Winter is over and Spring is here!! If you love to add seasonal related activities to your lesson plans, My Teaching Library has some great ones to share with you!!
One of the most time-consuming tasks of a homeschooling parent can be finding quality resourcesthat you can afford. That is why My Teaching Library was created!
Imagine having an ALL-ACCESS pass to thousands of educational resources: curriculum, worksheets, videos, homeschool helps and more. Now imagine getting this access for an amount equaling only $5 a month or even less.
My Teaching Library offers PreK-12th grade resources in all major subjects and you don’t even have to pay for those hardcover textbooks or workbooks to be shipped to you. Everything is downloadable!
One subscriber said this about MTL, “What we love about this program: It is so incredibly flexible! I would say this is a perfect site for educational resources simply because there is so much available on it!”
Another said, “My Teaching Library has been a Godsend. Not just for the younger kids, but high school kids too. There is even some things on there just for me!”
Did you know that homeschooling parents are entitled to receive discounts offered to public school teachers or private tutors!
To get these discount, you will need some physical proof you are a teacher before going to a business and asking for an educator discount. You don’t have to pay for and educator ID because if you have a computer and printer, you can create your own with a free download from My Teaching Library!
What Types of Businesses May Offer Teacher Discounts…
Homeschoolers have asked and received discounts at all sorts of places of business:
Arts & Crafts
Bookstores
Catalog Suppliers of all sorts of things
Computer Stores (computer hardware and software for teacher & students)
Craft Supply Stores
Furniture Stores (student desks & chairs)
General Merchandise
Hardware Stores (For all those bookshelves and projects)
Museums
Music Stores
Office Supply
Science Stores
Sporting goods
If you do not already know that an educator discount is offered, who do you ask? When you go to a place of business, ask for the general manager or for the sales person in charge of corporate accounts at larger businesses. Ask that person if they give an “educators’ discount” BEFORE you tell them you are a homeschooler. A “yes” answer will give them less room to wiggle out once you do tell them you homeschool. If they say “yes,” tell them you are a homeschool educator (No need to go into great detail.) and you’d like to apply to get an educators’ discount.
Download your template and open it with a pdf program. Then, click on each section to type in your information. Next, click on the image section and upload your photo.
To print a normal size (credit card size) ID card, make sure your printer is set to print the template as is. This means you do not want to click on any scaling options such as “fit to printer margins”, “custom scale” or “reduce or enlarge” settings. If you print, as is, your ID will print at the size of a credit card.
Once you print out your ID, cut it out and laminate it. You do not have to have a lamination machine as you can purchase laminating – self-adhesive or self- sealing sheets or pockets at most any office supply store or even Walmart!
Sometimes, some businesses may also want you to have a statement on letterhead from your school saying you are authorized by that school to make purchases. If this is the case, simply create a letterhead on your own computer, state that you, as the educator, are authorized by that school (your homeschool – create your own homeschool ‘name’) to make purchases and have it signed by the ‘principal’ (your spouse or close family member)!
Most businesses will only require an educator ID, but just know that you ‘may’ have a business that wants a letter of authorization as well so you may want to have one handy.
Want a list of businesses that we know gives homeschooling parents an educator discount as of this writing?
Notebooking is the coined term for what one can also be referred to as educational journaling or scrapbooking.
Essentially, the idea is to create a compilation of what has been learned and experienced in any number of subjects or activities and organize it in a notebook (or binder).
Notebooking is designed to capture the knowledge as well as personal reflections of what has been learned. There are two primary essentials needed in creating a notebook:
A visual component
A written component.
These two components work together to convey what a student has learned from his/her lessons. Instead of filling in worksheets or answering a list of discussion questions to test what a student has learned, you are giving students the opportunity to “show” and “tell” in a variety of ways what has been learned!
Benefits of Notebooking:
Student Centered – – Students are more ‘in charge’ of what they add to their notebooking projects. – Often, students are allowed to choose topics that interest them – Learning can easily be tailored to each students learning style
Fosters investigation and organization One of the most important skills that any student can and should learn is to be able to determine ‘where and how ‘ to find relevant information on any topic of study. This is actually more important than filling one’s head with stacks of information because no one can ever know everything. We need to be able to know where to go to find information and how to get that information.
