Luv'N Lambert Life

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preschool

A Journey Through Learning {Crew Review}

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A Journey Through Learning creates the most amazing lapbooks for your use.  There are 100’s of lapbooks to choose from on many varied subjects.  From educational to fun, you can find the perfect lapbook at A Journey Through Learning.
What’s a lapbook?  A lapbook is a hands-on, creative activity using mini-books featuring a topic you are learning about to create a sort of journal in a folder.  The finished folder can be viewed on the lap of your child, therefore being termed a “lapbook”.  This is a fun method of learning for almost anyone.
Lapbooks are something that we enjoy using in our homeschooling.  For this review, I chose to use two different lapbooks: Letters, Numbers and Shapes with Laycie, and Astronomy and Space with Winston, Emmalee and some of it also with Laycie.
This lapbook contains 51 color-filled pages.  The first 5 pages are a lapbook introductory showing the key elements of lapbook how-to’s: creation, storage, purpose.  Page 6 provides a guide to putting this particular lapbook together, followed by the Table of Contents on page 7.
The next 34 pages are jam-packed with activities teaching letters, numbers and shapes to the early learner.  Every letter of the alphabet is covered, basic shapes and numbers 1-10.  The activities make a great introduction to any preschooler or review for a child who may just need a little extra lesson review.
At the end of the lapbook, the teacher can find suggestions for things to teach letters.  Listed are several suggestions for every letter of the alphabet and are a great guide for teaching or just getting ideas to expand the lessons you may already have in mind.  There are also suggestions for learning about shapes with food, fun activities and games, fingerplays for shapes and numbers, printing poems, and a suggested book list to use with this lapbook.
Astronomy and Space is a full color-filled 70 page unit study.  The first two pages of this lapbook provide a brief explanation of a unit study.  A supplies sheet is also included in the beginning of the lapbook so that the educator can prepare ahead, followed by a thorough Table of Contents.  
This particular study begins with Creation in Genesis 1.  Other things covered in this study are where you live, particulars of the solar system, day and night, and so very much more.  There are planet information cards for the student to fill out in detail.
Near the end of this study is an included Bibliography with websites used to create the study.  These websites are also a great source of additional information that can be used to expand upon this particular study.  A set of enrichment pages can also be found towards the back of the study which includes additional reading suggestions, a NICK list, a reading tracking sheet, planet book report, and narration forms.  
We used these lapbooks in our homeschooling over the past few weeks as a center of learning for our daily lessons.  I used the Letters, Numbers and Shapes lapbook with my soon-to-be five year old and she had no problems completing it.  She enjoyed pasting the shapes into place, practicing her letter and number writing, and creating her mini-books.  This particular lapbook was a little more of a review for her than it was a challenge as she already knew much of what it provided but it will be a perfect lesson for her brother when it comes time for him to learn the same things in the future.  I suggest it used with an early preschooler over an almost Kindergartener.
We used the Astronomy and Space unit study as a family study.  I read all of the inclusive materials, as well as took the kids on a quick tour of the websites listed in the Bibliography to expand our lessons.  Each child found a different planet that interested them and we learned many strange and specific details for each.   The kids shared in filling out the worksheets and answering the questions provided in the study.  We did not use the suggested reading selections since we did this study quickly but we did track our reading of books already in our libraries as an addition to our lessons using the sheet provided in the study itself.  We also used the planet reports to research more about each planet we learned about.
Overall, we all enjoyed these studies.  Both are wonderfully thorough and exceptionally made.  They are easily implemented and can be used to create a full lesson on their intended subjects.  Colorful, fun and challenging the student to learn more.
You can purchase A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks through their website.  Letters, Numbers and Shapes Lapbook is available as a download for $13, on CD for $14, printed for $20 or assembled for $29.  Astronomy and Space Unit Study is available as a download for $13, on CD for $14 or printed for $21.
For more reviews of A Journey Through Learning, please visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog!

