Recycling used text books and saving bucks

Recycling used text book is a good way to save few bucks. The recycling process can also help us save energy, water and landfill space.
If you don't want to donate or recycle your text books then you can also sell these books.
I usually donate those old books to other child. And from few years, I ask for used text books from other parents. Parents can help each other in this process of recycling. It is not only good for environment but a way of saving bucks.
Recycling tips:

• Best way to recycle used text books is to communicate other parents or teachers around your community. Ask other parents for exchange of unused text books. 
• Educators may encourage parents to grow a habit of recycling of used text books.
• There are many online sites which can help students or parents, buying used text books at very cheap rates.
• Donate to charities, public libraries or local schools. They can utilize your used books themselves or sell them for fundraising.
• Check out BookMooch, which is an online community for exchanging used books. This site allows you to give away books you no longer need in exchange for books you really want. There is no cost to join or use their site; your only cost is mailing your books to others.
• Paperback Swap is another site that lets you swap not only paperbacks, but also hardcover books, textbooks and more.

We also need to know can how we can save money buying used text books.

How about buying used books saving upto 90%?
'Textbook.com' is an online resource offering huge discounts on new and used college textbooks. Having over 7 million textbooks, these books are ready to ship.

Useful links:

10 Helpful Ways to Recycle Used Books

How to Teach and Work with Children with Dyscalculia using alternative learning methods?

Students with learning disabilities are a challenge for educators as these children need individual attention, alternative learning styles and strategies to achieve success. 4 to 6 percent of all students classified as having specific learning disabilities in schools. Dyscalculia is one of those learning disabilities among children.

Dyscalculia is also called math disability as it involves innate difficulty in learning or comprehending arithmetic. It includes difficulty in understanding numbers, learning how to manipulate numbers, learning maths facts, and a number of other related symptoms.

Having a learning disability does not mean being unable to learn. It does mean that the person will have to use adaptive methods to process information so that learning can be accomplished. Recent research studies tells us that we can teach these students and put into a position to compete. Using alternate learning methods, people with dyscalculia can achieve success.

Success for these students requires a focus on individual achievement, individual progress, and individual learning. Although math learning difficulties occur in children with low IQ dyscalculia occurs in people across the whole IQ range, and sufferers often, but not always, also have difficulties with time, measurement, and spatial reasoning.


Two major areas of weakness can contribute to math learning disabilities:

1. Visual-spatial difficulties, which result in a person having trouble processing what the eye sees 
2. Language processing difficulties, which result in a person having trouble processing and making sense of what the ear hear.

Helping a student identify his/her strengths and weaknesses is the first step to getting help.

How is teach and work with Dyscalculia childrens?
Parents, teachers and other educators can work together to establish strategies that will help the student learn math more effectively. Help outside the classroom lets a student and tutor focus specifically on the difficulties that student is having, taking pressure off moving to new topics too quickly. Repeated reinforcement and specific practice of straightforward ideas can make understanding easier.

Alternative learning methods:

• Allow use of fingers and scratch paper
• Practice estimating as a way to begin solving math problems.
• Use diagrams and draw math concepts
• Provide peer assistance
• Use of graph paper for students who have difficulty organizing ideas on paper.
• Use of colored pencils to differentiate problems
• Work with manipulative
• Draw pictures of word problems
• Use mnemonic devices to learn steps of a math concept
• Use rhythm and music to teach math facts and to set steps to a beat
• Schedule computer time for the student for drill and practice
• For language difficulties, explain ideas and problems clearly and encourage students to ask questions as they work.

Help students become aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Understanding how a person learns best is a big step in achieving academic success and confidence.

'Learning Disabilities Association' 

Download Free 'Help your child' e-books

Parents who help their child in studies need some guidance which is usually provided by the schools, but for good grades, students need to search for extra resources and helping books. Internet is a rich source of information regarding educational stuff. But the information are scattered in a way that usually it is difficult or time consuming to find or search the material. I hope that this blog would be helpful for teachers, parents, or students in finding relevant information or resource links.

You can download these 12- "Helping your child" series e-books FREE. These are not educational or teaching syllabus books, but these books are a guideline for specific subjects. First 9 books are in pdf format, and you would get the downloading instruction from the post. Rest of the 3 books are in brochure form.

