What's On My Nightstand in April

Welcome to April!  Where has the time gone?

The three books a month thing is working pretty well for me, so for now I am going to stick to that plan.  Before I show you the three new books I have to read in April, let me make a few comments about the ones I chose for last month.

Rain Reign by Ann Miller- This is a good middle school book, but let me warn you ahead of time it is pretty sad in places.  As a matter of fact, it just really hurt my feelings in more than several places.  The main character is greatly misunderstood because of her high functioning autism, and is eventually deserted by her dad.  I do want Colby to read this one, but pretty sure emotionally he is not ready to handle it yet.

Taming the Lecture Bug by Joey and Carla Link-  Another great book by the Links!  It made me think a lot about some ways I handle parenting with our youngest and how to make a few changes we needed to make.  I recommend this one for sure!

Minimalism for Families by Zoe Kim-  I know you probably think I am crazy with the minimalism thing, but I am here to tell you that once you have walked through 34 Weeks of Clean a few times, you look at your stuff differently!  In a good way!  And while I have not gone crazy and thrown everything away, (which is NOT what minimalism is about) I have started to look at my possessions with a much more discerning eye.  Let's just say we have taken a few more trips to the Good Will and a few consignment shops in the past few weeks.

So this month?  Here you go-

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate-  Continuing on with my middle school reads I found this book while ordering Rain Reign.  If it is another one that makes me cry, I am taking a break from middle school books!  Actually, Riley has a long list of books she wants me to read so I will brave that next month.

The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flag- See?  I can read adult fiction as well!  I read Fried Green Tomatoes YEARS ago and remember liking it, so when I saw this at the grocery store (I know, I know, pitiful place to find a book!) I grabbed it.  I am looking forward to some light hearted material that hopefully does NOT make me cry.

And lastly, because I am gluten for punishment, I am reading another parenting book- Why Can't I Get My Kids to Behave by Joey and Carla Link.   I really enjoyed the last book I read by the Links so I am actually looking forward to this one.  It is no secret that we are raising a strong willed child after three laid back, easy children, so I am always up to learning a few new tricks.

So here we go- let's get reading, friends!  I would love to hear what you are currently reading.

Blessings,

What's on My Nightstand for March

Welcome back to month two of my new series!  Wow, let me tell you, when you post what you are going to read to the world, you are more apt to read it.

Accountability is key, folks!

So yes, I read last month's books!  And yes, I enjoyed them.

If you or your child haven't read Counting by 7's, I suggest you do.  After all of the comments I got, it seems that I was one of the last of you to read it!  Anyway, it is a good read.  Just be forewarned that death of parents is a topic and therefore should be handled wisely with sensitive kiddos.  I do want my son to read it, but am choosing to save it for a few years for him.

Minimalism is a good read as well.  I do NOT agree with everything the authors have to say, but there is some good food for thought in the book.  Pick and choose what you take to heart.

And of course, A Shepherd Looks to Psalm 23 is a great read!  I knew it would be just based on those who recommended it.  You will not look at Psalm 23 the same way after reading it, I assure you!

So what's on the nightstand for this month?

Rain Reign by Ann Miller - I took the recommendation of one of our friends and ordered the book-Well, I ordered another kid's book as well, but I am saving that for April.

Minimalism for Families by Zoe Kim- Before you think I have lost my mind, I bought this at the same time I bought the Minimalist book.  Again, a reminder that minimalism is NOT about throwing everything you have away and living with nothing.  It is about living with only the things you love and bring you joy.

Taming the Lecture Bug by Joey and Carla Link- This is a book the The Homeschool Review Crew is currently reviewing and it has me intrigued, so I am adding it to my reading list.

That's it for now.  I know it is a small list compared to many of you, but I am finding three seems to be the perfect number for me.

What are you reading this month?

Blessings,

Introducing What's On My Nightstand

This post has been in my drafts for quite a while now.  It started with a conversation with a friend about what books I was currently reading and was egged on by a daughter's participation in a reading challenge last year.

The post was delayed because well, we all know how personal books are and how all-judgmentally (yes, I made that word up) people get about things like books, music and movies.  And no, I will not be sharing the last two subjects with you because boy have I gotten burned in the past!

