Fun Stuff To Do: Chocolate Covered Strawberries
May is National Strawberry Month. Sweet! Pick up the delicious red berries at your local grocery store or better yet, at a farmer’s market, then step into the kitchen to whip up yummy strawberry treats, like chocolate-covered strawberries!
Ingredients:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well
Directions:
Put the semi-sweet and white chocolates each into a microwave safe bowl and melt them at half power for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.
Once the chocolates have melted and are smooth, line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set the strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle the white chocolate over the dipped strawberries.
Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.
Additional idea for Mother's Day
Sunday, May 14th is Mother’s Day! Make up a batch of these goodies for Mom & Grandma, wrap then in a pretty, food-safe gift box and give these sweet treats to these special women on their special day!
Letter from Betty for April 2017
Hello Friends,
Children are naturally curious, so it is important to encourage them to explore their world. In this month's feature article you'll find great parenting ideas to help you spark the interests of your own junior scientists, "Give Your Children a Love for Science."
April is the month of Easter, and a fun time to brush up on your most artistic egg decorating skills. Read all about marking, glue-glittering, polka-dotting, animal-disguising, and tie-dyeing your own hard boiled masterpieces in our bonus article, "You Can Do It! Fun and Creative Easter Eggs."
As always, please remember that whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.
Please note that I have a new email address: betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com.
Best regards,
Betty
April 2017 Test Schedule
Mark your calendar for the latest test dates.
Give Your Children a Love for Science
Children ask many questions and they frequently ask the same ones over and over again. Left to their own devices you’ll find them experimenting, examining, and exploring the world around them. They are full of curiosity, wanting to see how electronics work, taking things apart and putting them back together in new ways. They are collectors of nests, bugs, rocks and other prizes from the natural world. Children are natural-born scientists.
Unfortunately, the intense focus on math and reading in our schools has crowded out time for many subjects including the sciences, particularly at the elementary and middle school levels. If your child is lucky, she’ll have a teacher who is excited about science and can find a way to creatively work the subject into the instructional day. Funding though, may limit the amount of training that the teacher ideally needs, as well as creating a sad lack of resources to lead experiments and provide other science related experiences.
Listed below are activities parents can partake in with their children to enrich their scientific experiences and encourage their curiosity.
1. Rainy or wintry days are perfect for a visit to a science museum. Move slowly through the museum, ask questions, and take advantage of hands-on opportunities. Follow your children's lead and discover where their interests lie. If your family is going on vacation, do research ahead of time to find a science museum in the area and work a visit into your vacation time.
2. State or national parks can offer everyone a variety of experiences so make a point of exploring these areas. They’re often free too! Outings to zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums, planetariums and farms can also give your children further opportunities to explore. Many offer special classes, camps and workshops, particularly during the summer months, so be sure to check those out.
3. Check with your local YMCA, 4-H group, community recreation center and library to see what offerings are available. Maker’s Groups are also sprouting up everywhere these days so check them out to see if they have special workshops or play days for children and teens.
4. Set an example! Share your own curiosity. Wonder aloud and ask questions. Grab a pair of binoculars, go birding with your children and make a hobby out of identifying and learning about the birds you see on your hikes. Subscribe to National Geographic, National Geographic Kids or Ranger Rick and keep the issues readily available on the coffee table. See an interesting bug in the backyard? Pull out the magnifying glass and let your children have a good close-up look at the colors, body structure and movements of the critter. Take the opportunity to watch a spider weave its web or to see a butterfly emerge from its cocoon.
5. Encourage your teen to play video games! Minecraft is a wildly popular game that helps to pique interest in the science of coding and helps to learn the basics of programming all while building complex worlds with educational add-ons.
A word about stereotypes:
Studies show that in elementary school, just as many girls are excited about and have an interest in science as boys. By the eighth grade, however, boys are twice as likely to be interested in science, math and technology. As a parent there are many ways you can continue to support your daughter's love of science. Encourage her to watch science related shows on television, learn about nature and the world around her and to tinker with computers. Find out what interests her and explore those areas. Introduce your sons and daughters to female doctors, veterinarians, engineers and other scientists. Perhaps invite these women to be a speaker at school, in your child’s Scout troop or other group and lead a fun activity. Make sure to carefully listen when your daughter asks questions and if you don’t know the answer, make that an opportunity for both of you to investigate, explore and learn.
Science is for everyone! We use it every day. Look for family opportunities to explore, question, research, play and discover. You’ll be enhancing your children’s education and giving them a scientific curiosity that will benefit them for a lifetime.
