©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Thursday, November 2, 2017
The Magic Stories ~ a TOS review
Having homeschooled now for 9 years I have had the privilege of teaching my youngest three daughters to read. Building confidence with reading and comprehension is really important and today I want to introduce you to The Magic Stories from Allsaid & Dunn, LLC, publishers of The Reading Game and authors of the wildly popular Wordly Wise series.
Over the last six weeks I have been helping McKenzie, my 8-year-old 2nd grader as she works through The Magic Stories. These stories are apart of a supplemental reading program and include a series of six short stories for 2nd-3rd grade reading levels. There are six stories in this series and each has a moral to tell and they include:
Each of The Magic Stories is roughly 20 pages long with simple yet appealing black line illustrations. The stories are available as a PDF download and can either be printed on a 8.5”x11” page or printed as a double-sided booklet. If you choose to print the stories your child may color in the illustrations personalizing the story to their liking. A feature I especially like is that these stories are also optimized for easy reading on a computer screen or iPad meaning I don’t have to worry about storing them away somewhere.
Worksheets that test reading comprehension, proficiency, writing, and word assessment are also included in this set for completion after the story has been read. These activities will help you gage just how well your child understood the story. There are four worksheets per story and include a maze, finish the sentence, imagine, and finish the story.
Each of these stories also contains a list of 40 different “Naughty Words”. These are “Naughty Words” are words that tend to be more challenging to read and your child will come across while reading. They are printable cards that are formatted with the word and it being used within a sentence. It is suggested that you review these words with your child before beginning the story so they will have had exposure to them and to keep reading a positive experience without frustration. For McKenzie I choose to color-code and print each stories “Naughty Words” on colored paper and laminate them for durability.
Since this is a supplemental reading curriculum we used each story for two weeks at a time. This pace works well for our 4-day school schedule, so let me tell you how we did it.
Overall, we have thoroughly enjoyed this supplemental beginning reading program! It gives me confidence that McKenzie is truly learning how to become a great reader plus the stories have good morals that we try and teach all of our children. I definitely think you should check this program out if you have a 2nd-3rd grader, I think you will be pleased. If you have a younger child learning to read, start with The Reading Game for Kindergarteners or first graders for the foundational reading skills.
Check out what my CrewMates thought of The Magic Stories by clicking the banner below.
Over the last six weeks I have been helping McKenzie, my 8-year-old 2nd grader as she works through The Magic Stories. These stories are apart of a supplemental reading program and include a series of six short stories for 2nd-3rd grade reading levels. There are six stories in this series and each has a moral to tell and they include:
~ The Magic Hole – A magic hole inside a rice bag changes Ping Ho’s family life.
~ The Magic Ax – Tom learns the value of hard work.
~ The Magic Joke – An unhappy King and Princess.
~ The Magic Hotdog – Alfred just can’t stop eating hot dogs.
~ The Magic Boots – By mistake, Patty is given a pair of goblin boots.
~ The Magic Box – A story about Rumpelstiltskin.
Each of The Magic Stories is roughly 20 pages long with simple yet appealing black line illustrations. The stories are available as a PDF download and can either be printed on a 8.5”x11” page or printed as a double-sided booklet. If you choose to print the stories your child may color in the illustrations personalizing the story to their liking. A feature I especially like is that these stories are also optimized for easy reading on a computer screen or iPad meaning I don’t have to worry about storing them away somewhere.
Worksheets that test reading comprehension, proficiency, writing, and word assessment are also included in this set for completion after the story has been read. These activities will help you gage just how well your child understood the story. There are four worksheets per story and include a maze, finish the sentence, imagine, and finish the story.
Each of these stories also contains a list of 40 different “Naughty Words”. These are “Naughty Words” are words that tend to be more challenging to read and your child will come across while reading. They are printable cards that are formatted with the word and it being used within a sentence. It is suggested that you review these words with your child before beginning the story so they will have had exposure to them and to keep reading a positive experience without frustration. For McKenzie I choose to color-code and print each stories “Naughty Words” on colored paper and laminate them for durability.
