The Ultimate Guide to Homeschool Supplies

We are seeing more kids learn from home than ever before in the wake of the global pandemic COVID-19. Whether your kids are learning full-time, part-time, or temporarily from home, you are going to need some basic supplies. In this post, we'll go over the best homeschool supplies Canada so that you can set up the best at-home classroom for your kids.

Pencils, pens, and paper

You're going to need the basics to accommodate your kids doing school from home: paper, pencils, and pens. The needs will vary based on the age of your kids. But, younger kids will need pencils and colored pencils. Middle-high school-aged kids and beyond prefer to write in pen. You will need lots of paper: lined, and computer paper for kids of all ages in homeschool.

A laminating machine

This will come in handy for printing all kinds of guides, worksheets, and other materials that your students will need to look back on for a prolonged period of time.

A great planner

No matter how many kids you are homeschooling, you are going to need to stay on top of your organization. We recommend a teacher's planner that will help you organize your school year in style. The monthly planning spreads allow you to plan goals and information for the month in one central spot. Each week covers an entire spread to allow you to record detailed notes and lesson plans. Use the checklists at the back to record grades, attendance, homework completion, and more.

Dry erase board, markers, and erasers

You need somewhere to clearly display what you are teaching your students. Whether you decide to use smaller, individual whiteboards that your students can write on is up to you.  But, you at the very least need one whiteboard where you can leave notes and write pertinent information for your class.

Organization tools

From pocket chair organizers to caddies, to file folders, there are a lot of classroom organization options to choose from. Find the one that works best for you and your kids and USE IT. There's nothing worse than a cluttered learning space and missing assignments and projects.

Educational posters

Educational posters are available for fractions, decimals, sight words, books of the bible, stopping germs-- no matter what you are teaching, there's likely a printable poster to go along as a resource for it. These posters will provide some color to your classroom and be an extremely helpful resource for your students, especially your children that are visual learners.

Flashcards

Flashcards are another extremely valuable resource for kids, especially visual learners. You can purchase flashcards for all kinds of subjects, from multiplication, fractions, division, sign language, and foreign languages.

Learning mats

Learning mats can be used to help students learn countries of the world, spelling, telling time, numbers, math, and writing. These mats can introduce the alphabet, numbers, and counting, and more complex subjects, in a fun and engaging way. The mats include wipe-off crayons, play becomes active learning--and mastering these important academic skills becomes as easy as A, B, C and 1, 2, 3!

Play Your Part: Early Education Leads To Future Success

The moral development in children includes both moral judgment and moral behavior. When adapted well, it can assist children in their school opportunities and their future success. It is a vast field that falls more specifically among the processes of socialization and in particular the interactions between other students, teachers, and strangers.

It is a cognitive process that leads to individual moral conscience. So why is it so vital among younger children? Children begin an education in early life, usually around the age of 4. This is when they begin to grasp the language well and learn to read/write. If this is encouraged from an early age, it often leads to a thirst for education which can last them into their older years. 

Playing your part in your children’s early learning years can also positively impact you and your life. If your child is doing well, your worries are less. If your child is assertive, you may worry a little less. If your child knows their routine, you can work easier too. If you assist your child with their educational tasks, you too may uncover new skills and ideas that you can adapt to your working life. After all, fundamental morals and life skills stem from youth.

Ways to boost educational efficiency among younger children

Children’s methods of learning today can be boosted easily. Thanks to new applications and businesses, there are plenty of ways to assist your child. For example, there is the typing school, which offers numerous engaging games and worlds to assist children in learning. Often the best way for children to learn is kinesthetic. It’s a hands-on approach that stimulates their mind in the very best ways. This way, it promotes a sense of autonomy which will allow your child to undertake new tasks on their own. It also encourages self-confidence, another critical factor in future success. 

Routine boosts autonomy.

It could be said that in this way, the child becomes dependent on a routine that can assist their autonomy in day to day life. In reality, because of its characteristics of repetitiveness and predictability, it causes the child to learn to move more and more independently. The routine becomes a sort of framework within which they can act more and more independently precisely because he has clear and fixed points of reference. If, for example, they are evident that that moment of the day is dedicated to self-care, they have in mind the sequence of actions that they must perform. 

