tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36241843352563318902024-02-19T04:44:29.042+00:00Living EducationIf you're in need if inspiration for your education journey, you've come to the right place!
These living educational resources come highly recommended by us...we've used them, and are reviewing them for you to benefit from :)Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-6447437836812988812012-07-09T12:20:00.002+01:002012-07-09T12:21:10.990+01:00Back & Olympics!It's been a *long* while since we posted here! We're back & thought we'd make a start with the Olympic Games.<br />
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There's been so much coverage on the TV about the Olympic Torch relay & we were lucky enough to have it visit us in our County...the relay visited some really lovely places in Norwich, so we managed to see part of the relay. What better way to do an <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.currclick.com/product/70778/The-Summer-Olympics-2012-Lapbook-with-Study-Guide">Olympic 2012 lapbook</a> </span>than adding your own torch relay & local photos, which is what we've done.<br />
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Here's one of the torch relay heading out of Norwich, it was a lovely sunny day and the atmosphere was very community based & fun, regardless of the early hour!<br />
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<br />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-40715601120726055682010-12-08T15:56:00.000+00:002010-12-08T15:56:56.055+00:00BrightSpark Maths Trial - 10 parents neededFirstly, apologies it hasn't been busy here recently. I've got a couple of reviews to add over the coming week which I'll put on here. <br />
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I thought you may be interested in this....BrightSpark is looking for around 10 families to trial and review their online maths tutoring. Further details can be found here at: <a href="http://www.mumslikeyou.com/blog.php?user=MumsLikeYou&blogentry_id=950">Mums Like You</a> if you do wish to take part, I'm open to a family guest posting their review of it on here (not essential though), to share their experiences as well, especially useful if you don't have a blog and want to take tell the blogosphere about it!.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-81104971044471403372010-11-07T08:26:00.000+00:002010-11-07T09:26:21.615+00:00Royal Albert Hall - Free Tickets for Home Educators (9/11/10)Spotted this on <a href="http://homeschoolblogger.com/uk"></a><br />
<br />
FREE TICKET OFFER FOR HOME EDUCATORS<br />
SCHOOLS PROM, ROYAL ALBERT HALL<br />
<br />
We would like to offer home educators complimentary tickets for the Music for<br />
Youth Schools Prom on Tuesday 9 November.<br />
<br />
Come along and experience the excitement of one of the world’s greatest concert<br />
halls and celebrate the fantastic music-making in our schools, colleges and<br />
communities across the country.<br />
<br />
Featuring classical favourites including Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Sibelius’s<br />
Finlandia, witness a unique performance of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody alongside<br />
sensational samba, gospel, big band and folk performances.<br />
<br />
Presented by Classic FM’s Margherita Taylor and folk musician Sam Lee.<br />
<br />
The concert commences at 7pm and will finish by 10pm at the latest.<br />
<br />
If you would like to apply for free tickets please quote 7001 when booking<br />
online at http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/school-proms/default.aspx or<br />
quote `free ticket offer’ when booking by phone on 020 7589 8212.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-82632640906892171812010-11-02T17:04:00.001+00:002010-11-02T17:05:06.451+00:00New Carnival of Homeschooling has started<a title="Carnival of Homeschooling" href="http://whyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2008/04/carnival-of-homeschooling.html"><br />
<img alt="Carnival of Homeschooling" width="160" height="200" border="0" src="http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll227/hcate3/WhateverImageA.png" > </a><br />
<br />
We have joined in the fun again with Carnival of Homeschooling :)<br />
<br />
If you've not visited a Carnival before, then you're in for a treat. This issues topics are varied, with a really good mix.<br />
<br />
It can be likened to walking into a sweet shop, and having some new inspiration :) Hope you'll enjoy the Carnival, kind thanks to Dewey's Treehouse for hosting it :)Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-55848934358504665282010-11-01T22:37:00.000+00:002010-11-01T22:37:55.149+00:00You Wouldn't Want to be an Egyptian Mummy! by David Stewart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVW9R5fq9jILjRuWMKfxhruJS7KdeSBRiaVU_Mlx13ee-9whgy4fcBsxLcUSLsQog9sZuTh2-TpSQSLulRMMR9HwrS7qhiHFkPhwCei2QEE64is3PnG0hJJPNqMCkMSRHcEnYWXCJhqZA/s1600/egyptian+mummy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVW9R5fq9jILjRuWMKfxhruJS7KdeSBRiaVU_Mlx13ee-9whgy4fcBsxLcUSLsQog9sZuTh2-TpSQSLulRMMR9HwrS7qhiHFkPhwCei2QEE64is3PnG0hJJPNqMCkMSRHcEnYWXCJhqZA/s1600/egyptian+mummy.jpg" /></a></div>Title: You Wouldn't Want to be an Egyptian Mummy! Disgusting things you'd rather not know.<br />
