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Reading Kingdom {Crew Review}

May 8, 2018 by Dana

Reading Kingdom is a long time favorite of our family, thanks to the Homeschool Review Crew. We were introduced to this program many years ago and have enjoyed using it ever since. It has been a huge help for our family, allowing my oldest son to gain reading skills when he used to struggle with reading in his early days. So when Reading Kingdom came up for review this year, I knew this was one that I wanted to use with my younger kids as well.

Since our early days with using Reading Kingdom, the creators of the program have also developed another program that is specifically designed for use with children on the Autism spectrum. ASD Reading focuses on students who have challenges with reading that are on the spectrum to help them gain necessary skills for reading they may not be able to accomplish through other programs. This program covers reading, writing and comprehension, helping even non-speaking students to learn reading and writing skills as they work through the program. This is an exciting development that I personally feel is just wonderful for students who may have specific issues when learning. I think it would have been great to use with my struggling reader had it been available to us as he was learning to read.

For our review, we were given access to Reading Kingdom for both Jackson and Laycie for a full year. Jackson is 5 and Laycie is 10 so they are at opposite ends of the reading spectrum. Jackson is just learning to read and recognize letters, spelling and comprehension, while Laycie has some reading skills developed, knows how to spell some words and is continuing to build her reading and comprehension skills. Laycie has struggled with reading thanks to her issues with her seizures and medications she has been on throughout her life, so I’m always looking for programs that challenge her and help her build her reading skills in a fun way.

When you sign up for Reading Kingdom, you can chose how many students you will use the program with and will be billed accordingly. For us, the youngest two children of our family needed this program. Once set up, I was able to get each student started.

When you sign in, you will be taken to your dashboard. This program is independent and your student should always work alone with the exception of you, the parent/teacher, giving guidance as needed in initially using the keyboard or following the directions to use the program and learning new concepts like how to click the arrows to move ahead with the program. You, the parent, should NEVER give answers for the child as the program is designed to progress and develop around what your child knows. It is self-measuring as your child works through the program and adjusts to their needs as they go.

When beginning the program, you can choose to set the program up beginning with lesson 1 or you can select to use a placement test to set your student at a level that may work better for them in the program. For Jackson, I chose to start with Lesson 1 as he’s new to reading and needs to develop his skills. For Laycie, I felt a placement test would be better since she already knows some things but needs to further develop her reading skills at her level of reading. You the parent, will need to assess your child to see what is best for you and them.

The program itself is very easy to follow. It begins with an explanation by a adorable Owl who explains to both the student and the parent what the programs expectations are, as well as how to use the keyboard, follow the instructions and begin using the program. After this, you jump into the lessons and begin.

Lessons are fairly easy to complete as well. You earn points as your work through the program that unlock online rewards for your child. The lessons start out simple and build as your child goes along.

Each lesson is in full-color and is interactive. Imagery and animation bring the program to life for your child, keeping them intrigued as they work through each lesson. This makes it fun for the child and keeps them wanting to learn.

At the end of the lesson, your child (or you the parent) can choose to stop the lesson for the day or continue to the next lesson if you choose to do so. Lessons vary in length and response required. Some lessons use a keyboard. You can choose between using an on-screen keyboard or an external keyboard for lessons. I *believe* that the on-screen keyboard is still available if you choose to use the external though.

This program covers important skills in reading: spelling, phonics, writing, grammar, comprehension and so much more. It can be used on most devices like iPad, tablets, computers, laptops, Chromebooks, and so on. This makes it versatile and easy to access for your child and for you.

You can find our previous reviews of Reading Kingdom here:

https://luvnlambertlife.com/2012/09/reading-kingdom-crew-review-2.html

https://luvnlambertlife.com/2013/08/reading-kingdom-crew-review.html

You can find Reading Kingdom online at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingkingdom
Twitter: https://twitter.com/readingkingdom
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readingkingdom/

May 2018 Update

May 8, 2018 by Dana

I’ve been filling our posts with meaningless content for the past few weeks as I worked to move us over to WordPress.org. The move is finally done and we are running in our new “home”. It was a fairly easy transition for the most part though it did take some time to make happen.

Blogging is slightly different here, but I like it. I enjoy technical things and setting this up put all those things I’ve taught myself to use. I’m able to use more HTML to type here as well. Just overall the process as a whole has been an enjoyment.

