Review & #Giveaway: Charlie the Tramp

Charlie the Tramp

ABOUT THE BOOK

Charlie the Beaver wants to be a tramp when he grows up. “Tramps don’t have to learn how to chop down trees and how to roll logs and how to build dams. Tramps just tramp around and have a good time. Tramps carry sticks with little bundles tied to them. They sleep in a field when the weather is nice, and when it rains they sleep in a barn.” Charlie sets off with his bundle. But when he hears water trickling, he can’t get to sleep. Will he be able to resist the urge to make it stop? As Grandfather Beaver says, “You never know when a tramp will turn out to be a beaver.”

An American classic is back in a special 50th anniversary hardcover edition.

Winner of the Boys Club of America Junior Book Award, 1968.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Russell Hoban (1925-2011) first became famous for his children’s picture books about a badger named Frances and other animal characters that have a lot in common with children we know – bedtime for Frances, A Baby Sister for Frances, Bread and Jam for Frances, and Emmit Otter’s Jug-band Christmas.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Lillian Hoban (1925-1998), one of America’s favorite children’s book illustrators, is best known for a young chimpanzee named Arthur and his little sister, Violet. She also illustrated six of Russell Hoban’s books about Frances the badger, which have taken their place among the great classics of children’s literature. Lillian Hoban was born in Philadelphia and attended the Philadelphia Museum School of Art. She studied dance for ten years and became a professional dancer. She began to write and illustrate her own stories only after having children, basing her tales on their experiences.

Plough editor Sam Hine says, “As a parent of young children I’ve rarely found new books of this quality. So, like many other parents, I find myself returning to the books of my own childhood. Among these Charlie the Tramp was a hands-down favorite. We’re thrilled to acquire the rights to this timeless classic and make it available to a third generation.”

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

My Thoughts – This is a beautiful classic with wonderful pencil drawings!  It is recommended for ages 3-8 years old.  It’s a great tale of a beaver that wishes to be a tramp, but can’t fight his beaver instincts!  He realizes that he can like to tramp around, like a tramp….but still build great ponds like a beaver! 

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Winner must be a US resident.

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Review & #Giveaway: The Pencil Grip, Inc.– Kwik Stix

We were so excited to be able to review Kwik Stix from The Pencil Grip, Inc. again, and this time we get to offer a giveaway too! 

We received a 6 pack of Neon on Kwik Stix and a 6 pack of basic colors

These are the perfect size for a stocking stuffer this holiday season! 

These are great for that artsy crafty kiddo, and the mom who doesn’t like the mess it entails!  They are solid tempra paint sticks that dry in 90 seconds!  Yes 90 seconds!!  You don’t need paint cups, water, paint brushes or even smocks!  They are set-up and clean-up hassle free!  I kid you not! These things are amazing!  All of my kids enjoy them, even my 3 year old!  I love them too b/c messy art projects stress this momma out! 

The paints are AP certified – which means they are non-toxic and perfectly safe for young kids! 

They work great on all mediums….paper, wood, canvas, cardboard… you name it!

We used them to throw together some quick Christmas cards for a package I’m sending my brother.  No need to wait for them to dry, then went straight into the package when done! 

You can find 6 packs of Basic and Metalix colors in Target stores (in the craft/stationary aisle)

Packs of 96, 24, and 12 and 6 pack Classics, Neo and Metalix are available at Target.com.  They can also be purchased at FatBrain Toys and Amazon.com

I’m excited to offer to my readers the chance to win a 12pk of Kwik Stix!

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to The Pencil Grip, Inc. for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. US Residents only

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Review & #Giveaway: Where Jesus Slept #WhereJesusSlept #FlyBy

This beautifully illustrated book is a play on the classic, The House that Jack Built. We do a Christmas Book Advent, where we open one Christmas book each night in a month long countdown to Christmas and this book will be part of it this year!  It is such a sweet book, I highly recommend it as an addition to your Christmas library! You can win one for yourself, by entering below!

About the book:

Where Jesus Slept

“This is the bed where Jesus slept. This is the straw that lined the bed where Jesus slept.” From here, the story builds with each spread, adding a new element and explaining the relationships among the participants and witnesses to the first Christmas. From Jesus sleeping sweetly to the wise men bringing gifts, this charming book reminds readers young and not-so-young of the joyous event we celebrate at Christmastime. Children will love the delightful illustrations and the engaging repetition in this cumulative tale.

