Search Results for: blog scrabble as a learning tool

Learning through Twister

Incorporating fun games into your homeschool can generate amazing results. Your children will not only have fun but they will learn their lessons. It also inspires creativity among the teacher and the student whereby everything easily adapts into a teachable moment. Learning is best instilled when it is achieved through natural means of play. Twister is one such game that can be adapted into teachable moments. Everyone enjoys teachable moments that are filled with laughter, activity, and fun. Twister Educational Fun: 1. The basic game teaches right, left, and colors. So, this is a fun game for those little ones … Continue reading →

Learning through Baking

A favorite school activity in my house for preschool through elementary school is baking cookies. However, this article focuses on how it can benefit your preschooler. Baking and cooking are a wonderful way to demonstrate several lessons to your child: *following directions *science *math, more specifically fractions *home economics *reading skills for younger children *kitchen safety *importance of washing hands and cleanliness *organization The first step before thinking about touching anything kitchen related is washing your hands. This is the time to teach your child about germs. Explain how germs like to hide on your hands so it is vital … Continue reading →

2006 in Review: Homeschooling Blog at a Glance

As a new homeschooling blogger at Families.com, I wanted to know everything that has been discussed to date. In response to my own curiosity, and in an effort to make perusing our articles easier for you, our readers, I have compiled all of the blogs for the year 2006. Deciding to Homeschool Why homeschool Am I qualified for this? Reasons that Homeschooling Works! My Most Important Advice for Homeschoolers. The Cost of Homeschooling Instead of standing up for their own kids, why not stand up for all kids? Disclaimer: I am hardly an expert in education. Did You Know? ‘Empirical … Continue reading →

Ways to Keep Learning Fun

In my earlier homeschooling years, I was adamant about keeping learning fun. In order to make the children want to learn I purchased learning games that seemed a lot more like playing than learning. I felt they were burned out from having negative experiences in school, so while I wanted them to continue learning, I also wanted them to have lots of fun. Here are some titles that you might want to look at: Leapfrog makes numerous items that are fun to play with and great for learning. Starting with crib toys through to Little Leap Pads, you will develop … Continue reading →

Scrabble as a Learning Tool

Spelling is a topic my children don’t enjoy. Spelling lists, spelling tests, marked up pages, correcting the words they missed – they would just as soon not, and I would just as soon not put them through it. Spelling is a crucial life skill, however, and I’m determined to give my children a good start down their path of success, so we invented a new take on the game of Scrabble. My children, at ages 10, 8, and 5, are fairly young to play the game as it was invented, so we do it the Pinkston way. I help all … Continue reading →

Domino Math

Dominoes are a fun math manipulative with multi purposes for multi ages. So, if you are like me and you teach more than one grade at home, it’s always nice to find something they can all do together. First you can simply play the game. That will be fun and provide your child practice with logical thinking, strategy, and number recognition. Put the dominoes in a bag and have your student grab one and use that to form his addition equation. For example the student draws one domino from the bag with a 5 on the top and a 3 … Continue reading →

Caretaker Stories: What’s a Solon?

Posted on by

Research has shown that one great thing you can do to keep your mind sharp is play games. Crossword puzzles, sudoku, logic problems, and more — they’re all good for your brain. My grandmother — who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease — resists many of the brain workouts we encourage her to do. One thing she’s always loved is playing Scrabble. Lucky for us, Scrabble is a good way to engage the brain… so we can get her to play on a daily basis. The last time I was home for a visit, I sat down for a Scrabble game with … Continue reading →

Including Play in Your Curriculum

In Let There be Play I talked about children learning through play. No matter what the age or interests, the love to play. I talked about finding a curriculum that will allow them to play and have fun while learning. Here are some other ideas to include play and fun in your learning experience. 1. Read, read, read, and read some more. Jonathan knows how to read, but if you ask him, he’ll tell you he doesn’t. His self esteem when it comes to reading is still pretty low, though we are working on it on a daily basis. Does … Continue reading →

KB Toys B1G1 Games

Posted on by

When I was growing up, we loved board games and card games. My mom hated the television, to the point of cutting off the cord when kids who were supposed to be doing something else were caught watching the boob tube. Good thing my dad was handy with electrical things, though it might take him a few weeks or longer to repair it. We probably had the shortest TV cord ever. We didn’t watch a lot of television growing up, and I think we’re the better for it. I wish I were stricter. Mine don’t watch much more than Leave … Continue reading →

Webcam Free After Rebate

Ever wonder what the person on the other end of your computer looks like? Sometimes, like when I have insomnia and am playing Scrabble at 3 a.m., I’m grateful I can’t see them in their bunny slippers and robes, but there are times I wish there was a visual. I teach online, and it’s sometimes hard to tell in black and white whether a comment is serious or snarky. Facial expressions would make it a lot easier! We have so far resisted getting a webcam because I have an incredibly beautiful 16-year old whose photo I don’t want passed around. … Continue reading →