This post may contain affiliate links.

Co-host:   Montessori Nature

I hope everyone has had a fabulous week! We've had an extremely busy week again, but from this moment on, it should be smooth sailing for the rest of the summer.  There are no more vacations, specialist appointments etc.  I can't wait to dedicate more time to highlighting your fabulous printables!  Here are our features for the week:

1.  Ant 3-Part Cards from Gift of Curiosity

2.  Character Analysis Art Activity from Two Muses Homeschool

3.  Transportation Part II from Welcome to Mommyhood

Here's how this works!

You:

1.  Link up to 3 educational printables for kiddos.  Free, paid, and giveaway printables are welcome.

2.  Add our Kids Learning Printables Linky Party Button to your post or blog.

3.  Support your fellow educators by commenting, pinning, and/or sharing the post published before yours.

4.  If you're not already doing so, follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and/or through my blog.
5.  You give me permission to use and repost images from your blog.

Me:

1.  Visit all posts.
2.  Share and pin as many links as possible throughout the week.

2.  Feature my favorite posts in next week's link up.

3.  Get to know you, your blog, and your printables for future use.

Let's get this party started!

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<a href="http://everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Kids%20Learning%20Printables" title="Every Star Is Different" target="_blank"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zdN_47sX_k7OS2i1c_ORCv4HPY8Us8WaXNZiOyUjpvU=w169-h100-no" alt="Every Star Is Different" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

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Free Printables

The contents of this post have been moved to our new and improved free printables page  Click the link below and enjoy!

Every Star Is Different Free Printables Page

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  It is the perfect time to launch into An All American Summer Unit and study the United States of America.

I just love the Patriotic holiday season.  It starts off with Memorial Day, then we have Flag Day and the 4th of July.

Just take a look at all of these wonderful Patriotic activities and printables!  And if you're looking for resources about the USA, you've come to the right spot!

An All American Summer Unit: The United States of America

Cursive Letter Sand Tray

We're starting our study of cursive. The kiddos are okay with their letter identification, so we're moving on to sand tray writing, practicing four letters each month.  

It's amazing to me how much easier cursive is for the kiddos, compared to when they were learning print.

Source: The cards for this activity can be found at 3 Dinosaurs.

United States of America First Letter Identification

I am super excited about these cards.  The kiddos have known the names of the 50 States for quite some time.  We learned them as part of a song.  

I thought it would be fun for them to start to identify the shapes of each state, and practice their beginning letter sounds at the same time.  

Control cards are provided in case they don't remember the name of the state and can't think of the first letter sound.

The cards are not designed in the Montessori colors, as I was unable to find black and white outlines, however, I still think they will work in teaching the shapes of the states.

The first letter sound cards match the state cards, in order to provide the proper controls.  All states are included in the printable.

Source:  I created this printable as part of my All American Summer Unit Language Printable Pack 1.  This is a Subscriber's Only Freebie.  For your free copy, follow the directions and subscribe to our free newsletter at the bottom of this post.

Glue & Glitter Spelling Word Practice

This is by far, my kiddos' most favorite spelling activity.  Who knew glitter would be so enticing!  Such great fine motor practice.  Their words are looking fabulous!  

The kiddos choose the words they want to write from the small cards provided, and then write them using glue on the black paper.  Finally they sprinkle with glitter, and voila!

Source:  I created the small spelling word cards as part of my All American Summer Language Printable Pack 1. For your free copy, click on the link located at the bottom of this post.

American Flag Addition

The kiddos will use the flags provided as counters, and glass beads as markers to answer the math problem cards.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my All American Summer Math Printable Pack 1.  This is a Subscriber's Only Freebie.  For your free copy, follow the directions and subscriber to our free newsletter at the bottom of this post.

Tootsie Roll Subtraction

Tootsie Rolls are a very American treat, hence their use for this activity. 

The kiddos will us the Tootsie Rolls as counters, and glass beads as markers, to answer the subtraction questions on the cards.  When they are finished, they're each allowed to try one Tootsie Roll.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my All American Summer Math Printable Pack 1.  This is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions and subscriber to our free newsletter at the bottom of this post.

All American Summer Events Schedule (Telling Time)

The kiddos will match the clock cards to the time cards.  Each clock card has an "All American" summer activity attached to it.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my All American Summer Math Printable Pack 1.  This is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions and subscriber to our free newsletter at the bottom of this post.

All American Treats for Sale! Money Activity

The kiddos will match up the coin cards with the money amount cards.  Each coin card shows a picture of an "All American" treat.  

Prices are completely random in this activity and in no way match up to what it would actually cost to pay for one of these treats.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my All American Summer Math Printable Pack 1.  This is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions and subscriber to our free newsletter at the bottom of this post.

50 Animals from the United States of America

A geography/culture unit would not be complete without a new set of 50 animal cards.  Dinomite was slightly impatient about the completion of them.  Lol.  

As always, I provide these for him to sort and identify as he likes.  It's amazing how he learns so much just be looking at these cards.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my All American Summer Science & Culture Printable Pack 1.  This is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions and subscriber to our free newsletter at the bottom of this post.