Since this is a supplemental reading curriculum we used each story for two weeks at a time. This pace works well for our 4-day school schedule, so let me tell you how we did it.
Week 1
Day 1 – Read through half of the vocabulary words making sure she knows how to pronounce and the general meaning.
Day 2 – Read through the other half of the vocabulary words, again checking for pronunciation and meaning.
Day 3 – McKenzie reads-aloud half of the story. Review “Naughty Words” list.
Day 4 – McKenzie reads the other half of the story aloud. Review “Naughty Words” list. Complete the story comprehension maze.
Week 2
Day 1 – Review all the “Naughty Words” and re-read the story aloud. Checking for accuracy.
Day 2 – Complete the finishing the sentence (exercise 2) worksheet. This is a lot of writing so we split it up throughout the day if need be.
Day 3 – Complete exercise 3 and reviewing “Naughty Words”.
Day 4 – Complete exercise 4 and re-read the story one last time.
This method has worked well for us and we have gotten through the first two stories during the review period.
Overall, we have thoroughly enjoyed this supplemental beginning reading program! It gives me confidence that McKenzie is truly learning how to become a great reader plus the stories have good morals that we try and teach all of our children. I definitely think you should check this program out if you have a 2nd-3rd grader, I think you will be pleased. If you have a younger child learning to read, start with The Reading Game for Kindergarteners or first graders for the foundational reading skills.
Check out what my CrewMates thought of The Magic Stories by clicking the banner below.
Company ~ Allsaid & Dunn, LLC, publishers of The Reading Game and authors of the Wordly Wise series.
Product ~ The Magic Stories
Format ~ PDF download
Price ~ $16.95
Ages ~ 2nd – 3rd graders
Social Media Links:
©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools Sampler Pack from Let the Little Children Come ~ a TOS review
Today I would like to introduce you to the Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools Sampler Pack from Let the Little Children Come. Back in September I shared with you the Is There Anything Better Than Candy? Box-Tract and today I wanted to share that Let the Little Children Come also provides many tools to share the gospel with children.
Normally, you don’t find many Gospel tracts that are geared towards children. But look no further because Let the Little Children Come has the perfect solution for you. Let me tell you a little more about what we received in our sampler pack. Inside the sampler pack we received 10 of the company’s most popular Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools designed to capture and hold the child’s attention including:
We have been using each of these in our house since they arrived. We each have our favorite tracts but the one we can all agree on to be our favorite is the True Story of Christmas Animate Tract. We love everything about Christmas and this book just ties it into a story that everyone is sure to love and enjoy for many years. Each of these tracts are available to purchase separately for $11.95 each. The more you buy the cheaper the price. Sampler Tracts like the ones received are also available to purchase and e discounted with the more you buy.
Be sure to check out how my CrewMates used these in their homes by clicking the banner below!
Normally, you don’t find many Gospel tracts that are geared towards children. But look no further because Let the Little Children Come has the perfect solution for you. Let me tell you a little more about what we received in our sampler pack. Inside the sampler pack we received 10 of the company’s most popular Gospel Tracts and Evangelism Tools designed to capture and hold the child’s attention including:
~ Where’s Everybody Going? Animated Tract: This tract tells of God’s love for us everyday and the plan of salvation through animation.
~ John 3:16 Animated Tract: This tract is aimed to capture and hold the child’s attention using a moving image in the booklet. With the help of a black screen, you hold it over the tract as you recite the scripture and the black screen animates the images on the page.
~ The True Story of Christmas Animated Tract: My children love hearing their birth stories and this is the perfect little book to share the biblical story of Jesus’ birth with all your friends. This tract uses the same animation as the John 3:16 tract as you listen to the story of Jesus’s birth.
