Fun and Free Homeschool Resource: StoryJumper

As someone new to homeschooling I am excited when I find new resources that are fun and engage students. A  recent site that I found that is perfect for school teachers and homeschoolers alike is StoryJumper.

"StoryJumper is an online tool that makes creative writing fun for kids. Using our interactive workbook and lesson plans, teachers spark students' interest in developing and writing complete stories.Kids can then put their creativity and project skills to work in crafting their very own professionally published hard-back books!" from Storyjumper Website.

I have used this tool with my kindergartner. She learns how to put together a story, how to do some basic graphic work, and about the components of a book like the title page or book dedication. We have made two fun books so far, and I hope to use the site more as she advances in reading. 

For more advanced students and schools, there are tools to help with story structure and the option to buy class sets of the books created at a discount. While hard copies cost per book, sharing the book online through social media is free. 

 

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Mami Mozart is Back!

Glad to be Back!
After a long hiatus from Mami Mozart, largely due to a new move to Buffalo, New York,

finishing up my animated opera Libertaria, and just overall busyness that all moms live through, I am happy to be able to return to Mami Mozart and share more fun music ideas, art lesson plans, money-saving tips, and even more!

Quick Halloween Costume Ideas using Kid's PJs!

Halloween is just around the corner! 

It's always one of the busiest times of the year. My daughter's birthday is on Halloween, which means the usual fun birthday party preparations. Now that we are in New York, it's great to be near family for the holidays and birthdays. What does she want to be this year? Well, the Incredible Hulk of course! (That's also what she was LAST year!) Hubby made the cake, a Depression era recipe that is great on taste and low on cost! Alice Currah shares the recipe on Savory Sweet Life.

Moist and Delicious Depression-Era Cake Recipe

What's great about the recipe is that it doesn't have eggs, milk, or butter! Not only is that a great cake, but it's great for those who have food restrictions, allergies, or just don't eat dairy. Hubby made a chocolate cake with green frosting and the Incredible Hulk on top. Gotta love it!

50 DIY Halloween Animal Costume Ideas for Kids

Well, it's glad to be back. Busy making some vegetarian chili, savory chicken breast, and baked tortilla chips for la familia. So time to go!

Quiet Thursday

Hola Everyone,

Baby is sleeping soundly on the futon, and I am just enjoying the quiet before the craziness of the school year begins. Hubby will be working again 12-14 hours a day with the university basketball team, I start teaching music, and it seems that the lazy (and ridiculously hot) summer is coming to an end.

Smiles,
Mami Mozart

----

El bebé está durmiendo a fondo en el futon, y apenas estoy disfrutando de la tranquilidad antes de que la locura del año escolar comience. El marido trabajará otra vez 12-14 horas por día con el equipo de baloncesto de la universidad. Comienzo a enseñar a música, y parece que el verano perezoso (y ridículo caliente) está acabando.

Sonrisas,

Mami Mozart

Bebé y trabajo

(Hablo "Spanglish" pero no puedo escibir muy bien pero creo es muy importante que madres se hablan ingles y español pueden enseñar música a sus hijos. I hope you find the information useful.)

¡Hola!

Para los que no saben, el otoño pasado di a luz a a nuestro primer bebé… una niña dulce que es tan activa como su mamí, aunque ella parece su papá. Ella ha tenido un frío toda esta semana, así que he tenido menos tiempo que había esperado trabajar en Mamí Mozart.

Vea las paginaciones del plan de lección de Mamí Mozart. He estado trabajando en la educación del arte y de la música por encima una década, y conectado a alguna diversión y proyectos fáciles del arte y de la música.

Añadí una sección “verde” que iba a la paginación del plan de lección. ¡Estos planes de lección no sólo ayudan al ambiente, son a menudo fáciles y barato! :-)

¡Le espero que comparte a Mamí Mozart con sus amigos y familia!

Sonrisas,
Mamí Mozart

Juggling Baby and Work

Hello Everyone!

For those that do not know, last fall I gave birth to our first baby...a sweet little girl who is as active as her mamí, though she looks like her daddy (bald and all!) She has had a cold all this week, so I have had less time than I had hoped to work on Mamí Mozart.

Check out Mamí Mozart's updated Lesson Plan pages. I have been working in art and music education for over a decade, and linked to some fun and easy art and music projects. I hope to add another twenty links or so (maybe today?). Please feel free to share these fun music activities. They work great at home, at school, at daycare, or just because!

Much of my educational experience has been with at-risk children, and I have tons of music and art lesson plans to share that are specifically for children with ADD, ADHD, live in the inner city, have emotional disorders, etc. I really feel that music and art gives a creative outlet for these children, who often have very few safe outlets to express themselves. Parents have loved these lesson plans, too.

I also added a "Going Green" section to the Lesson Plan page. These lesson plans not only help the environment, they are often easy and FREE! :-)

I hope you sharing Mamí Mozart with your friends and family!

Smiles,
Mamí Mozart

PS I will try to post in Spanish as well. Pero, hablo "Spanglish" y my Spanish writing skills are "muy mal" (or is it "malo"?). Right now I will be using an online translator and doublechecking it. If anyone has any Spanish resources (or other language resources like Creole) that you would like to share, just let me know!