School is out and summer vacation can be a time when skills slip a little.  If you focus on activities that are fun and fit a more relaxed schedule, you can keep your blossoming readers reading without burn out. Two of the most important things that you can do to keep reading skills sharp during the summer are read to your child and have your child read aloud to you or other family members.  Make...

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                                                                                                                                    PUPPETS! Puppets can be a great way to encourage children to invent stories. You can purchase them or make sock or paper bag puppets at home. Your local library should have some interesting craft books on a variety of puppets that kids can create. Use a large box to make and decorate a puppet theater, or just have the performers sit or stand behind a piece of furniture. In my classroom, I use a puppet...

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The most effective tips on writing an essay exam Guest Post By Lois Weldon Are you one of the many students who are wildly hoping to avoid the overly-demanding essay exams? I am truly sorry, but that isn’t likely to happen, as you will definitely find yourself taking an exam that isn’t solely based on multiple choice answers, but demands wiring long or short essay answers instead. This is particularly possible on exams for subjects...

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 Useful Tips for Home School Families Guest Post By Jay Harris Homeschooling can be both a blessing and a challenge – and P.E. is the perfect example.  On one hand, you have the freedom to provide your children with the exercise they so earnestly need and crave; on the other, you may lack the funds, space, or expertise to effectively make this happen. Ahh, the dilemmas of home schooling…   Fortunately, with a bit of...

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We love reviewing books here at Classroom talk, but this summer, we'd like to try something new: we want you (and your children) to be the reviewer.  Below are some suggestions to get you started, but we'd love to hear what you're reading this summer and what you think of it. Post a comment with your summer reading book review on this post, and at the end of the summer, we'll post a list of...

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