Helps students process information in more depth It is scientifically proven that children are better able to recall information when it has been written down. So, as students learn to investigate and organize information, they can better process the information being learned through notebooking. Why? Handwriting allows a child’s brain to receive feedback from an their motor actions which ties to motor memory. This results in different connections and results than when an individual types notes. (Read more about why to teach handwriting here.)
Basic List of Supplies to Get Started:
Paper and/or Templates
Pencil and/or Pen and Colored pencils and/or Crayons
Hole punch
Binder
Sheet protectors
Highly recommended (Pre-made Notebooking Units from My Teaching Library)
Having a pre-made notebooking unit makes it easy to implement within your lesson planning…and once your students are fully accustom at creating notebooking projects, if you don’t find something pre-made, they can easily begin to create their own!!
Finding all of the pre-made notebooking units available on My Teaching Library is easy! On the site, simply click on “Educational Resources” and then under Miscellaneous, click on “Interactive Learning”!
Also, there is one HUGE thing you should know about My Teaching Library…and that is that you can purchase every resource individually or you can become an All-Access member! All-Access members have the ability to download any and all resources that are needed for FREE as long as the membership is active!!
In today’s world, so much of our writing is done on a keyboard and the same is increasingly true with students. Because of this fact, many ask…”Should I teach handwriting?“
Simply stated, the answer is YES!
Why is handwriting important?
The skill of handwriting is important because….
1. The brain engages differently when we write something by hand as opposed to typing it on a keyboard or by touching a screen. Studies show that writing improves memory; students retain learning better when working with new ideas through handwriting instead of typing.
2. Engaging the body in writing by hand helps make writing a more holistic activity. There is something uniquely physical and multidimensional about putting pen to paper to form words and sentences.
3. Many writers attest to the value of a handwritten first draft and the subsequent process of reading through and interacting with their writing by annotating, correcting, editing, and reshaping it as a whole. Typing on a screen tempts us instead to edit as we go, fragmenting and dissecting, and potentially interfering with the organic flow of ideas.
4. Even in this digital age, many accomplished people consider it critical to their success to keep a small notebook and pen handy so that they can jot down ideas in the moment and refer back to them later.
5. Handwriting can help us slow down and fully engage with our thoughts. Have you ever heard anyone say, “I type as fast as I think”? This is certainly an asset when transcribing the spoken word, but thoughts need to breathe (as do writers), and writing by hand conveniently holds such a space for thoughts to fully form before being set down in sentences.
6. With a pen in hand, there are instantly accessible creative and artistic opportunities that are not possible to weave into the experience of typing on a keyboard.
7. Handwriting is unique to each individual writer, unlike typeface. One’s handwriting style, and especially one’s signature, is a public and permanent statement. Learning to write well can help make that statement strong, beautiful, and – perhaps most importantly – legible.
8. Being able to write effortlessly enables the mind to focus more fully on a topic. Struggling with handwriting takes valuable brain energy away from any writing task, but when that skill is mastered, it makes all the difference. Skilled, fluid handwriting is an asset to learning!
Now that you know why you should teach handwriting, is it important to teach students to read and write cursive handwriting? Again, the answer is YES!
Why teach cursive?
1. The brain actually engages differently when we write cursive versus manuscript! Studies have found that it activates different neurological pathways in the brain manuscript writing. Also, reading cursive also activates different parts of the brain than printed text—one study found that in all cases they studied, when they presented information to the left hemisphere of the brain fewer errors occurred than when it was presented to the right hemisphere.
2. Cursive helps you retain more information. Studies have shown that taking notes during an educational class using handwriting is preferable to typing. That’s because when we type, we’re able to transcribe speech almost verbatim. When we write, we have to be more selective and the brain has to process information to decide what’s important enough to write down. That level of brain engagement tends to make information “stick” rather than just pass through our typing fingers.
3. Many historical documents were written by hand and are now indecipherable to any who are unable to read cursive. The ability to read handwriting is gained through learning to write in one’s own handwriting. Being able to decipher both cursive and print is an important part of language literacy.
Great, ready-to-use resources:
Now that you know the importance of students learning to write in cursive, what are some of the best resources to use within the classroom?