<br />
Author: David Stewart<br />
ISBN: 0750030658<br />
Publisher: Wayland 2001<br />
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Rating 5/5<br />
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This book is ideal if your child wants a more in depth look at mummification and the Egyptian preparation for the afterlife. It details vividly with cartoons how Egyptians were prepared for their mummification, including information on what happened with body parts, which tools an embalmer may have used, the symbols and hieroglyphics used and mummies through history.<br />
<br />
A really fascinating read, our next project involves mummifying action men to see how it was done....so this is a great way to explain everything in depth first!<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=livineduca-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0750030658&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-462836680540771782010-10-30T11:29:00.000+01:002010-10-30T11:29:25.670+01:00Rummikub - A Game of Numbers, Logic and Strategy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVG1uOjD_nUKJ1GYBRssRacL1gXKrqUGIVaHYX4Jhk853uR-lOFTVHtr3u615F8s_JKu7GE5afsOUcXDGJPISsL8PqgZ254tRWNrL8lKDW3h40QE6e6DEoPKSGdWWG7kujAyCiDge4Sw/s1600/51NUc+86XUL._SL160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVG1uOjD_nUKJ1GYBRssRacL1gXKrqUGIVaHYX4Jhk853uR-lOFTVHtr3u615F8s_JKu7GE5afsOUcXDGJPISsL8PqgZ254tRWNrL8lKDW3h40QE6e6DEoPKSGdWWG7kujAyCiDge4Sw/s1600/51NUc+86XUL._SL160_.jpg" /></a><span id="goog_842926744"> </span><br />
<span id="goog_842926744">Rummikub has been a favorite in our house for the past 15 years, mainly used by adults up until this week. Our boys are now joining in playing it with us.</span><br />
<span id="goog_842926744"><br />
</span><br />
<span id="goog_842926744">Similar to Gin Rummy, in this version numbered coloured tiles are used and the first to empty their tile holder wins. Players must lay a sum of at least 30 tiles to start, once tiles are laid anyone can add to them and manipulate them. Tiles must be placed in either sequential order, or same number but different colours. No few than 3 tiles can be left as a group, if there are less than 3 tiles left after manipulating them then those left must be placed in the players tile holder to use another time. </span><br />
<span id="goog_842926744"><br />
</span><br />
<span id="goog_842926744">A fantastic strategy game which is very addictive, an active lateral thinking game, with each game being different.</span><br />
<span id="goog_842926744"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1GAA07-x9h8QxFXeFKFxsWde2shtAV8IkUSQIPVvZwzREvVLpjd_tu_tT-16WGsgiHkQrJSdSwDDulsv7mMfwlDBT8zcgvFskLSqCO-dRO6qSJPj7TfLMaM6cjWA8Gw4hHJ7GE_ce64/s1600/rummikub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1GAA07-x9h8QxFXeFKFxsWde2shtAV8IkUSQIPVvZwzREvVLpjd_tu_tT-16WGsgiHkQrJSdSwDDulsv7mMfwlDBT8zcgvFskLSqCO-dRO6qSJPj7TfLMaM6cjWA8Gw4hHJ7GE_ce64/s320/rummikub.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0036OQL32?ie=UTF8&tag=livineduca-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B0036OQL32"><img border="0" src="51NUc%2B86XUL._SL160_.jpg" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=livineduca-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B0036OQL32" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-64524414849507674302010-10-28T08:26:00.001+01:002010-10-28T08:26:38.009+01:00If You Give A Moose A Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2zqmV7qJnlWd1slklBYv_wYpsYUlHIPDYEOTLVb-nmF2PLwjvC8afslGPfkSET7TIKpbd8dvcDyHnuAc0zOQhGFBfqF0EiGPxkuGDFXRjR0eopGSOVSbokXJHNZXtUXsZZOCjmduVQ4/s1600/61TKXETQJBL._SL160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2zqmV7qJnlWd1slklBYv_wYpsYUlHIPDYEOTLVb-nmF2PLwjvC8afslGPfkSET7TIKpbd8dvcDyHnuAc0zOQhGFBfqF0EiGPxkuGDFXRjR0eopGSOVSbokXJHNZXtUXsZZOCjmduVQ4/s1600/61TKXETQJBL._SL160_.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0064433668?ie=UTF8&tag=livineduca-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0064433668"><img border="0" src="61TKXETQJBL._SL160_.jpg" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=livineduca-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0064433668" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0064433668?ie=UTF8&tag=livineduca-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0064433668">If You Give a Moose a Muffin (If You Give... Books)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=livineduca-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0064433668" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> is a favorite for us. Numeroff easily draws the reader into the story, which is fairly easy to predict from the gorgeous illustrations. Our youngest has great fun telling me the story first, then I read it to him again whilst he enjoys listening and preempting the next sentence.<br />
