Person, Place, or Thing?

It was a lazy, rainy, summer morning when we decided to try and squeeze in some fun academic time. All it took were 3 plates and our Connecting Nouns set (plus a bit of enthusiasm on our part). 

We asked the kids to tell us the definition of a noun and with some prompting they were able to explain it was a Person, Place, or Thing.  As you can see in the picture above, after labeling each plate the kids categorized their set of cards on the correct plate. It was fun watching their little brains process where to place their circles.  If they made an incorrect choice we talked through why this wouldn't work by using it in a sentence.  The same idea could be used for many of our products....using 2 plates your child could identify opposites, even and odd, adjective and noun, lower case and capital, month and their abbreviation, day of the week and their abbreviation, numeral and number word.  The list could go on and on, but we're sure you get the idea.  Make sure your academic time is still fun and stress free! After all... it is summer!  

Don't Stress....ideas are on the way!

My friend Renee called me yesterday after receiving her first set of Connecting Sight Words in the mail.  She was so excited to start utilizing them, that she neglected to read our set of tips, suggestions, and activities that are age appropriate.  She opened them up and bravely asked her 4 year old to....sound the word out!  Oh the drama and stress that occurred both for daughter and mommy. Teaching your child to read is not easy and you may wonder how to begin. Using our sight words is a great start! Sight words are pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and verbs that make up 65 percent of all written material. They are words that cannot be learned through the use of pictures or by sounding out.

 The first step of mastering sight words we have done for you, but here are some suggestions...

1.  We've divided the words into 5 groups. There are a certain number of words for each grade level.
2.  Begin by reading just a few to your child.  I started with 3 at a time and added to the list as he memorized them.

3.  Exercise your creativity and play games using the sight words. Some common games are bingo, word search puzzles, matching and memory games.

4.  Have your child read through them often. Encourage them to take the cards with them and read them in the car or while waiting at the doctor's office.

5.  Point out sight words in stories. When you read a story, ask them to point out the sight words. Choose books with sight words that they are learning.

6.  Offer rewards for learning sight words. Develop a rewards system. For example, for every set of 25 words that they learn reward them and move on to the next level.

7.  Create a sight word notebook. As they learn sight words have them write it in a notebook and develop a sentence using the word or tape them to the wall in their bedroom. This makes reviewing them a snap at bedtime.

8.  Most importantly....make sure you are having fun and that your child is feeling as sense of accomplishment and pride!!!

Infinity and Beyond

When children are able to count to infinity and beyond we often assume that's ALL they need to know. Although they may be able to verbally list numbers do they have the ability to understand and manipulate those numbers.  Can your child sequence numbers and do they understand number correlation?

In this simple activity, the boys are sequencing numbers 1- 20 using Connecting 1-100.  Another important math concept children need to master is Number Correlation. To practice his concept we asked the boys to find the appropriate number of Match Box cars to place on the circle. (ie.. the number 2 has 2 Match Box cars)   Here is yet another example of quick summertime activity to help prepare your child for school or to help retain the knowledge they've already learned.  We'd love to hear your ideas. What are some activities you might use for Connecting 1-100?

Tips for Telling Time

Often when children are learning to tell time the concept of minutes can be quite confusing. Make it easier for them by labeling your clock by 5's. Use either our Connecting Your Way or pull out from Connecting 1-100. This will give them the visual cue needed to learn to tell time. See the picture included for an example.... If YOU have a great idea for making tough concepts easier please feel free to share them here as well.  If you are interested in any of our educational flashcards you can go to The Circle Connection's website to see all our products or contact us at circleconnection@gmail.com.

For more activities and worksheets check out EdHelper's website.  Here you will find telling time worksheets organized by grade level.

Dynamite Daddies!

Our kids have no idea how lucky they are to have such fabulous fathers! We count our blessings each and every day.  What makes our dads such great dads? They are....

• Supportive and committed parents from the moment we discovered we were pregnant, right through delivery, and fell into the role of "Daddy" naturally 
• Willing to participate in every facet of infancy including nightly feeding, baths, diaper changes, doctors visits, and dealing with mommy's hormones
• Excited and proud of every new milestone
• Able to share the worry that accompanies being a parent
• Sees beyond the tears to the true issue even if it's simply hurt feelings
• On the same page when parenting issues arise
• An unlimited amount of patience through the "terrible twos", "trying threes", "funky fours", and each stage that follows
• There to send them off with a hug and a smile for their first day of school 
• Provide unconditional love (even when the kids can be super annoying)
• Attends all the conferences, games/coaching, car pool, boy scouts/den leader, science fair, robotics, swimming, and we could go on and on
• Family ALWAYS comes first and they'd prefer to be with their kids then anyone else (other than us)
• Wears many hats in the house...cooks, cleans, does laundry, toilet unclogger, bug killer, reading buddy, boo-boo kisser, swing pusher, ball thrower, tickle monster, rough housing accomplice, battery changer, toy fixer, maintenance man, gardener, garbage man, dog pooper scooper, pool boy, snow shoveler/blower, general overall handyman, and the cuddler at the end of the day.
• Always teaching life lessons..such as how to hit/kick/throw a ball, treat a woman, respect others, ride a bike, use tools, rotate the tires; when to man up, figure it out on your own, tell an adult, ask for help; and be good person
• Our kids #1 fan!

We love you Jared and David! Know that our kids think the world of you.  Thanks for ALL that you do!

Let's Go Fishing

Check out this 2 year old fishing for shapes!

