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Tag: Homeschool

  • 100 Creative Journal Prompts For Middle Schoolers

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    I’ve always been a lover of the written word.  My mom jokes that I was born with a book, a notebook, and an ink pen in my hand.  Now as a homeschooling mom and having worked in the education field, I know that not all kids are born with a natural love for writing. 

    For some kids this is a skill that has to be cultivated and practiced over and over again.  One of the ways, I’ve gotten my kids to at least NOT hate writing is through prompt journaling.  I learned early on that part of their dislike for writing came from them not having a clue what to write about.  So I look the guesswork out of it by giving them FUN and sometimes personal prompts to write about. 

    Today I’m sharing 100 of those prompts with you.  It is my hope that these prompts will help your child either enjoy writing more or at least dislike it less than they currently do.  And in the process they’ll be honing their writing skills and on their way to becoming better and hopefully less reluctant writers.

    100 Writing Prompts For Kids

    1. My favorite thing in the whole world is . . .
    2. If someone asked me to describe myself I would say . . .
    3. Five things I like to do on the weekend are . . .
    4. Look a window and describe what it looks like outside.  What colors and shapes do you see?
    5. One thing I want to do when I get older is . . .
    6. Describe your favorite place in the world.  Where is it?  Why do you like it? What does it look like there?
    7. When I grow up I want to be . . .
    8. Someone that I admire a lot is . . .
    9. Name one personal object that is very special to you.  Describe what it looks like.  Where did you get it and why is it special to you?
    10. My favorite holiday is . . .
    11. If I wrote a book it would be about . . .
    12. Describe one thing that you are good at.  How did you learnt it? Do like being good at it?
    13. Name three things that make you sad.  Why do they make you sad?
    14. One thing or topic I would love to learn more about is . . .
    15. Write a short story about a dog named Spike.
    16. If I could be any animal for a day, I would be . . .
    17. Have you ever done something that you wish hadn’t? What was it? How did it make you feel?
    18. What is your favorite television show? When do you watch it? Why do you like watching it?
    19. If you could breathe underwater like Aquaman or fly through space like Captain Marvel, which would you pick? Why?
    20. My last dream was about . . .
    21. Describe your perfect day. What would you do? Where would you go? Who would you spend time with?
    22. Two things that make me excited are . . .
    23. If I was stranded on an island I would take . . .
    24. If you could hang out with one famous person, who would it be? What would you do with them?
    25. If I had $100, I would . . .
    26. What would you do if you could travel to outer space?
    27. Who is one person you trust?  Why do you trust them?
    28. What is the best book you’ve ever read?  What was it about? What did you like about it?
    29. Do you think homeschool should be banned from school?  Why or why not?
    30. Which animal do you think would make a better pet- a fish or a bird?  Why?
    31. Describe your dream vacation.  Where would you go? What would you do there?
    32. What are four foods that you dislike? Why do you dislike them? Do they taste awful or have an unpleasant smell?
    33. In my free time I like to . . .
    34. Set a timer for ten minutes and write about anything you want to.
    35. If you go invited to a costume party what would you wear? Why would you choose that costume?
    36. Do you like snow days?  Why or why not?
    37. Describe your favorite snack food.  Is it homemade or do you buy it from a store? How does it taste?
    38. What does family mean to you?
    39. Three things I want people to know about me are . . .
    40. If I could change one thing about my community it would be . . .
    41. What is one thing about yourself that you are really proud of?  Why does this make you proud?
    42. Name three things that make you laugh.  Why are they funny?
    43. What is your favorite animal? What does it look like?  Have you ever seen it in person?
    44. If you could make one new law, what would it be?  Why would you make it?
    45. List four things that you own that are in your favorite color.  What do they look like?  Where did you get them from?
    46. Write a poem about Spring.
    47. Write your full name.  See how many words you can make using just those letters.
    48. I feel my most happiest when . . .
    49. To me freedom means . . .
    50. What makes a person a good friend?
    51. What is your favorite meal to have for lunch and/or dinner? Do you know how to cook it? How often do you get to eat it?
    52. Write about two things that happened to you today.  How did they make you feel?
    53. What is your biggest fear and why?
    54. Write a letter to your future self.
    55. If you could have one superpower what would it be?
    56. What is your favorite hobby?  How did you learn how to do it?
    57. What are things that you are grateful for right now?
    58. What do you love most about yourself and why?
    59. Write a short story about a butterfly.
    60. Do you think kids should be get paid for chores? Why or why not?
    61. Something I wish adults understood about kids is . . .
    62. If I could do anything next month, I would . . .
    63. What is your dream pet and why?
    64. Would you want to live in a world with no adults? Why or why not?
    65. If I were principal for a day I would . . .
    66. What is the best gift anyone has ever given you? Who gave it to you?  Do you still have it?
    67. My favorite thing about summer break is . . .
    68. In five years, I think I will . . .
    69. Why do you think the chicken crossed the road?
    70. If you could learn one new skill this month, what would it be?  Why?
    71. What are two thing you wish you knew about the future?
    72. If could invent anything, I would create . . .
    73. What kind of animals would you own if you had a farm like Old MacDonald?
    74. Make a bucket list.
    75. Do you think kids should have cell phones? Why or why not?
    76. What do you like about your neighborhood?
    77. Write three original “Knock, Knock” jokes.
    78. If I found a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, I would . . .
    79. Would you want to switch places with your parents or guardian for the day? What would you do?
    80. How would you decorate your room if you had no restrictions and an unlimited amount of money?
    81. Write a letter to your best friend.
    82. My least favorite holiday is . . .
    83. What is your favorite kind of music to do listen to?
    84. If I could pick any celebrity to replace one of my teachers, I would choose . . .
    85. Today, I feel . . .
    86. If you had a treehouse, what would you keep in it?
    87. Write a poem about the moon.
    88. What would you do if a volcano erupted in your neighborhood?
    89. I think kids should be able to vote because . . .
    90. My least favorite thing to do is . . .
    91. If I could choose anyone to put on a dollar bill or coin, I would choose . . .
    92. The last time I cried was . . .
    93. Do you think punishments really help people learn their lessons?
    94. What is your favorite game to play? Why do you like to play it? Do you play it with anyone?
    95. Would you ever run for president?  Why or why not?
    96. What is your favorite movie?  What is it about?
    97. What do you think you were like as a baby?
    98. If I could ask my parents three questions, I would ask them . . .
    99. I think social media is . . .
    100. One thing I can do to make this world a better place is . . .
    To make it easy to try out some of these prompts with your child, I created this free downloadable pdf. This way you can print out this list and have it handy at all times.  You can also purchase my official 10 Min Writing workbook journals here and here or using the widget below or you can purchase printables from my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