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This is a easy read, easy on the ears and easy to take in. <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/IfYouGiveaMoose.php">Homeschool Share</a> has resources for both this book and others in the series, such as <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0061128562?ie=UTF8&tag=livineduca-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0061128562">If You Give a Mouse a Cookie [With CD (Audio)] (If You Give... Books)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=livineduca-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0061128562" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />.<br />
<br />
Title: If You Give A Moose A Muffin<br />
Author: Laura Joffe Numeroff<br />
Publisher: HarperCollins<br />
ISBN: 978-0064433662<br />
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Rating 5/5Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-53761428867886875392010-10-27T17:20:00.002+01:002010-10-27T17:25:54.008+01:00Halloween Game - Magic Cauldron, Numbers Made Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGjE3AI0o96LpeIWnoBtVcBY3O7s8Z_624naJHcYGXemsSF-UMgBXEPGBQUl17kJx6VnjM-v4x4VxSnFctr4IauxClnFeawDQYAOsPnDSAjUp9Qjrdfvw2agWERK9F9V2iFZ4Cl1b46U/s1600/512emPNWAdL._SL160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGjE3AI0o96LpeIWnoBtVcBY3O7s8Z_624naJHcYGXemsSF-UMgBXEPGBQUl17kJx6VnjM-v4x4VxSnFctr4IauxClnFeawDQYAOsPnDSAjUp9Qjrdfvw2agWERK9F9V2iFZ4Cl1b46U/s1600/512emPNWAdL._SL160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGjE3AI0o96LpeIWnoBtVcBY3O7s8Z_624naJHcYGXemsSF-UMgBXEPGBQUl17kJx6VnjM-v4x4VxSnFctr4IauxClnFeawDQYAOsPnDSAjUp9Qjrdfvw2agWERK9F9V2iFZ4Cl1b46U/s1600/512emPNWAdL._SL160_.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0002CYTVM?ie=UTF8&tag=livineduca-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B0002CYTVM" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="512emPNWAdL._SL160_.jpg" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=livineduca-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B0002CYTVM" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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<br />
Halloween is fast approaching, for our game journey today we played the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0002CYTVM?ie=UTF8&tag=livineduca-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B0002CYTVM">Orchard Toys Magic Cauldron Maths Game</a> which was very easy to play.<br />
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The object of the game being to fill your cauldron with 'spells' (the answers to maths sums). Players pick a number from pile, and then finds the sum which equates to the number picked from the pile.<br />
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This one will be coming out of the cupboard a lot more now our youngest recognizes his numbers, a really fun way to help him with his basic maths. Sums include addition, multiplication and subtraction. On the reverse of each sum is the answer, which when rubbed, reveals itself so the player can match the number they picked from the pile, to the sum, helping to consolidate what has already been learnt. Younger children can also use this just by matching the numbers, they don't need to have a grasp of the maths sums to play, which is fantastic for families who often can't play a game because it isn't flexible enough for everyone.<br />
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A recommended treat, which the boys enjoyed and have also played with friends by themselves, albeit with their own interpretation of the rules ;p<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yhWb2B1_e1BnPU0NhVV7nR3__RmxcJMFVJNB07mamhGaesaBOQip_Z-aYO70x73cbf_lU_05TbCMPWjya_65QiQnhJIZvSez1htYZ8sirp70lbgjhclOWYyJ5BuG3xLG8dfXz8V_nFw/s1600/cauldron+pieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3yhWb2B1_e1BnPU0NhVV7nR3__RmxcJMFVJNB07mamhGaesaBOQip_Z-aYO70x73cbf_lU_05TbCMPWjya_65QiQnhJIZvSez1htYZ8sirp70lbgjhclOWYyJ5BuG3xLG8dfXz8V_nFw/s320/cauldron+pieces.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-24409274992130386592010-10-26T16:40:00.002+01:002010-10-26T16:47:52.085+01:00New Carnival of Homeschooling has started<a href="http://whyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2008/04/carnival-of-homeschooling.ht%0Aml" title="Carnival of Homeschooling"><br />
</a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://whyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2008/04/carnival-of-homeschooling.ht%0Aml" title="Carnival of Homeschooling"> <img alt="Carnival of Homeschooling" border="0" height="200" src="http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll227/hcate3/WhateverImageA.png" width="160" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://whyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2008/04/carnival-of-homeschooling.ht%0Aml" title="Carnival of Homeschooling"> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We have joined in the fun this time round with Carnival of Homeschooling :)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you've not visited a Carnival before, then you're in for a treat. This issues topics are Life at Home, Good Things about Homeschooling and Homeschool News. </span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It can be likened to walking into a sweet shop, and having some new inspiration :) Hope you'll enjoy the Carnival, kind thanks to Corn and Oil for hosting it :) </span><br />