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TouchMath {Crew Review}

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Laycie is turning 5 next month and with her impending birth date, comes the realization that it’s also time to start a more structured version of homeschooling with her.  As I was researching curriculum ideas, the opportunity to review TouchMath came.  Needless to say, I was estatic to be offered the TouchMath Pre-K Homeschool program for product review.
TouchMath is a multisensory mathematics program developed to be used with children in grades Pre-K through 3rd.  The TouchMath program uses TouchPoints to teach children important counting skills, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and more.  This innovative math program allows children to touch, count and repeat which reinforces the math problem with audio repetition to better establish fact mastery.
Since this program puts all of Laycie’s senses to work, I immediately knew it would be the perfect curriculum to use with her!  We began with the TouchMath Pre-K Homeschool program which covers counting, number sense, comparing, classifying, sorting, graphing, patterning, identifying and so very much more.  Since we were given this product as a review, we were gifted several of the basic manipulatives to use along with our TouchMath Pre-K lessons.  Laycie absolutely LOVED the manipulatives and I must admit that I do too!
Our absolute favorite of the manipulatives has been the 3-D Numerals.  These solid plastic pieces are vibrant in color and sturdy for even the most active child to handle.  They have the signature touch points on them to be used specifically with the TouchMath program.  But even better, they are in the shapes of the actual numerals which allows the child to see and feel the number shape, better allowing them to absorb and learn each specific numeral.  
Another favorite manipulative for us was the Texture cards.  Being able to touch the numbers and touch points with various textures helps Laycie to learn the numbers through sensory.  She loved the cute character drawings on many of the cards.  This manipulative really brought learning to life for her and coincided so well with the actual printed lessons from the Homeschool program.
The bulk and best part of the TouchMath Pre-K Homeschooling program is the actual curriculum itself though.  As great as the extra manipulatives are, they work best with the program itself, allowing the student to get the maximum sensory learning experience.  For purpose of this review, we received the full Pre-K unit download of the TouchMath program.
As I mentioned above, the TouchMath program is designed to teach counting numerals through touch.  Numerals one through five have single TouchPoints meaning each point is touched once while counting, and numerals six through nine have double TouchPoints meaning each point is touched twice while counting.  As students learn the numbers they also learn the number value by counting the TouchPoints.
The TouchMath Pre-K lessons are broken into 6 lesson modules containing around 15 workmats to be completed in while using each module.  Each lesson module focuses on a different aspect of Math.  Module one teaches counting and number sense, module two covers comparing and classifying, and so on as the modules are broken down to teach important concepts.
The workmats are blackline masters which is really nice since they don’t take a lot of ink to print out.  The programs PDF download itself is in color and black and white but does not need to be completely printed out.  It can simply be viewed on a computer and only the blackline master workmats need to be printed out for use off the computer.
The workmats are fairly simple, yet challenging enough for the Pre-K child.  Coloring skills are implemented throughout helping the child develop better writing skills and also occupational skills.  Simple activities like color one pig pink and color the group with four milk cartons.
Laycie really loved completing her workmats.  She enjoys coloring and caught on really easily with the materials, allowing her to work through fairly quickly.  I found as she worked that she knew quite a bit of the material in the lessons.  Had I begun using this product a year ago when she was 3 turning 4, we would have benefited from it greatly.  The lessons were great for me to use with her to ensure that she has learned these important early math skills though and we will continue to use this program for her math for this year and possibly into the future.
The TouchMath Homeschool program is available online.  TouchMath Pre-K Homeschool Program cost $59.95 for the program unit download.  This includes the implementation guide, workmat activity sheets, module guides, answer sheets and more.  It does not include the math manipulatives to use with the program.  The manipulatives are a wonderful addition but they are not necessary for completion of this program.  If you are interested in using the manipulatives, you can find the links to each specific one at the bottom of each product download page.  Many of the manipulatives can be used with each subsequent product download.
For more reviews of the TouchMath Homeschool program and to see other reviews of different Math grade levels with this program, please visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog!