But I have decided to go out on a limb with my reading list and see what happens.  So here are the rules of engagement (because you know I love rules and lists, and because I want to head you off quickly if you don't like my reading list!)

• These are MY books.  And therefore MY choices.  Please try hard not to judge.
• I have not read these books prior to listing them, so therefore I cannot personally recommend them.  Yet.
• I try hard to have several different categories going at once, hence the crazy breadth of subjects.
• I will link books when I can, but these are NOT affiliates.  I am NOT making money off you buying them.  I am just trying to make your life easier.  You are welcome!
• If I get partly through a book and decide I do not care for it, I promise to let you know in the next installment of What's on My Nightstand.  Just consider me your personal filter.
• I like a lot of different kinds of books- clean mysteries, sweet romances occasionally, theology, child rearing, historical fiction, biographies and even middle school books just to name a few.  After all, I do still have kids in my house and seek to find fun reads for them as well.

 

So for February, let's start off slow and easy! It's a short month,  you know!

Counting by 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan
This I found during our annual after-Christmas book shopping my mom treats our family to each year.  The cover caught my eye; note to aspiring writers that covers count!  I started it a few days ago and am enjoying it.  It is about a gifted child that is searching for her place in the world despite some harsh realities.

Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by  Joshua Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus
For those of you that know me well or follow 34 Weeks of Clean, this should not be a shock to you.  I am NOT a minimalist, though I have a daughter who aspires to be, but I do like simplicity and organization and am always looking for ways to clear out the clutter in our lives.

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller
A dear friend of mine used this book as a basis to teach a Bible study lesson and I was intrigued.  It brought such a new layer of thought to how I looked at the familiar Psalm and so I want to delve deeper and read the whole book.  Another sweet friend loaned it to me, and I am betting she is wondering when I am ever going to get it back to her!!

Could I read more?  Probably.  But I am starting here.  Next month I will do a quick share on what I thought and show you my next stack.

Feel free to let me know what YOU are reading, and any books in particular you think I should not pass up!  I always welcome recommendations!  You should see the stack my 20 year old has for me!

Blessings and Happy Reading!

MaxScholar Reading Program- Schoolhouse Crew Review and fun!

MaxScholar is a comprehensive reading program geared to teach valuable reading skills as well as reading comprehension.  This adaptive program is good for beginning readers as well as those struggling to read or those that need just a little more practice or encouragement.  A good mixture of skill teaching and games encourages kids to practice and excel.  MaxScholar can be used on your computer at home or various mobile devices making it easily portable for parents and kids on the go!

See, school in a hotel!

We have been using MaxScholar Reading Intervention Program for a while now, with it's one year access, and you won't believe all that it entails!  By using MaxGuru, you have access to the following-

MaxPhonics- This part uses a multi-sensory approach to teach phonics.  It is geared for ages 5-7, but again, is also good for anyone who needs help with basic reading and phonic skills.  Here you can work on letter sounds as well as blends and even work on your handwriting.  Videos demonstrate correct pronunciation, perfect for auditory learners.  Fun games are included to help reinforce what your child is learning.

MaxReading- This section concentrates on, you guessed it, reading!  It contains 13 levels to work in, Questions after each chapter test on comprehension.  Your child can use a highlighter to mark passages and will learn to summarize and outline. Placement tests will help put your child where they need to be, but you can ask the company to adjust that placement if you feel the need to.

MaxWords- Here your child can practice their vocabulary skills.  Latin and Greek roots are taught, as well as prefixes, suffixes and spelling rules.  16,000 words are taught in all!

MaxMusic- By using piano and guitar skills and well known songs, kids can practice their reading while playing a tune and filling in lyrics to songs, all while improving their memory skills.

MaxVocab- Think of this area as an overgrown dictionary.  It teaches thousands of vocabulary words by interactive games like hangman.

MaxPlaces- Children can learn about 51 places in the world with just a click of the mouse.  Once you choose a location, you read about that place and then test your reading skills by answering a series of questions.

MaxBios- This area teaches about people from the past and the present in a timeline format, while kids practice their reading and organizing skills.

