What if Kids Could Read Books Like They Binge Watch Netfix?

Written by Jessica.

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A few months ago, my kids were really into the Henry Huggins series. I was reading the series aloud to them at bedtime and as soon as one book was finished, they wanted to begin the next. At one point, we completed a book and I realized that I didn’t have the next one ready in the wings. Rather than scramble to get it, my husband suggested that we try a free month of Epic!, a new online children’s library that he’d heard of. He set up an account for us, I was able to get the book that I wanted (along with the rest of the series), and everyone was happy. Once our free month was up, though, we didn’t renew. I had explored the site briefly and wasn’t that impressed.

Ebru: Turkish Paper Marbling

In the eastern edges of Europe during the 13th century in what is now known as Turkey, an art form emerged and eventually spread in popularity all across the Asian landscape to the far-reaching border of China. Artisans combined water, plant oils, and mineral pigments to create intricate marbling patterns that they transferred onto paper.

5 Reasons I Go to a Homeschool Convention Every Year {and why you should too!}

My oldest child was two-years-old the first time I set foot into a homeschool convention. Yes, you read that right. I had a two-year-old. Just writing that makes me blush. To say that I was eager to launch is obviously a gross understatement.

In my defense, I tend to be a proactive parent--one who looks ahead and builds for the years I can not see--as opposed to a reactive one.

I wanted to learn all I could about homeschooling during those early years, so that I didn't get drowned by a firehose of information later on.

What We're Reading in April 2018

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of speaking to a group of moms about building a reading culture in their homes. When I got to the part of my workshop about "award winners," I heard quiet gasps all around the room. Hands shot up in the air and moms quickly scribbled down notes.

I gave one example of a recent Caldecott winner that has the silver seal on the front cover, luring moms to buy it for their kids. In this book, you'll not find anything that cultivates a moral imagination. What you will find is situational ethics, lots of f-bombs, descriptions of oral sex, suicide, abortion, and derogatory slams of the female anatomy. Did I mention that it is a tween/teen title and that it graces the shelves of libraries all across the country, including school libraries?

Two MUST HAVE Typing Programs for Kids

Written by Krista Smith.

Back in the day when I learned to type, I sat at a yellowed keyboard in a room just off the library at Crawford Elementary.

I typed rows of A’s.
I typed rows of G’s.

And if I was lucky, and Mrs. Jenny was in a good mood, I might have had time at the end of class to play Oregon Trail.

Things have come a long, looooong way since then! Thankfully, I don’t have to channel Mrs. Jenny when teaching my own kids, calling out keystrokes for them to practice or change out slides on the overhead projector. After much research into the best software to help children learn to type, our family has settled on two programs that we all love.