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  • 2-in-1 Holiday Sight Words BINGO Printables

    Happy Holidays!  I’m super excited to be talking about four of my favorite things in today’s post – my family, learning through play, the holidays and Goldfish Crackers.  You see, I’m one of those moms whose favorite times of year are summer and the holiday season.  Why?  Because I get to spend more quality time with my family.


    Now that the holiday season is officially in full swing, I’m looking forward to Winter Break.  It’s during this time that we get to take a break from our from jam-packed daily routine.  And while we will be taking a much-needed break from schoolwork, I do know how important it is to keep children’s minds active and giving them something to do other than watching Christmas movies and playing on their tablets.  As short as Winter Break is, it still possible for some kids to regress in what they’ve learned if they don’t experience the skills they’ve picked up.

    Therefore, Moo helped me come up with the idea of doing a holiday sight words version of Bingo.  We were watching a movie and they were playing Bingo in one of the scenes.  Of course, Moo takes this as her opportunity to inform me that she’s never played Bingo before and that it would be fun if I taught her how to play over break.  A few days later, she wanted to know why Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa all happened back-to-back and why don’t celebrate them all.  And this weekend, it hit me that a game of Holiday Sight Words Bingo was just what the doctor ordered!

    Remember most kids learn best through play.  I thought this would be a great opportunity to kill a few birds with one stone.  Moo would get to learn how to play Bingo, she and JJ would get to learn a little about each holiday and stretch their vocabulary, and we’d all get to enjoy bonding over something fun as a family.

