children than you ever did in school the first time around.  So, you might as well like to learn.

On that same note, the third essential ingredient to successful homeschooling is creating a home environment that is conducive to learning.  This may show itself differently in each of our homes, but the result is the same: a place where kids can learn and enjoy it.

A home that is conducive to learning may have quiet and cozy reading nooks, bookshelves crammed with great books, a listening corner complete with headphones and a beanbag chair, uncluttered smooth surfaces for writing, stacks of coloring/activity books and colored pencils, a place to gather together and talk about the day’s events.  You get the idea.  Create centers in your home that make learning fun and accessible.

The fourth ingredient for a successful homeschool is 2 hours of your time to devote to your children’s studies.  Truly, when the one-on-one teaching method is employed in your home, you do not need all day in order to get things done.  In fact, a child in K-2 grades might be finished with her schoolwork in as few as 45 minutes.

Of course, that probably does not include the time that you spend reading together because who can get enough of that!

At the other end of the spectrum, you might not need that much time with your middle schooler or high schooler either, because they become such independent learners by this age.  The kids that will need the majority of that time that you have designated for school — those full 2 hours — would be your students in 3-6 grades as math and grammar assignments might get a little more involved.

The final ingredient for homeschooling success is a library card.  That’s right!  With access to a huge roomful of books, a world of learning opportunities is at your doorstep.  Let’s say that your child is interested in insects or flowers, electricity or magnetism, transportation or inventions. Check out as many books as he can devour on the subject and then some more.  Watch your child light up with the delight of learning.

With these 5 essential ingredients incorporated into your homeschool you will experience successful learning in the lives of your children because this is the measure of success: children that love to learn!

Enjoy those learning moments.

Terri Johnson is co-author of Homeschooling ABCs — an online class starting this month for brand new homeschoolers. Don’t let self-doubt, or lack of experience, rob you of the best first year possible!  Sign up for class now!

For instance, I knew I wanted to be a teacher, which would require college and, so, was willing to work hard for good grades. But many teen-agers don’t know what they want to do. If grades can’t be used to urge them on, what can?

Many kids will work diligently if they are allowed to work at their own pace until they understand something. I’ve had parents tell me that this was a major factor in their teen’s desire to be homeschooled. In that case, it’s just a matter of parents resisting the temptation to push them along instead of giving them the extra time and practice they may need.

On the other hand, plenty of kids prefer to “just get it done”-read, take the test, and promptly forget what they’ve studied. In one case, the mom knew that a hands-on approach was essential for her son to understand and retain the material. In order to motivate him, she targeted his area of interest-robotics. She explained that to become a scientist he would need to know how to build models. He would also have to remember information in order to add to it later.

With this new insight, her fourteen-year-old agreed to continue a project-approach.

I’ve found kids of all ages usually need time every day to do something in an area of interest-even if it’s an extra-curricular activity or a hobby-in order to prevent discouragement. We can motivate our teens by following the example of one east coast high school which caters to students interested in the arts. They incorporate regular trips to historical sites, museums, and theatrical productions into the curriculum. All we have to do is choose the sorts of field trips our teens find appealing.

Another motivator is to give our teens a chance to make a difference. This means giving them a chance to do-to act. When we help others, we are enriched. These opportunities can be part of their courses or added to their transcripts as volunteer work or extra-curricular activities. They can join a teen mission, lead a campaign to raise money for a cause, write letters to Christians in jail for their faith, or work as part of team assisting families who have been through a disaster, to name just a few possibilities. These experiences may also motivate them to study a particular subject or even lead them toward a particular career.

Of course, the best motivation comes from a sense of purpose and a desire to serve God. So it’s also important that we schedule time for our teenagers to have their own private devotions in order to seek God’s direction for their lives.

I was sad to learn from a young man who has all but abandoned his faith that as a teen he had strongly desired more time for personal prayer and study. He said that he participated in family devotions and attended church, but whenever he tried to have his own quiet time his parents became angry. Apparently they always needed him to help with the other kids, run errands, or do household chores when he wasn’t away at his part-time job or working on school work. Maybe the busy-ness of his parents’ lives made his desire for time look like a luxury.

So, after all, perhaps the best way to motivate our teens is to listen to them and then look for ways to meet their needs.

Kathryn Stout is the founder of Design-A-Study, which helps homeschoolers to know exactly what skills and concepts should be taught–and when, and gives a variety of teaching strategies and ideas that allow them to choose the best for their situation.

A professional advised those working with a stressed fourteen-year-old with learning difficulties to do the things the girl wanted to do-teach according to her interests-in order to decrease her stress. The girl had been compliant. Then she started hurrying, focusing on completing each task whether answers were right or wrong. She would finish one assignment and without a breath begin the next. She enjoyed nothing.

Driven, she refused breaks, apparently hoping to find an end and freedom at last.

Finally, she started avoiding the teachers and all work, becoming less and less cooperative. That’s when professional advice was sought. A member of the staff brought this to my attention, quite upset. She believed she was being asked to bribe the student.

