Category: Curriculum

Curriculum, Reviews

Memoria Press, Prima Latina Complete set Review

Little Learner and Mom

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor compensated in any other way.

My family is no stranger to learning a new language, currently my son has learned two languages and we are exploring our options this year to learn a third. With that being said Latin have been one of the languages I have always been curious about because so many words in English and Spanish have Latin roots. If you prefer a classical education in your homeschool then the Prima Latina Complete set from Memoria Press is a must-have!

For this review we received Prima Latina Complete set is for students grade 1-4, it is faith based curriculum so will see several references in the lesson to faith. There are 25 lesson and each lesson uses 5 of the enclosed flashcards that is sent with the Prima Latina Complete set. Along in the set you will receive a teachers and student manual, DVD, CD and flashcards. In the Prima Latina Complete set students will learn the basic Latin alphabet and pronunciation of vowels. Students will also learn a total of 125 words as well learn numbers up to ten.

Lesson 1

The Prima Latina Complete set also teaches students grammar for the Latin language. We used the curriculum to build my son vocabulary knowledge. My son quickly recognized a lot of words that he knows in Spanish and he made the connection right away with a lot of the words and it made lessons easier for him to work through. I combined Prima Latina Complete set with his Spanish curriculum and that seem to work best for us.

What I like about the Prima Latina Complete set is the vocabulary building skills he has given my son. Learning some of the roots helped him with decoding words he didn’t know and their meanings. We played games with the flashcards in which I would give him the Latin word and he would have to tell me a word in English or Spanish that uses the Latin root and meaning. For families who are using the curriculum in correlation with their faith the DVD and CD provide guidance for lessons and pronunciation, songs and prayers. For us we used it to build his vocabulary skills.

The Prima Latina Complete set from Memoria Press at the time of this review $90.90 plus taxes and shipping. Be sure to check out the other Crews review on Memoria Press other Latin Complete Sets by clicking the banner below.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/memoriapress
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MemoriaPress
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memoriapress/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/memoriapress/memoria-press/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/memoriapress

2nd Grade Curriculum, Curriculum, Homeschool, Math, Orton-Gillingham, Reviews

Math-U-See: Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

When I started my sons first formula math lessons for math, Math-U-See was at the forefront of my curriculum choices. One the of reason was for its mathematical approach that was similar to Montessori math incorporating hands on manipulatives for learning. When I saw that Math-U-See now offers Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction, I knew I had to try it.

The Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction is for those students that are struggling with mastery and fluency. Its also is for those students that need a more visual and tactile way of learning math. If you student is still using dots, tally marks or even counting on their fingers to do basic single digit addition and subtraction this program is also for your student. I had my son review his subtraction so I could triple check he had complete mastery and he does.

Math-U-See has taken great steps to makes sure that parents are equipped with what they need when using the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction . Parents are highly recommended to have their students take the Before AIM Assessment located on the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction website. The Before AIM Assessment is a verbal assessment of 109 + addition and subtraction at a recall time of 3 seconds or less. The Before AIM Assessment gives parents step by step easy to follow instructions on how to administer the test as well as positive reinforcement suggestion to help your student stay confident and frustration free. The Before AIM Assessment can be done at your students pace and the best part the Before AIM Assessment is free before you commit to purchasing to make sure that the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction is a good fit for your student.

After you take the Before AIM Assessment and purchase Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction the system comes with 12 month digital access to lesson videos instructions, solutions and printable resources. The kit also comes with a smaller set of the integer blocks, colored pencils and everything you need to use the system. The included resource guide acts your lesson plan and is broken down into four sessions labeled A-D. What I personally liked about the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction their are not outside distractions to the lesson, with the included posters and flash cards the goal is to concentrate on math facts only and learn them visually and then memorize.

