Easter Silhouette Art

I recently read The Tale of Three Trees to my kids. I LOVE this book! It is a beautiful folktale of how your dreams can come true in the most unexpected ways. The Tale of Three Trees is not a traditional Easter book but it can be read during Christmas, Easter, or any time of the year. That is why it is one of my favorites.

After reading the book, my kids made breathtaking Easter Silhouette paintings. We did a similar art project a couple of summers ago. They enjoyed it so much that I thought it would make a great art activity that could be adapted for this story. {Click Here} for all the instructions.

On a sidenote, this weekend my husband and I celebrated our anniversary. He showered me with lots of love and treated me to a massage, fabulous dinner, and weekend at a hotel. He surely went all out, and there was no doubt that we needed some quality time alone. 

But the most memorable thing my husband did for me was he gave me a gift that touched my heart instantly. My Bible is my most treasured material possession. I have several Bibles around my home but there is one that is my favorite. I have written in it notes from all of my Bible study classes, highlighted verses that I wanted to memorize, and journaled dates and my life's events. I have also had many tears fall into those pages when I've had to cling to God's word during hard times.

However, the Bible that I loved dearly was surely falling apart. The cover was not attached, and the pages were no longer secured and would come out if I did not hold it tight enough. Yet, I adored that book and had no interest in a replacement for my main Bible.

This is what I came home to on our anniversary. My husband had dark pink roses (my favorite color) and my Bible rebound with a beautiful cover sitting next to my anniversary card. I couldn't stop holding my Bible. What a special gift!

May you find joy reading God's word this Easter remembering what He has done for us.

John 11:25
"I am the resurrection and the life.

He who believes in me will live, even though he dies."

Happy Easter friends!

For more Easter activities, click HERE

So blessed...

Wow! I am completely honored and honestly surprised at how well received my newest release How to Teach Your Child was. To be in the Top 100 Books on Amazon (free or paid) is quite an honor, and my new book hit #58 last night! I love sharing teaching tips and encouraging others, so seeing it all unfold was a time I will always cherish. It may be the only day in my life that I will be known as a best-selling author, but I will gladly treasure every minute of it.

God is so amazing and His timing is always perfect. My dear friend, Marie, has supported my writing for over six years. She has been the person scheduling public appearances, such as speaking events and television segments (even the Mom Squad came from her first introducing me to Fox). She spent months editing my books. I have not seen Marie in person for over a year since she moved to TN. Today we got to spend the day catching up as she was visiting Fort Myers with her kids for Spring Break. I felt so blessed to be together to see the book we spent years creating rise to best-selling status. Nothing could have been more special than sharing that moment with her, someone who wholeheartedly believed in me.

 Thank you Marie and everyone else who supported my passion to encourage others. I am forever grateful.

How to Teach Your Child

How to Teach Your Child Simple Tools for Homeschool Moms

How to Teach Your Child addresses one of the most common concerns homeschool moms have - How do I teach my child?
Tamara L. Chilver reveals the tools of the trade while providing parents with simple teaching tips in the core subject areas that engage children in the learning process. {Click Here} for the paperback edition.

How to Teach Your Child is also a valuable resource for parents who do not homeschool but would like to learn strategies to help their children with homework and learning activities at home.

Over 7,000 downloaded the first week it was released!

Download this best-seller on your Kindle HERE.

If you do not have a Kindle, no worries. You can download the FREE Kindle reading app and enjoy the book on your phone, tablet, or even computer. {Click Here} for the FREE app.

Want more details?

In How to Teach Your Child, you will learn how to:

•Make learning FUN.

•Enhance your existing curriculum.

•Use successful teaching tips.

•Prevent burnout for you and your child.

•Save money by using practical teaching tips.

~Reviews~

After being a schoolteacher for over six years and a homeschool mom for almost eleven years, I pretty much thought I had the education thing down pat. I've read about, heard about, seen, or tried many, many different kinds of curriculum and resources. And I've read countless how-to-books on the subject of home education over the years. So what more was there for this veteran homeschool mom of six to discover? The answer to that somewhat silly question arrived in my mailbox packaged in a small envelope. But that little package contained big ideas in the form of the book, How to Teach Your Child, by Tamara L. Chilver. Tamara has had years of experience as an elementary teacher, curriculum coordinator, homeschool evaluator, private tutor, and of course, a homeschool mom. She is also the author of Tutoring Your Elementary Child With TLC and founder of Teaching With TLC Ministries. How to Teach Your Child is a practical, concise guide in an easy-to-read format that is chockfull of ideas, advice, resources, suggestions for scheduling, tips, and techniques that are sure to help new homeschooling parents down the path into the (sometimes seemingly overwhelming) world of home education. But Tamara has also included activities and creative teaching strategies that will inspire and re-motivate even those who've been homeschooling for years. Many of the ideas presented in the book would be ideal to supplement any chosen curriculum. So be sure to check out this book for learning the basics...or for just putting a little more fun, creativity, and sparkle into your homeschool days!