    While Bingo is already a fun game on it’s on its own, I thought I’d make it more fun by using Goldfish Colors Crackers instead of regular Bingo markers.  What young kid doesn’t like playing with food?!  So we went to our local Walmart and picked up a bag or two.  Then, we came back home did a little research to pick out our sight words.

    And voila!  I created this fun Bingo cards.  The best thing about them for kids is that they also double as a coloring sheet.  JJ wasn’t quite as thrilled about the Bingo because some of the words are a bit hard for him, but when I told him he could color his card, he was totally in.

    You want to know the best part about using the Goldfish Colors Crackers as markers?  They make a great snack if you get hungry while you play!!  Since Goldfish are made with real cheese, no yucky artificial preservatives or flavoring and the colors are sourced from plants, this is a snack all parents can rest easy on about feeding to their families. 
    At the end of the day, we had blast playing Holiday Sight Words Bingo with our Goldfish Crackers.  JJ has picked up some new vocabulary.  Moo got to learn how to play Bingo and we talked about how each word related to its specific holiday and why it was important.  Man, I love it when a good plan comes together and actually works out!.

    We have some family coming to hang out this weekend for me and Moo’s birthday celebration and we can’t wait to play this game with them.  It’s fun, educational and delicious!  You can download your Holiday Sight Words Bingo printables here.  There are three cards for each holiday.  So you can print about one holiday or all three.

    We also put together a little video with other ways that you guys can spend time with your family this holiday season making some memorable Goldfish Moments of your own.

    Also, if you’re interested in other quick and easy activities, recipes or projects to do with your family check out the Goldfish Pinterest page.  There so many awesome activities to discover and try.

    What’s your favorite way to spend time with your family during the holidays?

  • Teaching Kids To Love Reading With Brightly And Mad Libs

    Struggling to get your kid to fall in love with reading? Make reading fun for your kids using Mad Libs!


    This post is sponsored by Brightly and Mad Libs.  All opinions expressed are my own.  Thank you for supporting the brands that support YUMMommy.
    My passion for reading came naturally.  I was practically born with a book in my hand.  Now as a parent, I’ve learned that for some kids a love of reading has to be taught and cultivated.  And as my librarian (and former educator) mother reminded me, the best way to teach children anything is to make it fun.  This is exactly why I decided to partner with Brightly and Mad Libs for today’s post.
    You see, my kids were not born with books in their hands like I was.  Learning to read and how to actually enjoy reading was a struggle that included lots of tears and frustration in the beginning.  A quick phone call to vent to my mom helped me to realize that I had been going about the process all wrong with Moo.  Whereas reading just was fun to me, I had to show Moo how fun it could be.
    Now that we have embarked on this homeschooling journey and it’s JJ’s turn to learn how to read and love reading, I’m reminding myself that incorporating lots of fun activities and play elements (like Mad Libs) will help to make our journey go a lot smoother this time around.  How?  Well, another key to helping kids develop a love for reading is boosting their confidence in their reading abilities.  And I’ve found that it’s easier to boost confidence and skill set when my kids don’t even know we’re learning.
    Struggling to get your kid to fall in love with reading? Make reading fun for your kids using Mad Libs!
    When we’re learning play, Moo and JJ are both less self-conscious and aren’t overly focused on right or wrong answers.  With their brains in fun mode, their guards are let down.  They’re relaxed and excited.  Thus, they’re more ready to learn and are able to absorb material and knowledge subconsciously. 
    And this is the beauty of what makes Mad Libs a great game to help kids not only improve their reading skills but their English skills as well.  Mad Libs is a fun, simple but educational fill-in-the-blank word/reading game that the whole family can play together.  For those who have never played Mad Libs, one person will be the READER and pick out a story from the Mad Libs tablet/book.  Then, he or she will ask the WRITER(s) to give him/her words.  The READER will let you know what part of speech each word should be like an adverb, adjective, noun, etc.
    Struggling to get your kid to fall in love with reading? Make reading fun for your kids using Mad Libs!
    Once all of the blanks have been filled in, the READER will then reveal the topic of the story and read it filling in the blanks with the words supplied by the WRITER. These stories are usually funny and silly.  So be prepared for a giggle fest!  You can keep passing the Mad Libs book around until everyone in your family has a had a chance to play each role.  Moo and JJ have loved playing Mad Libs and asked to play a round every night before bed.  I indulge them because I’ve noticed that playing has helped Moo with her English since she’s currently learning about what nouns, adverbs, and adjectives are.  Playing has helped JJ in that it’s making him more confident in his reading abilities and he’s getting a head start on learning about the parts of speech as well.
    Struggling to get your kid to fall in love with reading? Make reading fun for your kids using Mad Libs!
    The folks over at Brightly are giving families a chance to try out Mad Libs for themselves by offering a FREE downloadable bundle of 15 Mad Libs.  I would definitely recommend that you give this a try.  Mad Libs makes a great game to play on family game nights. 
    Struggling to get your kid to fall in love with reading? Make reading fun for your kids using Mad Libs!
    But of course, Mad Libs isn’t the only resource that Brightly offers to parents.  The Brightly website itself is a wealth of knowledge and resources.  They have tons of fun printables, activities, reading lists and more.  
    What I love most about the Brightly site is that you have the ability to look up resources based your kid’s age.  They understand that reading isn’t a one-size fits all and I appreciate that they have activities that are on Moo’s grade level so that she’s not stuck doing something seems totally “baby-ish” and vice versa JJ is able to have activities that are on his grade level and not going above his head.  But there are also, a lot of activities that they can do together still.
    Brightly even has something for us adults!  Brightly believes that “reading has the power to illuminate a child’s life.  Reading is a window to the world for children, as well as being critical to a bright future in school and work.”  I couldn’t agree more with that.  I’m so grateful for resources like Brightly and Mad Libs that are helping to make opening those windows for my children fun and easier.
    To stay up to date on all the latest happenings and future offerings from Brightly be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

