Reading Eggs Review and FREEBIE!

When I agreed to review Reading Eggs, I thought I knew exactly what to expect because my daughter had used this program several years ago. We enjoyed the program then, but I was very pleased and surprised to see how much more it included now.

For this review I was using Reading Eggs with my four year old son. I was a little concerned about whether or not it would be too difficult for him as he has just recently started expressing interest in letters and numbers. However, when I logged in I found that not only could he work on the reading eggs program that I remembered but they have a new section that is designed for ages 2-4. This gave us a lot of flexibility.

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When we tried the first lesson of the regular reading eggs (designed for ages 3-7) my son was able to do it but it was a little more difficult and he honestly did not really enjoy it. I feel that it is a great program and some children may be ready for it at age three but some children will need to be a little older before they are ready for that component. It started with the letter m and was teaching the sound (not the letter name) using a variety of activities related to m. He did the first activity or two but grew tired of it before the lesson was over, but he could easily go back and finish at his own pace.

Though my son was not quite ready for that portion of the program it is still a great program. Reading Eggs starts at the very beginning with letter sounds and continues through fluent reading, their highest levels Reading Eggspress works on reading comprehension and fluency for children ages 7-13. It is a fun and thorough program that works great to help improve a child’s reading ability. Luckily for us, they also now have Reading Eggs Junior.

When we tried the Reading Eggs Junior section (ages 2-4), we knew we had found the right fit. He absolutely loved it and could not get enough. They had books that he could look at and listen as they were read aloud, short videos that worked on letters and other educational concepts, and lots of different games to help him with preschool level skills.

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He knows all of his colors but really enjoyed playing the color games where he would match part of an object to the rest of the object in the same color. For example, they might have a purple and a pink car and two cut out circles form the cars (one in each color). He would then have to move the colored circle into the right spot. He enjoyed a game where he had to sort butterflies onto flowers based on their color.

They also had counting games, alphabet games, puzzles and more. The one thing we noticed with the games is that you needed to be used to using a mouse in order to successfully complete the activity. While many children have this skill, it was not something that my four year old had mastered because most of the time he does his activities on the kindle and uses a touch screen. He did get more proficient with the mouse as he worked through various activities.

Each game/activity is done in a map style layout (see the pictures above) and gets progressively harder. They program will let him return to one he has already completed but it will not let him move ahead until he completes that level. This helps keep the children from getting frustrated by the difficulty level. I should also note that in the regular Reading Eggs program it is set up in a similar manner but children can take a placement test to determine where they need to start so that they do not have to go through the lessons from the beginning.

My one real complaint about the program is that it is not compatible with Kindle. While this will not be an issue for many families, we find that logistically it is better if my son’s programs can be done on our kindle. He is better able to navigate the kindle than our desktop and can be more independent. However, this is still a wonderful program and we will work around the kindle issue using it on our desktop. Thankfully, my older children enjoy helping him and can assist him when I am not available.

If this sounds like a program that might be a good fit for your child, I have a wonderful offer for you. Reading Eggs has agreed to give my readers a FREE four week trial of the program. This is a great way for you to try it out and see if it is a good fit for your family.

In addition to the wonderful online program, Reading Eggs has just released new workbooks to accompany the program. While we did not personally use them I am hearing some great things from the reviewers that used the new workbooks and I encourage you to check out the other reviews to learn more about those.

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

When you sign up for the Schoolin’ Swag free resource library you will get a link and password to the library, we are adding to the library each month with new items. You will also get a bi-weekly newsletter email to keep you up to date on what we have going on.

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This post may contain affiliate or referral links, including Amazon affiliate links. As always I will never recommend a product that I don’t believe in and you will never be charged more for purchasing through our links. It does help pay for the costs associated with the blog.

Letter A Preschool Activities and Printable!

*Some of the links in my posts may be affiliate links see below for more information. *

As a part of our relaxed preschool plan and my son’s strong desire to learn his letters, we are going to study a letter each week. Each week I’ll share snack ideas, sensory bin cards, crafts, and other resources for that letter.

I strongly encourage you to use only what seems to work for your child and keep it fun. It is far better to wait until they are ready to learn than to push them too early.

We will be using the printable cards (free download below) in a sensory bin, eating “A” snacks, practicing making the letter in shaving cream, and doing an ant nature study this week.

