Child & Family Development Child & Family Development

December 16, 2013

Educational Resources for the Holiday Season

It’s that time of year, again… It seems to feel like the kids are at home more than they are in school. Well, don’t let that prevent your kids from learning! Here are some helpful resources to help keep your child engaged and involved with academics this holiday season.

Educational Apps

Reading/Writing:

iWriteWords ($2.99) – Designed for younger children learning how to write letters, numbers, and words. Parents can track their child’s progress with this app too!

Alpha Writer ($4.99) – Helps children with reading, writing, and spelling phonetically while composing words and stories. 

Chicktionary for iPad (Free) – Spelling and vocabulary games for 6-8 graders

Math:

Motion Math ($0.99) – Designed to help children understand and estimate fractions

Math Drills ($1.99) – Reviews basic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. 10 different profiles can be set up, so this app can be used with more than one child.

Sail Through Math ($1.99) – Designed by McGraw-Hill for middle school students to help with areas such as number sense, rational numbers, and algebra

Other Fun Ideas

Head on out to your local library! They always have exciting, interactive programs for children of all ages. Click on the following link to see what is happening at your local library: http://www.cmlibrary.org

Have your children help with the planning and purchasing of the holiday menu. This is a great life skill activity to help with organization, financial planning, and money manipulation.

Start a holiday book club with your family. Designate times throughout the week for reading and discussion. It maybe on the airplane travelling to the in-laws or just on a lazy Tuesday afternoon. Either way, reading with your children is a wonderful way to support comprehension over the holidays.

Here are some classic holiday books: Elf on the Shelf, The Polar Express, Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas, Dream Snow, and Li’l Rabbit’s Kwaanza

Have a wonderful holiday season! As always, the educational specialists of Child and Family Development are here to offer resources and support for any educational questions or concerns.