    How do you encourage a love of reading in your kids?

  • Adventures In Homeschooling

    This Summer we really enjoyed spending long days at the pool and our month long vacation at my mom’s in July.  However, as the start of the school year got closer and closer, I couldn’t help the waves of anxiety that washed over me.  I had a choice to make.  For a while I had been praying as well as weighing the pros and cons of whether to enroll JJ into traditional school with his sister or to put on my teachers hat and teach him at home (homeschool).

    Like most parents, I take my children’s education and emotional well-being seriously.  So after much consideration, some research and a slightly passionate conversation with the Mr, I finally decided that homeschooling was the right the move for JJ.  Since making my decision, I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and I sleep much better at night now.  When it comes to homeschooling, there are several reasons/factors that make families choose this option over traditional school.  I can’t speak for every homeschooling parent, but I can share with y’all why homeschooling is the right fit for us.

    Why Homeschool Works For Us

    • One-On-One Learning

    My biggest concern about enrolling my little guy into a traditional kindergarten class was that he wasn’t going to get the one-on-one attention he’d need to be able to keep up with the rest of the class.  JJ is a slow learner.  He’s also a special needs child.  At the school he would have been going to with his sister, each teacher usually has 15 to 20 students, usually closer to the 20 students range.  It just wouldn’t be possible or feasible for his teacher to be able to pull him aside to work one-on-one with him all day.

    Also, JJ can be easily distracted.  We did a trial run of homeschooling for about a week during Summer Break and he kept getting distracted by his sister.  This is why I made the decision to let her continue with traditional school and not to join us at homeschool.  I can see my little guy’s focused being pulled into a million directions inside of a regular classroom.  He’d be overwhelmed in no time.  And when he gets overwhelmed he shuts down.

    Lesson  Plan and Schedule Flexibility

      Slow learners often times get frustrated easier and more often than the rest of us when they can’t get a concept.  This frustration can get more intense in situations where everyone else around them seems to be getting this concepts.  I’ve seen this time and time again with JJ when he’s observed his sister, cousin or a friend do something that looks easy but proves to be a challenge with him.  His frustration is more heightened when he’s around his peers compared to when he’s frustrated about the same thing when it’s just him and I.  This is where having a flexible time schedule comes in handy.