However, this is just one aspect. It is also essential for parents to work alongside their child and offer the help and support that they need. By encouraging education and socialization at an early age, they are equipped well. It does not represent a limiting strategy that accustoms the child from being stuck to a routine. It does, however, allow the child to learn necessary skills as well as offer new tools that will allow them to adapt effectively in all their living environments, past, present, and future.

Warning Signs To Help You Identify (And Avoid) Problem Clients

For your business to succeed, you will need a steady flow of clients coming through your door (or your email inbox if you're entirely online).

When you have enough clients using your business, you will make more money, build up your reputation, and have the opportunity to grow your business.

In many ways then, your clients are the lifeblood of your business. 

But here's the things. Sometimes, your clients have the potential to be your biggest nightmare. If they are always on the phone to you with increasing demands, you will never get time to get work done. If they are late payers or refuse to pay at all, your business could run at a loss. And if they fire you, for no good reason at all, your reputation could take a knock.

Needless to say, you need to avoid these problem clients, as your life would be much better with people who will actually help you profit your business (and help you keep your sanity).

Here are the early warning signs of a bad client.

#1: They have unrealistic deadlines

As an expert in your field, you will know how long projects usually take to complete. A reasonable client will understand this and will negotiate a decent time frame with you. But if a potential client comes to you with a deadline that you know will be hard to meet, beware! You might burn yourself out if you try to stick with their demands, and you might have no time to care for the needs of your other clients. The client might also get angry with you if you don't make the deadline, and they could spread a bad word about you to others. So, try to negotiate a better deadline with them if you can, but if they won't give in, you might want to let them go. 

#2: They have a bad financial history

Business owners with a specific, legitimate purpose can find out the credit history of their prospective clients, so this is something you might want to look into. You might also want to check bankruptcy records, which might be something you have had to do already if you have had late-paying customers in the past. And it's for this reason that you do need to check on a client's financial history because if they don't have the funds to pay you, your business might run at a loss. So, carry out the necessary checks, and speak to people who may have had dealings with the client before. If you're worried they won't pay you on time (or at all), steer clear!

#3: You have a 'gut feeling' that they won't be good for you

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Han Solo in Star Wars, and you might echo that sentiment when dealing with a prospective client. If they are vague about what they want, or if they come across as arrogant and seemingly 'knowing more than you do,' you might start to doubt them. You might also develop a bad gut feeling if you struggle to get hold of them when trying to get more details about what it is they want. Sometimes, you have to trust your gut, so if you're in any doubt, consider finding a different client. 

Why Use Cryptocurrency In Your Business?

Business has changed a lot over the last few decades. Now, much of it is conducted online, with some business owners never seeing their customers face to face at all. Even in more traditional businesses, the way those businesses are marketed is different, utilizing technology in more and more inventive ways. 

It makes sense, then, that the way customers can pay for their goods has undergone an overhaul as well, and cash is now hardly used at all. For solely online businesses, using credit and debit cards is even being replaced by other payment options like PayPal that use digital information to make the transactions much safer. 

Another payment idea that offers customers security is becoming increasingly popular is cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is just one example of a cryptocurrency, and although it is the most famous, there are plenty of others too. For those who use the best crypto exchange to invest in this kind of digital currency, being able to pay using this method would be ideal. So why would it benefit your business to let them?  

Investments 

When you want to grow your business, you can do it organically, or you can borrow money. The first will take longer but will mean you don’t have any debt. The second idea will be immediate, but you’ll always need to think about paying that money back, which means your profits will be lower than they might seem at first. 

So why not ignore both of these options and use cryptocurrency as an investment instead? When you buy cryptocurrency, you should be able to grow your investment relatively quickly. This means that you can grow your business faster using the money you make from your investments. Of course, investments don’t always go up, which is why you’ll need to do plenty of research first, but it could be an ideal way to boost your profits. 