American Inventors

The kiddos will match the invention with it's creator.  The name of the invention and inventor are on both sets of cards as a control.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my All American Summer Science & Culture Printable Pack 1.  This is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions and subscriber to our free newsletter at the bottom of this post.

United States of America Puzzle

The kiddos will practice their state identification as they put this puzzle together.

American Artists

The kiddos will match the artist to their artwork.  The name of the artist is on both cards as a control.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity as part of my All American Summer Science & Culture Printable Pack 1.  This is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions and subscriber to our free newsletter at the bottom of this post.

Keyboard Identification Practice

The kiddos will place a glass bead on the letter that matches the key on the keyboard that is marked with a red dot.  The keyboard with letters is provided as a control.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity.  It is called "Learning the Keyboard Music Printable 1."  This is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions and subscriber to our free newsletter at the bottom of this post.

Instruments in an Orchestra

The kiddos will sort orchestra instruments into sections.

Source:  I created the printable for this activity.  It is called "Orchestra Instrument Nomenclature Cards."  This is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions and subscriber to our free newsletter at the bottom of this post.

Dropper Star Activity

The kiddos will use the droppers provided (not clearly shown in the picture), to practice transferring water into the star ice cube tray.

Spooning Stars

I found these cute star buttons at a local craft store. I LOVE them!  The kiddos will transfer the stars using the spoon provided.

Patriotic Button Snake

The kiddos will practice their buttoning skills, using this cute patriotic themed button snake.  I made it myself!  I'm so pleased with how it turned out.

Hanging Sheets on the Clothesline

The kiddos will practice hanging these mini-sheets on the clothesline.  The rope in the basket is set up as a clothesline during learning time.

Flag Designs

The kiddos will use the flags provided to create the designs shown on the cards.

Source:  I found this activity at Gift of Curiosity.

Patriotic Cutting Activity

The kiddos will practice their cutting skill using straws, ribbon, silk flowers, and a string of blue beads.

Directions on How to Obtain Subscriber Only Freebies

1. Click on the Subscriber's link at the bottom of this post.

2. Subscribe to our free newsletter.

3. Open the thank you message you receive after subscribing. (Be sure to check your spam folder, as sometimes it ends up there.)

4. Click the confirmation link in the thank you message.

5. Once the confirmation is complete, you will receive another message with the Subscriber Only Freebies Link and Password.

6. Click on link and type in password. (The password is cap sensitive.)

7. Find the printable pack you are looking for listed in alphabetical order, click on it, and viola!

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Subscriber Only Freebies page, along with the password in case you forgot it.

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If you enjoyed this post you may also enjoy the posts below.

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How Can I Help My Autistic Child Prepare for Higher Education?

This post may contain affiliate links.

School is often seen as a nightmare for ASD kids and their parents, for good reason.  There are few environments that are less conducive to success for an autistic child.  However, there is hope.  As parents it is easy to worry too much and fret over every small decision and classroom intervention that you have to make in regards to your autistic child.  This process, meetings, therapies, etc. can be agonizing for both parent and child.  It may not be easy, but try to relax.  I never received any speech therapy, occupational therapy, accommodation, or adaptation and I turned out okay.  Can these therapies and interventions be beneficial? Yes, in some cases.  But please remember no matter how many therapies and interventions you put in place, your child can only develop as fast as their brain does.  If all of these appointments increase stress levels for all involved, the benefits will be minimal.  Your job as the parent is to help your child be as happy as they can possibly be through their educational journey.  Try not limit your vision of your child's academic career.  Your ASD child is capable of incredible things!  There are multiple paths and options for them to choose from, if they decide to pursue further education as an adult.  Your job is to guide your ASD child down the path that fits them best, so they can be successful.

1.  Let them pursue their passions/obsessions.  There appear to be several "subtypes" of autistic academic talents: numbers, drawing, words, and music.   There are many subject areas, college majors and career paths that line up with each ASD subtype.  Immerse your child in the corresponding subject areas, and you will see that child flourish.  Let them enjoy their obsessions!

2.  Draw on their natural academic strengths.  Your child most likely has above average intelligence in one or more academic areas.  A good memory is also a common strength among autistic people.  Like their "typical" peers, your ASD child also has a preferred learning style.  Some students learn best from reading, some from listening, and for others only a hands-on approach will do.  These preferences usually correspond with your child's academic strength.  No matter what the subject area or specific learning difficulty, the most important factor is to identify your child's preferred learning style and tailor your learning aids around that.  This allows the child to reach their maximum potential and makes learning fun.

3.  Take academic weaknesses into account.   Proficiency in one area does not indicate a similar proficiency in the other areas. In fact, an average to below average ability in the other subject areas would be more likely.  This is one reason why educating ASD students is so difficult.  If your child dislikes a certain subject area, you will need to provide some sort of positive reinforcement to ensure good results. The child can't be relied on to find enough "internal motivation" to do a difficult assignment.  A responsible trusted adult will have to provide the supervision and motivation for the child.  This need for an outside source of motivation continues into adulthood.  It doesn't go away.  What you can hope for as a parent of a college-bound ASD child is that your child has developed some strategies of their own.  My strategy was to avoid classes I know I wouldn't like when possible, reward myself with downtime or doing fun things after getting through a difficult or boring class or assignment.  It helped that I had only one major role or identity (student) throughout my academic career, since over time, I have learned that adding additional roles (spouse, parent, employee) has dramatically changed my ability to function successfully and utilize my coping strategies effectively.

