~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPONSORED ANNOUNCEMENT:
Online Writing Course for Homeschool Students in Grades 3-12!
Time4Writing provides an online, 8-week writing course that helps students build writing skills. Students learn through one-on-one interaction with a certified teacher who is their personal writing tutor. Students (in grades 3-12) have at least one writing assignment each week and receive editorial feedback that helps them improve. There are classes starting almost every Monday, year round. For more information visit Time4Writing.
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Recommended Website:
Kid’s Bank
Age Range: 5 and up
ClickScholar Jennifer Bolton, who homeschools her two special needs sons, recommended this website and co-wrote the review. (Read Jennifer’s bio below.) 
KidsBank.com is a website sponsored by Sovereign Bank that explains money and banking to children with the goal of helping them learn to spend and save their money wisely. Concepts such as simple and compound interest, checking, and electronic banking are described in an appealing way for young children, and older children will enjoy the clickable “Professor” who provides more detailed explanations.
When you get to the site select the Java or Non-Java version. The website has everything laid out in the form of an interactive tutorial in story-book format that is guided by animated characters as follows:
- Penny teaches where money comes from and how it’s made.
- Dollar Bill helps kids understand why it’s important to save money, and what the bank does with your money.
- Interest Ray demystifies simple and compound interest.
- Checks the puppy explains how checking accounts work.
- Mr. EFT reveals how “Electronic Funds Transfer” moves money around the world. (I loved Mr. EFT because I finally understand electronic funds – proving this site has something that appeals to all ages!)
You can follow the story of money in the order designated – or, for greater flexibility, just select the topic that interests you.
There are free downloadable images, and a game room where you can take quizzes on the information gathered in the stories. Special interactive calculators help kids learn about saving for holiday purchases, and a Car Calculator helps your child plan a savings strategy to purchase a car while learning how time, contributions, and interest rates impact their savings.
The “Links” page offers a directory of websites with more information about money, as well as sciences pages, online books, and other sites of interest to kids. Check it out!
Jennifer Bolton and
Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
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********* ABOUT JENNIFER BOLTON **********
Jennifer Bolton and her husband Doug engage in home learning with their two special needs sons. She runs the website, Special Needs Home Learning, with resources for parents who are homeschooling special needs children. She provides information on getting started homeschooling along with links to helpful articles and websites. She is the author of “We Learn Everywhere!” – a story for toddlers/preschoolers about homeschooling. The book is available for purchase at her website.
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DID YOU MISPLACE A ClickSchooling Review? Do you need to find an educational website – fast! Visit the ClickSchooling archives at: http://www.homefires.com/clickschool/archive.asp