Our experience-
Because there is just so much content and it would take forever to tell you about it all, I want to concentrate on the two areas that Colby, age 8, enjoyed the most- MaxMusic and MaxVocab.

The MaxMusic part does not surprise me.  Like his older siblings. this boy loves music.  While he has not learned to play the piano yet, he hears it a lot with his two older sisters still in the house.  He doesn't get a lot of keyboard time, so Colby was thrilled to be able to play on MaxMusic.  He was even more excited when he found the guitar games!  His favorite part was the game in which you hear a few notes played and then you repeat it on the keyboard.  You continue to do so measure by measure until the song is complete and then it plays the song in whole back to you.  What a great way for him to practice not only his memorization but patience a well.   Another part of this area in which you choose a song and artist and then do several different activities with that song, includes filling in missing words (while practicing what various parts of speech are) and clicking on certain parts of speech in the entire song.  Kind of a grammar lesson but in a fun format.

The activity that did surprise me that Colby enjoyed was MaxVocab.  While he dd not want to engage in the dictionary part of the lesson, he loves playing the hangman game that gave you a clue of a word and then you guess the word they were looking for.  Sounds pretty basic, but it stumped me quite a few times.  Even though Colby got frustrated with this several times, he went back to it first thing when he logged in.  Go figure, the boys likes solving problems.  I liked that it made him think and helped with his spelling skills as well.

Since Colby is a strong reader, the reading specific portions of MaxScholar did not pull him as easily, but with our summer school schedule starting soon, I intend on having him access at least one additional section each day before he is allowed to play with MaxMusic or MaxVocb.  Hey, a mom has to do what  mom has to do, right!

If you have a child that is just beginning to learn to read or needs a little help in doing so, I believe that MaxScholar is a great program to get you started on a positive note.  It's multi-sensory approach to reading will capture all learning styles and help your child succeed!

Middle School Reading

OK, so I shared our summer reading with you for elementary age kids.  For the most part they will be read alouds for us, but I am sure slightly older elementary kids can manage them by themselves.

But this list, well it was slightly harder for me.  Honestly, we have been out of this "stage" for a while. Yes, my third child is getting ready to be a 7th grader, but he has been reading above grade level for some time now, so most of his free time reading and favorites are high school level.  That's for another post! ;)

However, in talking with my older girls I realized that some of their favorite books are really geared for the middle school age.

Like The Penderwicks.  This is by far one of their favorite book series.  I can not even imagine how many times they have read them, and I will not allow them to tell you.  It would be embarrassing for all involved.  The first story is about a family who vacations at a lovely cottage and has lots of adventures with rabbits, writing, and a boy named Jeffery.

Surviving the Applewhites.  Same story, different book. If you ask Riley what her favorite book is, she'll answer, "Surviving the Applewhites." The girl even talked my mom into reading it and SHE will tell you how good it is.  It is about a juvenile delinquent who is forced to live with an "unschooling" family, the Applewhites, to straighten out his life, this book will make you giggle and appreciate the quirkiness of family. And homeschooling, or unschooling.

The Redwall Series.  There are like a million of these.  OK, that's a slight exaggeration but not by much.  My son liked the first one that he read, but it was a challenge to understand.  We checked out the audio version and he was hooked.  After that he went back to reading the books with no problem. I  think that, being an auditory learner, he just needed to hear the names pronounced and get a feel for the storyline.

The Mysterious Benedict Society. I'm letting Ashton write this part: 

Hey, Ashton here. I've been tasked with writing about this book series because it is probably the best book series. Ever.  Basically, you need to read this book, regardless of how old you are.  It is so clever. It is one of the very few books that I feel comfortable recommending to anyone, regardless of their beliefs, level of conservativeness (a word I just made up) or age because there is nothing inappropriate and no language, and yet, I as a 20 year old can't get over how amazingly awesome and mind-blowing the series is.  Basically, four of the most gifted children are brought together by the most intriguing circumstances and the most eccentric man, and are tasked with going undercover to...well I don't want to spoil it.  But before all this, they have to pass tests.  And the best part is that you pretty much get to take them, too.  This next statement may seem excessive, but if you read only one book or series this year, read this one.  I read this series about three times a year. =) And I wasn't paid to write this review, although if Trenton Lee Stewart wants to hire me to promote this series, I accept. =) -Ashton

Like my youngest, the summer plan around here for the uprising 7th grader includes 30 minutes of reading time.  The reality is that he exceeds that because he likes to read.  I have kept a stack of books for him for the summer that I want him to cover (some Sonlight books that I do not want him to miss next year since we are changing to Lightening Literature) and then he will fill in with any he finds weekly at the library.  Usually our problem is too many books, not enough time.

