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

 

 

   

Fun Friday- Saving Money in the Kitchen- Non food items

Welcome back to my latest Fun Friday series Saving Money in the Kitchen.

 We have talked about meat, breakfasts and lunches, mixes, staples and drinks...on to the "extras."  You know, napkins, paper towels, vitamins, toiletries, and don't forget the pets!  I know that many people have a separate budget for these items but we choose to keep them in the grocery grouping as that is where I buy most of that stuff.  It just makes it easier for me.  I found that the more categories I create in our budget the more complicated I make it for myself.  I do make a separate Walgreens run, but I will get to that in a minute.

So here's the thing.  This seems to be an area that people really tend to overspend in.  I would suggest that you would be surprised if you separated and added up these type items from your grocery bills. Between what we think we need and the fun bottles and advertising, this area can KILL a budget fast!  Trust me.

Let's talk about how we save!

Napkins and paper towels.  Simply put...don't buy them!  About five years ago I decided that enough was enough.  It made me cringe to just throw money into the garbage like there was no tomorrow.  I found several packs of cloth napkins on sale and we use them solely.  I love them!  I personally use dark colors as they show stains less, but I do know that others use white so they can bleach them.  Do what works for you.  We use them until they get dirty and then they get thrown in the wash.  We have acquired enough that it is never an issue to run out.  If you are handy, get out your scrap cloth and make a set.  Same thing goes for paper towels.  Our family could go through some paper towels, I tell ya!  No more.  I purchased some cheap Walmart white dish towels and that is what we now use instead.   It may not seem like a lot, but again, I challenge you to add up the costs.  It may just shock you.

Dog food- Yes, we do feed our dogs.  No, we do not buy expensive brands.  I buy what is on sale and use coupons when I can.  I buy the largest size I can that lasts for the month.  I love my dogs, but they are dogs...I love my family more.  They are healthy (the dogs, that is.  Well, the kids too) and have not complained yet.

Shampoo, toothpaste and soap, oh my!  Oh my is right!  Those things are expensive.  Here's where it helps to not be brand loyal.  If you want to be loyal, but loyal to your friends, not brands!  I buy what is cheap, on sale and has a coupon.  Sorry folks, no fancy things here.  The point is to get clean, not win an award for fanciest products.  Because my husband travels we also use the soaps and shampoos he brings back from his hotel rooms and so often go months without buying extras.  And toothpaste...stop buying it!  No, I do not mean stop using it, but certainly stop paying money for it. Using coupons, especially ones that double, with on sale toothpaste as well as toothbrushes will result in FREE products.  You can't tell me coupons are not worth it sometimes.  Not to mention, if your family is going to a dentist twice a year you should also be given a new toothbrush every six months to supplement.

Vitamins- This is where Walgreens, or any drugstore, comes in.  In addition to the essential oils our family uses, we do take a lot of vitamins.  I buy them when they are buy-one-get-one deals, have coupons and earn "points" on a reward card.  It cuts the cost drastically and earns free money to be used the next time around.  If you do not know how play this little game, there are lots of websites out there that for free will alert you to sales and coupon match ups.  Again, it is worth it.

Tin foil, plastic wrap and other paper products.  We use very little of it.  I do keep tin foil around (usually) for the grill, but not for wrapping up stuff to just stick in the fridge.  Haven't used plastic wrap in a long time.  I did invest in some of those little plastic food covers, you know, like the ones our grandparents use.  You can often find them at the dollar store.  They fit over different sized dishes and work to keep food covered.  I have even heard of people using shower caps to do the same thing. Might have to try that!  Instead of all those plastic containers for food storage, we use mason jars and a few glass pieces that have lids.  Better to wash than to throw out.  And as for those paper plates, at one time I thought that was my answer for lunches with the kids since they eat at home every.single.day, but I realized it was just an expensive fix to try to save myself from washing dishes. Sure they are good for picnics, but I would save my money for something else otherwise.

 

And last but not least, cleaning products.  Most of you know where I stand on this, but let me revisit a few things for just a second.  I used to be queen with a capital Q of cleaning products.  I got them for cheap using coupons and sales and I stocked up on them.  With a little hounding (read here A LOT) from my oldest daughter, I stopped buying that stuff.  We now use natural ingredients and I promise, I am pretty sure my house is still as clean.  Most of those ingredients include essential oils and castille soap, (probably the two most expensive things I buy but they last forever), baking soda, and vinegar.  You can check out my  recipes here, here and here for the three I use the most.  Our laundry detergent is also one we make for much cheaper and LOVE!  It only takes a few minutes to mix up any of these and it will save you a ton of money.

