7 facts about learning

Learning to write and speak well enables your child to better appreciate and understand what others have written and to develop confidence in communicating his own ideas.

1. Reading great literature gives children the opportunity to enter exciting worlds, to meet heroic characters, and to consider what could be. 
2. While studying the classics of yesterday and today, students not only improve their thinking and communication skills, but also learn important moral lessons, lessons they can use to guide their lives. 
3. On one level, the purpose and value of math seems obvious. Students need math to function as adults: to pay bills, make change, negotiate salaries, and so on. 
4. Virtually every career today requires some mathematical skill, and specialized careers usually involve advanced mathematical knowledge.
5. Mathematical training is important because it develops a student’s ability to think logically and precisely.
6. When Abraham Lincoln wanted to sharpen his general reasoning skills at age 40, he did so by working through Euclid’s Elements. A successful thinker must be able to structure and organize his ideas, and bring order to his mind. Mastery of math develops this mental capacity in students.
7. A proper math education gives an individual the capacity to approach all areas of his thought and life with rigor and discipline.

Easy sock puppets – teach them to dust!

It’s not easy to get kids invested in keeping the house clean. Get them started early with an easy task like dusting by introducing them to these fun dust-eating sock puppets.





Materials:

• Old socks
• Various buttons
• Needle and thread
• Glue (optional)
• Markers and pencils
• Yarn (optional)
• Felt, cloth and other

Here, we’re making our sock into a puppy. But you can use a variation of these instructions to make a kitten or other animal, girl or boy, or any other character your child will cling to. Use your imagination and don’t feel boxed in by the supplies we used. If it can be glued on, sewed on or in any way permanently affixed, do it!


Step 1: Get the right fit

Fit the sock on your child’s hand so it forms a “mouth,” using her thumb as the bottom jaw. Remove it, being careful not to ruin the “mold” you’ve made (use a pencil to make marks if you need to).




Step 2: Get prepared

Sew a small tack on either side of the mouth to hold it in place. If possible, keep it on the bottom of the puppet’s mouth so it won’t show (especially if you have to use a thread that doesn’t match your sock).

Fit the sock back on your child’s hand and use a pencil or marker to dot where the eyes, nose, ears, hair or tongue should go.





For the puppy, we cut the bottom few inches off the matching sock, ironed it flat, then cut it down the crease to make floppy puppy ears (with the right color fabric, different placement on the “head” and a different nose, you can also use this to make an elephant). We also grabbed an old baby sock with pink in it and cut out a small tongue-shape.



If you’re making a little girl or boy, wrap some yarn in the right hair color around four fingers several times and tie it in the middle with more yarn to create a figure eight. You can sew it on, then give your sock baby a haircut later.

Step 3: Sew it down

If it’s easier for you, before sewing you can use glue to affix buttons where the eyes, nose, ears and tongue go. You can also use the glue to affix any other features. Allow it to dry thoroughly, then sew on the items you glued (if you use only glue, it might melt or disintegrate in the wash). Depending on what type of sock or fabric you used, you may need to edge parts like the ears.

**Tip: We recommend using plain paper or mounting glue (as long as it dries clear). Fabric glue is meant to hold fabric and will be too hard to sew through. You should also use a good-quality, stiff needle if you opt for glue — any kind of glue can make the fabric stiffer (don’t forget your thimble!).




Step 4: Get those kiddos dusting!

Give your kids their special dust buddies and let them get started. These toys live on dust, so the more they make them eat, the healthier their new friend will be.

If your kids are younger, you should probably encourage them to stay away from sensitive electronics. Tell them to stick to baseboards, furniture, nonbreakable lamps and shelves.