<a href="http://whyhomeschool.blogspot.com/2008/04/carnival-of-homeschooling.ht%0Aml" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" title="Carnival of Homeschooling"> </a></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-57222884081763823482010-10-20T19:42:00.001+01:002010-10-26T09:26:48.163+01:00Maths and Puzzle story book - Find Anthony AntMost of our story books are dual purpose, and this one exceeds our expectations of a story book.<br />
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Similar to the Where's Wally series of books, your mission is to Find Anthony Ant amongst the ant colony which is a maze at the bottom part of the page.<br />
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'The Ants marched two by two' and 'three by three', and so on, is at the start of each maze, alongside the equivalent number. Three options in rhyme are then given as to where, or what, you may find Anthony Ant doing, before the reader is asked to Find Anthony Ant, so ideal for younger participants who may find older versions too hard.<br />
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This one has our 4yo studying the pages before gleefully shouting out he's found him. Comparison skills as well as observation skills are built on. A great maths story book :)<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=livineduca-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1905417063&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
<br />
Title: Find Anthony Ant<br />
Author: Lorna Philpot<br />
ISBN: 1905417063<br />
Website for author - not foundMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-32191318316226463612010-10-20T13:57:00.002+01:002010-10-26T09:31:00.233+01:00Mad About Maths - Math games comboAnother helping of maths today :) We bought this a while back of Amazon, and have slowly been devouring the games included. If you're looking for more games to play based around cards, dominoes and the included boards, then this is a great addition to your maths resources.<br />
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It includes 12 pages of games and puzzles ready to use, this is a very colourful book and has games for different abilities. The front gives a suggested 7-11 age range, (it supports Key Stage 2 learning) but one of the games so far has our 4yo captivated. For us, games are the way to go for maths and it's led to both our boys wanting more :) <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=livineduca-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1905339186&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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Title: Mathmatical Games (Mad About Maths)<br />
Authors: <span class="ptBrand">Adrian Pinel and Jeni Pinel</span><br />
<span class="ptBrand">ISBN: </span>1905339186<span class="ptBrand"> </span><br />
<span class="ptBrand">Author Website: Not Found </span>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-83021410424258767362010-10-14T22:27:00.003+01:002010-10-21T16:33:21.708+01:00Storm the Castle - A worthwhile freebie quest<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thought I'd share another freebie resource we've used for a while. It comes as a download which you make up. Here's the blurb about the game:</div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: black;">Players pretend to be medieval soldiers attacking a castle. They must cross a field and a bridge using math skills: finding the difference between two numbers, finding coordinates on a grid, finding ways to combine single digit numbers to get teen numbers, and solving simple word problems. </span></i></span><br />
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This game is cooperative, with the competition being against the enemy inside the castle, who continually catapults the soldiers with large rocks they must avoid. There is plenty of room for imagination and fun while using math skills! As soon as all the soldiers make it inside the castle, they are allowed to carry off loot (candies or other small treats that were placed inside before the game started). Providing an edible treat as a reward usually works wonders to motivate kids to finish their tasks!</span></span></div></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Both the boys really enjoy playing this, normally I play the enemy inside the castle whilst they co-operatively defeat me, claiming their sweet rewards at the end of a few games. One to try :)</span></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://ellenjmchenry.com/id125.html">http://ellenjmchenry.com/id125.html</a> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-39815943197968555422010-10-14T21:50:00.001+01:002010-10-14T21:52:14.386+01:00Where does time go?! A ramble, an Ode to a parent and educatorWe all know the saying, time flies when you're having fun...but seriously...where does the time go?!!?!? In the blink of an eye time has past without us marking it....who knew when we started on our home ed journey that it would go so quick?! I'm so glad we took the step though...watching your children grow up, and helping them learn is an extension of watching them walk and learn to talk.<br />