You Can Do It! Fun and Creative Easter Eggs
First, dye eggs in various solid colors and then once dry, use a small-tipped brush to paint polka dots, swirls or other designs with glue onto painted eggs. Finally, sprinkle the wet glue with glitter.
Add a fun, multicolor twist to plain eggs with a marbleized effect. Simply add olive oil to the dye solution to create an unpredictable, mottled look to your eggs.
Turn colorfully dyed Easter eggs into adorable bunnies, chicks, sheep and birds. Use patterned paper so kids can cut out ears, beaks, feathers, whiskers, etc., to create springtime animals.
Use colorful or metallic markers to freehand your favorite patterns, designs and words onto plain or dyed eggs for a one-of-a-kind look.
Bring a classic Easter look to your home with adorable chick eggs. First, dye the eggs yellow and let dry. Once dry, use a permanent marker to draw on eyes, beak and wings.
Stick glue strips wherever desired on your egg. Dye your eggs, then peel off strips when dry to reveal overlapping white lines.
Tie-dyeing your Easter eggs is much easier than it seems. Lay out a paper towel and spray with white vinegar. Then, place several drops of food coloring (two to three colors) all over the paper towel. Place the egg in the middle, gather the edges of the paper towel, hold tightly and spray with vinegar until the paper towel is wet. Secure the top of the paper towel with a rubber band. Allow the colors to soak into the egg for at least two hours. When ready, remove the paper towel to reveal your beautiful, color-infused egg.
Letter from Betty for March 2017
Hello Friends,
Does your middle school or high school student have a writing assignment due right now that seems insurmountable? Luckily, you can help, with patience, listening, and supporting, but no, not doing! Get inspiring tips about your vital role as a parent in our feature article this month, "Mentor and Support Your Teen Writer."
March is a month full of interesting events, holidays, and historical significance. Read all about green rivers, space stations, passionate sports fans, apple pies, and more in "Did You Know?...Fun March Facts."
As always, please remember that whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.
Please note that I have a new email address: betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com.
Best regards,
Betty
March 2017 Test Schedule
Mark your calendar for the latest test dates.
Mentoring and Supporting Your Teen Writer
Writing is an important skill, not only while in school but also in life. If your middle or high school aged child is struggling with writing, there are strategies that you can use to help him. We are not suggesting that you act as a teacher, but as a coach, and as a patient listener.
Below are ideas to consider if your child is having trouble with a school assignment:
1. Have him explain the assignment to you, in detail. If he is not able to do so, it will be hard for him to get started or stay on track. If he can’t explain the assignment to you, have him call a classmate or e-mail the teacher for details.
2. Have your child tell you the main point of his essay. Explaining his ideas to you will have him thinking ahead to the assignment as a whole and will make writing that much easier. The more detail he’s able to articulate, the more thought out his plan will be before the actual writing begins.
3. If your child is having trouble supporting the main idea in his paper, help him to switch gears and think about those “Five W’s” that are so important in journalism: who, what, where, when, and why. By answering those five questions, he will be laying out the details he needs to get across in his writing.
4. Listen. Ask how you can help, and then listen. You can be a sounding board so that your child can talk about his ideas. This will help him organize his thoughts and flesh out his writing. You can also help him to lay out these ideas into an organized sequence with smooth transitions.
5. Have your child proofread out loud to you. He’s likely to notice any obvious mistakes he’s made but be aware that interrupting him will break his chain of thought. Let him finish and then talk over together what changes he might make to his piece. Be sure to point out the positive, strong points in his writing. Offer encouragement and enthusiasm.
6. Ask questions. Tell him if there’s something you’d like to hear more about. Don’t give him the answers but guide him to find out those answers for himself.
7. Don’t sweat the grammar or spelling mistakes in the rough drafts. Chances are, he’ll correct his own errors as his piece is revised. It’s in the final draft that you can encourage your child to edit his own work.
8. Finally, an important piece of advice: respect your child as a creator and writer. How the final copy should look, how it’s revised, the story he tells, these aspects should be your child’s decision, not yours. Do not do the writing for your child and do not act as the teacher. That’s not your job. Your job is to guide, to offer suggestions, to support, to encourage, and to listen.
The best strategy for becoming a better writer is to practice each and every day. Whether it’s in a private journal, a blog, or with short, fun assignments, daily writing is an important key. Writing doesn’t have to be a chore; it can be a fun experience. Let your child see you writing too!