We won’t be able to pick apples for another couple of weeks but we may also do some fun apple pages from the extra resources depending on how interested my four year old seems to be as the week progresses.

Letter A Snack Ideas:

Almonds
Apples
Apricots
Asparagus (might be better with dinner but still a fun ‘A’ food)
Ants on a Log (celery w/ nut butter and raisins)

Extra Letter A Resources:

Letter A Upper Case Craft Freebie

Letter a Lower Case Craft Freebie

Optional Letter A Activities:

Apple Picking

Ant Nature Study (you can observe them outside, create a habitat in a jar, or purchase an ant farm)

Don’t forget to download your free Letter A Sensory Bin Pictures to use this week!

Resource Library and Affiliate Disclosure

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Deals and Freebies!

Free 5 Day Learning without Worksheets Challenge: FREE 5-Day Learning Challenge We have done several of her different challenges in the past and they are lots of fun and easy to implement.

You Are An Artist Clubhouse Memberships are now Open for enrollment! and having a 25% off Sale through September 4th!!

Apologia Digital Back to School Sale 25% off through 9/15!

Wind in the Willows on Audio for only $2.95

Alice in Wonderland on Audible for less than $1!!

FREE: Check out this great new FREE resource for classical and Charlotte Mason education! Classical Christian Education & Charlotte Mason. Great for folks already homeschooling or if you have friends that are looking into it!

Read-Aloud Family Chapters 3-4

Capture — Our favorite hero tale, even if we are a bit biased.

Sometimes I watch the news (or my newsfeed) and I get fearful for the world that my children will live in as adults. I know that 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “⁷For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (KJV) However, it can be so easy to worry about preparing them for the troubles of this world without inundating them with problems at a young age. I love how chapter three of The Read-Aloud Family talks about the effects of reading aloud about great heroes and the positive effects it can have on our children.

I want my children to grow up to be prepared to stand up for truth. I want them to be willing to do great things for the Lord even in the face of adversity. I know that they may well face persecution for staying true to their beliefs and I’m often not sure how to prepare them for that possibility without unnecessarily scaring them. Realizing that I am preparing them to stand up to those challenges simply by reading them stories of others that have acted heroically.

When we read the Chronicles of Narnia or the Green Ember my children learn that there may be difficulties, ‘white witches’ and ‘lords of prey’ but that they can stand up to them and fight the battles that lie ahead. We read about sad times and troubling abuse in The War that Saved My Life but they learn that people can make a real positive difference in the lives of others. All of these important life lessons simply through picking up a book and reading.

We have to push forward and make decisions about what is worth out time and what is not-about what gets our best attention, what gets our peripheral attention, and what gets no attention at all.

In chapter four, she switches from the ideals of heroism to the academic effects of reading aloud. Often I think we tend to worry that when we focus on our ‘ideals’ we neglect the academics or vice versa and struggle to find that balance.

I struggle in trying to challenge them academically, guide and nurture them spiritually, spend quality time enjoying each other, and all of the other necessary tasks in life (for some crazy reason my kids all want three meals a day and a number of snacks.) This means that my attention is pulled in many directions and I sometimes have to say no to good things in order to focus on what is best.

I love how these two chapters show that reading aloud is beneficial both in sharing our family ideals and in strengthening academics. We do not have to choose, we can work on both at the same time. The story of the young college student who thought she was short changed because she had less math and science but more reading really stuck out to me. I have often said that if you could read you could learn anything you needed to know, but I love seeing a real life example of that philosophy.

I’ll end this post with the quote that ended chapter four because I think it sums up so well the benefits of reading aloud. ” And so, while I continue to daydream and wonder about what my children will one day become and what great vision God has for each of their lives, I’ll do the one thing I know will best prepare them for it all. It’s free. Its easy. And it’s the most effective way to help my kids succeed academically. I’ll read aloud. “

Deals and Freebies!!

Peter Rabbit Collection Audiobook for only .48 cents! (at the time of posting always check prices)

FREE Poetry Pack from Write Shop! 20 Printable Activities and Worksheets, including: Practice exercises, brainstorming worksheets, poem planning worksheets, word banks, and colorful lined writing pages

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Read Aloud Family Chapter 2

Whether we are visiting Podo’s Garden in Aerwair, a snowy hovel in Narnia or Ramona Quimby’s Cellar on Klickitat Street, a little spark is lit. We all know it only takes a spark to start a wildfire.

