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.