| In This Issue |
Favorite Family Traditions
FREE Kitchen Helps Downloads
Great Web Resources
Making Use of
Mnemonics
Pop-up Card Patterns
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| Visit our Trigger Memory Systems products page to download FREE Recipe Cards, To-Do Lists, Grocery Lists and Menu Planning Pages in Fall and Winter themes from Graham Family Ministries.
Go to THIS page and scroll down to the yellow box to find your download.
Enjoy! |
Our hardbound blank books are perfect for making inexpensive treasures, sure to be loved by Grandma and Grandpa.
Use your imagination!
Have your child write and illustrate a story about a special day with Grandma or Grandpa.
Make a book with a list of "Things I Love About Grandma!"
Only $3.00!!
Great prices - Good fun! |
Now is the time
to train your kids
to help you keep
the house company
ship-shape.
choretime simple and ensures that
everything gets done! |
THIS is a fun project to do with your children. Make some of these creative, pop-up cards to impress and delight loved ones.
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Happy Holidays!
Now the harvest days are here
Let's sing a song of praise and cheer
For all that makes our life worth living
A song of joy and glad Thanksgiving
And by "Happy Holidays" I'm not intending to minimize CHRISTmas, but rather, include the entire season of Thanksgiving, CHRISTmas and New Years. November and December are a time for celebrating faith, family and fun. This month's newsletter will offer resources to help you with all three.
Happy Homeschooling!
~Dena
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| Holiday Traditions: |
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Jennie:
This year for Thanksgiving we will be drawing "secret Santa" names. Each cousin will draw another child and each adult will choose another adult. We wil set a specific price limit for the gift. With the economy so tight this will be a huge relief for the Grandparents. It not only takes the pressure off financially, but helps us to focus on Christmas being about more than just how may presents you get or give.
Also, on Christmas, we open half of our presents on Christmas Eve (husband's tradition) and half on Christmas Day (my family tradition). This spreads the festivities out over two days and allows time to enjoy other Christmas activities in between.
Dena:
My daughter has been a part of a local community theater production for the last several years. Since the play runs mid November through early December, it has become a tradition for my college-aged son to see the play when he visits. The tradition has grown over the years to include his fiance', my other son and his girlfriend and the grandparents. We celebrate our "Thanksgiving" the night before or afternoon of the play, regardless of the actual date. This frees my son up to actually spend Thanksgiving with his future in-laws and we always have a a fun family event to look forward to. Last year, my younger children were studying the Middle Ages and our "Thanksgiving" dinner was a medieval feast to finish off our study. This year I think we'll do Mexican. Our Thanksgiving celebration has become a fun, non-traditional, tradition.
Marillee:
Here's a Christmas tradition I started when the girls were little. One evening, about a week before Christmas, we make some popcorn and cocoa. We then hop in the car and drive around town looking at Christmas lights and eating popcorn while our favorite Christmas CD is playing. We all love the lights and if is fun trying to pick which house has the best light display. Sometimes I even take them in their pajamas. |
| Great Web Resources |
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Looking for some good copywork? HERE is a nice selection of Thanksgiving quotes. You could even have your children turn them into holiday artwork or placements for the table.
Will your children be making cards, nametags or do you just want to make worksheets and reports a bit more fun? HERE are some fun clipart images that you can use. Scroll down for links to coloring pages, printables and more.
With THIS site, you can send a holiday greeting to friends or family.
Check out THIS adorable Count it Down Clock craft from Family Fun. We'll definitely be making one of these! (You could substitute "days to Thanksgiving" for "Hours to Go", if you prefer) "Food" is made from packing peanuts, tissue paper, cotton balls and cardboard.
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Making Use of Mnemonics |
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Since Times Tales is based on mnemonics, you probably already know we are believers in their value. Still, it takes practice to remember to make things easier on yourself by using a mnemonic. Below are some different types of mnemonics you can try and incorporate into your memorization learning.
Acronyms: A word or name is formed by using the first letter of each item being memorized. For example, the acronym HOMES helps us remember that the Great Lakes are; Huron, Ontario, Michican, Erie and Superior.
Imagery: Jennie has pictured a tall, dark cowboy with two guns and a white hat to recall Marillee's coffee order of a Grande double-shot mocha with whipped cream.
Method of Loci:Choose a familiar path and picture items along that path to help you remember the list. For example, if I need to remember to pick up bacon, eggs, cat food, and lightbulbs from the store I could picture my walking into the house and to the kitchen. Strips of bacon are stuck on the side door, eggs are lying inside the door, making a trail to the kitchen. The cat is on the table licking an empty dish and a burnt out lightbulb is on the island. Silly as this is, if you take the time to picture each item as you mentally prepare your "path", you will be able to recall each item as you walk the "path" and do your shopping.
Acrostic: This is the opposite of an Acronym in that you first begin with letters, then turn them into words to help in memorization. When trying to remember the last name of a good hairstylist you might tell yourself that SMITH stands for She Makes Increasingly Terrific Hair.
The more you use mnemonic techniques, the more natural they will become. Practice makes perfect! | |
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We hope you enjoy this special time of family and giving thanks!
Sincerely,
Dena, Jennie & Marillee
Trigger Memory Systems |
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