10/04/2016

Awesome Children’s History Books – The If You Were Me Series {Review}

Awesome Children’s History Books – The If You Were Me Series by Carole P. Roman {Review}

We recently had the opportunity to review four books by Carole P. Roman. This review of If You Were Me and Lived in…Renaissance Italy (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time) (Volume 2) and If You Were Me and Lived in… Elizabethan England (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time) (Volume 3) is Brought to you by Carole P. Roman and Awaywegomedia.com. They also generously included If You Were Me and Lived in…the American West (Volume 7)and If You Were Me and Lived in…Viking Europe.

This was my first opportunity to read through these children’s history books and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they were to incorporate into our homeschool studies. They were the perfect addition to teaching history to my elementary aged students. Even my middle schooler enjoyed these.

We started off by reading through If You Were Me and Lived in…Renaissance Italy (An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time) (Volume 2). We study famous artists on Friday afternoon and I thought this would be a good introduction to the Italian Renaissance. The kids and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is easy reading and it includes lots of beautiful pictures. I loved how the child is magically transported into the historical time period as we are reading it from the perspective of the narrator.

The story starts out with explaining the setting of the story – in this case, it is Renaissance Italy. The author explains when you would have been born if you lived during this time period and in what city the story is set. One of our favorite parts was the comparison between modern day Florence, Italy and a painting of Florence from the 1400s. They include a full page version of each picture. The kids had fun seeing what was similar and what wasn’t between now and then.

The book also provides a couple of names that you would be called had you been a girl or boy living in that time period. The book touches on what had happened in history prior to the Renaissance, what was happening in the culture and some famous people of that time (like Da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Raphael, Donatello and the Medici family).

My kids especially liked the part that explains exactly what your house would like if you had lived during that time. They even include an outline of the home similar to a blueprint of where the different rooms would be located in the house.

Also included is what your day to day life would be like for you (if you were a girl) and your brothers, as well as what food would be served daily. The book also covers style of dress, complete with illustrated pictures, and hairstyles are talked about, too.

Toward the end of the book, there is a complete section on why the Renaissance was important in art. The author has chosen several paintings and sculptures to show the children some famous pieces of art.

There is also a section on famous people of that time period and a little bio of each one along with a picture/painting.

I also like that the book includes its own glossary. This is helpful because on just about every page there might be a new vocabulary word that your student hasn’t seen before. The vocabulary words, or difficult words, are spelled also in parentheses phonetically so that the student can sound them out. In the back, these same words are written with their definition.

Because we take the Charlotte Mason approach to learning, I enjoyed reading this book aloud to my kids and allowing them to imagine their life in Renaissance Italy. We talked about what it would be like and we studied the pictures. If you are a more classical homeschooler, you could take it a step further and have the students write down the vocabulary words and definitions – you could even have them write a written narration of what they have learned. There are many ways to use this book!

We started reading, another children’s history book by Carole P. Roman, “If You Were Me and Lived in the American West,” recently with the kids, as well. This book explained what it would be like to be part of the wagon train heading west. It covers what the food would have been, what animals they kept, what their daily chores would be like, and what it would be like sleeping under the stars.

It covers the Native American tribes such as Pawnee, Cheyenne, Comanche, Sioux, Arapaho, Shoshone, and others. It also includes the phonetical spelling of each so that the child (or adult) can sound them out if they aren’t sure how they are pronounced. This book also covers the amounts and types of illnesses and other calamities that took the settlers lives during the trip.
This book includes famous people of time like Lewis and Clark, Annie Oakley, Daniel Boone, Geronimo among others.

“If You Were Me and Lived in Elizabethan England,” was another title we enjoyed recently. My son and daughter read this one to themselves because my daughter really wanted to learn about Elizabethan England. They ended up each presenting an oral report on the time period and what they would like and wouldn’t like about living at that time.

This book is set up in much the same way as the others. It includes the style of dress, food they would have eaten, what the homes were like and even what the religion was in that time and place in history.

We especially liked the two depictions of life in London found towards the beginning of this book. One of the pictures is of modern-day London complete with a girl in modern day clothing and in her modern bedroom. The other picture is one from the year 1578 with a girl and her room. The author asks the students to identify the differences. This seems like lots of fun and is a good learning experience.

This book also covered what it would be like to be an actor in a play during that time. There is a lot of detailed information and my children enjoyed this part of the book. Much like the others, there is a famous people section complete with pictures and biographies and a glossary in the back.

