teaching

The M is for Money Book Series Helps Teach Kids Basic Money Management-Giveaway

March 28, 2016 by Kathryn 37 Comments

With tax season in full swing, money is something on the minds of a lot of adults right now. Good money management is one of those essential life skills that helps create future success but sadly, it’s a skill that most people never learn. Ideally, I think that money management should be taught in schools. But since that’s not currently done, I do want to make sure that my boys understand money so that they can be responsible with their finances both now and in the future.

That’s why I love the M is for Money book series and website! I had the chance to review the first three books in the series when they debuted last year, and I loved the way that these books used simple, kid-friendly concepts to explain money and its uses to kids. Now, the series has a total of nine books available and I couldn’t wait to see what my boys thought of the newer titles. I received books four, five and six to review and sat down to read them with my boys.

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Help Your Child Develop Crucial Financial Literacy Skills with M is for Money Books and Resources

October 27, 2015 by Kathryn 40 Comments

Sometimes it amazes me to think about just how much there is for me to teach my children. From basic, everyday skills like tying shoes to more complex concepts like social responsibility, the school system just scratches the surface. And one of the things that I’m most determined to teach my boys is financial literacy. With approximately three-quarters of Canadians living in debt, I know just how important money management skills are for my boys to learn. But how do I start teaching them, at just nine and six, the basics of finances?

A new book series has the answer, and for any Canadian parent that wants to teach their child financial literacy, it’s a great kid-friendly way to introduce the topic. M is for Money has one simple goal…to teach the basics of money management in a fun, kid-friendly way. The book series’ two main characters, Tessa and Benji, share their own experience making and saving money. As they get their first payment for helping with chores, learn about saving for special things and open their first bank accounts, kids can follow along with the journey to learn about money!

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Lying, Imagination and Teaching Kids Life’s Lessons #StreamTeam

April 23, 2015 by Kathryn 16 Comments

One of the things I love about having kids is getting a glimpse into the way their minds work. When my oldest son was about four years old, he created an imaginary friend named Tixer. Tixer, Zackary told me, was a ghost from the olden days that had come to live with us. Tixer was nice, but his arch-nemesis, Omlite (who I assume was another ghost), was not. The stories of their adventures always kept me entertained.

Yet at the same time as Zackary was inventing stories about Tixer, I was teaching and enforcing basic values of honesty and openness to my young son. And then one day as we were getting back from a trip to Regina and not talking about anything in particular, my uncharacteristically quiet boy looked at me and said, “Mom? There’s not really any such person as Tixer. I made him up. I’m sorry I lied.”

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Help Your Child Learn to Read with the Little Champion Reader Kit-Giveaway

January 28, 2014 by Kathryn 94 Comments

I am passionate about the importance of childhood literacy and the role that early education can play in creating successful readers. As an avid reader myself, I am determined to help my children grow to be strong readers as well and luckily for me, there are so many fabulous tools and materials available to help me with that goal. Recently the creator of the Little Champion Reader kit contacted me about reviewing her innovative three-in-one system and with Benjamin at the perfect age to start developing some basic literacy skills, I was only too happy to oblige.

This kit is colourful, beautiful and incredibly complete. It includes nine DVDs, fifteen sliding flashcards, fifteen phonics books and three blank flashcards with a dry erase pen. The kit even includes a bonus CD featuring more than 150 free printable worksheets! Benjamin and I sat down to examine the kit together and see what the contents were like.

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