--Amy O' Quinn- The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

How to Teach Your Child is an excellent book for those needing some practical advice on choosing curriculum and enhancing lesson plans. Tamara Chilver will cheer you with her enthusiasm and inspire you with her useful teaching suggestions. She has loaded this book with lots of information. This is not just a how to get started book - she has drawn upon her years as both a public elementary teacher and home educator and poured out her knowledge on how to teach your children effectively. This book is fresh, fun to read, and will provide you with a heap of "golden" teaching nuggets for the elementary grades. You'll find recommended websites and curriculum titles, and an appendix that includes a list of all the Newberry and Caldecott Medal winners. The author's friendly tone and no-nonsense approach made this guide easy to read and even more realistic to implement. She is not overly wordy nor does she saturate you with too much information - this paperback at just over 100 pages by no means ever felt thin. If you are in anyway frustrated with how things are going in your homeschool, don't pull your hair out - get this book. I mentor a lot of newbies in my homeschool circle, and you can bet I'm going to be recommending this resource to them.

--Kathy Davis- Homeschoolbuzz.com

As a homeschooling mom of two, I was thrilled to read this book. I am always looking for fresh ways to add life to our homeschooling day. There's only so much bookwork they can do before their eyes glaze over and they slip into a coma of boredom. How to Teach Your Child is designed to remove some of the mystery from homeschooling while giving parents the tools to make homeschooling educational and meaningful. This book has already become dog-eared on my shelf because of the practical tips that I can apply easily. It's like sitting down and talking with someone who's a little further down the journey and building my own ideas from her experience. And best of all, it's a fun, easy read with fantastic cartoons about homeschooling sprinkled throughout.

--Cara Putnam- Mary Pride's Practical Homeschooling Magazine

FUN Ways to Teach Letter Writing

Teaching children how to write letters can be a fun experience. Even though traditional letter writing has taken a backseat to other popular forms of electronic correspondence, such as emails and texts, it's still an important skill children need to practice.
First, discuss the basic parts of the letter.

Using this printable to introduce the basic format of a letter is a creative way to tie in the relationship of the head and body.

This is a cute song to help learn the parts of a letter.

Source: teachingmaddeness.com via Teaching Blog on Pinterest

Here are several free powerpoints that teach letter writing. You can flip through the slides on your computer while discussing the concepts.

I really like using children's literature to teach concepts, and there are many wonderful children's books that show letter writing in action. Check out your local library for some of these treasures. While reading these books, discuss the parts of a letter. Here are some of my favorites:
The Jolly Postman

I absolutely LOVE this book! It teaches about writing friendly letters as children open real envelopes addressed to fairy tale characters. It's SO cute!

Sincerely Yours

This informational book takes the reader step-by-step through the process of writing different types of letters.

Dear Mr. Blueberry

When a whale shows up in Emily's pond, she writes her teacher the best way to care for him. An adorable story with a teacher and student writing to each other.

Dear Mr. Henshaw

 A letter-writing project is assigned and Leigh chooses to write to Mr. Henshaw, his favorite author. Mr. Henshaw's surprising answer changes Leigh's life.

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving

A must read! This true story will help your child understand the power of the pen! For 38 years, Sarah Hale wrote letters trying to encourage the government to make Thanksgiving a national holiday.

Now, let's have fun practicing letter writing skills. Remember to relate this skill to real life as much as possible so your child sees the importance of writing letters.
Write thank you letters, letters to encourage missionaries, and letters to good friends and family members. Here is a free letter writing template to help you get started.

My kids write Santa a letter every year before Christmas. If we leave the letters in our mailbox with a return address, our local post office will write the children back. Some years my oldest son would also write them back. He was practicing his letter writing skills, too. :)

Source: mrprintables.com via Teaching Blog on Pinterest

Did you know that there is a city in Canada named the "North Pole" that has volunteers who spend over 190,000 hours every year writing children back for Canada's Write to Santa program. My favorite part is that the letter from Santa is personalized and postmarked from The North Pole!

All mail should include a return address, and be sure to mail your letter several weeks before Christmas to allow enough time for a reply. Here is Santa's Mailing address:
SANTA CLAUS NORTH POLE

H0H 0H0
CANADA

The Amazing Kids! PenPals Program is a safe way for children to find a Pen Pal. It is a literacy-based, traditional letter writing pen pal program, available to all children ages 5-17 worldwide.
Use the Letter Generator for an interactive approach to writing letters.