Does saving money take thought?  Yes.  Does it take time?  Yes  But so does anything else you do that is worth doing.  By making well thought out decisions and changes you CAN save money.  Give it a try and see if I am right.  If you can only do a few things at once, pick some that sound easy and start small.  You can add things as you go.  Rome was not built in a day.

I would love to hear how you are saving money in the kitchen and what changes you have made already!

Next week we are going to conclude our series with Menu Planning and one of my favorite cookbooks to help you get started.  Hope to see you back!

Blessings,


  This post is linked up with Caroline at The Modest Mom!   Linking up with Amy at Raising Arrows!

Can you believe that Lisa, our giveaway winner, actually won the same book on another site?  What are the chances?  She, therefore, has asked that we pass the blessing on to someone else...thank you Lisa!  So the next rafflecopter randon name is...

Rebekah Hamilton-Hight!

Congratulations Rebekah!

And the winner is...

Lisa John Rupertus!

You have won a signed copy of A Cry From Egypt!  CONGRATULATIONS!

Thanks to all who entered.  Have a blessed day and see ya back here on Friday with a new Saving Money in the Kitchen.

Blessings, Michele

How to School Your Strong Willed Child

<

I have been homeschooling my kids, four of them now, for over 15 years.  That's a lot of school.  And I have learned a lot of valuable lessons during that time.  Too many to name.  But one of the things that sticks out the most is that every child learns differently.  What worked for my girls did not necessarily work for my boys.  What worked for my first born does not necessarily work for my last kiddo.  AT. ALL.

So how exactly do you school that strong willed child?

Hand's On- literally!  When we are sitting, whether at the computer or at a desk, I often keep my hands on CJ.  Sometimes just a hand on his back, sometimes we even hold hands.  At the very least I try to touch his arm every once in a while.  There is just something about that constant human contact that seems to ground him and help him focus.

Change locations frequently.  This is no standard school room.  Have space?  Use it.  If not, be creative.  Anytime we read we try to find a comfy couch or chair to snuggle in.  And shhh, don't tell...sometimes we do school in the floor.

Make a game out of everything you can! - This goes against every once of my being.  But it works.  Here we are doing our memory words using bingo cards!  Works like a champ and it is something he asks to do...even right before bed, hence the pajamas!  Kids learn best by playing, after all.

Be creative!  Learning Spanish?  Sing the songs!  Use puppets. Act out the story you are reading.  Use dinosaurs or army men to practice addition and subtraction.

Allow the child to be as active as possible.  Again, not MY preferred teaching style, but definitely his preferred way of learning.  Hence, the action shot!  This child does not like to stand still.  So we act out our action words, dance to our Spanish lessons and build things to learn math.

Give them choices.  I often say would you like to do math first or reading?  With the older kiddos we had a pretty strict schedule for subjects.  CJ, not so much.  If things get done, yay us!  I do not care what order we get things done in.

Here the choice was where should we do this worksheet.  In the living room, of course, while we play school.  Playing school?  Silly me thought we were DOING school!

Use the power of motivation.  Sometimes I use rewards...  "when we get done with this we will have a special treat."  Sometimes it is as simple as when we get done with this we can eat lunch.  Sometimes it is just carefully chosen words. Regardless of what it is, sometimes just the promise of the next step or the right choice of words is enough to get us in motion.

Take little breaks along the way.  Call them potty breaks, or stretch breaks or exercise breaks, whatever...but a quick break in the work gives the child a moment to let off steam without being disruptive in the middle of a lesson.  If they know it is coming, they can usually hold on.  I would recommend you keep it short however, or you may not be able to reign them back in for the next schedule event.

image from office.com

Patience, patience, patience and love, love, love!  Strong willed children push limits, they break molds and they challenge our patience.  But they also have incredible potential.  They will be great leaders one day.  Our job as a parent is to harness that potential and help them be the superstars that God intended them to be.

Do you have a strong willed child?  How are you helping them learn to be successful in this world?

Blessings,

This post is part of a blog hop.  Click the banner below to read a few more How-to posts from some special friends of mine!