Category: Homeschool

2nd Grade Curriculum, Homeschool, Read Alouds, Reviews, Uncategorized

The Boxcar Children Early Reader 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 was I compensated in any other way.

I was growing up I read several of the Boxcar Children’s Chapter books and I enjoyed reading all about their many adventures. Albert Whitman & Company has published The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set which is intended for ages 6-8 these books are a brief introduction to the The Boxcar Children Series written by Gertrude Chandler Warner.

The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set are level 2 readers and intended for readers who still need support reading. Each book is vibrant in color with pictures on every page. The print is big and bold just enough words on the page to hold the young readers interest. The story lines are simple and easy to comprehend. What I like most like about these books is that it gives young readers a look into the classic Boxcar Children series.

We received all 4 for of the new early readers for us to review. Now I know what your thinking why are we reading level 2 readers when clearly my son is beyond level 2 reading level. We read the books during our morning time and at bedtime for a quick read aloud or bedtime story. A few months ago I tried to introduce the original The Boxcar Children to my son and he didn’t seem very interested in the story line but after book one of The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set titled the The Boxcar Children he wants chapter books.

In the The Boxcar Children book you meet the 4 Alden children and learn a little about their circumstance and how they come to meet Grandfather Alden. Children start to instantly get the sense of adventure from the first few pages. One thing I noticed my son showed real empathy for the children, he was very concern about them and was very happy at the end of the book.

The second book in the set is Surprise Island the Alden children have settled in with Grandfather Alden and life is good. Its the summertime and Grandfather has given them a great adventure of spending the summer on the families island. Alden children are loving their new freedom and enjoying the summer exploring and meeting a new close friend. The kids also get a little bit of a history lesson while on the island. I love how in this book the Alden children are enjoying nature and letting their imaginations run wild.

The Alden children are back at in The Yellow House Mystery another grand adventure to be had now with their cousin Joe. The kids, Joe and Grandfather are back on Surprise Island this time to solve a mystery of the disappearance of a good friend of Grandfather Alden. With hiking, camping and meeting new friends along the way the kids and their cousin solve a mystery for their Grandfather and reunite the good friends.

Mystery Ranch is the final book in The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set its summer time and the Alden children are headed to Wyoming to meet and visit a relative. The kids get settled in on the ranch and lend a helping hand to get the ranch in shape. While picnicking one day they come across a strange shelter and they begin to wonder who is living on their relatives land and why are they there, so they enlist the help of a friend and get to the bottom of this mystery!

The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set are listed as paperback books on Albert Whitman & Company website. At the time of this review we received hardcover books and they retail for $14.99. While reading these books children will see the following character traits: kindness, friendship, helpfulness and togetherness. I was very pleased with these books and now we are reading the first classic chapter book. If you are looking for a gentle way to introduce The Boxcar children series to your early readers I recommend Albert Whitman & Company published The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set .

Be sure to check out the other Crew reviews of the The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set by clicking the banner below.

Until the Next Time

Mom

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoxcarChildren/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlbertWhitman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/albertwhitman/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlbertWhitmanCo

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

Homeschool, Mom Life, Parenting

Homeschool Update Reality Check!

Little Learner and Mom

Every year social media homeschoolers across all platforms upload their new curriculum vlogs, blogs and pictures. Some videos will blow you away because it’s sooo much stuff. These moms have taken their time researched and planned but the reality is these are their choices not their kiddos because I am almost 90% sure that at some point in the year the kids will change it up. I mean let’s face it I uploaded my video also but quickly soon after that video went up I started removing over 50% of the choices out of our routine.

In October I took a long hard look at all my previous years of homeschooling and what we were currently doing. I asked myself one quick question…ARE YOU NUTS? There is no way in the entire planet you are going to use majority of this stuff. I instantly stopped purchasing stuff and re-evaluated exactly what my kiddo was really using and the rest of this junk had to GO!!

So here is my update we don’t use Horizon Math Grade 2 anymore. I love Horizon math and it did give my son a solid foundation, he just fell out of love with it. I made me peace with his decisions and moved on. I have said in many of my vlogs and blogs I DON’T CURRICULUM HOP! Horizons has been faithful to us since kindergarten, but I quickly noticed his frustration in September and put it on the shelf. Abeka math has always been my next go to for math and I purchased Arithmetic 2 in July. He is thriving in Abeka Arithmetic 2 and Beast Academy 2 series (part of co-op) . He is happy and so is mommy problem solved.

