5 Signs That Your Child May Need a Tutor

Is it time for a Tutor?

Do you need a tutor for you child? Is your child bringing home one bad report card after the other? Have you noticed your child has difficulty studying or doing homework on a particular subject? If so, you should probably consider hiring a tutor to help them study.

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Most children occasionally struggle with school, but when it turns into a rapid decline in grades, frequent meltdowns, and hating going to school, it's time to get a plan in order.

So, what are the signs that your child may need a tutor? Keep reading to learn 5 important signs that you're child may need a tutor.

1. Homework Meltdowns

If your child has regular homework meltdowns, it's probably because they can't understand the task or subject. Of course, don't rule out an optical issue. Be sure they have regular eye check ups. School work might be too advanced for your child's skill level and cause them stress and anxiety.

This is a great time to hire a tutor to help with breaking down tasks and concepts in a simpler way. Tutors often have simple tricks for remembering math facts or other educational short cuts. No matter what the homework, with a tutor's help, your child will gain confidence knowing they can tackle it with better organization and time management skills.

Become a Tutor

2. Slipping Grades

If your child's grades are slipping gradually or unexpectedly, talk to their teachers to get some insight on the matter. Of course, also talk to your child to see what's going on and if there's a subject they feel they is difficult and frustrating.

When it comes to learning and getting higher grades, getting your child tutoring lessons is very effective in boosting their ability and self-esteem

3. Behavioral Changes

School stress is normal and most children experience stress on some level throughout the school year. However, when the stress over reading, doing homework, and studying for tests becomes chronic, it can start to affect your child's personality, behavior, or happiness in a negative way. This is the time to look into what's happening. In most cases, it is related to difficulties learning or understanding a subject and it might be a good time for a tutor. (Of course it can also be related to eye health, bullying, or a problem with a teacher. so be sure to talk to your child and always ask, "How was your day?")

4. Lack of Interest in Learning

If you notice your child doesn't have any interest in studying or learning, this if often a sign of learning difficulties. Sit with your child and discuss their feelings about school. Then, decide together on hiring a tutor to help.

Math is one of the more difficult subjects for many children and can take down their self-esteem and motivation to learn. A math tutor for kids will not only teach your child how to solve mathematical problems, but they can also provide math tips on easier methods for learning.

5. Learning Disabilities

If your child is still having difficulties, even after tutoring, you might want to test them for possible learning disabilities. These include dyslexia, ADHD, visual processing issues, and dyscalculia. You might be surprised by the results. We were!

We were able to target the best type of treatment. You'll be able to find the best tutor for your child's specific needs.

Does Your Child Need a Tutor? These Tips Will Help You Decide

If you've been wondering if you need a tutor to help your child with school, these tips should help you decide. Before you hire one, talk to your children's teachers and see what additional concerns that they may have. This will help you find the right tutor for your child.

For more kids and parenting tips, check out some of the other articles on my website where you'll find kids activities, school tips, and games ideas.

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Early Childhood Teacher Study Online

10 Things ECE Teachers are Studying Today

What are early childhood teachers studying today? Curriculum for ECE teachers is constantly evolving to keep up with the latest topical trends and innovations. Young children live in a world where computers, tablets, smartphones, music players and gaming devices are readily available, including in their classrooms. Anyone studying to become an ECE Teacher needs to keep up with these trends in technology. The best way to do that is to get your ECE training online and we highly recommend getting your professional development training at ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI.)

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ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI,) the industry leader for online professional development, offers courses that cover the latest in everything from technology and STEAM to bullying, attention disorders and more. Every early childhood teacher and their staff can benefit from the online ECE training at CCEI. Here at Kids Creative Chaos, we've taken several courses and enjoyed each one of them, including CCEI122: Active Learning in Early Childhood course! Check out our review, here. We’ve also reviewed CCEI's online professional development for early childhood teachers in these past articles: Professional Development for Preschool Teachers and ECE Continuing ED Online. No matter how long you've been teaching, you'll discover something new and have an “a-ha” moment during CCEI’s course training.

