Thursday, March 31, 2011

Are you seeing any green? (Or is it Spring in your homeschool?)



Just like every other aspect of life, homeschoolers go through “Seasons”

The “Spring” of homeschooling, when everything is NEW and Exciting…. Oddly enough, I often get this “Spring” feeling in the fall when we start our “new year” of schooling. (Hmmm... maybe I  wouldn't find this so "odd" if I lived "Down Under" in the southern hemisphere! :D ) I also feel this excitement when working with a 3-5 or six year old~ They are so INTERESTED in EVERYTHING~ and absorbing such a volume of information!  Then there is the excitement of learning to read, and write, and so on~

“Summer” tends to mostly stay in Summer, for me… Life is slower, fewer commitments

I typically look at my “Fall” seasons of homeschooling as the times when everything is moving right along at a nice brisk pace~ things are runny smoothly and there are few bumps in the road. It’s a time of reaping the harvest of all the hard work that has been put in through the other seasons.

Now, “Winter” is a funny one for me, because I LOVE Winter, but given popular understanding~ I’d say that the “Winter season” of homeschooling is when you aren’t seeing much progress being made, indeed, when you might be feeling like NO progress is being made. You may feel that life has come to a standstill and/or you are buried under a mound  of incomplete and unfinished work, or perhaps you are feeling like nothing is getting done. One picture that encourages me is that of a spring bulb. Have you planted daffodils or tulips or crocuses? It is amazing to look at those dry, papery, brown, dead-looking bulbs. They  look dead~ They REQUIRE freezing temperatures for a specific amount of time in order to "come-to-life" again, but they are ALIVE!  Please, take heart~ Those times when it feels like nothing is getting done, or getting through might just be a time a "deep-freeze", to prepare for that awesome burst of energy, when suddenly, everything makes sense! (I always think of some prints by my friend, artist Ilana Manolson when contemplating this...)

More encouragement~
Do you keep a list of prayer requests? That's a good thing to do, but can sometimes be discouraging if the answers are slow in coming. If you are finding yourself getting discouraged, here's another idea... How about keeping a list of Blessings? 

This was something I did during the month of November~ posting them as status updates on my facebook account. It was encouraging to ME, but it was also encouraging to others, and some of them even started the practice themselves, to help them find the blessings in their circumstances.

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp   http://www.aholyexperience.com/ann-voskamp/
I really encourage you to check out Ann's website, and when you have opportunity, to check out her book. I haven't read it myself yet, but it has been highly recommended to me, and is on my list of books to read... soon! :)

Focus on Philippians 4:8 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.



Diana Waring has much encouragement to share in her book "Beyond Survival"

Here are a few key thoughts to remember

Life doesn't run on our timetable~
Trust God
Don’t expect more of yourself than God does (but be faithful)

Overwhelmed? You may need to reach out and ask for help. But remember that oftentimes it is just a season, and there WILL be growth and change.

Here's a quote from a blogger I enjoy reading:
Enjoy each season.  Even the more difficult seasons have moments of joy that we can’t capture at any other time. ~ Kris from Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers (You can read more of her post here)

Take a minute to contemplate that thought. Even in the difficult times there will be joys that can't be experienced without the difficulty. Take joy in the journey! :D

Blessings~





(This is the first in a series of posts inspired by my monthly local support group meetings~ If they are a blessing to you, I'd love to hear about it!) 

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Latin~ Dead or ALIVE? (Classical Academic Press)

High School "Language" choices are upon us. Eldest has NO desire to learn Spanish, French, or Italian. So what is a mother to do? After toying with sign language and Japanese, and knowing that English is "Rooted" in Latin and Greek (as well as the  aforementioned "romance" languages), we have determined that perhaps the study of Latin would serve Eldest well.

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Enter an amazing curriculum from Classical Academic Press,  the Latin Alive 1 (Bundle). (Thank you, TOS!) Other TOS Crew Members received CLA's Latin programs for younger children, Song School Latin for K-3rd grade, and Latin for Children, which is intended mainly for grades 3-5. You can read their reviews here
Here are some facts, and then I'll get to my review.

