Virtual Refrigerator: Fall Apple Art

Alyssa (Age 6 1/2) is enjoying her art time more and more every day! The chalk pastels can be pretty messy, but thankfully my daughter cleans up after her lesson. We decided to do Apple Art especially since fall is right around the corner.

Supplies Needed

• Paper
• Chalk Pastels
• Oil Pastels (Optional)

We watched the Apple Chalk Pastel Tutorial at Southern HodgePodge in order to complete today's art lesson.

Apple Art Drawing
Medium: Oil Pastels

Apple Art
Chalk Pastels

I will link this post up at The Virtual Refrigerator Blog Hop.

Thank you for visiting A Learning Journey! God bless! 
Tracey 

Oldies but Goodies

After over a decade at my sensory gym, I am making a move.  Not a big move (just a couple of blocks away) but for me, it's a big move because I don't like change.  Things are working just fine where I am.  I have met amazing people, worked with the coolest kids in NYC and made some amazing memories.  This is just a new chapter of my life and one that will help simplify my life and hopefully lead to a more organized and less hectic me.  While it is hard to imagine that I won't be back at my current gym to work again, I know that I am making a move makes more sense. After two years of being in two gyms and having my supplies scattered between the gyms andhome, I am looking forward to having my professional roots firmly planted in one place.

With this new chapter comes a cleansing of sorts.  I will admit it here...I am a toy hoarder.  It's impossible for me to walk away from a cool new toy or game without trying it out. I love finding new toys that will get my kids to work on things that they typically avoid.  My work closet it busting at the seams.  BUSTING!  I have gotten rid of so much stuff the last several years but have held onto much more than I have thrown away.  I'm using this move as an opportunity to really take a look at what I have, what I use and what I still need and I must admit, it feels good to get rid of things.

As I have been sifting through my treasures, I have realized how some of the best stuff I have are the most simple of toys.  Many of them have been in my closet since they were placed there when I first moved in.  The saddest thing is that many of the games I am about to talk about are no longer available. Those that are available have been updated in a way that don't compare to the original game.  I'm not sure why they tried to fix something that wasn't really broken and still have hopes that they offer the original game soon.  That hope is re-ignited as I have seen versions of the original Monopoly and Candyland in local toy stores in the last few months!

Out of all of my "treasures", the ones listed below are my favorites.  More importantly, the kids love them and they work on so many occupational therapy goals.

Fisher-Price Matchin' Middles

Still a favorite amongst my toddler, preschool and younger elementary school kids and in near perfect condition!  A shape has gone missing here and there, but between extra sets, I still have a complete set of this game in the box!  This game was really well made and has withstood being played with literally thousands of times the last 10 years!  It's a great game because it can be easily modified depending on the skill level of all children. There is no right or wrong way to play this game which is one of the reasons I think my kids don't get bored with it.  

My favorite way to play this game is by combining it with some kind of strengthening activity.  I either have the kids sit on a large ball and work on improving trunk strength by going back to pick up a piece or work on increasing upper extremity strength by having them match the shapes while lying prone on a net swing.  For the older children, I have them stand on a balance board or the platform swing while putting the cookies together to work on improving balance skills.  

Improve Bilateral Coordination-great simple game to work on using two hands together.  In order snap the cookies back together, a child has to use two hands.  For the more complicated shapes (heart, star, etc.), one hand must hold one side of the cookie while the other hand is used to twist the other side until it snaps into place.  If you have a child who doesn't consistently cross midline during activities, set the game up so a child is forced to cross midline to find the match. 

Improve Visual Skills-perfect for children who need to work on visual motor and visual perceptual skills.  Place all the cookie parts (choose either the brown or the white part) in one place and a child will have to scan them to find the matching shape. 

Improve Shape Recognition/Matching Skills-this is a great game to introduce shapes to the younger set and to help older children learn some of the more complex shapes.  

