Word Brains

By Fred Jackson

 Single working mothers have perhaps the toughest job of all, in having to take care of their families on their own. A wish or a goal for many moms that has to be put on hold in order to take care of other responsibilities, is higher education. President Obama, together with his new administration, is, however, encouraging moms to make their education a priority. Obama scholarships will offer working mothers a great chance to improve their futures.

Obama is urging working moms in particular to participate in his Scholarships for Moms program, whilst still encouraging people of all ages to seek higher education. Building on The Scholarships for Moms program, is the long-standing offer of Pell grants by the federal government. Applied for through FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), Pell grants are the most commonly applied for forms of aid for students going to college. Now the Obama administration is making some changes to encourage more mothers to return to school.

The biggest incentive for the Scholarships for Moms program is the amount of money that is being offered. The maximum amount awarded through Pell grants is about $4,000 per student, but for mothers who apply to the program, that amount is increased to $5,000. The purpose of these grants is to allow working moms to return to school and earn a degree. In turn, that will allow them to better provide for their families now as well as in the future. In addition, the administration hopes that equipping mothers to earn more money as working professionals will also be a stimulus to the economy. Without worrying about the costs of school or having to pay back money for a loan, Moms can receive an education.

An added incentive for moms considering this program is that it applies to enrollment in nearly any type of higher education institution. Four-year universities are covered as well as smaller community colleges. You can choose either to go to a private school or a public one. For busy moms where staying on campus isn’t an option, online course study is offered. A comprehensive attempt to get eager mothers back into the classroom is the government’s Scholarships for Moms program.

The Obama scholarship basically takes a lot of the worry out of returning to school. Working moms can earn a degree in almost any area of interest. This means that they can be fully equipped to provide for their families. An unfulfilled wish or an unobtainable goal no longer has to be higher education. The Scholarships for Moms program is designed to help create a brighter future for mothers and their children.

So what’s holding you back? Take advantage of a $10,000 scholarship drawing. Registration is free if you visit http://www.scholarshipsformomsfinder.info/

Your Source For Online Education

Have you used flashcards yet?

By John from Learning Huddle

 Using Flashcards to help children learn

Flashcards are successful for children of essentially any age. However one of the places they are most often used is in the first years of school. They are generally thought an excellent way to improve phonics and spelling abilities.

In the UK they are used extensively for the Scottish Curriculum for excellence and in KS1, KS2, KS3 in the early years. This trend is also followed in other countries like the America although the set of words used can vary. Governments generally give out a set of words and sounds for teachers to use.

Flashcards take many forms. They can be cards that are professionally made but more often they are printed out from the World Wide Web and then laminated prior to use. This is generally a cheaper alternative and also ensures that you get exactly what you want.

The internet is a superb source of cards. You’ll find many places on the web that offer them for free, for example Learning Huddle .com has 117,800 alphabet cars that can be printed out. Probably more than you’ll ever need and they’re free! However Learning Huddle isn’t the only site with free cards you just need to type into Google and you’ll find lots of sites offering both free cards and paid ones.

One of the great things about flashcards is that they are effective. Children don’t think they are working too hard, an important part of learning. When used as an effective teaching programme they are invaluable.

There are lots of ways of using flashcards both with groups and individuals. Google will give lots of simple ideas. An easy method is just recognition. Get a small group together and lay the cards face down. Next get the children to turn them over one at a time and speak the word. If they don’t know it then ask for the others help. This not only builds vocabulary but also helps with group building.

One idea to help kids is to print each child out a set of cards or at least cards for the areas they have difficulty with. The kid can then take the cards away and practise with their parents. This involves the parents in the whole learning to read cycle which can help build a winning formula.

Remember that flashcards are not the only thing a child needs to do. They need to be convinced of the value of reading by watching their parents enjoying reading. They need to know just how important it is in life.

This article was written by Learning Huddle an educational website providing great cross curriculum material for KS1 - KS2 - KS3 and Curriculum for Excellence including worksheets and flashcards. LearningHuddle material for KS1

schools

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.