First, teach students how to write each letter correctly. Here is an all-in-one resource for students to practice each letter:
Letter practice sheets (both with and without arrows)
Words and names practice sheets
Sentence practice sheets
Once your child has completed the above resource, you can provide them with further practice using the below resources…
(The resources shown below have been selected to show a broad range copy work resources available on My Teaching Library for a variety of grade levels and include both religious and non-religious options. To see all options, simply go to My Teaching Library and search using key words such as handwriting, cursive and copy work)
Stop paying for individual courses, worksheets, units and other teaching resources!
As a subscribing member, you’ll have FREE access to the download products the you need for your family or individual classroom and you’ll have a license to use those products until you cancel your subscription. Once you are a subscribing member, there is no need to worry about how much a product or products cost…because you’ll download for FREE.
(Non-subscribers must purchase each resource individually, piece by piece, paying current prices for each product.)
There are a lot of challenges in homeschooling. Here are three of the biggest:
Challenge #1: Finding great, affordable teaching materials for any size family.
Homeschooling can be expensive! A family can spend hundreds of $$$ (if not thousands) a year on curriculum, website memberships, etc.
Challenge #2: Finding teaching materials that fit your child(ren)’s learning styles.
In an effort to standardize teaching materials, too many websites and curriculum providers lose sight that every child is unique with different learning styles and rates of learning.
Most curriculum providers offer one (maybe two) styles of teaching materials. Doing the same thing day in and day out doesn’t allow for student interest, family time or bunny trails. Sometimes, the BEST learning can be when a bunny trail is taken. (What is a bunny trail? They are the paths you make as you help your child(ren) follow their curiosity about an interest or a question. It is a diversion away from their typical set curriculum.)
What if there was a website that solves ALL THREE CHALLENGES?
Challenge #1 – Affordability – Every homeschooling family, including yours, (regardless of size) can get all the materials they need (PreK-12th, All subjects) for an entire year for the low cost of only $60. During your active membership, you can come back as many times as you need and download all the printable resources you need!
Challenge #2 and #3: Materials for different learning styles and gives flexibility – There are literally thousands of downloadable resources from which to choose and My Teaching Library has created the library with so many because all children are unique and homeschoolers need flexibility!
On My Teaching Library, you’ll find…
* curriculum sets * videos * unit studies * notebooking units * lapbooking units * posters * flashcards * reference materials * individual worksheets * books
That’s why My Teaching Library doesn’t give you a day to day set schedule (i.e. plan). If you are new to homeschooling this may scare you but don’t let it! Remember, your child(ren) and family are unique and you know your child better than anyone else!
However, My Teaching Library doesn’t leave you without any guidance. You are provided with an extensive list of Skills and Concepts by grade level (K-12th), so that you know exactly what is typically covered in each grade. One thing to keep in mind, these lists are guides. Your individual child(ren) may…follow the guide perfectly, lag behind in some subjects, be ahead in others…again, every child is unique!
You’ll find the Skills and Concepts by grade located on the home page!
Keeping you organized…
To keep you organizaed, you’ll want the Mega-Organizer!! This organizer is a game changer and it’s FREE when you become a member! (Again, annual family membership is only $60!)
This Mega-Organizer is packed with forms that will help you stay organized both for school and for home…
* 2 different Attendance Record sheets * High School Course of Study Check List * Transcript Record Chart * Grade Keeper * Curriculum Planner * School Goals Chart * Quarterly Scheduler * Academic Project Planner * Weekly Assignment Planner * Lesson Planner * Field Trip Log * Extra-Curricular Log * Reading Time Log * Music Practice Log * 2 different Student-kept Reading Logs * Notebooking Rubirc * Lapbooking Rubric
For your Family * Weekly Round-up (To list your most weekly tasks, a shopping list, special cleaning needs, events, dinner menus and more) * 2 different Family Calendars (For all 12 months) * 7 different Chore Charts * 1 Family Task Chart * Important Phone Numbers page * Shopping List * Address Book * Password Keeper * Home Improvement Goal Chart * Bill Payment Record * Tax Deductible Donations Record * Home Inventory List * Personal Daily ‘To Do’ Monthly List
…PLUS, there are forms to help you stay organized if you have a career (outside of homeschooling and running a home).
Are you one of the many homeschooling parents that find themselves making comments about their child’s curriculum like…
“Curriculum is too expensive!“
“I bought this program (curriculum) but it’s not a good fit for my child.“
“My child is bored with this curriculum!”
If you’ve made one or more of these statements, you aren’t alone!
