The Ultimate Homeschool Holiday Gift Guide

INTRO - describe why giving meaningful gifts/ the gift of learning is a great idea for the holidays.

Gifts for ages 3 to 8

Life of Fred Math Books

Learning math, like literacy, is the key to endless doors in life. Story-based math learning has proven time and again to be one of the most enjoyable and effective ways to encourage this life skill. Math savant Dr. Stanley Schmidt created lovable characters Fred and Kingie whose adventures are so engrossing kids don’t even realize they’re learning m-a-t-h.


Gift a child in your life the beginning series to set them up for success in life. Don’t forget to add a plush Fred doll, adding another positive dimension to learning math. Friends help friends succeed - whether it’s math learning or otherwise. This holistic teaching method is sure to bring joy and success to your homeschool and beyond.

Reusable Wall Stickers

From the wonders of the solar system to the miracle of the human body, these interactive play sets spark curiosity, delight and learning in every child. Made from reusable, non-BPA decal materials, they can go on walls, car windows and any surface ready to be used for fun, discovery, and knowledge mastery. The durable mini-sets are especially portable, great for road trips or plane travel, and to pack for a play date.


Mona MELisa is a family owned and operated business, and manufactures products in the USA. Educents is proud to have her as a member of our community.


“The mini sets are perfect...We are homeschoolers and these are a great way to reinforce learning and encourage self exploration/learning...What I love is when they get folded over or dirty can get back to full use and clean....so durable.” - Marlene G

Homeschool Complete

How about one amazing bundle for all of kindergarten? This family owned and operated business created a complete kindergarten kit from Math to Language Arts and everything in between. Why? So you don’t need to curate resources and plan lessons yourself. New-to-homeschoolers will appreciate the detailed plans so you can follow along without hemming and hawing about what to do - it’s all laid out!


So much thought is put into this curriculum set - from the 3 ring binders and the specially durable paper, to flash cards for easy practicing, and calendars to keep you on track.


"As someone who is easily overwhelmed, an all-inclusive curriculum is a HUGE plus in my book.” - MaryEllen


This curriculum is created by a homeschool mom who knows homeschool experience through and through. Renowned and influential homeschool reviewer Cathy Duffy notes "Kindergarten Complete takes advantage of homeschoolers’ ability to interact closely with their children with lots of discussion plus hands-on activities."

Learn to Read Kit

Ready to spark that moment when a beginner finishes their first book? Hooked on Phonics is the #1 recommended Learn to Read program in the US, and for good reason: it’s helped multiple generations of learners master reading and phonics. The Learn to Read Kit comes with 28 original stories and 8 bonus books by renowned children’s authors - one of these will be that first triumphant book! The pacing is designed to encourage those who struggle with reading to first gain confidence, have fun, then master reading. It’s so easy to follow along that children can even teach themselves to read with this program.


Literacy opens up the world of literature helping children build upon their imagination, become more empathetic, and improve emotional intelligence. Beyond that, we can recall the Harry S. Truman quote - that not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”


“Now every morning my daughter says mom we have to do my school. She loves it and I do too.” - Amanda P


Give the gift of reading this season and open a world of possibilities for your child.

Gifts for Ages 9 to 12

Times Tales - Learn Multiplications Fast

What if you could turn a discouraged learner into a confident master? What if you could make one the biggest challenges in your child’s academic life not only easy, but fun? That’s what you can do with Times Tales - kids learn their times tables in an hour!


This 1 hour DVD uses stories and mnemonic devices to help kids learn their times tables in a snap - without rote memorization.


“My 11 year old has been struggling to memorize her times tables for years. She understands the concept and can figure the problems out, but it takes her a while because she's trying to calculate it in her head. We've done games to memorize, made our own times tables, used flashed cards, tried xtra math...all to no avail. Within 2 HOURS of getting Times Tables Tales in the mail, she already had a few of them memorized. She is a visual learner and so having the characters and seeing the drawings of the stories made all the difference in the world to her. She has gained so much confidence in her ability to do math in just a few weeks because she had been so discouraged before. Thank you so much!” - Heather B


Give the gift of earned confidence to a little one in your life. It’s one gift that will last a lifetime.