Improve Social Skills-if you are working in a small group, this is a perfect game.  You can use it more like a memory game or modify it to work on whatever skills you are focusing on with the children you are working with.  

Barnyard Bingo

Another very simple game. No batteries required and really well made.  The object of the game is to take the animals out of the barn and match them to their animals. This game can also be adapted and modified to work on whatever it is you are focusing on with each child.   There are two playing sides to the matching boards; one is just colors and the other is colors and animals.

I tend to use this game with my toddlers and preschoolers more than any other age group.  Like the cookie game, I tend to have the kids play this game while doing some kind of other activity on the ball or on a swing.  Work on increasing upper extremity strength while lying prone on the net swing; place all the animals on one side of the "field" and they have to rescue them and place them back in the barn.  If you have a child who is working on motor planning skills, use this as part of on obstacle course.

Other skills that can be worked on while playing Barnyard Bingo are:

Improve Color Recognition/Matching Skills-fun game to introduce young children to colors.  I like that you can start very simple by having the kids matching the animals to the right color board and then as they master it (which is quite quickly for many kids), you can flip the cards over and they can work on matching both the animal and the shapes.  

Improve Fine Motor Skills-I encourage my kids to use their "pinchers" when placing the animals in the barn or removing them to then place it on the matching picture.   

Improve Bilateral Coordination Skills-no matter how you play this game, the kids favorite part is taking the animals out of the barn.  I often have all the pieces in the game already so they are motivated to play the game and get the animals out of the barn.  Encourage a child to hold the barn with one hand while using the other hand to take the animal out of the barn.  

Improve Social Skills-while this can be played with just one child, it can also be a great game to begin working on game playing with the younger children.  Each child can take two colors and they have to match all their shapes.  Great for working on turn taking and how to be a good sport.  If the kids get an animal that doesn't match for them, I encourage them to hand it off to their friend and help them.  This can be very hard for some kids but a great way to begin teaching kids how to be a good friend.  

Perfection

I don't think I have ever been more disappointed by any game update more than when I saw new Perfection game.  The original, pictured below, has 25 different shapes to match.  The new version has 9.  Maybe 25 was too many for some kids but 9 is just ridiculous.  The good news for me is that I still have a pretty intact version of the original.  It's missing a few of the pegs from the shapes, but for the most part, the game is in great condition.  For those of you who want the older version, you will have to shell out a little more money but you can still find a new/gently used game on Amazon.com.

I love this game because it can be adapted to suit the needs of so many children.  It's easily adaptable for many ages and skill levels.  I rarely play it the traditional way which is to get all of the shapes in their matching spot before the timer runs out and all the pieces pop out.  For many of my sensory kids, the popping sound can be upsetting so I have them put all the pieces in; if they don't mind the sound, we will let them pop out after they get them all in.  For my older kids who are up for the challenge, I tend to wait until they have about half the pieces in before starting the timer so their is a greater chance for success.  Like the other games, I like to pair Perfection up with some kind of strengthening activity.  This is a great game to play while lying prone on the net swing or place the pieces at the top of a scooter board ramp and have the kids pull themselves up to the top to retrieve them.  

Other skills that can be worked on while playing Perfection are:

Increase Grasp Strength-I love killing two birds with one stone when working with the kids.  With this game, I take the pieces and hide them in theraputty so they can work on making those little hand muscles stronger.  Take a look at this link at Fun and Function to choose the right resistance putty for your child.  For some of my kids, I will have them pick up the shapes using a pair of the Zoostick chopsticks as another way to increase grasp strength and also promote proper grasping patterns. 

Improve Fine Motor Skills-each piece has a little peg which is perfect for working on improving grasping skills.  I encourage my kids to use a fine pincer grasp when picking the pieces up from a flat surface.   If you want to work on in-hand manipulation skills, you can have the kids pick up more than one piece at a time and have them move the pieces from their palm to fingertips; increase the challenge by increasing the number of shapes they have to pick up.  

