100 posts with Toy Story Mania!

As I complete a 100 posts, here the 101....Last week-end, it has been a very busy schedule and two worlds apart - politics and children! Can you imagine a contrast working on different plane! Well, that's what we call - wonders of human brain. If you are interested in Politics, Current affairs or Global Issues, stay tuned here to what these Columnists have to say - the new pages I just added here.

Btw, I recently asked children, "After exams, what are you going to do?" A quick reply came, "I am going to Kashmir, I will go to Malaysia, I am going to Delhi, I am going to Abu, Singapore, Manali....and so on. When I was asked, I said, "I am going to add those extra stories in Fairy land, add worksheets to Grammar Fun and add pages for Kids:-) The reason is simple. I hate to go out during Summer time as it's getting too hot with the Global warming and environment shifts. And as such, at Swagat Holidays, we sell dreams, people turn to realities! Call on us for the best packages if you wish to travel anywhere in India.

And there, it's going to be Disney Magic behind the scenes for kids who love like adventure. Disneys latest 4 D attraction "Toy Story Mania" is getting debut in May. Characters from "Toy Story" and 11 other Pixar movies like "Finding Nemo," "Cars," "Ratatouille" and "A Bug's Life" are the stars of a new interactive parade at California Adventure with floats up to two stories high. Read more on this here on CNN.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and teachers

Robert Frost

Winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, Robert Frost was born on 26th March and I just missed on to mention here. You can find the profile of Robert Frost on Literature pages here.

Well, the American Editors rejected the Poetry of Robert Frost. He attended the Dartmouth and Harvard but never earned a degree.

For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired!

A cheerful and descriptive poetry style of writing yet Robert Frost's poetry reflected dark side of life and thoughtful musings on life. As clear from his one poem "Apple Picking", Robert Frost considers how life has been experienced fully but with regrets and mistakes. While picking apples, the poet feels exhausted and here's as you read, it reminds of the school days as you jot down the Central Idea of the poem. Written with unrhymed iambic pentameter again, blank verse - some lines in soothing rhythm and some stop short.

Ask a student who appears for the schools exams and there's a confusion between a Central Idea and a Character Sketch. No, really I mean it as it so happens, the children are over-burden with the examination pressure and they end up confused when actually they have to write the Central Idea, they end up writing Character sketch while doing revisions. Understanding the Questions is too important to reply - Answers come with clarity of Understanding.

First week of April are examinations days and here's examination tips for all school going students.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, Kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for parents and teachers

Surviving Your Parents Divorce

Surviving your Parents Divorce - This is one website I recommend as it gives a lot insight on surviving the problems of parents who reach for a divorce! And this is changing generation when it is time for a positive experience than the negative effects it has on children.

If marriages can be saved, they should be. But if there's a split, traumatic events scar kids. However, it is more important on how to take it. Survival is a bright side but the better brighter side is seeing a positive. Having parents fight, split up and moving can be stressful and hurting. Divorce can be good or bad but most is going to happen and you can't stop the ills of it. It is here that the site of the Author and the book comes in helpful with his own experience. Author Max Sindell, whose parents split up when he was six, begins with a child's bill of rights - including the absolute most important right, the right to be safe and feel safe. The other rights a child of divorcing parents has include the right to awareness in what's going on, the right to counseling, the right to be heard, the right to be one's own person, the right to be neutral, and the right to private communication. The Author says, "If your parent ever has someone in his or her life who violates your feelings of safety and security, tell that person or tell your parent." And he goes on adding with his personal experiences and anecdotes in the book.

"Divorce is always a unique experience, and the only thing they have in common is that they’re never easy", says Max Sindell and I am sure, his book will be real practical guide, to help people have control over their life, no matter how distracting their parents’ situation may be.

Bright side to a dark way but most of, divorce should be the least of the problem when a kid is growing up. Let them grow 'Gracefully'.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, Kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with resources for parents and teachers
Author of Guardian of Angels

Famous five and Fairyland pages

Enid Blyton - A modern spin off of old books as the Famous Five goes high tech as Jo, Max, Allie and Dylan, the children of Enid Blyton’s original characters with their pet dog Timmy embark on a new series of adventures. A 21st Century remake for the Disney Cartoon series, the characters who crawled through secret tunnels are now the i-pod users who fight their enemies using modern day gadgets like the mobile phones, ipods and lap tops. The children in this modern remake will uncover a pirate DVD factory on nearby Shelter Island whereas earlier, there use to be Kidnap, mystery and smuggling operations.

Smart Kids! And Hodder, the Enid Blyton publishers are encouraging children to write their famous 5 story and the best entry will turn into podcast! Whew, the tech way to go...