I’ve been doing a lot of researching and growth as well, both for the blog and for myself. I’m finding my passion in writing again. I’ve realized somewhere along the way, in trying to be someone that someone else wanted, I lost myself. I lost the real me and it’s time to find her again.

I’m thankful that I have my husband beside me, who encourages me to be myself, just as I have done him through our life together. He’s truly a unique and amazing person and every day I see more of him shine. All he’s been through and overcome is an encouragement to me to do better and be better than I have been in my past.

I miss me. I walked through the store last week trying to find something for myself and I had the hardest time finding anything that I even wanted. I could find things I liked for my husband, or my mother and my children, even for my pets but I wasn’t able to find anything just for me. This really made me think about who I am and what I like.

I read. But I also have a ton of books, review books daily, and am a part of a dozen launch teams for new books, so this need is fulfilled thanks to being a reviewer. I read books before they even become available to most of you.

I have my blog. But this is a writing program and though I could spend tons to do it, I’m not going to, nor do I wish to put more into this blog than it is ready for. For now, this is just my place to shine online.

I like makeup. But I never do my makeup anymore. My husband likes me without it and with low energy I never feel up to it. I have a ton of makeup, perfume, hair accessories that I just never use so buying more would really be a waste.

I like costume jewelry. But I never wear it either. It sits in a box waiting but never sees the light of day. It’s just not practical as a Mom to wear.

Plants are not my thing. They die. I am not a gardener and anything I buy that has roots ends up given to my Mother so she can help it to live. Not really a gift for me at all.

I did find a wind chime that I liked and a strand of outdoor lights to light my porch at night as I sit out and enjoy the afternoons and night air. I am finding that I greatly enjoy time on my front porch in this house, watching the birds and the neighbors as I read. It’s peaceful and lovely, especially at this time of year.

What things have you learned about you recently? Are you discovering new things that you enjoy?

Until next time…

Weigl Publishers {Crew Review}

May 2, 2018 by Dana

Weigl Publishers has been providing access to educational books for their readers since they were established in the year 2000. They provided the Homeschool Review Crew with digital copies of three of their current titles. A Lion’s World belongs to their “Eye Discover” series. Glaciers is from their “Earth’s Water” series and is a part of their Lightbox program. There Once Was A Cowpoke Who Swallowed An Ant is an adorable fiction title for readers. It is a part of their AV2 book series. Each of these titles are simply wonderful to read. We’ve really enjoyed them.

A Lion’s World shares facts and fun information about Lions. This is a short reader with only a few pages. The images are vivid and capture the attention of the reader. Words are simple and easy to follow. Each page features a word bubble containing the text so your early reader can easily see the words, read them and not get confused by the text on the page. The book’s file is a download of the digital book. I opened mine in our PDF reader which was easy to do.

The end of the book shares a page called Lions By The Number where you’ll find some great facts on Lions themselves. You’ll also find a list of Key Words featured in the back of the book, as well as information on how to view more content for this book online. There is a special code to access features for each book.

You can find the series website and code to log-in inside the books. You simply go to the directed website and enter the code into a box to gain access. We also had to enter another phrase found inside the book to gain access as a secondary measure.

Once you gain access, the book really comes to life. There is video footage of the lions shared as you read the story again. Through both the online book and the downloadable book, Lions are brought to life for you and your family to enjoy again and again. This book is geared towards students in Grades K-2.

Glaciers is the next book we received. This is from the “Earth’s Water” Series from the Lightbox books program. This book is set up much like the last but is much more detailed. It is geared for students in the 3rd-6th grade range.

This book also features an online code for access to additional information. It links to a site specific for this series and much like the other book, it brings the book to life. The pages become interactive. Videos bring the information to life. There are links to further expand your child’s education about Glaciers.

My children found the information shared in this book interesting and enjoyed the online content in both books the most. I allowed my 10 year old to use the online program to read through the book and examine the content. She enjoyed the independence the program allowed for her.

There Once Was A Cowpoke Who Swallowed An Ant is the final book we were given. This one is a cute and funny story, much like the beloved children’s story about a Fly. The Cowpoke first swallows an Ant and quickly realizes what a mistake that was! He then follows with other things in the hopes that the burning sting in his stomach will go away. Only, of course, it gets worse!

The images in the downloadable book are wonderful but they are even better brought to life on the website version. You can choose to have the book read to you online or to read it yourself. This book is for grades K-2. Jackson and Laycie both enjoyed it. Jack especially enjoyed the images in the online version.