If you are already a Math-U-See family the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction can easily be added used along side the Primer and Alpha Math-U-See curriculum to help to help support fluency and mastery. Mr. D as my son calls him makes a reappearance in the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction lesson videos online and you will also find helpful games and resources for each lesson. Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction is a fun and gentle way for kids to learn their facts. I think the biggest plus is the parent support in the resource guide that helps you support your struggling students. Kids often tend to feel bad when they are struggling with concepts and the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction really works hard at making sure parents keep their students encourage and self esteem in tact.

Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction at the time of this review is listed at $39 plus tax and applicable shipping. The Before AIM Assessment is free to take on the Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction web page and it is highly recommend that you do this before ordering. The program can be done at your student pace, generally takes 6 to 8 weeks to complete. This is a low cost system that can help your student work on their mastery skills over the summer or now if they are home because of the unfortunate Covid-19 pandemic.

Be sure to check out the other Crews reviews of the Math-U-See Accelerated Individualized Mastery (AIM) for Addition and Subtraction by clicking the banner below.

Until the Next Time

Mom

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathusee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mathusee/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mathusee

3rd Grade Curriculum, Curriculum, Geography, Homeschool

Home School in the Woods-Make A State Activity Pak Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

History and geography still remain to be my favorite subjects to teach my son. I try to really bring these lesson alive with hands -on materials. We also like to be able to reflect back on things we have previously study and having keepsakes. With products like Make-A-State Activity-Pak (grades 3-8), Home School in the Woods makes it easy to add hands-on state geography to our studies.

The Make-A-State Activity-Pak comes complete with everything you need to make informative lap book for you and your student to enjoy. Students will explore the state they choose in depth. Each lap-book can include, geography, government, industrial facts, agricultural, landmarks, key facts, mottos and native tribe. The Make-A-State Activity-Pak also goes several steps further to let students design postcards from the state as well as try recipes that are state favorites. There are so many more inclusion in this lap book one could really have a great time just trying to figure out what you want to include, so pace yourself.

We decided to start our study with West Virginia we are studying about Katherine Johnson and she was born in West Virgina and I thought it would be a great addition to our studies and help us knock out geography at the same time. You know I am always thinking about all inclusion when I plan so the Make-A-State Activity-Pak fit right in. My son loved making the pepperonr rolls which are featured in the recipe card box for this state.

West Virginia Postcard

Make-A-State Activity-Pak also gives the freedom to add as much information or as little to the lapbook as the student and parent would like. The lap book really just lets the student dig really deep into the states history. Students will also be able to experience the states complete statehood. This is truly a comprehensive lap book and in my honest opinion United States curriculum. Parents can pull out all kinds of supplemental items to add to this and engage their students into some real research.

Make-A-State Activity-Pak is for grades 3-8 but I could really see using this with 1st and 2nd graders as well and let them build the lapbooks as they move along in grades. I am going to let my son continue to add on to his lapbooks as he progresses. This is a really fun way and interactive way to do geography without felling like you are limited to textbook information.

At the time of this review Make-A-State Activity-Pak is $18.95 and is available as a digital download. I feel like the cost is very reasonable if you are looking for a relaxed USA geography lapbook for all 50 states. You can go at your own pace and you can design your lapbooks the way you want them. We will be using the Make-A-State Activity-Pak for our 3rd grade school and I highly recommend you check it out.

Be sure to check out the rest of Crew reviews from Home School in the Woods my clicking the banner below.

Until the Next Time

Mom

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolinthewoods/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HSintheWoods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeschoolinthewoods/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/hsinthewoods/boards/

2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Curriculum, dyslexia, Education, Homeschool, Language Arts, Orton-Gillingham, Reviews

PRIDE Reading Program Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

This year we have really been working on my son spelling skills. He is a decent speller but I felt as if he needed more practice. We are using the PRIDE RED Book Program Kit – Level 3 from PRIDE Reading Program to provide structured literacy and spelling in our homeschool. PRIDE Reading Program is a Orton-Gillingham curriculum that appeals to all children’s learning style. The homeschool curriculum uses a multi-sensory approach to teach reading, fluency, writing and spelling which is how we approach learning in our homeschool.

