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Luv'N Lambert Life

Luv'N Lambert Life

A blog about living with Epilepsy, IBHS, Homeschooling and so much more

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SchoolhouseTeachers.com {Crew Review}

January 10, 2017 by Dana

Quick note from me:
*Due to changes at the Homeschool Review Crew, a division of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, reviews for this team on Luv’N Lambert Life will now be marked {Crew Review} instead of the previous {Schoolhouse Review} in the titles.  You can find my Homeschool Review Crew reviews by searching either tag in our blog’s search box.

*This review contains affiliate links for SchoolhouseTeachers.com and the memberships provided.  Through your purchase, I will receive a small commission.

As a long time reviewer for the Homeschool Review Crew, a divison of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I’ve been blessed to also have been a long time member of SchoolhouseTeachers.com which is also a division of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.  I was on the Crew when SchoolhouseTeachers.com opened it’s website and have found it to be a great place for our studies over the past couple of years.  Recently though, SchoolhouseTeachers.com received a makeover from the original website and formatting which I’m really excited to share with you in this review.
https://schoolhouseteachers.com/dap/a/?a=1038
About this product: 
SchoolhouseTeachers.com is an online website created and presented by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.  For this review, we were given access to the Yearly Membership available at SchoolhouseTeacher.com.  This website provides studies in various subjects and grade levels, planning materials, helps to evaluate student progress, document learning and also celebrate achievements students receive.  SchoolhouseTeachers.com helps to make learning easy.