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  • Latin Alive is intended for upper Middle through High school. Latin Alive 1 and Latin Alive 2 are the current offerings with plans to publish Latin Alive 3, for a complete 3 -year program. 
  • The Latin Alive 1 bundle ($139.95) combines the student text, the teacher materials, and a DVD/CD set. (These are all available individually. Purchasing the bundle is like getting the teacher's manual for free! )
  • Latin Alive 1 contains 36 chapters, with 29 new content chapters and 7 review and "reading" chapters.
For an "overview" you can watch Karen Moore introduce the program in the video below~ 


Being more or less a "novice" when it comes to Latin, here is how Latin Alive works for our family. I'm not going to hit every single feature (There are a lot!), only the ones that really stood out to us.

Pros:
  • The DVD's are the "meat" of the course, as they are the lessons, being taught by Karen Moore. What does this really mean? Why, that *I* don't have to "Teach" Latin, of course! ~ I can sit alongside Eldest and learn right along with her! :D 
  • Karen is very personable and easy to listen to. Her enthusiasm for Latin is evident, and transmits itself to her "discipuli" or students. 
  • The format is well thought out and produced. Karen teaches directly to the student, utilizing the text throughout the DVD as if she were standing in the same room with you. Be prepared, though, to hit the pause button in order to complete the exercises in the text as you go through the DVD.

  • My daughter appreciated that the "how" and more importantly the "why" of conjugating verbs was introduced right away. Although learning another language can certainly be confusing, the way Latin is presented here has so far been very easy to follow along. 
  • Eldest was very impressed with the fact that she was able to translate to and from Latin fairly early in the program, and with sentences that weren't just "nonsense", but actually made sense: "I rule, and they work" becomes " Regno et laborant" (Timely phrase for mom as we encourage household chores! ;) )
  • She was also amazed that one could express a thought in Latin with ONE word that takes THREE words in English. " We are singing" becomes "Cantamus". ("We were singing" becomes "Cantabamus") Very cool! :D 
  • From Lesson 4 on, each lesson includes a reading selection. These "Readings" in Latin are modified from actual Roman texts and tell of Roman history from the time of Helen of Troy through the death of Julius Caesar.  Starting in Chapter 7 there are entire paragraphs to be read. In order to encourage success, glossaries are included below each reading with vocabulary which hasn't yet been learned. We have found this very encouraging. :) 
  • Another section that has garnered interest in our home is the "Colloquamar" (Let's Talk) with activities and phrases that can be incorporated into every day life. 
So far, we have not run into any questions that could not be answered by looking back in the text, or listening to the DVD again.

Beyond that, Classical Academic Press maintains a website "HeadventureLand" with many free, fun "Extras" which can be incorporated into your Latin Study. There are games, videos, readers, coloring pages (For the "littles" who are tagging along or in their own study), and extras for teachers. These are offered in Latin, Greek, and Spanish to coordinate with all of CAP's offerings. They also offer a "Weekly Derivative" which focuses on one Latin Root or Derivative each week.

If you are a "Facebook" person, you can "like" Classical Academic Press.

Oh... wait... I just realized... I didn't complete my list... I gave the Pros... but.... forgot the Cons~

Cons:
  • Considering that I haven't run into a vacant stare, or complaint from my student, I'd have to say that the "cons" may be dead(in our household), but Latin is Alive! :D 
 As always, I hope that this was useful to you as you consider where to spend your homeschool budget. Local friends, if you would like to see this BEFORE convention, please let me know! :D
Blessings~
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Yoplait Light Winner

Sorry that I was late on the draw for this~ while I had planned to be home the day the drawing ended, we had to make up our "rained-out-last-week" ski field trip yesterday, so I was gone ALL day! (We didn't even end up with the overcast skies that were forecast, so my poor kiddos came home with sunburned faces... :(  but the weather was amazingly lovely!)

OK, so now that you have heard my excuse.... on to the winner~ I used random.org to draw from my entries~


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And  Raven In A Blue Room  won with the comment I tweeted your giveaway.

Congratulations, Raven In A Blue Room. I am sending you an email. I need to hear from you by Monday, noon, EST with your contact information, so that Yoplait and My BlogSpark can send your package out to you!