We believe that learning can and should be fun.  A simple fishing game can help your child master concepts like letters, numbers, addition, subtraction, shapes, and colors.  The ideas go on and on.  The only materials needed are a child's sized fishing pole (or make your own),  gummy worms or marshmallows and any connecting set you've chosen to use. Attach a damp gummy worm or marshmallow to the end of your fishing line as bait.  Then scatter the connecting cards on the floor.  Now it's time to play.....just ask your child to try and "catch" the particular cards one at a time.  This game can be played over and over by adding a new connecting set.

Alternative Game Night

Are you tired of the same old board games?  We've got a simple yet fun family game where your kids can actually developed their language skills.  Try the simple game of charades or pictionary but use Connecting Nouns, Verbs, or Adjectives.  Modify charades by having the person on deck ask the audience to try to correctly spell, pluralize, or change the tense of the word.  Learning can really be this easy and fun!

Our Salute to Motherhood!

What does it mean to be a mom? In our eyes it's so much more then a title. It's a twenty-four hour a day and 365 days of the year endeavour. As they say in the book Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert "Having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face. You really need to be certain it's what you want before you commit." However, any mom can tell you the joy the commitment brings is worth every minute. Being a mom means....

• Beginning the journey of motherhood by donating yourself for 9 months and preparing endlessly for your precious cargo to arrive by eating the right foods, reading the right books, researching all the baby necessities, and loving every minute of it.
• Documenting each milestone from feeding schedules to noting the size, shape, and color of their little poo to capturing of all the important moments
• Comforting them through the up and downs, falls and scrapes, tantrums and fears, and every new experience.
• Enduring sleepless nights to console them whether they are hungry, sick, or scared from the latest nightmare.
• Cleaning up EVERYTHING! Potty accidents, snot, ear wax, toe jam, pus, blood, mud, milk, food, play dough....you name it, the list goes on and on.
• Teaching them so many of life's lessons including potty training, table manners, please and thank yous, respecting others, practicing sight words and math facts, how to tie their shoes, swim, throw, catch, hit and kick a ball, ride a bike, face their fears, make new friends, deal with conflict and disappointment, and have self confidence.
• Snuggling up for hours of talking, listening, and reading together.
• Attending or volunteering for recitals, games, practices, teas, play dates, and meetings....much like the postal service, moms are there no matter rain, sleet, or gloom of night.
• Organizing the schedules for the home, family, playmates, after school activities, carpools, doctor's appointments, vacations (You know you do ALL the packing!), babysitters, date nights (yeah right!), hair cuts, and parties all year long.
• Laughing at the silly things they say and do or hiding a smile when you know you really shoudn't laugh and learning to laugh at yourself as you learn along the way.
• Preparing everything from snacks, classroom treats, breakfast, lunch, and dinner to their day to day needs....finding library books, choosing appropriate outfits based on their activities, loading and unloading the backpack, ensuring homework is completed, correct, and headed back to school.
• Giving an unlimited supply of love, hugs, wet kisses, and support each and every day.

Just like a mother's job is endless, so is this list! We salute all mothers everywhere and wish you a Happy Mother's Day!!!

Fun Easy Game for Dinnertime Madness....Math Hide & Seek

Are your kids under your feet while you are trying to make dinner?  Megan finds she often has to juggle making dinner while having three kids and a dog under her feet.  Here is a solution she used just last night.  We call it  Math Hide & Seek!  Use any of our Connecting Number sets and hide the cards around the house preferably not in the kitchen.  Tell your child a math fact i.e 2+4= and have them go find the answer.  Each child can be given their own fact so it's not competitive...to keep fighting and tears to a minimum.  You can determine what numbers to hide based on your child's comfort level with math facts.  Plus, you can modify it by using addition, subtraction, multiplication or even division.   Let us know how it goes.  We are always interested in hearing your ideas.  Wishing you a peaceful dinner making night!

How to Follow Us on Blogger

Many of our loyal fans have asked how to follow us and comment on our blog.  Here are step by step instructions....

• Scroll down about half way down the screen
• Look for a box on the right side labeled "FOLLOWERS"
• Click on the "FOLLOW" button
• Next log in using your google, twitter, or yahoo account (click on the appropriate button)
• Click on "AGREE"
• If a security warning pops up click continue
• Select if you want to follow publicly or privately
• Optional edit picture to include a photo icon
• Finally click on the "FOLLOW THIS" icon

Hopefully this will be one of many opportunities for us to answer questions regarding The Circle Connection. We look forward to all your questions and comments.

Conference Time... What Should I Ask?

It's Conference Week and you're probably wondering what am I suppose to ask.  Do I just sit there and listen?   We have some questions for you to help you get the most out of your conference.  Here are our top 5 questions you want to ask...

1) Where do you expect my child to be by the end of the year and where should they be?  i.e reading levels, writing skills and abilities, math competency, etc.

2) How do you assess the children and determine their grading?  Possible responses could be tests, DRA assessments, or writing prompts.

3) What can I do to help my child achieve academic success?

4) How do you modify your instruction to meet all the different needs?

5) What should we be doing over the summer to prepare my child for next year?

We know from both personal and professional experience how valuable the conference is for both teacher, parent and student.  Hope you'll find these questions maximize your time!

Why Circles?

Many people have asked us.. "What's up with all the circles?"  There really is a legitimate reason why all of our products are on circles.  Believe it or not, your brain is relaxed and more easily able to process new information when looking at a circle.  This is the shape most people learn first and the least distracting to the brain.  Think about it with yourself and your children... what is the easiest shape to draw and identify?  The circle has no lines, sides, angles, no guessing is this a square, rectangle, rhombus, or a trapezoid.  Research and classroom studies have shown children learn better if the content is on a circle.  Hence The Circle Connection!

Follow us on Blogger!

The Circle Connection is now on Blogger.  Follow us to learn simple tips and activities to help your child learn in a fun and stress free way.