The PRIDE RED Book Program Kit – Level 3 comes with a student handbook, online teachers teacher guide, white board, PRIDE Sound cards, and PRIDE Letter tiles. The company also provides online parent training and support. There is online placement test that is highly recommended you take before selecting the program kit that best fits your needs. I had my son take the placement test twice on 2 separate days to make sure I was selecting the correct program kit then I made decisions. On the first attempt he scored a 15 which is level 4 on the second attempt he scored 14. I decided to go with the Red level after carefully looking over PRIDE Reading Program scope and sequence at the end of assessment.

The PRIDE Reading Program online training teaches parents how to effectively use the program and is divided into 11 step by step unit video guide how to use the program. If you invest in this program this key to the success of the program. The teachers manual is online and you will need to sign into the website to use while doing your lessons. Each lesson is 9 steps and ends with fun game for students to play at the end.

Teacher Dashboard: Program Training

PRIDE RED Book Program Kit – Level 3 from PRIDE Reading Program has 21 modules that are 3 units and each unit has 9 steps in a lesson. PRIDE RED Book Program Kit – Level 3 from PRIDE Reading Program works on the “long “i” and “e” patterns, vowel digraphs, closed syllable rules(-ind, -ild, -old, -ost) and suffix ed.” I decided on this level because this is area I want to makes sure my son shows mastery for spelling. At the time of this review we have completed 2 modules and have begun module 3 unit 1. Each module unit is broken down into a introductory, practice, reinforcement lesson, We do the program 3-4 days a week as recommended and it takes on average 20- 30 mins.

Teachers Dashboard lesson list
Teachers Guidebook for Lessons

What I like about this program is that it is self paced and uses the multi sensory approach and it works on using phonetics. We are using the program to improve my sons spelling and I look forward to moving him into Level 4 when he finishes the current level. PRIDE RED Book Program Kit – Level 3 from PRIDE Reading Program is $159 for one student. If you are looking for a curriculum for a child that has dyslexia, reading comprehension, and struggling with reading PRIDE Reading Program is a great program. In our case we are using it to reinforce my sons spelling skills. This program appeals to all children so it will work for any child beginning to start their literacy journey. PRIDE Reading Program is one to check out if you are starting your homeschool curriculum planning for 2020 school or you are looking to make a change.

Be sure to check out the other Crews reviews on PRIDE Reading Program by clicking the banner below.

Until the Next Time,

Mom

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrideReadingProgram/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrideReadingCo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pridereadingprogram/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pridereading/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCfQB_M2vL2Ebo8deuwwCrw

2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Curriculum, Education, Geography, Homeschool, Reviews

Let’s Go Geography Review

Little Learner and Mom

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I personally love geography and so when the Crew was offered an opportunity to review Let’s Go Geography, Year 2 I was 100% on board. If you aren’t familiar with Let’s Go Geography is a homeschool geogrpahy curriculum that appeals to all students learning styles. For this review the crew was given a 2 year access to Let’s Go Geography, Year 2 digital download curriculum. Let’s Go Geography, Year 2 has 32 units of countries that can be done in any order.

We do geography in our homeschool 1-2 days a week and I typically plan our geogrpahy units to stretch over a 2-4 week period of time depending on how in depth we go. We decided to study Uganda that is included in the Let’s Go Geography, Year 2 for this review in honor of Black History Month. One the great things about this Let’s Go Geography, Year 2 program is you can start with any country and build your unit study around the curriculum. What I like about this curriculum is that you can use it straight forward or extend thelessons as you see fit.

Each unit is divided into 6-8 chapters depending on the country of study. The units start with introduction to the the country of study by providing the demographics and a travel itinerary. The itinerary is helpful because it lets the students check off their completed activities. The units chapters include Map It, The Flag, Lets Explore, Music , Create and printables. Parents can rest assured that the Let’s Go Geography, Year 2 comes with safe clickable YouTube links there are also direct YouTube provided links for each video but they aren’t clickable. I recommend that you access the clickable links from unit or create a playlist on YouTube for you unit so can have them handy without having to open the document.

