Category: Contest

DUO Education Shares Summertime Word Search

7/2/2014

Hello everyone! Today, I thought I would share with you a summertime word search. It is great for homeschoolers, adults, or anyone who just wants to do a word search. The search words are twenty-five words that remind me of summer. Are there any other words that remind you of summer?
Feel free to click on the image to download it! Have fun!

I also want to tell you all about a wonderful contest that will be starting soon! It is called the "share and win party." The idea is that people will share things for a week to help spread the word about DUO Education and one person will be chosen to win a $10 Amazon gift card. Oh, more information about this wonderful contest is on DUO Education's latest page, "New on DUO Education."

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Treasure Hunt to Find, Identify, and Draw Objects that are Various Colors

5/21/2014

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Hello everyone. As I sat thinking about a topic for my blog today, the beautiful day outside was calling my name. So, I thought, “why not write about a lesson outside?” Well, to be honest this activity can be done anywhere, inside or out.
     The idea is to get young children to notice and identify things that are various colors. It is like a treasure hunt. And, who doesn’t like a treasure hunt. And, if it is a beautiful day, like today is for me, I propose you take the activity outside.
     This lesson can be done in a variety of ways. You could have a clipboard and pencil for each child. Then, have the children draw the things that they see in the correct spaces. Or, you could all just go for a walk around the schoolyard, or house, or town; whatever is safe and realistic to do. While you are walking, have children point out the different things that are the various colors on the chart.
     If you can’t make it outside, don’t fret. This activity can be done anywhere. Give each child the recording chart and have him or her look around the school, the room, or the house to find, identify, and draw the various objects that fit into the chart. Another possibility would be to give each child a book and have him or her flip through the book to notice objects that are the various colors from the chart.
     When the children are finished drawing each item, help them label the objects. If they are to the point where they know most of the letters and letter sounds ask them to try labeling their own objects. If not, then, dot the word for each object so they can trace the letters in the word. Don’t forget to have them color the objects!

Don't forget the current contest to win one of my children's books or a free hour of online tutoring! For more information, see this blog post.

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How Many Squares and Share for a Chance to Win Contest

5/14/2014

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Hello everyone. I decided to share with you one of my favorite math activities. It is a thinking activity.
The idea is to count the squares. That sounds easy enough, right? Well, it may not be as easy as it sounds.
This activity is not new. I have seen it with fewer squares. Yet, I have never seen it with this many. So, I created this particular learning page.
I think this activity is fun anyway. However, in order to make it even more fun, I am going to make a contest out of it. If you would like a chance to win ONE HOUR of ONLINE TUTORING and/or one of my educational children's books for FREE, then correctly tell me how many of squares and send me a link of where you are sharing the link to my online tutoring services. Good luck! I will choose a name from all eligible entries, which are those who contain the correct number of squares and a link to where you have shared my tutoring page, on June 1st. You will be able to choose which prize you would like.

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Sandra Portman Shares her Interactive Ebooks on "Learning the Numbers" and "Learning the Alphabet" as well as Her Thoughts on Learning Those Things When She Was Younger

11/27/2013

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Hello everyone! Today, I have a guest blogger. Please give a warm welcome to children's author, Sandra Portman! She is here to tell us about her educational children's books! And...what caught my eye is that they are interactive! Sandra, please tell us a little about yourself and your books.

Now that I am retired, I get to play and do things I couldn't do while I was raising a family and working. I guess it's not so much that I couldn't do them, but there never seemed to be enough time and I really wanted to concentrate on my children and my husband. I worked long hours and I spent most of my free time cooking and baking fresh food for the family.

Now that I have "all the time in the world," I wanted to explore my childhood love of reading and writing. Back then, I spent a lot of time with friends making up stories and games for our never-ending list of clubs. I don't remember why this was so important to us, but we always had a new club for some new adventure or hobby. We even made invitations for the new club and went through the neighborhood inviting other kids to join.

LOL! That sounds like fun! I wish I was in your neighborhood back then.LOL!

Children love colorful, fun, and silly books. Funny rhymes, silly situations, and the stories that make them laugh need to be in a child's little reading library. With the emphasis on early learning and the fierce competition to succeed today, digital books are an excellent choice for parents who want to introduce concepts to their children.

Children are curious and with the levels included in these books, many children will want to read further. Some will find the buttons and have fun with them, just to see the page move. Other children will be happy to look at the same pictures until they have matured to the cognitive level to learn more. I encourage parents to help their children to learn the joy of reading by interacting with the books they have. At the same time, their children will become curious to learn more, ask questions, and be open critical thinking as they grow and mature.

My second venture into writing for children came with a new series for pre-school children. I wanted to explore the use of interactive functions within digital books. I could just imagine the fun kids would have choosing the correct answer and clicking on a button. All I needed was bright, colorful pictures ad buttons. Starting from birth, these books could start out with just the pictures from which the kids would learn subliminally.