When you join SchoolhouseTeachers.com you gain access to some pretty great materials which vary for grade level or topic.  You also gain access to some of the greatest educational minds you can find through the courses provided through the website.  Great educators like Amy Puetz Fox, Jan May, Cheri Blomquist, Brenda Ellis, Jan Bower, Diana Waring, Lisa Barthuly and so many, many more!
https://schoolhouseteachers.com/dap/a/?a=1038
When you join, you also gain access to the Schoolhouse Planners, which are my personal favorites for planning our homeschooling days.  You don’t just get access to one planner though but to ALL the planners The Old School House has available:
Hey, Mama! Schoolhouse Planner
Schoolhouse Planner
Special Learners Schoolhouse Planner
Primary Schoolhouse Planner
Intermediate Schoolhouse Planner
High School Schoolhouse Planner
Each of these are unique in their own ways and a great way to plan your year.  These planners are updated yearly and currently SchoolhouseTeachers.com has the 2016-2017 versions available on site.
Not only do you get the Schoolhouse Planners but you also gain access to additional tools like the Custom Builder for planning, Ready-made Calendars, and Printable Info Charts which I must say are pretty amazing, filled with great information for various subjects you may be working on in your homeschooling.
Even more about the product:
As you’ve probably figured out by now, this is a pretty extensive website providing access to many great things that can definitely benefit your homeschooling and I’ve only just begun to touch on what’s available through a SchoolhouseTeachers.com membership.  Many of the lessons also include videos, access to books needed for the courses, extra media and even tutorials on how to use the website, as well as some of the products available.
Bonus content is also included like access to the World Book eBook Library which contains more titles than I can begin to count for you!  This is a seriously amazing resource that can be used along with the available courses on SchoolhouseTeachers.com or alone as you wish.  I was really excited to see access to this wonderful library added to the website as I find it really helpful when I need a quick book on a subject we are studying.
There are also many great resources available for Focused Learning Centers, High School Help, Special Needs (a go-to I find myself using often), Literacy Center, access to the Schoolhouse Expos (always encouraging!) and so much more.  SchoolhouseTeachers.com looks out for those days when we struggle as well providing encouragement materials in their Just for Parents section, a Monthly Menu to help plan daily meals, and even Help Charts and Certificates for boosting learning achievement.
There is so much more to this website than just meets the eye.  There is a lot of heart behind it and encouragement for learning.  So many things coming together with some great people to provide a place for solid, educational learning experience.
How We Use This Website In Our Home:
As I’ve already mentioned one of my absolute FAVORITE parts of SchoolhouseTeachers.com is the Planners section.  I’ve used these planners for many, many years now.  Originally, these planners were sold separately through the Old Schoolhouse Magazine but with SchoolhouseTeachers.com you are given access to ALL of the planners which I mentioned above.  I like to take my favorite pages from t these and print them individually then place them into a binder so that they provide us with the best planner for our homeschooling needs.  Just that makes the price of SchoolhouseTeachers.com worth it to me!  But more than that, I use many of the various courses throughout the year for our homeschooling needs.
Now I must admit right now that I honestly found the old SchoolhouseTeachers.com website a little bit hard to utilize.  It confused me and I struggled with using it which is rare for me since I’ve fairly tech savvy.  But the whole new site SchoolhouseTeachers.com has just released has completely changed my feelings on that!
I AM IN LOVE WITH SCHOOLHOUSETEACHERS.COM!
The new version of SchoolhouseTeachers.com works almost flawlessly.  I honestly haven’t had a single issue with glitches or slowness from the website since the changes have been made.  I love the new format, allowing easier access to finding the grade level and courses you may be interested in for your students.
I have four students of various ages and I personally try to combine as much of our studies as I can so it’s less work for all of us.  SchoolhouseTeachers.com makes that easy to do by providing course studies by topic.  You can also use the search option provided on the website to search for the topic you may be looking for as well.
Now sometimes, I also need to find particular subjects for my children’s grade level, like for Jack who is Preschool age.  To do that, I simply use the Browse By Grade option found in the top bar of the website.  SchoolhouseTeachers.com has a great Preschool Playground which we have utilized over the past few weeks of learning.  The Preschool Playground covers topics for Bible, Manners, Motor Skills, etc.  All those essential topics for Jack’s age of learning.
A Few More Details:
Now being a Special Needs Momma of four, I love when I find great resources that help our homeschooling on a website and I try to make mention of these sections when I can for my fellow Special Needs Mommas.  SchoolhouseTeachers.com has a wonderful place just for us Momma’s of Special Needs children which can be found in the main bar under the Resources tab.
The Special Needs section gives us access to a wonderful program provided by Judi Munday, an educational consultant.  This is a 19 part program which covers a multitude of special needs information to help us better understand our precious children and their personal needs.  This is a wonderful resource to have access to.
There’s also a section discussing learning styles which will help you pinpoint your child’s style.  This can help greatly when we are trying to figure out how to homeschool our sweet children and when what we thought would work isn’t working at all.  There’s some really helpful information provided in this article.
Another favorite of mine is Homeschooling Through The Tough Spots.  Lord knows, I’ve personally experienced many of those and I’m sure many of my readers have as well! Nancy Feliccia helps us find our way through these rough areas of life and helps us to get back on track with her wonderfully, written articles on the subject.  This one was a home hitter for me!
And I was thrilled to find my dear, dear friend Heather Laurie mentioned in this section with Matthew Newell and Diane Craft under the topic, Homeschooling Your Extra-Special Blessing.  Heather has been a wonderful mentor for me through this homeschooling journey, dealing with special needs and just making it through our day to day lessons.  The webinars included within this section were really an inspiring blessing to me.
Wrapping It Up:
There is just so much to the SchoolhouseTeachers.com website.  I’ve honestly just scratched the surface.  So many wonderful people have been brought together for this site that I could write and write for days about it’s many great details.  And the added bonus is that all these materials, great minds, easy to use and thorough lessons are provided all on this one website.  SchoolhouseTeachers.com gets better every year and I’m honestly honored to be able to share it with you as well.
How To Join:
Joining SchoolhouseTeachers.com is easy to do.  Simply visit SchoolhouseTeachers.com and choose which option best fits you.
I have a Yearly Membership which usually runs for $139 a year with a 10% discount included.  From now until January 15, you can use the code CHRISTMASYEAR to pay only $90 for this year on the Yearly Membership.
There is also a Monthly Membership available which costs $12.95 a month if this option better fits your family.  From now until January 15, you can use the code CHRISTMAS to pay only $9.95 a month.
Both these memberships give you access to everything provided at SchoolhouseTeachers.com and includes access for all members of your household which is a wonderful deal, in my opinion.
There are also additional discounts for HSLDA members, Civil Servants, Co-op groups and a few others so please check for those before purchasing your membership.
Additionally, there is a One Month Trial offer always available which costs $1 to try out the website if you’re not sure whether you’re ready to commit just yet.  This deal is for First Time members ONLY and will not work if you’ve already registered with SchoolhouseTeachers.com in the past.
And don’t worry.  I know this post shares a lot of information about this website but when you join there is a Start Here tab on the menu which will help you find your way around the website.  It’s very easy to use and a great way to learn your way around.
Places You Can Find This Vendor Online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SchoolhouseTeachers/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOSMag
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tosmag
Google+: https://plus.google.com/118111005169451277551/posts