Not a bad problem to have, don't you think?

Next Wednesday, 25th, this post will be linked up to another TOS Crew Carnival so you can see what other middle schoolers are reading this summer.  Mark your calendars and hop back over here to take a peek!

Enjoy your book time!

In the meantime, what is your middle schooler's favorite book or book series?

Blessings,

Learning Wrap Ups- TOS Crew Review

Learning Wrap Ups is no doubt a familiar company to many of you.  Their wrap ups have been around a while now, and I know are a favorite for many homeschoolers.  What may not be familiar to you is that this wonderful company has many other just as amazing products and they recently blessed us with several to review and share with you.

Here is ALL that we received to review-
Online subscription to Learning Palette.com- An online subscription that allows you to use the learning palette in a virtual way, rather than physical.

2nd Grade math Learning Palette 1 Base Center Kit ($71.99) The physical set that included 6 curriculum packs with 12 cards each.  They cover skills such as addition and subtraction of 2 and 3 digit numbers, money, fractions, measurement and more.

2nd Grade Reading 1 Base Center Kit ($61.99) Another physical set which comes with 5 curriculum packs with 12 cards each.  The packs cover capitalization, punctuation, reading comprehension, word usage, vocabulary and grammar.

10 Steps to Addition Mastery book Wrap Up Combo ($12.99) Includes the student book and the addition wrap up.  (we received the book without the wrap up, as we had the Math Intro set)

10 Days to Multiplication Mastery book Wrap up combo ($12.99) Includes the student book and the multiplication wrap up.(we received the book without the wrap up, as we had the Math Intro set)

Learning Wrap Up Vocabulary Learning Kit ($35.99) This kit includes four wrap ups for elementary ages and up that include synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and compound words as well as a booklet with game ideas.

Math Intro Kit without CDs ($44.99)- This kit contains 5 wrap ups- Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions, intended to be used with elementary ages (and up) that have begun to learn math facts.

Of course, the first things out of the box were the Learning Palette kits for our rising 2nd grader. Who would not be thrilled with such a bright and colorful product that looks and feels like a game!  He immediately chose to try the 2nd Grade Reading 1 Base Center Kit.  Once I showed him how to place the cards in the base unit, and quickly explained how to place the colored disks, he was off with no help from me.  I just sat back and watched.  Once you match all of the colored disks with the answers you choose, you simply turn the card over to see if you got the answers correctly.  This self correcting aspect of the system is nice, as it put him in control of his learning and did not make me the bad guy if he made a mistake.  Let's face it, it is always easier to self correct than for mom to do so- especially for this independent kiddo I have!  It took no extra encouragement to get him to do a little practice everyday because he truly saw it as a game.

CJ is still working his way through the cards, but so far his favorite remain the riddles and jokes.  I do have to encourage him to try new cards, as he would go back to those over and over again.  Believe me, he took great joy in memorizing the jokes so he could ask them to his dad and siblings at dinner.  Several dinners, actually!  This is a fun, simple way to daily review a completed year in school, or in our case begin to work on new skills.

The Learning Palette packs can be purchased for Grades 1st-5th for Math and grades K-3 for reading.

The same fun you have with the physical Learning Palettes can also be found online! For the Learning Palette.com online subscription, you will have access to both math and reading at 6 levels. You can access a free demo  to see if how your child does with this program.  You can also try a 10 day free trail before signing up.  One of the reasons I like the online subscription is you can make the program portable without having to worry about losing little pieces.  Though the sets come in a nice handled plastic bag for easy storage, there are still little disks to keep up with.  For us this was no big deal in the house, but in the car- no thanks.  Instead we just accessed our online account on my iPad and off he went.  The great thing about using the program on the iPad was it allowed for fine motor practice as well.  I also love that you have access to the different levels in both math and reading!