Homeschooling parents spend hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on curriculum each year and, all too often, the curriculum isn’t a good fit for a child. Perhaps it is too advanced or not advanced enough. Perhaps it doesn’t fit a child’s learning style. Perhaps, the style of curriculum worked at one point but a child needs more variety (i.e. workbooks and worksheets work well for a while but then your child may need some diversity such as hands-on, interactive lessons.) Typical homeschooling programs are expensive and not designed to allow flexibility for individual learning styles, pacing differences or just a fun change up in lessons.
If you want an affordable way to homeschool and one that offers real flexibility, you need…My Teaching Library!
Award winning My Teaching Library offers thousands of teaching resources from typical curriculum and worksheets to hands-on, interactive unit studies AND you’ll find it one of the most AFFORDABLE programs available.
On My Teaching Library, you’ll find…
* curriculum sets * videos * unit studies * notebooking units * lapbooking units * posters * flashcards * reference materials * individual worksheets * books
My Teaching Library is Affordable and Flexable…
Become an annual ALL-ACCESS member for only $60 a year (that equates to only $5 a month). With an All-Access membership, you can download all the printable downloads you need (all grades – every subject) for every child you are homeschooling in your family for an entire year…all for FREE! As long as your membership is active, you’ll never need to pay for individual products, curriculum, worksheets, posters or any resource. Will you be homeschooling for several years? Purchase a LIFETIME All-Access plan and you’ll be set for all the years to come!
My Teaching Library Will Guide You Through…
My Teaching Library isn’t is a day by day, scheduled and regimented curriculm provider. That is because every child is unique, learns in different ways and in different time frames. To guide you through, My Teaching Library provides you with an easy to follow, easy to access “Skills & Concepts to Teach: K – 12” section to use whenever you need it…located on the home page! As a parent, simply use these skills and concepts as your guide to facilitate your child(ren) through their homeschooling journey.
Also, check out theMega-Organizerto help keep you organized!! This organizer is a game changer as well AND it’s also FREE when you become an all-access member! This Mega-Organizer is packed with forms that will help you stay organized both for school and for home…
* 2 different Attendance Record sheets * High School Course of Study Check List * Transcript Record Chart * Grade Keeper * Curriculum Planner * School Goals Chart * Quarterly Scheduler * Academic Project Planner * Weekly Assignment Planner * Lesson Planner * Field Trip Log * Extra-Curricular Log * Reading Time Log * Music Practice Log * 2 different Student-kept Reading Logs * Notebooking Rubirc * Lapbooking Rubric
For your Family * Weekly Round-up (To list your most weekly tasks, a shopping list, special cleaning needs, events, dinner menus and more) * 2 different Family Calendars (For all 12 months) * 7 different Chore Charts * 1 Family Task Chart * Important Phone Numbers page * Shopping List * Address Book * Password Keeper * Home Improvement Goal Chart * Bill Payment Record * Tax Deductible Donations Record * Home Inventory List * Personal Daily ‘To Do’ Monthly List
…PLUS, there are forms to help you stay organized if you have a career (outside of homeschooling and running a home).
Here are what people are saying about My Teaching Library…
Telling time is an important Math skill to learn in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Grades. This math unit will give you everything you need to teach this skill! This resource includes:
In 1st grade, students should be able to tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analog and digital clocks.
In 2nd grade, students should be able to tell and write time from analog and digital clocks to the nearest five minutes, using a.m. and p.m.
By the end of 3rd grade, students should be able to tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. They should also be able to add time correctly, for example if given a clock that shows it is 5pm and they are asked to add four hours and 16 minutes, they can do it!
This Telling Time Mega Unit created by My Teaching Library will give you and your students the tools to learn and practice all of the above skills!
