101 Doodle Definitions is a Hit!

It is always so much fun to review for Timberdoodle Co!  I mean, have you seen their catalog?  They carry solid curriculum and so many fun "extras,"  we have a wish list a mile long and the boys are always adding to the list!

We recently had the opportunity to review 101 Doodle Definitions which is part of the 5th Grade Curriculum Kit but can also be purchased separately.  This cute little book packs a punch with learning vocabulary.  There are 101 vocabulary words presented, hence the name, that are often found on tests.  With a word on each page, the student is given the part of speech, definition, and a sample sentence of how the word could be used.

After that there is a picture to correspond with the word, and step by step instructions on how to draw the picture.  A space is provided on each page for your drawing.  The concept is ingenious- "Don't just memorize, visualize."  By using the first letter of the word as the first step in the picture, the picture is then completed in about 3 to 6 additional steps.

Here is an example-

bombast(noun)- exaggerated speech that sounds like more than it actually means.

You begin by drawing a lower case b and then continue from there.

Pretty cool, huh?!

So how have we been using this?
As always, the timing was perfect for this review as we were stuck in an AirBNB for 3 months awaiting our move and had not brought enough school work to keep us busy!  When 101 Doodle Definitions showed up, we stared immediately with my 6th grade son.

Each day we would cover two words, reading through the word, part of speech, definition and sample sentence.  Then we would take turns trying to draw the word picture.  Of course, that usually turned into Colby drawing it while I looked on! ;)

An unexpected blessing is that he got so excited about learning new words and definitions that we began to quiz the family each night to see who else knew the definitions.  Colby takes great joy in knowing words the rest of the family does not, such as Bombast!

To make it even more fun, there was a large mirror behind the kitchen table at the house we were staying at, so we began to draw the words on the mirror in the evening to show everyone what we had learned that day.  Now that we are in our new house, it is back to a white board, but still fun.

 I LOVE this book and the way it teaches.  Let's face it, when learning is fun, more knowledge is often attained.  In addition for all those visual learners out there, me included, this is a great way to make learning easier.  While I think 5th graders and up are probably the best bet for this book, if you have a kiddo who loves art or is a lover of words, I am betting they would do just fine with 101 Doodle Definitions.  You may have to help them with pronunciation occasionally, as some of the words are not commonly heard ones.

This would also be a great way for an older teen to review vocabulary before an ACT or SAT test.  You just never know what words will show up on those things!

Be sure to check 101 Doodle Definitions out, as well as all the other fun stuff you can find on Timberdoodle Co's website.  You won't be disappointed and I bet you can come up with a wish list just as long as mine!

Blessings!

Words and More Words!

Welcome to the first of four posts, each on a Monday, of the 2015 Virtual Curriculum Fair! This week is hosted by creator of the VCF, Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds, and homeschooling mommy blogger Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses.  Make sure you pop by their blogs and say hello!

We had so much fun with the Virtual Curriculum Fair (VCF) last year that I could not wait for it to roll around again.  Since this busy mom doesn't get to curriculum fairs often, ok, like not in the past 10 years, I love being able to see what things are out there via the web.  Plus, when things are recommended by a fellow mom not just a vendor trying to sell you their product, I know I can trust in their experience.

So that is what I am going to share with you over the next four Mondays- our experiences.

First week up is Playing With Words: the Language Arts! We are going to explore Language Arts and the many things that fall under that broad title!


Ok, here goes, try not to think I am a nut!


For lower Elementary ages, there is a lot out there.  And I have tried most of it I think.  Seriously! And crazy thing is - after 16 years of homeschooling, I have come back around to some old tried and true things.  The problem is there are a few I just do not want to give up. So I do it all.  Yes, I know, it is a problem I have.

This is what it looks like for our 2nd grader-
Week 1- Explode the Code
               Sonlight 2nd grade reading

Week 2- ABeka Language Arts
               Lightening Literature, 2nd grade

Then repeat!  While it sounds manic I know, it does help us keep from getting bored with one thing.

We also use All About Spelling.  This was new to us last year and I was sold on it from the moment I used it!  If you are just starting out or have a kiddo struggling with spelling, start here and do not look back!

For writing we use Write Shop.  I love the simplicity of this program and that there are fun activities woven in with the writing.  It keeps my strong-willed boy busy and engaged.

My 7th grader's language arts looks like this-
Wordly Wise- I have used this for vocabulary for years and swear by it.  This year we switched over to the online version and the boy is singing my praises.  It's the little things, trust me.