What do a walrus and an ant have to do with reading aloud? I won’t spoil the story in case you haven’t read this chapter in Read Aloud Family but it was a great reminder that we need to be able to notice the little things. We don’t need to miss those small important moments waiting for something big. To often I’m missing the ants waiting for the walrus. I don’t take the chance to look at the flowers with my son, to watch bubbles blowing through the air, or to take that five minutes to read a chapter in our book together.

In the interest of transparency, sibling relationships is something that we’ve been really trying to work on in our house. I love the part about how those stories we read become something that they shared and help to create deep friendship between siblings. I can already see how some of the books we have read have given my children a common language and inside jokes that bring them closer together. For example, my husband likes to joke around and use his Aslan voice to get their attention, calling out ” Oh Children’.” Every time we go to hotel that has a wardrobe in the room it is the first place they run to, climbing in for an adventure to Narnia. We are still working on those relationships, but I love the idea that my time reading aloud can benefit those relationships and help to draw them closer.

Stories are comfort food. Stories are inside jokes. Stories are ant moments. They bond us together even when life is hard. When we pull a child on our lap and break open the pages of a book, we’re taking them by the hand and walking them into a quiet garden in the center of a noisy polluted city.

Life can get so busy and our days so full of the urgent things in life: dishes, laundry, bills, cleaning, work, school, etc. We can get disconnected from the ones we love and care about most. Reading aloud is an easy way to bring us all together, to leave the business behind and enjoy some moments together. It doesn’t take a lot of preparation or money, just a few moments and a good book.

When my head hits the pillow each night I want to know that I have done the one most important thing: I have fostered warm, happy memories and created lifelong bonds with my kids– even when the rest of life feels hard.

This chapter hit home and stepped on my toes a little bit. Too often I get busy and I’m rushing around and I miss the little things the important things. I’m going forward with a renewed determination to enjoy the everyday moments and be focused on the here and now. I want to know that I spent each day doing what was most important even if what is most important are the little things. I leave you with this quote from chapter 2, “success in parenting my kids means showing up and giving my best to what matters most right now. Which means, of course, that I have to know what matters most right now.”

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Deals and Freebies!!

“Psst! Did you know that SchoolhouseTeachers.com is having a sale? Not just any sale, but one that can open up a world of opportunity for your children for only $99! Plus, you get a FREE collectable tote bag and a print issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine mailed to your door when you sign up for our annual membership! That is one year of access to over 380 different courses, not to mention the resources and videos and World Book content. Hurry over and sign up at SchoolhouseTeachers.com before the sale ends on May 31! And don’t forget your coupon: YEARLYOPTION.”

It’s Time To Party (and Read)

Nothing says fun like a good party! So why not encourage reading by combining it with a party. There are many ways to combine books with parties, some are super simple and some more elaborate. While I do not discount them, I am not talking about parties that are rewards for having read a certain amount of time or books, but parties that incorporate reading. As one of my favorite authors once said, “Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.” – C.S. Lewis

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One of our favorite ways to combine parties and reading are our “Poetry Tea’ times. During those times we sit around the table, complete with table cloth and our nicest dishes, and enjoy reading poetry while partaking in snacks. Sometimes it really is hot tea with cookies; other times it might be lemonade and popcorn, or milk and a bit of cake. I will read a few poems and then the children take turns reading poems. They look forward to these times of fun and reading.

There are times when we combine books and parties by focusing on the time period or geographic location of a book. For example, if we are reading Little House on the Prairie we might cook over our camp fire or make recipes from that time period. We loved making maple candy as they discussed in one of the Little House Books.

One I have not yet done with my children but have seen other children really enjoy are character parties. You can choose a book or let each child choose their own book and everyone dresses up like their favorite characters. You can have generic party snacks or if it is appropriate you can have snacks that are representative of the book. For example, if I was reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar I could have the snacks that the caterpillar ate. If I was reading a book about a ballgame I might have traditional ball park fare like hotdogs and popcorn.

