It’s one reason I decided to become an English teacher years ago.  Watching my students’ imaginations take flight in their creative writing projects was one of my favorite parts of the job.  

Now, as a homeschool mom to two early writers, I love to find ways to teach kids to love writing.

Teach Kids to Love Writing

Writing is such an important skill for children to learn.  

Whether you are filling out a form, writing a report for work or school, or sending an email to a friend, writing is a part of our daily lives.

Writing can also be an important outlet to help process and express feelings that may be difficult to do by speaking.

That’s why I  am so excited to be a part of a wonderful new book, full of ideas to help your child improve their own writing skills as well as their self-confidence and compassion for others.

Make Your Mark, brings you 30+ projects that will help your child develop a love of writing, creative storytelling, self-confidence and compassion.   Through play, art, language, and writing this book will help your child discover their self, and make their mark on the world.

Make Your Mark  is perfect for toddlers through kids in the elementary school years.  It has activities that will help develop fine motor skills needed as they first start writing, and it has fun creative writing ideas for older kids as well.

What you’ll get in this e-book: 

•  Activities to get your child started with the important basics.   Kids will develop skills to literally make their mark, first with fingers, and later with pens, pencils and paint brushes.
• Fun ideas that will help your child develop their fine motor strength and dexterity. We have ideas for finger gyms, easel activities and first mark making activities with sticks, play dough and shaving foam.
• Inspiration for writing trays.  These encourage children to use all their senses to build skills.
• Great ideas to delight in imagination and storytelling.   It’s play time, not school work.  Your child will develop their language, vocabulary and fluency through story mats, small worlds, comics, journals, role play, outdoor adventures, and art.
• Activities that support your child in understanding themself and others.  There are several interviews, self-portraits, collaborative art, and collaborative projects.
•  And finally we help your child see that everyone can make their mark on their community and the environment. We show you how to extend the idea of our self out into the world, and consider how we are part of a community. With accessible and achievable projects, we’ll inspire your child to make their mark through environmental citizenship and acts of kindness.
• Also included: six sets of printables for you to download.   These include: pattern writing cards, a  “my favourite things” photo book,  “all about me” nterview sheets, pretend play post office accessories, and comic book and gracious giving printables.

Want to see a sneak peek of what’s inside?

Each activity is complete with colored photos, list of needed materials, directions, and variations and extensions you can try in order to meet your child’s individual needs.

How to get your copy of Make Your Mark

The Make Your Mark e-book, including six sets of printables, costs just $14.99.  You can get your copy here.

Or… Get this book for * free * when you choose the bonus bundle!

This ebook costs $14.99 and you can buy it here. Or choose our bonus bundle and you can have this book for free.

You’ll receive a copy of  ABCs and 123s and Up! and you will get a free copy of Make Your Mark.

• ABCs and 123s gives your 40+ hands-on play ideas that will help your child build their letter and math skills. The activities have been carefully chosen to offer a wide range of math and literacy skills, working across the curriculum to incorporate play, imagination, science, sensory, and art.
• Up! will take your child’s love of blocks and building, and go far and wide across the curriculum. With 30+ projects across math, literacy, science, art, and play, Up! shows you how to support passion-led, hands-on learning. It includes inspiring ideas for mobiles, rockets, airplanes, parachutes, build challenges and more. Includes 100 printables.

Buy two books at the regular price of $29.98 and you’ll get the third book for free!

Click here to choose the bundle and get ABCs and 123s for free.

Buy it worldwide for instant download

You can buy the ebook wherever you are in the world. You pay via PayPal, which will take care of any currency conversion for you.  The ebook costs U.S. $14.99. (Just $11.25 until December 31)

This is an ebook, which means you will be sent a link that allows you to download a PDF containing the ebook and all the resources. You can save it to your computer or iPad* and then either read it on screen or print some/all of the pages, as you prefer.
*You can buy the ebook now, on any device, and then download it when you are ready. Depending on the apps you have installed and your operating system, you might be able to download the ebook on your mobile device. However if you have any doubts or problems, I recommend you use a computer to download the book and then share it to your mobile devices. You will be sent download instructions when your purchase the ebook.

The Make Your Mark ebook is published and sold by Cathy James at NurtureStore.co.uk. Please direct any customer service queries regarding purchases of the ebook to support@nurturestore.co.uk or refer to the NurtureStore FAQ.

The Make Your Mark ebook is protected under copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

The post 30+ Projects to Promote the Love of Writing first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

 This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Blogelina.  All opinions are 100% my own!

When I started this blog three years ago, I really had no idea about the amount of work it takes to get a blog up and running.  

SEO?  I don’t think I even heard that term until my second year in.  Keywords in the post title?  Categories and tags??  

To be honest, I cringe now at some of my earliest posts.   

Thankfully there is a wonderful site that can help you understand what those unfamiliar terms mean and how to implement them on your own site as well.  (Goodness knows I needed help!)

Blogelina has tons of posts that can help you sort through just about any blogging related issue.  

And, for a limited time, Blogelina is offering a special deal — just for you!  You can enroll in the popular 4-week blogging class —Profitable Blogging for Beginners— for just $5!

If you want to learn the basics of how to set up a blog, take your blogging to the next level, or begin earning money from your blog, this class is for you!

What do you get if you sign up?

• A 60-Page How-To Manual  packed with information that will help starting your own blog less overwhelming
• 4 weekly online class sessions where you can ask your questions and get personalized feedback
• A FREE Year of Web Hosting
• Blogelina Does Your Blog Set-Up For You – They will take care of the techie side of the set-up so you don’t have to.  You just have to start blogging!
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And if life gets in the way and you can’t make it to one of the sessions?

You’re covered!  Notes from each session are automatically emailed to you.  (I love having a mini refresher course right there at my fingertips!)

If you want to take your blog to the next level, here’s your chance!

Sign up for the Blogelina Profitable Blogging for Beginners class today!

The post Blogelina 4 Week Blogging Class first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

What’s an elevator pitch? 

According to Wikipedia “An elevator pitch is an overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride (for example, thirty seconds or 100-150 words).”

I have to admit, it had me stumped for a while – maybe trying to do some serious blog work while the kids were awake, the dog was whining, and the husband was doing some work around the house wasn’t the best timing…

I started off jotting a list of the things my readers can find on my blog:

• humorous stories about the things kids do/say (namely toddlers and preschoolers)
• crafts and activities to do with toddler and preschool age children
• tips and tricks of being a SAHM
• ways to save money when dealing with kids
• the occasional recipe that has been approved by some of the pickiest eaters (toddlers/preschoolers)
• occasional reviews of products geared towards parents, including literature (Yeah, that’s what adults read before kids and picture books take over…)
• thoughts on nurturing your marriage once kids are in the picture

Then I went back to my title, tag line, and thought about my audience…  I decided that maybe I was making this a little too hard.  So here is what I came up with:

Short Version:  There’s Just One Mommy is the journey of one mommy’s attempt to fill all the roles a mother plays in the family. 

I’m thinking I will make a longer version as well where I can detail more what you can find on the site.

Have you written an elevator pitch for your blog?   Got suggestions for mine?

The post My Elevator Pitch first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.