      In homeschool if he gets more frustrated than usual about something, I back off that concept for while until he cools down.  Then I can take as much time as needed to break the concept into even more smaller aspects and approach it that way so that he doesn’t get overwhelmed.  Furthermore, I have the flexibility to throw in subjects like Spanish, STEM and even a little Home Economics.  I’ll go more into detail about schedule and lessons in my weekly updates throughout the school year.

      More Hands On Learning

        Moo’s biggest complaint about school is that all she does is sit at her desk while working on worksheets, copying work from the whiteboard or reading.  Sure she gets a few minutes of carpet time to listen to a story, but she’s still sitting.  She’s her happiest on the days when her class goes to art, music and P. E.  Her kindergarten year, she got to do science and is bummed that they she hasn’t had science yet at her new school.  Long story short, she’s not getting enough hands on learning.

        JJ is very much a hands on learner.  He learns more and better by doing and through dramatic play.  Sitting down for hours at a time doing worksheets is not his speed.  Trust me, I’ve found that out in these three short weeks of us homeschooling.  So now I’m incorporating more out of the box learning activities and am finalizing the plans for our first of many field trips.

        Lunch

          I’m sure parents of children with school allergies can relate to how stressful it can be to get a school to fix your child’s lunch properly.  Moo’s first year of school, I had to rope in a little help from her teacher and the school nurse to get the cafeteria manager to stop playing games with me and fix her lunch as outlined in her diet order from her Dr.  Once they knew I had witnesses and wasn’t afraid to take the matter to the superintendent, it was smooth sailing and Moo had a blast telling me what she ate everyday.  Fast forward to last year when she got rezoned to a new school and the shenanigans have started up again.

          If I can’t trust her school to get her lunch right and she only has food allergies, how can trust them with JJ who has more food allergies than Moo as well as sensory issues with certain food textures?  I can’t.  Cafe Mom it is for the win!

          Family Time

            Have you seen those spoofs of parents praise dancing and jigging for joy on the first day of school after their kids hop on the school bus and it drives away?  Yeah, I’m not that mom.  Growing up my mom worked three jobs and we didn’t get to spend as much time together just enjoying being a family as we should have.  The bills had to get paid and we had to eat.  On the list of things I would change about my childhood, spending more time with my mom and siblings is at the top of my list.

            My mom, aunts, cousins, great cousins are educators.  So, I don’t have anything against schools in general.  I appreciate and admire how hard teachers and all the school staff works, but what I don’t appreciate is how much time it takes away from our family time.  School starts for Moo around 9 AM.  They have to be in the classroom by 9:15.  They’re supposed to get out at 4:15 PM, but they way that car rider line is setup, she doesn’t get in the car until 4:30 or 4:40 PM.

            Listen, if you live in a city be it Charlotte, Atlanta, NYC or wherever, I don’t have to tell you that certain times during the day you just don’t want to get caught in traffic.  Moo’s school lets out right at the start of rush hour traffic.  We make it home at 5 PM or a little later usually.  Then, we have to do homework, study, chores, dinner, and bath time to do it all over again the next day.  We have very little time Monday through Friday to just enjoy being a family.

            Honestly, if JJ wasn’t so easily distracted, Moo would have be homeschooling right along with us.  But I want him to really get the basics down.  However, next school year, I’m pretty positive that I’ll be pulling her out of her current school to join us at home.  There’s so much I want us to experience and explore and I don’t want to feel forced to squeeze everything in over a weekend or just during Summer Break.

            Again I can’t speak for every parent, but these are my reasons for taking control of my son’s education and homeschooling.  We’re three weeks in and it’s been challenging, but more rewarding than anything.  All the worrying, praying and convincing his dad that this was the right move has been worth it.  Join us every week starting Monday, September 19th for our Adventures In Homeschooling series as we chronicle our journey in homeschooling as well as a linkup.

            Do you homeschool?  If so, what has been your biggest challenge?