Blessings~

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Japan~ Tsunami/Earthquake resources

 Hello, Friends~

I had intended to share some material with my local homeschool group, and figured I might as well post the information on my blog, and share it with my blog readers as well.

I have friends in Japan (Army~ stationed in Tokyo), as well as our LABO exchange students. I haven't heard back from Kanae, who lives in Tokyo, but I have heard from Yukino's family. They live in the Southwest (Yamaguchi Prefecture).

My friend in Tokyo has let us know that they are all fine and that they feel the US media may be blowing the radiation issue out of proportion. The military base they are on is monitoring the air, and they are confident that the levels in the area where they live are not worrisome (I do not feel this relates to the area immediately around the nuclear reactor, however).

So~ there is my "personal" take on the situation.

Here are some resources that you may wish to utilize as you talk with your children about this catastrophe.

Kid Scoop (a TOS  Crew vendor that my family did not review) has made available a "Breaking News" edition of their kid-oriented publication online for free.  Breaking News: Huge Quake and Tsunami Hit Japan There are some great resources in here.

HomeschoolShare has a free Earthquake Unit Study and Lapbook

 LapbookLessons has a free lapbook on the country of Japan

TheHomeschoolMom has a page with a list of links on Tsunamis

ABC News has some amazing visuals on "Before/After"

The Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hawaii has some interesting resources

Here's a great map with Plate Tectonics, Active Volcanoes and the "Ring of Fire" that helps to visualize the "Active" nature of the earth.

I hope that these links are useful to you (Hey~ if you'd like to leave a comment telling me if you used these, I'd love to hear from you! :)) and that they help your children understand a little more about the country of Japan, and the challenges that they have faced/are facing.


Blessings~

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Are your children "Apologetic"? (Or do they understand "Apologetics"?)

If you have run in homeschooling circles for long you are most likely familiar with "Apologia", publishers of one of the premier creation-based science curricula. What may be less well known is Apologia Educational Ministries' move into other fields in 2008~ more "practical homeschool helps" and "inspirational" titles.


Apologia has joined forces with Summit Ministries to produce an Apologetics or Worldview series for children entitled "What We Believe". As a member of the TOS Crew, I received a copy of the first book in the series, "Who is God? (And Can I Really Know Him?)", for review.  This book is intended for use with a wide range of ages (suggested ages are 6-14), which fit my circumstances perfectly. The basic concept is to help our children, who are daily assailed with media that is not filtered through a Judeo-Chrisitan lens, to understand and be able to discuss the basic foundations of our Christian World View, in relation to what our culture feeds them.

Although my children have grown up "in the church",  have attended Sunday School, and gone through various "Christian" programs, I have felt a missing link that I believe this study may fulfill. 

 A quick overview of the included Lessons: (You can download a complete Table of Contents here)
  • Lesson 1: Where Am I Building My Life? (This lesson is available as a sample download here)
  • Lesson 2: How Can I Know What’s True?
  • Lesson 3: What Is God Like? (Part 1)
  • Lesson 4: What Is God Like? (Part 2)
  • Lesson 5: Who Are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?
  • Lesson 6: If God Created the World, Why Isn’t It Perfect?
  • Lesson 7: Why Did God Create Me?
  • Lesson 8: Will God Meet All My Needs?
  • Lesson 9: Why Does Sin Keep Me from Knowing God?
  • Lesson 10: Is Jesus the Only Way to God?
Looking at these titles, I might say that my children know most of the basic answers to these questions, HOWEVER, I wouldn't necessarily say that they fully UNDERSTAND the answers to all of these questions. Neither would they be able to give a well-thought-out answer or illustration to someone if they were asked. 
My original plan was to have my Eldest use this for her personal devotional/Bible time, but due to circumstances, I finally decided to work through it with both the Eldest and the Middlest for our daily morning devotions. I utilize any scriptures found in the text as "Sword Drill" practice, and off we go.

Each lesson is written to the student, which means that it works nicely as a read-aloud. Notebooking work is encouraged to allow internalization and application of the lessons.