We also are no longer using The Good and the Beautiful level 2. We have been using TGAB since book K, but I quickly noticed that level 2 was almost a complete duplicate of level 1 with some additional skills added. I didn’t need a repeat of the previous year because my kid has a very good memory and he wasn’t having it. He is really loving using Grammar Galaxy Volume 2 Protostar with his co-op and Evan Moor Language Fundamentals Grade 3 so we said goodbye to TGAB.

History we have been using Curiosity Chronicles series and following his lead. For African studies we are currently studying the Negro League Baseball teams. Science is interest led, he finished his 2nd grade science curriculum over the summer and I wasn’t about to throw another penny at a science curriculum until July 2020 and even then its not looking good. We have also rekindled our love for Sassafras Science series and been zip lining our way through science and interest led studies.

We have been having fun going to co-op 2 days a week and just letting his homeschool take us where he wants it. I teach those 2 days a week at his co-op and I have really been enjoying the kiddos and having some adult interaction this year. I am not in a rush to finish out this school year because we homeschool year round. We spend our days talking, gameschooling, researching, exploring and working as a team. We still have a daily routine and a work box system. My planner is still planned to the MAX each week but my new highlighting system is working out great.

I am not spending a bunch of money on unnecessary items any more. I have purged my home of all items that are for 1st grade and below. I no longer hold on to stuff to make my shelves look full or pretty. I heavily research homeschool items that will serve a purpose for the long term. I also no longer purchase tons of books. Yup I said it I am not hoarding books especially books that are about the same subject. I only buy books that have a long term purpose or books he really loves. We use the library for our literary needs and it is working out perfectly. My son loves our unit studies and hands on activities, but now I am using better common sense. Now when planning these things out I think about the long term use of these items so I am not hoarding.

If you follow me on Little Learner and Mom Instagram page and here on the blog I do review products. Let me tell you right now every product I have reviewed on my blog or shown on my social media platforms have been put into rotation and those we don’t use I use with my co-op kiddos. I am so over seeing all these hoarding videos, let just call it what it is HOARDING and the “Look at me syndrome” or “Let me see how many followers I can get”. We homeschool because this is what is right for my family and if some of what I am doing can help a mom in need I hope we are a blessing to her.

We are completely authentic in our homeschool journey. My son has days when he isn’t in the best of moods and on those days I am like forget it lets play Switch. My homeschool room sometimes looks like a train hit. I am consider myself an organized person and as I write this piece my desk looks like a tornado also hit it. I do like things in order but I am not about to tell you that everything is perfect over here. I have days when I want to pull my hair out. My son has areas he struggles in and I am not afraid to say it. We are pretty much straightforward homeschoolers with a sprinkle of unschooling.

So this is my update we are doing great over here thriving and moving through life one day at a time. We are making positive changes in our homeschool that have made us all happier as a family.

Until the Next Time,

Mom and J

FTC Disclaimer The majority of products featured on my blog have been purchased by me. At any time a product has been provided to me by a company for a review or as an affiliate or I enter into a partnership with a company. I will disclose it in the video and/or description. Amazon affiliate links are provided for your convenience at no additional charge to you. All opinions and reviews that I share are always entirely my own.

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/   


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

Calvert Homeschool Online Review!

Little Learner and Mom

This year I was all set with our curriculum purchases and ready to start our new home school year in late July of this year. I had done my research and was positive that we had everything we needed. What I hadn’t planned on was my son wanting to jump into his 2nd grade science curriculum. So well this was an epic fail he blew through the entire science curriculum over the summer which left back at square one. To my luck the Crew was offered an opportunity to review Calvert Homeschool online subscription for Calvert Homeschool Online for grades 3rd-12th grade 6 month subscription.

If you are not familiar with Calvert Homeschool they provide printed homeschool curriculum for grades K-2 and mobile online curriculum for grades 3rd-12th grade. For this review I will be reviewing the Calvert Homeschool Online. The set up was pretty easy parents can assign work, check daily work and check the report. Assignments are self grading except for those assignments that are essay format. Parents receive updates when assignments need to be graded and also notifications when student miss assignments. Parents can easily adjust assignment as needed and review assignment questions and topics.

For us the science was a huge importance because at the time of this review we were just winging it. I started my son with the Science 300 which is 3rd grade science and the topic “You Grow and Change” . I was very much impressed with the depth of coverage in this area, Calvert Homeschool Online really goes into depth with the learning. My son was completely thrilled because this is something we struggled with other curriculum he wanted more information about what he was studying. Calvert Homeschool Online gives detailed lessons about what your child is study through information they can read to themselves or have read aloud to them from the platform. There are also instructional videos, games and experiments. Students are tested on their knowledge with brief quizzes, projects, test and essays that are graded. For the essay part I would have my son answer the question orally and I would record his answer and use this time to evaluate if he needed to redo lesson or I need to supplement.