Improve Visual Motor/Perceptual Skills-great game for working on matching and visual scanning.  No matter how many times the kids play this game, they still need to scan the playing board in order to find the matching shape.  I don't have a single child who has been able to memorize the board and know exactly where each shape goes without scanning it first.  

Whac-A-Mole
Who doesn't remember playing the arcade game Whac-A-Mole growing up?  I still have visions of playing that game for hours!  I was really excited when I discovered that it was a game that I could play with my kids.  And when I say play with my kids, I mean I really like to participate in playing this game!

Whac-A-Mole is great because it can be played individually or with other people.  I like to to get my kids comfortable with the rules before having them play with a peer.  There are three levels of play:  Solo, Easy and Difficult.  Solo (which I actually find harder than the actual difficult mode) allows a child to try and beat the game (which I have never done EVER) by hitting all of the moles.  Easy mode gives each player a sound that will go off every time the mole lights up.  Difficult mode gives each player a sounds but no light will go off; this requires a tremendous amount of attention and I rarely play on this mode.  Because of the different modes, this game can be used with children of all different ages.

Once the kids master the rules of the game, I like to pair it with a strengthening activity.  It must be clear to all my readers that my favorite swing is the net swing.  It allows you to work on improving upper extremity strength, increase neck/head control and improve wrist control/stability.  What I love most about the net swing is that you can pair it up with so many different activities, such as playing games like Whac-A-Mole, and you can distract kids from the hard work that it requires.

Like Perfection, Whac-A-Mole has gone through a bit of a facelift since I first purchased mine.  I haven't really tested the new one out so I have no idea how it compares to the one that I have had for years.  I'm not sure why they had to change it since this one was so good to begin with, but I'm happy to know that you can still find new/gently used games on Amazon.com as well.

Other skills that can be worked on while playing Whac-A-Mole are:
Improve Eye-Hand Coordination-fun way to work on improving visual motor skills, especially eye hand coordination.  I start with having kids only being able to use their hands when playing the game and tell them they get to earn the hammer only after they have shown me they can play by the rules.  I like to use hands better because so many of my kids do well with the sensory input from hitting the top of the mole's heads with the palm of their hands.
Improve Modulation/Regulation-I am surprised I haven't lost my voice telling kids to not hit their moles before they hear their sound and see the hat light up.  They get so excited about winning that they just start hitting away.  This game is also great for helping kids work on modulating how much pressure they use when they hit the moles on the head.  It is the kid's instinct to hit as hard as they can.  I want this game to last forever and tell the kids that they might break the game if they use all their muscle power on hitting the heads.  I encourage kids to be gentle which can be quite difficult for them once they get excited, and sometimes anxious, about winning.
Improve Focus and Attention-it can be very difficult for a child to focus and attend to only their mole.  They often get distracted by the other flashing lights/sounds and miss the chance to hit their mole on the head.  I don't know of many games that require such visual attention as this one.  As they master the simple mode and move onto the difficult mode, it requires a tremendous amount of auditory attention.
Improve Social Skills-my older kids love playing this game against each other.  I let the kids decide amongst themselves what color mole they will be and what level of play they will tackle.  Choosing a color can be difficult for many of the kids I work with; they get stuck on only being able to play their favorite color and need to be flexible about their choice sometimes.  As with all other games, this is a great game to work on being a good sport, especially being a good winner (and a good loser).

So now that you have gotten a taste of my oldie but goodie favorites, I would love to hear from you guys about some of your favorite occupational therapy toys, games, etc. that have played a role in your therapy sessions.  I focused on just the games, but must say that there were so many other things I found while cleaning out my closet that I have used for years and years.  What do you have in your bag of tricks that hold a special place in your therapy heart?  More importantly, what do you have that you won't part with because your kids love them year after year?
I look forward to hearing from you.  I am always a click away and loving getting emails and comments from you all.

