Parenting – Page 2 – Little Learner and Mom

Homesteading, Parenting, Reviews, Science

Fermentools Starter Kit Review!

May 8, 2020May 8, 2020 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.

By now everyone in the world has been faced with having to shelter in to limit there exposure to Covid-19. While adjusting to this new way of life I have found myself doing more canning and food perservation. I have been wanting to try fermenting foods so I was excited to review the Starter Kit from Fermentools. I am pretty good with canning jams and vegetables but fermenting is something entirely new process for me.

The the Starter Kit from Fermentools is a easy at home kit that doesn’t require much skill and know how or a bunch of special equipment. The Starter Kit from Fermentools comes with a stainless steel lid, glass fermentation weight, air lock, 2 rubber stoppers, Himalayan powdered salt and instructions. The process just need your size of wide mouth glass jar of choice depending on what your you are fermenting and patience. The Starter Kit from Fermentools comes with a basic sauerkraut recipe but for this review we did something a little different.

My family isnt a huge fan of sauerkraut so I decided that we would make Pineapple Tepache. We use the beverage recipe from the Fermentools Tepache A Feremented Beverage. My son LOVES Kombucha I knew he would love tepache. I grew up drinking tepache, the Starter Kit from Fermentools make this childhood favorite beverage super easy and tasty to make.

The process took all of 5 days to make I started it with my son on a Sunday so it would be ready on Friday for family movie night. We spent the week learning about why its important to grow our own food and food preservation and whats happens to food during the fermenting process. The next few times we made Pineapple Tepache my son pretty much did it himself with very little help from me.

The cost of the Starter Kit from Fermentools at the time of this review is $21.49 plus applicable tax and shipping. This a great way to start your fermenting journey with your family the possibilities are endless and its easy to do. The Fermentools website is full of great recipes to get you started along with the enclosed instruction book.

Fermentools are giving your readers a 15 % discount coupon valid from now until June 30th. The coupon code is: Crew2020. Be sure to check out the other Crews reviews of the Starter Kit from Fermentools by clicking the banner below.

Until the Next Time,

Mom

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fermentools/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/fermentools/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/fermentools/

Homeschool, Mom Life, Parenting

Homeschool Update Reality Check!

February 22, 2020February 22, 2020 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.

Education, Homeschool, Language Arts, Math, Parenting, Reviews

Dyslexia Gold Review!!

July 3, 2019July 3, 2019 Little Learner and Mom

“Some links may contain affiliate links. This does not change the cost to you, but helps me keep this blog running.”

Dyslexia Gold generously provided us with a family license and to Dyslexia Gold Full Bundle. This is an engaging program for children who have dyslexia. There are not many online programs that are geared to children who have dyslexia and that is why Dyslexia Gold is unique in its design. The platform is child focus and evidence based learning.

My son does not have dyslexia , but we found this program to be of great use for him for providing him more practice with his reading fluency, spelling and math. The slowed down pace and the auditory components are wonderful. The Dyslexia Gold Full Bundle included Engaging Eyes, Fluency Builder, Spelling Tutor and Times Table Tutor. Each of the platforms has student reporting so parents can adjust and review what their students have been working on and how they are improving.

We have been working a lot in the Spelling Tutor that is an area my son needs the most work in these days. I love how the Spelling Tutor has the students to grab a paper and pencil and then they listen to the auditory and then they correct their sentence. The spelling tutor works on sentence structure spelling and grammar, the program using dictation as a way to teach spelling.

The Engaging Eyes area ask the kids to focus on an object and track it. Now if you have a younger reader you know sometimes they have a tendency to get distracted by pictures on a page they are reading then they stall with their reading have to track back. The engaging eyes helps improve this issue in both they child with dyslexia and the child without it. I have seen improvement in my sons reading over time he isn’t as distracted when reading.

The Fluency Builder is excellent, I mean that will all seriousness my son has been flying through books since he has been using the fluency builder and his reading comprehension is even sharper. The Fluency builder also works on phonics, speed and segmenting. The struggling reader and dyslexic child will definitely see great improvements.

The Times Tables Tutor is a life saver. We have worked a little on beginners times tables but nothing concrete. I was a little apprehensive about letting him try it out , but to my surprise my son LOVES MULTIPLICATION! He said this made it easier for him to understand and it was fun practicing . I think one the things that made this easy for him is that the program uses legos to teach the students the concept.

So here is the breakdown, parents will see improvement of 12 months if students use the program on average of 10 hours a month playing 15 mins per day. The program is geared towards ages 7 to 11 years that are at least 1 year behind. The program as I have said can be used with struggling readers and those who would like to review skills. The program was created for children who have dyslexia.

The cost of Dyslexia Gold is discounted by 20% for Homeschoolers. Our family was given the Dyslexia Gold Full Bundle family license. Dyslexia Gold also offers a Dyslexia Screen Test at a low cost as well. If you have a child with dyslexia or even just struggling with reading I highly recommend checking out the Dyslexia Gold Full Bundle from Dyslexia Gold.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DyslexiaGold/

Be sure to check out the other Schoolhouse Crew Review members of Dyslexia Gold.