Magic School Bus Science Club 12 - Month Subscription

This is the perfect gift to inspire and encourage the kids who ask “why?” The famous Magic School Bus series took hold in the 90’s and has been getting kids excited about STEM ever since. The Science Club Kit takes the story based learning to the next level with comprehensive, hands-on kits that come right to your doorstep each month for a full year. And each month, you have at least 7 experiments!


This is a great choice for families with multiple children, kinesthetic, and visual learners - and just a fun, educational activity for a rainy day! The kits include experiments related to Volcanoes, Weather, Water, Fossils, Bacteria and Fungi, Star and Planets - the world around us. Best of all, each kit comes with a colorful, Magic School Bus themed manual and a paired guide for adults. You don’t need to be a science nerd to be able to have fun leading and learning as a parent. There’s also an online clubhouse with further information for young explorers. This is truly a gift that keeps on giving.


“We bought these kits almost a year ago and my kids have been loving them. Each month they arrive, the kids get extremely excited to get together the materials to do the experiments...It gives a good outline and the kids enjoy understanding what is needed to make everything work. I would recommend this to a friend.”


“My children are really enjoying their science now! Any time they get to do hands on, it's awesome!” - Kristina P


“The kids ages are 9, 7 and 4 and they really like these kids. We unschool so this brings science into the house in a fun way. The first kit we did led to other discussions, pulling out the microscope, books on microscopic things to look at, etc.” - Jennifer G

ShillerMath Fractions

That feeling when...math finally clicks! The Shiller Math Fraction set is a complete package of lesson plans for multiple ages, manipulatives for hands-on and visual learning, and a truly step-by-step guide for parents. Thinking through and preparing every lesson detail is something you won’t have to do when teaching fractions, because Shiller Math already has.


Based on a montessori teaching methods for a homeschool audience, this kit provides the play by play to teach fractions to children at different levels. And because it’s so drawn out, you not only get more for your investment for teaching multiple ages, but you save gobs of time in prep work, which is priceless. That, and when your child masters this important skill.


Colorful, varied, and well thought out, this is one of the best gifts you can give your children and yourself.


“I've been using ShillerMath Fractions for our homeschool with our 4 year old, 6 year old and 8 year old. My kids have learned so much! I'm in awe of how quickly they've learned addition and subtractions with fractions and even division and multiplication. They love the fractions disks and I love how easy it is to teach with this material. No preparation required. Excellent product!” - Ana W

Gifts for Ages 13 to 15

LearnToMod - Minecraft

If you have a youngster, you’ve probably heard of Minecraft. It’s one of the most popular games for kids. And this coding game takes it to the next level. Kids learn to modify their Minecraft world with a year-long online “course”, and in doing so, learn computer programming with Java™! This is not just a fun game. This is a game that stokes creativity and guides kids toward technological confidence: how about giving your child two of the most important attributes in the 21st century, wrapped up in a game?


“My ten year old daughter, who had NO previous Java exposure, began the Mod Design 1 course at the beginning of the year. She finished her first Mod within eight weeks. Since the license we purchased said it was good for an entire year, I told her to continue creating mods and asking the teaching staff for assistance. She’s now almost finished with her second, more complex mod and I am very pleased with the team responsible for interacting with the students. They are friendly, encouraging and seem sincerely excited to be teaching and shaping the next generation of IT experts. My daughter, my IT husband and I highly recommend this program and company!”


“My son is addicted to Minecraft. It’s is a creative game that challenges him to build ever more complex designs from buildings to creatures. As a homeschooler, this program challenges him to create on a whole new level. He learns basic Java language programming to design totally new tools, armor, ores and other things. He then “imports” his new design into the Minecraft game on his computer. This program has both engaging lessons and excellent tech support. I highly recommend this program.”


Youth Digital is a company with an express mission to empower kids to create with technology.

Math Madness Book Set

If you’re looking for new ways to inspire a child who’s already math whiz, or encouraging one who’s overwhelmed by the subject, look no further than the Math Madness Book set. The set includes two different books, “65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math!” and “101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math” that children ages 10 to 14 find fun and entertaining.