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Growth can be marked in many ways, how mature they are as children, and how well they go on maturing as we help ease them into the teenage years towards adulthood and beyond. I always knew our eldest was tall....but now I wish I'd done the customary marking of the door frame with him, to show him just how much he's grown....it's never too late to start though!!!! At least I can still do it for the youngest :) Hmmm...wonder if DS1 will outgrow the door frame before he's a teen though!!<br />
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Vicky in her blog <a href="http://highonhomeschool.blogspot.com/">High on Homeschool</a> has a great article there on how to help <a href="http://highonhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/09/building-child-up.html">Build a Child Up</a> which is something I'll be doing more of.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-77283234910630883912010-10-10T19:38:00.002+01:002010-10-10T21:08:16.754+01:00The Game that is Worth 1,000 Worksheets (and then some!)As you might have guessed already, we love games here ;) Not just board games, but card games also. We were really lucky early on to stumble across this fantastic game with instructions online...we already had more than one deck of cards, so we were ready to play :) <br />
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Math Cold War may also be know under different names, but to us it has meant simple learning with cards, at it's best!....Our eldest had a trial at the local school for a couple of days recently, and they did a maths exercise with their times tables ...each equation was given 50 seconds for someone to get right verbally, and I'm very proud to say that DS beat the one who was top of the class every time :))) I know that this game helped him come on leaps and bounds in his mental arithmetic, so I'm hoping others can use it as well, all that's needed is a few packs of cards and you're ready to play. It can be used for all forms of maths equations.<br />
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We'd love to have your feedback on it in the comments, should you use it....it really worked for us, and it's a game DS loves playing.<br />
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<a href="http://letsplaymath.net/2006/12/29/the-game-that-is-worth-1000-worksheets/">http://letsplaymath.net</a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-43172451213358743752010-10-10T14:18:00.001+01:002010-10-10T15:48:36.024+01:00Magic Tree House Series - Ideal starting points for unitsI thought I'd share with you one of our favorite all time authors, Mary Pope Osborne. Her Magic Tree House and Merlin Mission series of books are utterly inspiring. Our first experience with them was Night of the Ninjas...not a very educational book at first glance from the title you may think, well, we were in for a treat! Jack and Annie, the brother and sister duo who are the main characters, get whisked back in time to ancient Japan. In order to get back home they have to learn the secrets of the Ninjas whilst dodging the samurai warriors.<br />
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A captivating read, which could quite easily be used during lesson plans on ancient Japan. We've since gone on to read Good Morning, Gorillas, Season of the Sandstorms and Christmas in Camelot. Our current read out of the Magic Tree House series is Vacation under the Volcano, which I intend to expand on with a project on Volcanos and a science volcano experiment is also on the list :) <br />
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We've also got Twister on Tuesday and Thanksgiving on Thursday on our bookshelf ready for another time. The series travels through time and touches subjects such as History and Mythology, whilst keeping the readers hooked.<br />
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Some great resources for using alongside the Magic Tree House books can be found at <a href="http://www.gearforlearning.com/">http://www.gearforlearning.com/</a> and <a href="http://www.currclick.com/index.php">http://www.currclick.com</a> another site with some good info on them and how to use them is here - <a href="http://helpmyhomeschool.com/2010/02/using-magic-tree-house-books-in-your-homeschoo">http://helpmyhomeschool.com </a><br />