I like how it walks the child through the letter writing process step-by-step and teaches them about each step along the way. This is my favorite on-line resource for writing both friendly and business letters.

Write your favorite author. As an author myself, I can tell you firsthand that authors love hearing from their readers. My oldest son wrote his favorite author, Mary Pope Osborne, several years ago and he was thrilled when he received this letter back from her.

Write a government official. It can be your mayor, governor, or any other elected officials. My children recently wrote the president a letter, and they were so happy to receive a packet of goodies in the mail from the White House.

Write a celebrity. My oldest son loves Jay Leno's amazing car collection, so he wrote Jay a letter to discuss it. Look at what he received back- an autographed photo along with a letter! He keeps the photograph framed in his bedroom. It will always be a wonderful keepsake.

Write an athlete. My two middle boys have been big fans of Tim Tebow. After they read his book, Through My Eyes, they wrote him a letter. A few weeks later, they received a letter and a postcard in the mail from Mr. Tebow's organization. Very cool!

Here is an interactive activity your child can complete to practice his letter writing skills.

Enjoy making writing letters FUN!

Don't miss out on these recipes!

A few years ago I wanted to make potato soup with my kids for St. Patrick's Day. I found a few great crockpot recipes and then tweaked them into one delicious recipe that I knew my family would enjoy. I thought we'd make it together to celebrate the holiday and then I'd file away the recipe to possibly use again on a future St. Patrick's Day. But this is what happened.....
The potato soup was SOOOO incredibly tasty that my kids said they couldn't wait a year to eat it again. So I added it to our family recipe book, and it became one of our favorite meals that we make often. A few years ago, I wrote about the potato soup on this site in case others wanted to make it for an Irish treat with their kids, too. Then along came Pinterest.....
Someone randomly pinned that recipe about a year ago and suddenly I had more people visiting my blog for this one recipe than any other of my posts. Sometimes thousands a day- for over a year! I find it quite comical that a recipe post attracts more readers than my 400+ teaching tips posts (esp. since this is not a cooking blog but a teaching tips blog). But hey, kids are reading recipes, following step-by-step directions, and practicing math skills (measurements and fractions) as well as learning the very important life skill of cooking so it's all good. :) When Fox contacted me to film a St. Patrick's Day segment on the Mom Squad, I knew exactly what to share. So here it is..... The Best Crockpot Potato Soup Ever! and Lucky Lime (a St. Patrick's drink for kids) {CLICK HERE} if you'd like to see this recipe. I will forewarn you that you'll be making this a lot once your family tries it so remember I told you so. Enjoy!

For more recipes-

{CLICK HERE} and then scroll down to see all posts.

For more St. Patrick's Day activities-

{CLICK HERE} and then scroll down to see all posts.

How to Make Book Reports FUN!

You already know how I enjoy making learning fun so I have to share an incredible resource that is overflowing with fantastic ideas- 101 Ways to Make Book Reports Fun! 

These are not the boring typical book reports that most of us grew up completing- no siree! These ideas will have your kids begging for more. The author, Cynthia Hockman-Chupp, is a former school teacher and now a homeschool mom of five, and she definitely knows what it takes to get kids hooked on reading! These book report activities tap into children's interests: drama, art, music, reading, writing, and more. I plan to use these ideas for many years with my kiddos.

Book reports can enhance comprehension of stories and research consistently shows that children learn more when they are actively engaged in the learning process and having fun. While I don't recommend completing a report after every single book a child reads, I do like having my children complete them every few weeks. However, I plan on using tons of activities from 101 Ways to Make Book Reports Fun! this summer so we can dive into our books a little deeper than usual since we'll have more time.

What I absolutely love about the Making Learning Fun Series is the cards can be stored in a recipe box or storage container. I like being organized as much as I like making learning fun! Your child can independently choose the activities he is interested in OR you can use the box yourself to file the activities you have completed with your students. Just add the cards you have completed to the back section.

This is also perfect for those of you who use the workbox system. Just toss a card in the box. I love it when planning is simple!

Another way to use the cards is to put them on a key ring like the photo below and now they can flip through ideas on their own. You can add only the cards that are appropriate for your child's level each school year. Talk about a customizable approach. How cool is that?

101 Ways to Make Spelling Fun is the first book in the Making Learning Fun Series written by yours truly :) This is my spelling curriculum- that's it! I use word families, sight words, and then lists I find off of the Internet. But if you are currently using a spelling curriculum, you can splash fun into your school day by adding these activities to your spelling assignments.

I have also written 101 Ways to Make Writing FUN!

Enjoy making learning fun!