Whether these replace bedtime stories at your house, or your little one reads them independently, these books teach your child how critical math is for their everyday lives. With each book, your child is challenged to solve math brainteasers and answer math questions related to sports, cooking, money, travel and more.


“These books are a fantastic set for children 10 and up that are struggling with math anxiety. They present the problems in a very fun and approachable way that makes sense. It's math in the real world and helps kids understand how they will use math in their daily lives. I highly recommend starting with 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math. It's fun to read and extremely enjoyable in the way it's laid out. Check out these books, you won't be disappointed.” – Shelley B


This is the perfect gift for kids, parents, educators, and anyone else interested in knowing the difference between an Olympic event score of 9.0 and Richter scale score of 9.0.

Life of Fred Pre-Algebra

“Life of Fred” is quickly becoming a buzzword in the educational world. If any child has ever struggled with understanding math concepts, Fred is ready to jump in and help your child remember those tricky math concepts! How does he do it? Silly stories! The stories about Fred are so memorable, they will last a lifetime. As will the math lessons that are weaved into the stories.


In the Pre-Algebra series, students use math and science to solve quirky, real world scenarios – all while having fun with Fred of course! In this 3-book series, Fred covers concepts like numerals, area of a rectangle, the speed of light, nine forms of energy, Hooke’s law, photosynthesis, metric system, and more.


“My girls have never liked math because it does not come easily for them. I ordered Life of Fred Alg. 1 as review for them this summer. They like the fun and easy way it is presented and are understanding math more clearly. They agreed that they had fun with math for the first time ever!” -Judy


Parents of “non-math” kids will thank you for giving a gift that will help kids fall in love with math.

Gifts for Ages 16 to 18

Life of Fred High School Math

Life of Fred is preparing for college! In this series, students learn algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and a few other lessons from Fred. The Zillions of Practice books are keyed directly to the chapters and topics in the associated book. Each problem is worked out in complete detail to offer additional help for a student who may have gotten stuck along Fred’s mathematical journey.


“My oldest has been going through LOF for a while and found these books really fun. Fred makes concepts really easy to follow and is interesting to read. High school math has never been easier and more fun to learn!” -Kelly H.


Fred is also a great gift for adults who are interested in developing their own math skills. One of Fred’s mom students says, “After buying Fred Apples for my daughter, I bought myself Fred Trig. I tried taking Trig in college, but I had signed up for a 7 a.m. class (big mistake the first semester of college). I could barely stay awake; my professor wasn't as engaging as Fred. I later took Statistics and stopped with math there. But I've always wished I had taken more math, because math is really just a language - it can be learned. I'm currently on page 80 of Fred’s Trig book. With Fred, doing Trig is like completing a crossword or a sudoku puzzle. It's my new favorite leisure activity.”

Shockingly Awesome Books

From a book to create lego-based Christmas ornaments, to the popular comic book style books about electricity, physics, and even regression analysis, Shockingly Awesome Learning does a fantastic job of curating innovative books that make learning fun. Definitely worth checking out for older kids in your world!

What Rights Do You Have?

In the United States, citizens are guaranteed certain rights many people in other countries dream of having. What better way to show mastery of these basic rights than with a fun, engaging, hands-on activity! The Bill of Rights Match-Up is just the right center activity to add to your treasure chest of resources. 

The Bill of Rights Match-Up is a great resource to use when teaching a unit on government. This resource contains ten badges with the amendment numbers, ten badges with what each amendment states, a recording sheet, and a handout for the students to illustrate the meaning of one amendment. 

Students will match the amendment number card with the card containing what the amendment states. Once the students have sorted and matched the cards, they record their answers on the recording sheet. In addition to the recording sheet and center cards, there is a printable for the students to choose one amendment and illustrate it so that others will be able to understand its meaning. 

How do I set up centers in the social studies classroom? 

Incorporating center activities in the social studies classroom is really not a hard task. Here are some helpful tips to get you started on setting up centers in your classroom. 