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<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_a49c8c06-9329-44ca-ad2b-73c1f88ad91e" WIDTH="400px" HEIGHT="150px"> <param NAME="movie" VALUE="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Flivineduca-21%2F8010%2Fa49c8c06-9329-44ca-ad2b-73c1f88ad91e&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><param NAME="quality" VALUE="high"><param NAME="bgcolor" VALUE="#FFFFFF"><param NAME="allowscriptaccess" VALUE="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Flivineduca-21%2F8010%2Fa49c8c06-9329-44ca-ad2b-73c1f88ad91e&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_a49c8c06-9329-44ca-ad2b-73c1f88ad91e" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_a49c8c06-9329-44ca-ad2b-73c1f88ad91e" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="150px" width="400px"></embed></OBJECT> <noscript><a HREF="http://ws.amazon.co.uk/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=GB&ID=V20070822%2FGB%2Flivineduca-21%2F8010%2Fa49c8c06-9329-44ca-ad2b-73c1f88ad91e&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.co.uk Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-25421148783918347552010-10-07T11:04:00.001+01:002010-10-07T11:06:18.787+01:00Uno - Colours, Numbers and a card game for all :)One of our all time favorite card games is <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=livineduca-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00005BOFG&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr%22%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20frameborder=%220%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E">Uno</a>. It has to be the best card game we've bought to date, and definitely the most used, it's one we all come back to time and time again!<br />
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For 2 or more players, 7 cards each and 1 turned over to start. The first one to get rid of all their cards wins :) Don't forget to say Uno on your last card, or you pick up more....you can place cards down to follow the colour or number previously placed...watch the pick up 2s and pick up 4s though! Our 4 year old can often been heard squealing with laughter as he hammers his brother with picking up another 4 and then 2 cards ;o)<br />
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Not only can it be a fast paced game, it also help teach our 4 year old his colours and number recognition effortlessly, so a real gem of a game, and one worth having in your games cupboard :) <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=livineduca-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0000205XH&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr%22%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20frameborder=%220%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E">Uno Extreme </a>is next on our games wish list :)Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-5606096357700501642010-10-04T20:51:00.001+01:002010-10-10T21:07:38.559+01:00National Trust - Home Educators Membership now available!!!!!Just a heads up, after seeing this on another site I'm on. The National Trust have updated their policy for membership, meaning home educators are now able to benefit from membership at the rate of £33 annually...a huge saving if going to the National Trust sites is something you like doing (car parks near us for non members are £5+ a time, with membership, car parking is free).<br />
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On a personal note, if you live in Nottingham, you're so lucky!! We visited Clumber Park when we were on hols, what a treat! It's lovely, and next time we'll allocate more time there.<br />
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Restrictions on the membership are that it can only be used during term time and during school hours. Here's the direct link:<br />
<a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-chl/w-learning_discovery/w-schools/w-schools-egm.htm#home_education">http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk</a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-77900261998603659592010-10-04T20:43:00.003+01:002010-10-26T09:36:28.283+01:00A RAF pilot's story during World War II - Tail End Charlie<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This ties in really well with the previous blog post for Nancy Wake and the Second World War.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Written by Mick Manning, this is an account from the memories of his father, who served in the RAF and was an airgunner during the Second World War. It is semi comic style in presentation, which went down really well with our 8 year old again, he loves his comics! It also has replicas of rations books, adverts and stamps from the time within the pages whilst it's telling the story, a great touch, and another avenue to explore, with more interest shown!</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The book launches into how Charlie got into the RAF, the training involved at the time, and also mentions several types of aircraft in use during the war (enough to keep any boy happy and interested, as well as stir curiosity!!). It also brings to life how life was like facing enemy bombers and completing night ops.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A fascinating read, and one which has opened up another avenue of living history for us :) From this, we are going to explore the Battle of Britain and the different aircraft at that time, as well as rationing.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781847800756/Tail-end-Charlie=livingeducation77">http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781847800756/Tail-end-Charlie</a><br />