Find more in on Telegraph and Timesonline.co.uk to read more on this and what they've to say. You may also find more news in the updated Google News on Kidsfreesouls Personalized news column.

And now, here's Kidsfreesouls Fairy Land Pages for Summer fun. I also present, Kidsfreesouls Team Crew, Artie Knapp with Artie Knapp Library, stories for children on Kidsfreesouls.

Also here's wishing ("A Happy Holi" (friday-saturday)- Also Good Friday - ) and Happy Easter. Enjoy!

- ilaxi patel
Ed, Kidsfreesouls
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and teachers

Flytunes

Well, here's my recent post on Tech. Jailbreaking iphone? Need not worry if you are using iphone - all you do is get more itunes and songs with the Flytunes.fm. You can access 90 channels of 50s,60s, beatles or whatever music and download on your iphone. Here's the tech blog link.

Btw, have you been to Yahoo Launch Cast? Love to listen to music while you work, the best ever feature I used is my very own Radio Station which plays around all my favorite songs. Just click on the link below and you can listen to my taste or listen to your own music. There you go...Enjoy, Blossomsmile ilaxi's Radio Station.

- ilaxi patel
Ed, Kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with resources for parents and teachers
Author of Guardian of Angels

St.Patrick's day links in case you missed my note!

In case you missed my post reading on kidsfreesouls, here's on St.Patrick's day. You can find more in Google Search on St. Patrick's Day. Here is the wiki link of St. Patrick's Day. Here is also Enchanted Learning website with Crafts & Activities for kids. And here is the best on the web 'The History of St. Patrick's day.'

St. Patrick's day and the celebrations theme was all about Green - Dress Green, Eat green Irish food and attending the Parades.

Well, we do follow the St. Patrick's Day celebration here but I remember, whenever it was 17th March, the school sisters chart the St. Patrick's Day as a holiday in our calendar as the school was a missionary Convent school. This was a great extra holiday for us. Traditionally, celebrated in the Catholic church, many wear a bunch of shamrock on the caps, St. Patrick was the patron saint of Ireland. It is believed, he raised people from the dead, drove snakes from Ireland and even set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.

I think Religion is a personal right and a personal choice. It is a faith so strong and all that matters - be it Shiva, Jesus or Allah or any, God is just One - He Knows and sees all. (You can find the Culture and Festival pages here as Good Friday and Holi )

Enjoy!

- ilaxi patel
Ed, Kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with resources for parents and teachers

Nickelodeon

Are you concerned with Environment? Nickelodeon targets April for the launch of The Big Green Help, its new multi-platform, global pro-social campaign.

The site will include features such as: a personalized questionnaire to track kids' individual and family progress during the campaign; a glossary of environmentally focused terms; daily green tips for kids; a video upload tool that kids can use to share what they are doing to protect the planet; and green games to teach kids earth-friendly activities. Kids can also create green environments in Nicktropolis, Nickelodeon's virtual community for kids.

Well, as Kids get ready for exams here, the site will sure make them too aware as they have lots in store for summer. If you have any concerned question on Environment, read here and send your mails for your queries.

- ilaxi

Syndicated Content Powered by Feedburner

Years roll by and yesterday was 12th March. On this day, in 1930, Gandhiji in his boldest act of civil disobedience against British rule, began a long march to the sea in protest of the British salt tax. Gandhi and his followers eventually reached the Arabian Sea, where they made their own salt by evaporating sea water. The march, which resulted in the arrest of Gandhi and 60,000 others, earned new international respect and support for the leader and his movement. Gandhi's nonviolent methods, including dramatic hunger strikes, eventually did bring great results to his goal of Indian independence in 1947. Well, 12th March is ever been my Dad's birthday and the birthday of Sambhaav (Ex-ed Blog here) Years roll by....Nothing ever was built to rose to touch the skies, until some man willed it! And Sambhaav has all credits from me to the one and only 'Bhupatbhai Vadodaria' the Ed, who gave me an opportunity to make Freesouls in print media for over 5 years.

Well, here's the recent up-dated RSS explanation page with the re-doing of M J Akbar's pages here. You may subscribe Kidsfreesouls Ed blog posts or other Blog posts to read in feed reads. Enjoy!

Keep the Faith!

- ilaxi patel
Ed, kidsfreesouls.com

Subscribe Ed Posts to read in a reader

Subscribe Tech Posts to read in a reader

Subscribe Health & Fitness Posts to read in a reader

Subscribe Amazon-Author Blog Posts to read in a reader

Subscribe Gujarati Blog

Outstanding Award

Did I just miss out to mention that Awards mean a lot to students? I got a couple of Awards on web but the best has been the 'Outstanding Journalist' Award. I missed a mention that I got the same on Women's International Day in 2005!

