Learning about Simple Machines
A long time ago, way before phones, TVs, and the Internet, even before electricity, people had to make do with simpler solutions to life’s commonplace problems. When the folks of times past needed to move something, lift something, or break something apart, they had to rely on simple machines. We still rely on simple machines today too, […]
Learning About the Water Cycle
We all need water to live, right? We drink it. We use it to grow food. We even use it to keep clean. But where does it come from (HINT: not from the tap)? Why does it rain? How does water from rivers, lakes, and oceans transform into big, white clouds? Magic? Not quite. We’ve […]
All About Sight Words!
Learning to read is one of the most important things someone can can do! It opens up a whole new world. Through reading, people can travel to new places, understand new ideas, meet new characters and people, and dream about things. Of course, learning to read takes work and for some children, it is more […]
Scratch Garden Shop Grand Opening!!!
Scratch Garden Has Opened Up Shop! Sound the trumpets! After much work, Scratch Garden has finally opened an online store. At the moment, the shop sells t-shirts and posters. The t-shirts feature a new ‘Team Salamander’ logo, and many of the posters were inspired from existing videos, so they really help to reinforce the educational […]
Fun Music for Kids Has Arrived: Vol. 2 From Scratch Garden
Music is a great addition to everyone’s life. Kids especially love the energy that music brings to their lives, not to mention the wiggle it puts in their toes. Music delivers so many wonderful benefits to everyone’s life! With all the positive effects of music, Scratch Garden is thrilled to introduce our new album of […]
What do you Need for a Summer Time Mind?
Summer is here and that means it’s time to delight in long hot days with plenty of bright sunshine. People prepare for relaxing times at the beach or some other favourite spot, while kids take a breather from arduous schoolwork. Summer seems to be the time when everyone breathes a sigh of relief from the […]
How to Teach Texture!
Texture may be a big word for learners of any age, and some people may not know what it means, but it’s an easy concept to teach. Every object around us has texture. It doesn’t matter how big or how small an object is, it has texture. So, how do you teach students to understand […]
Remembering Schoolhouse Rock!
Bob Dorough, the creative genius behind ‘Schoolhouse Rock,’ recently passed away at the age of 94. Schoolhouse Rock was a television segment that aired during the Saturday morning cartoons on the ABC network between 1973 and 1985. It was revived in the 90s, with both new and old episodes airing between 1993 and 1999. Schoolhouse […]
Pronouncing Digraph or Blended Sounds!
Consonant digraph sounds. That sounds a bit dull doesn’t it? That’s why we prefer to call them Happy Cheese Sounds. And we’ve got a happy, bouncy wedge of cheese to teach them to you in our Digraph Sounds videos. Digraphs are when two letters come together to form a new sound. As our Happy Cheese […]
How to Reach ESL/ELL Students with Learning Differences, Part 2
The English language can be difficult for non-native English speakers to grasp. For example, there are many rules to pronouncing words, but also many exceptions to these rules. The ‘ugh’ in the word ‘though’ is silent, yet the ‘ugh’ is the word ‘enough’ sounds like the letter ‘f’! Now, imagine you’re a new English learner […]