We also were able to explore the book,”If You Were Me and Lived in Viking Europe.” We learned about how society was broken up into different segments of society, what your home would have been like, what jobs were like for your mother, father, and grandparents. They also include a section on what types of food you would have eaten, styles of clothing and even how clothes were made (including on a spinning wheel)!

It also gives information on activities, chores, weather, and even what your alphabet was like! This book does include a section on religion including a list of some Norse gods. Like the other books, they cover the famous Vikings of history and a glossary in the back.

If you are looking for an awesome way to teach American and World History, using children’s history books, look no further. These books do a fantastic job at bringing history to life and that is what I love about them. Between the beautiful illustrations that decorate each page and the way that it is written directly to the child from a child, these books are the best.

To connect on social media with Carole P. Roman and Awaywegomedia.com and to find out more about these awesome children’s history books please see the links below:

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If You Were Me and Lived in ... {by Carole P. Roman and Awaywegomedia.com}

10/01/2016

Teaching Your Child to Write with CHOPS {Dyslexia Awareness Month}

Using CHOPS for Successful Writing

Teaching Your Child to Write

The writing process can be difficult for many students. However, it can pose more difficulty for children with reading issues. While children have immense imaginations which aids in storytelling, they may lack the ability to put it all down on paper. The writing process appears to be simply writing down what you know about a topic or the story in your head. Yet, writing down words on paper isn’t so simple for a child who struggles to read the written word. Don’t be discouraged by this since many children who struggle with reading become great writers. The process of writing needs to be revealed gently.

Writing involves imagination, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, planning, and proofing. A student cannot be expected to develop all these skills at one time. The process of teaching your child to write needs to be broken apart and developed in stages set at the pace of the child. Writing takes practice and practice means making plenty of mistakes but it also includes progress. If your child is frustrated with writing, it is important to continue the practice of it. However, you can encourage writing in smaller segments to build confidence.

Where do you start teaching your child to write?

With any child but especially a child who struggles with reading and writing, the first place to start is to allow free writing. Continue to teach basic grammar and the writing process but allow your child time to just sit and write without correction as a first step. For example, assign your child a topic to write a paragraph about. Tell your child to just write without worrying about the mechanics. It is important that your child can write his thoughts out on paper without the pressure of making it “perfect”. If a child feels the weight of having to not only organize his thoughts but organize them without grammatical and spelling errors, the child will become frustrated. Next, it is time to take what the child wrote and organize it into a paragraph. Instead of marking it up with red pen, the child will take the role of proofreader. Not only will this alleviate stress between student and teacher, it will help the student get in the habit of correcting himself. This self-correcting method is called CHOPS.

What is CHOPS?

CHOPS

Capitalization
Handwriting
Out Loud
Punctuation
Spelling

CHOPS is an easy to remember acronym that will help in teaching your child to write. CHOPS covers the basics to help ease your child into developing successful writing skills.

The child can implement it by going one letter at a time. First, he can look for any capitalization errors. Then, he can make sure his handwriting is legible. Next, he can read his sentences out loud to ensure he didn’t forget a word or didn’t add a word. He can determine if the sentence sounds correct or expresses what he wants it to say. Then, go over all the punctuation. Does every sentence end with the correct punctuation? Are there sentences that need commas? Finally, go over the writing for any spelling errors.

Once your child follows these steps, he will be more confident about handing the writing over to you. Explain that you are simply a second pair of eyes to catch anything he missed. Go over the writing together and help your child with any errors he missed. While, there may be more grammatical details and formatting issues, it is important to master one thing at a time. The CHOPS method will empower the child and he will be on his way, through practice and guidance, to become proficient in writing skills.

Download your free CHOPS reminder card printable here! DOWNLOAD

09/28/2016

15 Best Ever Pumpkin Desserts

15 Best-Ever Pumpkin Desserts

It’s that time of year again … the weather is turning cool and the leaves are about to turn beautiful shades of crimson and tangerine. I think Fall is one of the most romantic times of the year. This is the time where we drag out our old decorations and make room for some things new. I love the smells and sights of autumn. Most of all I love pumpkin. From pumpkin candles to pumpkin muffins to pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin pie, pumpkin desserts are the best. Here is a list of the yummiest pumpkin desserts to try with your kids! Mmmm… enjoy!