A happy holiday weekend to you all.  May you spend some special time soaking up the last days of summer and enjoying time with those you love before the craziness of a new school year hits us all!

Spelling You See Americana (Level D) Review PLUS an Awesome Giveaway

Are you still searching for a spelling curriculum that will meet your child's needs and learning style? If you are, then you may want to consider Spelling You See. Several months ago, I was contacted with an offer to review the recently released Spelling You See Americana (Level D) curriculum created by Dr. Karen Holinga. The timing was impeccable! Spelling You See is a brand new, research-based spelling curriculum published by Demme Learning. Demme Learning is also the publisher of the well-known Math-U-See curricula that we've been successfully using for years. I am excited to finally have the opportunity to share this review with you after using the curriculum for several months. Be sure to enter my Spelling You See giveaway at the end of this review. The winner will choose the level!

Spelling You See currently carries five levels of their curricula. They are currently working towards adding two more levels. I will tell you about our experiences with Americana.

Five Levels

• Listen and Write (Level A)
• Jack and Jill (Level B)
• Wild Tales (Level C)
• Americana (Level D)
• American Spirit (Level E)

Each level has a required Instructor's Handbook and Student Pack. The Instructor's Handbook is reusable. However, the student pack is consumable therefore you will need to purchase one for each child working at that particular level.

The Philosophy Behind the Program
The philosophy is based on the premise that ALL students move through five developmental stages as they learn to spell at their own pace including Preliterate, Phonetic, Skill Development, Word Extension, and Derivational Constancy. The Spelling You See program guides your child naturally through the five stages of learning how to spell. More information about each stage can be read at the Spelling You See website. The spelling program does not use spelling lists, memorization of rules, or spelling tests.

Placement Guidelines
First, I viewed the placement guidelines under the Getting Started section to determine which level Alyssa would complete this year. I love that the program is not based on grade levels and that I could choose the spelling level that would meet Alyssa's needs best. I decided to place my daughter in the Skill Development stage of spelling. The hardest part of choosing the correct level was trying not to base my decision on her actual reading level. Her reading level is much higher, but I needed to focus on finding the appropriate spelling level based on her spelling abilities. She's a natural speller. I also didn't want to choose a level too difficult or too easy which is why I decided on Americana.

It is suggested that this level be used with children who are proficient 8-year-old readers or students over age 10 who are struggling with spelling skills. My daughter is 6 1/2 years old, but she is a fluent and established reader who has written stories several pages long. The next step was to have Alyssa complete the quick skill assessment. She could easily read the passage, misspelled very few dictation words, and the dictation was completed in less than 10 minutes. She probably could have worked through American Spirit, but I wanted to have room for growth and give her time to become familiar with the approach. I also want to keep things light during the summer months. An added bonus was that the words studied were related to and in the context of stories about the events and people of American History. This spelling curriculum correlated well with her American History summer lessons.

Spelling You See: Americana Curriculum Description
Spelling You See is a unique spelling program designed to naturally teach spelling using visual memory as a key to learning. There are 36 weekly lessons arranged and divided into five parts (A-E). Two facing pages of the student workbook are completed each day. Americana contains non-fiction American history passages which are read together in order to help the child familiarize and imprint the new spelling words from the passage to memory. The following picture shows Alyssa pointing to each word as we read aloud the passage.

Three Core Activities
The program is based on three core activities which take 10-15 minutes to complete. The core activities integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

• Chunking
• Copywork
• Dictation

CHUNKING
During the daily chunking exercises, Alyssa was asked to identify and highlight the letter patterns within the context of the passage after reading it twice. A different color was used for each type of letter pattern during chunking exercises. The passage was read by the parent first and then a second time together. Check out the highlighted reminder box listing the vowel chucks which can be used if your child needs assistance!

