Cars, trucks, and trains… oh my! Whether you’re: Teaching a transportation unit at preschool, or Looking for ideas to keep your little one engaged at home… Transportation crafts are a perfect way to teach preschoolers about the world, since they are usually associated with fun and excitement. Today we’re sharing 5 creative projects and 5 picture books that will help your preschooler learn through the vehicles we see around us.   Transportation Activities for Preschoolers Dump Truck Sound Sort (and other creative games!) at Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten Practice telling the difference between similar-looking letters and sounds by matching letters to the correctly...

Immersion programs have become increasingly popular in the United States, especially in elementary schools. According to Education Dive: “The growing popularity of dual language classes is being largely driven by middle class white families who recognize their monolingual children will be at a disadvantage in the global economy without a second language. If districts limit their programs to serving this narrow group, however, it is a major loss. Schools should be thinking of dual language education as an opportunity for native speakers of other languages, like Spanish.” In other words, immersion programs benefit both native and non-native English speakers, meaning...

Since money is such a big part of our lives, the earlier we can teach kids about it, the better. From preschoolers to college students, every young person needs to understand the basics of finances, starting with the names of cash denominations, all the way to budgeting and fiscal responsibility. Here are some suggestions for teaching kids about money each step of the way: Toddlers and preschoolers Our educational kids placemats include a money placemat that is perfect for teaching preschoolers the names and amounts of coins and bills. Discussing prices at the store helps your child begin to understand...

Here at merka, we’ve discussed the theory of various learning styles, one or more of which may apply to your child or student. Thinking in terms of learning styles can help us as parents or teachers to work with our kids in the most helpful way for them. Check out the last post in our series here: Teaching Your Kinesthetic Learner. What is an auditory learner? An auditory learner processes information best by (you guessed it) listening, which includes both hearing information and repeating it themselves. There are many ways to incorporate listening and speaking into a child’s learning process....

Flashcards: do they seem a little old school to you in this day of online learning games and apps? It might be time to reconsider your perspective, because according to Michael Nielsen, a scientist who researches deep learning and neural networks, flashcards are a quick but powerful way to master subjects, even complex ones. Nielsen says it took him two years to memorize 9,000 flashcards while spending 20 minutes a day reviewing them. Even if you aren’t interested in memorizing tens of thousands of tidbits of information, Nielsen’s story demonstrates that flashcards can be a very useful tool to help...

Here at merka, we’ve discussed the theory of various learning styles, one or more of which may apply to your child or student. Thinking in terms of learning styles can help us as parents or teachers to work with our kids in the most helpful way for them. What is a kinesthetic learner? Simply put, a kinesthetic learner is someone who processes and encodes information better when moving. Whether your child is homeschooled or attends traditional school all day, you can supplement their education with movement-based learning activities. (These can be fun for all types of learners, too!) Help your...

Giving kids a sense of their place in history can orient them to their identity and culture. Knowing history allows us to form a mental image of when any given historical event took place. For example, you may have never heard of the AD 17 Lydia earthquake, but if you have a general knowledge of ancient history, you might hear about this earthquake and you’ll have a sense of what the world was like at that time. Learning the fundamentals of ancient, medieval, and modern history gives you a framework to understand the passage of time and how our world...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and when your child is home from school, it’s a great time to involve them in holiday-related activities that can still foster learning and give them lots of fun experiences and memories. Here are some of our favorite ideas!   Family traditions Traditions are very valuable to kids, and the holidays are a time of year when you can make memories that will last them their whole lives. Whatever your family enjoys can be a tradition; it doesn’t to be Pinterest-perfect or just like what other families do. What matters is putting...

Gift-giving season is in full swing, and we want to share some of our favorite suggestions for gifts that are both fun and educational. This is a great time of year to add to your child's collection of learning resources!   From merka: Let’s start with some highlights from our catalog. We think these gifts will be useful and beloved for kids and parents alike: Our Toddler Learning Kit has lots of bright and colorful pictures that will delight little ones, and give you easy tools for learning and memory all year long. Placemats make fact retention fun and natural;...

Some adults would call themselves artists, but many have never sought to achieve their artistic potential once leaving childhood behind. For those of us who are parents but don’t consider ourselves to be especially creative and artistic, it may not come naturally for us to encourage our kids to explore their artistic sides. Yet art, like music, holds incredible value for kids. It can enhance their brain development, intelligence, emotional regulation, and the way they experience the world around them—not to mention, being creative is just plain fun. Here are three ideas on how to incorporate art into your daily...

Last month we shared some of our favorite fall-themed learning activities. Now that Thanksgiving is just around the corner, we wanted to give you some more ideas for seasonal activities. Read on for crafts and games with an educational twist! String of leaves: This string of leaves is so pretty and would be perfect for hanging above a doorway or on a fireplace mantel. As a bonus for the non-crafty parent, this one requires very basic supplies and has simple instructions. It’s a good way for a younger child to practice her cutting skills. Mini maracas nature craft: Using one...