You Can Read More Reviews Of This Vendor At:



High-quality, Self-paced, Online Homeschool Resources {SchoolhouseTeachers.com}


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Filed Under: 2017, crew review, educational website, elementary, high school, homeschool, homeschool planners, middle school, online classes, parent support, schoolhouse, schoolhouseteachers.com, Special Needs

At Home In Dogwood Mudhole {Crew Review}

November 15, 2013 by Dana

At Home In Dogwood Mudhole is the epic journal of Franklin Sanders and his family.  As they began to prepare for the great Y2K pandemonium, the Sanders’ began writing a letters of their life’s preparations and events.  These letters, which were originally published in “The Moneychanger” newsletter, become the basis for the two book series At Home In Dogwood Mudhole.
Many times, I sit back and think how life was back before the digital age.  I wonder what it was like to live as my ancestors did.  Through Volume 1 of At Home In Dogwood Mudhole: Nothing That Eats, I was able to imagine the life even more.  

Franklin Sanders, the author of At Home In Dogwood Mudhole

Franklin Sanders decided to move his entire family – wife, kids, grandkids and pets – to a farm called Dogwood Mudhole.  It was there that they reinvented and changed their entire lives.  Learning to live and survive much like our ancestors did.  His accounts of their life bring forth imagery that most books fail to project of a life many no longer are able to achieve.
The Sanders learned how to care for multitudes of animals, despite Susan’s proclamation that they’d acquire nothing that eats.  They learned to plow fields using horses.  They learned to plant fields and eat what they reaped and sowed from those crops.  But more than that, the Sanders learned about living together and the love of a family.  Through their preparations the Sanders learn to enjoy life and each other.  Lessons like these are few and far between in this day and age of fast-paced digital living.
This book left me with a better understanding of times past.  It also made me realize the importance of preparing for the future of our life in this country.  I have also gained a stronger appreciation of my family, seeing many things from the book that I can change in our own lives to make things improved for us, bringing us closer together as well.
At Home In Dogwood Mudhole by Franklin Sanders is available in Paperback for $22.95 or on Kindle for $16.95.  It’s 379 pages long containing four sections and multiple chapters.  The text also includes photographs of the Sanders life while preparing for Y2K and learning to get back to life the way it once was.  
I found the writing style of the book to be fun.  I enjoy reading old artifacts and journals so this was right up my ally.  It is written in letters put together like a journal, so everything reads into each other but instead of being listed as days, each letter has a title.  Years are provided throughout the letters so that you have an idea of the time of year it was.  It all comes together amazingly well and makes an enjoyable read.  A perfect book for adults and teens to read!
To read more reviews of At Home In Dogwood Mudhole, please click the banner below!