(Week 1 Chunking)

(Week 9 Chunking)

COPYWORK
The next core activity was copywork. Copywork was completed on the first three days of each lesson (Lesson A-C) enabling Alyssa to imprint the word and letter patterns into memory repeatedly as she gained familiarity with those patterns on a daily basis. Her job was to focus her attention on the sentences from the passage as she carefully copied one line at a time.

The copywork is completed using the lined paper in the workbook and a digital timer. Please note that the lined paper consists of only two lines instead of three. There may be an adjustment period as your child learns to write using this type of lined paper. Some letter formations may differ from the style you use in your homeschool. If letter formations differ from what you are currently using, then you can always tell your child to write the letter the way they were taught before using the program.

There was ample space for the copywork exercises which was one of my concerns when I first received the product. My daughter still tends to write big for her age but thankfully she had plenty of space to write. A blank line was provided after each printed line of text which means she could focus her attention on one line at a time. You could easily cover the other lines if a child is overwhelmed with the length or amount of writing required.

Alyssa also had the task of circling the chunks in her copywork passage. My daughter's confidence level with regards to spelling has improved each day. She also recognizes the letter patterns better with each lesson. One other important thing to note about the copywork portion is that errors can be erased and cursive penmanship is not allowed. Printing enables children to make visual connections to the printed words in other books.

DICTATION
Alyssa was allowed to ask for assistance during the first dictation lesson if necessary. The final dictation on the last day is meant to be done without any help. Don't forget to cover the passage with a piece of paper during dictations. We used a piece of black construction paper so that she couldn't see through it.

By the end of the week, I noticed that my daughter knew how to spell all the words. I know these words were stored for longer periods of time, because I played spelling games using the words from the passages towards the end of the review period (months later) to make sure she could still spell them. What did I find out? She could still spell the words!

Color-Coded Letter Pattern Chunks Addressed
Vowel Chunks -YELLOW
Consonant Chunks - BLUE
Bossy R Chunks - PURPLE
Endings and Silent Letters - PINK or RED
Tricky y Guy - ORANGE

Note: Overlapping may cause a little confusion as the lessons progress and become more difficult. Be sure to read the tips and FAQ. If you still have questions, customer service is top-notch. They will answer your questions promptly so shoot them an e-mail.

Passage Topics
A variety of American History topics were covered in both workbooks including but not limited to:

• American Flag
• Harriet Tubman
• White House
• Declaration of Independence
• Davy Crockett 
• Homestead Act
• Martin Luther King
• Rosa Parks
• George Washington Carver
• Underground Railroad 
• Pilgrims
• Colonists
• Paul Revere
• Liberty Bell 
• Statue of Liberty
• Gold Rush
• Abraham Lincoln

What You'll Receive
This sweet package will safely and promptly arrive in the mail.

Set of 10 Erasable Colored Pencils

Student Workbook 1
This workbook contains Lessons 1-18 each having 5 parts labeled A through E. The workbook pages are perforated. The perforated pages enable you to remove the pages for the child to work on. You also have the option of adding a page to a portfolio.

Student Workbook 2
This soft cover book consisted of Lessons 19-36 using the same format.

Instructor's Handbook
I love the organization of the 52-page softbound parent handbook! The handbook begins with a detailed introduction to the unique and innovative spelling approach developed by Dr. Karen Holinga, an explanation describing their philosophy, a thorough discussion of the five developmental stages of spelling, placement guidelines mentioning the curriculum sequence, and an essential "Getting Started Guide" for the Americana level. "Instructions for Americana Lessons 1-14" follow the "Getting Started" section. I appreciated the use of bolded subtitles in this section. The subtitles divided the lessons into groups based on the concepts being addressed. The resource section contains the 36 dictation passages and color-coded answer keys for the chunking exercises, a glossary of terms, and a bibliography. I believe this handbook is essential to the program as it contains helpful information and tools for parents.

Dictation Passage (Lesson 9)

The best part about the teacher's handbook was the answer key! I asked my daughter to state the letter pattern and the word it was found in as I checked the answers. This activity also served as a review allowing for even more exposure to the letter patterns.