Calvert Homeschool Online offers parents the flexibility to go at the child pace or interest in a lessons. I really liked the ability to be able to assign things in Science, Geography and History that we are covering as he shows interest and we move along in our homeschool year. I also like the ability knowing exactly that the information he is learning can be evaluated and I can printout his reports to slide into his home school portfolio without having a collage of papers. There is also flexibility of not having to do all the subjects at once you can select which ones you want to use.

So let me break down key points Calvert Homeschool Online

  • Mobile Comprehensive Online learning for grades 3rd-12th grade
  • Affordable
  • Self Paced Learning
  • Access to over 45 in depth courses
  • Covers Math, Science, Language Arts, Spelling, History and Geography 3rd-6th grade
  • 7th and 8th grade covers all of the above except Spelling and World Civilization (7th Grade)
  • 9th -12 grade also includes the core subjects and students will be able to study Government, Consumer Math, US and World History, Chemistry and Physics .
  • Lesson Planner, Parent Tracking, Self Grading, Automatic Report Card and Portfolio Builder
  • Single student cost is $39.95 a month or $399.95 for a year
  • Family cost up to 3 students $69.95 or $699.95

Calvert Homeschool Online is a comprehensive online homeschool program if your family is looking for a new curriculum. I feel like the family plan is a great plan for families homeschooling more than one student and need affordable option to homeschool. There is very little prep to be done and you can easily add in some hands on learning, gameschooling and unit study to add more to the lessons. The online dashboard is a great help to parents who are looking for low maintenance portfolio building and transcripts. We give Calvert Homeschool Online thumbs up.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Crews reviews on Calvert Homeschool Online by clicking the banner below.

Until the Next Time,

M

2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Education, Homeschool, Morning Basket, Writing

Channie’s Visual Handwriting & Math workbooks Review!!

Little Learner and Mom

My son has never been a huge fan of practicing his writing. As we continue along in our second grade year his feelings about handwriting still has changed. I was excited to have him try the Channie’s Dry Erase Flashcard For Alphabet & Number from Channie’s Visual Handwriting & Math workbooks. With fingers crossed I was hoping that he would change his mind about practicing his handwriting with the Channie’s Dry Erase Flashcard For Alphabet & Number .

Channie’s Dry Erase Flashcard For Alphabet & Number cards are for ages 3+ . They are perfect size for early writers. The lay out of the cards is friendly and color coded to show proper placement of letters and formation. The block spacing encourages consistency of letter and number sizing. I really like the added feature of having pictures to coincide with each letter. On the front of each card alphabet card is the uppercase letter is on and on the back the lowercase. The number cards included I think moms will appreciate that the practice length is perfect for reluctant writers.

We used two different dry erase markers on the cards. We used a high quality marker and lower quality marker and I didn’t see much of difference when we erased them. I used slightly damp rag to wipe them down clearly and my son used his dry eraser to clean them off. The cards are high gloss, sturdy and will withstand the handling of younger student.

Students will cover:

  • Tracing
  • Writing
  • Practice

Channie’s Dry Erase Flashcard For Alphabet & Number worked well for my son because I was able to slide them into his work boxes or folders if I want him to work on certain letters during his writing time. He didn’t put up a fuss about practicing his letters that felt he needed more practice. For struggling writers and those students who are not enthusiastic about writing these are perfect and frustration free.

Be sure to check out the rest of Crew reviews of Channie’s Visual Handwriting & Math workbook by clicking the banner below.

Until the next time,

Mom

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channiesworkbook/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/channiesvisualhandwriting/

Crew Disclaimer
2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Education, Homeschool, Spanish

Excelerate Spanish Streaming Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Many homeschool families look to outside resources such as Excelerate Spanish Streaming from Excelerate Spanish to teach a foreign language. As a Spanish speaking family we have always felt it is important that our son learn to speak Spanish. He learned to speak and understand the language but the struggle is learning to write and read the language.

Excelerate Spanish Streaming is exactly what I have been looking for to give us the in class experience. Excelerate Spanish Streaming is a self paced so there is no rush to get lessons completed. You can watch the lessons receptivity if you need and pause and stop to answer questions. Each lesson is about 30-60 mins long and combines 90% immersion learning approach which is something that I feel is the key to learning a language best.