~ The Most Amazing House Pop-up Tract: This tract is a 5-page pop-up booklet that illustrates the Gospel message in 3D. Each page helps you learn about the Most Amazing House that God has prepared for us in heaven.
~ The Lost Easter Egg Pop-up Tract: This is another cute pop-up book that tells the story of a lost Easter Egg. In it we learn of three friends who really want to find a lost Easter egg and we find out just as much of God’s desire to be with each of us.
~ Gospel Buttons Flip About: This tract opens and folds to reveal God’s everlasting message of eternal life.
~ John 3:16 Flip About: Memorizing this important verse just got a little easier when you use this folding tract. With 4 brightly colored panels you will be able to see the meaning of the verse displayed phrase by phrase. Especially helpful when young children are memorizing.
~ Silicone Salvation Bracelet: This medium sized silicone bracelet tells the same message of salvation like the Wordless bracelet. It is sized for older children and youth and also comes in small and large sizes.
~ Wordless Bracelet Kit: Sharing the Gospel of Salvation has never been easier with the color beads of this bracelet tract kit. Each colored bead represents a part of the Gospel Message.
~ Wordless Book: Just like the Wordless bracelet and silicone bracelets these books tell the story of salvation through color alone. There are scripted instructions on what to say for each color if you need them.
We have been using each of these in our house since they arrived. We each have our favorite tracts but the one we can all agree on to be our favorite is the True Story of Christmas Animate Tract. We love everything about Christmas and this book just ties it into a story that everyone is sure to love and enjoy for many years. Each of these tracts are available to purchase separately for $11.95 each. The more you buy the cheaper the price. Sampler Tracts like the ones received are also available to purchase and e discounted with the more you buy.
Be sure to check out how my CrewMates used these in their homes by clicking the banner below!
Company ~ Let the Little Children Come
Price ~ $11.95
Ages ~ everybody
Social Media Links:
©2008 - 2016 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
http://astablebeginning.com
Wordless Wednesday
©2008 - 2016 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Weave Your Word in Me -- Part 1 ~ a TOS review
Something I have been looking for is a prayer curriculum for my upper elementary daughter to teach the Lord’s Prayer, and Kid Niche Christian Books and their program, Weave Your Word in Me -- Part 1, is currently filling that need. Normally I like the kids to memorize the Lord’s Prayer by fourth grade, but for some reason or another that just did not happen last year for Montana.
Kid Niche Christian Books is the brain child of author, Susan Case Bonner, who has dedicated the last four decades of her life teaching the Bible to children in a simple yet creative way. The mission of Kid Niche Christian Books is simple. They want to produce family-friendly Bible curriculum to help those who wish to have deep relationship with the one true God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There curriculum geared towards the tween and teen age groups help these young minds grow in their relationship with God through truth, communication, and friendship.
Weave Your Word in Me -- Part 1 is a Bible and prayer curriculum designed to walk your tween, or upper elementary students, through the Lord’s Prayer. With thought provoking questions and various fun activities geared towards the tween age group this curriculum makes learning the scripture fun.
Part 1 of this curriculum includes 36 lessons and focuses on God as our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and his ministry on earth, salvation, resurrection, Christ’s impending return, and the importance of a prayer life. Throughout the lessons there are several scriptures that tie in and focus on the main theme. The translations used in the Weave Your Word in Me curriculum are clearly marked and it even includes answer keys for six different Bible translations including:
To complete daily lessons your student will need a Bible of your translation choice, a pencil, and a dictionary. Learning opportunities include activities such as charts, true and false, definitions, fill in the blanks, cartoons, matching, multiple choice, art, sequencing, and drama so there is little chance that your child will become bored of the curriculum.
Using this prayer curriculum in our homeschool was easy to do. Montana (11), was the main user three days a week. She did this in addition to her regular Bible curriculum because the lesson in this curriculum is relatively short. I appreciate that the instructions for this curriculum are written directly to the student, allowing Montana to work independently. Using this curriculum for 3 days a week allows the 80 lessons to be spread out over an entire school year. This is the ideal situation for our family because of Montana’s participation in AWANA.
