Ever Wonder What To Do When Your Children Wonder?

So many questions: How does the sun work? Where do stars go in the daytime? How come you can hear me? Can people disagree and still be friends? There is a place you can go to find answers to these wondrous wonders and more or even post your own personal “wonder.” That place is the online community called Wonderopolis and it’s all free!

Materials Needed:

You just need an internet-connected device and the Wonderopolis web address: http://wonderopolis.org/

What To Do:

On the home page of the site you will find many exciting activities and events on the main page. You will also see a menu on the side that will take you to their treasure store of interesting ideas and information. You can view the “Wonder of the Day”; Explore “Wonders”; submit your own “Wonder”; vote for favorite “Wonders.” There is also an “Educator Sandbox” page that offers many great ideas and instructions for activities to do with your children.

A special summer event is being held online right now: Camp What-A-Wonder. It runs Monday – Friday, June 17 – July 26, with a new theme each week. Sign up to receive the Camp What-A-Wonder Bulletin to keep up with all the latest Camp updates. 

Once at the site, you can also use the “Follow Us” menu to receive daily “Wonders” on your Facebook, Twitter, or RSS accounts. You can also enter your phone number and e-mail address to subscribe to receive the “Wonder of the Day” right in your message inbox. There is also a mobile app rated Best Kid’s App by Parenting Magazine that you can add to your android or iOS device.

What Is a “Wonder”?

Let’s look at today’s Wonder of the Day: What Does It Mean To Agree To Disagree? There is an entire web page devoted to analyzing this question from a variety of viewpoints. There are pictures that symbolize the concepts, a video and an audio storytelling example. There are also Wonder Words to expand vocabulary in this area. There are interactive “try outs” and a quiz to engage your child.

How Does This Help My Children?
Everyone wonders...it happens anywhere, anytime. Encourage your children to be explorers on paths to new discovery. Since Wonderopolis started in 2010, it has been recognized as a fresh approach to wonder and learning, receiving many awards for organizations such as: Time magazine, Parenting.com, USA Today and Learning Magazine. The "Wonder" content aligns with current school curriculum standards, too. 

For more great educational activities visit Grandparents Teach, Too web page and listen to WNMU Radio 90 Learning Through the Seasons podcasts.

Photos: Wonderopolis website

Khan Academy - Help With Your Child's Homework

 Have you ever been frustrated helping children do homework? Adults of the world, we have been rescued!  Salmon Khan and the team at Khan Academy have provided an amazing library of easy to access online video tutorials and practice lessons just for you and your children. To hear an audio podcast about Khan Academy,  go to the Learning Through the Seasons WNMU Radio 90 podcasts.
What Do You Need:
The website is at: https://www.khanacademy.org/  Browse the home page for lesson videos, they have over 4,000 tutorials that range from beginning arithmetic through high school and beginning college math. They also have videos for Social Studies, Science, Art History and Computer Science. The practice lessons coincide with the tutorials, giving students the hands-on they need to become more proficient.
 You can create an account and have the Khan Academy site keep track of your student's progress and set the video and practice lessons all electronically. This way students can work at their own pace, but not move on without mastery. The courses are organized by using a "Map of Knowledge." You can start working anywhere on the map, and the Khan Academy will suggest the best skills for you to work on. This computerized system will even remind you when you need a review.
 Want to know more? This site also offers and About page that gives a full overview of how to use the materials and set up your child's account.
How This Will Help My Child:
Millions of students from all over the world use this completely free website to help them learn at their own pace. It give students the ability to control and take responsibility for learning and helps foster curiosity and challenge.