Ensurin your child is well prepared for school is essential. You remember those days, right? Those moments in school when you knew that you had an exam coming up that you needed to prepare for. Based on the particular subject matter and how you felt about it, sometimes the “You have a test next week” announcement brought forth feelings of anticipation, while other times it caused us to be downright fear. After all, it can be a bit unsettling to be expected to recall all that you’ve learned in a class in a few minutes of time.

This is what you have to remember when your child comes to you for help on how to prepare for the exams in school that they have coming up; that you were once in their very shoes.

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Do you want some tips on how to support them in a way that will bring forth great results? We have a few for you below (no test at the end, though):

Plan ahead.

There’s a pretty big chance that your child is not going to tell you about the test right when they found out that they were going to have one. For this reason, it’s a good idea to speak with their teachers so that you can get a copy of their syllabus. That way, rather than only having two days to help them prepare, you can prepare during the week (or even couple of weeks) of time that they were initially given to study.

Set up a schedule.

One of the best ways to learn is through repetition. It’s a lot easier for your child to retain information by spending 15 minutes a day on the required material rather than five hours the night before while trying to cram it all in. So, whether it’s before their homework or after dinner, definitely make sure to devote some time to going over their study lessons with them.

Make it fun.

The test is already going to be pretty “ho hum”, so why not make the study sessions a bit more entertaining? You can create flashcards, you can turn it into a game, you can write a song out of the answers…the possibilities are endless. Just make sure that “fun” is a part of the theme as you come up with ways to hold their attention.

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Consider a tutor.

Some children simply have a hard time taking tests. There’s nothing “right” or “wrong” about that fact; they simply learn and retain differently. However, if your child is consistently doing poorly during their exams, you might want to consider looking for one of the best home tutors in your area; someone who is an expert at preparing students for tests. For more information on how to locate a tutor, visit Tutor.com, Tutors.com or the Khan Academy.

Keep them calm. When a child is preparing for a test or is about the take one, it almost doesn’t matter how much knowledge they have stored away if they are stressed out. For this reason, it’s imperative that as you are going various lesson studies with your child that you also incorporate mind exercises that they can do to calm down such as inhaling and exhaling, counting quietly from 1-10 and thinking about things that make them happy. When their mind is peaceful, they are sure to get better academic results; especially during their exams.

For more examination guidance for kids on Stagetecture, click here.

When I was young I remember visiting Disney World in Orlando, Florida with my sister and parents and we couldn’t wait to visit Epcot’s – Journey into Imagination with Michael Jackson as Captain EO in his 3D movie. It was exciting to see the 3D movie come to life as we sat with our 3D glasses in the theater… but then we would always be sad once it was over and had to leave!

So, I was excited to pair up with Cypher Entertainment with my seven year old daughter to try their 3D augmented reality learning cards. We went to Target to purchase their 3 products: Animals, Numbers, and Letters, and my daughter, Avrielle was excited to use my iPhone 4 to see how they worked.

All of the 3D magic from my childhood to my smart phone using the Cypher Kids Club cards, and helping her learn.. we were both excited! Let me show you what a great experience she had in discovering new creative content with #CypherKidsClub.

My daughter has always loved my iPhone and iPad, so she was excited that this opportunity was only for her.. and not me telling her, “It’s time to get off my phone!”

Purchasing Cypher Kids Club Cards at Target

We went to our local Target store, here in Jacksonville, Florida to purchase the 3 products – Numbers, Wild Animal Adventures, and Letters. To see the entire experience from the shopping to her using the cards take a look at my Google+ album.

Google+ Album –

Link to Album –> Cypher Kids Club at Target

Once we were done at Target, Avrielle wanted to download the iPhone app from the app store in the car! She was so excited – by time we pulled into our home driveway, she was ready to use the cards. See the Google+ Album to see how easy it is to download and get started.

Using the Cypher Kids Club Cards

Once we downloaded the 3 apps for the each game, we took out the cards and my daughter instantly loved how the game talks to you! It gave her the directions and gave a fun fact about each animal, number or letter.