I See Sam {Crew Review}

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For this review, we were provided set 1 and 2 of Academic Success for All Learners’ I See Sam’s Little Books.  I personally chose these two sets for both my struggling reader and my upcoming reader to use.  The stories were wonderfully simple enough for my struggling reader to read to his little sister.
The Little Books program is a sequence of 141 color coded books in 8 sets from Kindergarten to 3.6 grade level of reading.  Each separate set contains 27 books.  The book sets are correlated for Core Curriculum and the No Child Left Behind mandates.  Every book builds upon the previous books in the series to create a balanced reading program for children.
These book sets are printed in black and white but filled with lots of interesting pictures, as well as many Dolch words which my struggling reader greatly needs practice in.  The books encourage improvement in phonemic awareness, comprehension and fluency in reading.  They definitely helped improve my son’s confidence in reading and we truly loved reviewing these book sets in our home.

These books can be used individually or in a group setting by teachers, parents, older peers and more.  Each set of I See Sam’s Little Books cost $30.  You can purchase these book sets from Academic Success for All Learners online at www.iseesam.com.  For more reviews of this product please visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog!
*Disclaimer: This product was provided to me free for review by Academic Success and the TOS Homeschool Crew in exchange for my honest opinion in a blog post review of this product.




  

A Quick Look at Homeschooling {Homeschooling}

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So I need to make a blog post but I’m sitting here distractedly watching my sweet almost 4 year old cut up pieces of morning art project on my brand new couch, gritting my teeth hoping she doesn’t miss and cut a hole in it!  She took it upon herself to make a beautiful chalk drawing on a sheet of yellow construction paper.  Her new obsession is cutting paper into tiny little squares.

She amazes me.  She is smart as can be.  She even amazed her therapists yesterday as she worked through her tasks with ease and brilliance of memory.  *Yep she gets that from me!* LOL

She’s finally finished her artwork and now she is carefully carrying it and her tiny squares back over to our dining table where she was supposed to be working in the first place.  Her chalk rolls across the table and she runs to the other side to retrieve it.  “I got it Mommy,” she excitedly tells me.

This kind of stuff is exactly why I choose to homeschool.  If my children attended public school, I would completely miss out on these precious moments and they would miss out on this time with me.  Not to mention my little Laycie would miss out on her special creative moments like the ones she’s had this morning.  And it’s the same for my other children.  This is what homeschooling is all about.

I must say this is not the post I intended for this morning but I guess God had different ideas for me!  I’m finding following his lead is much easier than I once thought and my life is much better for it.  The joys of my days are found in the Love He has blessed me with.

What is joyful to you today??

Before Five In A Row {Crew Review}

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Six years ago when I began homeschooling my oldest son, my homeschooling association head recommended several resources for a new Mom who was starting out on the grand adventure of home education.  One of her top recommendations at the time for a Preschool to Kindergarten aged child was Five In A Row curriculum.  I immediately went to my local library to seek out this book just to see what all the hoopla was about and if it was worth my time.  I remember being very impressed by the detailed curriculum written by Mrs. Jane Claire Lambert that suggested fun activities to use with classic children’s books daily for five days each week. 

Six year later, I was asked by The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew to review Mrs. Lambert’s book Before Five In A Row and I literally JUMPED at the offer.  I knew without a doubt that this book was going to be just as wonderful as I had found the original Five In A Row to be when I began homeschooling and I have not been disappointed at all!

In Before Five In A Row, Ms. Lambert provides a list of enriched, engaging classic children’s books that are widely available.  Titles such as Caps for Sale, The Little Rabbit, Blueberries for Sal, Goodnight Moon, and many, many more have been chosen for teaching this curriculum.  For each one of these books Mrs. Lambert has written a detailed lesson plan, providing reading, play, science, math and simple snack ideas that build upon the story to provide a real life experience of the book to the child reading it.  But that’s not all that is provided in Before Five In A Row. 