Until Next Time,

Mom

Education, Homeschool, Parenting, Reviews

SchoolhouseTeachers.com Review!

February 6, 2019April 3, 2019 Little Learner and Mom

Today I am reviewing Ultimate Annual Yearly Membership. I am always on the hunt to find good solid learning resources that I can use as a supplement or as a curriculum for our homeschool. Schoolhouse Teacher offers parents the ease of having a solid curriculum and resources without all the hassle.

What you can expect from SchoolhouseTeachers.com this is an online product with downloadable, printable elements as well as online classes and video components. There are products for all ages and grades; including moms. You will find curriculum with lesson plans and an abundance of resources. You will have the assurance that all the core subjects, electives and unit studies are covered. I love unit studies and this is exactly what I was looking for to help me build my units.

Family

This year is our math year and we concentrating heavily on mastering basic math skills. My son craves variety during math lessons. I am also looking for ways to keep math fresh and fun. The Everyday Games section for 1st-4th grade gave me a huge selection of games with lessons plans to keep things fun and both of us happy! As a homeschooling mom, a lot of our lessons tend to follow my son interest lesson. He loves science and he isn’t exactly on the 1st-grade science level he is more at 2nd and 3rd grade. I was relieved to find the science section work to our advantage. I was able to lesson plan at a higher level on certain subject areas instead of having to buy two sets of curriculum. He really enjoys the challenge and I really enjoyed the flexibility.

Flexibility is a huge advantage with SchoolhouseTeachers.com the Ultimate Annual Yearly Membership does not limit what grade level you have to work within. You are able you move around in all the levels that best fit your family. For large homeschool families, this may be a huge saving.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com is not just your typical curriculum website they have thought of everything. In the resource section, you will Monthly Menu ideas for your family. Talk about life and sanity saver because I don’t know how many times I have been at a lost with planning meals and adding variety to our rotation.

Speaking of resources I was amazed to find World Book digital available to families. If you aren’t familiar with World Book digital it’s a great platform that basically has taken the hard book resource and made them available in a digital platform, therefore, keeping them always up to date and offering interactive activities for students as young as Preschool.

The website also has an extensive video library that is stocked with wholesome and clean videos for curriculum and research purposes. They also have religious videos for children and religious study.

I am a planner and I like schedules there is a custom schedule builder also to help you, this is a major plus in my opinion. I also was impressed with the Achievement Certificate Library, there have been times in which I have wanted to award my son a special certificate for his lesson and Schoolhouse Teachers make this possible hassle free and at no additional cost.

So there you have it my review of this wonderful website. I feel like this website would be a great fit for families looking for hassle-free learning and everyday family life. at half the cost of purchasing box curriculum. I also feel like this is a good option for large families. Everything you need is right at your fingertips interested in getting your own membership here is a discount code for joining. Discount Coupon Code: CREWFOLLOWER

Be sure and click on the banner to visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read more reviews of Ultimate Annual Yearly Membership.

Until the next,

Little Learner and Mom😊

Education, Homeschool, Mom Life, Parenting

Our Day and a Life in Homeschooling!

November 9, 2018November 9, 2018 Little Learner and Mom

I am seriously a type A person, I crave organization and planning. There is a huge issue with being a Type A person and homeschooling you have to be able to create balance for yourself and a relaxed learning environment for your student.

November Schedule

My day typically day starts at 5/5:30 am…with prayers and trying to collect my thoughts before the day jump starts. My son is up every morning by 6:30 am, I know yikes!! We spend some time talking and cuddling and then he gets up and gets dressed and makes his bed and plays. Breakfast is at 7/7:30 am while he eats and watches Arthur I clean the kitchen and check in with the hubby and take out dinner and prep his snacks for the day for him.

We keep it pretty simple for breakfast…I always make enough pancakes on Sunday for 3 days. After breakfast he brushes his teeth and does his chores and then starts his independent board work. I write his board work on the board after he goes to bed at night so it’s ready in the morning. While he does board work I check emails and do some work at the computer, chores and then I join him at the table.

Home School Time

This is how our day runs for home school we typically start at 9am!

We kick the day off with Math! Why you may ask? Math is the area of study we are really concentrating on this year. I needed this subject to be first because his mind is ready and sharp! Math is divided into 3 areas:

Hands On Activity

Review and Teach

Lessons

Math Fact Fluency

After math we have brain breaks!! Brain breaks can be listening to music dancing and acting silly or letting him hang out with GoNoodle Plus!!

Once we are done with brain breaks we move on to handwriting! Handwriting I rotate what he is working on throughout the week:

M-F Learning Without Tears

1 day a week Journal

2 days a week Spectrum Handwriting

Chalkboard review (this targets any letter that needs some support)

1 day a week copy work

Reading and Language Arts are the areas that he breezes through super fast these days so I tend to leave this to the end of our morning! At some point between these subjects he grabs a snack! I like to break these areas down also:

Reading

Phonics cards (5 mins)

Sight Words (5 mins)

Spelling box (10-15 mins)

Daily lesson (30-40 mins some time less)

Language Arts

Grammar work (10 mins)

Time for Lunch

During lunch we eat together and that’s when I do our read aloud. Sometimes I let him watch a show on PBS Kids or Netflix. During lunch we typically talk about what he wants to do in the afternoon. We clean up lunch and then we head outside for some fresh air or we go out and run errands.