This would have been a nice series of books for each stage of learning up to kindergarten, but I thought it would be much more fun to have all the books in one volume. Each of my children had a favorite book during those years that they wanted to read all the time. As parents, we quickly become bored and tired of the favorite book, but they don't.

To take advantage of this favorite reading habit of young children, all I did was extend the early concepts to take advantage of the levels of learning from birth to age four. This meant children would have their favorite book with all their favorite pictures that grows with them.

There are two books in the series to learn the numbers and the alphabet. Each book has four levels of learning:

Birth to age one: The goal is to respond to pictures by copying sounds and pointing and patting the pictures.
Up to age three: Answer questions, identify pictures, and attempt to read with "pretend reading."
At age three, children are ready to read by themselves, and perform activities for longer periods of time.
Age four is when children begin to recognize familiar signs and labels, and make up silly phrases and rhymes. At this age, most children can count to ten

Developing the Books

I don't use fancy software or tools when writing my books. All my books are written using Microsoft Word. In this series, the first two levels mainly use pictures and pointing to introduce children to the concept of numbers and the alphabet. In "Learn the Numbers," level 3 is used to teach children to point to each number in a collage of numbers and say the number.

In level 4, children are introduced to counting. They are presented with multiple pictures on a page and given a multiple choice answer. To answer the question, they press the correct button that corresponds to the number of pictures. If the correct button is pressed to answer the question, they proceed to the next question. If the answer is not correct, they are given the opportunity to answer the question again.

In my "Learn the Numbers" book, each multiple choice answer must lead the reader to a function; either the answer is correct or it is not. One answer will take the reader to a new section for the next question; the other two buttons will take the reader to the error message section.

Interactive Fiction Books

My new series, "Nathan, Family & Friends" are fiction stories around 2K words. In 2014 I am going to explore the use of interaction to have the reader decide where the story should go. For example, what happens to a character when different choices are made? This simulates real life and will help children learn to think before taking actions which could negatively affect their life.

I have one quick question for you before we reveal your books and sites to people, Sandra. Do you remember what it was like to learn the alphabets and numbers when you were young?

When I was in school, the process of learning the numbers and the alphabet was so tedious. There wasn't much time spent on these concepts before first grade. Once we started learning about them in school, it was very academic, repetitive, and I thought - very boring. I remember using flashcards; they were black and white and strictly used to test our ability to identify what was on the card. I also remember being very shy as a child and how embarrassing it was for me when I couldn't keep up with the flashcards.

Yes, there were quite few flashcards around when I was growing up today. There are still some today and at times, I think they have their place. I think they are better for self-study than group study though. And, I think they are probably better for learners who are older than the little ones who are learning the alphabet and numbers for the first time. But... I agree, I believe that there are far more fun and exciting ways to learn things besides using flashcards! I am all about the fun in learning here! And, I think interactive books are a great way to make learning fun!

Sandra's blog: www.sandralportman.com

You can also find Sandra on her social media sites:
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Pinterest

Here are Sandra's two educational books. Please push the book cover images for the direct links on Amazon:

Notes and Announcements:

*My character, Clarinda Cloud, has her own blog now! She will be blogging on Wednesdays, just like me. Her blog is mainly about feelings! Please feel free to explore her site at www.ClarindaCloud.com and also visit her "Clarinda Cloud's Feelings Blog."

*There is still time to win a free copy of the "Clarinda Cloud Activity Book." You can find out more information on the contest on this post. Also, there is a list of names of waterfalls that gives you a hint to the answer. And, Clarinda Cloud gives a couple of new hints in her blog post this week. Good luck!

*I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah this week!

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Another Book Giveaway Contest and Fill in the Silly Nouns Sheet

11/6/2013

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Hi everyone! Last month I started a monthly giveaway from now until the end of the year. Nobody guessed where Clarinda Cloud was, so I will be donating a copy of "Clarinda Cloud" to a library. By the way, she was at Hartman's Farm Stand in Sheldon, Vermont. (Please stop in, if you are in the area. They have great produce. And, no, I am not related nor do I get paid in anyway for saying that.)
Time for another book giveaway contest! As you can see the "Clarinda Cloud Activity Book" is Photoshopped into a picture of a waterfall. Which waterfall is it? Do you know? Where in the world is Clarinda Cloud? Please comment your answer for a chance to get a free copy and if you don't know, please just comment the name of the elementary school, daycare, library, or children's counselor in the U.S. where you would want me to donate it if nobody guesses. (U.S. addresses only at this time, please.) Good luck!

Now, for the educational news of the day: LOL! (I can't say that... a chance to win a wonderful activity book focused on identifying and sharing feelings as well as other basic skills is fantastic educational news as well!) I have been creating educational materials and activities lately. Here is one on nouns.
Many times children will enjoy learning if you make it fun or silly! I know I enjoy learning if it is fun... not always when it is silly, but sometimes. This activity is based upon the old "Madlibs" game. It just prompts the child to fill in a noun. The answer is correct if there is a noun on the line. But... you can challenge the student to fill in the silliest noun for the sentence.
The great thing about a sheet like this is that you can use it for multiple purposes. It can be used simply as a language arts lesson. But.... you can also use it as a bunch of writing prompts for silly and imaginative stories. You can use it as a lesson in description. You can also have students draw a picture depicting each sentence. There are man possibilities!
Please feel free to use me as a resource. If there is a particular activity or skill that you want addressed, feel free to comment below or contact me. Thank you!