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One idea that we recently participated in was a book tasting. A good friend of mine had seen the idea and offered to set it up for our 4-H club. It was so much fun. The children each brought some of their favorite books representing different genres and some fun easy to eat snacks. Then we put the books on different tables based on genres and gave the children ‘menus’ that they could fill out with information about books that they thought they found and thought they would enjoy reading. This gave the children exposure to a bunch of different books in various genres that were enjoyed by their peers.

Today is the last day of the 5 Days of Homeschool Blog Hop. I hope you have enjoyed it! Check out the rest of the posts from today: homeschooling with the Brain in Mind

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SPECIALS!!!

I wanted to take a minute and let you know about a few great deals going on this week that you don’t want to miss.

Today Apologia starts their big sale. $5 Shipping and 25% off of many of their products including Young Explorers!

Notebooking Pages 50% off sale! This is a great deal for a lifetime membership and some added bonuses.

You Are An Artist Chalk Pastels has just opened up enrollment for the Clubhouse program (an annual membership). In honor of that the entire site is 25% off!!

Schoolhouse Teachers is doing a Huge Spring Sale that could have you set for curriculum for next year. Only $99 for your whole family! And as a bonus they will mail you a beautiful tote and a new print magazine. Check it out here.

Use Codes: $9.95/month – Monthly Membership [Coupon: MONTHLYOPTION ] & $99/year – Annual Membership [Coupon: YEARLYOPTION ]

History Through Reading

We really enjoy learning about history and feel that it is a vital part of our children’s education. However, we do not want history to be about memorizing a bunch of dates and random facts, but an understanding of our past and how it shaped our lives today. One of the ways that we encourage this love of history is by combining it with our love of reading.

There are some excellent history and historical fiction books that help us to really understand the ‘story’ of history. Some of our favorite historical fiction books are classics like Johnny Tremain and Number the Stars. We recently read, The War that Saved My Life, while we were studying World War II. They enjoyed it so much that I’m planning on purchasing the sequel, The War I Finally Won for us to enjoy as a family.

Historical Fiction for Homeschool

Through these historical fiction books the children have a chance to understand what if might have felt like to live through the historical events and in various times and places. It allows them to understand not just the facts but the emotions and implications of those events.

Of course our favorite historical fiction book is Heroes Next Door: Hornet 24. I am sure I’m a bit biased but it really is a great way to learn about what life was like for our men who served in the Vietnam War. And now for an interview with my favorite historical fiction author, my husband, Chris Peluso author of Heroes Next Door.

1) What made you decide to write a historical fiction novel?

We run a bookstore. A while back, we took in a huge lot of Vietnam era material. I read a few of the memoirs and thought, ‘these would be great to share with my son.’ Unfortunately, the adult targeted content was far above his reading and maturity levels. Not long after that our next-door neighbor came home with a Vietnam era helicopter on a trailer. I saw an opportunity to connect the two in a way that would share some of the stories with younger readers and engage their interest and awareness. I choose the historical fiction approach to allow freedom in story flow and bring elements together as I felt they worked best.

2) Why do you think reading historical fiction is beneficial to children?

I think it gives an opportunity to connect with an individual and experience history through their perspective, in a comfortable, low stress, enjoyable reading environment. It is so easy to be overwhelmed with history, facts, dates, statistics; historical fiction helps remind us that history happens to people, not just calendars.

3) What was your favorite historical fiction novel when you were a child?

I remember The Machine Gunners, by Robert Westall. It is set in England, during the Battle of Britain. A group of kids find a downed German bomber and recover the tail gun. They then build and equip a small fort, preparing to defend Britain from the impending German invasion. I wasn’t exposed to them when I was younger, but now I really appreciate the works of G.A. Henty.

4) Tell us a little about your novel.

So my book, Heroes Next Door: Hornet 24 follows two precocious kids as they interact with their next door neighbor, who just happens to own a Vietnam era helicopter. The kids help refurbish the aircraft, during their time ‘next door’ they learn about Army aviation, duty, honor, respect, teamwork, and current events in the 1968-69 period. They follow Mr. Ed through a series of stories, trying to connect the men who flew helicopters with the war. One important theme explores the cost of war, both in lost opportunity and individual sacrifice, concepts that are easily lost when studying what I’ll call macro-history.

5) Any teasers about future books?

