Tools of the Trade

Thought I would mention some of our homeschooling tools that have made teaching easier...

Electric Plug-in Pencil Sharpener: I was using a little handheld pencil sharpener. I was sharpening pencils several times a day - oftentimes breaking the lead and having to start all over again. I finally broke down and spent $15 on a plug-in pencil sharpener. It was the best $15 spent!!

Poster Putty: also known as Plastic Tack. It costs about .99c for a square of it, and the square will last forever. Hang your child's artwork without putting nails in the wall or using tape, which could ruin your paint. We also use it to post our learning charts around the kitchen. One other favorite use for poster putty: put in on the bottom of your child's paper as he is creating a masterpiece; that way the paper doesn't shift around.

Pocket Chart: this runs about $20 from Bob Jones University. Other places tend to sell it for $30 or more. This is great for playing word building games, math problems, and creating a calendar. Actually, I wouldn't mind having several pocket charts: one to devout to reading, one for math, and one for making a calendar. A pocket chart is simply a piece of cloth that you hang from the wall - the cloth has clear plastic pockets to display word cards, numbers, pictures, bulletin board displays, calendar pieces, or anything else you can imagine using it for!