There were times for us, both out of the house as well as in, that it was easier to access the online program over pulling out the whole palette kit.  CJ was able to log in easily and proceed with no help from me.  He loved seeing which levels he could do with  no help.

Pricing-The pricing for www.learningpalette.com is normally $60.00 for up to 5 users.  Learning Palette is graciously offering a 20% discount to our readers when using the coupon code HOMESCHOOL.

The Learning Wrap Up Vocabulary Learning Kit is a product that will seem more familiar to many of you. These four separate wrap ups challenge your child with vocabulary and seem to get a bit harder as you progress.  They are intended for elementary aged kids, but I will say that our 6 year old struggled with them some.  Once he figured out the concept of the compound words he thought it was funnier to make up silly words versus try to figure out the correct word.  Wrap ups use a string attached to the unit to match the answers together and then you turn the unit over to see if you got them correct.  If you did, all the string lines will match with your string.  If not, you know you did something wrong and can unwrap the string and start over.  In the end, these got used more by my 12 year old and his older sisters seeing who could do them the fastest.  Have I mentioned our family is slightly competitive? 

Wait, there is more!

Quite honestly, the 10 Steps to Addition Mastery book Wrap Up Combo turned out to be one of my favorite products!  I should have known that the hands on part of this program, the wrap ups, would be a huge hit with my almost 7 year old!  Between the fact that it was a hands on activity and that it felt like a game to him, he asked to do it daily.  The book is designed to cover one addition fact set at a time (plus 1s, plus 2s, plus 3s, and so forth to 10).  In addition to traditional workbook pages with facts on them, it also has you time yourself with the wraps ups numerous times, trying to better your time each round.  CJ loved that.  "Just one more time, just one more time" was all I heard.  He was determined to beat his time, so it is no wonder that he has become a pro at the fact groups. Keep in mind, this says 10 Steps, not 10 days!  I made that mistake at first.  While older children needing review may be able to do a fact set each day, my upcoming 2nd grader was not.  Between the three or four pages per set, wrap up practice time and built in reviews, we spent several days on each fact set.  I felt that not only did that pace not overwhelm him, but allowed for the facts to sink in.

In the beginning of the book there is a fact chart that you color in each time you master a new fact set that he loved.  There is juts something about seeing that chart fill up that egged him on!

My 6th grade son used the 10 Days to Multiplication Mastery book Wrap up combo and since it was a "summer review" for him, he did complete each "step" in one day.  Just like our younger, we saw his speed for multiplication facts go up as well as his confidence.  While he did not seem to be as excited about beating his time (go figure with a 12 year old boy) he was able to stick with the program and improve his accuracy.

Additional wrap ups that can be purchased include Spanish, vocabulary, Geography, music theory and more!

Wow, I am tired, how about you?  I am also extremely grateful to Learning Wrap Ups for the opportunity to review their amazing products.  We would highly recommend all of the resources we review to you! They are a great way to review already learned materials, learn new concepts and practice ones for better mastery, all the while doing so in a new and engaging way!

Three Books and a Plan

Next week's Crew carnival is Summer Reading With Elementary Kids!  The link will go live on Wednesday the 11th, so be sure to pop over and see what everyone is reading this summer.  

So what are we reading this summer?  Well, let me tell you... First, this book!

Now that we are transitioning out of easy to read books, I am excited to start with some chapter books this summer.  Since our school load is much lighter, we are going to spend more time reading.  My little guy, going into 2nd grade, is required to read at least 30 minutes a day alone, but we will also add 30 minutes of mom-led reading next week.  I have been patiently waiting to read Toad Triumphant by William Horwood. (This is NOT an affiliate link, just making it easy for you!) After loving Frog and Toad last month, I know he is going to love this one!  It's a sequel to The Wind in the Willows and is so cute! The next two are Little House Books. 