Paying Your Staff

If you don’t pay your staff the right amount, or you pay them late (or not at all), you will lose them. Add to this the fact that they are sure to sue you for the money you owe them, and your business could be in a lot of trouble. This is why you have to be absolutely sure you can pay your staff before you hire them.  

If you have a stock of cryptocurrency as a backup, you’ll know you can always pay your staff no matter what happens. In fact, by giving them the option of how they would like to be paid, you are showing yourself to be a forward-thinking and thoughtful employer, and your employees are more likely to stick by you.  

Offers Anonymity 

One of the reasons why cryptocurrency is so popular is that it is an anonymous transaction. Whoever you are paying will not be given your bank details or your name and address (unless you need something shipped, that is). Without the need to provide personal details, the system of paying using cryptocurrency is a far more secure one. 

This means your business is safer. There is minimal risk of your banking details being stolen, so your customers’ money will remain safe. Losing your customers’ money or having any kind of breach when it comes to security could destroy your reputation, and using cryptocurrency will prevent this from happening. 

Should you outsource your web design to boost SEO?

It can be quite effective to hire an Orlando web design expert if you want to do well online and if you want to be seen by your targeted audience. The way that your website is designed will dictate the amount of traffic you get from targeted visitors. Your website must be easy to navigate and user friendly, but it also must be keyword-rich with the right search phrases that will allow potential targeted visitors to land on your site from the search engine. And for that reason, you need a good web designer who understands search engine optimization.

The Ranking Process

To be successfully and correctly placed at the top of the Google search results and thus become visible to your target market, it is important for you to also understand how the search engine works. Without this knowledge of the research fundamentals and how people search for anything, it is impossible to implement the appropriate actions to optimize the visibility of your website. This is called SEO or search engine optimization, and more exactly natural (or organic) SEO.

What Is A Search Engine?

A search engine is a huge directory of all the pages published on the Internet. There are billions and billions of them; and millions are created every day, if not every hour. To compose this directory, Google uses robots responsible for scanning all websites around the world. We call it indexing, and it's up to the content creators to create and promote it so that Google can integrate it into its directory. Most often, this technical part related to optimization is delegated to competent design professionals. Generally, it is necessary to contact an SEO agency or a local SEO expert so that it carries out an SEO strategy for your online business. So, how does Google actually work and how do you get your site to come up first on a search inquiry or request?

The Robots

The search engine robots start by studying different elements on your website in order to determine where the pages will rank. For this, the search engine algorithm observes the relevance of the pages according to the keywords typed in the search bar of Google by the user. The robots then cross-reference different data in order to increase the chances of responding to the user's request.

If you are interested in outsourcing your web design needs to a professional, you're more likely to get noticed in the search engines so your targeted users can find you, it is best to contact an expert web designer that knows search engine optimization.

12 Out-of-the-Box Ideas for an Organized, Inspiring Workspace

By: Courtney Elmer

As a wellness expert with a design and decorating background, I have an affinity for that special place where aesthetics and productivity intersect. While most people focus on one aspect over the other, there’s a certain magic that happens when you have a clutter-free workspace optimized for productivity that’s also pleasing to the eye. 

Whether you work from home, in an office, or have a cubicle with your name on it, these 12 under-utilized ideas will help you create a workspace that fuels your productivity (and looks fabulous on your Instagram feed). 

For your Physical Workspace…

There’s a saying that goes, “As within, so without.” Your external world is a reflection of your inner reality. If you’re feeling scattered and disorganized, there’s a good chance your workspace looks the same. 

TIP #1: The less clutter there is, the more brainpower you have. Follow the steps below to create a physical space that’s calm, clear, and clutter-free, so that your mind can relax, too.

If you touch it, take care of it instead of wasting time moving piles of paper and scribbled notes back and forth across your desk all day, consider adopting this simple new rule: “If I touch it, I’m going to take care of it.” Taking the extra step to put it away the moment you go to move it will save you time in the long run that you can put toward productive work. (If you have a lot of stacks to sort, proceed to Step 2 and repeat this process daily until the stacks are gone).