Personally, I’ve taken many courses online and offline receiving certificates and credits toward my ECE (Early Childhood Education Certification) and CCEI is the best! ChildCare Education Institute offers certificate programs and coursework that meets the requirement for national credentials including the CDA. CCEI also has online certification programs for Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition CDA Gold Standard™ comprehensive training provider, is nationally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and is accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET.)

Below, is a list of the most popular things ECE teachers are studying. What are you most interested in studying? After you’ve taken a look at the list, let us know your thoughts in the comments below the post.

10 Things ECE Teachers Should Study

Here’s a list of TOP 10 trending topics that ECE teachers are studying today (that teachers wouldn’t have studied 10 years ago), according to CCEI:

• Children on Devices: CCEI’s CHD103: The Child’s Digital Universe: Technology and Digital Media in Early Childhood online course shares the latest research and recommendations regarding children's use of technology and digital media and ways in which digital devices are reshaping childhood and early childhood education.

• STEM and Robotics: Children are growing up in an increasingly digital world, and technology, coding and robotics in schools are getting a lot of attention. CCEI’s courses  CUR113- STEAM: Enhancing STEM Education with the Arts and CUR123: Robotics in Early Childhood Education: Hands-On and Playful Approaches helps teachers explain robotics to children.

• Trauma Informed Care: ECE providers work with diverse groups of students from all walks of life. Statistics show that 26% of children living in America will experience some sort of trauma in their life prior to the age of four. CCEI offers SOC108: Establishing Trauma Informed Practices in Early Learning Environments which focuses on ways to incorporate trauma informed practices into the environment and interactions with children. 

• Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices can prevent instances of undesired behavior, increase focus and engagement and promote a feeling of ownership and empowerment for children. As an additional benefit, classroom communities tend to be more empathetic and kind. CCEI offers SOC106: The Value of Mindfulness in Early Childhood which explores calming and reflective approaches when working with young children.

• Spirituality: CCEI’s CHD109: Supporting Spiritual Development in Early Learning Environments is based upon the work of Deborah Schein, author of the book titled Inspiring Wonder, Awe and Empathy – Spiritual Development in Young Children. The course explores what spiritual development is and why it is important to overall development. Participants will also learn how to create moments within their learning environments that promote spiritual development in young children.

• Caring for Allergies: Child food allergies are on the rise in the United States and continue to be a public health concern. CCEI’s CCEI119: Food Allergies in the Early Care Setting online course provides an overview of food allergies and basic safety principles to employ in the early care setting. Upon completion of this course, teachers will be able to provide a safe environment for children and staff who suffer from food allergies, identify the eight major food allergens, list the theories associated with the rise in food allergies and identify the importance of food labeling and packaging.

• Dual-Language Learning: In some areas, non-native English speakers may make up the majority of a classroom. It is important for all early childhood educators to be prepared to meet the challenges of guiding a child toward English fluency while maintaining fluency in (and respect for) their home languages and cultures. CCEI offers CHD102: Dual Language Learning in the Early Childhood Environment to provide early childhood professionals with strategies and tools for helping young children develop language and literacy skills in English.

• Attention Disorders: CCEI offers courses like SPN102: Attention Deficit Disorders to help child care providers understand the symptoms, subtypes and common treatment strategies associated with attention disorders.

• Diversity and Inclusion: CCEI’s CCEI640: Creating a Multicultural Environment online training course helps teachers define the goals of multiculturalism, plan and implement an anti-biased classroom, incorporate multiculturalism into learning centers and other classroom activities and promote cooperative social skills in diverse classrooms.

• Bullying in the Classroom: Although bullying has been around for years, today’s teachers are more proactive about reducing bullying. CCEI’s GUI100: Bullying in the Preschool Environment online course helps teachers bring empathy and compassion to the classroom as a way of reducing bullying behaviors.

As you can see, CCEI’s course offerings are full of valuable information that keeps up with the latest trends in early childhood teacher study online. Whether you run a daycare from your home, homeschool preschool, or teach in a public early childhood classroom, CCEI has courses for you.

