Product Name: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons                         Submitted by: Faith Martin; Howard, PA
Rating: 10
Where to buy: Amazon.com

Description: This is an excellent resource for teaching your child to read.  This can be used for a child as young as 3 years old.  It can also be used for an older child who is falling behind other children in his/her reading skills.  It teaches reading based on a phonetic approach.

Review: I used this book with both of my children, and they were both reading fluently on their own by age 5.  They are both testing about 2 grade levels above their current grade each year as well.  This book is special to me, because it gave me the opportunity to teach my own children to read.  It was one of the first products I purchased on my homeschooling journey, and it was worth every penny.  I began to use this book with my older child when my second child was born.  It was a special time that helped to keep our bond strong with the birth of his baby sister.  Buy this book - you will never regret it!   

Criticism: I found some minor typographical errors throughout the book, but they did not affect the over all use of the book.  This is an excellent product and well worth the investment in your child’s future.

Creating crafts with your kids can be a fun, yet educational process. There are so many ways that crafting can help your kids to learn things they didn’t know. Here are just a few ways your kids can learn through creating crafts:

Introduce new things – Making crafts is a really good way to introduce something new to your child. For example, if you’re crafting with a toddler, you can incorporate a new letter of the alphabet with each craft you make together.

The art of discovery – Let your kids experiment in their crafts. Let them try new things, or different ways of doing something they already know how to do. When your kid has that moment of discovery while crafting, it will cause them to want to craft more. What better way for your kid to discover something, than while crafting with you?

Coordination skills – For younger children who are still learning to use hand-eye coordination, crafts can be a very useful way to enhance these skills. From holding crayons and paint brushes, to gluing together a popsicle stick house, your child can practice their coordination skills.

Build on what they know – If you have an older child, crafts are a good way to help them build on the knowledge they already have. Use more advanced crafts to enhance your kid’s learning ability. For example, if your fifth-grader likes making cute bracelets, incorporate a math lesson into her next beaded bracelet craft session.

If you have children and don’t have a college plan in place, you may want to start thinking about starting one soon. Here are 4 ways to prepare for your kid’s college education:

1. Start saving today. One thing is certain - you can never save too much money or plan too far ahead for your child’s education. College expenses are soaring around the country at all-time highs. It’s a good idea to create a college saving plan and implement it a soon as possible.  Even saving a little each week is better than no savings at all.

2. Plan ahead. Many parents think planning ahead only means saving money. While this is true, there are other things you should take into consideration well before your child is ready for college. Colleges often require an application fee when your child submits their application for approval. If your child applies to several colleges or universities, these fees alone can add up very fast. Start checking into every aspect of the application and college processes. Educate yourself on these extra fees and expenses so that you can plan for them accordingly.

3. Don’t rely on school counselors alone. Be proactive in your child’s post-graduate education. School counselors can be helpful, but often have a huge workload. Stay in contact with your child’s school counselors, teachers and administrators. Ask how you can help, or what extra measures you need to take as a parent. Take an active part in learning what scholarship and financial aid programs your child should apply for.  Your child may be able to apply for several types of financial aid regardless of your income.

4. Involve your kids. While you should take a hands-on approach to your kid’s college education, don’t do all the work for them. Let them fill out forms, pay application fees, and ask questions. Help them create a financial plan for their college years and even save up for some of the costs.