Starbucks Pumpkin Scones Copycat Recipe from Damn Delicious
No Bake Pumpkin Dessert from Crazy for Crust
No Bake Pumpkin Pie in a Jar and a Giveaway! from Life Love and Sugar
Pumpkin Pie Dessert Hummus from Fit Foodie Finds
Frozen Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie from Averie Cooks
Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes from CincyShopper
Easy Pumpkin Roll Dessert from Yummy Healthy Easy
No-Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies from Chocolate Covered Katie
Pumpkin Raspberry Cheesecake with Cardamom Graham Crust from Kale And Caramel
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting from Food Fanatic
Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Cheesecake from The Gold Lining Girl
Amaretto Pumpkin Pie with Almond Brittle from The Gold Lining Girl
Pumpkin Freezer Fudge from Kitchen Frau
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse from The Well Floured Kitchen

09/27/2016

Learn about Ancient Egypt with Heirloom Audio Production’s new Audio Drama

Learn about Ancient Eygpt with

The Cat of Bubastes {Review}

Are you looking for a way to teach history in an exciting and engaging way? Are you teaching your children about Ancient Egypt? Earlier this year I had the pleasure of reviewing an audio drama by Heirloom Audio Productions. I was thrilled to see that Heirloom Audio Productions has done it again with their newest CD: The Cat of Bubastes!

The Cat of Bubastes is part of The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty by Heirloom Audio Productions. Heirloom Audio Productions has a reputation for creating wonderful and exciting audio dramas that are fun for both kids and adults, alike.

The Cat of Bubastes does not disappoint. It is approximately 2 hours long and it feels more like listening to a well-made movie rather than an ordinary audio book. It features an original score created by an Emmy Award-Winning Composer: John Campbell! This music helps create mood, along with a narrator, actors, and actresses that complete this descriptive journey into Ancient Egypt. In addition to the CD, when you purchase the Cat of Bubastes, you get so many extras!

I was so surprised to see just how many extras came with this audio drama! Once you own the CD you can log-in to your account on the Heirloom Audio website to find the bonuses including:

E-book, “The Cat of Bubastes, a Tale of Ancient Egypt,”

MP3 of the drama and of the soundtrack

a printable cast poster

a study guide and discussion starter

an inspirational Bible Verse Poster

and a behind the scenes video documentary with the cast and crew

The Study Guide is a fantastic resource to delve a little deeper into the story. It also helps spark discussion. The study guide is divided up with the tracks of the CD. Most tracks are short – approximately 5 minutes each.

Each page of the guide has a “Listening Well” portion which asks a series of questions about what the student just listened to. This helps to see if the kids are paying attention and how well they are retaining the story. This may be a good time to allow the kids to ask questions and discuss what they just heard.

The next section is entitled, “Thinking Further” and these questions dig a little deeper so that the student needs to think about the situations and what is happening in the story.

Each page also has a “Defining Words” Section which is simply a group of vocabulary words which they just heard in the story. This would be a good time to discuss the words and make sure the students understand the meaning. Better yet, they could look up the answers in the dictionary and write the definitions.

Some of the pages also included an “Expand Your Learning” Section which teaches more about Ancient Egypt and their culture. For instance, on page 14 of the Study Guide, there is special “Expand Your Learning” Section all about the Ancient Egyptian Diet and what types of crops they grew. These sections reflect whatever passage they just listened to on the CD.

My kids and I thoroughly enjoyed this CD as we worked on our handicrafts (mainly crocheting blankets and scarves) and as we ran errands around town. The story had its share of adventure, courage, romance, and deep discussion about the difference between the “gods of Egypt” and of The One True God of Israel. The Cat of Bubastes, along with being highly entertaining, is the perfect addition to learning about Ancient Egypt. We learned about the animals which were considered sacred to Egyptians during that time, the temple, the gods of Ancient Egypt, the Israeli Slaves, and other cultural differences. I could see this being a great addition to any history program but especially to the classical or Charlotte Mason approach of teaching history starting with the ancients and incorporating living books into your studies. What better way to make history come alive for your children?

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Heirloom Audio Productions ~Cat of Bubastes

09/25/2016

Looking for a curriculum? I found a great phonics reading program software!