The business side of writing is tricky, editing, publishing, marketing; with this first book I had to navigate through those, that was a lot more complicated than I thought it would be. The writing part is really the easiest part for me. There’s so many great stories out there picking which ones to explore next is really difficult, but, yes, I’m working on the next edition with a new set of characters in a new conflict. With a little support and interest, I can see several more after that. Please like and follow https://www.facebook.com/HNDHornet24/ @HNDHornet24 for updates plus bonus material/conversation starters.

We would love to answer any questions that we can about writing a book, historical fiction, or Heroes Next Door.

Check out all of today’s other 5 Days of Homeschool Blog Posts: When College Isn’t the Next Step

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SPECIALS!!!

I wanted to take a minute and let you know about a few great deals going on this week that you don’t want to miss.

Today Apologia starts their big sale.

You Are An Artist Chalk Pastels has just opened up enrollment for the Clubhouse program (an annual membership).

Schoolhouse Teachers is doing a Huge Spring Sale that could have you set for curriculum for next year.

Keep Them Reading…Our Favorite Series

Sometimes series of books can get a bad reputation for not being good literature. Some may deserve this reputation just as some non-series books are not good literature, but there are some excellent choices available that can help you encourage a love of reading in your children.

A good series takes you upward and inward, exploring the story in new ways. It expands the characters and helps you feel like a part of the experiences and lets you vicariously live the adventures. Series can help fuel the hunger for reading by building excitement and anticipation for the next book in the series, no one likes a cliffhanger afterall. For some children this is as simple as offering them the first book to read; but for those that do not even want to get started you might try a read aloud. You can read the first book in a series aloud and once their interested provide the others for them to read on their own.

When I was a child I loved reading mysteries! There are several series that I loved then and have had the pleasure of introducing to my children. It has been fun watching them learn to love the characters as much as I did. The Boxcar Children are short chapter books that are so much fun. The children have grand adventures. I prefer the original ones that were written by Gertrude Chandler Warner to the later ones that were written by other authors. Probably my favorite series of all time is the Mandie series. I would read these so fast that my mom could not keep up with purchasing them. I loved feeling like I was right there with Mandie as she went on adventures and solved mysteries. Later I even visited historical Moses Cone Manor because scenes from a Mandie movie were filmed on location. There are Christian messages throughout the series.

Some series are perfect for new readers. They are short, easy to read, and have the same characters which can make it easier to follow along for young readers who are still working on decoding words. The Billie B. Brown series is a great example of a series that works well for newer readers. Fancy Nancy is another one that my daughter really enjoyed when she was first reading on her own. In that series Nancy likes to use new ‘fancy’ words which she then explains. It is a great way to build vocabulary in a fun way.

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Some series have stood the test of time and became classics in their own right. One of our family favorites to read aloud, and that my son enjoys reading on his own is the Chronicles of Narnia. This series by C. S. Lewis is full of adventures and lessons. It is a great analogy of the story of Christ wrapped into a wonderful and fun fantasy. Our family enjoyed this book so much that we are often quoting various lines in our day-to-day life; I may have even hidden a few in this blog. The Little House series is another series that I remember from my reading as a child. This series can make you long for ‘simpler’ times and while making you appreciate all of the luxuries of today. These like the Chronicles of Narnia are longer chapter books that are probably best enjoyed by stronger readers or as read alouds.

Two great series of biographies are the Christian Heroes Then & Now and the Who Was.. series. The Who Was.. series are shorter easy to read chapter books but even my sixth grader who can read much more difficult books still enjoys them. The Christian Heroes Then & Now books are longer and more in-depth. My son reads these frequently on his own and I use them for our missionary studies and to supplement our history studies as read alouds. This series (along with several of the other ones I’ve mentioned) is also available on audible.

There are many more series including the Green Ember series, The Penderwicks, and Giada De Laurentiss’ Recipe for Adventure that our family enjoys reading. Finding engaging books that keep the children begging for more is a great way to encourage a love of reading. There are series for all ages, tastes, and reading abilities. Even C.S. Lewis’ dear friend penned a well known series that has found renewed interest-can you name it in the comments? What is your family’s favorite book series?

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Check out all of the other 5 days of homeschool blog posts and my guest post over at the Crew blog today: Encouraging Reading

SPECIALS!!!

