The New Year has arrived and we have some new things for you: a new newsletter layout, a new blog post, new newsletter regular features, and, of course, new podcast episodes. Sprinkled in among the new are some old features with new style. So, take a break and take a look at the January newsletter...you will probably find something new to use in your homeschool.
NEW BLOG POST
Empowering Public Speaking at Home: A Family Guide
Public speaking is a critical skill that benefits children and teens for life. Explore practical tips, creative ideas, and free resources to help your kids grow as confident communicators, no matter their age or comfort level.
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JUST FOR YOU:
January Critical Thinking Deal
50% Off "Fallacy Detectors" + Free "Brain Games"
Offer ends January 31st!
Help your child improve their logical reasoning skills with two powerful resources designed for grades 4–8:
1. Critikid’s “Fallacy Detectors” (normally $15): An interactive, self-paced online course where students learn about common logical fallacies. They’ll embark on a cyber-adventure with videos, writing tasks, and interactive quizzes. By the end of the course, they’ll be able to recognize and respond to flawed arguments rationally.
2. FundaFunda’s “Brain Games” (normally $20): This comprehensive unit study combines creativity, logic, and problem-solving. Through engaging videos, puzzle games, and printable activities, students will improve test-taking strategies and strengthen their understanding of multiple subject areas. This product is free to all newsletter subscribers. To claim yours, email meryl@fundafunda.com a copy of your receipt from Critkids. Be sure to include your subscription email address, so you can receive access to Brain Games.
Normally $35, you can get both resources for just $7.50—Critikid’s "Fallacy Detectors" at 50% off and “Brain Games” absolutely FREE! Both products allow students to advance at their own pace AND provide lifetime access.
FUNDAFUNDA SPRING CLASSES
It's not too late to sign up, but spring classes began Monday, January 6, 2025. We do accept late registrations until Monday, January 20th.
START IN SPRING OR SPRING ONLY
The following asynchronous, graded classes with weekly deadlines are available for the spring semester.
These classes are full-year courses BUT can be started in the spring and completed in the fall OR students can just take the spring semester for 1/2 credit.
HIGH SCHOOL
The following one-semester classes are worth 1/2 credit:
MIDDLE SCHOOL
The following one-semester classes are worth 1/2 credit:
SELF-PACED
Our self-paced classes are also available throughout the year. We are currently offering the following classes:
These classes are the same as our asynchronous classes BUT parents grade the assignments and there are no deadlines. Answer keys / rubrics are provided.
UNIT STUDIES (REGULAR and MINI)
Our regular and mini unit studies are available throughout the year. Each regular unit study consists of four modules designed to be completed over a period of four weeks, while mini unit studies consist of one module designed to be completed over a period of one to two weeks. All unit studies are self-paced and can be used by all the children in your family because you have lifetime ownership.
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Contest of the Month: Innovating Smarter
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This writing contest is open to students in grades 3-12 and is broken down into three grade categories: 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th.
Students select an item they would like to make smart and then answer their age-related questions within their essay.
Smart objects are electronic devices that are able to connect with other devices using the internet. Smart objects perform some level of computing as well.
Winners in each grade category will receive the prizes listed below:
First-place winners will be awarded $1,000.
Second-place entries will be awarded $750.
Third-place entries will be awarded $500.
Winning entries, along with honorable mention entries, will be published on the EngineerGirl website.
The deadline to enter is February 1, 2025, at 11:59pm EST.
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Scratch Christmas Coding Contest Winner
Congratulations to DOMINIC B.!!
Currently, we host this Scratch contest in December and a StockMarket Contest over the summer. We offer Amazon gift card prizes to motivate students to do their best.
We could add contests for each month of the year on a variety of topics eg Photography, Vocabulary, Writing, Graphic Design, etc. They would cost $5 each to cover our admin costs. Would this interest you?
| April Poll: What type of AI class would you like us to create? |
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AI Tip / Resource of the Month
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Found a great article or website but the language is too advanced for your child? Or perhaps it is a primary source and the English is archaic.
Drop the article into ChatGPT or another AI tool and prompt "Rewrite this article at a 7th-grade level (or whatever grade you need)".
You could also specify whether you do or don't want it to summarize the article.
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Will You Help Us?
We want to help you integrate technology into your homeschool. Will you help us by taking this short survey? It's anonymous :)
Cool Links
January is a great month to bird-watch--the leaves on the trees don't block your view. Explore these cool links to make bird-watching fun!
- Bird Watching Apps -- here's a list of 12 free bird-watching apps for everything from identification to keeping track of your life list.
- Run Wild My Child shares easy bird feeders you can make with children.
- Cornell University is hosting a free webinar on January 15th at 7pm EST to share information about participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count (February 14-17, 2025). The webinar will also include information on resources for bird ID and tips and tricks for bird walks.
"I found World History to be a perfect combination of fun and thought-provoking. I appreciated this class’s focus on critical thinking—its engaging assignments (especially the reflections) encourage you to connect with history on a deeper level. Its workload encourages students to develop time-management skills along with what's taught in the class. Meryl is very accessible if you have any questions or concerns, and it’s clear she wants her students to succeed. I highly recommend this class!"
--G. Burrell
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ACT CORNER
Test Info and Updates
Fast Facts
- Next test date is February 8, 2025.
- Regular registration closed on January 3, 2025.
- Late registration closes on January 20, 2025.
- A Test Information Release (TIR) report can be purchased for the February test.
- Use promo code FEBTIR before January 20th at 11:59 pm CST and get $9 off.
- Future ACT test dates are April 5, June 14, and July 12, 2025.
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Quick Links
FundaFunda's ACT Intro course has been updated to include information about the upcoming changes to the ACT. Use code APRACT and save $2 through January 20, 2025.
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Latest Podcast Episodes
In our Homeschooling with Technology podcast, we explore new and different ways of using technology in homeschooling. There is an episode released every week!
You can start listening at any time. Just click on a link to listen in a browser, or find the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Email me if you need help! We have a tab on our website to browse through all our past podcast episodes easily. Check it out!
In this episode we’re diving into how you can begin integrating AI into your homeschool. This episode will give you practical steps to get started.
Christmas has passed, but you can still use the 12 ideas I mention in this episode as gifts for other occasions like birthdays or graduation.
This episode covered lots of ways to save time on tasks so you can spend time with family and friends. You can apply the tips covered in this episode to other holidays/special events.
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Free Resource Library for Subscribers
Access the Free Resources Library HERE. Password: edufun