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Title: Tail-End Charlie <br />
Authors: Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom<br />
<span class="isbn13"><span>ISBN: 9781847800756</span></span></div>Author Website: http://www.mickandbrita.com/Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-87219321343750632922010-10-04T19:00:00.002+01:002010-10-26T09:43:50.722+01:00World War II - Fantastic living book for a starting point :)We've just finished a fantastic book by Lucy Hannah that I can't wait to share with you!<br />
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Nancy Wake (Who was...?) is a true story in a child friendly format, our 8 year old and I took turns reading chapters. The story starts with the main character, Nancy Wake, making a parachute jump into France to help the Resistance and from there the reader is sucked into the world of Nancy Wake, who went on to become one of the Allies' most decorated servicewomen of the war. The author kept the book lighthearted enough so that young listeners can understand what was going on, without too much gore, especially when it came to the way in which the Gestapo treated captured spies and prisoners of war. A well thought out book, with plenty of lively activity to keep the reader hooked, our 8 year old couldn't wait for the next page, he wanted to keep reading more :) At the end of the book there is a fab glossary of terms used, and also a quiz for you to test your memory from the story.<br />
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This would be a fantastic way to encourage children to find out more about the Second World War. Topics such as the separation of France, the BBC radio transmissions which were also used to communicate secret messages, the Gestapo, the treatment of Jews at the time, prison of war camps and the D-Day landings (and more), are mentioned. It would be so easy to do unit studies with this book on World War II and the topics contained within.<br />
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I'm currently reading Nancy Wake's biography, by Russell Braddon, after being inspired by the children's version (incidently, a google search says Nancy Wake is still alive and living in Richmond as of 2009). In 1943 she was the Gestapo's most-wanted person.<br />
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I hope this has inspired you as much as I did us. Nancy Wake's story is one of courage, bravery and inspiration.<br />
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In this case, if buying new, the Book Depository is best as it's on offer there. The child's version, available with free p&p:<br />
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<a href="http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781904977582/Nancy-Wake=livingeducation77">http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781904977582/Nancy-Wake</a><br />
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Title: Nancy Wake (Who was....?)<br />
Author: Lucy Hannah<br />
<span class="isbn13"><span>ISBN: 9781904977582</span></span><br />
<span class="isbn13"><span>Author Website: Not found </span></span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=livineduca-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0752454854&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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Title: Nancy Wake SOE's Greatest Heroine<br />
Author: Russell Braddon <br />
ISBN: 0750940999 <br />
Other links suitable for unit studies if you were to branch out from the above:<br />
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A map of the division of France during WWII including a key for it: (we used this as a base for role playing with plastic army soldiers placed on the map)<br />
<a href="http://www.oradour.info/appendix/francez1.htm">http://www.oradour.info/appendix/francez1.htm</a><br />
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Suggested - Prisoner of War Camps info (along with puzzles to do, for older children) <br />
<a href="http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW2/german_pow_camps.htm">http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW2/german_pow_camps.htm</a><br />
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Suggested - D-Day Landings Animated link via the BBC<br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/launch_ani_d_day.shtml">http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/launch_ani_d_day.shtml</a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-65590013594091867592010-10-03T19:55:00.002+01:002010-10-03T19:58:26.169+01:00Imagine thisWe popped round the grandparents today, and whilst they are clearing up their garage, the boys noticed a few games sitting begging to be used in a corner. They chose 'Whatever Next!' to play with Grandad together first.<br />