I wanted to take a minute and let you know about two great deals going on this week that you don’t want to miss.

You Are An Artist Chalk Pastels has just opened up enrollment for the Clubhouse program (an annual membership). In honor of that the entire site is 25% off!!

Schoolhouse Teachers is doing a Huge Spring Sale that could have you set for curriculum for next year. Only $99 for your whole family! And as a bonus they will mail you a beautiful tote and a new print magazine. Check it out here.

Use Codes: $9.95/month – Monthly Membership [Coupon: MONTHLYOPTION ] & $99/year – Annual Membership [Coupon: YEARLYOPTION ]

Reading With Your Ears

I love the feeling of a good book in my hands. I am one of those ‘hold outs’ that can’t quite get into reading on our electronic devices. We do have a Kindle and I use it occasionally for informational reading, but it is just not the same. However, life is busy and I do not have time to read every book we want to read.

That is where audio books come into play in our family. We have found audio books to be a great way to supplement our other reading and give our family hours of enjoyment in situations where traditional reading isn’t really feasible.

How to Use Audio Books in Your Homeschool

There are multiple ways to use audio books. The most common for our family is listening while we ride. Whether a short jaunt to grandma’s house or a long road trip the audio books help make traveling with children a much more pleasurable experience.

We have found that having that story going helps keep them from getting bored and irritated with each other. It also supplements my read alouds and helps to give us that common experience of a story.

Another great use of audio books is during quiet time for children who are not yet reading. As my children out grew their naps I found that it was still beneficial for them to have a quiet time in the afternoon and having an audio book to listen to can help ease that transition and keep them quietly in their rooms.

Audio Books for Struggling Readers

Audio books are also beneficial for struggling readers. You can have them listen to the audio to hear information or stories that they would not otherwise be able to read or to reinforce content written above their grade level. For example, our Apologia Science text is available on audio.

You can also have them use the audio and book together to strengthen reading skills. By following along in their books with the audio their comprehension is increased but they are still getting reading practice which is so important for struggling readers. It is much harder to enjoy something that is a struggle, so increasing that fluency is important.

Where Do You Find Audio Books?

I am often asked where to find good audio books. We use a variety of resources for finding great audio books. One of the most versatile is Audible which is a subscription service that you can use to download audio books. (You can try free for a month and get two free books.

Also, you can cancel at any time and you keep the ones you have already purchased) In addition to the credits we get from our Audible subscription, we can often find additional books on Audible for very reasonable prices. They also download easily onto our Kindle making them very easy for us to take with us and listen on the road.

cs lewis quote

Another great resource for audio books is Heirloom Audio. Heirloom does great dramatizations of GA Henty books. These books are rich in history, story, and moral character. The children love them for the excitement and I love them for the lessons they teach.

Focus on the Family radio theatre is another great option for dramatized audio books. They feature mostly classic books like The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, or our personal favorite The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

There are many great stories that you could start with depending on the ages and interests of your family. As I mentioned above we love The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the entire Chronicles of Narnia series. The Tales of Beatrix Potter is another great one to start with, especially if you have younger children. Recently we have found the Green Ember Series.

What Audio Books Do You Enjoy?

Audio books are a great way to support and supplement your other reading times. Whether you are listening just for enjoyment or education there are many wonderful options available. What is your favorite audio book?

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Check out all of the other 5 day blog hop posts over on the Crew Blog: Fostering Independence

Where Oh Where Do We Read?

When I was growing up I loved to read and read every chance I had. In the car, on the boat, or at my desk at school my nose was in a book. These days my preferred reading locations are in the swing on my front porch or a chair at the beach (I said favorite not most frequent). Sometimes we forget that if we as adults would rather read somewhere comfortable and happy our children probably would too. I think it is important, especially with those that do not love reading yet, not to make reading something you only do at a desk during ‘school’, we need to ignite the flame of reading passion!

Start those fond thoughts of reading by doing fun family read alouds in a comfortable place at home. My littles like to be in my lap in the recliner, while my bigger children gather on the couch to hear me read. This helps them see reading in a positive light as a fun activity, not just boring schoolwork.

