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Earn It, Learn It,

Teach Your Child the Value of  Money, Work, and Time Well Spent
written by Alisa T. Weinstein
Sourcebooks, 2011

My entrepreneur husband thinks this book is the bomb. Or maybe the jackpot. Because this book teaches children about real life professions, 50 different professions, and in the learning process, tasks are worth money. All age appropriate of course.

You’re probably scratching your head in confusion. It does sound weird, doesn’t it?

Let me give you an example. Since it’s spring, let’s us horticulturist as our example. By the way, your child picks the job, not you.

First, you’ll pick activities from the Jump In section to get an overview of the profession. These activities are leveled from 1 – 3 of difficulty. Let’s pretend we want to pick a level two activity like this one — “Label three plants. You can use store-bought labels or make some by attaching a piece of card stock to tree sticks. Or use permanent marker or paint to write the plants’ names on smooth rocks.”

Then, you get to the “Study” section. We might pick this level two task like this –”For three days, keep one of your houseplants in a dark closet (remember to water it!). Then move the plant to a sunny window for three days. Report what differences you see. Why is it importnat for Horticulturists to think about sunlight when planning their gardens?“

Next comes the “Protect” section. Again, we could do something like this task — “Create your own slow release irrigation system for a plant in your home. . . “

Finally, “Maintain Facilities” includes this level one task, “Organize your horticulture tools.“

As far as paying, the book suggests being flexible but consistent with whatever you decided. One idea suggested is for one career a week, payday would be Friday.

For more about Earn It, Learn It, become a fan on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, or subscribe to The Official Blog of the Earn My Keep Allowance Program.

Three people will WIN a copy of Earn It, Learn It! E-mail your name and address (to make book delivery faster) to [email protected] with “Earn It” in the subject line. We will randomly select one lucky winner to receive a copy of the book. Deadline for entry is midnight MST on April 30, 2011.

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The Nature Connection
An Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms
written and illustrated by Clare Walker Leslie
Storey Publishing, 2010
non-fiction

Finally a nature activity book that not only is an appropriate reading level for kids, but is very interesting, too! I’ve seen many nature-friendly books for kids that are too challenging for elementary readers, or they have too many words with little space in which to write or draw. But, this book is perfect for elementary-aged students to learn, read, draw, and write.

It’s organized by How to be a Naturalist, Learning the Seasons and then, monthly, with related information and activities. The words are written in large, readable font in earthy green, white, or brown – and it just feels spacious to read.

The activity pages give simple directions and provide plenty of writing or drawing space. For example, one page “Go on a Field Trip” asks you to go on a field trip for colors, sounds and clues to the season and after each, provides lines for writing and an inset box with suggestions. See more for yourself here and watch the author on YouTube here.

Book Play: Make your own nature scavenger hunt. Write down a list of 10 things you find in your backyard. Then give your list to someone else to find those things.

WIN a copy of The Nature  Connection! E-mail your name and address (to make book delivery faster) to [email protected] with “The Nature Connection” in the subject line. We will randomly select one lucky winner to receive a copy of the book. Deadline for entry is midnight MST on April 16, 2011.