The 10-minute rule—once a week, set a timer for 10 minutes and do a quick sweep of your workspace. Toss notes you no longer need, file away receipts, refill the stapler, and find a home for anything that doesn’t have one.

Use Clear Acrylic Desk Accessories—I’m a huge fan of this letter tray and this clear catch-all. The benefits of using clear acrylic? It works with just about any decor style, corrals the mess, and it’s see-through, so it acts as a subtle reminder of those pending things you need to finish so nothing gets forgotten. (If you fall in love with acrylic accessories as much as I do, make sure to check out the full Russel + Hazel line of storage solutions).

Let in the light there have been plenty of studies done on the positive effects of natural light in your workspace. Do whatever you can to bring that light in, whether it means flinging open the drapes or adding full-spectrum light bulbs that simulate natural daylight.

Go Au Naturale: Make sure you add in fresh flowers on your desk or an indoor plant in your office corner because natural light and plant life aren’t just pleasing to the eye, they’re also proven to elevate your mood, enhance your focus, and reduce stress and while improving work-life satisfaction. Besides, picking out fresh flowers and greenery at your local market just sparks joy (as the organization queen herself, Marie Kondo would say!)

For your Digital Workspace…

Too often we’re so focused on optimizing our physical workspaces for productivity and inspiration that we completely forget about the other workspace we use just about every minute of every day: your digital workspaces.

TIP #2 The same rule applies here, too: the less cluttered your workspace is, the more energy and focus you’ll experience. Here are five simple ways to reduce clutter in your most-accessed digital workspaces, so you can breathe easier every time you open your inbox. 

Your Desktop / LaptopStreamline your desktop by organizing like items into folders and clearly labeling those folders with what’s inside. Empty your recycle bin and clean up your downloads folder. Add a natural wallpaper background to bring nature and beauty into your space (Unsplash.com has some great free options).

Your Cloud Storage Spaces

Don’t forget about these! Whether you’re a Google Drive or iCloud person, make sure you follow the same process as in Step 1 above so that all files and documents are clearly labeled and easy for you (and anyone on your team who has access) to find.

Your Email inbox—Just like the “If I touch it, I’m taking care of it” rule for your physical workspace, the same rule applies to your email inbox: “If I open it, I’m replying to it.” Set a timer for 10 minutes periodically throughout the day to respond to incoming messages, then move the threads into relevant folders where they can be accessed for future reference. Use an app like Unroll.me to instantly see a list of all your subscription emails, and easily unsubscribe from whatever you don’t want. Or, to really take back control of your inbox, take it one step further and add an extension like Boomerang that lets you pause your incoming messages and have them delivered at a set time each day, so you can stay out of your inbox and focus on your most important work.

Your Phone Apps—Organize apps into folders by type (i.e., “Health,” “Work,” “Photos,” “Social,” etc.) Move everything to a secondary screen (yes, everything), and add a similar nature background to your home and lock screens so that when you open and unlock your phone, you’re not instantly distracted by notifications or tempted to hop on Instagram. Taking the extra step to move all of your folders and apps to a secondary screen allows you to control when to scroll to that screen and use those apps… or not.

Tame Your Notifications—Speaking of notifications, go to your phone Settings and turn as many of them off as possible, and opt only for the notification icon (rather than banner and lock screen) for things you deem most important, like email for example. This will further eliminate distractions and allow you to get back to whatever else you deem more important than the latest blood-boiling political headlines or social media alerts about what your friend just ate for breakfast.

Streamline Your Calendar—If you’re a traditionalist like me, a good old-fashioned desk calendar like this one is all you need to keep yourself organized. Remember to write everything in pencil, so that as plans change you can adjust your calendar accordingly. If you’re more of the digital type, try an online scheduling app like Bookafy to manage all of your appointments. It integrates seamlessly with a number of digital calendar systems (like Google Calendar), automatically sends meeting reminders on your behalf, and you can add multiple users from your team so everyone’s calendar is synced in one spot — no more double-booking!