These e-books are provided by ED.gov a 'U.S Department of Education" site, to promote student achievement.
"The "Helping Your Child" publication series aims to provide parents with the tools and information necessary to help their children succeed in school and life. These booklets feature practical lessons and activities to help their school aged and preschool children master reading, understand the value of homework and develop the skills and values necessary to achieve and grow."

1- Helping Your Child Learn History

The booklet is designed to help families prepare their children to achieve the lifelong task of finding their place in history by helping them learn what shaped the world into which they were born. Employing the latest research, the booklet is largely comprised of activities that can be experienced at home or in the community for children in preschool through grade 5, yet also features information about the basics of history; practical suggestions for how to work with teachers and schools to help children succeed in school; and a list of federal sources, helpful Web sites and suggested books for parents and children
Download link: To download, click the right mouse button and select 'save as':PDF (2M)

2- Helping Your Child Learn Science

Every day is filled with opportunities to learn science—without expensive chemistry sets or books. Parents don't need degrees in chemistry or physics to help their children learn science. All that is needed is a willingness to observe and learn with them, and, above all, to make an effort and take the time to nurture their natural curiosity. This booklet provides parents of children ages 3 through 10 with information, tools and activities they can use in the home and community to help their child develop an interest in the sciences and learn about the world around them.
Download link: PDF (1M)

3- Helping Your Child Learn Mathematics

Our increasingly technological world demands strong skills in mathematics, not only in the workforce but also in everyday life, and these demands will only increase over the lifetimes of our children. The major portion of this booklet is made up of fun activities that parents can use with children from preschool age through grade 5 to strengthen their math skills and build strong positive attitudes toward math.
Download link: PDF (776K)

4- Helping Your Child Become a Reader

Other than helping your children to grow up healthy and happy, the most important thing that you can do for them is to help them develop their reading skills. This booklet offers pointers on how to build the language skills of young children, and includes a list of typical language accomplishments for different age groups, suggestions for books, and resources for children with reading problems or learning disabilities.
Download link: PDF

5- Helping Your Child With Homework

Homework can help children to develop positive study skills and habits, improve their thinking and memory abilities, and encourage them to use time well, learn independently, and take responsibility for their work. This booklet helps parents of elementary and junior high school students understand why homework is important and makes suggestions for helping children complete assignments successfully.
Download link: PDF (508K)

6- Helping Your Preschool Child

How well children will learn and develop and how well they will do in school depends on a number of things, including their health and physical well-being, social and emotional preparation, and language skills and general knowledge of the world. This booklet highlights techniques parents can use to encourage their children to develop the skills necessary for success in school and life by focusing on activities that make learning fun.
Download link: PDF (725K)

7- Helping Your Child Succeed in School

Every child has the power to succeed in school and in life and every parent, family member and caregiver can help. This booklet provides parents with information, tools and activities they can use in the home to help their child develop the skills critical to academic success.
Downlaod link: PDF (1,600K)

8- Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence

Learning as much as you can about the world of early adolescents is an important step towards helping your child through the fascinating, confusing and wonderful years from ages 10 through 14. Based on the latest research in adolescent development and learning, this booklet addresses questions, provides suggestions and tackles issues that parents of young teens generally find most challenging.
Download link: PDF (2,090K)

9- Helping Your Child Become a Responsible Citizen

Just as children must be taught to read and write, solve math problems, and understand science concepts and events in history, so must they be guided in developing the qualities of character that are valued by their families and by the communities in which they live. This booklet provides information about the values and skills that make up character and good citizenship and what you can do to help your child develop strong character. It suggests activities that you and your school-aged children can do to put those values to work in your daily lives and tips for working with teachers and schools to ensure that you act together to promote the basic values that you want your child to learn and use.
Downlaod link: PDF (1,687K)

Few more brochures:

10- Help Your Child Improve in Test-Taking
It suggests some simple techniques parents can use to help their children develop the ability to do well on tests.
Link: Help Your Child Improve in Test-Taking

11- Help Your Child Learn to Write Well
This brochure gives parents simple and fun strategies for helping their children learn to write well—and to enjoy doing it!
Link: Help Your Child Learn to Write Well

12- Helping Your Child Learn Geography
Offers many simple, fun activities to teach youngsters the fundamentals of geography—from creating treasure maps to helping children find pen pals.
Link: Helping Your Child Learn Geography