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Filed Under: 2013, ancestors, At Home In Dogwood Mudhole, crew review, Dogwood Mudhole, Franklin Sanders, life prep, living, old days, Review, Sanders, Sanders family, schoolhouse, Susan Sanders, TOS, Y2K

IXL {Crew Review}

November 8, 2013 by Dana

IXL is a well-known name in Homeschooling and education.  What began as a Comprehensive Math program has expanded to include Language Arts as well.  This amazing program can be used to supplement any math or language program available.
IXL provides thorough instruction and practice of important skills in both Math and Language Arts.  The program is designed to be set up to meet State Standards but can also be used to simply supplement extra practice in subjects or units as needed.  Covering grades K-12 in Math instruction and grades 2-4 in Language Arts, with future plans to expand, this program provides just the right amount of supplementation at home.
The formatting of the program is set to basically allow children to read through the problem then choose an answer through A, B or C options.  This allows a child to process and answer quickly when using the program.  Children can work on, above or below grade level as needed and parent/teacher options allow this to be set per child as needed.
There is audio available for math skills in the younger grades, which is helpful for students who may struggle with reading skills.  An iPad app is available as well for extra math practice.  Students can work either by grade level or by topic as needed.  Working by topic allows the student to work strictly on Addition or Estimation or Algebra as needed, wherever the student needs the extra help.  
Language Arts is set up similarly to Math, allowing the student to work on grade level or by topic.  So if your student needs extra practice with Sentences or Nouns and Pronouns, you can simply choose that topic to start them on.
In parent mode, you can set up each child’s account through the Profiles and Settings options.  I was able to set up a parent account and one account for each of my older children.  I input their names and chose a picture to fit them so they can tell who is who.  These are fun little images to help them distinguish their personal accounts.  I can also opt to set a secret word for each of them to log in with or to leave the account without a word in this section.
Through my parent account, I can check the progress of each student.  I can print reports of their progress, as well.  I am able to view awards for each student’s progress to see how well they are doing in their work.  I can also view my state standards to see how well my children match up to their grade levels and their educational knowledge through the program.
We’ve used IXL for several years off and on now.  It’s a program that I have personally enjoyed though it’s not always been appealing to my children.  However, it’s a wonderful program to have them use as a go to just to cover review lessons quickly and gauge their personal progress.
The style and set up of the program lessons remind me of the Standardized Testing that I used to take yearly in public school.  It’s pretty much presented as a problem with fill in the blank answers, or online choices in the place of fill in the blank.  This isn’t necessarily a problem but it doesn’t completely mesh with our homeschooling style.  My children are extremely hands-on and prefer to watch a video on a math lesson or to actually work out a lesson using blocks or some kind of manipulative over choosing the correct answer from a group of answers.
This program would be amazing for students who are preparing for testing in their state.  In our state, testing is not mandatory, so it definitely doesn’t benefit us there.  It would also be a great program for a family who wishes to meet their state’s standards or to stay aligned with the public school’s standards for education.
My children enjoy being able to see their accomplishments through the Awards in the program.  They also enjoy seeing the information they’ve covered in lessons, and I enjoy that as well.  It’s also nice to be able to print off the areas they have covered and passed thoroughly so I can see what we need to work on next.  This allows me to bypass parts of lessons that my children aren’t struggling with and concentrate on those areas they are struggling with.
IXL is available by subscription for $9.95 for Math only, $9.95 for Language Arts only, or $15.95 monthly for both.  A years subscription of $79 is available for either Math or Language Arts or $129.00 for both subjects for the year.  Additional subscriptions for each child are $2 a month per child, or $20 per year per child.
To read more reviews of IXL, please click the banner below!

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Filed Under: 2013, crew review, IXL, language arts, Math, online, reading, Review, schoolhouse, TOS Crew

VocabularySpellingCity: Premium Account {Crew Review}

October 30, 2013 by Dana

If you can remember my review from last year, then you’ll remember how much we LOVED VocabularySpellingCity!  This website is amazing for teaching spelling and vocabulary, all in one place.  Designed to be fun and easy, one could not ask for more!
VocabularySpellingCity helps you, as the teacher and parent, set up lessons that work for you and are manageable.  Through interactive gaming, students learn what vocabulary or a word list that you have set for them.  Best thing is that VocabularySpellingCity also helps you keep track of it all, all in the same place.  