The lessons follow a basic format, which can be divided in a number of ways~ whatever works for you. Some are more self-explanatory than others, but I'll give a little synopsis anyway:
  • The Big Idea~ introduction and overview of the lesson
  • What You Will Do~ quickly explains objectives
  • Short Story~ incorporates in story-form some other worldviews that might be encountered, and how to work through them
  • Think About It~ thought-provoking questions
  • Words You Need to Know~ vocabulary
  • Hide It in Your Heart~ memory verses
  • Integrated Learning~ articles that integrate the Biblical concepts presented with the fields of art, science, history, and more.... 
  • What Should I Do? ~ life application of Godly character traits
  • Prayer~ for those who appreciate a "Written prayer"
  • Worldview Study~ ongoing introduction to the concept of worldviews
  • House of Truth~ a memory aid to help children understand these truths and assimilate them into their lives. 
In addition to these features, as is the case with many Apologia books, a few additional resources are available to those who own the book including some very nice notebooking pages and teacher helps. The Teacher Helps include discussion questions, which expand on the "Thought Provoking Questions", as well as some activities and other recources.

My kids aren't big "notebookers", but I do appreciate the option. What I really enjoy, are those "Teacher Helps" files with the extra discussion questions. I'm not great at posing questions myself. Eldest isn't big on asking questions. Having a huge variety (appropriate for various ages) to choose from is a bonus feature that I am very glad exists.

My sense is that the material is presented in such a way that it should be accessible to many types of learners, which will make retaining it more likely. I am going to enjoy continuing through the entire book with my children, and seeing which parts and pieces stick best with each child~ to see what a Christian Worldview looks like from their perspective.


Who is God? (And Can I Really Know Him?) is available on the Apologia website, list price $39.00. 

If you'd like to read what some other crewmates had to say about this book, be sure to check out their reviews on the TOS Crew blog by clicking here.

As always, I hope that this review will help you navigate the abundant options that are available to us as homeschoolers in the 21st century, and enable you to make wise choices as you purchase products for your children's education.

Blessings~
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Lighten Up with Yoplait Light Giveaway

Have I mentioned lately that I like yogurt? A lot? That my kids know that yogurt is one thing they can count on having for breakfast every day? That "Yogurt Flavor wars" have broken out a few times ("That's MY yogurt" "No it isn't, it's MINE" "Uh-UH! You had that flavor yesterday, I get it today...)? Thankfully those "Wars" have been nipped in the bud a little by making sure that there are many of only a few flavors available at any given time.... (Thankfully there has been a little "maturing" going on as well.... ;)

Well... those are all true statements, and in my opinion, yogurt should be an essential part of anyone's daily diet. There is just so much good stuff in there, including calcium and beneficial bacterias to help maintain intestinal health. My physician recommended that everyone in our family eat yogurt daily to help build up immune systems and help with allergies.  

See this fun little package that came in the mail?


MyBlogSpark and Yoplait teamed up to send me this nifty gym bag, reflective wrist wallet, pedometer, and some coupons to try "Yoplait Light", the yogurt featured in the Yoplait  Two Week Tune-up.
Whether it’s for a class reunion, a birthday, or your best friend’s wedding, Yoplait Light’s Two Week Tune Up could help you lose five pounds in two weeks by:
  • Replacing your breakfast and lunch with a Yoplait Light yogurt, a whole grain,
    and a fruit
  • Eating a diet rich in lean protein and non-fat dairy, including a sensible dinner, beverages, and snacks
  • Walking 30-40 minutes daily
Please visit Yoplait.com for study and full diet details. 



Given my current eating habits, this diet would actually be an increase in my daily intake(We tend to be a two meal a day family most of the time), but I'm going to give it a go, and see what happens! :)


So, here's the great thing~ I have a win-win situation for everyone today~
Anyone can visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/1684/ to download a printable coupon** for $0.75 off the purchase of four (4) Yoplait Light yogurts today! 
**This coupon offer for Yoplait Light yogurt is not valid in Louisiana, Nevada and North Dakota.
 
In addition, MyBlogSpark and Yoplait would like to send a nifty little package just like mine~ gym bag, reflective wrist wallet, pedometer, and a coupon* to try "Yoplait Light" to the winner of my giveaway.
*This coupon offer for Yoplait Light yogurt is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota and Tennessee.
 