Format: jacketed hardcover

Trim size: 10x10

Page count: 32

Retail price: $16.99

Reading age: 4-7

About the author:

Norma Lewis is the author of ten books. She lives in Grand Haven, MI, with a marmalade cat named Scalawag. They both love spending time with her six grandchildren, ranging in age from three to twenty.

Illustrated by Katy Hudson.

US or Canadian Residents ONLY

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

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Review: Homeschool Legacy–Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims(TOS Review) #hsreviews #unitstudies #historyunitstudies

We used Homeschool Legacy, Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims Once-a-week unit study for this review. 

We have used Homeschool Legacy before and LOVED it!  See our previous review of Lewis and Clark unit study!

This particular unit study is labeled a ‘micro-study’ because it is only 6 lessons (6 weeks) and they lessons are pretty short.

One of the great things about Homeschool Legacy units, including Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims, is that it consists of one lesson a week.  We typically take off Friday for swimming, but could easily fit in these lessons afterwards.

Each unit consists of 6 lessons, one less a week, for 6 weeks.  There are recommended read aloud books for the course of the units.  Each daily lesson consists of History lessons.  The lessons are laid out, and read directly from the text.  There are sometimes hyperlinks within the text to more information on the topic, for example in this unit, there was a link to read about the First Amendment.  Other links lead to recipes, video clips and virtual tours.

I was able to easily give the lessons from my iPad, and show the video clips as well, sometimes we would use the laptop and cast the videos to the TV to more easily see them. (But that also required going downstairs, and we do most of our schooling upstairs).

There was some map work involved and vocabulary (looking up definitions) also.

I found the unit quite interesting, as we have a distant ancestor that came across on the Mayflower!  I feel like most of it was more geared towards older kids, at least in my families case.  It is recommended for grades 1-8, but might be more suited for 3rd grade and up.  There are opportunities for research and report writing, as well as oral presentations, so it could be easily adapted for older students.  For younger kids, in most cases they could just really listen, which didn’t always interest them.

This unit leads up to Christmas, so would be best used starting Mid October to Early November, as activities toward the end include Christmas Caroling and making garland decorations.

There is a yummy wassail recipe that we drank after Trick-or-Treating, that is recommended for after Caroling!  (But since we were using it early….that would not have worked).

This unit was not as hands on as the previous one we reviewed.  It did have some game activities and crafting, but nothing that really grasped my children’s interest (ages 3-10). 

The lessons were fairly short, which was nice.  They were also very informative.  I feel like a lot was learned in those short lessons.  This unit would probably go well with Christmas Comes to America, a 4 week unit study for the month of December! You can find reviews on this one and other Unit Studies by clicking on the image at the bottom of this post!

There are a lot of great unit studies available from Homeschool Legacy, it’s a great way to mix things up a bit in your schooling, without changing up the routine too much! 

Although this one was not one of our favorites, I still recommend them to others often!

Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoollegacy/

Book Review: Parragon Books Back to School and Fall Fun! @ParragonBooks

Frozen Snowflakes and Sparkles – My 3 year old daughter loves these coloring books, they crayons come with it and the stickers are lots of fun too!  You also get a code for a free Disney ebook!  This would make a great stocking stuffer for the Frozen fan in your life! 

Pixar Lots to Discover – Another fun coloring book with LOTS of stickers!  Stickers come in all shapes and sizes!!  This also comes with a free Disney ebook!

Lots of Dots for Little Hands – This book is perfect for the beginner writer!  Helping to learn to ‘write’ by connecting the dots!  This is a dry erase book, so it can be used time and time again!

Peppa Pig Smiles and Giggles – Another great coloring book with crayons and a handful of stickers! 

The World of Eric Carle Press Out and Play – This book has press out pieces that can be put together to make stand up characters, all based from Eric Carle books, your child can color and then act out their favorite Eric Carle stories!  Best for probably ages 6+.  No glue or scissors needed!

The Moonlight Tooth Fairy – The perfect gift for the little princess in your life who has lost their first tooth!  Comes with a satin bag to hid that tooth under her pillow in wait for the tooth fairy! 

