MSI Press Blog

🌟   5 Tips for Surviving This Time off of School and in the House!  🌟 To be sure, this is an unprecedented time, and an unusual break from school. Your  kids might feel frustrated they aren’t getting to go to school, see their friends, and engage in their favorite sports and activities right now.   But every time your family chooses to stay home, help your kids see that they are actually being brave and helpful. You can help your kids think of this time not like a punishment, but rather like they are giving their community a great gift. Staying home, as many are, is a true act of solidarity. It’s a sacrifice they can give so that nurses, doctors, and all those for whom it is not possible to stay home and protected (from first responders to grocery store personnel, and many, many others) can continue to do their jobs and keep the rest of us safe and keep our lives as normal as possible. Here are a few ideas from an article I wrote about stopping Summer Slide and from my boo

  We cannot tell the back story of 10 Quick Homework Tips without telling the story of is sister book, 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents . So, here is the link to that back story , which we shared last Sunday Back Story of  10 Quick Homework Tips by Cindy McKinley Alder & Patti Trombly [Please do read the back story for 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents to learn how Cindy and Patti met.] A few years ago, after listening to the frustrations of parents trying to find time for everything as well as struggling to work with their kids at home more during the pandemic, Patti and I decided to create a “quick tip” book to help. It seemed homework issues were especially overwhelming and challenging for busy parents.   So, we worked together again and wrote a short book on   easy ways parents could help ease the frustrations of homework battles.   10 Quick Homework Tips was not as time-consuming, but just as fun for us to write.   It feels great to share so many decades of our practical, h

Back Story  of  365 Teachers Secrets for Parents: Fun Ways to Help Your Elementary Child Succeed in School  by Cindy McKinley Alder & Patti Trombly Nearly 30 years ago, I met Patti in the back row of a grad school classroom at Eastern Michigan University.  Our professor had us begin the class by writing out a “Bliss List”: all the things that made us happy.  When we compared lists, we were shocked to see they were almost identical! We were both due to have our first babies in a few months, both elementary school teachers, both working on a Masters in Reading, and both had a weakness for soft pretzels. We didn’t know it at the time, but that day sparked a decades-long friendship. Throughout the years, Patti taught upper elementary, and I taught the lower grades.  We met weekly with our four kids and, of course, always ended up talking about teaching and how eager the parents were to find ways to help their kids at home.  I eventually decided to stay home with my kids more and became

   Almost missed this one! It came out a few months ago, but as long as children go to school, the information is valuable. Find out what these five things are HERE . Cindy is the co-author of two award-winning books, along with Patti Trombly, of which MSI Press is proud. Check them out: Read details HERE . Purchase from Amazon HERE . Get 25% discount with coupon code FF25 at www.msipress.com/shop. Read details HERE . Purchase from Amazon HERE . Get 25% discount with coupon code FF25 at www.msipress.com/shop. Read more posts about Cindy McKinley Alder HERE .  Read more posts about Patti Trombly HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

  Congratulations to Cindy McKinley Alder & Patti Trombly on their book, 10 Quick Homework Tips , being selected as the Kops-Fetherling International Book Awards gold medal winner in the category of education.   For more information on this book, click HERE . For more posts on Cindy and Patti and their books, click HERE .

  Want to know if 10 Quick Homework Tips  by Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly is worth reading? Since we published it, certainly we believe it is. However, as evidence, take a look at the endorsements of others. GOLD WINNER for EDUCATION KOPS-FETHERLING INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS Reader's Favorite evaluation: Cindy McKinley Alder and Patti Trombly's 10 Quick Homework Tips is an excellent manual for all parents to help them deal with homework and use the Homework Agreement so that pressure can be taken off the family. The tips are simple and easy to apply so that an organized atmosphere conducive to learning can be created at home. It is a good way to work towards building a space that is just right for the child to finish the homework and produce quality work. The approach to the topic is excellent and makes it easy for both parents and children to deal with homework better so that it is manageable and the ambiance at home is healthy and positive.   Purchase: Kindle versio

  Many thanks to Cindy McKinley Alder, co-author with Patti Trombly  of 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents and 10 Quick Homework Tips ,  for this guest post Preventing Summer Slide Cindy McKinley Alder     Summer Break is long and, often, when kids go back to school in the fall, they have lost a bit of learning.   This is called “Summer Slide”.   While the amount of time out of school is not likely to change, you can absolutely cut down the amount of learning loss over the summer months.   The key is to make things fun and authentic.   Handing out workbooks might be fun for some kids.   But if you think your kids would just roll their eyes and protest, try to find some real-life (and fun!) ways to get them practicing their skills.   For most kids, having some READING time every day during the summer is an excellent way to keep skills current over the months without school.   You can read to them if they are young or they can read on their own. Work together to set a goal.   Wri

  It's h..e..r..e! Summer vacation. Now, how do you prevent your kids from forgetting everything they learned in school this year before returning in the fall? Cindy Alder has some suggestions in a Twinkl article, " How Can Parents and Carers Prevent Summer Learning Loss? " Read more posts about Cindy and her books  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

It may hard to imagine it, but summer vacation for schoolkids is just around the corner. With that in mind, take a look at an article to which MSI Press author, Cindy Alder, contributed, " How to Keep Kids' Skills Sharp over the Summer. " Read more posts about Cindy and her books  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

  Are you facing the need to get a tutor for a child? Any idea what is a fair price? This article in Romper, to which Cindy Alder contributed, should take care of your questions: " Here's How Much You're Actually Supposed to Pay a Tutor ." Read more posts about Cindy and her books  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

  What is a  book jewel ? A sometimes-overlooked book with remarkable insight and potential significance. Each month, we share near-daily, or as often as possible, reviews of the monthly book jewel - short, succinct reviews that can be read in 1-2 minutes with links to the reviewer by reviewers whose words are worthy of being heard and whose opinions are worthy of being considered. Sometimes a couple of minutes contains more impressive thought than ten times that many. We will let you decide that. This month's book jewel is 10 Quick Homework Tips by Alder & Trombly. Written during the pandemic to assist parents, the tips are just as good today. Description: Is there a lot of whining at your house about homework? Do you fi nd that it sometimes also comes from your kids? If you are tired of the back-and forth of homework battles, then this book is your solution. 10 Quick Homework Tips provides a quick reference for parents who are looking for ways to help their kids with their h