• Designate a specific place in your classroom that will work for your center activities. I always found my centers worked better on a table in the back of the room. It allowed the students an opportunity to transition to the center, work independently, have enough space to spread the activity out on the table, and it was free of other distractions. 
• Choose a hands-on activity that goes along with the unit of study you are going to teach. 
• Print the needed activity pages. If the activity requires pieces that will be used over and over by students, I recommend laminating the pieces for durability. 
• Place everything for the particular activity in one spot, such as an envelop, an accordion file, or a tupperware container. 
• If you have more than one center activity per unit, make sure you label the center pieces so students know which pieces go with each center activity.

What are the benefits of using centers in my social studies class? 

• Students are able to be independent learners. 
• Students are able to explore and learn at their own pace. 
• Students are able to take risks without the fear of failure or not having the correct answer. 
• Students become confident in their learning. 
• Students can express themselves freely in the center. 

What do I do when the students complete their center activity? 

Because students are able to work independently and at their own pace, students will complete the center activity at different times. Always have enrichment work or assignments handy for those early finishers. When all students have rotated through the center, take an inventory of the center activity and make sure you still have all of the parts of the center activity. If you are missing a piece of the center activity, make a note of it so you can replace the missing piece before filing the center activity away to use the next time you teach the unit. This will help you be organized and prepared for the next time you pull out the center activity. Clean the center area. Next, get ready for your next center activity. 

If you teach social studies and do not use center activities on a regular basis, I hope you will consider giving centers in the social studies classroom a try! You will not be sorry you tried!

If you teach social studies, check out the Bill of Rights Match-Up. You students are sure to love it!

Happy Teaching! 

Unlocking the Secrets of Interactive Notebooks

Interactive Notebooks seem to be the rage in classrooms across America right now. In fact, there are resources for them for all subject areas, grade levels, and they are in designed for differentiation. Every teacher I speak to who uses them absolutely loves them! But there may be someone out there who is still on the fence, so why would I choose to use it in my classroom?

Here are some reasons every teacher would want to use Interactive Notebooks.

1. Student-Centered

The focus of using Interactive Notebooks in a classroom is because it is student-centered. Interactive Notebooks do not take the place of teaching, but rather they reinforce the skills and content taught by providing students an opportunity to record information learned and research additional content to include. The student decides what information is recorded in the notebooks.

2. Hands-on Learning

How many students do you know who need movement incorporated into their classroom schedule? For this reason, Interactive Notebooks provide a good balance of hands-on learning as they allow for movement instead of just sitting and listening to a lecture. Students actually enjoy cutting and assembling the notebooks.

A few years ago, I shared one of my Interactive Notebooks I created with a co-worker. At first, the co-worker was unsure if the students were going to be receptive to the idea because they were 8th graders. The students loved it so much, she decided to use Interactive Notebooks with every content area she taught.

3. Provide a Working Product

An Interactive Notebook is not completed in one day; it is a work in progress. The students can add to it daily or once a week. They are designed to meet the needs of your classroom and can be tailored to meet the needs of your students. By providing a means to look at work from the beginning of the year to the end of the year in a single notebook, the teacher and students are able to look at student growth. It is amazing how differently a student responds to some questions at the beginning of the year compared to similar questions at the end of the year.

4. Built-in Study Guide

One of my favorite reasons for using Interactive Notebooks is because it provides a built-in student guide for the students. This study guide is ready for test prep at any time of the year for quizzes, chapter tests, unit tests, and even standardized tests. I always have the students leave the first several pages in the notebook blank to use as an on-going 'Table of Contents' to help make it easier to find certain topics when students are reviewing or studying.

5. Ownership

Students are proud of their Interactive Notebooks. They spend a tremendous amount of time working on them, and I have found that even students who have a hard time staying organized are able to keep an Interactive Notebook. I believe this is because it is THEIR personal INB. I always smile when I see students paying close attention to detail in their drawings and illustrations, because I know this is when it has clicked with them the notebooks is theirs.

If you are looking for Interactive Notebook Resources click HERE!

            

Thank you to Graphics from the Pond and KG Fonts for the use of their talents in the title image!

Happy New Year!

I hope you rang in the new year in whatever style best suited you! I know I could not have wanted to spend my night any other way. I was with my husband and daughter...a nice, quiet night for us. There are years when we are more active, but this year, we chose to spend it at home. It was a great change of pace. 