CCEI has over 35+ certificate programs offered in both English and Spanish! They’ve graduated over 15,000 early childhood professionals from its CDA and other certificate programs -- with over 5 million online coursework completed. Its web-based coursework is available 24/7/365. You can see a full list of certificate programs on their website here, but below are just a few of them:

● CDA (Child Development Associate)

● FCCPC (Florida Child Care Professional Credential)

● Director’s Certificate

● NAC (NECPA National Administrator Credential® Certificate)

Becoming a preschool teacher or caregiver is a rewarding experience, but it takes patience and perseverance. Not everyone is cut out for such an important career choice. When this is your calling in life, you want to be the best teacher possible for your students. Keeping up on educational trends is key to providing your preschool class a positive experience that will pave the way for their future educational endeavors. It's important to find a balance between fun activities and the solid building blocks of education. We always try to make learning fun.

If you're in need of continuing education for your early childhood program or for a new career in early childhood education, start here with our review of ChildCare Education Institute. CCEI offers many amazing continuing education courses for professional development in early childhood education. Their extensive course list is full of lessons that are relevant and current for today’s ever changing ECE programming. 

I encourage everyone involved with childcare and early childhood education, whether you work in a brick and mortar environment or a virtual environment, to sign up for a course or two. And for new CCEI users, you can take a trial course a NO COST!  To stay current, be sure to follow the recommendations on the top 10 things ECE Teachers are studying today. I love that they offer so many course options and each course is informative and easily applicable to your lesson plans and teaching technique. Check out CCEI today!

For more preschool and early childhood activities, follow us on Pinterest.

To read more about our experiences with CCEI's online professional development for early childhood teachers read these articles: Professional Development for Preschool Teachers and ECE Continuing ED Online.

Becoming a preschool teacher or caregiver is a rewarding experience, but it takes patience and perseverance. Not everyone is cut out for such an important career choice. When this is your calling in life, you want to be the best teacher possible for your students. Keeping up on educational trends is key to providing your preschool class a positive experience that will pave the way for their future educational endeavors. It's important to find a balance between fun activities and the solid building blocks of education. We always try to make learning fun.

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Black History Homeschool Homework Ideas

Homeschooler Homework Ideas for Black History Month

What time is it? It's time to learn about black history! These black history homeschool homework ideas will prepare your homeschooler for an oral report on their favorite person in black history. We've organized the famous black Americans by school subject so that you can choose one that fits your interest. With so many famous African American achievers, there's no sense in studying a subject you find boring!

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12 Black History Homeschool Homework Ideas

Art

Alma Thomas Art for Black History Month

Make a Tribal African Pende Mask

Handprint MLK Dream Catcher for Black History Month

Sports

Jackie Robinson Lesson for Black History Month Baseball Player

History

Levi Coffin and the Underground Railroad

Martin Luther King Quotes and Bio for Black History Month

Barack Obama Activity for Black History Month

Black History People for Projects 

Rosa Parks Bus Facts for Black History Month

Classroom Skits 

MLK Day Skit for Black History Month

Science

Ghana Fair Trade Chocolate

Language Arts

Write a bio after researching one of the Black History People in this list.

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CLEP Exams List for Homeschoolers

Study for CLEP Exams Online

Have you heard of CLEP? CLEP is an acronym for the College Level Examination Program. Students can take CLEP tests to earn college credit and test out of certain subjects. Studying for CLEP Exams is a great way to save money on college expenses. But before you take the tests, you'll want to be sure that you know the material. A great way to prep for CLEP is to find a CLEP Exams list for homeschoolers, high school, or any one wanting to do continued studying in college. Click the following link for more information about their online homeschool program.

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Study.com is an education company dedicated to making education accessible and helping students lower the cost of their higher education. They've just launched a bunch of comprehensive credit-by-exam prep products that can help high school homeschoolers earn college credit.

What Are CLEP Exams?

CLEP exams measure a person's knowledge of college-level material for college level subjects. These exams can benefit continuing education students, military personnel and college students.


CLEP exams are taken through a college or at a local testing center. Exams take between 90 to 120 minutes to complete and each one is around $85. The test is free for men and women serving in the military.