Is it bribery? Well, as teachers, what are we trying to achieve? If we want to break someone’s will and force them to become submissive and mindlessly obedient to any and every demand, relishing our position of power, then the advice wouldn’t be consistent with our goals. But what if we hope to nurture a desire to learn and the acquisition of skills that can be useful in a person’s life? If that’s the case, then instead of a “Do as I say or else” philosophy we should consider the adage “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

In fact, we are all drawn toward situations and people that make us feel good about ourselves. If we don’t enjoy a task, we may be willing to do it because we will have a sense of accomplishment or because we hope to earn a word of praise. This girl’s initial compliance was an attempt to please the teachers. When she realized that there was no end to the demands-to the tedium, she became depressed. Is it so difficult to empathize? Would we relish life as a coal miner-hard work in the dark, breathing polluted air, rarely ever seeing the sun? Maybe we could handle it for our family’s sake if we knew it was the only way to put food on the table, but what if we thought that’s all our life would ever be? Would the depression we are likely to experience be lifted by more demands or by a positive change? What if the boss gave us respirators to make breathing easier and rotated shifts to give everyone a chance to spend time in the sunshine? Would he be guilty of bribery or smart business practices?

Are your children stressed out from an endless list of tedious tasks? Do they find ways to delay or avoid assignments, leaving you in the exhausting role of drill sergeant? If so, what would you want done if the roles were reversed? How do you like to learn? Empathy and the desire to help children succeed should replace notions of the teacher as dictator. Just like us, when children are comfortable and relaxed they are able to think more critically and creatively. Stress can wreck their immune systems and leave them prone to illness and depression. So, I leave it to you: is it bribery to help children learn in a nurturing environment or just good sense?

Kathryn Stout is the founder of Design-A-Study, which helps homeschoolers to know exactly what skills and concepts should be taught–and when, and gives a variety of teaching strategies and ideas that allow them to choose the best for their situation.

First it is important that kids experience the joy and pain that comes from handling money. Usually there is great joy when kids make money, great joy when they spend it, but no joy when the money is all gone. How many of us have experienced the excitement of the Friday payday only to blow it all over the weekend and be broke on Monday? This is not a good feeling but hopefully it taught you a great lesson. Often the best lessons in life come not from our successes but from our failures. You need to allow your children to experience the same type of lessons. Yes you should teach your children how to budget, but don’t always bail them out when they blow the budget. By doing this you can set a bad precedent that whenever I get into trouble, mommy and daddy will bail me out. This may be cute when your child is 5 or 6, or even 14 or 15, but when they are 40 or 50 and the same thing is happening it is not so cute anymore. The next time your child spends all of their money on that PS3 video game and they don’t have money for the school trip, let them miss the trip. Sure they may kick and scream and not like you for a while however, the lesson they learn will be one they never forget. 

It is also good to allow your children to make money decisions now while their decisions only affect their lives. Parents often make the mistake of managing all of the money for their children and though the intention is good it only works if you are allowing your children some decisions in the process. It is great to tell your children what to do with their money but don’t do it all for them. Let them make some choices even though you know some will be good and some will be bad. Some will make them money and some may cost them money but that is ok because they are learning. By the time they are adults hopefully they will know the difference between the two. 

As crazy as it sounds when kids make money decisions failure is good and mistakes are a wonderful thing. Obviously no parent wants to see their child make bad decisions but sometimes that will be the only way your child will learn so allow your children to make them. Remember your children don’t have to be perfect but they have to grow and mistakes made in the training ground of the home can help lead them to growth. 

About the Author:
Nicole Clemow is one of the founders of Money Toolkits, which is a global on-line school that educates parents on teaching kids about money. For more information check out http://www.squidoo.com/kids-makingmoney.

Unsure where to begin in speaking to you youngsters about money? You’re not all alone. Very like teaching your youngsters to look all ways before crossing the street, managing money, is a parental responsibility that safeguards kids’ future. Good habits start early in life and the savings habit brings lifelong benefits. Children have an interest in cash and they can learn by example and by doing.

Engage your kids using a number of these straightforward, fun ideas and help them learn the value of cash:

1. Explain to your children what cash is all about.

The earlier you can teach a child or teenager about cash, including getting paid, saving money, and spending cash responsibility, the better prepared they’ll be to manage their own money.

2. Explaining the value of spending money may also be done at home.

You can assign some household chores and pay a small amount after they were able to do it.

3. Talk to your child about the family budget.

Allow them to ask about household finances and how you manage the household budget. Brace the training process by budgeting for a family outing or a purchase.

4. If you have multiple children, a technique to keep them incentivized is by giving a prize to whoever earned the highest amount in their savings.

5. Show your children how an ATM machine works.

While many children know that cash doesn’t grow on trees, they may think it comes out of a wall. Help your children understand that you must put money in the bank before you can take it out.

When you debate money with kids, you help them develop a feeling of limits. There’s only a certain amount  of money to go around! If you spend it on some things, you won’t have it to spend on others. Teaching your youngsters about saving money doesn’t need to be a hard job. Remember to bide your time and consistent, and your kids will be in a position to learn this critical skill in a straightforward and neat way.

About the Author:
International author and speaker Nicole Clemow devotes her time helping parents teach their kids about money. For more information, check out Nicole’s latest Squidoo Lens “Whose Responsibility is it – the parents or teachers?” http://www.squidoo.com/teachingkidaboutmoney.

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