Disclaimer:  I received these books free from Parragon Publishing in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to give an honest review, nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.  This post contains affiliate links.

Review: Accountable2You (TOS Review) #hsreviews #internetaccountability #internetsafety

For this review we tried out the Family Plan of Accountable2You.  Pornography is a growing problem today, mostly because access to it has never been easier.  It has most recently be labeled the “new drug” and families everywhere are taking precautions against it.  Unfortunately the temptation is there for many, and many are striving to overcome this serious addiction.  Whether you or someone you love is struggling with pornography addiction, or you want to take precautions to safeguard yourself, or loved ones from the grasp of it’s ravenous claws, this program would be a great tool for you!  

We have filters on our computer, we are very careful about what our children have access too, as well as safeguarding ourselves (my husband and I).  We have strict rules about internet use and location of use. However, you never know!  Router filters don’t work if you aren’t at home, and pornography makers are often sneaking and find the means to infiltrate our homes. 

Accountable2you is NOT a filter.  It’s a accountability program that allows an individual to be responsible for their own internet use.  Whether you are fighting a current addiction, or avoiding the pit of pornography, this program keeps you accountable!

It works by making an account, appointing an accountability partner and then installing onto your device.  Your accountability partner is then notified if you should access any questionable or highly questionable information on the web. 

If you use windows and have multiple accounts, it must be added to each individual account browser… ie, it’s on my account for chrome browser and also on my son’s account on his chrome browser.  For newer Kindles you must install the app. 

This program doesn’t need to be used JUST for pornography.  You can set up key words for which to be notified, as well as set time limits.  For example, my son has been known to window shop instead of do his school work!  I set key words such as Amazon, Target, Lego, Angry Birds and Minecraft.  You can opt for emails or text message, you can request instantaneous, or daily or weekly reports.  So, when my son accesses any of those keyword items, I receive a text message!  We played around with it a bit, to see how it would work!

If he triggers any of the words listed, I receive a test message that tells me exactly what website he was on and when. (it comes within 5 minutes of him accessing it).

I also set a time limit on his account, if he gets on the computer outside of the time parameters, I receive an email, stating when he was on and what websites he went to.  You can see below the email I received when he was on the computer before the 8am time limit.  Lucky for him, he was doing his math  

I also received some emails when I searched questionable words that are preprogrammed.  For example, I was purchasing a book from Amazon to help teach kids about the dangers of pornography, and received a red flag email.

Otherwise I receive daily emails, with a link to the history of that device.  Emails are only sent more often if there are red flagged items! You can opt for emails weekly instead of daily, with instant notifications via email or text message for questionable or highly questionable material.  Accountability partners are notified if the main account user makes any changes to their account, particularly to the list of questionable and highly questionable words.

This is a really great way to help someone overcome their addiction, or better yet to avoid the possibility of one at all!  It could be used to help maintain the amount of time someone spends online, to stop them from gaming or gambling online as well as other things.  The possibilities seem to be endless! 

Social Media Links
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/accountable2you
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/accountable2youllc

Review: CrossTimber (TOS Review) #hsreviews #name #namemeaning #CrossTimber #gift #personalizedgift

What’s in a name?

If you are looking for a personalized gift for someone this holiday season (or any occasion) CrossTimber has some great name related gifts!

For these review I received a 5x7 personalized framed print.  I was able to choose from a wide variety of backgrounds, I gave them the name and frame choice and they delivered!

This ladybug print will go great in her ladybug and butterfly bedroom!  Not sure why ladybugs became her décor, but it has been since birth!  She’s only 3 now, so she probably won’t be as excited about this item, as I am…but, I know as she gets older she will truly appreciate it!

The frame is metal and appears sturdy (NOT a cheap, chintzy frame), the frame is 7 x 9, the print is 5x7. I received the 4^th (and least expensive frame choice), described as thin, metallic brown. It does have a glass front.  The cost of this item, as pictured above is $23 plus S&H. You can add on items such as bookmarks, card or personalized messages on the back for only a few dollars more!

CrossTimber will contact you to iron out any details before delivering your print.  It was delivered in a timely manner, and packaged securely. 

There are a lot of options:  mugs, bookmarks, and music boxes and more; with lots of prints to choose from as well!

Each name comes with a origin, definition and a Bible verse.