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Clarinda Cloud Joins the Bullying Awareness/Anti-bullying Campaign

10/16/2013

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Hi everyone! How are you? October is violence awareness month. (I hope I have that title correct.) Anyway, bullying behavior is a growing form of violence. It is one that has touched my community lately. We had a girl take her own life not long ago because of the bullying with which she was tormented. It is sad.
Bullying takes place at school, at home, in the neighborhood, and over the internet. There are even sites that seem to promote bullying behaviors.
So, I have decided to do my part to try to stop the bullying and the torment that comes from the bullying behaviors. Here is one of my posters on bullying awareness/antibullying/bullying prevention.
Clarinda Cloud is a character in two of my currently published children's books. I am hoping she is headed towards stardom and hope she will make a great anti-bullying spokescloud. Her message is always that the healthy sharing of feelings is so important. She always shares her feelings and wants to encourage others to share their feelings as well. For those of you who don't know the books featuring Clarinda Cloud and who would like to see these books focusing on feelings, here they are:

Do you know any programs that could use Clarinda Cloud as spokescloud or a Clarinda Cloud poster on bullying awareness or bullying prevention? If so, please contact me. If you want to know more about Clarinda Cloud and her message, please go to her website at www.ClarindaCloud.com. Thank you!

Notes and Notices:

There is still time to guess where this photo was taken in order to win a free copy of Clarinda Cloud or an educational school, daycare, library, or children's counselor of your choosing. (Please, only US addresses at this time.) If you want to win it for yourself, please make your comment at my author blog.
I will give you a hint. This is taken in my home state. I am not looking for a country or a state though. For this photo, I am looking for either town/city or a specific place. And, no, it is not in my back yard. It is in someone's or some business' back yard though.
Don't know where it is? That is okay! Please comment with the name of an elementary school, daycare, library, or children's counselor where you think I should send it anyway. I will still give a copy to an elementary school, library, daycare, or children's counselor in the US. Good luck!

Please take the time to explore the site. I am creating customized header pictures for some pages of DUO Education and doing what I can to make the site more effective, more efficient, and more appealing! I want it to have a professional and appealing look, as well as have the individualized and unique feel.
Just a reminder, I update the site often, so please check back and explore often. Also, if you have an educational need, concern, tip, strategy, post, etc.... that you would like to share, please feel free to contact me. Thank you!

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Where in the World is Clarinda Cloud?

10/9/2013

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Hi everyone! I am going to do something a little bit different today! Everyone likes a contest, right? And, everyone likes to get something for free, right? Well, I am going to try this contest monthly for the rest of the year and see what happens. I know what you are saying, "but this isn't educational and you only write about educational things." Right? Well, this is educational!
Treasure hunts and asking probing questions about text or images are effective ways of educating people. Also, they are fun strategies to use in education. I am just modeling this technique. LOL! Also, the books that I am featuring ARE EDUCATIONAL! So, there is education all over this blog post! LOL!
Okay. Here is how it works. I will post pictures each month of a book featuring Clarinda Cloud and ask "Where in the World is Clarinda Cloud?" (That is the name of the contest.) For the first person who comments where it is, I will send a copy of the book featured to the elementary school, library, daycare, or child counselor of your choice. (Only U.S. addresses at this time.)
Want to win the book yourself, that is fine too! Please make your comment on my author blog here! Yes, DUO Education will be competing with my author site, located at www.authorjodidesautels.weebly.com.
Don't know the answer? Comment anyway! If nobody guesses the correct answer, I will put all the suggestions from DUO Education and from my author site in a hat and send it to the elementary school, library, daycare, or children's counselor of your choice. When you make the comments here, please also tell me one thing you think I could do to make this site more effective. Thank you!
I think this is a great educational activity and a great way to get some awareness for Clarinda Cloud and the books in which she is featured. Speaking of Clarinda Cloud, have you gone over to check out her new site yet at www.ClarindaCloud.com?

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DUO Education Shares Summertime Word Search

Treasure Hunt to Find, Identify, and Draw Objects that are Various Colors

How Many Squares and Share for a Chance to Win Contest

Sandra Portman Shares her Interactive Ebooks on "Learning the Numbers" and "Learning the Alphabet" as well as Her Thoughts on Learning Those Things When She Was Younger

Notes and Announcements:

Another Book Giveaway Contest and Fill in the Silly Nouns Sheet

Clarinda Cloud Joins the Bullying Awareness/Anti-bullying Campaign

Notes and Notices:

Where in the World is Clarinda Cloud?

Jodi Desautels

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