All About Homophones Review

I had a chance to review another product by the author of All About Spelling. It's called All About Homophones. This book is a nice way to cover a topic that is often easily forgotten.

There are a lot of different ways homophones are covered in the book, from worksheets, crossword puzzles, card games to tongue twisters. Homophones are are one of those things that kids just seem to enjoy trying to find. This books makes it even more fun!

My son took an instant liking to the activities in this book. He's not a worksheet kind of kid, but he enjoyed doing these. On his own, he even started mentioning homophones he'd find to me. There is a sheet included in the book for you to list homophones. So that is what we started to do. We've got a nice list going.

The card games are very professionally done. The only downfall is all the printing and ink you will need to use. But I think the benefit of the games far outweigh the ink and paper you will use. Also, if you are considering the ebook, it is 240 pages long. Don't let this turn you away from the ebook format because of its size. You will only need to print the pages for the grade level you are working on. There's not a lot of other on screen reading you will need to do.

If you are looking for an easy way to incorporate homophones into your curriculum, this is the way to do it.

This book is available in two formats and covers grades 1-8. :

Softcover format: $29.95
Ebook format: $27.95

BUT to celebrate the new book,
they are giving you $10 off!

Just enter the coupon code "FUN" in the customer code box during
checkout. The coupon code is good for one week, now through
Monday, February 2, 2009.

For more information on this product, click here.

Heidi Miller-Ford

STILL WORKING

We are preparing the Remember Me Pocket- February file. I am so excited about all the activities we have included. Be sure to check out the blog just for this line. The link is to the right.
We are in the deep freezing weather right now. The rolling hills of Northern West Virginia received a coating of snow and everything looks beautiful.
We are now close to being in convention mode....the Lord has blessed and we are able to get bigger booth space and have workshops. I can't wait to show people all the tips we have for using our products. Being frugal ourselves and understanding that every child is wired differently, we can tweak some things from each line for each child. Many will learn to get the most BANG for their BUCK. I will be posting some of these tips here on the blog. Anyone who has our products will benefit from this.
~Shannon

Creative Nature Study Book Review

Creative Nature Study is a book soon to be released by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. From the moment I started reading this book, I was so inspired. It made me realize what I have been missing out on for years. Yes, we take occasional walks and observe things, but it's always back to the "classroom" to finish the curriculum I have bought. Deep down I think I have always wanted to use Charlotte Mason's methods but I just couldn't let go of traditional school. This comes from teaching in the school system for eight years. I'm always afraid my son is not really learning in this type of environment or it won't be the right information he's taken in if others ask questions about what he's been learning. Now I realize it's the opposite. I have been holding him back in so many ways. It's time to change that and get out and explore nature the right way!

This book is a must have if you have ever had the desire to do nature studies. There's something in here for everybody. All types of learners! Even those who have allergies to the outdoors. This book is a very easy read, which is really nice when you get a new book and can't wait to dig in and find out what you need to be doing right now. There are so many suggestions, ideas, and resources included. You will be able to walk away and start some sort of nature study right away. In fact, I plan on trying out the wonderful idea of keeping a nature journal through a perpetual calendar this week!

The end of the book includes a wonderful list of books, internet sites, and materials available for sale at the TOS store. This book will be a great resource to me for a long time.

Storytime Writing Contest by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Exciting News from TOS!

Attention writers!
Grab your pencils and get those creative juices flowing!

The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is hosting our second Storytime Writing Contest! We have two creative fiction categories: adults (16 and up 2,500 words or less) and children (15 and below 1,500 words or less). Deadline to enter is March 16, 2009. $7.95 fee per entry.

Grand prize winners in both the adult and child categories will receive prize packages valued at over $1,000, publication in the Summer 2009 issue of TOS, and publication in our Storytime 2009 Compilation E-Book. Eleven Honorable Mentions from each category will also be included in the E-Book in addition to receiving gifts from top homeschool companies.

We look forward to reading your entries!

For a detailed list of prizes, official contest rules, to meet our judges, and to upload your story, please visit: www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/Short_Story_Contest.php.

Need help teaching writing? We have over 200 writing products in the Schoolhouse Store!

KinderBach Review

KinderBach is a music program developed for 2-7 year olds. It will teach your child rhythm, note reading, singing, keys on a keyboard, and composition all online. It is also available on DVD and in a classroom curriculum.

As I reviewed this program with my 8 year old son, I noticed one thing for sure. My soon to be 2 year old daughter gravitated to the computer and soon became obsessed with KinderBach. She would climb up in my lap and move to the beat of the music or try to sing along with the songs. She became particularly attached to Do-Dee the donkey (one of the many characters used to introduce music concepts) and begged to see him everyday. My son (even though he was a little older than the age recommended for this program) sat still and watched the videos also. The format is similar to Blues Clues with a person standing in the middle of a cartoon like scene. This made it fun, easy to watch, and very attractive to a preschooler. The music is catchy and the lessons are short, which we like in our household! I have a mover and a shaker and sitting for too long would not go over well.

Along with the videos, there are games and printable worksheets that go along with many of the lessons. Every concept is introduced in a very simple format and reinforced over and over. They are presented in a visual, auditory, and kinesthetic format making it a multi-sensory approach. The only materials needed are a keyboard, occassionally a homemade instrument (such as a wooden spoon and a bowl or a shaker of some sort), and the printable sheets when necessary.

I would definitely recommend this program to families with children in the preschool age range. It's a wonderful way to introduce music concepts and build a foundation for future skills. If you are not sure this is something your child would enjoy, they have a no risk trial offer. This is something I appreciate! I think you will be surprised how much your child enjoys this program and how much he learns. Music is something that can sometimes be overlooked and this is a great way to incorporate it into your week.