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Such a Time As This

Faith, Hope, & Love

07/12/2016

Interactive A Workbook for Early Readers ABeCeDarian Company {Review}

 

ABeCeDarian Company Interactive A Workbook Review

ABeCeDarian Interactive Reviews

As I have been trying to piece our Kindergarten curriculum together, I stumbled upon a new interactive reading program.  My five-year-old son loves the Interactive A Workbook from ABeCeDarian Company because he gets to play on the iPad.

ABeCeDarian Interactive Reviews

What is it?

 

The Interactive A Workbook from ABeCeDarian Company is a “workbook” that can be used through your browser on the Kindle, Android, iPad or your computer.  It is intended for kids who are new to reading or who haven’t yet begun to read.  The online workbook “pages” consist of word puzzles, reading practice, and handwriting practice.  This also includes a downloadable teacher workbook which helps explain the process and how to proceed with ABeCeDarian.

abecedarian company

How Did We Use It?

I used this product with my 5-year-old son.  Our goal was to use it a few times a week, during his “school” time.  As you can tell, his 4-year-old sister was very intrigued by this program, as well.  I sat with him and helped him as he progressed through the lessons.  He needed my assistance in using the iPad, since I don’t typically let the littles use it, as well.

abecedarian company

What did we think?

 

We were so excited to try this new Interactive A Workbook from ABeCeDarian Company.  We have used ABeCeDarian in the past with my now 11-year-old son who struggles with dyslexia.  He worked through the paper workbooks from the same company and did very well with it.  My younger son hasn’t yet learned to read, at age 5, as he hasn’t quite started kindergarten yet.  This Interactive Workbook is set up exactly like the consumable paper workbooks from ABeCeDarian Company, except it is used through a tablet or computer.    We chose to use ours on the iPad so that my son would have an easier time with the handwriting portion than he would have on the computer using a mouse.

abecedarian company

Other Thoughts:

 

This isn’t exactly an app, which is what I was thinking it would be at first.  Because it needs to be used through the browser, I didn’t find it as easy to use as many apps are.  One of the first things I noticed was the load time was pretty long on both my computer and my iPad.  I thought it might be user error, but then I realized it eventually did load it just took a few minutes each time.

 

I also would have liked to have had sound as part of this program.  If these things were improved upon, I’m convinced this would be the perfect reading program! I also think this is truly meant to be done with the parent sitting next to the student, assisting them, which is how we did use it. So, this isn’t something your child should do independently until they get better at reading and spelling.

 

On a positive note, my son started almost immediately (within the first few days) being able to read and spell c-v-c words on his own!  He went from not knowing much beyond his simple ABCs to reading and spelling!  I think ABeCeDarian is an impressive program and we’ve had great success with it for both my 5-year-old and a few years ago with my older son.  I would encourage you, if you have a new or struggling reader, to try out this program because it might just be what your student needs!

ABeCeDarian Interactive ReviewsTo connect with ABeCeDarian Company on Facebook click here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/ABeCeDarian-Company/190992639173?ref=tsABeCeDarian Interactive ReviewsTo read more reviews by the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew, please click the banner below!ABeCeDarian Interactive Reviews
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Filed Under: Curriculum Reviews, Dyslexia Sasha

07/06/2016

State: The Facts, State Study {Laurelwood Books Review}

 

State: The Facts, State Study {Laurelwood Books Review}

state study
We decided to cover state history this year. The State the Facts: a Guide to Studying Your State from Laurelwood Books is a perfect tool for digging deeper into your state’s history.

 

We recently received State: The Facts, a Guide to Studying Your State by Mary Ellen Tedrow.  I wasn’t sure what to expect since none of my kids have done an official state study yet.  I was excited to begin!  On the back of the book, it states that even though most state studies are done in grades 4-6 this book can be used for any grade level.  Two of my kids, ages 9 and 11 (grades 4 & 6) shared this book as they worked their way through it.

state studies

We decided to start out by going to the library and getting some books about the history of our state and some facts about the state.  This was fun for the kids to get to pick out some books and bring them back home to work through the Little Yellow Book Study Guide for States.