All you have to do is:
  • log into a parent account, 
  • set up a classroom, 
  • add your students, 
  • set the lessons either by choosing premade lessons or creating your own
  •  and your children can get started.
VocabularySpellingCity makes it all super easy to do.  
With a premium membership you can choose:
  • special learning activities for each child’s grade level
  • assign different lists to individual children
  • record test results and create accountability for lessons 
  • import lists
  • create flashcards to use online or print
  • teach definitions, antonyms, synonyms or parts of speech for the spelling or vocabulary lists chosen
There is so much available through VocabularySpellingCity to make learning easier and ensure children are thoroughly learning both spelling and vocabulary through their online lessons.  VocabularySpellingCity can also be used off the computer by printing out worksheets, flashcards and other resources for expanding lessons offline.

Through VocabularySpellingCity, you can find list for Science words, Social Studies, words that rhyme, abbreviations, word families, words with more than one meaning, the Dolch-sight word lists and even more.  You can also find Language Arts lessons on nouns, parts of speech, compound words, figurative language and more.  Extra helps for handwriting and spelling are also available.  

In the Premium account you can add up to 5 students and customize each account to the child’s grade level.  I personally chose not to set grade levels for my children but I did set lessons for each by assigning them to each student as they fit to my student.  I allow my children to work on word and vocabulary lists that fit what we are learning.  I simply input what words we are learning for the week and VocabularySpellingCity does the rest for me.  My child can then log-in and complete their work as assigned for each week.  It doesn’t matter what time they go on to use the program.  It will be there when they are able to get to it.

Now I’ve said this website is super easy to use throughout this review but if for some reason you find yourself lost or stuck, there are lots of videos to explain just what you need to know.  There are even videos for the student lessons at VocabularySpellingCity.  Everything you need is right there at your fingertips.

You can use VocabularySpellingCity for free but you won’t get the extra writing and vocubulary options that are available with the Premium membership.  However, you still get plenty of activities and it’s a great way to try out the program, which can be used with all students in grades K-12.

Premium account game extras include:

  • Vocabulary Test Me 
  • Flashcards, which I mentioned several times above
  • LetterFall
  • Sentence and Paragraph Writing Practice
  • Match It for Sentences and Definitions
  • Which Word? for Sentences and Definitions
  • Word-O-Rama
  • Crossword
  • and Parts Of Speech
Each of these extra games allows more detailed instruction and more fun for the lessons being taught.  
You can purchase a premium family account with VocabularySpellingCity for $29.99 a year.  This allows you access for up to 5 students for a full year.  Access for more than 5 students can also be purchased.

To read more reviews of VocabularySpellingCity, please click the banner below!

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Filed Under: 2013, crew review, educational, inexpensive, lessons, reading, Review, schoolhouse, spelling, TOS Crew, vocabulary, vocabularyspellingcity