We also love to read outside. Sometimes I read aloud and sometimes it is the older children reading to themselves. During these beautiful spring days, we like to take a large blanket or tablecloth and spread it in the grass so they can lay down and read while getting a bit of sunshine and fresh air. A tablecloth may seem like an odd choice but I find they are often easier to clean than the blankets if the grass gets stuck to them. Sometimes, they use our front porch or string their hammocks from the playset out back.

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We have the benefit of taking a lot of day trips as we travel with my husband on business. This means we get to see a lot of great places but it also means we sometimes spend a lot of time in the car. Reading in the car is a great way to pass the time and get in more reading. Even my four year old brings books to look at the pictures while we ride.

When we are reading during our ‘school time’ and I need the children to stay with me and not spread out into other locations they have comfortable places with-in our school room. They have large pillows or bean bags that they can sit in and for Christmas they received these hanging pod chairs that they can use in their rooms or in our school room. They love being able to just relax and read. One of my favorite parts of our school room is the window seat that my husband built for me to be able to sit and read to our children. It might be a bit silly but I had always wanted a window seat where I could curl up and read.

There are many other places to read. The important thing is to remember that reading does not have to happen in a desk or in isolation. By reading in comfortable places and various times we start to help our children realize that reading is a pleasurable adventure and not just ‘boring schoolwork’. I know that most of my fond memories of reading did not occur sitting at a desk. I encourage you to get out a good book, or your tablet and read! Try a new place, a new time, or maybe a new genre.

Tell us in the comments where you like to read!

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https://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=285486

Keeping the Read aloud Revival Alive

“Learn With Homer” Review and Deep Discount!

Have you met Homer yet? Learn With Homer was born (well, it became public) in August of 2013. In the short time that has elapsed since then, this adorable pigeon and all of his buddies have gained quite a following…over 1 million children now learn with him! So what has all these prominent media, news, and educational sites buzzing? Stick with me, and find out!

What is Learn with Homer? Here is an infographic to help you understand the method:

homermethod

Learn With Homer accomplishes these four steps through beautiful, colorful graphics, gorgeous photography, engaging stories (a variety of history, myths, fables, folk tales, nursery rhymes), songs (from all around the world…and the vocabulary is linked to the lessons!), art, poetry, and games. There is so much to love about this site/app! This is not merely a reading program. It has such a wide scope of learning, including history, science, poetry, music and so much more (and they add new updates frequently)! Here is a screen shot to give you a sampling of the compelling beauty of the lessons:

homercolor

Just seeing images like these made ME want to play! Our art-loving daughter has totally fallen in love with this site. Even though the site gives suggested ages as 3-8, our 9-year-old has enjoyed it SO much! I logged her in and gave her the freedom to poke around on her own. She played for over 2 hours (there is no fluff…it is all lovely education presented in such a way that children love to learn), took a break, and went back for another hour. I wanted to see if it would really draw her in, or if I would have to “sell” its virtues to her. In no time at all, I heard her singing along with songs. She repeatedly came to me to share something she learned, or to tell me the plot of a new story. I didn’t even get a chance to try out my sales pitch! First thing this morning, she wanted to get back on.

katiehomer — She loves the drawing and art options, and the fact that she can get new “thinking caps” for her little kitty avatar.

Currently, Learn With Homer is offered for pc (web version) and iPad. The iPad version got a spectacular facelift just today! The new version includes little adorable Wickles who play in Pickle Wickle Park. Guess what they like to snack on? Now there are even more fun features to enjoy!

picklewicklepark

The web version is slated for update very soon, and there is an Android version in the works as well. If that’s not enough, an iPhone version will come out after the first of the year!

Need stats? Here you go! There are 22 levels for learning with Homer currently…including over 1,000 lessons and activities! The program is proven to boost reading scores by over 74%!

In a recent study conducted by the former US Assistant Secretary of Education, students who used Homer for 15 minutes a day over a 6-week period nearly doubled their scores on the TOPEL (Test of Preschool Early Literacy), a leading predictor of future reading and academic success.

homerstates

Are you dying to try it? No wonder! Click here to sign up for a free 30-day trial! You can also get 50% off an annual subscription to Homer! Click here! The special discount code is already plugged in for you! Can it get any easier?

Disclaimer: I was given a year’s free subscription for Learn With Homer in exchange for an honest and objective review.