Forgive

Never take anything personal that children or anyone says to you.  Whether it is a student or your own child, let it go.  My mother used to say to me when other children had said mean things,  “Just let it roll off your back like water on a duck’s back.”

When you let what others say upset you, they think they have a way to control you.

LET IT GO!  Forgive!  Treat everyone unconditionally.   If you can master this, it will have amazing results.

Good Luck!

MiXed Pumpkin Cookies for the X sound

This is a fun cooking project to go with the X sound.

MiXed Pumpkin Cookies

1. MiX:

• ½ cup oil or butter
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
  1 egg
  1 tsp. vanilla
  1 cup pumpkin

2. MiX:

• 2 ½ cups flour
  1 tsp. baking powder
  1 tsp. baking soda
  1 tsp. cinnamon
  ½ tsp. nutmeg
  ½ tsp. salt

3. MiX:     ½ bag of Chocolate Chips

4. Drop on greased cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Cool!

6. Frost with Frosting or eat plain. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional)
Mix or beat 8 oz. cream cheese – softened, 1 stick of butter- softened, 2 T. milk, 1 t. vanilla and
About 3 cups of powdered sugar until it is thick and smooth.

LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY–Love is the Key

Love is the  key!                                      

Everyone needs to feel loved and cared about.  No one can interact with others perfectly, but if the children in your life feel loved and cared about, they will work harder and be more successful.

Here are a few ideas to help children feel your unconditional love for them:

• Express your love for them individually.  Make it personal and real.
• Use Active Listening.   Repeat back to them what they have said in an understanding manner.
• Ask them a specific question about themselves.  I like to have free time first, so I can have some personal interaction with as many students as possible before starting class.
• An affectionate touch or hug.  Never force a hug or affection.   Sometimes a one-armed side hug, a hand on the shoulder or hand makes all the difference.  If you listen with your heart you will know when it is needed.
• A personal smile.
• Give them a personal simple task to help you.  We all need to be needed.  Incorporate helpers in your day.  Make helping a pleasure not a chore!  “You get to” or “I need you to”, not “you have to”, makes all the difference.
• One on one or small group activities help them see you care.  Try handwriting practice in a tray or plate of cornmeal or finger painting.

Sit back and quietly observe with an open mind.  Open your heart!  Taking time for each child will eliminate future possible discipline problems.  Act don’t React!  Enjoy your time with the children in your life.  Make each day a treasure; we never know what tomorrow brings.

Give us your comments on how you help children feel loved.  Have a great day!

Visit our website for great phonics materials for home or school. http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/

Marshmallow Treats

1. Microwave for 2 minutes:

• ¼ Cup Butter
• 40 Large Marshmallows

2. Stir and add:

• 5 cup Crispy Rice Cereal

3. Stir and pat it down in a buttered dish.

4. Let them cool, cut and serve.

5. Add M&M’s  (Each child counts 5 M&M’s to put on their piece.) and eat.

http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/

Don’t

“Don’t” isn’t a word that children understand.

When you tell a child, “Don’t touch the stove.”, all they hear is, “Touch the stove.”

It is better to say what you want them to do such as: “Stand back!  It is hot.” or “Stop!  The stove is hot”.  This is hard to do, but instructions or rules given in a positive manner, always works best.

Examples:

“Keep your hands to yourself.”

“Keep all four legs of your chair on the floor.”

Good luck on making directions more positive!

For more educational products and information visit www.phonicsbyspelling.com

 

Ranch Dressing- Simple and Tasty

Ranch Dressing

•  1 tsp. dry parsley
•  ½  tsp. garlic powder
•  1 tsp. salt
• 1 ½  tsp. instant minced onion
•  1 tsp. pepper
• pinch of oregano

Mix spices with 2 cups of buttermilk.  Then add 1½ – 2 cups of mayonnaise. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 min. (Will keep refrigerated for several weeks.)

For more educational products and information visit www.phonicsbyspelling.com

Brownies

       BROWNIES

•  3 cubes of butter (up to ½ can be applesauce)
• 1/2 c. cocoa
• 3 c. brown sugar (C&H or organic)
• 6 eggs
• 2 ½ c. unbleached or whole wheat flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• ½ cup chopped nuts (I prefer pecans) (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 .  Cream together butter, cocoa and sugar.  Add eggs, flour, salt, vanilla, and nuts.  Mix only until blended.  (Don’t over mix.) Spread in a jelly roll pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray.  Bake 25 minutes. Don’t overcook.

Serve with whipped cream.  Whip 1 cup whipping cream.  Add 1 Tablespoon Instant Vanilla Pudding, 1/2 teas. vanilla, 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar.  Mix just until blended.

It is fun to garnish with fresh raspberries and mint leaves.

http://www.phonicsbyspelling.com/

Recipe for Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies  (Fun to make when teaching the letters Cc or Ll.)

Great comfort food! Can frost or eat plan.

1. Mix:

• ½ cup butter (room temperature)
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg   (Listen for the Cracking Egg sound when cracking the egg.)
•  ¼ teaspoon vanilla

2. Mix in:

• 1½ cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
•  ¼ teaspoon salt

3.  Chill dough for an hour.

4.  Roll out the dough and cut with Cookie Cutters.  (Works good to use letter cookie cutters  and cut out their initials.)

5.  Bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes.

6.  Enjoy!

For more educational products and information visit www.phonicsbyspelling.com

Oodles of Noodles

Oodles of Noodles  (2 kinds)        

Fast Noodles  (Can be made with gluten-free noodles.)  Children love this.

1. Cook 1/2 lb. curly or other noodles for half of the time on the package.
2. Save 1/2 cup of the water and drain off the rest. Put the noodles and 1/2 c. water back in the pan.
3. Add 1 cup of frozen petite peas, a little salt, and 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon paste or granules.  (Better than Bouillon  is a great bouillon.)
4. Cook on low with a lid for about 5-6 minutes, then take it off the burner and leave it for 10 or more minutes.
5. Eat and enjoy!
6. Fun to do when learning the OO sound like in MOON.

Homemade Noodles

• Beat 1 egg.
• Add: 1/2 t. salt
• 2 T. milk.
• Stir in 1 cup of flour.      (dough will be stiff)
• Roll dough thin on a floured board.
• Let rest for 30 minutes.
• Heat to boiling:  4 cups water
• Then add: 4 t. bouillon paste or granules, 2 t. minced onions, and 2/3 cups peas and carrots.
• Add noodles to broth.
• Cook on low boil for 15 minutes.  Enjoy!
• Fun to cook when learning the Long OO sound.

Have a Routine.

Routine is one of the keys to successful discipline.

As many are home schooling for the first time, you will have great success when you set a routine.  Everything will go smoother with a routine.

• It is good to have a routine or schedule.  It will help your day run smoother.

• Whether it is in a classroom or at home, children handle everything better if they know the routine (Bed time, reading time, homework time, etc.).

• Most children feel more comfortable with an established routine.

• When the routine has to be changed, it will go smoother if they are told in advance the routine will be changed.

• Children need to learn to handle last-minute changes but it is good to practice that in a controlled situation, not when you need it to happen now.