Answer Key (Lesson 9)

How We Used Spelling You See

I used the Americana spelling curriculum with my 6 1/2 year old daughter in conjunction with American History music books for several months. We did take a short "no school" summer break for a couple weeks. I read through the Teacher Handbook the weekend before starting the program to gain familiarity with the approach. Everything was self-explanatory. Any questions I had were answered either from the online FAQ or in the teacher's handbook. We began lessons on the following Monday. We completed one part of each lesson every day working five times a week. One full lesson was covered each week. 

Overall Thoughts
I am 100% impressed with this "open and go" spelling program. The program was extremely user-friendly requiring no prep or planning time. The lessons were quick lasting no more than 10-15 minutes a day which is perfect if your child has difficulty sitting for longer time periods. The short historical paragraphs were concise yet informative. I think the simplicity of the program will bless any busy homeschool family.

Alyssa is definitely learning how to spell difficult, more challenging words. I have seen evidence of it during the first week. I started using Exit Cards to find out what history facts my daughter remembered from each lesson. On the first day using Spelling You See, she asked me how to spell "colonies" when filling out her exit card. By the end of the week, she KNEW how to spell the word without assistance. She could visualize it! We didn't have to do any extra spelling activities to practice the words each week. However, I did review previously learned spelling words using spelling games later on just to check in and see if she still remembered the spellings long-term. The visual memory method definitely worked! I also notched that my daughter would identify the previously learned letter patterns in books during her independent reading time.

I didn't really need to help my daughter with finding letter patterns in the beginning, but I sat beside her to provide guidance when necessary. The letter patterns were always provided. The clear and concise instructions provided were straightforward and to the point. The directions also explained that vowel chunks are highlighted first, followed by bossy r's, and then consonant chunks if there was ever a question about which to highlight. Dictations became easier over time as she gained confidence and familiarity with the program.

A Weekly Glance
The activities are exactly the same for the first three days as seen below.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday
The chunking and reading activities continue for Days 4 and 5. However, dictation was added to the lesson.

The following picture is an example of her first weekly dictation for Lesson 9. She had a difficult time remembering how to spell "except." I noticed that she closed her eyes and visualized the word each time she wrote it. This strategy eventually lead to the correct spelling. She had the opportunity to ask for help, but she wanted to figure it out on her own. She simply drew one line through the errors until she found the one that looked right. After her 10-minute dictation, she checked her work using the original passage. The number of words spelled correctly is documented at the bottom of the page at the end of the lesson. We never count the first word since it is given. I love that Spelling You See encourages you to remain positive and emphasize the number of words spelled correctly instead of focusing on the number of words spelled wrong.   

Friday

What We LOVED

• The curriculum is not based on grade levels. She started at a level based on her spelling abilities. 
• The lessons are short and quick only requiring a maximum of 10-15 minutes each day.
• No prep or planning is required. Enough said - right! 
• It utilizes a Classic or Charlotte Mason approach towards spelling by implementing copywork and dictation exercises which are two methods we enjoy using in our homeschool.
• The reading passages are slightly below her reading level which means that she focus on learning the spellings instead of being frustrated with reading the passage.
• She can pay close attention to words within the context of a story or factoid based on history.
• Alyssa learns spelling patterns through chunking exercises which give her hands-on exposure to letter patterns.
• I am pleased with the inviting, colorful images used to represent each passage. My daughter particularly liked the White House images. She liked being able to see an inside blue print of how the White House was divided into three parts. 

Alyssa's Thoughts (Age 6)
I crazy love it! You get to practice spelling while learning about history and copying passages. My favorite part of the curriculum is reading the passage and highlighting the chunks. I like how colorful the page is when I'm done. I am learning about America too! My mommy gives me an exit card at the end of the week to see what history facts I've learned. Those are fun too!