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Whatever Next! proved itself to be a very imaginative, fun game. On the box it says from ages 5+. Although our 4 year had the cards read to him, he was extremely happy playing, not least because he won the game twice!!! A lot of fun and laughter to be had, whilst the object of the game is to be the first to reach the end, along the way the 3 out of the 4 colours on the game path co-ordinates with a set of cards that gives 2 options for things you can complete in order to move another 2 places if done and met with approval. An example of this was: Pretend you are parachuting from a plane...or jump on the spot til it's your turn next...some of them are downright funny, but all were relatively easy to do.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Another recommended game, for the fun factor and imagination skills alone. Fab for a laugh with the family :) This is the version the boys played, although I'm sure it's been updated since the Grandparent's purchased it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0XMzGkGSORNkejcwfbB694052t_x-4Dle9QkYrJYzjwJUvIAKT3e3O0IgNuZh4AkbFuAgYwR1BRBnaIVYjkeFj3C-bUohyphenhyphenKa01uHQ16UqVYQIZDNU1N9P9yWLPhL73R27Zb1GQgFXjE/s1600/whatever+next.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0XMzGkGSORNkejcwfbB694052t_x-4Dle9QkYrJYzjwJUvIAKT3e3O0IgNuZh4AkbFuAgYwR1BRBnaIVYjkeFj3C-bUohyphenhyphenKa01uHQ16UqVYQIZDNU1N9P9yWLPhL73R27Zb1GQgFXjE/s200/whatever+next.JPG" width="200" /></a> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=livineduca-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0007D7N3M&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-62132809464029721942010-10-03T12:38:00.001+01:002010-10-03T20:00:32.451+01:00Big Brainz Timez Attack Multiplication GameThere's plenty of maths and multiplication games out there....but have you found one which the children ask to go on again and again?? Where the graphics are mind blowing, in league with any console game out there...and the children want to come back for more, and are ***learning*** not just playing for entertainment?!<br />
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Big Brainz offers a fantastic multiplication game which is rivaled by no one (to date that we've found). Whilst our children aren't on the pc 24/7, if they want Maths, it's Big Brainz they ask for, and enjoy playing.<br />
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The idea is to complete multiplication puzzles under a time limit to defeat the 'ogres' and eventually progress up levels, with fantastic scenery along the way. It really does have a class all by it's own. If you haven't tried it, they have a free version, as well as a class room version and paid version. Check it out here - <a href="http://www.bigbrainz.com/index.php?PARTNER=LivingEducation">www.bigbrainz.com/index</a>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-65278112821130523872010-10-03T12:10:00.000+01:002010-10-03T12:10:51.555+01:00Maths can be a difficult subject to approach if you're not sure of it, there's so many resources out there - so what do you use???<br />
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Ideally, something simple to start with, and for us, something which slowly progressed and built on the work already done. Kumon offers maths (and english) tuition to help your child excel. <br />
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These Kumon work books are fantastic in our opinion. They build up knowledge, seamlessly moving on to a step up on the next unit. Our eldest likes using these and is working his way through them :) No need for tuition, although they are based around the Kumon philosophy. There's more than just these titles, covering everything from Geometry to fractions.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=livineduca-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1933241063&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=livineduca-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1934968102&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=livineduca-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1933241381&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624184335256331890.post-9608470561401476712010-10-03T11:12:00.000+01:002010-10-03T11:12:08.983+01:00Welcome!<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've finally stepped into the blogging world!!!! Welcome to my first blog post! I hope you enjoy it here, why not become a follower so you don't miss anything?!</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I hope this will be a useful blog for all educators and parents. All the goodies on here are used and reviewed by us as a family. We love playing games and reading books that encourage us to learn more and inspire us :) I'm hoping you'll find something to help inspire your learning journey too.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Michelle </div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14895570672348487720noreply@blogger.com2