Here is a detailed description of what you’ll find in the unit:
AM & PM Differentiation – 4 AM & PM student worksheets Telling Time – Reading Analog and Digital Clocks – 10 Hour worksheets (5 where students will draw the hands on the clock digital to analog and 5 where students will write the time displayed on the clock analog to digital) – 10 Half Hour worksheets (30 minute interval) worksheets (5 where students will draw the hands on the clock digital to analog and 5 where students will write the time displayed on the clock analog to digital) – 10 Quarter Hour worksheets (15 minute interval) worksheets (5 where students will draw the hands on the clock digital to analog and 5 where students will write the time displayed on the clock analog to digital) – 10 Ten minute interval worksheets (5 where students will draw the hands on the clock digital to analog and 5 where students will write the time displayed on the clock analog to digital) – 10 Five minute interval worksheets (5 where students will draw the hands on the clock digital to analog and 5 where students will write the time displayed on the clock analog to digital) – 5 Five minute intervals worksheets (mixed: digital to analog and analog to digital) – 5 One minute intervals worksheets (digital to analog) – 5 One minute intervals worksheets (analog to digital) – 5 One minute interval worksheets (mixed: digital to analog and analog to digital) Time Passage – Adding Time (Word Problems) 5 – Adding time by hours worksheets 5 – Adding time by the half-hour (30 minute) worksheets 5 – Adding time by the quarter-hour (15 minute intervals) worksheets 5 – Adding time by the minute worksheets
During 2nd grade, students are asked to learn a variety of measuring skills. Among these include learning to determine and use appropriate measurement tools such as a ruler, a yardstick, a meter stick, a tape measure and measuring cups.
Students are also asked to be able to measure objects two ways (using U.S. standard measure and metric), to be able to compare measured objects, and to solve measurement word problems (addition and subtraction).
My Teaching Library has created two resources to help students learn and practice these skills. These resources include both interactive, hands-on activities as well as worksheets.
Hands-on activities and worksheets designed for students learning measurement skills such as:
Reading a ruler and using to measure objects (inches and centimeters)
Determining the best measurements (inches, feet, yards, miles / ounce, pounds / centimeter, meter, kilometer)
Tools of measurement
Reading a measuring cup
Comparing objects that have been measured
There are 6 Parts within the unit:
Part 1: Interactive Measurement
Student manipulatives & rulers
3 – Student answer sheets
Part 2: Measuring and Best Unit
7- Measure the objects worksheets (inches, half inch, centimeter)
1 – Centimeter worksheet
3 – Mark the Ruler worksheets
9 – Indicate best unit of measurement – (inches, feet, yards, miles) (ounces, pounds) (centimeter, meter, kilometer)
Part 3 – Tools of Measurement
2 Matching worksheets
2 Writing worksheets
Part 4: Scavenger Hunt
4 Scavenger Hunt worksheets Each includes 6 clues and students must find and identify matching objects Examples Clue #1 – Find something that is less than 8 inches but more than 4 inches. Clue #2 – Find something that is greater than 4 meters.
Part 5: Measuring Cups
2 Read the measuring cup worksheets (1/4 cup – 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup – 1 cup )
2 Read the measuring cup worksheets (2oz – 4 oz- 6oz – 8oz)
Every child is different and unique and yet we try to teach them all the same…
Assessment tests only tell you what ‘grade level’ where they should be in a subject but don’t usually tell you the exact skills they have learned or need to learn (skill by skill).
MyTeachingLibrary.com has a fantastic “Skills and Concepts” section on the home page that will help you understand more about what should be taught and learned by grade. It is broken down ‘by grade’ because that is the way our educational system has be set up. However, ‘grade levels’ rarely meet the individual child where he or she is.
If you begin to look at what skills and concepts that should be learned, as a parent, you will be more in control of guiding each of your children) and selecting the appropriate materials for them as they weave in and through their learning.
As an ex-public teacher (turned homeschooling parent), I know that ‘grade levels’ have a purpose in mass teaching…but all students learn differently and at different times. They are all unique. They may be ahead in understanding and mastering multiplication but not fractions…and yet a ‘graded’ curriculum may not meet them where they are. This is true for ALL subjects and all grades!
Get to know the “skills and concepts” your child(ren) should learn @ https://myteachinglibrary.com/ When beginning to use such a list, you can let ‘grade level’ be a starting point to begin assessing your child(ren) with these lists, but don’t fret or worry if they are ‘behind’. Whether you believe they are behind, at ‘grade level’ or ahead, find material that will test if they have developed those specific skills/concepts if you don’t already know they have mastered a skill or concept. With such knowledge, you can help your child(ren) learn…teach by skills and concept, not necessarily by grade level.
Once you begin to think about teaching this way, you will most likely see that ‘graded’ curriculum doesn’t always fit..That is because it is written to be one size fits all. If that is the case, or you just want to teach through the skills and concepts that should be learned and mastered (because that makes the most sense to you), one place to begin finding those materials (all in one place) is https://myteachinglibrary.com/ !