The games were helpful in not only teaching about letters, numbers and animals, but they taught her about the habitat of the animals, how to count and spell and more. Avrielle told me she wished there were more than 3 products.

I encourage you to visit your Target and take a look at the products for your child. They are available at select Target stores in the iPhone and iPad accessories area and would make perfect gifts for this upcoming Black Friday for Christmas gifts!

Visit Cypher Kids Cub on Facebook and Twitter and learn all of the exciting new educational ideas they are coming out with for your growing child.

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and Cypher Kids Club #CBias #SocialFabric”. All opinions and ideas are uniquely mine and my daughter’s

For more children’s ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Now that back to school time is around the corner, have you made sure your kids’ room is conducive to studying? Providing your kids with innovative furniture can motivate them to do their homework and study their lessons. Study room furniture can also add comfort and convenience your kids need while studying and create less fatigue than sitting on the floor or their beds.

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Before rushing to your favorite furniture shop, make sure to assess what they truly need. It is also important to know your kids thoughts and preferences. You may ask your kids to shop with you for better decision making. While you will pay for it, they will need to actually USE IT.

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For your kids study room, consider including:

Study Table and Chair

It is very important to consider a study table that has built-in storage and accessible shelves. It doesn’t have to be wide but make sure that your kids’ hands can freely move for convenience. There are styles that can be folded compartments to cater more space when needed. For chairs, prefer an ergonomic chair. This type of chair is specifically designed for comfort even during long hours of use.

Computer Table

Kids are on the computer today more than ever! Almost everything can be learned and found online. This is why a computer set with well-designed desk is a must. In choosing the right computer table, look for a desk that has plenty of storage. It will encourage your kids to develop their computer skills and do online researches.

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Book Shelves

Bookshelves are essential, even though information can be found online, there is still the the need for books. Books are still your kid’s source of knowledge and a beautiful way to help your kids learn within arms reach. This makes it very necessary to have well-made book shelves in your kid’s study room. From bookshelves on the wall to small libraries in a playroom, never underestimate the importance of bookshelves.

Always choose comfort over style. This will help your kid to last whenever things are getting tough and demanding in school. Your choice of furniture serves as an extension of your care for their studies. Help your children enjoy studying by outfitting their room in essential study furniture.

For more kids’ room ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

]]> https://stagetecture.com/the-best-kids-study-room-furniture-for-back-to-school/feed/ 0 30712 https://stagetecture.com/guest-blogger-simple-ways-to-teach-your-family-about-gardening/ https://stagetecture.com/guest-blogger-simple-ways-to-teach-your-family-about-gardening/#respond Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:20:46 +0000 https://stagetecture.com/?p=23799 Guest Blogger #397, Entry #992, March 2, 2012

When it comes to spending time with your family and giving them a piece of yourself, you may eventually reach the startling conclusion that while you feel like you are giving everything you have to your family, every bit of time and every ounce of effort (in one way or another), the truth is that the time spent with them is not quality time and the effort you put in is less than it could be. You can’t really be blamed for this; like most parents you probably work so hard every day just to pay the bills and keep the household in order and everyone on schedule that you are running on fumes by the time you are actually in the presence of your spouse and kids. And while there are certainly techniques to cut back on your obligations in order to make the most of any time you do have with your family, you may be looking for a way to bond on a deeper level. If gardening is a hobby that you hold dear, involving the ones you love in this activity could be a great way to get the connection you’re looking for.

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Share gardening with your kids

There are a number of reasons why taking on the task of a family gardening project can help to bring everyone closer together. For one thing, we are often so inundated by external static (like blaring TVs, beeping phones, and the mundane but necessary chatter pertaining to the logistics of your daily life) that it can be difficult to orchestrate a worthwhile conversation. So leaving the cell phones on the table and heading to the backyard to get your hands in the dirt could provide an excellent opportunity for everyone to talk about their day or simply enjoy a few precious moments of silence with the ones they love.