Listening: It has been raining in south Georgia for several days now. In fact, many are facing flooding. I pray the waters do not get any higher for those living on or near the river. 

Loving: This break has been wonderful! I normally fill every break I have full of things to do. This time we choose a couple of things we really wanted to do, but then spent time just being together. It has been absolutely the best yet! 

Thinking: Although I know it is time, Monday morning is going to be so hard. Just getting back into a routine and the alarm clock. I am sure a lot of us are in the same situation. :) 

Wanting: We started renovating a house last spring. We sold our home of ten years at the beginning of December, and the other house is not finished. It is time to really kick it in high gear to get the reno project completed. 

Needing: I have to plan our summer vacation. I also need to plan our trip to Disney/TpT conference this summer. 

One Little Word: My OLW for 2016 is 'live'. I chose this word because I want to live each day without any regrets...to the fullest. I don't want to look back and realize I missed something that I cannot get back. That is what I am focusing on this year. 

To read more Currently Posts head on over to Oh' Boy 4th Grade.

It's a Fix!...Stitch Fix, That Is!

I admit, I am a little late to join the Stitch Fix train. It is not because I did not think the clothes I kept seeing people post on Facebook, Instagram, and their blogs were not totally cute...they were all totally cute! I just had a difficult time bringing myself to let someone who had never met me send me clothes. Would they fit? How could they possibly know what I would like? Eeek! 

Life has been crazy busy lately, and my wardrobe is long overdue for a refresher. So, I did it! I signed up for Stitch Fix. And it arrived...before the scheduled date! I was super-excited to drive in the drive-way and see a little box sitting there waiting for me. I couldn't wait to open it!

When I completed my online profile, I admit, I was a bit conservative. However, the "fix" was a perfect match for me. I was able to select a price range for each article of clothing (pants, shirts, shoes, etc.), and they stayed within that range. In a couple of instances, they were better than the price range I allocated (which was wonderful!). 

I wore this outfit on Christmas Eve. It was a pair of skinny jeans and loose-fitting plaid shirt. I love how both fit, and they were super comfy! (Photo credits go to my daughter.) 

Because I just got the first "fix" and I am on vacation, I have not had a chance to wear all of the pieces they sent. All of the pieces I received can be worn to school (Yay!). I will post pics each time I get a "fix" I love and would like to share. If you are on the fence about trying out Stitch Fix, I highly recommend you do it! I am glad I did! I am already looking forward to my January "Fix"!

Click HERE to sign up for Stitch Fix to give it a try!

I would love to hear from you. If you have tried Stitch Fix, what is your favorite item you have received? Do you have good Pinterest boards with fashion/clothing? If so, post a link to them below so we can check them out. 

Happy Teaching!

It's November

Wow! Can it really already be November? 

I am linking up with Farley's Currently for the November edition. 

It's November 1st, and the Hallmark Channel is already playing Christmas movies. I am a sucker for a good holiday movie, but it seems so early. Nevertheless, I watched...umm...three of them today, I think. I have been super lazy. 

It has also been raining here today, and I am so thankful because our little town needed the rain. Due to the rain and the movie-watching Sunday, I have loved snuggling with AC, my daughter. She seemed to be okay with the Christmas movies as she had fun telling me all that was going to be on her wish list this year. 

Since I have been lazy, I thought a lot about what my weekly to-do list is going to look like this week. Yikes! I better get busy. 

Tomorrow is my birthday, and my parents are cooking supper tonight. Mama always has the most delicious cake waiting, so I am so ready to go over there and taste it. 

The laundry pile has not been tended to this weekend, so it needs some attention. Maybe tonight. Maybe. 

My favorite Thanksgiving food is definitely pecan pie. I will share our family's recipe with you later in the month on a special blog post. You will not want to miss it!

I know I did a short blog post about this meet-up last week, but I wanted to include it again today. If you are in the south Georgia/north Florida area (or within driving distance) we would love to have you join us for a meet-up in Valdosta, Georgia. It is going to be a blast! 