You can buy any of these titles and a whole bunch more through Weigl Publishers online. Each book is a title that you purchase for life with access to the online content through a code provided in each book. They are each multimedia and interactive.

Read More Reviews:

Multimedia Digital Books {Weigl Publishers Reviews}

Disclaimer:

YWAM Publishing: John Adams {Crew Review}

May 2, 2018 by Dana

As members of the Homeschool Review Crew, we’ve had many opportunities to share with you the wonderful books from YWAM Publishing. As a family, we have truly enjoyed books from both their Christian Heroes: Then and Now series and their Heroes of History series. Both series are equally wonderful and we have enjoyed learning about different people through reading from each series.

For this review, we requested a copy of Heroes of History: John Adams from the Heroes of History series. We were also given access to the separate study guide that goes along with the book specifically designed for John Adams. The two combined makes a great study for your homeschool.

I chose John Adams for this review because my husband is an Adams by his Mother’s line and John is a distant cousin to their family. I thought it would be interesting to learn about this known family member of his, to bring to life someone from his ancestry that my children would find interesting to learn about. We often enjoy relating members of our family history to our studies and we have a rather distinct line to choose from including Lizzie Borden as a cousin, the Putnam family from the Salem Witch Trials, William Tyndale who’s English Bible was the first to appear in print and many many more. Family history truly makes learning more interesting, at least for us.

Like much of my husband’s family, John Adams grew up in Massachusetts. My husband’s family later moved to Connecticut but ancestors have been documented in Massachusetts as well. John Adams was an average young boy, growing up in a land that only hoped for Freedom from England. He saw great injustices from British rule on the New World. As a child, he simply wanted to be a Farmer. He never imagined his life would end up as it did.

John Adams was an influential member of the Continental Congress, later becoming Vice President and then the second President of the new Nation, The United States of America. He believed in the Independence of our New Nation and helped to bring forth it’s greatness during some of the most challenging times we faced in our beginnings. His life was important to our own lives today, for without this astounding man, we may not have become a nation at all.

John Adams is written by Janet and Geoff Benge and included in the Heroes of History series from YWAM Publishing. It contains 17 chapters followed by a Bibliography. The book carries you through John’s life from him being a traitor to England, through his childhood, all the way into his presidency. It shows how John helped to shape this new nation and save us from the rule of a country we had hoped to escape.

The downloadable unit study that goes along with John Adams is a full study for you to use to learn more about this wonderful man. It links to various information and is printable for you to use with your student as they read through this book. It’s a great additional resource to reading the book. There are unit study guides for each of the books in these series.

You can purchase Heroes of History: John Adams from YWAM Publishing for $7.50. It is available in various formats including Kindle. We received the Paperback book which we love.

You can find YWAM Publishing online at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YWAM-Publishing-482973445102/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/YWAMpublishing Tag:@YWAMpublishing
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/YWAMpublishing Tag: @YWAMpublishing
BLOG: www.ywampublishingblog.com

Read More Reviews:

Christian Heroes, Heroes of History & Study Guides {YWAM Publishing Reviews}

Disclaimer:

The Essence of Courage {Celebrate Lit Review}

April 30, 2018 by Dana

The Essence of Courageby Lynn U. Watson

The Essence of Courage by Lynn U. Watson is a devotional experience like no other before it. Lynn combines her love of the Lord, her love of Essential Oils and herbs, with her love of stories and writing to create a story-book devotional that truly speaks to your heart. This book is just amazing and one I have truly enjoyed.

The Essence of Courage is the first of a series of devotional books created to educate and share about God’s love for us, diving deep into the stories within Solomon’s locked Garden. Lynn creates lovable characters based on the Fruits of the Spirit shared within the Bible itself. Essences of these strong women, who though sometimes unnamed, their stories speak out like no other.

She also includes fun facts about essential oils and spices that go along with these stories, educating you even more as you read and learn. You learn how to use these oils to relax and inspire yourself each day, helping you to remember the Fruits in your day to day life. Learning with this devotional is an experience you definitely won’t want to miss.

Each chapter shares stories of Cinnamah-Brosia and her friends. To begin there are suggested oils and herbs to use to encourage you. Their aromatic influence is described. A suggested Daily Delight is mentioned, along with some musical suggestions to inspire you. Then the day’s verse is shared, followed by an inspiring story that ends with another inspiring scripture.

You will greatly enjoy this fun devotional from Lynn U. Watson. Her encouragement is inspiring. You can grab your copy online for $14.99 in Paperback or $3.99 on Kindle.