Overall, we have thoroughly enjoyed this curriculum and plan to finish using it for the rest of the year. It fits our lives and Montana does the work without complaint. If you are interested in hearing what my CrewMates thought of this Bible prayer curriculum, then click the banner below to read their thoughts.
Kid Niche Christian Books is the brain child of author, Susan Case Bonner, who has dedicated the last four decades of her life teaching the Bible to children in a simple yet creative way. The mission of Kid Niche Christian Books is simple. They want to produce family-friendly Bible curriculum to help those who wish to have deep relationship with the one true God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There curriculum geared towards the tween and teen age groups help these young minds grow in their relationship with God through truth, communication, and friendship.
Weave Your Word in Me -- Part 1 is a Bible and prayer curriculum designed to walk your tween, or upper elementary students, through the Lord’s Prayer. With thought provoking questions and various fun activities geared towards the tween age group this curriculum makes learning the scripture fun.
Part 1 of this curriculum includes 36 lessons and focuses on God as our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and his ministry on earth, salvation, resurrection, Christ’s impending return, and the importance of a prayer life. Throughout the lessons there are several scriptures that tie in and focus on the main theme. The translations used in the Weave Your Word in Me curriculum are clearly marked and it even includes answer keys for six different Bible translations including:
King James Version {KJV}
English Standard Version {ESV}
New King James Version {NKJV}
New International Version {NIV}
New American Standard Bible {NASB}
New American Bible Revised Edition {NABRE}
To complete daily lessons your student will need a Bible of your translation choice, a pencil, and a dictionary. Learning opportunities include activities such as charts, true and false, definitions, fill in the blanks, cartoons, matching, multiple choice, art, sequencing, and drama so there is little chance that your child will become bored of the curriculum.
Overall, we have thoroughly enjoyed this curriculum and plan to finish using it for the rest of the year. It fits our lives and Montana does the work without complaint. If you are interested in hearing what my CrewMates thought of this Bible prayer curriculum, then click the banner below to read their thoughts.
Company ~ Kid Niche Christian Books
Product ~ Weave Your Word in Me -- Part 1
Format ~ physical book
Price ~ $20.00
Ages ~ geared for the tween group, 4th-6th graders
Social Media Links for Kids Niche Christian Books:
©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
http://astablebeginning.com
Thursday, October 19, 2017
The Pencil Grip: The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit AND The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors ~ a TOS review {and GIVEAWAY}
I am a stickler for correct pencil grip. If you were a fly on the wall of our homeschool you would frequently hear me say “pencil check”. The said students in the room would then hold their hand in the air and show me their grip. My older girls have caught on rather quickly while my 3-year old son is just learning his grip. That’s why I am so glad to have received The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit and a pair of The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors from The Pencil Grip, Inc..
If you are not familiar with The Pencil Grip, it was invented in 1992 by Dr. Lois Provda, a prominent educational therapist. Since inventing the first grips way back in the early 90's, the company has grown to offer many unique and innovative products for the home, school, and office. The Pencil Grip is the original ergonomic writing aid recommended by doctors, teachers and occupational therapists and is made for both righties and lefties. This Single Grip fits on pencils, pens and crayons so you are covered all around with writing utensils.
I have been really stressing correct pencil grip for all my children, but especially for my younger children. Having The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit assures me that Micah (3) and McKenzie (8) will learn to utilize the proper grip so we won’t have any hand tiredness or sloppy writing down the road.
Micah quickly advanced to the second grip, The Pinch Grip. He loves sitting at the table and getting to do “school”. He is currently learning the letters of his name and frequently likes to just trace or draw pictures too. McKenzie has been using our pink single grip on her pencil and when I say "pencil check" and she holds up her hand with the pencil gripped correctly. Since doing this it has really helped her handwriting and having her slow down and take her time forming her letters especially since we are transitioning to cursive. When Montana (11) turns in sloppy work I make her do her lessons again with a Grip on. It doesn't always make her happy but she learns to "Do it Nice, or do it Twice".