Lightning Literature- Again, this started as a review and I love it.  Honestly, we used Sonlight Literature for years but at the higher levels I was disturbed by some of the books they had the kids reading.  I am much happier with Lightening Literature, plus I love how they alternate between a novel and then poetry selections.

Spelling Power- Buy the book once and it lasts from Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Basics for Communicating Effectively, Applications of Grammar, Book 1- (Christian Liberty Press)- Again, new to us.  (Can you tell this was a year of change for us!?)  So here's the deal- Grammar is one of the subjects I have struggled to find a perfect program for.  And trust me, I have tried.  What I found was either something so simple it was pitiful, or something that diagrammed enough sentences to drive even a grammar queen crazy. This workbook has found a happy medium.

IEW- Yay, Mr. Peudwa!  I taught this years ago to my girls and was excited to start back with it this year.  Such a solid program for writing.  My daughter who just graduated from college was complemented continually on her writing - I can tell you this was the reason!

And then there is my 11th grader.  Hold on to your hat - I will try not to confuse you.

Wordly Wise- Yes, all the way to 12th grade!  She uses the old-fashioned workbook!
Sonlight Reading- Yes, I stuck with it for her since we had it. We are slowly transitioning completely to Lightning Literature.
She also just completed British Literature and speech online (duel crediting) from Maranatha Baptist University.  I need to write about this sometime but for now let me just say that if you are not duel-crediting classes, you might need to!  Seriously!  It saves time and money and is an easy transition to college level work.

Yes, you might have noticed that she has completed two different literatures this year which eliminates her senior year literature.  Instead she will be devoting next year to duel-crediting classes to get ahead on college core classes.

Since we are talking about words, let me say a quick word about Foreign Languages.

Yes, we do them!
Let me just give you a list of several different ones we have used and the pros of each.  I tell people often, there are MANY good ones out there - you need to find the one that best fits your child's learning style.

SongSchool Spanish- A cute easy-to-start program with songs, games, and puppets!
Flip Flop Spanish- Great for hands on and visual kids.
Spanish For You!- Well organized lessons!
Spanish for Children- Primer A from Classical Academic Press- The best way for kids to get the grammar part of Spanish in.
Homeschool Spanish Academy- Great for auditory learners!  What better way to learn but from a native speaker!

I hope I haven't overwhelmed you thus far.  Remember, I currently school three kiddos at completely different levels and have done so for a while.  This is not my first rodeo, as my daughter says! ;)

I hope you will join us next week as we talk about all things science and math!

Blessings,


Wanna read some other fabulous posts with tons more ideas?  Head on over to these wonderful ladies' blogs and see what they have to say!

Building a Foundation of Words by Susan @ Homeschooling Hearts & Minds
Language Arts for 2015 by Chareen @ Every Bed of Roses
Bible-Based Language Arts Resources by Tauna M @ Proverbial Homemaker
Relaxed Homeschooling: Language Arts in the Early Elementary Years by Brittney @ Mom's Heart
Loving Books and Words by Sarah@Delivering Grace
5 Language Arts Resources We Love by Becky @ Milo & Oats
Teaching Reading at Home: A Tale of 5 Readers by Kristen H. @ Sunrise to Sunset
A More Simplistic Approach to 7th Grade Language Arts by Christy @ Unexpected Homeschool
Language Arts Reading for Delight-Directed Learning by Susan @ The Every Day of Education
How To: Spelling Dictation by Heather @ Only Passionate Curiosity
The World of Words in our Homeschool by Joelle @ Homeschooling for His Glory
Unschooling and Words, Words, Words by Nicole @ Schooling in the Sun
Learning With Literature and Language Arts Resources by Leah @ As We Walk Along the Road
Language Arts in Our Homeschool (2014 – 2015) by Laura O @ Day by Day in Our World
Our curriculum choices ~ Language Arts by Renata @ Sunnyside Farm Fun
The 2015 Virtual Curriculum Fair ~ Language Arts in Our Homeschool by Jennifer @ A Glimpse of Our Life
Loaded Pistols: Virtual Curriculum Fair Playing with Words by Lisa @ Golden Grasses
A Renewed Focus on Reading Aloud by Debra @Footprints in the Butter
Language Arts in our Classical / Charlotte Mason Homeschool by Sharra @ The Homeschool Marm
Logic of English Foundations: The Grand Prize Winner of Phonics by Chelli @ The Planted Trees
A Sentence a Day Teaches Grammar the Fun Way by Amy A @ One Blessed Mamma
Tackling Language Arts by Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning
Middle School Monday - Lightning Literature and Composition by Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break
Day by Day in Our World
Stacie @ Super Mommy to the Rescue
Lisa @ Golden Grasses

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!