Did You Know?...Fun March Facts
Welcome to March! Here are some fascinating facts about our 3rd month — or is it? Read on...
1. March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day and the Chicago River runs green.
2. Also on March 17th, Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of The Moon” first hit the Billboard Top 200 chart at number 95 in 1973. A mere 14 years later (736 chart weeks), it finally left the top 200 for the first time, setting a still-unbroken world record.
3. In ancient Rome, March was the first month of the year. Their yearly cycles were 10 months long, beginning in March and ending in December. We still see clues of this old system in our modern calendar. Because December was the tenth month, it was named for the number ten in Latin (decem), just like September was named for seven (septem). But, what about January and February? They were just two nameless months called “winter.”
4. Beware The Ides of March! What does “beware the Ides of March” actually mean? On the Roman calendar, the midpoint of every month was known as the Ides and the Ides of March fell on March 15th. This day was supposed to correlate with the first full moon of the year (remember, winter didn’t count then) and marked by religious ceremonies, but thanks to Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar we know it for another reason. Supposedly, in 44 BC, a seer told Julius Caesar that his downfall would come no later than the Ides of March. Caesar ignored him, and when the fated day rolled around, he joked with the seer, “The Ides of March have come.” The seer replied, “aye, Caesar; but not gone.” Caesar continued on to a senate meeting at the Theater of Pompey, and was murdered by as many as 60 conspirators. Ironically, the spot where Caesar was assassinated is protected in today’s Rome as a no-kill cat sanctuary.
5. On March 2, 2016, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly set a new record for the longest uninterrupted trip to space. He returned home after one full year!
6. March was named for …war. The month is named for Mars, the Roman god of war. Incidentally, almost all major US-NATO led military operations beginning with Vietnam, have begun in the month of March, with the exception of the recent action in Afghanistan.
7. On March 20th we see a near 50-50 split of day and night because the sun crosses the plane at the earth’s equator.
8. If you’re a basketball fan, then you know that March is all about the March Madness tournament!
9. Daylight Savings Time begins on March 13th. Set your clocks to “spring forward” 1 hour on this day!
10. Have you heard the proverb “March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb?” That's a poetic description of this month, because it usually starts with cold, wintery weather but ends very mildly and pleasant.
11. Finally, what is both numerical and delicious? Pi Day will be here before you know it on March 14th. On this day, many people celebrate the annual occurrence of 3.14 with fresh baked pie!
Letter from Betty for February 2017
Hello Friends,
As our days slowly become longer, and winter crawls towards spring, I hope that when your children take their breaks from the thrills of outdoor winter activities, they are also expanding their minds by reading books, magazines, blog posts or whatever interests them!
What?? Your teenager can't seem to make time for reading? If that's the case, we have an inspiring feature article for you this month, "Encouraging Your Teen to Read."
February is the month of secret admirers and cards with red hearts, but why not make it a month of thoughtful acts of kindness! We have some suggestions for you in our "Fun Stuff To Do for February: Valentine's Day Ideas."
As always, please remember that whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.
Please note that I have a new email address: betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com.
Best regards,
Betty
Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning
February 2017 Test Schedule
Mark your calendar for the latest test dates.
Encouraging Your Teen to Read
We’ve written before about encouraging younger children to discover the joy of reading, but what about reluctant teens? Below are a few strategies that just may help avoid future battles:
1. Don’t be a censor or a critic. This could discourage teens from reading at all. Let teens make their own reading selections, whether it’s graphic novels (which are extremely popular right now), books about wizards or vampires, books about rock stars, whatever they are naturally drawn to. These may not be your preferences, but something in those books is peaking your son’s interest. It’s a great launching point on the road to learning the joy of reading. You don’t have to agree that reading from an e-reader is better than a paperback, or that the current zombie series is a worthwhile selection. If you don’t encourage the activity then you risk him backing off entirely, and that’s not what you want.
2. Suggest a series to your teen. There are many popular choices right now and some have been made into movies that your teen might recognize. Getting hooked on familiar characters or intriguing story lines is a great inducement to picking up volume two, then three, then on and on.
3. Link that new-found interest in the (above) series to social media.Since most teens are entrenched in social media and there are blogs on every subject imaginable on the internet, websites and Facebook, send your teen a link to those pages, after checking them out yourself. He might even want to contribute by doing a little posting on those pages as well!
4. Use the dinner table to discuss what your teen is reading. Let him recount the story to you. Ask questions, be genuinely enthusiastic.