Price 
Americana Instructor's Handbook $14
Americana Student Pack $30

Visit the Spelling You See store website to view sample lessons, read about each level, and purchase the appropriate level for your child.

Recommendations
If you are looking for a easy-to-use spelling program for a visual learner that takes very little time out of your day, then look no further. Spelling You See Americana may be the perfect solution to your child's spelling needs. I highly recommend this program especially to homeschool families that utilize a Charlotte Mason or Classic homeschool approach. Children that dislike writing may not be particularly fond of this program, because it emphasizes daily copywork or dictation.

Spelling You See is suitable for elementary-aged children or for older students needing remediation. If you have a struggling reader or a child with learning difficulties, then this curricula may help. Trying a new spelling curriculum gives your family the opportunity to address a different learning style, prevent boredom with lessons, and might meet the needs or difficulties of your child better.

I will MOST DEFINITELY continue using Spelling You See Americana for the rest of the year. I pray and hope that we can continue with the next level, American Spirit, upon completion of Americana. I look forward to seeing the newly developed levels in the future!

Social Media
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It's Time for a GIVEAWAY! 

Demme Learning has generously donated one physical copy of the Spelling You See curriculum. The randomly selected winner will receive a full curriculum set of their choice including the Instructor's Handbook, Student Workbooks, and the Colored Pencils. Good Luck to all who enter and please help spread the word! If you do not see the Rafflecopter widget, please give it time to load or click on the link provided.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Disclaimer

Many thanks to Spelling You and Demme Learning for providing the prize for this giveaway. Choice of winners will be randomly selected. 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. You must be 18 years old to enter and a resident of the US. Demme Learning will fulfill the prize.

Disclaimer
I received a complimentary, free copy of the Spelling You See Americana (Level D) curriculum from Demme Learning in exchange for an honest, unbiased review on my blog. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

I will link this post up at My Fab Fit Forties, Money Saving Mom's Giveaway Galore Linky, 5 Minutes for Mom, Dividing by Zero, Living Montessori Now Family Friendly Giveaways, Diana Rambles Weekly Giveaway Linky, Mama to Five Blessings: Super Saturday Giveaway Linky, Musings from a Stay At Home Mom Rafflecopter Only Giveaway Linky, Mom Saves Money Blog Giveaway, ConserveaMome Monday Giveaway LinkUp, I Choose Joy From House to Home Link Party 78, Rock-A-By-Parents Giveaway Link-Up, Super Saturday Giveaway link at The Review Wire, Frugal and Fabulous, ABC Creative Learning Thoughtful spot Weekly Blog Hop, Squishable Baby, and Homeschool Survival.

Thank you for visiting A Learning Journey!

Virtual Refrigerator: Shark Week!

My daughter's interest in sharks has increased since the announcement of Shark Week. Alyssa has been learning about sharks using the videos available through Discovery Education and by reading numerous books on the topic. One of her art projects this week was to use oil pastels (instead of chalk pastels) to create a shark in the ocean. I love how she added in other ocean animals and plants.

Artist: Alyssa
Age:6 1/2
Subject: Sharks
Title: Out for a Swim

She utilized the step-by-step drawings for the starfish and shark from her Draw Write Now (Book 6) and the shark art tutorial from Southern HodgePodge as guides.

I will link this post up at The Virtual Refrigerator. What art project will YOU share this week? I can't wait to see it. Please feel free to leave a link to your post in the comments section.

Thank you for visiting A Learning Journey!

Homeschool Mother's Journey: August 10th, 2014

In Our Life This Week . . . 
Last month I mentioned that I received devastating news. I never mentioned what it was. Well, my husband asked me for a divorce so my life has literally been upside-down as Alyssa and I deal with an emotional roller coaster of feelings.