The teacher speaks clearly and she covers proper verb usage and annunciation. Students will learn how to write sentences, grammar and conversations. The teacher also demonstrates lessons using students and props. We used Excelerate Spanish Streaming videos lessons by lining them up to match the Spanish program we have been using. Pairing the streaming videos lessons were perfect because my son was able to interact and be apart of what looks like a traditional Spanish and it was nice that to have someone else doing the teaching beside myself. The language immersion teaching method I really like because I have a bad habit of speaking Spangilsh to my son which can be very confusing when you are trying to teach how to read and write a language. My son also like seeing and hearing the other children in the videos respond and learn along side him.

Excelerate Spanish Streaming can be used by the entire family and I would encourage a parents to learn along side their child if they are wanting to learn a new language as well. The website has helpful resources including games, flashcards and quizzes. Excelerate Spanish Streaming does have a student workbook ($16.95) which I would recommend if you would like to reinforce lessons learned. Excelerate Spanish Streaming is designed so your student will be able to speak Spanish fluently as well as write and read the language.

We received Excelerate Spanish Streaming 1 and 2 streaming video lessons which is a complete year of Spanish lessons at 24 lesson per session. Excelerate Spanish Streaming for levels 1 and 2 streaming cost $249 there is also an option for monthly cost of starting at $14.97. Families will receive unlimited personal support while using the program.

I recommend this program if your family is looking to learn Spanish, the lessons are well done and students will learn to speak Spanish and proper usage. Be sure to chek out the rest of the Crews reviews on Excelerate Spanish Streaming by clicking the banner below.

Until Next Time,

M

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExcelerateSPANISH/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarynPowellHomm
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caryn3360/

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2nd Grade Curriculum, 3rd Grade Curriculum, Critical Thinking and Logic, Education, Homeschool, Math

Smartick Review!

Little Learner and Mom

Let me start this review off by saying WE LOVE SMARTICK!! Words can not express how much my son and I both love this online math program!! Like seriously this math online program from Smartick ranks #1 for this schools years best supplemental math resources. When your student is asking to do his math you know you have found something special.

Smartick is no ordinary app it looks at math from a totally different methodology using problem solving and critical thinking skills to teach children. Smartick is for children ages 4-14 and the company is award winning and delivers results.

Each session is only 15 mins long and students should practice everyday in order to see steady growth. We did occasionally skip a day in between in the beginning but now Smartick is a part of our daily math routine. The program does readjust as your child progresses so if it sees mastery in a skill it will automatically readjust the leveling. I personally was very intrigued by the companies use of logic and reasoning skills to teach math. I love how kids are encourage to look at math in a different way then just using traditional math calculations using this online program.

At first glance my son he wasn’t too sure about it. Smartick starts the kids off with an assessment so it will place them in the correct level. The assessment may take a few sessions if the platform senses the child may be in between levels. Once the proper level is assessed the student begins their practice.

One of the things I really appreciated is that no where on the dashboard area does the child see grade level status. I think this is huge plus for children and parents who have anxiety about grade leveling. When my son first started playing I noticed some skills seemed easy for him but then I also noticed skills that were more difficult. I like this mixed skills because I feel that builds confidence. Can I say THANK YOU Smartick for mental math practice! The mental math practice is so present in Smartick that I could just huge the creators. My son has shown rapid growth in his mental math skills and his recall speed.

The skills sets are broken down into 10 areas and within those areas there are several skills When you click on the each the progress details it breaks down into smaller skill sets within the topic areas and you can see more detail progress. Students work through a series of problems and earn ticks to use to buy items in the their worlds. Students are also given opportunities to go back and correct any questions they may have missed at the end of their session to earn a tick. After the students finish their session they can go work in the Smartick Brain area where all the fun games are located. My sons favorite games were Chameleon and Rush Hour.

Smartick Brain Games are also listed in 4 areas of play:

  • Memory
  • Reasoning
  • Attention
  • Flexibility

The parent dashboard gives you detailed information about your students practice sessions, rewards and skills assessed. You also receive email reminders if your student didn’t complete a daily session. Once a student completes a session an email is generated out detailing exactly how your student performed and what they worked on. Smartick also records the time spent on each session as well as the average speed the student took in each area. Students also earn diplomas as they work through the platform.

There are so many wonderful things I can write about Smartick and how it really works with the child and eases math anxiety and improves math skills. Smartick offers a 15 day free trial and as a follower you can receive an exclusive 25% discount on your first subscription by using our referral code (MAMABR8B7369). The app is available on IOS and has been rated as Apple’s number one educational app for Ipad. This is screen time well spent and I highly recommend.

Be sure to check out the other Crew members review on Smartick by clicking the banner below.

Until the Next Time,

Mom


Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Smartick
Twitter: https://twitter.com/smartickmethod?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartick/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD_f6FMb0X1QDp5j7puQh1Q

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