YWAM Publishing – George Washington: True Patriot and Unit Study {Crew Review}

October 11, 2013 by Dana

George Washington is the first President of the United States and one of the most well-known names of U.S. History.  He is a favorite in our household and a person that we each truly look up to.  So when I heard that YWAM Publishing was offering to allow the Schoolhouse Review Crew review their book George Washington: True Patriot from the Heroes of History series, I was excited!
For this review, I received a PDF download of George Washington: True Patriot, the book.  This book is 224 pages in length and includes 19 chapters each focusing a different aspect of Washington’s life.  Washington was destined for Great Purpose and George Washington: True Patriot shares his story with us.
We always enjoy reading books on George Washington.  Washington traveled here, to Georgetown, SC in 1791 and visited several nearby places.  He was greeted here by cannon fire and uniformed Infantry before moving on to his next destination.
Living in Georgetown, in close proximity to Charleston, SC, we are able to personally visit the places where President Washington walked, attended balls, had a meal and even lodged for the night.  Washington saved a tree on a nearby plantation that we have seen first hand and he left behind a legacy that myself and my children can look up to.  George Washington: True Patriot only proved that to us even more.
To go along with the book, we were given a PDF download of the George Washington: Unit Study Curriculum Guide in two parts.  Part one is 64 pages long and begins with sharing a photo of George Washington himself with birth and death date below.  The entire PDF is in black and white, making printing more efficient.
There are 9 sections and 2 appendices in the George Washington: Unit Study and it was specifically created to go along with the book, George Washington: True Patriot.  The unit study reinforces creative writing, critiquing, History and Geography concepts and so much more.  The entire guide is set up to allow the teacher to pick and choose activities that will work with their student’s learning style and abilities.  The unit study can also be easily adapted for group studies which worked great for us!
The guide begins by teaching the student about Key Quotes speaking of Washington’s life and related to the United States personally.  There are suggestions for setting up a display corner to focus on certain aspects about George Washington which will be covered during the reading and study of the book.  Chapter questions are provided to further expand on the lessons and to check comprehension of the readings during this study.
The 4th Chapter is called Explorations and provides the meat of the study in suggesting Essay topics, audio, visual and art projects which bring the study to life.  These explorations show what the reader is learning and bring Washington to life.  Combined with Chapter 5’s community links, this really challenges the student to expand lessons past the book itself.
In the section labeled Social Studies, the student will focus on Vocabulary, Geography, time line events and similar lessons.  Connecting into the lessons in Exploration, these build a thorough lesson for the story of George Washington’s life.  They can be expanded further through the suggestions in the Related Themes section of the unit study.  There is also a section on resources that shares other books to read and movies to watch which help to expand lessons even farther.
Part two of the George Washington: Unit Study provides a fact sheet on George Washington, complete with photograph.  It also includes a map of the Eastern United States and a map of Virginia and West Virginia to use along with the study.  A timeline finishes up this 4 page section of the Unit Study.
My family and I greatly enjoyed reading about President Washington’s life and his belief in the United States, as well as his belief in God.  His Biblical foundation was apparent in every section of the story and showed the values that he wished for all Americans.  It was nice to read of the man who began the country and projected his faith onto the new nations beginnings.
We learned so much from George Washington: True Patriot and the accompanying George Washington: Unit Study and you will too!  Purchase your copy of George Washington: True Patriot for $6.99 in either print or e-book form.  The George Washington: Unit Study is also available for purchase for $7.49 and is the perfect complement to the book creating a full study of the First American President and this True Patriot, George Washington.
To read more reviews of George Washington: True Patriot and other YWAM Publishing titles, please click the banner below!

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Filed Under: 2013, american history, biblical, christian, crew review, George Washington, God Bless America, Heroes of History, History, Patriot, president, Review, schoolhouse, series, True Patriot, unit study, YWAM Publishing