5. If your teen has an interest in a hobby, creative skill, sports, current politics or societal issues, connect those interests to books and articles. Whether it’s a book, a newspaper article, a blog or something you come across on the web, pass it along to your teen. He might just latch on to something he’d like to delve into with further reading.
6. Last but not least, model reading yourself. Create an environment full of books and other reading materials in your home and let your teen see you reading! Let him see that this is a part of your day, every day, and he’ll be more likely to follow your example – or “take a page out of your….book.” Pun intended!
Fun Stuff to Do for February: Valentine's Day Ideas and Microwave Fudge
Valentine's Day Ideas
It’s February and time to think about Valentine’s Day! Here are a few activities to create some special family time, spur on some creativity and mark the day:
1. As a family, think about people in your neighborhood or community that might be especially lonely, then create ideas that you can do that might brighten their day. Maybe make Valentine’s cards and bake heart-shaped cookies and deliver these gifts to them.
2. If grandparents are in town, have each family member create cards or notes and deliver them along with a small gift like a colorful balloon or maybe some of those heart-shaped cookies they’ve baked. Grandparents live out-of-town? Mail them their cards ahead of the special day and on the 14th, give them a phone call and let everyone take their turn chatting with their far-away loved ones.
3. Consider making a keepsake book for grandparents. Have everyone create handwritten notes of appreciation or love, coupons for service (washing the car, cooking dinner, weeding the garden, etc), drawings, family photos and put them all in a pretty binder or blank book. They’ll love it!
4. Make special family time with a trip to the pizza parlor, a night at the bowling alley, or a hike at a local park and then end your evening with a home-made fudgey treat. Recipe below!
Seriously Simple Microwave Fudge
Microwave 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips and a 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk for 5 minutes. Stir vigorously. Add 1 ½ cups of chopped nuts or raisins (or a combination of both) and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir again to mix well. Spread this delicious mixture into an 8-inch square pan lined with buttered parchment paper. Refrigerate and when sufficiently cooled and hardened, cut into bite-sized squares. Enjoy!
Letter from Betty for January 2017
Hello Friends,Welcome to 2017 and a whole new year of possibilities and adventures stretched out in front of us!
This is the perfect time of year to take stock of what you and your children want to accomplish in the coming weeks and months. With this in mind, read our feature article for January: "Family Resolutions for a Happy New Year".
On the lighter side of your plans for 2017, we also have a double-fun set of recommendations in "Fun Stuff To Do for January: No-Sew Fleece Scarf Project, Hot Cocoa Tasting Party."
As always, please remember that whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations. Please don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning
Winter 2017 Test Schedule
Mark your calendar for the latest test dates.
Family Resolutions for a Happy New Year
We’ve written before about goal setting and January is the perfect time to revisit this topic. It’s a great time to make New Year’s Resolutions! These resolutions are goals that we set for ourselves. But we must also help our children set reasonable goals and achieve success. :
Set resolutions as a family and make it a part of a holiday event. On January 1st, gather at the table for a New Year’s meal, whether it’s a special breakfast or a dinner, make it an event and bring with you your own personal resolutions. Tell your children what your goals are and why, and then ask them what they might like to shoot for in the new year. After all, it’s a fresh start, a new beginning, and the perfect time to focus on picking a healthy new habit. Should you as a parent pick the goal for them? No. The way to success is to let your children pick their own goal, but you can certainly guide them in their choice.
That said, it’s important that you are a good resolution role-model. Let them see you working on your own goal. You can’t lead them to resolution success if you’re not willing to stick with your own goal.
Make sure to keep the process positive! Don’t make suggestion in a negative or preachy way. Focus on success and ask them “What do you want to improve on this year? What can make your life healthier, happier, better? Are there things you can do to help other people?” Now listen, really listen to what they say. Don’t lead them to make a decision that you want them to make. Listen and hear what they are saying. It’s important that your children choose the resolution themselves in order to have real ownership over the project. It’s a great lesson in goal-setting and helps them to learn to plan as well. Your task is to help them narrow down their ideas, to make sure that it’s age-appropriate, to guide them.
The next step is to help your children to select just one or two goals. There’s a much higher chance of success if they focus on just a few projects rather than being overwhelmed by too many areas of focus. Once one or two are chosen, get out a fresh sheet of paper and write down each goal in specific terms, nothing too general. Then underneath each, write out concrete steps or ideas to make the resolution work. Breaking down the process into steps will make the resolution more achievable.