Use Airplane Mode, Especially When You’re Not Flying—Every phone has this feature, but few people utilize it as they should! It’s not just for plane trips -- if you’re not to the point where you can keep your phone out of the room altogether while focusing on your most creative work (or if you’re afraid you’ll miss a call), you can use Airplane Mode so that you’re not distracted by pings and dings. Calls will still come through when your phone is connected to Wi-Fi, so you won’t miss anything important. 

When it comes to workspace organization, remember: less is more. You don’t have to implement all of these ideas at once. Pick your favorite and just get started. If you’re a naturally organized person, you might find some of these tips easier to implement than others. If you like to “do it messy,” then you might find that implementing one of these tips at a time and testing what works best for you is more useful. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. 

Above all, the best way to create a new habit and experience different results is to change the way you are approaching your life at an identity level. In other words, the best way to become more organized is not to implement a hundred tips, but rather to simply believe you are an organized person. This might sound a little weird at first, but if you’ve been telling yourself you’re not an organized person, then the clutter and disorganization you experience in your life is simply a reflection of that. “As within, so without.” Imagine what would change for you if you simply began saying to yourself, “I’m the type of person who is good at organizing things.” Or, “I’m the type of person who stays organized.” Imagine what results in you might start noticing in your life, then. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll simply be more organized.

4 Reasons Your Social Strategy Sucks (and How to Fix It)

Over the last couple of decades, social media marketing has grown from being a tech curiosity to an indispensable part of business operations for entrepreneurs alike. In our ultra-connected world in which we’re all vying for the attention of consumers, the right approach to social media can help you cut through the noise. Unfortunately, it’s also very easy to get it wrong. 

Unlike other forms of marketing, social media marketing has an immediacy to it. Using newsletters or emails can be effective — there is a range of free email marketing services that can help you to design engaging, long-form content. On the other hand, social media requires certain brevity and tends to be more nuanced. The wrong post is immediately shareable across the planet and able to affect your reputation. 

So, let’s take a look at the likely reasons your social media strategy sucks right now. Where can you make improvements? What tools can help you along the way?  

1. Your Schedule Isn’t Effective

While social media certainly benefits from the image of spontaneity, that doesn’t mean to say that you need to take a freewheeling approach to it. Scheduling your posts allows you to map your marketing efforts in a way that works in conjunction with your overall business plan. If you’re just throwing up posts haphazardly, or just for special events, you’re likely to be missing your demographic’s attention. 

Check out the data from your account insights and consumer research, and identify the days and times that your target demographic tend to use social media. Plan to upload interesting and useful content at that time each week or every few days. If you haven’t already, create a social media content calendar, and produce your content in advance. 

This can be challenging when you don’t have a dedicated social media manager. However, there are tools that can help. Automated social media scheduler apps simplify the process by combining the content calendar, data analysis, and posting in one place. This means that you can upload your content to multiple accounts as per the schedule, and make agile changes, without having to do too much of the heavy lifting.  

2. You Don’t Understand the Platforms

There are a growing number of social media platforms. The mistake many businesses make is trying to simply treat them all in the same way. It can be tempting for the sake of time and resources to post exactly the same content across all of your channels. Taking this approach prevents you from capitalizing on the unique useful attributes of each.

It is better to understand how the specific design and intention of each platform differs and adjust your strategy to produce the most appropriate content for each. 

●      Twitter is designed for short, impactful messages. Make the most of the character limit with eye-catching, humorous language, and encourage interaction. Help followers to engage with your services by using a branded URL shortener — this keeps the content looking clean, on-voice, and less promotional.

●      Instagram is an image-based platform. While there is room for some text, it’s the artwork that is king here. Focus on telling the story of your content using just a single image that will draw the viewer to look at the text below rather than the other way around.

●      Facebook is best for longer-form content such as videos, blog posts, and even user-generated items. It’s still the most widely used social media platform, and as such there’s the opportunity for a reach across multiple generations.

●      Tik Tok is just starting to be utilized by businesses. Largely it’s useful to gain viral attention or to promote products via influencers. Think short content that creates an immediate emotional connection.  