In the latter part of Before Five In A Row, Mrs. Lambert has provided a section called the Parent’s Treasury of Creative Ideas for Learning Readiness.  This section provides parents with an extensive list of ideas to use for creating their own “unit” study for their own children’s classics and favorites.  It begins by explaining how to gage if a child is ready to learn important reading skills and shows a parent how to build upon those skills as their child grows and developes to encourage a life-long love of reading and learning. 
For our review of this book, I purchased the book Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by N.W. Carlstrom.  Jesse, a small little bear, must figure out the appropriate clothing for each event throughout this book from his rain jacket and boots to his pajamas at bed time.  My preschooler absolutely LOVED listening to the story about Jesse, picking out objects she recognized throughout the books and repeating many of the words she also recognized as we read. 

For fun and as an extension of her lesson, we dressed up her stuffed animals using old baby clothes.  We also colored our own Jesse Bear’s, simple bear print outs I found online.  We practiced the suggested bible verse A cheerful heart makes good medicine (Proverbs 17:22) and a happy heart makes a cheerful face (Proverbs 15:13).  We also colored heart printed outs and drew happy faces on those hearts, as well as on smiley faces.  We really enjoyed reading Jesse Bear and learning through his story.

Before Five In A Row is written by Jane Claire Lambert for preschool children age 2-4.  It concentrates upon building memorable learning experiences and family bonding for young children, as well as strengthening pre-learning skills needed for education.  You can read an explanation of the book here.  Before Five In A Row can be purchased through Rainbow Resource for around $35.  To read more reviews of this book from the TOS Crew click here.

*Disclaimer – Before Five In A Row was provided to me by the TOS Homeschool Review Crew in exchange for my honest opinion of this product.  I was not required to provide a positive review and I was given no money in exchange for my opinion. 


A Quick Update: July 11, 2011 {Thoughts from Me}

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I know I haven’t been posting a lot lately but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing.  I think I have a half dozen or more posts just waiting to be finished.  I manage to get half-way through before becoming unable to finish because of children needing me or writers block on how to end the post and idea.

There is so much that I want to write about and say that it sometimes becomes a jumbled mess.  I am wondering if becoming a public reviewer was a good idea for me after all and I find it affects a lot of my thinking.  I know I’m going to love it in the end but I want to write things that my readers enjoy and get something from.  I don’t always feel I do a good job of that.  My decision to review publicly has left me thinking a lot about that.  I will say that I, like all  new reviewers, am anxious to get started and I am thankful for the opportunity to share my opinion with others on what I use and read.  I just pray my readers are able to get something from my reviews, to walk away wanting to try that product and find my opinions useful to their final decisions.

There are a LOT of life changes coming our way that I cannot talk about right now but they will majorly affect how we live now, how we go through our days and weeks.  One of them is reviewing materials.  Another is anxiously awaited and exciting our whole family.  One is changing how we learn, grow and share with each other.

The kids have started using their newest bible addition and are really enjoying that time during our day, though they don’t always want to listen – typical them.  Laycie is LOVING doing “kool” herself.  She wants to learn numbers and say sounds.  She does NOT want to learn letters and say numbers.  She is so sweet and has a mind totally of her own.

Winston is going back to 100 Easy Lessons and enjoying it this time.  I used it years ago and it did nothing for him but now he’s really liking it a lot and is flying through the lessons pretty quickly.  My plan is to let him get at least 1/4 of the way through the book, then start him on the Funnix program again (which coincides with 100 Easy Lessons) for “extra” practice in reading.  He already has much of the needed concepts, he just struggles with his secureness in them.  I’m hoping working through this program will give him the confidence he needs to take off in his reading.

He and Emmalee will both continue using Pathway Readers as their reading curriculum this year.  Emmalee is secure enough in reading that she will fly through it.  I’m hoping with the 100 Easy Lessons/Funnix instruction Winston will follow right along with her.

They are both helping to instruct baby sister in her daily lessons, teaching her the Alphabet and it’s sounds as well as counting, adding and subtracting.  She absolutely loves the attention from them and it is helping them to become stronger in their own skills.  Its a beautiful thing to watch your children learn and teach one another!

There is much to come for us.  For now though, we must remain patient and let God continue his work in our life.  Soon I will finish those half-written posts.  Soon there will be many reviews coming from me from various places.  For now though, we are just enjoying our Lambert Life.

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