Welcome to The Learning Link! Your weekly dose of homeschooling tips, tools, and inspiration to make teaching easier and more joyful. If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up for your own copy here.

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Enjoy 508 words of homeschool inspiration below. ⬇

"If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a classroom.” - Brain Rules* by John Medina

Last week I shared some takeaways from that book about the importance of exercise for learning. Since sharing that, my personal copy of it has arrived, and I have continued by reading about the impact sleep has on learning. Check out my new takeaways below under "Fresh Picks."

Here’s what's new this week...

You may notice the advertisement in my newsletter. I finally have the opportunity to partner with sponsors for the first time!! So, if you're interested in getting a free and "unbiased" daily news recap, check them out below!

📝 Fresh Picks

​Why Exercise is Medicine for the Brain* - interesting 15-minute video interview with a Harvard professor about the impact of exercise on our brains

​Brain Rules* - Today's takeaways:

• “Cutting off physical exercise—the very activity most likely to promote cognitive performance—to do better on a test score is like trying to gain weight by starving yourself.”
• Studies actually support the idea that taking a nap can positively impact your brain function afterward - alertness, focus, memory, reasoning and more.
• He points out the validity of the idea of "sleeping on it." I've seen this play out with my own kids when they're frustrated with a new concept. If we take a break till the next day, they often "get it" after a good night's sleep!

🧰 Teaching Tools

​Hands-On Equations Learning System* - My fifth grader is actually taking a class this year using this system. It is a hands-on way to learn pre-algebraic concepts, but it's recommended for kids as young as 3rd grade! The teacher has raved about this program to me, explaining how incredibly helpful this concrete learning approach is. As a fan of the Math with Confidence curriculum, I find this very appealing!

​Money Bags Math Game* - My kids and I have enjoyed playing this one together this year. I definitely think that playing with money is a more effective way to learn how to count it and make change than doing math workbook problems!

​Dino Math Tracks Game* - Another fun one we have that practices place value...and there are several "levels" of gameplay, depending on the stage of the players.

📚 On My Bookshelf

This week, check out my article Five Great Reads for Homeschooling Parents, for some parent-focused reading material.

💰 Deals and Steals

​All About Learning Press* - monthly GIVEAWAY signup

​Tuttle Twins Constitution Day Sale* - check out the huge discounts

Happy Homeschooling!

Emily

​TeacherTutorMom.com​

P.S. Don’t miss my latest posts on TeacherTutorMom.com for encouragement, strategies, reviews, and more.

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