Afternoon

Normally the afternoon is when we do our electives we rotate them, but as of lately he has been requesting to do them all especially science. He also has taken a liking to social studies. Geography and History are defiantly rotated throughout the week. He grabs a snack while doing these electives. Our electives take about 45 mins – 1hour to run through! By 2:30/3 pm we are done for the day!

The afternoons are also reserved for special interest activities and extra curricular activities and knowledge box, but typically he just does whatever he wants. He is a HUGE Osmo fan and loves to code!

His Time

The one thing I make sure I do every day is make sure I set aside at least 30-60 mins where him and I just play. Some days he doesn’t want to play together but he just wants me in the room with him just so we can talk and he can show me what he is working on or whatever he wants. I think this is an important aspect for our day because he gets to have me in his space on his own terms! Don’t get me wrong we play all day while doing school and talk but this time of the day is special for him because he is in charge.

Late Afternoon

Daddy is usually home and they hang out for a little or he plays and helps me with dinner. Once again Arthur is watched or Odd Squad these are his two favorite shows. He can’t watch them until he has done his 20 mins of required reading.

Early Evening

We always eat dinner as a family and talk about our day and do our High’s and Low’s. My son usually finishes up dinner before we do and he clears his plate and and puts his pajamas on unless it’s bath night. He heads back downstairs and helps me clean the kitchen while we groove out to 90’s R& B on Alexa Amazon Music!

Bedtime

Our bedtime routine has been pretty much the same since he was a baby! My son is usually in bed no later than 8pm and sleep by 8:15 pm. There are some rare occasion when Daddy is working late but on those days he Face-time us so he is still apart of this special time.

The one thing I have learned is to follow his lead. No day is perfect, I just pause and rewind, reevaluate and let go. If he is showing an interest in something I just let that interest direct our day. Are there areas we could improve in? Probably so, but the wonderful thing about choosing this path to be a homeschooler is we are not on a clock. I want to enjoy our time together and for him to continue to develop a healthy love for learning.

So I am keeping my type A personality in line and balancing what he needs as well. If that means I do laundry at night after he goes down that’s fine. If only 50% of the things in my planner gets done I have made my peace with it. My planner is only a blueprint and not the final design of our week.

There is no such thing as a perfect homeschool, I try to let my followers and friends know that we are far from perfect in this house. There are days the house could use a little more TLC and I could make that uploaded picture on my Instagram look blemish free, staged and photoshopped, but why? That’s not real it’s fake and it applies way too much pressure on new families who want to take on this journey. I have decided to keep it real I am doing the best I can to make it through this crazy life and doing what matters.

So, if you happen to catch us on Instgram or swing by our way on Facebook, feel free to reach out to me because I am never too busy to lend a helping hand or just need a coffee chat with a fellow mama. Enjoy your children and let go of perfect and make everyday count!

Until Next Time,

Little Learner and Mom

Critical Thinking and Logic, Education, Homeschool, Morning Basket, Parenting, Science

Why We Like Zoey and Sassafras!

October 13, 2018October 13, 2018 Little Learner and Mom

I first came across the Zoey and Sassafras series when a good friend of mine started her Melanin Books 4 Melanin Kids Facebook group she posted about a book that was diverse and told a story about a little girls love for science! I was instantly intrigued and decided to check it out for us.

Over the last several years schools and companies have been focusing on the need for children to study more about S.T.E.AM ( Science,Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics). While we love technology in our home we try to find a balance so our son stays up to date, but also enjoys hands on learning. At the time I was in search of a good read aloud that introduced science to him in a fun way but appealed to his natural curiosity to learn about a topic.

We hit the jackpot when we read the first Zoey and Sassafras book Dragons and Marshmallows he was instantly hooked! There are now 6 books in the series and we have read them all. The books are easy to read and the illustrations are cute. He has learned about the scientific method, journaling and other fun topics. I love how the author uses real science terminology throughout the book that appeals to the child’s understanding.

In this series you will find:

Positive Family dynamics
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Clean literature
Strong Science Connection
Exploration of Nature
Fun and Humor
The series makes for a great read aloud and can be easily paired with a science unit study!

We were so excited about the newest book release Unicorns and Germs we held giveaway on our Instagram. My son was thrilled about the new book we received it on Tuesday and we finished it on Friday! All he can talk about is doing the experiment from the book, so we are waiting on his The Magic School Bus: The World of Germs to show up so we can test what we learned from Zoey! If you are looking for a series to help your child learn more about science and how fun it can be I would definitely recommend checking out this series. This also a great series for girls in science and also for the inclusion of more diversity in science. Zoey is a sweet little girl with some special abilities and your child will grow to love her family and friends!