TOS CREW Review- Logic of English

  Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar These are the subjects that can take up much of a homeschooler's day.  They are also the subjects we have had the hardest time teaching.  Not that the actual teaching has been difficult, but certainly finding a good solid program for each of them has been.  That is why I was excited to try out Logic of English.  Logic of English takes all four of those- reading, writing, spelling AND grammar, and puts them into an open and go curriculum aimed at teaching from the ground level up.

Their program Essentials,  designed for ages 7 to adult, contains 40 lessons and teachies 74 basic phonograms and 40 spelling rules, introducing the 480 most frequently used words and then variations of them by adding prefixes, suffixes and making compound words. This is what we received for this review: Essentials Teacher's Manuel ($95.00) Essentials Manuscript workbook ($25.00) (also available in cursive) Phonogram Flash cards ($18.00) Phonogram and Spelling Game Book ($15.00) Phonogram Game Cards ($10.00) Spelling Rule Flash Cards ($15.00) Phonic with Phonograms App

At first glance, I must admit I was a bit overwhelmed.  There is quite a bit of introductory reading to do for you the teacher to explain the what, how and whys of teaching this way.  But, once I got past that initial reading, we were on our way with ease.  Each lesson is scripted with exactly what to say and is broken down into three sections. Part 1- Phonograms, Exploring Sounds, and Spelling Rules For each lesson, new phonograms are learned and old ones practiced.  This is where the flash cards come in.   You show the child the letter and then they can tell you the sounds that particular letter makes. Pretty easy until you get to letters like e or combinations like ai that have numerous sounds.  Luckily, on the back of each flashcard are all the sounds and words giving examples.  It is also usually at this time that you can play a game.  No surprise that this is the part my son liked the best, right?   Luckily for you the parent they are fun games like Sound Bingo, Old Dragon (like Old Maid using the letter sounds), and Rotten Egg.  The Game book is loaded with other games that are activity based  for your active children, sensory ideas for tactile learners, spelling games and more, as well as the templates needed for the games.  It was our most used book and I think essential to the program!  Part 1 also has you explore sounds, teaching some neat ways to practice sounds and make sure kids were saying them correctly.  There are corresponding workbook pages to go along with each activity.

Part 2- Dictation (spelling test) In this part 15 spelling words are introduced and tested.  A worksheet is provided for the tests. Part 3-Dictation, Composition, Grammar and Vocabulary Development In this section  grammar and spelling rules are worked on, as well as dictation of phrases or sentences and composition.  Composition starts off fairly easy with writing six phrases in the workbook and advances to harder assignments.   Vocabulary development adds elements like suffixes, prefixes, compound words, homophones and such.  Again, workbook pages are provided for each written activity.
That's it!  Repeat the same three sections for each of the 40 lessons and you have it.
So let me talk to you about a few things-
This program is amazing.  It is one of the best laid out programs I have seen that combines so many elements together.  And scripted!  Who doesn't like scripted?  Other than literature, this IS your Language arts program.  So do not be surprised that it takes some time to get through a lesson.  Because, it takes some time!  Not because it is hard, but simply because there is just so much there.  The good news is that the publishers have carefully laid out a suggested schedule for 4 different levels that you can choose from, starting with 8 year old and struggling adults in which you teach one lesson every 1-2 days to 5 year olds in which you teach a lesson every two weeks.  Wherever your learning or struggling reader falls, you will find just the right pace for him or her.
How did it work for us- Because of the time involved in the lessons and the fact that my son is a young 6 year old, we found we could only do a section per day.  More than that and he just could not sit still long enough to be productive. So we did section 1 on the first day and section 2 the second day.  He did well with both of those days and surprised me at the level of spelling words he could spell. Those are not easy words friends!