Ultimate Phonics Reading Program Software {Review}

We were recently given the opportunity to review Ultimate Phonics Reading Program by Spencer Learning. As many of you know, one of my sons has struggled to read due to dyslexia. We have used many different programs to help him and some worked better than others. He is currently about two years behind his grade level in reading.

Ultimate Phonics Reading Program is a downloadable software that can run on most computers. To use, you must be running Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP; or for Macs, OSX 10.5.8 or higher. While it doesn’t come in CD format, it is very easy to download. I had no issues and I’m really not that good with technical stuff!

This phonics reading program software loads onto a computer and once it is on there no internet is needed. I absolutely love this feature because the wi-fi doesn’t always work like it should on our homeschool computer but because it doesn’t require any internet there are never any issues with this program!

Another benefit to using Ultimate Phonics Reading Program Software is that it can be downloaded onto multiple computers. This way you can use it on a laptap and a regular computer if needed. There also isn’t a limit to how many students can use this. We are currently using this with our older son who is a struggling reader but I could choose to use this with our younger son who is just beginning to learn phonics, as well.

Ultimate Phonics Reading Program Software is a complete systematic phonics program. It features 262 lessons. The lessons are broken up into six parts:

Ideas

Patterns

Word list

Words

Sight word

Sentences

The Idea Section is simply a concept they are teaching (like what a syllable is). There is a description of this and some info about the concept.

Patterns help the student learn a specific phonetic rule. For example, the pattern section might contain a certain phonetic rule like the letters “ai” make the long A sound in a word.

The Word List is great practice of whatever the pattern is that was just taught. There will be plenty of words that can be read that all contain the same rule.

The Words Section simply helps provide more practice and actually breaks down the words so that the student can hear each sound contained within that word.

Sight Words – Some of the lessons include sight words. These are words that the student is asked to simply memorize. There are only 113 sight words included in this program.

The Sentences provide extra practice of the words they have learned but it is contained inside a full sentence. This gives the student practice on other words, sight words, and the rule that was taught in the pattern section. There is a good amount of reading practice for a beginning reader or a struggling reader.

This program starts off with the basics of phonics and the 26 letters in the alphabet. It covers the consonants and vowels, the names of the letters and the sounds they make. This was all covered under the idea section. During pattern, they talk about the letter “B” (both upper and lower case) and the sound of B and continue on through letter Z covering all of the consonants.

By lesson 156 they hit “Long Vowel Sounds” under the idea section and quickly jump to the Magic E and the sound of long A under the pattern section. The word list is made up of words that contain the sound of the long “A” made by the magic E (at the end of the word). The Word section is the segmented word bake so that all the student has to do is roll their mouse over the individual sounds in order to hear the individual sounds of the word “bake”. They can also hear the word as it is written. There are approximately 35 words in the Word Section to help reinforce their practice in the individual sounds of words. There are about 10 sentences included in the Sentence Section which the student is supposed to try to read by themselves. This provides a good amount of reading practice that reflects the concept the student just learned. If they have trouble reading it, they can always tap the sound button on the screen to hear a narrator read the sentence to them.

By the middle to end of the lessons, which are included in this software, sometimes the idea is replaced by the Pattern Section. For instance, in Lesson 260 the lesson starts with the pattern of “ti” saying the “sh” sound, which is then followed by a word list. Also, sight words are not included in every lesson.

Overall, we have enjoyed this program. I think this would be perfect for either a beginning reader or a struggling reader.

I think it provides plenty of practice and a short distinct lessons which are good for kids who are already struggling with reading. They need smaller chunks to learn at a time. My son knows that it won’t take him more than 10-15 minutes each morning to complete his phonics, and that is perfect for us.
I do love the repetition of the practice.
I also love how there isn’t anything potentially confusing for the student. This reading program is set up so that anyone can succeed at reading (no matter the age).
I like that there aren’t any cartoon characters or extra games included. It is simply a phonics software and it does a great job at being just that.
The pages are set up with arrows at the top of the page so that the student can easily move along to the next section, when ready.
The student can have the narrator read to them if they need extra assistance.
As I stated earlier, I love that this is a software and not an online curriculum. This makes it so much easier to use, in our family.

There is only one negative, in my opinion. I would have loved to have a placement test because my son is 11 and didn’t really need to start at the very beginning. I think the idea is that this will fill in any holes in his learning, however, he easily could have placed right smack in the middle of the program. Even with this one drawback, I definitely recommend Ultimate Phonics Reading Program!