I know you want the details, so here we go
Giveaway ends on Friday, March 18 at 12 noon EST

Mandatory Entry~ Follow my blog in GFC
Optional additional entries~
1. If you'd like to give Yoplait a whirl,  Like Yoplait on facebook and sign up to get a free cup of Yoplait Original (Which has 50% of the RDV of Calcium in every cup). 
2. Visit  Yoplait.com and tell me which 3 Yoplait Light flavors you would most like to try
3. If you were to try the 2-week Tune-up, what event would you be "Tuning up" for? 
4. Leave a comment telling me where you heard about this giveaway
5. Post on Facebook about this giveaway (leave a link to your post)
6. Tweet about this Giveaway using the hashtag #myblogspark and the handle @YoplaitYogurt
7. Write a blog post linking back to this giveaway (Leave a link to your post) 
adding one more option~ I just started a facebook fan page for my blog, and I'd love if you would 
8. "like" my facebook page

Alrighty, then~ That's it for the moment~ I'm going to check in later with a note on which flavors *I* decided to try when I get back from the store~
Blessings~
 
For other fun giveaways, visit some of my favorite Giveaway sites:
Contesting Monday, Money Saving Mom, Eighty MPH Mom, and Five Minutes for Mom
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service from Yoplait, via MyBlogSpark The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Reading Kingdom

I know that there are many moms who are educating children with a WIDE range of ages, from high school through preschool, and I have a  great deal of respect for what they are doing. I have come to the conclusion that it is MUCH easier to "School" a 6 year old with a 3 year old tagging along than it is to add the 3 year old to a 10/13 mix! (Imagine that!)

I am always on the lookout for interesting and engaging activities and programs that youngest can enjoy as he joins the olders in "School" (Because, of course, he doesn't want to be left out...). Thus I have enjoyed having the chance for him to work on some letter and patterning skills with The Reading Kingdom program, which was provided to me as a member of the TOS Crew Reviews.

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The Reading Kingdom is really targeted for ages 4-10 or so, but given that my little guy has a great attention span, speaks in complete sentences(Albeit missing a few sounds...), identifies shapes without any trouble, and can hold a crayon or pencil to draw, it was determined that he could be gainfully engaged in this "learn to read" program.

I will give you my thoughts on this program, but I want to be CERTAIN that if you are interested in a "learn to read" program that you check out some of my other TOS Crewmates' reviews, as many of them were using it with children who are right smack dab in the target age-range, as opposed to one on the fringes.

First, it is important to know that The Reading Kingdom is based on work and research by Dr. Marion Blank, the director of the Light on Literacy program at Columbia University in New York. She is considered by her peers as one of the leading experts in literacy. You may want to read this 6 page pdf file that discusses how The Reading Kingdom differs from other reading programs on the market. In a brief nutshell, it focuses on:
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  • Sequencing
  • Motor Skills
  • Sounds
  • Meaning
  • Comprehension
  • Grammar


The Reading Kingdom is NOT a phonics based program and indeed Dr. Blank does not appear in the least to espouse learning to read via phonics at all. If that is your inclination this is probably not a program for you. HOWEVER, you aren't learning to read, your child is, and what works for one may not work for another. I should certainly mention that my two oldest children learned to read with phonics instruction and they have not had too much trouble~ in fact they are very good spellers. However, they would not be able to recite back to you many of the phonics "rules". They are just "intuitive spellers"~ I would say that I am a firm believer in phonics instruction given MY experience, but I grant that others' experiences may be very different from mine. That being said, I will now... finally.... give you my thoughts on The Reading Kingdom from the viewpoint of a very young preschooler.