CLEP and DSST exams are prior knowledge assessments that allow students to earn real college credit just by passing a test. Study.com educational resources include comprehensive study guides and practice tests to help students prepare for these exams, earn college credit, and save money on their education. Not only is this a great way to prep for the CLEP and DSST exams, it's also a good educational resource for homeschool education. 

We were given a 90-day free trial of Study.com. I took some time to peruse the resources. The site is very easy to navigate. I like how all of the CLEP study guides are organized with a listing of the most popular exams up front. After you do a study guide, you can take a practice exam. 

There are exams for both CLEP and DSST. In case you don't know, DSST or the DANTES Subject Standardized Test, is  a test to help the U.S. Military earn college credit outside of a traditional college setting. DSST scores are accepted at over 1900 institutions across the United States and are a great way to accelerate progress on a degree, prepare for a post-military career, or transfer real life experience into more affordable university credit.

The CLEP exams list is extensive, offering study guides in many areas that contain comprehensive CLEP curriculum for your exam. The lessons are short and engaging and break down the written material into short, 8-minute videos. My twelve year old homeschooler, started with a psychology study guide session. She won't be taking the CLEP exams any time soon, however, she enjoyed the lesson and wants to continue to do all of the study guides as a part of her daily homeschool routine. I'm on board for that! She thought the videos were easy to comprehend and even mentioned that she didn't get bored! Score for Study.com.

You might also be interested in ECE programs for continued education.

On the Study.com site, you'll also fine quiz assessments that help students find any learning gaps that they may still need to prep for before taking the CLEP exams. Another thing we noticed is the study guides allow users to go back and review the material. Some other programs we try don't allow you to rewatch videos, so this is nice bonus. If you're still not doing well on the assessment, you can take advantage of their Instant Answers feature and get a quick reply from a subject matter expert.

We truly enjoyed everything Study.com had to offer and recommend that you hop over and check them out before you sign up for the CLEP exams.


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Free Online Homeschool Curriculum Recommendations

Curriculum Recommendations for Online Homeschooling

Whether you're new to homeschooling or you've been doing it for years, you're probably on the hunt for new, exciting, and engaging curriculum ideas. We get bored with the daily grind and change it up from year to year or even season to season. Here's a list of mostly free online homeschool curriculum recommendations that we've used and enjoyed. We've tried MANY other options, but these are our favorites.

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Free Online Homeschool Curriculum Recommendations.

Brainpop Jr. is my favorite program for younger elementary and preschool. The videos are fun to watch, and the kids always looked forward to using Brainpop Jr. for Homeschooling. 

Brainpop has a an online homeschool for middle school and high school, but we often found topics we wanted only on Brainpop Jr. The upper grade version is nice for supplementing classroom curriculum. If you use the paid version, you have access to more functions and all lessons.

MobyMax is a great online homeschool app to find out where your kids are in their homeschool learning experience. They can take placement tests in all subjects and then the program finds learning gaps and helps kids focus and build on the areas where they may be struggling. The content isn't as fun and engaging as Brainpop. It is a more definitive tool for classroom use, helping teachers to keep all students on track. MobyMax can be used as a supplement or as full homeschool curriculum up to eighth grade.

Khan Academy is (or should be) a household name for homeschoolers. In the beginning, Khan Academy targeted older students and even offered SAT prep. Now, they also offer more curriculum for elementary school. It keeps track of their lessons and lets you know when students are struggling or when they are ready to move to the next level.

The kids prefer Khan Academy math to any other online homeschool math program, but homeschool mom always liked to supplement with free Brainpop math videos to make sure the kids understood the talking points. Khan Academy can get monotonous for day to day homeschooling. Sal does a great job, but it can get a little boring after awhile. We also supplement our Khan Academy math with Life of Fred textbooks. These books are easy to read and tell a fun story while sneaking in practical math lessons.

Now, there are new instructors and new curriculum on KA. My daughter enjoys studying high school and college level psychology and art history through Khan Academy.

