Our most recent country unit study took us to the tropical country known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo! In this post I share some interesting information to share with your kids, activity and craft ideas, links to recipes, and lots of links to other resources for teaching your kids or students about the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You can grab a free printable activity pack to go along with your study here:  Democratic Republic of the Congo Activity Pack Basic Information The Democratic Republic of the Congo (not to be confused with the Republic of the Congo) is a country in central Africa. Large portions of the country are covered in dense tropical rainforest. The climate is hot and tropical in most regions. Capital: Kinshasa Population: 89.5 million Size: 905,400 square miles Currency: Congolese franc National Animal: okapi National Anthem:  Debout Congolais Flag:  Famous Places and Landmarks Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano in the eastern par...

  I often come across well meaning parents who are concerned about teaching their preschoolers to write, but learning to write, at least in my experience, is actually better left until age 6 or even 7. There are valid developmental reasons which I will address later, that make learning to write difficult before this age, and pushing skills that children aren't developmentally ready for often causes frustration and resentment, leading them to hate writing before they even really get started. Instead of pushing kids to do something they are likely not fully ready for, I recommend spending the early school years focusing on activities that strengthen the skills needed to write efficiently. Then when they are really ready to write, it will come easily because they are well prepared. The Case for Teaching Children to Write Later Rather than Earlier The bones of the hand aren't ready yet-  Babies are born with somewhat flexible cartilaginous bones. Over time they slowly harden or os...