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Teach your family about gardening

Beyond that, getting back to nature is a proven stress-reducer, and finding ways to work with your hands can also help to calm the constant chatter in your head. For your family, this could help to lessen the tensions that have been ratcheted up through the onslaught of external forces present in your everyday lives. And this is a good place to start when you are trying to rekindle a relationship that has somehow deteriorated through the passage of time. It doesn’t take a masters communication online degree program to tell you that when you’re having trouble connecting with your family a break in the routine can make a difference.

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So start at the beginning by planting seeds. Teach your family all you know about using the right dirt and tending to seeds properly with the correct combination of food, water, and sunlight. Relay any information you have about keeping pests away, growing and blooming seasons for different plants, the differences between annuals and perennials, and how to get the best and fastest growth. But try to offer up the wealth of your knowledge in a manner that is helpful rather than condescending. And once you train your family and assign them tasks, leave them to their duties unless they ask for help. Trust that your training is enough to see them through. The fruits of your labor (literally) will soon prove that your efforts to improve communications with your family have paid off, and the success will bring you all closer together.

For more family ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

When it comes to promoting an environment geared towards academics within the home, most parents fall back on homework at the kitchen table, at least until dinner, when everything has to be cleared away. Or perhaps you have your kids do their homework in the living room or even their bedrooms, where the persistent temptation of entertainment via TV, stereo, computer, or mobile devices can easily derail them. And herein lies the problem; if you don’t have a dedicated space that is exclusively devoted to helping your kids to learn, then you may not be doing all you can to ensure that they master the academics that will get them through school (and more importantly, their adult lives). So here are just a few tips to help you create the ideal learning environment in your own home.

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Create a workspace for each child

Start by creating a workspace for each child; in other words, provide desks. Whether you choose to put these work stations in an office space or in individual bedrooms is up to you, but you need to make sure that each of your kids has their own space to work in and that the space is conducive to learning (without undue distractions). Ideally, you should create a room that is dedicated to academic pursuits, whether it is a home office or you convert a family room or basement space for this purpose, simply because it will help your kids to get into the right mindset for learning. Although you may find it easier to separate kids that constantly distract each other, combining the place they do homework with the place they sleep could lead to a mental conflict that impacts one or both activities. They might be thinking about their studies when they should be sleeping, or they may get drowsy while doing their homework. So keep that in mind.

Design tips to consider:

The room should not be overly comfortable; it’s not meant for lounging. So while you can purchase comfortable office-type chairs for the desks, you probably don’t want to place couches or overstuffed chairs in the room. In addition, you should include adequate storage so that each child has a place to organize their own school supplies, textbooks, backpacks, and so on. Although you will likely have some communal craft items, you should also consider providing each child with their own supply of basics like pens, paper, scissors, and whatnot so that they don’t end up fighting for use of these products.

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If you can afford it, you might even consider getting each child a computer or laptop. It may be a while before they become interested in something like MBA programs online, but even young kids may have to use the internet for homework or type up word documents for class assignments. So making sure that they don’t have to battle for time at the keyboard could go a long way towards increasing their willingness to attend to their studies. The main thing to think about is how you can best aid in creating an environment that encourages learning, rather than using a space that has another function and then asking why kids aren’t getting their work done.

For more kids’ room ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

It’s officially Labor Day Weekend here in the U.S. and everyone is ready! Even though my kids have only been in school for 2 weeks now, they are sooo ready for a 3 day weekend.  My 4 year old asked me today why does she doesn’t have school on Monday and what Labor day was.  I think I mumbled something about celebrating people working.. and realized my explanation was not a good one.

I set off on a quest on the internet to find activities to explain to my daughter what Labor Day was.  Voila! I found the perfect article at E-How about celebrating the Labor Day with kid activities that teach them about working and occupations!  Perfect.  Read on to check out these great activities that will be fun to do with your kids… or might be fun for us adults too!