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Easter is a Christian celebration of the rising from the dead of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. After teaching the people for 3 years he allowed himself to be executed, after which he was buried for 3days before rising again and going to join God. By this act he redeemed all mankind that would believe in him.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.”
~By Mark Twain~

The first of April some do say
Is set apart for All Fools’ Day;
But why the people call it so,
Nor I, nor they themselves, do know,
But on this day are people sent
On purpose or pure merriment.

This verse is recorded in Poor Robin’s Almanack in 1760 and echoes the general feeling about April Fools’ Day before and since.

Question: Why are people tired on April 1st?

Answer: They just got off a 31 day March!

History

No one is sure how April Fool’s day came about as it is an ancient celebration whose origins are clouded in the past. Although celebrations of mayhem are ancient one popular theory as to how it came to be celebrated on April 1 has to do with the reform of the Gregorian calendar in the late 16^th century.

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Resources for the homeschooler on end of the year assessments and portfolios.

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A kinesthetic learner is someone who learns with his hands. Kinesthetic learners learn best by getting totally immersed in the project, using their hands to touch, move, and manipulate the material to create lasting impressions in their minds.Kindergartners are, for the most part, kinesthetic learners. A five year old loves to get his hands dirty.

Because of this, learning the letters of the alphabet can become tedious for the young child. Workbooks that offer little variation in exercises become rote and boring. While there are many ways to teach the alphabet to beginning readers, this article will outline ten of my favorites.

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File folder games are a fun way to enhance any homeschool, lesson, or unit study. They are basically generic (or colored, if you prefer) manilla folders with games inside. To make a file folder game, you will need file folders, glue, scissors, a laminating machine or clear contact paper, envelopes or plastic baggies to hold the pieces, and velcro or magnets to fasten the pieces.

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Learn the history of Valentine’s Day, it’s fables and founders, and the traditions that go along with the holiday of love.What we need to know about loving is no great mystery.

We all know what constitutes loving behavior; we need but act upon it, not continually question it. Over-analysis often confuses the issue and in the end brings us no closer to insight. We sometimes become too busy classifying, separating, and examining, to remember that love is easy. It’s we who make it complicated. ~by Leo Buscaglia

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Every now and then I come across a website that is so magnificent that all others in its genre pale in comparison.

My latest discovery is a rich multi-media site designed to help young children learn how to read. This website easily outshines most of the expensive packaged curriculum and software resources available on the market today.

It provides easy, fun, interactive multi-media lessons and free printable worksheets. Creative movie clips are cute enough to be educational and short enough to hold the child’s attention.

This wonderful resource can be used in conjunction with a convential reading and phonics curriculum or as the spine of an unconvential one.

If you prefer, you can purchase the workbooks and books that go along with the lessons, but you certainly don’t have to. All of their resources are available for free download. That’s what makes it so great.

Give it a peek! http://www.starfall.com

What You Need

1. Clear Con-tact Paper (self-adhesive vinyl shelf paper)
2. Scissors
3. Construction Paper
4. Magazines and Seed Catalogs
5. Glue Stick

How To Make It

1. Cut out an 18″” x 11″” piece of clear Con-Tact paper. Unpeel the backing and lay the Con-Tact paper on a flat surface, sticky side up.
2. Cut random shapes from construction paper to use as a background. Press them to the Con-Tact paper, face up, leaving a border along each edge.
3. Cut out letters from magazines in the words “”SPRING”", or choose other words to express the occasion. Try to keep with the Spring Theme.
4. Use a glue stick to paste the letters on top of the colored paper. Add your own pictures cut from magazines, and especially from seed catalogs. Remember to keep to the spring theme.
5. Cover it all by carefully placing a second 18″” x 11″” sheet of clear Con-Tact paper sticky side down over the first. Trim around the border for a neat look.

Timelines by Ava Miller is one of the best resources for timeline worksheets I have found on the internet. She explains her methods of making several types of timelines and offers many free forms for downloading.

Ava gives you helpful hints and tips on several timeline styles, including timelines she calls Notebook, Banner, Index, Paper Strip, Poster, Overlay, and Report Card. Each style is accompanied by an easy to follow how-to and free downloadable forms.

She discusses the benefits of making your own timeline versus buying a prepackaged one, tips on making your own timeline more colorful and eye appealing, and even provides a nice list of resources for more exploration of timeline creation at the end of her article.

This web page is a must visit for anyone who is looking for information on making their own timelines.

Every child, male or female, should learn how to cook. Many of us do it out of necessity, a few simply because they like it, but it is an important skill to know and have developed well. This unit study will introduce the basic concepts of cooking, and, with adult help, even the youngest will be making meals in no time!

We will be using the book Betty Crocker’s Cooking With Kids for a ‘textbook’ during this unit. While you may be able to do many of the exercises and projects without it, I highly recommend it. It is a nice addition to any child’s library, and is one of the few books I have bought. If you don’t wish to purchase the book, you can check to see if your local library carries a copy you can check out.

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