We also received The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors to try out. I have never really been fond of Micah using the scissors we have in the house so these came at a perfect time. He loves to sit and cut paper for long periods of time. Which comes in handy while I am working with one of his sisters.
He just cuts away and I don’t have to worry about him stabbing himself or his sister. There is a little spring loaded switch on the scissors that allows the child to not have to do all the work of cutting. We are using this setting until Micah’s hand gets a bit stronger. The only drawback we have experienced is him cutting paper that was not his or cutting up paper that he did for school. But that’s an easy day and no fault of the company or product!
Overall, we have truly loved all of these products we received and recommend you check them out if your child needs a little help with their pencil grip or you have a little one the needs to learn to use scissors! They will become a mainstay within our homeschool for many years to come.
And guess what!? While I normally don't get to give away review products but this company is so awesome that they want to get the word out about their product and share its awesomness. If you have a child needing safe cutting scissors or a little help with grip training enter to win a set of your own The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors AND The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit. Fill out the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway is only open to US residents at this time and one winner will be picked on Thursday, October 26th at 6PM Eastern and the winner will be announced Friday morning on October 27th. The winner will have 24 hours to contact me with their address and The Pencil Grip company will ship your set directly to you.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to check out what my CrewMates think of these products by clicking the link below!
The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit involves the use of three grips:
1. The Crossover Grip {Training } ~ helps the child align their fingers in the correct position and keeps their tiny fingers from crossing over the pencil.
2. The Pinch Grip {Transitioning} ~ is used as a guide for proper finger positioning.
3. The Original Grip {Graduation} ~ is the “original” grip and helps to stop bad habits that can be formed during writing.
I have been really stressing correct pencil grip for all my children, but especially for my younger children. Having The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit assures me that Micah (3) and McKenzie (8) will learn to utilize the proper grip so we won’t have any hand tiredness or sloppy writing down the road.
Micah quickly advanced to the second grip, The Pinch Grip. He loves sitting at the table and getting to do “school”. He is currently learning the letters of his name and frequently likes to just trace or draw pictures too. McKenzie has been using our pink single grip on her pencil and when I say "pencil check" and she holds up her hand with the pencil gripped correctly. Since doing this it has really helped her handwriting and having her slow down and take her time forming her letters especially since we are transitioning to cursive. When Montana (11) turns in sloppy work I make her do her lessons again with a Grip on. It doesn't always make her happy but she learns to "Do it Nice, or do it Twice".
We also received The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors to try out. I have never really been fond of Micah using the scissors we have in the house so these came at a perfect time. He loves to sit and cut paper for long periods of time. Which comes in handy while I am working with one of his sisters.
Overall, we have truly loved all of these products we received and recommend you check them out if your child needs a little help with their pencil grip or you have a little one the needs to learn to use scissors! They will become a mainstay within our homeschool for many years to come.
And guess what!? While I normally don't get to give away review products but this company is so awesome that they want to get the word out about their product and share its awesomness. If you have a child needing safe cutting scissors or a little help with grip training enter to win a set of your own The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors AND The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit. Fill out the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway is only open to US residents at this time and one winner will be picked on Thursday, October 26th at 6PM Eastern and the winner will be announced Friday morning on October 27th. The winner will have 24 hours to contact me with their address and The Pencil Grip company will ship your set directly to you.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to check out what my CrewMates think of these products by clicking the link below!
Company ~ The Pencil Grip, Inc.
Price ~ The 3 Step Pencil Grip Training Kit ~ $8.13 and The Ultra Safe Safety Scissors ~ $4.00
Ages ~ beginning writers and up
Social Media Links for Pencil Grip:
©2008 - 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.
http://astablebeginning.com
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