Memories do not fade but well, yes - I remember, I was bounced and tossed from here to there to get published in print media of my very own newspaper when finally, it was refused and the award winning piece did not appear! When appreciations do not come from right people, I guess we need not worry as work is worship and it's appreciated by real people who send mails and use the contents too.

Well, as a Kidsfreesouls Reader, you can always award yourself or your child with just a print out here-Kidsfreesouls Reader Award! This will have a power punch to kidsfreesouls but more, awarding yourself and your child for being a good reader. Here's the print, if you missed out.

At various stages, we need to motivate students and encourage them. Sometimes, we take competitions and give the prize or certificate only to the winners. However, the losers always feed bad for not getting a certificate. Hence, here's only ideas we need to work out. As parents and teachers, we can give away various print out Certificates/Awards like, 'Best Reader', 'Good writer', etc.

I do have a software that generate fantastic certificates. However, when we have such wonderful site like My Award Maker, it's worth visiting here and take the best print appropriate to Award the child. My Award Maker site is Free and 'FAE' labelled site i.e. Freely available Everywhere! All you do is, click here on the Educational Template, Print and Award. Your Child is sure going to like it and you are going to get back all the great results from the child. Give A+ or B+ and there, you praise the child for the efforts. You can even give yourself 'Teacher of the year' or 'Best Parent' Award and get a feel good factor;-)

If you need any specific Certificate to download, do let me know and I will upload the one for you too. For the time being, get the Kidsfreesouls Reader Award, Print (landscape, pg.2) and hang on your room wall. Enjoy!

Women's Day Messages

Well, here's my first article ever published in a newspaper on Women's Day. And here's some messages I received on this page. However, one message that touch my heart was:

A woman never fails to amaze! She handles tricky people and situations sensibly, Carries burdens with ease, has tolerance, opinions and solutions, She smiles when she wants to scream, sings when she feels like crying, cries when she's happy and laughs when she's afraid. Her love is UnConditional! There is only one thing wrong with her though, She sometimes forgets what she is worth....Pass this to every beautiful, Worthwhile women you know. I just did. Happy Women's Day....

- ilaxi patel
Ed, Kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with resources for parents and teachers

Phonics

As you read more on my Amazon Blog, here's on Phonics. You can find a You Tube video below on Phonics and even visit Here on Richard's website 'GenkiEnglish' - you sure would love to know more on the techniques and confidence to teach the English Language to children through Lesson Plans, Games, Songs, Articles and more. Genki, means 'full of fun, life, energetic' as the site says and I have experienced my children, learning to read stories with even very hard words - just by phonetic reading! You can try that too:-) Visit the Grammar Fun pages for worksheets and more to come.

Also here's Kidsfreesouls Poet of Year 2007 - Inspirational Poet Page. Do keep coming back again on Josie's pages as you will find Random Selected Poetry by Josie Whitehead on Kidsfreesouls as Josie becomes 'Kidsfreesouls Team Crew' now. Enjoy!

- ilaxi patel
Ed, Kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents and Teachers

Amazon Author Blog

A parent came to me and said, "Exams are nearing and my child is at loss of memory." She added, "He can't read and remember as he cannot understand the written word." Well, the child never learnt the phonics nor learnt How to Read. He did not read any lessons or even Story Books! All was mugging up lessons plans and course revision papers......(More on this on my Syndicated Amazon Author Blog) (Subscribe )

Btw, here's Counselling Column with tips for last minute preparations in case your exams are yet to begin in April.

- ilaxi patel
Ed, Kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for parents and teachers

Inspirational Poet of the Year 2007

And the Kidsfreesouls Poet of Year 2007 is Josie Whitehead - a Yorkshire Teacher who influences children with her Poems on the web. She has embraced the latest technology and meets kids on Skype to read out her poem and interact with classrooms. Here's Kidsfreesouls Poet of Year 2007 - Inspirational Poet Page. Enjoy!

Poets often use the sounds of words to create effects in their poems with the most common method, using words that rhyme. The English Poet Gerard Manley Hopkins used a rhyme scheme in 'Pied Beauty' which goes abcabc dbcdc - a representing the first rhyme sound, b the second and c the third and so on.

We also often have the imagery style which refer to the sensations that language creates in the mind. Sensations of images - appealing to our sense of touch, hearing and visualizing. An American Poet Wallace Stevens has an Imaginery visuals in the stanzas of 'The Snow Man' which refer as 'Crusted with snow', 'shagged with ice', 'rough in the distant glitter' - all make sense the texture of things. 'Sound of winds', 'sound of few leaves' creates images of things heard.