laurelwood

I noticed right away that in the instructions for the books it stated that the book can be done in any order.  We started out by coloring the state flag and then by writing about some key historical people for our state.  The state study book provides almost 60 pages of worksheet type pages meant to be filled out by the student.  There is ample opportunity for:

  • paragraph writing
  • fill in the blanks
  • authors and titles of books
  • a book report
  • famous men and women of the state
  • the state flag then and now
  • the US Flag
  • key facts about when your state became a state
  • questions about our country’s elected officials
  • finding ways to contact your congressman
  • key questions for the congressman or senator

state study

The beginning of the book starts off with instructions on how to call the local librarian and what the kids can ask them.  The first questions revolve around asking the librarian how to contact the congressman and finding out if they carry books about their state.  The next few pages are about how to call their congressman and questions to ask as they interview them (Example: How long have you been in office?).  This was the only thing I had questions about regarding this book.  I might be in the minority, but I don’t feel comfortable asking my kids to call their librarian when most information can be found online nowadays, in fact, in many ways the computer and the internet are easier to use and quicker than calling a live person.  I wonder if it is even appropriate to call the librarian for something like this, unless your child or family doesn’t have access to the internet.  The phone number, the name and even the books regarding the local congressman are available online.  I do like, however, allowing the child to do their own research and develop their skills to find out information independently.

 

I do think this state study is a great project for kids in grades 2-8, and I think there are some fantastic ideas in the book for engaging your child and encouraging them to learn more about their state.

To connect with Laurelwood Books on Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/Laurelwood-Books-173789899339380/


To read more reviews by the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew, please click the banner below:
Latin and Penmanship {Laurelwood Books Review}


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Filed Under: Curriculum Reviews, Uncategorized Sasha

07/05/2016

Our newest card game to play with the family {Timeline Game Review}

Timeline Game Review

This post contains affiliate links.  Please see my disclosure policy.

 

We recently discovered a game called Timeline – Inventions.  It is a card game that is easily played with multiple kids ages 8 and up.  This game is made up of a deck of cards – the dealer deals a certain number of cards to each player which are to remain face down.  Each side has the same picture on it of an invention but one side has a date also written on it.  The date is meant to remain unseen until played.

timeline game

The goal of the game is to be the first person to lay down all your cards.  You can only lay down one card per round.  If you get an answer wrong you discard your card but then you immediately draw a new one.

 

This Timeline game begins with one card face up in the middle of the table.  Then the players begin to play starting with the youngest player and then moving clockwise.  The first player must decide when their invention was first created – before or after the card which is face and date up on the table.  The game then progressively gets harder and more challenging.  If you are next player you must decide if it occurred before or after the first card, the second card or in between them both.  This game was certainly a challenge for me!  My kids have enjoyed it but we’ve chosen to only play with our 9-year-old, 11 years old, and 13 years old, as well as my husband.  My 11-year-old has done the best of our kids.  This game takes some knowledge and a lot of reasoning skills to guess when each invention was invented relative to the other inventions on the table and to what we know of history.

timeline game inventions

 

I love this Timeline game because while it is a blast to play with the family, it is also very educational!

Filed Under: Family Life Sasha

06/30/2016

15 Brilliant Beach Hacks

Are you ready to plan an awesome Summer vacation? ‘Tis the time of year for heading to the beach with the fam. Looking for beach hacks?  Here are 15 of the best from the web Beach Hacks for all of you DIYers out there.  Have an awesome time making memories and creating some of these brilliant finds!

1. Easy Trick To Remove Sand From Your Skin

2. Make A Necklace That Will Keep You Cool

3. Bring A Kiddo Pool (as shown) To Keep Kids Cool & Close By

4. Create Aloe Vera Cubes For Sun Burn Relief

5. Stuff A Tote With All Of These Beach Essentials

6. DIY Sand Castle Building Kit

7. DIY Fitted Sheet Ground Cover

8. DIY Beach Memento

9. 10 Things NOT To Forget On Your Next Beach Trip
10. Tips On How To Properly Pack Your Cooler

11. 21 FREE Things To Do While You Are At The Beach

12. Printable Ultimate Beach Packing List

13. Protect Your Cell Phone From The Elements With This Easy Hack

14. Cooling Green Tea Face Mist

15. DIY Drink Holder For The Sand

Filed Under: DIY, Uncategorized Sasha

06/28/2016

Our review of NotebookingPages.com

NotebookingPages.com Review

(This post contains affiliate links.  Please see our disclosure policy.)