I’m so excited to hang this beautiful print in my daughters room!  I also learned about her name more in the process!  We chose her name because it was a family name, with a Hawaiian spin!  It was neat to learn more about it’s original origin and meaning, as opposed to just “Hawaiian for Colleen”. 

CrossTimber is hosting a Giveaway currently, hope on over to enter! 

They also give discounts for bulk orders! 

You know the old adage of “It’s the thought that counts”, so much thought is put into this gift, not just by the buyer, but by the seller as well!  It’s a gift sure to be treasured and to last a lifetime! 

Other crew members received prints too, as well as other items!  Be sure to click on the button before to check out what they thought and to learn about other items that are available for purchase!

Social Media Links:
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/meaning.name/
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/crosstimber

Review: Middlebury Interactive Languages–Elementary Chinese (K-2) (TOS Review) #hsreviews #foreignlanguage #bilingualism #languagestudy

My 2nd grader (age 7) has really enjoyed taking Elementary Chinese 1 (Grades K-2) from Middlebury Interactive Languages.

My oldest (5th grade/10 years old) has been taking Chinese for a couple of years now, and has used Middlebury Interactive Languages in the past for reviews also (Elementary Chinese 1 (Grades 3-5)) twice! (Review 1 & Review 2).

This course is at a much more simple level than the one we reviewed in the past.  It took a few courses with me helping, and now he can basically navigate the course by himself.  I also noticed several improvements to the format (that were issues I had in past reviews).  The first is is is MUCH easier to get to the next course.  Straight from the homes screen they have a next lesson choice.  They also show which lesson you should be on according to the calendar, the classes are assigned one a day, 5 days a week.  Previously it was difficult to find which lesson you were on, if you were not following their calendar schedule.  This has been SOLVED!  Yeah! 

Another improvement is that if you use the Table of Contents to navigate lessons, you can easily see which lessons you have completed with check marks by them!  If I remember correctly, this was NOT the case before!  Great improvement!

This more of an introduction class to Chinese, they will be no means be fluent afterwards, BUT they do use games, videos, songs, and immersion to teach the concepts.  There are printable vocabulary sheets, words to songs, translations to the videos (all helpful things for the parent who does not speak the language and is trying to assist in these lessons!). 

There are speaking lessons, however, it is an extra cost to have these checked by a teacher, we did not have this option.  It did help my son to listen, record and listen to compare, however.

I should probably point out that this was used by my difficult child (if you have read my reviews before, you know what I’m talking about).  He has been very excited about this course from day 1 and continues to be so. 

There is a time limit when you subscribe to the course, they are only good for one year from purchase date.  If used regularly they can be completed in much less time (ie this course has 70 days of lessons, 35 each semester) You also have the option to pay more for a teacher or to pay less for independent study. 

Having used several Chinese language programs, I feel this is one of the best for  YOUNGER kids, based on this course for this review.  It doesn’t require the parent to know the language, the child can navigate it on their own (after some guidance), it builds a pretty good base and familiarity with the language…greetings, numbers, characters, etc…  I am happy with it, and so is my husband (who speaks Mandarin).

Middlebury Interactive Languages also offers Spanish, French and German courses.  Course are available in all languages Early Elementary through High School (with the exception of German for K-2). 

It’s definitely worth looking at for your homeschool foreign language needs!

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Middlebury-Interactive-Languages-141015515949753/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddInteractive   @middinteractive
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/middinteractive/

Review: The Familyman–Christmas Treasury (TOS Review) #hsreviews #Christmas #Audio #audiobook #digital #familymanministries

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner!  We got a chance to have Christmas a little early here, by taking a look at The Familyman’s Christmas Treasury – Audio Collection, Digital Downloads (I also received one CD from the collection.) from The Familyman. 

The Digital Downloads collection has 8 stories (6 of which are included in the CD collection). 

My children really enjoyed these stories!  They are great way to bring the true meaning of Christmas into your home!  Christ is often forgotten during this time of year, during the hustle and bustle of the commercialization of this sacred holiday.  This would be a great gift for any Christian family.

All the stories included in the set are great, but my kids picked out their 3 favorite for me to talk about in this review (maybe because these are the first ones we listened too, not sure, because I had trouble picking!).