And there is the most common means of creating poetry form is rhyme. Some are standard verse forms and one such form is the Sonnet. The Italian sonnet or the Petrarchan Sonnet. Josie Whitehead has experimented this form in some of her poems and has made use of the Petrarchan Sonnet. This consist of more rhymed lines than any other Sonnet. The Petrarchan Sonnet consist of an octave eight line stanza followed by a six line stanza. The rhyme scheme of the Octave is abbaabba. The sestet (six line stanza) rhyme scheme varies but often is cdecde or abcdcd. This style is influenced by Petrarch, a great Italian poet who had an unparalleled influence on world Literature who wrote more than 400 poems in Italian. Josie also is keen to use the Blank verse consisting of unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter to teach the children. Paradise Lost by John Milton is one example of a Blank Verse.

Well, I guess, children when asked to begin writing a poem, they always are first non responsive but later, make it a free verse - no rhyme scheme, no metre. Firstly, it is important to build a Vocabulary and if this is enhanced, Poetry can be a window to the Student Soul. Find more on Poetry and How to write a Poetry in the Poetry pages. Enjoy.

Btw, here's on Scrabulous - the Online Scrabble game craze leaving Game sellers at loss of word - in NYT.

- ilaxi patel
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents and Teachers

Counselling tips

Examination Fever? Here's Tips for Examination in Counselling Column. Get-set-ready to be prepared to face the coming Big E-Days and I am sure, many parents will find the tips useful for their children too.

Find the battle strong if you've the examination blues and follow the Examination tips here on Back To School Pages too.

It is very important to get focused right from the start and if examination blues is worrying the child or even the parent, this means you've procrastinated! Moreover, I find bad hand-writing and lack of confidence among many kids. Exam stress and it's always the Teacher's Revision - a Parent Stress, Kids Stress. Shrug off the blues and don't stress the child to study all the time. Allow time for play and leisure. The emotional well being and physical health needs to be balanced while preparing for exams.

Follow the Road Ahead to Success and Healthy Attitude guide. It's never too late to begin. All the Best.

Btw, a Workshop for was organized and Kirandeep will be sorting your queries for the upcoming exams. If you are interested, please find details here on Counselling Column.

- ilaxi patel
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and Teachers

March Calendar and Project Ideas.

March is a Colorful month of Festivals and days. But most important is to celebrate a Breakfast Week and NIE week as observed by many Parents and Children.

Breakfast Week is from 5 - 9 March and Newspaper in Education Week (NIE Week) is 7-12 March - A time to work out for Nutritious Breakfast for the whole family and a week to teach How to read a newspaper - maybe it's a print or sit together to explore Kidsfreesouls NIE Tips and use the contents for learning.

Here's the News Section with March Calendar and Project Ideas. Enjoy.

Btw, Dr. Seuss Birthday falls on 2nd March 1904. He was not a Official Doctor but his fun prescriptions delighted readers for more than 60 years. Known as Ted, Theodor Seuss Geisel Biography can be found here. He worked as an Editor to a Dartmouth's 'Jack-0-Lantern, a Humor Magazine. However, he discontinued as this did not meet his school policy but continued contributing, merely singing his work as 'Seuss.' He died on 24th September 1991, at the age of 87, after devoting 53 years to creating entertaining and instructive books.
Well, here's the March Month Project and Calendar for Print. Enjoy!

ilaxi patel
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and teachers

Time is Money-Budget Time

As I explored the web, here's my post on the Google Adsense Integration with the Feedburner. You can also find the Posts widget here. If you are a webmaster or a Blogger, get on to burn your feeds with feedburner and add the product codes to your site integrated with Google ads.

You can also find more on the India Budget 2008-09 on my Business website here.

And for the kids, Time is Money - Budget the Time. I mean it. Most common answer I hear from kids is, 'Teacher, I had no time for reading as I had school homework to do.' However, if you've a proper time schedule set up with Have to do-What to do-When to do, it's all about planning and doing the right way. Make a list for the day/week and I am sure, children can have fun with lessons, work, play and leisure. Many Parents are also with a Parent Stress and as a result Kids Stress. It is also important to teach kids the value of money and financial responsibility. Here's the Family Kids Education website which has indepth topics on Kids and Money.



Children are curious to know many things and if we guide them the right way, they are the best learners. Next time you give your child an allowance, let him also piggy-bank it. Make him know, It's all about Money, Honey.

Well, here's Kids Page with updates. Enjoy.

ilaxi patel
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and teachers