Notebooking Pages Lifetime Membership Reviews notebookingpages.comI want to let you all in on a little secret.  While I lean toward the Charlotte Mason style of homeschooling – many times in my journey as a homeschooling mom and teacher I’ve leaned toward the eclectic.  I like to piece different curriculum together to make life work for our growing and expanding family.  Until a few months ago, I had never heard of this resource that I’m about to share with you.  I can’t believe it has taken me this long to not only hear about it – but to use it.  It is a perfect addition to just about any homeschool.  The Lifetime Membership from NotebookingPages.com is a great way to enhance learning and create a beautiful portfolio showcasing what you’ve learned.

notebookingpages.com

What is the Lifetime Membership from NotebookingPages.com?  

NotebookingPages.com  is a website that has a HUGE amount of printables for your homeschool.  Their Lifetime Membership is just how it sounds: a Lifetime Membership full of tons of notebooking pages, copywork, and other types of worksheets.  Once you have the lifetime membership – everything is included … ALWAYS.  Can you tell I’m super beyond excited about this product?  These printable sheets are perfect for use in a Charlotte Mason Homeschool, Classical Education, or even Eclectic.

notebookingpages.com

This membership features pages for:

Bible Curriculum

  • Bible studies
  • Scripture memorization
  • character study

notebookingpagesLanguage Arts

  • copywork
  • journalling
  • Latin & Greek roots
  • Pre-School and Kinder A-Z

notebookingpagesFine Arts

  • picture study
  • classical composers

Science

  • science worksheets
  • science notebooking

notebookingpagesSocial Studies & History

  • geography – mapping
  • states study
  • National Memorials
  • National Parks pages
  • American Presidents and First Ladies
  • notebookingpages.com

 

How did we use it?

We started off by letting each of our older kids pick a copywork section to print and put into their binders.  My 11-year-old son chose the woodland animals print which he just adored.  My 9-year-old daughter chose a floral pattern for her copywork.  We decided that every morning after circle time and memorization time the kids would pull out their binder and copy the poem or the Bible verse that they are currently working on memorizing.

Such a time as this

What did we think?

 

I really like that each theme they chose contains a variety of page styles.  There are a handful of worksheets that have groups of lines, for example, 3 lines and then a space and then another 3 lines and a space.

Such a time as this (1)

 

This type of page is perfect for a short Bible verse or one stanza of a poem.

 

notebookingThe copywork pages also contain fully lined notebooking pages, along with other styles of pages.

 

notebooking  I also like that there is a title page included and a table of contents that the kids can fill in when they are done working on these pages.

notebooking

 

I think this is a perfect accompaniment to any homeschooling curriculum!  You can add in some extracurricular with these notebooking pages or you could implement this as part of your core content subjects.  I definitely plan to use the picture study and composer study in the coming year, with the kids.  I can see how easy this would be to implement – just study a painting, painter or composer and then have the child draw or write about what they learned so that they remember it.  I love this style of learning and love, too, that it is open ended – it can be whatever you NEED it to be.

 

There is so much to choose from that any way you choose to use it it can only add to the richness of your homeschooling education.  I wish I heard of NotebookingPages.com  a long time ago.  This can be used with multiple age ranges and can really help save money whether you are a classical homeschooler or eclectic.  The Lifetime Membership is priced at $97 or in installments starting at just $10.  You need to check it out for yourself, because what I’ve told you is just the tip of the iceberg.  There is so much included it is hard to mention it all.  I seriously consider this one of the BEST resources for homeschoolers on the web!

 

 

Notebooking Pages Lifetime Membership Reviews
To connect with NotebookingPages.com online please see below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debrareed.notebookingpages
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NotebookingPgs  


To read more reviews from the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew, please click the banner below:
Notebooking Pages Lifetime Membership Reviews


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Filed Under: Curriculum Reviews Sasha

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Hi There! I'm so glad you're here! I'm Sasha, wife to my best friend and mama to 7 kids. My passion is homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging parents of kids with special needs. We are all on a journey. Find what you were made for with some hope and encouragement on the way. xo Sasha

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