Did you learn the state capitals when you were in school? It seems like some people had a test over them in school and some didn’t.

If you or someone you know are interested in learning the names of all of the state capitals, I have a few mnemonic devices that may help you in your quest. These little cartoons will hopefully help jog your memory and easily remember the state capitals.

 

This blog post is a free sample of my State Capitals Mnemonic Devices resource. This sample includes the states of Pennsylvania, Florida, and Wisconsin. The other 47 states are also available for purchase via my Teachers Pay Teachers store:

Included in the full resource:
– Mnemonic memory devices to help remember the state capitals for all 50 states (grouped by regions)
– Pre-test
– State capital reference sheet
– Color and grayscale maps of the USA with capitals included
– 3 different “Complete the Word” practice sheets
– “Circle the Correct Capital City” sheets
– 10 interactive game boards for the students to use to help them learn the capitals (drop a coin or other small object onto the game board and read the state capital for all 50 states)
– Two sheets for students to create their own ways to remember the names of the state capitals, if they’d like
– Post-test

Some of these mnemonic devices may help you and sometimes you may prefer to think up your own. Either way, I hope you enjoy the process of learning the state capitals!

~ Carrie

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What can you learn from your child’s report card? Quite a bit, hopefully.

One thing to do before filing your child’s report card…

Take notes about their particular strengths and concepts for them to work on.

I did this for the first time recently. Hopefully I can work on some of the next steps during the summer. For example, according to their report cards, they both need practice telling time. I can work on that with them throughout the next couple of months. I also show the report card to my kids so they can see how they’re doing. Report cards are a great tool we can use as parents.

Do you take a long look at your child’s report card?

~Carrie

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Puppets are a great tool for preschool and elementary students. Puppet play provides an opportunity for creativity, language development, expression with voices, perspective, and play.

Creativity 

Students can be creative as they try to imagine different things the puppet character might say.

Language Development and Expression

Children can use new words as well as expression while acting out what the puppet may be feeling or doing. Great speech language and drama practice!

Perspective

Puppets offer kids a unique perspective opportunity to put themselves in the shoes of someone else.

Play

Finally, puppets are a fantastic opportunity to let kids play. Kids need to play. And, playing is learning.

Below are a few of the puppets that I have available in my TPT store. They are all available in paper bag, popsicle stick, and finger puppet options. The popsicle stick and finger puppet options are especially great if you don’t have paper bags on hand.

I’d love to know- what other benefits have you noticed as you use puppets with kids?

~ Carrie

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When Simplicity Parenting arrived in the mail, I started it right away, even though I was in the middle of another book. I enjoy parenting books and simplicity books, so this one was right up my alley.

Written by Kim John Payne, its tagline is “using the extraordinary power of less to raise calmer, happier, and more secure kids”.

I’ve read many blog posts about how to declutter kid’s stuff and I am continuously trying to go through the massive amount of toys we’ve accumulated over the last nine years.

This book has really connected the dots for me in terms of WHY it’s actually more healthy for kids to have less stuff and less on their minds in general.

Some of the suggestions, like simplifying the number of children’s books you have, seem counterintuitive. But, the general idea is for your environment to be less overwhelming. It did make sense to me to donate some of the board books and other unloved books we’d been hanging on to.

It also helped me realize how my husband and I could try to be a little more careful about what we talk about in front of the kids. I don’t want to completely shelter them, but sometimes it’s better to talk about certain news topics after the kids have gone to bed.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will most likely reread it soon.

How do you make your family environment less overwhelming?

~ Carrie

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Can staples be recycled? That was the question that initially prompted me to start researching what common things can and can’t be recycled. Sometimes it’s hard to know what will and won’t be accepted in your recycling bin. It varies, of course, depending on your area, but there are some commonalities we can find.

 

Yes- these things can usually be recycled:

Staples

Construction paper

Bottle caps

Scotch tape (small amounts)

Plastics # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (may vary)

Clean aluminum containers (may vary)

No- these things usually can’t be recycled:

Paper with glue on it

Paper with paint on it

Photographs

Stickers

Styrofoam

Tissue paper

Waxed paper

Thermal receipt paper

Compostable plastic

Here is a google doc with the printable cheat sheet that you can refer back to or post near your recycling bin.

It varies whether aluminum foil and containers can be recycled. The aluminum must be completely clean of food waste since food can gum up recycling equipment.

For me, it’s good to know that I should tear areas with stickers off, but I don’t need to worry about tearing the corner of a stapled page off of a paper.

Let’s heal the earth, one small action at a time. Are there any other materials you’d add to the list as to whether they can or can’t be recycled?

~ Carrie

Here are some Earth Day resources available in my TPT store:

 

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