The program starts with a "Skills Test" that will assess your child's readiness to use the keyboard and the mouse, as well as some cognitive sorts of skills. They are then placed in what the program deems the correct level. My son was appropriately place in the very first section which was "Keyboarding and Mouse Skills"(KandMS). 
  • "Mouse Skills" section where the child mouses over and clicks on the picture being described. Littlest did very well on this section, and enjoyed the various pictures. He would have prefered to find the "Rocket" picture every time, but did a very good job following directions
  • "Keyboard Skills" section, which asks the child to type the letter they see on the screen. This is one of the most helpful portions of the "KandMS" part of the program. A letter would appear on the screen, and littlest would be asked to "Type this..." (Note: the letters being shown are all lowercase) If he hesitated too long, a "keyboard" would appear on the screen, and the requested letter pad would be highlighted. I thought it was great that the keyboard pads showed both the upper and the lowercase letter, so that he could learn not only to identify the where a given letter was found on the keyboard, but also identify it with the upper and lower case letters together. He quickly learned where the letters that were presented to him were located. One minor detail, I found that he was anxious to move on to more letters before the program decided he was ready, but in general, he enjoyed being able to find those letters pretty quickly. 
When the program deemed him ready, he was moved into "Sequencing" and "Letter Land".

PhotobucketHere is where it got a little tricky for him. 1-3 letters appear on the screen, and then another, larger set of letters show up below. The child is asked to "Click these" and hopefully uses the mouse to click on the letters in the correct order. In this case, the "d" should be clicked, and then the following "e". Littlest could generally get the letters right, but his timing on moving the mouse to the correct little space was not always precise enough for the program. It would then say "Try again", and if he wasn't quick enough, it would go to "Click these" and highlight the  correct letters in the lower sequence in the correct order. This became a little frustrating for him, as he was mentally focused and capable, but not able to click in time. I will add that he is NOT using a mouse as is recommended, but rather the touchpad on my keyboard as this is the only viable computer for him to use with this program at the moment. I was having some difficulty clicking the letters in the precisely correct amount of time with the quirks of using a touchpad myself. I would expect a program for Pre-K to allow for a little more "fidget" time (If he even looked up at me, instead of the screen, the timing would be "off"). There is a "Redesign" in the works for this section of the program, and I expect that this issue will be taken care of. In the meantime, we have reached an agreement, Littlest and I~ He touches the letters in the correct order, and I do the clicking....

In LetterLand the emphasis is on learning where letters are located on the keyboard. A letter will appear on the screen, and the child is asked to first click on the correct letter on the keyboard that appears on the screen. (I do the clicking part again....) The child is then asked to click on the correct key on the physical keyboard, which Littlest does with alacrity. He has moved up as far as three letters at a time as well as 2 letters and the space bar.

Because of where he is, as a three-year-old, we have only progressed this far, but I have been very impressed with his ability to learn where the letters on the keyboard are located. Thus far there has been no reading, and the letters aren't "named" by the program at this point. When they "appear" to be clicked or typed in order, I will say their names in order, and he proceeds to match them up. In this way, he is learning letter names and locations, but we haven't gotten to the "Sound" and "Reading" portion of the program as of yet.


One characteristic of this program is that there is no "Written" scope and sequence, as The Reading Kingdom believes that all children progress at individual rates. I would agree with that assessment, however, it creates some interesting issues. While I appreciate that it is "adapting" to my child, I would also like to know precisely what is coming up in the next few lessons. The parent has no ability to advance or postpone the progress of the child, which can be frustrating if a child mentally "Gets it", but physically isn't fast enough to suit the program.

For a little more insight into the other levels of The Reading Kingdom, I recommend reading this 9 page graphic overview of how The Reading Kingdom is organized, as well as the other TOS Crew Reviews, as I mentioned before.

The Reading Kingdom is available on a monthly basis for $19.99/month or $199 for a 12 month subscription.  (With additional children being added for $9.99/month) You can get started with a free(no credit card required) 1 month trial to check it out, and see if this is something that might work for your emerging reader(s).

The Reading Kingdom also offers :
Reading Kingdom's Phonics Plus 5 Kit~  a hard-copy version of their program
The Reading Remedy~ Dr.  Blanks' book
Reading Kingdom Story Smarts~ A comprehension program that complements the online Reading Kingdom program
LetterLand by Hand~ a handwriting program

Because I was provided with a free one-year subscription to The Reading Kingdom, I am going to be very interested in how the program revisions work out, and how my Littlest does as he gets a little older.

As always, I hope that this review was useful to you as you choose how to best spend your homeschooling budget. If I have been helpful in any way, I'd LOVE to hear about it in my "Comments". :)

Blessings~

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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