Note- Logic of English also has a program for Kindergarten through first grade called Foundations  focused on beginner readers.  Since my son is a strong reader for his age, we decided to skip to this level.
About day 3...not there yet!  The grammar lessons were just above his level for now.  I do not think he will have any problem next year but right now his 6 year old brain just could not get many of the concepts.    Let's face it though, that is the beauty of homeschooling.  We can take what we need and use it to the best of our ability and also know our child well enough to know when it is time to call uncle.  This was one of  those times for us.  Reading and spelling he was ready for, mechanics of grammar will just have to wait until next year.  You can bet this is the book we will be using when he is ready though.
Our favorite part, again, were the games.  I have finally come to a place in my homeschool career that I think learning with games is the way to go.  Seriously.  Our kids will have enough sitting at a desk to last them a lifetime.  If I can find a fun way to learn then I am all for it.  After all, it always seems to be that information that my son retains the most.  If it works, why not?!

Another neat aspect of this program is their phonograms app.  AS I have mentioned before  I fought allowing my kids to use my ipad, but have since given in when I found there were GOOD, quality apps out there to use.  This is one of those!  Since I never learned all of the sounds each letter makes, and still have to stop and think about some, this app was great for us.  Both CJ and I learned new sounds together and it made it much easier to study once you had heard them taught by someone else.  This is not an app in fancy game form, but truly a learning app that have levels of words  to study.  Regardless, CJ enjoyed using it and got very excited when he mastered a level.  I highly recommend you not leave out this aspect of the program.

So yes, this family has had great success with Logic of English's Essentials program and highly recommends it for your emerging readers or those who need just a little more help.  Fellow CREW members reviewed other programs, so I encourage you to click on the banner below to read about their experiences as well!

CREW Review- Vocabulary Spelling City

 

Do you have great spellers in your house?  Us- not so much.  So I was excited to get the opportunity to review  Vocabulary Spelling City.  If they think they can help us, then I am willing to give it a try!

What it is:  An online program that encompasses spelling, vocabulary and even handwriting for ages K-12.

What it does:  Teaches, reviews, quizzes, grades and keeps track of it all for you.

How it works:  You, as the teacher, can create master word lists to be taught, or you can choose from the many lists they provide, to include dolche lists, homophones and contractions and even subject specific lists.  This means you can use any spelling program you have and add those words with just a few clicks.  Studying -ed words this week?  Just add your words and you are ready.  If you are just staring out homeschooling, no need for a formal spelling curriculum, just use the lists they have provided and you are covered!

  Your child can then take a pretest, make flashcards, or my son's favorite part, play a game!

 

Games include unscrambling letters to make the words, crossword puzzles and more.  A premier membership opens up even more choices. 

You can also test definitions for the words of your choice.  The neat thing about this is that the computer will generate definitions for you for the words you input, or you may write your own definitions to better fit your family!

How much does it cost:  Premium membership, for up to 5 students, $29.99 per year!   You can order Vocabulary Spelling City by clicking here!  Here's what that includes-

       

What we thought:  It took me a while to explore this site, there's a lot there, but once we got the hang of it, we really enjoyed it.  Here's where the multiple training videos will help. Looking at them before you get started will clear up a lot of initial confusion you may have.  Often I would enter my son's spelling words in the morning and then he would get on and take the test.  I would then type in a new list using the words he missed and label them Missed Words 8/15, for example.  He would then study those words using the games. (why study words that you already know how to spell?)

The next day I would simply add a few new words to the list and we would begin the process again.  Because we use a spelling program that tests new words each day this method worked great for us, but if you use a traditional spelling program that teaches 20 new words a week, no problem.  This is a great way to practice for you as well.  I would just encourage your child to play several different games each day or they will tend to stick to their favorites.  (trust me, lesson learned!)

BONUS!:  My son is an auditory learner.  Say it out loud and he knows it for life.  I think that one of the reasons this program worked so well for us is because of the multiple auditory aspects of the site.  I would be willing to bet the same would be true of highly visual learners.  For those who are not as savvy on the keyboard, many of the games are also printable.  Just look for the printer icon next to the game you choose.

Bottom line:  This is a great resource that we will continue to use!  For a family of multiple children, my time is sometimes limited and having the computer call spelling words alone is worth its weight in gold in my opinion.  Add to that a more visual and auditory way of learning and all of the options offered on Vocabulary Spelling City and I think it is well worth every penny!  Give it a try and see if you agree!

  To see what fellow CREW members had to say about Vocabulary Spelling City, click on the banner below.       Disclaimer- I received a free online premium subscription to Vocabulary Spelling City in exchange for my review of this product.  All opinions are my own and were not influenced by the company in any way.