Teacher Blogger Meet-Up

Calling all teachers, bloggers, and TpT authors who live in Georgia or Florida. Kayse Morris (Teaching on Less with Kayse Morris) and I are hosting a fabulous meet-up, and we want YOU to join us! We are thankful for the friendships we have made and thankful for TpT!

Here's the plan...We will meet on Saturday, November 21st in Valdosta at a restaurant right off I-75 and HWY 84 so it is easy to locate no matter which direction you are coming from. It is casual. We plan to meet around 11:30 and we can stay as long as we wish. We will eat (of course), chat, make new friends, share stories, share helpful hints, make new friends, maybe eat some more, take pics with our new friends, and leave feeling blessed. 

Seriously, we want you to join us in our first-ever Georgia/Florida meet-up. Email me at a_m_bentley@yahoo.com or leave your email address in the "comments" section below, and I will send you the detailed information. If you have any questions, send those to me, too. Also, please share with your friends. We cannot wait! 

You can also follow my Facebook page for updates. 

Ghostly Nouns

In an effort to get the kiddos excited about this week, check out GHOSTLY NOUNS to assess your students' knowledge and mastery of common nouns and proper nouns.  

In this activity, students sort the ghost cards into two separate stacks: common nouns and proper nouns. After all cards have been sorted, the students use the recording sheet to record the common nouns in one column and the proper nouns in the other column.  There is an answer sheet the students can use to check their own answers, or they can turn it in to be graded. 

This is great as a center activity, as independent work, or as collaborative pair work. For additional practice, there is a sheet for students to sort the common nouns and proper nouns on their own paper.

This is a quick, easy setup activity your students are sure to love! 

Check it out HERE!

Viva Las Vegas - The Experience of a Lifetime

What a wonderful, exciting, life-changing experience! The Teachers Pay Teachers team did not disappoint! I met so many new people, finally got to put an actual face with a name, and learned so much. I am so thankful I was able to go this year (I missed it last year and was so bummed!). 

When I think about what I enjoyed the most, hands down it was the people...the TpT team, the teacher-authors, the bloggers...simply put, the people. I was given the opportunity to help lead a networking session on Thursday. It was awesome! It was exceeded my expectations! The other leaders were great to work with, and I enjoyed meeting and greeting everyone who came (that I could get around to...there were more who came than I truly expected). "The Others", as the secondary sellers have been called, rocked it out! I think everyone left knowing more people to collaborate with and knowing what our goals are now. 

The Fabulous Secondary Networking Leaders

Wednesday was filled with Meet and Greets. I was able to sneak in two of them. Kayse Morris and Literary Sherri hosted the Cool Kids Meet and Greet. It was a wonderful time to get to know some new people before the conference started. I even took the hubby so he could meet some of the people he hears me constantly (and I mean constantly) talk about everyday. 

Literary Sherri, Kayse Morris, and me at the Cool Kids Meet and Greet

After dinner and socializing at the Cool Kids Meet and Greet, we headed to the Blogger Meet-up. WOW! There were approximately 1,100 people there! All in one room! It was crazy but awesome! I enjoyed meeting tons of people. The bloggers who put it on worked super hard. Over $55,000 of prizes were awarded. Yes, that's right...over $55,000. 

There were two people who I desperately (seriously, though) wanted to meet while I was there. One was Amy. She is our new Director of Seller Happiness, and the title could not be more perfect! She is the one who graciously answers all of our questions, always with kindness. She just lights up the room when she walks in and makes you want to smile. I got to first meet Amy at the Cool Kids Meet and Greet. Then I was able to talk with her a little here and there on the other days. She is fabulous! 

Amy, the Director of Seller Happiness

The other person I wanted to meet was probably on most people's list, too. Deanna Jump. She is one of the one's whose name launched TpT into a new era. And she is so nice. I cannot tell you how many photos were taken with her over the course of the week, but she did so without any reservation. Thank you, Deanna!

Deanna Jump and me

As the conference was winding down for me, it occurred to me that people are the most important thing. I hope to take the new bonds forged and continue this journey with some of the most wonderful, inspiring people I know. So for me, the best part of the conference was the people. 

Please head over the Viva Las Vegas Linky to read all about everyone else's experiences. Thank you to the Elementary Entourage for hosting this linky!