The first is titled Cootie McKay’s Nativity.  This story is about a mentally handicapped man who was asked to rebuild the town’s nativity set.  They were really nervous about asking him, he is a tinkerer and collector of junk, and they weren’t quite sure how it would turn out.  Cootie was not even familiar with the story of Jesus’ birth.  Therefore, they educated him about it, and he was so excited to learn about this story and about Jesus and what He means in our lives.  He made a great nativity set, much to the surprise of the whole town!  It was a very heartfelt, feel good story…the kind that brings some tears to your eyes when you hear it. 

The second story they voted on was Captain Chaos and the Manger Blaster.  In Captain Chaos the main character gets a taste of what Christmas would be like, if Jesus had never been born.  He gets in a spat with his sister, over playing with the nativity, and wishes that there wasn’t such a thing.  When he wakes the next morning, no one in his family knows who Jesus is, what a Christmas tree is or anything that relates to Christmas.  What a sad day that would be!

Gladys Remembers Christmas was the third favorite.  Gladys doesn’t like Christmas.  Her mother died when she was young, and she doesn’t have very pleasant memories of growing up with just her father.  But, after her father’s passing, she remembers the good memories associated with Christmas as she clears through her his belongings.  She has flashbacks of good memories she had at Christmas time in her home, when she was younger, and her mother was still alive. 

These may be our favorites, but every story is just as good as the first!  All gentle reminders that Jesus is the reason for the Season!  Keeping Christ in Christmas is so important.  This wonderful Christmas Treasury helps to do just that!

Two of the digital downloads, are actually Easer stories, but another great holiday that is a result of Jesus in our lives, and a great reminder to the true meaning of the season!

The digital downloads are available for $3.99 each (with the exception of It’s Called Christmas, which is $4.99).  The CD collection of the Audio Treasury (6 stories) is available for $25.  An 8 pack of books is also available for $58, or books can be purchased separately for $10 each.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ToddWilsonFamilyman/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/youdadad
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/toddwilsonthefamilyman/
Pinterest:  https://au.pinterest.com/familymantodd/
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/107435990705080484154
Blog: http://familymanweb.com/blog/

Review: Educeri ...Educeri a division of DataWORKS (TOS Review)

For this review we used Educeri Lesson Subscription Service from Educeri ... Educeri a division of DataWORKS .

Educeri has over 1000 lessons for grades K through high school in a wide variety of subjects (though mostly math and language arts, there are some history and science lessons also).

I have to admit at first glance I thought these were VIDEO lessons, let me say now, they are NOT!  These are more like power point/slide show lessons.  Because of this, they aren’t really do by yourself lessons when it comes to little kids, which was a disappointment.  Older kids could work through the lessons themselves, however. Audio would be a GREAT added feature to this program!

We used these mostly as a means to further examine a topic (particularly in math) where more instruction or understanding was needed.  Unfortunately, there were not any lessons in Roman Numerals, because we could have really used that subject with my 5th grader.

It did help a lot with my 2nd grader in rounding, however.

Many of the lessons also have printable worksheets, so they can work the problems out and then check their answers in the lesson. 

It’s pretty straight forward, you read the text, as you hit the enter key (or the next button) the answers fill in, one answer at a time.

I envision this being used on a big screen, in a class setting…though it is adaptable to homeschool.  It can be used on any device that has internet.  As mentioned, however, for younger kids the lesson would need to be read to them, this is a bit of a disadvantage for me.  Having several young children, who always seem to need my help at the same time, it is nice to have something they can do on their own, without me. 

I only used the younger classes K-5th grade, though I did briefly look at some of the older grades as well.  It seems to be the same set up for older grades, as it is for younger grades, just more age appropriate topics.

You also have the ability to use marker tools on the slides, to mark (by writing or highlighting) things as you work through the lessons. 

a lot of the lessons and material are based on the Common Core Standards, and are marked when aligned.

You have the ability to sort by grade and by subject, there is also a search bar, so you can search by topic. 

I feel this would be best suited for older kids that can read the lessons themselves, if they can be trusted to not jump ahead and write their answers from those given (honestly, this would NOT work for my son, too big of a temptation!). 

They do offer a 30 day FREE trial subscription (no credit card information required), and then it is $7 a month or $75 a year, subscriptions are set up to auto renewal unless cancelled.