Let’s Go Geography, Year 2 is very simple to use and just enough geogrpahy for grades K-5th and is also a great way to build on countries of interest. We found ourselves craving to learn more about Uganda as we worked through the unit. We planned a day for visiting a Ugandan restaurant in our city and also a day for us to cook an Ugandan meal. My son was very interested in the day and the life video provided of a young girl. We had great discussion about how different his life is and hers. We also talked about responsibilities and chores differences as well as education for Ugandan children. The units are well organized and can be completed over a week or as long as you would like to stretch it.

Let’s Go Geography, Year 2 is $27.99 for a 2 year access with an option for Lifetime access. I highly recommend Let’s Go Geography, Year 2 as a fun geography curriculum if you are looking for something to jump start your geography lessons. They are simple and fun and can be great complement to a unit study. Let’s Go Geography also has a Let’s Go Geography Year 1 and soon to be released Year 3.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Crews reviews by clicking the banner below!

Until the Next Time

Mom

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsgogeography/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgogeography/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/letsgogeography/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU3aC9YWXi0SQaeTi01A0mA

2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Curriculum, Education, Homeschool

Malcolm X Unit Study

Little Learner and Mom

Every month I ask my son what he wants to study for the upcoming month. For January he wanted to do something different. Typically we study Martin Luther King Jr, but not this year. He made it very clear he didn’t want to study MLK because we have studied him so many times over the last few years and he was over it. I really couldn’t blame him, I respect and honor Dr. King’s memory but I was kinda over it myself. So this year while everyone else pulls out their traditional Martin Luther King materials we decided to honor Dr. King another way.

As I pondered the month of December who could we study? Out of the blue my son said mom let’s study Malcolm X. I asked why Malcolm X and he said because him and Martin Luther King shared a lot similarities and differences. I was sold on this idea but didn’t know where to start. My kid isn’t the fluff type of child, he wants resources and materials that are concrete minus all the fluffy bells and whistles.

So here I was thinking hmmm….Malcolm X ? My first thought was is this request going to be to heavy for him? How could I bring a unit study of such great man to life for my son. We had just finished studying Black Wall Street again one his request and that was a lot information and a heavy topic. Now he wants Malcolm X? I knew I had my work cut out for me on this one.

Black Wall Street Unit from Educations with Apron and Read Like a Rockstar

For the last 2 years I have become Instagram friends with Lanesha Tabb ( Educations With an Apron) and Naomi O’Brien (Read Like A Rock Star). These ladies are elementary school teachers and moms that have created not your average social studies curriculum that they sell on Teacher Pay Teacher. The dynamic duo have created not just social studies units they also have created curriculum’s for writing, reading, science and math. If you are not following these ladies I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you do.

While chatting with Naomi about how much my son was loving the Black Wall Street Unit I mentioned to her that my son wanted to do Malcolm X and I didn’t know where to start. She told me they had created a Malcolm X unit and she sent it to me for him. I was so happy for her generosity and promised her we would do it justice.

When I went through the unit I was really happy to see how these ladies approached telling Malcolm’s legacy. They really took the time to create a unit that answered all my son questions and put my mind at ease. We really enjoyed this unit and it left last impression on him.

Malcolm X Unit and Urban Intellectual Black History Cards

I checked out 2 books from the library Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X and the newly released Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly . I was also happy to this book called Malcolm X that is a chapter book he is still reading independently. I read all books before handing them to my son, I check for content, maturity and accurate information. I highly recommend that if you are planning heavy topics or any historical topic you do these steps. I created my son binder complete with the Malcolm X Social Justice Unit and pictures of Malcolm X provided by a good friend of mine.