4.  Take their sensory needs into account.  When considering ways to help autistic children with their academics, you will have to remember the importance of sensory sensitivity.  Sensory difficulties are strong enough to derail a college major or other educational choice.  For example, do you have a budding paleontologist in your home who loves dinos but hates to get his hands dirty?  A Ph.D in paleontology may not be the right path for your child, but a career as a museum curator or tour guide is much more possible, and more importantly, a better chance at success and satisfaction at work.  Be sure to incorporate as many senses as possible when teaching something new to a child.  I have noticed that I can grasp new concepts much more easily when there is hands-on participation or some other physical component involved in the instruction.  Integrating sensory input is a major struggle for ASD people, so give your child the best chance of learning and retaining new information by presenting it in a way that gets their attention through multiple sensory inputs.

I was never diagnosed with ASD until after I graduated with a Master's degree and became a licensed professional in my career field.  I was lucky that my academic strengths were reading and memorizing facts. These strengths were very useful in the classroom.  They did not make up for my weaknesses though.  My fine motor skills are still delayed.  It is very difficult to read my writing and I avoid cutting at all costs.  I struggle with abstract math and numbers in general.  In regards to sensory input, I have my sensory preferences like any other ASD person.  I remember one class in college that hit all of my academic weaknesses. It was a geology class (facts, but lots of numbers too) that was held at 8:30 AM (too early for me) in a small, full classroom with no windows (too tight of a space for me) and the professor didn't write anything,  He just lectured. (Do you want to guess my least effective learning style?)  Needless to say, I got a D in the class.  I also got a D+ in a Humanities class because I couldn't complete the final project (an art project done in an Italian Renaissance style).  I didn't have the artistic ability, creativity or motivation to do it, or write a long paper just before finals (the alternative to the art project).

My two sons were diagnosed with ASD before I was and when they were diagnosed, I decided that my main focus as a parent is for them to be happy.  I believe that it is possible for ASD children like mine to live happily and pursue the academic and professional training that "real life" demands in order to be a productive member of society.  The trick is to make the world work for the kids, rather than try to make them fit into whatever mold the world thinks they should fit.  This is not only possible, but very likely to be accomplished if you develop an academic and career plan designed around your child's skills, interests, and talents.  There is a world of opportunity for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Your job is to help your child find the opportunity that fits best.

If you'd like to read more posts about autism written by Jason, enjoy the following below!

How Can I Help My Autistic Child Prepare for Work & Career?

How Can I Help My Child with Transitions?

How Can I Better Prepare My Child for Unexpected Changes in Routines and Schedules?

About the Author:

Jason has a master's degree in Marriage and Family Counseling.  He has spent the last eight years working as a therapist to adults and children, in a private and group counseling sessions, and in residential facilities.  At home, Jason has four plus years experience as a foster parent with his wife, caring for children ages newborn to eighteen years of age with multiple special needs.   He is also a parent to four special needs children, two biological, and two adopted, with diagnoses of autism, ADHD, RAD, PTSD, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome of Effect, anxieties, and sleep disorders.  Within the last year, Jason was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD and Anxiety Disorder NOS.

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Kids Learning Printables Linky Party #12

This post may contain affiliate links.

Welcome to the Kids Learning Printables Linky Party #12

Co-host:   Montessori Nature

My apologies for being late with this post this week.  The kiddos and I were away for the weekend.  I can't miss the opportunity to feature some fabulous printables though, so I'm doing this today.  There will only be three features, due to the low number of link ups.  This makes me quite sad, because I know there are many out there who are making fabulous printables, I'd love to share with others.  Hopefully more will link up this week!

1. Plant a Pocket of Prairie printables from Wise Owl Factory

2.  I Love My White Shoes Tot Pack from Memorizing the Moments

3.N is for (40+) Nature Walks-{with Free Printables) from Living Montessori Now

Here's how this works!

You:

1.  Link up to 3 educational printables for kiddos.  Free, paid, and giveaway printables are welcome.

2.  Add our Kids Learning Printables Linky Party Button to your post or blog.

3.  Support your fellow educators by commenting, pinning, and/or sharing the post published before yours.

4.  If you're not already doing so, follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and/or through my blog.
5.  You give me permission to use and repost images from your blog.

Me:

1.  Visit all posts.
2.  Share and pin as many links as possible throughout the week.

2.  Feature my favorite posts in next week's link up.

3.  Get to know you, your blog, and your printables for future use.

Let's get this party started!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Kids%20Learning%20Printables" title="Every Star Is Different" target="_blank"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zdN_47sX_k7OS2i1c_ORCv4HPY8Us8WaXNZiOyUjpvU=w169-h100-no" alt="Every Star Is Different" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

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