March Break at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) is popular. Very popular. In fact, when we arrived an hour after opening, the ticket line outside stretched well past the “30 minutes to admission” sign posted on the sidewalk. Once inside, however, there’s more than enough room for everyone. This was the first time we’ve taken […] Read more…
Giveaway open to Canadians. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: kids LOVE reading nonfiction. While I’ve seen many girls (in my classroom and home) who enjoy reading factual information, boys especially seem drawn to this genre, and Scholastic is ready for them. I was sent samples of Scholastic’s new Discover More series […] Read more…
As most of you know, I’m a teacher. And I’m well aware that when it comes to early learning, flashcards are taboo. But you know what? I still think they have their time and place within a balanced approach to literacy (or numeracy, or whatever the case may be). When it comes to sight words, we’ve used cards […] Read more…
So I know I said we’re cutting back on “stuff” for the girls this Christmas, but I don’t think either one of them is ready to celebrate the holiday without a new doll…and these ones actually help support a good cause too! Hearts For Hearts Girls: You can empower girls to change the world with this charitable […] Read more…
It was Friday afternoon at 3:05. My students had their planners done, chairs up and were more than ready for the weekend. We still had a few minutes to kill before the bell, so I called them to their special spots on the carpet, sat down in my rocking chair and cracked open Roald Dahl’s “Fantastic Mr. […] Read more…
Please welcome my special guest poster today: Megan Brown, Co-founder of HatchedIT.com, an online family organizational platform. (She had me at “organized”.) How Stay Organized as the Kids Head Back to School As another summer draws to a close and we begin to prepare our kids for the start of a new school year there […] Read more…
Giveaway open to US and Canada. I’ve reviewed products from Stuck On You before, and I’ve always been very pleased. The quality is high and my kids have loved every item they’ve received. The Stuck On You backpack is no exception. Two years ago when Frannie started school she got to try one out, and now that […] Read more…
So, are you excited about “back to school” yet? Never mind that the phrase also translates into “back to work” for me…personally I can’t wait to spend too much for my daughters’ clothes, handle piles of extra paperwork on my kitchen counter, and — wait for it — pack lunches every single night, since both […] Read more…
It’s hard to believe that I first posted about this two years ago, when preparing to send our firstborn off to Kindergarten. Now our baby is registered for September, and I find myself asking the same questions again. This time it’s different though, because next fall our school begins the all-day, every day Kindergarten program. Frannie has […] Read more…
I wanted to share with you a few great books I’ve had the opportunity to check out lately. Two of them are timely for Earth Day, and one is another educational resource for parents and kids. Miss Fox’s Class Goes Green by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Anne Kennedy In this cute, animal-characters picture book, teacher […] Read more…