Again, I have been waiting a long time to read these.  The girls read them independently years ago, so this time I am getting in on the fun!  Yes, Farmer Boy is the title you see. Little House on the Prairie is hidden behind it.  While we will read it first, it is hiding because it is missing the cover.  Sad, but true. That copy is one of the complete set I owned as a little girl.  Let's just say that it is well loved. To make the timing even more perfect I have the privilege to be reviewing Diana Waring's book and CD, Musical Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder (review in July!).  History and reading together?  My idea of heaven!  

I also picked up an additional Progeny Press Literature guide for Little House in the Prairie, after having so much fun with Frog and Toad, so we will add that in.  Some of the projects look great.  So what about you?  What are your elementary kids reading this summer?  We would love to add to our pile!  In two weeks we will be talking about the middle schooler's list!  Hope you will check back! Blessings,
Don't forget that by clicking on the banner below next Wednesday you can see some other fun summer reading ideas.

Also make sure you check out the Mommy Club Link up!  YOu will find some great posts to inspire you!

TOS Crew Review- Phonics and Reading with McGuffey App

 

MINE MINE MINE!  Yes, that is sometimes what I want to yell at the top of my lungs about my iPad. There, it is out.  I bought it for me, and I want to use it for me.  I also once said I would not let my kids play games on it.

Well, that was before I knew about educational apps.  It was certainly before I knew about the Phonics and Reading with McGuffey app by LiteracySoft.  Yes, THAT McGuffey Readers, the ones that have been successfully teaching children to read for years.  Well now they offer this wonderful app for your iPad and iPhone.  Let's just cut to the chase...

 You. Need. This!

In 52 lessons your child will learn letters, sounds, spelling and reading up to a first grade level.  And can do so all on their own.  Really.  It is that simple to use.

How we used this-
Daily!  And then some.  CJ loves my iPad, so getting him on there is not usually an issue.  Getting him to stick with one app sometimes is.  Not with this one.  He asks for it every morning like clockwork, so using it five days a week was a no brainer.  He was able to pull it up by himself and go through the lessons by himself.  Can I hear a yay from all the moms?  The only problem we had was limiting it to just one lesson a day.  Can't say that we were very successful with that; he often did several.

Each lesson of McGuffey consists of several parts.  The first part introduces a few new letters and the sounds they make with cute little animations.

Then you will be shown words and taught how to sound them out when you tap on them.

Next comes a lesson quiz to make sure your child knows each of those letter sounds and any from previous lessons.  The sounds are said and you touch the corresponding letters that make that sound.  The light bulbs at the top light up to show you got it correct.

Then the fun really begins.  The following activity allows the child to use any of the letters sounds learned so far and put together their own words.  It took CJ a few times to get the hang of it, but once he did this was one of his favorite parts.  He loved making up words at first, but then began to say a word and then try to spell it.  The only thing that held him back sometimes was that the letters he needed for the word he wanted to spell were not always available.

 

The following activity is a reading one. A sentence is shown and you read it. By touching each word you can see if you are reading the sentences correctly or not. There are several sentences your child will read in each lesson.

 

Another quick quiz follows to ensure your child has the lesson sounds down pat.

 

Next you will find two activities that are as game-like as it gets.  One involves rearranging letters on a truck to spell a word dictated to you and then the truck drives away, and the other involves tapping a word said while in a race to beat your past time on the clock.  The faster you tap the words, the faster the train goes.  If you get a word incorrect, the train will come to a stop.

 

 

 

One of the strengths of this program- at any time, your child can repeat an activity or entire lesson if they are not ready to move on to new sounds.  There are also phonics rules explained when new, more complicated sounds  are introduced that can be turned off once you have heard them and feel comfortable doing so. 

 

If you want to try it out there is a free lite version to get you started or you can try the first 10 lessons for free at any time.  Give it a try and see what you think!

 

Also offered on the website is a free reader in color to print out.  CJ loves to read this on his own.

 

The bottom line-  We have invested in several reading apps and this one is by far my favorite!  It is user friendly, clear to understand and very thorough.  If you have a child learning to read or struggling and needing some extra work, this is one you will not want to pass up.  It is worth every penny!

 

Cost-  $19.99