Fundanoodle {Crew Review}

October 7, 2013 by Dana

If you are looking for a fun and unique way to introduce handwriting skills to your child, Fundanoodle is it!  Fundanoodle is a brand new series of handwriting tablets and tools, developed by Carolina Pad.  These tablets make handwriting fun for young children.
Fundanoodle features Max the Monkey and Alphie the Explorer.  Max and Alphie take your child through a series of worksheets to complete in order to build handwriting skills.  They are great encouragement as your child learns to write using the Fundanoodle workbooks.
For this review, we were given a Fundanoodle Magnetic Dry Erase Lettering Practice Board that is designed to be used with all ages and with most of the available Fundanoodle products.  The dry erase board is of average size and has a front and back side.  The back side of the board is an unlined area for drawing and writing practice.  The front side of the board has a series of three sets of blocks: one plain, one with green start and red stop lines with a dotted line in the middle, and one set with only dotted lines in the middle.  Under these blocks are two sets of lines with green start and red stop lines on the top and bottom.  Underneath those lines are two more sets of lines in simple black.
Fundanoodle uses green lines to represent where a child should start their letter writing and red lines to show them where to stop their writing.  This also represents green for the top line and red for the bottom line.  The colors give the student a visual to follow and seeing this visual allows them to memorize where they should stop start when writing.
Since this dry erase board is magnetic, this allows the child extra space for fun magnetic practice.  The child can use letter magnets to look at as they practice writing their letters.  Word magnets could be used with the lined section to create sentences as well.  It’s just a fun addition for the board to have a dual magnetic purpose and we really appreciate that little extra fun element.
For this review, we were also sent Fundanoodle’s I Can Write Upper Case! from their Comprehensive Handwriting Development Program.  The cover of this neat writing tablet features an adorable cat and dog which immediately appealed to Laycie.  The cat states “Let’s learn to write upper case!”  This was perfect for Laycie who has been working on writing with her therapists using another top handwriting program.  Her Fundanoodle I Can Write Upper Case! writing tablet went well with her lessons for practice at home and is more affordable than the competing program that she uses during her therapy so it’s something I am looking to add into our homeschooling to build those skills at home.
I Can Write Upper Case! was created to be used with students ages 4-5 which of course would depend upon your child’s personal skills.  The suggested grade level is Pre K to K.
The writing tablet itself comes with a spiral binding, perfect for laying flat.  The cover is cardboard, allowing for a sturdier writing surfaces for practicing within the writing tablet pages.  The writing tablet is full color and intriguing for children with it’s eye catching colors.
The first page of the writing tablet introduces you and your child to Max and Alphie, whom you see frequently throughout the writing tablet pages.  The second page is a section sharing Tips for Parents, which focuses on proper handwriting technique and posture for handwriting.  There are also alternative learning positions that are suggested here.
All of the pages within the writing tablet are only printed on the front.  This keeps the students focus on the page they are working on instead of drawn to previous pages completed or upcoming pages to learn.  I didn’t really like the wasted paper but I do understand the reason it is done.  The backs of the pages did make great pages for drawing and practicing letter skills though and we put them to good use doing so.
The third page of the writing tablet is the instruction page.  Here you will find instructions explaining the green go lines and the red stop lines for writing.  You will also find Max’s personal terms for each line type which your child will be using for learning their writing skills.
At the back of the tablet are reward stickers.  As your child completes each page, they will need to find the correct sticker to place on the page.  Each page has a different sticker related to the page itself.  This is a great way to encourage fun learning skills and to encourage completion of their work.
The writing tablet begins with focusing one by one on each letter of the Alphabet.  The child will fill in the letter boxes with each letter, then write the letter on lines at the bottom of the page.  This can all be completed in each lesson or you could simply break it down.  A child could work on one set of boxes for three days in a week, writing the letter being learned, then come back later on to review by writing the letter on the lines.  There are many ways this can be worked on to best benefit the child’s learning.
We personally chose to work on writing a little at a time.  Writing is a skill that Laycie has just become ready to do, so for her, writing lots of repeating letters is not fun.  Instead, we used the above method of working on one row of letters at a time and coming back another day in the week to complete another row of letters.  This was easier for Laycie and when she was done, she was able to place her sticker onto her writing page, knowing she had completed her work.
In the back of the writing tablet are more writing pages for practice.  We haven’t gotten around to using those yet but they will be used once Laycie completes her main letter pages.  They will be a fun way to review all the letters at once for her.  We have reviewed the full letter page chart to compare the letter forms, discuss the letters themselves as she is still learning to recognize several letters at this stage of her learning.
We really like the Fundanoodle program and as I stated above, I plan to purchase more of these products to learn at home with.  They are very affordable.  I Can Write Upper Case! is a 12×9 tablet and can be purchased for $5.99 plus shipping from Carolina Pad.  The Magnetic Dry Erase Lettering Practice Board can be purchased for $9.99 plus shipping.
There are many other writing products to choose from that are just as reasonably priced.  To see more reviews of Fundanoodle, please click the banner below.

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Filed Under: 2013, ages 4-5, Carolina Pad, crew review, Fundanoodle, handwriting, handwriting skills, I Can Write Upper Case, kindergarten, learning to write, pre-k skills, Review, schoolhouse, upper case, upper case writing

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