His binder included:

  • Malcolm X eBook
  • Malcolm X quotes for copy-work
  • Vocabulary Words
  • Malcolm X Social Justice lesson sheets
  • Urban Intellectuals flash cards
  • Biography card of Malcolm X
  • Martin Luther King Social Justice eBook

My son also took part in all 5 daily Muslim prayers, we read from the Quran and Islamic Daily Wisdom book. We also studied the 1001 Inventions and Awesome Facts from Muslim Civilization: Official Children’s Companion to the 1001 Inventions Exhibition . We did Arabic studies and spent some time talking about the Nation of Islam and the differences between the Nation and other Muslims.

Mounted photo from @liberated_homescholars

So what did my kiddo gain from this incredible unit study this month?

  • Social Justice
  • Confidence
  • Perseverance
  • Compassion
  • Decision Making
  • Cultural Awareness

What I learned from planning this unit is that my child is intentional about what he he wants to learn. He taught me that I shouldn’t be afraid to expose him to topics that others may deem to heavy for a 2nd grader. I asked him where did he get the idea of Malcolm X from he said he remember last year in the Martin Luther King unit there was mention of Malcolm X and he wanted to know more about him. It’s funny how he didn’t want to study MLK this year that Martin Luther King is what inspired this unit study. Small confession though I did sneak a tiny bit of Martin Luther King in this year 😉…He didn’t bite my head off because it also included Malcolm X, The unit I used was Martin Luther King Jr: More Than Just a Dream .

Until the Next Time,

Mom and J

Curriculum, Homeschool, Homeschool Health, Mom Life

SchoolhouseTeachers.com Review

Little Learner and Mom

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

It is second semester for us in our home school journey and coming off a long break I can honestly say my lesson plans are a mess and I feel totally out of practice. This mom is super excited and relieved to be reviewing the Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com.

The Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com is a comprehensive homeschooling database for grades PK-12th grade. The membership comes with printable, lesson plans, online classes and educational videos. Along with all the great homeschooling resources their are awesome household resources such as menu planning , parenting library and many more resources.

For the second semester I wanted to plan a unit for health and nutrition and I really didn’t want to have to purchase a new textbook and teachers manual just for this unit. With the Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com I was able to select my sons grade level look for through the subjects and instantly I found exactly what I needed for a full 9 week lesson plan completely laid out for me complete with helpful links for activities we can do. The best part is the lesson plan was laid out on a 2 day a week schedule which is perfect and I decided to slide this unit into our morning meeting time. I left out the best part it also included the 24 page textbook that I could print out and use as well with my son.

The Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com makes it just that easy for you all you do is search, click, print and go. What I was about to start stressing out about took me all of 10 mins to prep crisis over. As a member you also have exclusive access to 450+ videos that cover academics, clean kids entertainment, parenting , relationships, religion and much more.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com offers parents the flexibility to use the resources to customize them as they fit your family needs. You have access to all grade levels and resources in so there is no need to wonder about having to select one grade level and only use those materials for that level. There is also a Literacy Center that is a great resource for teaching literacy and guidance for growing readers.

I also like the Focus Learning Center it helps direct you to the lessons and resources within SchoolhouseTeachers.com for extra support in these areas :

  • Math, Science and Reading
  • Special Needs
  • Physical Education
  • High School and College
  • Hands on Learning
  • Charlotte Mason
  • Parenting and a few more.

The Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com is great investment for the homeschooling family, especially those with a large family and a small budget looking to cut cost on purchasing so many curriculum. The membership comes with great academic and non academic resources and makes life easier for parents homeschooling. The website is also mobile friendly I had no problems viewing and printing from the website using my iPhone. The annual membership cost at the time of this review is $99 for the year or $12 a month this sell ends 1/31/20. I highly recommend you check this resource out if you are looking for a minimal cost and approach to homeschooling that is all inclusive.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Crew reviews on the Ultimate PreK-12 Annual Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com by clicking the banner.

Until Next Time,

Mom

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SchoolhouseTeachers/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOSMag/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tosmag/