My son does well with virtual homeschool. So, for online high school homeschooling, we are sticking with Connections Academy. In Indiana, it is a free online public school. Connections Academy offers group gatherings and field trips. He gets through the assignments quickly (though, I'm told many homeschoolers struggle to get their lessons done on time) so we supplement with weekly enrichment including museum homeschool programs and educational YouTube videos like John and Hank Green's Crash Course in American History.

Sometimes, when he's struggling on a particular topic, (for high school all text books are online) we find a compatible Life of Fred homeschooling book to fll in any gaps. It's nice to have a good, old book that you can hold in your hand and flip through the pages. He enjoys reading them outside while enjoying his hammock.

Sure, Connections Academy has teachers and attendance to keep, but when it's all done, he'll have official transcripts for college. 

I prefer Connections High School to their Elementary program. The elementary program seemed a little too intense. Especially, when you want the freedom of homeschooling. They're still working out the bugs and it gets better every year, in the past, we had to have weekly check ups with the elementary teachers. For high school, signing in and doing your work suffices. As it should...

In 2017, this homeschool mom broke her leg. That made planning homeschool curriculum and doing enrichment activities difficult. So, my daughter was pretty much on her own. She did great with MobyMax (so I could keep up with her learning) and supplementing with YouTube videos of her choosing. But, homeschool mom felt like maybe she was failing her daughter by not being as involved. So, this fall, we are trying something new! Acellus. I stumbled upon Acellus last year when I was laid up in bed. Many other homeschoolers told me it was expensive, but I was sure I found a free or nearly free version. 

But whenever, I looked it up, I found the paid online homeschool version, which seems to be set up like Connections academy, but with a private school fee. That's not for us! I gave up for a while, and recently tried again. It seems they also have a homeschool app which is found on a separate website, PowerHomeschool. The homeschool app differs from the online homeschool version, because the videos are canned - meaning they are pre-recorded 

That's just what we wanted! We like working at our own pace. These videos are similar to videos my daughter finds on YouTube, but these organized by grade level. We'll choose math, science, language arts, foreign language, and music this year. At the time of this posting, the app is $9.99 per month, basically the same as the paid homeschool version of Brainpop. We're looking forward to starting her in the homeschool middle school program this fall. 

The PowerHomemschool website describe the homeschool curriculum like this: "Students proceed through the course in a step-by-step fashion watching a video lesson and then completing assessment problems. Students receive reviews and unit, mid-term, and final exams as they proceed through the course. Learning gaps are assessed and filled as students move through the course concept by concept."

Seems like a fair option to give it a test drive before you jump into their online school curriculum. 

We'll also supplement with Life of Fred fractions and beginning algebra. One thing I've missed the last few years, is doing hands-on science experiments. After previewing the Acellus app's science curriculum, I was excited to try it. With a Google search for online homeschool curriculum, the app is hard to find. They have moved it to a new website with a different name. Find it here: PowerHomeschool

Bottom line, don't break the bank to homeschool. We have SO many books, every year, I'd go out and buy new books. We never got through most of them. Find a free online homeschool curriculum, that works for you and stick with it. Then, supplement with fun enrichment activities and family outings.

We also involve the kids in day to day household concerns. We talk about finances, debt, and even recently including them in every step of the home buying process. That included going to a lender, saving for a down payment, creative ways to find extra money like garage sales, selling off items no longer needed, the highs and lows of Craigslist and eBay, getting a water and septic test at the state level, watching our credit scores, budgeting for groceries, finding ways to cut costs to save for the new house, and even going to a county courthouse to pick up documents needed to close. So many lessons here. At the courthouse, we all had to go through the security, empty our pockets, etc. The next steps, include renovating the new house. 

Family struggles and life lessons are often kept from kids. In my opinion, this tends to give the kids an unrealistic view of what it is like to be a grown up. They can't wait to get out of the house and start their own life, but reality gets in the way of their happiness. Keeping kids life lessons and keeping them in the know, helps them better prepare for the future. Isn't that what homeschooling is all about?

So, what do you think of this list of free online homeschool curriculum recommendations? Do you have something you really love? Tell us about it in the comments or find Kids Creative Chaos on Instagram and chat with us there!

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