The K5 - elementary education for parents

Prepare For Summer: Three Ideas For Summer Math

Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that you put math in mothballs. Here are some ideas you might want to use to sneak some math problems in during summer:

Money
Put your kid(s) in-charge of money for an outing. When I was ten-years old, I joined my Mom for a two-week work trip. She put me [...]

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Gluten Free Rocks: A Blog Written By A Kid For Kids (& Parents, too!)

There is nothing better than a kid taking control of their life.  This blog is exactly that.  Written by a child about her experience growing up with Celiac, Gluten Free Rocks discusses the challenges and opportunities of being gluten free, from the kid’s point of view and how it really isn’t that bad.
It’s filled with [...]

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The Poetry Window

I love the imagery and creative voice that kid’s find through the process of writing a poem.
Although there are many ways to approach the teaching of poetry when writing in classroom I place particular emphasis on helping my students recognize a poetic moment.  I encourage them to trust their inspiration and pick up a pen [...]

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Chef Carlin: Springtime Farmer’s Market Recipes To Make With Your Kids

The K5 Contributor and chef Carlin Greenstein has some great idea for spring cuisine and what you can make with your kids:
Springtime is a fantastic time to orient your kids with your local farmer’s market.  After a long winter in the Northeast, the arrival of springtime brings more color and vibrance offering a great opportunity [...]

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A New Twist On An Old Classic: The Game of Concentration

It is the old game of Concentration, but there are a million different ways to play.  It improves memory, but there are many other skills that can be improved upon that relate to a wide array of subject areas, such as science, math and reading.
First of all, let’s review the rules of the game:
Concentration is [...]

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Teaching Similes & Metaphors Through Art!

It’s time for similes and metaphors next week. And do you remember the difference between them?  And how do I explain them to my kid?  Arghhh…does it bring you back to that nasty grammar class in 6th grade.  Help is here.
It’s all about “as or like” and “is”.
Let’s start with a simile.
A simile is an [...]

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The Beginning, Middle & End of a Story

We all know that reading is an important and great activity to share with your children.  But what can you do to help your kids pay more attention to the content of what they are reading?  Here’s a terrific activity that is simple and easy to do, and will create great artwork to stick on [...]

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Death & Parenting

Not the most pleasant topic, but I have read this blog a few times and author Dave Bry has some very funny things to say about parenting and well, explaining death to his fiver-year-old son.  Take a break and read it. I guarantee you’ll relate to what he says and find yourself laughing in minutes.  Click [...]

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Can Your Kid Find Canada On A Map?

I love the Winter Olympics.  I love the way only the Olympics brings together the world for two weeks.
But if you are watching the Olympics with your kids, I bet they don’t know where Estonia is.  Or Lithuania?  How about The Netherlands? Or even Finland?  Egypt? Australia?  Japan?  Can you find all of these countries [...]

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The Idiot Proof Valentine’s Day Card

Everybody gets so fancy when it comes to Valentine’s Day and to be honest, I think it stresses out both kids and adults.  Here is an easy Valentine’s Day little something that most everyone can make.
Materials:
Two pieces of different colored paper
A pencil, pen or marker
Glue
Scissors
Fold one piece of paper the long way (the “hot dog” [...]

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