Finally, let your children decorate their goal sheet and hang it on the fridge or on a common bulletin board where they can see it every day. Make sure your resolutions are on the fridge as well. Remember, you are a role model!
As a family, revisit the resolutions from time to time. Help everyone to stay excited about their new year’s goal. If progress is slow, don't worry, encourage forward movement. Talk about what might be getting in the way, or maybe look at making smaller tasks to achieve the final goal.
Another suggestion is to make a family goal. Consider doing acts of kindness together. Performing acts of kindness makes the doer a happier person and what a great way to experience positive family bonding and memories! Once a week or once a month, whatever works best for your family schedule, think of the groups or people in your life and pick one to focus on. What can you as a family do to help this group or person? Consider picking up trash at your neighborhood park, going through closets and donating unused toys or outgrown clothes to a shelter, or baking cookies for an elderly neighbor and then paying a short visit? While there, why not ask if you can rake leaves, weed the garden, or complete another task the person may not be able to do for himself?
Make this a new family ritual: have a family talk, let everyone decide on their goal for the new year and then celebrate with your special New Year’s meal. It’s a perfect family bonding exercise, a great way to kick off 2017, an easy self-improvement exercise, and an excellent way to create special family memories.
Fun Stuff to Do for January 2017: No-Sew Fleece Scarf Project, Hot Cocoa Tasting Party
Have your friends over or gather your family together to make scarves and have a hot cocoa tasting party!
To make No-Sew Fleece Scarves:
- This is a craft that requires only the fleece fabric and a good pair of scissors!
- Make warm scarves by buying lengths of micro-fleece from your favorite craft or fabric store (available in many different colors and prints) and simply cutting them into strips approximately 8-10 inches wide and 3-5 feet in length, depending on how long you want your scarf. The ends are then cut into fringe. The fleece does not unravel so it does not need any sewing.
- If desired, slide beads onto the fringe and tie knots, for added embellishment.
Hot Cocoa recipes
Do a taste test to see which is your favorite, or set up a hot chocolate bar with special add-ons!
MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE (serves 4)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cocoa, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, dash of salt. 1 quart milk (4 cups), divided 1/4 cup half-and-half, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small bowl, combine cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Heat 1 cup of milk in a saucepan until bubbling. Stir in cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.
PUMPKIN SPICE HOT COCOA (serves 6)
Ingredients:
6 cups of milk, 6 packets of powdered hot chocolate OR 1/2 lb. of dark chocolate bits, 1 1/2 tbsp, pumpkin pie spice, whipped cream, cinnamon
Heat milk to almost boiling. Place hot chocolate mix into mugs and thoroughly mix in 1/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice in each cup. Pour in hot milk and stir well. Load on the whip cream. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
A FAVORITE HOT COCOA (serves 4)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup hot water, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 4 cups milk, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix cocoa, sugar, water and salt in a saucepan.
Over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture boils. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the milk and heat, but do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla; blend well. Serve immediately.
NUTELLA HOT COCOA
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon of Nutella for 'each cup' of milk (whole milk tastes best), whipped cream or marshmallows, optional: sprinkle of cinnamon
Heat milk in sauce pan or microwave. When hot, stir/whisk in the Nutella until all is combined. Pour into cups and top with mini-marshmallows or whipped cream. Optional: Sprinkle with a little cinnamon
Other goodies to add to your hot chocolate bar (best with the standard hot cocoa):
Garnish your cocoa with a candy cane which can double as a stirrer.
Top hot cocoa with whipped cream and:
cinnamon.
colored sprinkles
cherry and chocolate sauce.
Make a "Milky Way" drink by adding caramel topping.
Place chocolate chips in the bottom of a clear glass mug. Add steaming hot milk and stir the melted chocolate.
Drop a scoop of peppermint ice cream into a mug of hot chocolate.
Put two large marshmallows in the bottom of an empty cup and pour hot chocolate on top so that the marshmallows melt. Serve with graham crackers to make s'mores in a cup.
Letter from Betty for December 2016
Hello Friends,Welcome to December and the busy holiday season. All of us at Foundation for Learning wish you a restorative and festive time with family and friends!
Most of you will be planning for gift-giving, so we have a new crop of stimulating gift ideas in our feature article for December: "Game and Book Gift Ideas For Your Student."
We also have a month's-worth of happy activity suggestions in our "Fun Stuff To Do: Random Acts of Kindness for December."
As always, please remember that whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations. Please don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning
December 2016 Test Schedule
Mark your calendar for the latest test dates.