Quizzes will be coming soon also!

I honestly don’t for see us using this very often.  I can see how it could be a good fit for some families, so I highly recommend you taking the 30 day trial to check it out and see if it is something that would work well for your family!  There is no obligation to buy, no credit card information required, so it’s completely risk free!

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/educeri/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/teacheduceri   @educeri
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Educeri/

Review: VeggieTales: Everyday with God–365 Daily Devos for Boys #EveryDayWithGod #FlyBy

About the Book:

Every Day with God is the latest 365-day devotional from VeggieTales. The updated content and art offer the perfect opportunity for parent and child to share time together each day. Each entry includes a Bible verse, short devotion, Thought of the Day, and prayer. The content will help children learn more about God and develop a daily practice to keep Him close in their lives. The book is perfect for bedtime reading, family devotion time, or as a fresh way to start each day!

Format: Trade paperback

Page Count: 384

Trim Size: 5 X 7.25

Retail Price: $9.99 ON SALE NOW for $7.34

Reading Age: 4-7

There is also a Girl’s Version, $9.99

I received the boy’s version for this review.

My Thoughts:

Each daily devotional includes a Title, a Bible verse (taken from a wide variety of translations, though I don’t recall seeing any from KJV), a summary or mini sermon, a Thought of the Day and a Pray Today suggestion.

It is all written in very understandable terms, at a child’s level.  Each page also contains a VeggieTales character.

This is a great way to add a daily devotional with prayer and scripture study to your child’s day!

Good News! 

I have one to GIVEAWAY too! (Winner must have shipping address in US or Canada)

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

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Review: Everyday Education, LLC - Perfect Reading, Beautiful Handwriting (TOS Review) #hsreviews #copywork

For this review we used Perfect Reading & Beautiful Handwriting by Everyday Education, LLC.

This book teaches italicized writing, while also teaching reading.  I wish I could say we loved this program, I think it is a good program, it was just not a good match for my kids.  Writing is something they really struggle with (I have boys, not sure if it’s a universal boy thing, but my boys have always struggled with it).  My 7 year old also struggles a bit with reading, so I thought this would be a win/win.  However, it was not.  I also tried this with my almost 6 year old, and it didn’t work out well their either.   

With my 6 year old, I started with the ABC pages, and my 7 year old dove straight into the sentences (maybe that was part of the problem).  Their biggest struggle was the thin writing lines, which were also different from what they have been using.  They found it intimidating and frustrating, and it became a tear fest.  No fun!  I think if this had been their first introduction to writing, it might have gone over better, but the fact it was quite different from what they were use to, caused them stress over it.

I don’t want to discredit this program though, because I think it could be a really great program for someone else.  The italicized writing it uses, is very flowing.  I enjoyed doing some of the copy work myself, and this book could be a great tool for older students to focus on improving on their handwriting.  For my 7 year old, we just skipped the writing and used the reading aspect.

Here is the little bit of writing he did do (with my help).

You can see how the lines are different, he is use to writing on the line with the middle dotted line, but for this program you write in the space between those dotted lines.  Hard to get use to. Or goal was to do once sentence a day.

Here is a sample of my writing:

I skipped several chapters ahead, since I wasn’t learning to read with the program. 

I think the hardest part for my 6 year old, is that they space to write is quite small.  He just isn’t there yet in the fine motor department. So this was a hindrance.

I received the ebook version of this program, so I just printed the pages to use.

The book is recommended for kids as young as 4 or 5, to teach writing and reading, and while I am sure that some kids are ready for this at that age, my kids definitely are not.  Though I could see my daughter being ready in another year or 2 (she is 3).  It is definitely a case by case, every child is different thing to consider.

If your child is ready for the smaller space writing (had great fine motor skills and pencil control), this is definitely a great way to ‘kill two birds with one stone’ so to speak.  It incorporates a hands on aspect to learning to read, and teaches nice handwriting at the same time. 

It is available in a printed format, as an ebook (as mentioned) or you can purchase the printed and ebook format together.

The entire first chapter of the book is for the parent, teaching you how to use the book.  Chapter 2 is ABCs, and Chapter 3 dives right into reading sentences!  Before each page of sentence copywork is a word list.  Words are introduced in a teaching fashion, starting with short a words (as pictured above). 

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