3. You’re Prioritizing Metrics

We all know just how valuable data can be. It certainly has its uses in social media, and it can be tempting to shoot for impressive numbers when it comes to likes and follows. However, if you are strategizing just to meet these metrics, chances are you’re losing out on one of the most valuable things social media has to offer: meaningful relationships. 

Starting out, it can certainly be good to take a broad approach. By all means, use a bulk Twitter follow tool to make initial contact with your demographic. However, from there you have to start interacting with your customers in the way they appreciate via their social channels.

Don’t just post an image and hope for likes; ask a question that encourages feedback. Don’t make everything purely business-based, create content that shows you care about customers’  values. Most importantly, make certain that you engage in a dialogue with as many genuine commenters as possible. Retweet your customers’ posts about your services and give them a shout-out. This behavior helps you build a connection with customers that strengthens loyalty. 

4. Your Goals Are Too Generalized

A common problem when strategizing is failing to be specific enough. Many of us have fallen victim to starting our channels with very flimsy intentions — to get as many followers as possible, or to attract attention. Some of the most effective social media strategies are the result of being very targeted with our ambitions. 

A good example is a viral content. Most of us want our content to reach an audience of millions. Creating a video designed for brand exposure is relatively simple, but it needs to have a specific purpose beyond that. Once you get all those eyes on your content, what do you expect people to do? The accompanying text and follow-up posts need to lead your audience in the desired direction. Do you want them to interact with a specific service, or create a certain number of shares that improves customer acquisition?

Being specific about your goals and milestones, even down to a number of followers from a geographical area, helps you to design your approach more effectively. This also gives you better metrics to analyze, and adjust your tactics accordingly.   

Conclusion

Okay, chances are your social media strategy doesn’t suck entirely — but it could be better. Learn from these common mistakes, and make small but impactful changes. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and remember that social media is all about forging connections with your demographic.

Benefits of Pursuing Online IT Training

Given the current technological advancements, it has become easy for people to train for various courses online. IT is one of the most convenient courses that an individual can train online due to the necessary resources. Online IT training provides individuals with an opportunity to grow their resume. There are plenty of reasons why people should pursue online IT courses.

There have been a lot of technological changes. Such changes have affected various fields and, this requires people to have basic IT knowledge. It is such knowledge that would make them relevant in the job market. Employers seek to employ candidates with IT knowledge to ensure that they handle basic computer activities in the workplace. Hence, adding an IT course to the resume renders a person more marketable than an individual with no knowledge about computers.

IT courses are among the emerging courses that a huge number of people want to pursue. As a result, the availability of training centers has increased. Such is an indication that any person can pursue the course from anywhere. The best part about IT courses is that they are available online, and an individual can pursue them at their convenience.

Another reason why people are studying IT is that IT jobs pay well. Such jobs are available on a part-time or full-time basis. The terms of working and payment depend on the IT course that an individual chose to pursue. If a person is seeking to earn extra income, they can do so by pursuing a part-time IT career. The IT courses take a short period to train and hence, sooner than a person can imagine, they would be earning extra coins.

Online IT training is convenient because an individual can do it at the comfort of their homes. All they need is a computer and an internet connection. Pursuing an IT course might not interfere with a person’s work schedule, making it easy for them to add an important item to their resume.

Online IT training makes it easy for an individual to plan their projects. Before technology, workers used to organize projects manually. However, technology has made things easy since people can plan their work through a simple click on their computer. The chances are high that a person will have projects to manage at their workplace. Hence, an individual must have basic IT knowledge.

In some cases, a person might be forced to request the services of an IT expert. Once the service has been offered, they pay a huge amount of money. Therefore, pursuing an Online IT Training would help people save the money they could have paid someone to do a project. After studying the course, people would be able to do their projects without seeking any help.

Pursuing an online IT course would be beneficial to an individual’s career and motivate them to continue learning. The more courses that a person has pursued, the higher the chances of getting jobs in different fields. There are no restrictions on what you can do with a computer, so why not spend your time on a few lessons and learn how to do something interesting or make money?