Furthermore, we had to put my dream house on the market. Alyssa and I are currently living in the home until it sells. It showed twice the first week on the market. This was a huge wake-up call to me, because I have a shed and classroom to declutter still. I have to sell all of the baby and toddler items. I will need to purge a lot in order to live in a much smaller place, but I lack motivation to get things done.

Praying For . . .

• Diana
• Jeffry
• Alyssa
• Jamie and her Family
• Motivation
• My Hello Mornings Group
• Fellow Homeschool Families

Grateful For . . . 

• Time with my Daughter
• My Life
• God's Love, Forgiveness, Grace, and Mercy
• Books and Curricula to Distract Me
• Knowledgeable Lawyer with Years of Experience
• My Sister Sam and Friends Who Have Been There for me the Last Couple Months
• Visitors - This beautiful cat stopped by to play in our grass (which needs to be cut). Can I keep her? We've also had visits from baby foxes, beautiful birds, and deer. Love God's creations! 

What I'm Reading . . .
1.) Flourish: Balance for Homeschool Moms by Mary Jo Tate (Read sample here.)

2.) Not a Statistic: Parenting in a Broken World by Kim Sorgius - I never realized when I download this e-book for free several months ago that I would actually need to read it. God knew what my needs would be and the obstacles I would have to face. I am thankful for the book's contents! Thank you Kim!

3.) Achieve Anything in Just One Year by Jason Harvey

So far this is an outstanding goal setting book! I have been journaling each short chapter in a spiral notebook. It is formatted like a 365 day devotional book.  

What We're Reading Aloud . . . 
I wanted to read this classic story to Alyssa before the movie released. I love glancing over at her and seeing her thoroughly engaged in the plot. She makes sure that I don't skip a night's reading no matter what the circumstances may be.

What I'm Listening to . . .
I hope this music will find a place in your hearts this morning.

Jen Stabro - God Speak

Dara Maclean -Wanted

Kari Jobe - What Love is This

Family Game Night Fun . . . 
I introduced two new new games to Alyssa this week. The first one is Great States and the other one is YamSlam. Years ago, I got this $20 game for $5 with free shipping during a Christmas sale. I was waiting until Alyssa was old enough. It says its for ages 8 and up, but it really depends on your child. She is loving it! Although . . . the game does remind me of poker. I hope she doesn't grow up to be a gambler. LOL. Alyssa is in charge of figuring out the total scores at the end of the game. She wins the game almost every time! 

In Our "Summer" Homeschool This Week . . .
Spelling- We just finished Lesson 9 in the Spelling You See curriculum. The review for Americana will post August 18th. I can't wait to share this review with you. Are you searching for a new spelling program using a unique approach?

Literature - She's been reading lots of books. Our current read aloud is Paddington. I haven't ever read this book and I am enjoying it. I wanted to read the book to her before the movie premiers.

Character - Our character trait for this week is Helpfulness. I have definitely noticed my daughter being more helpful with household chores. This could also be due to the fact that we are doing paid "commissions" as mentioned in the Smart Money Smart Kids book and as discussed during her Financial Peace Junior lesson. I am so glad that we started using the Save Spend and Give envelopes. She already saved up for her first item which is the Frozen Karoake CD.

Math- She started a free three month trial of A+ Interactive Math Online (Family Math Package). She's working on third grade math concepts. She already finished the lessons in the first chapter and made a 100% on her test. I purchased a one-year subscription through Educents. I love how she can work on concepts for ANY graced level! Alyssa also completes one double-digit math worksheet several times a week. We've been playing math games, using educational math apps, and utilizing hands-on math activities tom review concepts.

Budget and Finance - We've been using Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Junior in conjunction with the Save, Spend, and Give envelopes. Alyssa saved up enough money ($8.00) to buy the Frozen Karaoke CD. She's going to have a blast using it when it arrives!

Simple Schooling Classroom - These are online Science unit studies. Unfortunately, our subscription ends in five days so we aren't spending a week on each unit study. I am having her finish up the K-3 units. I am not sure we'll be able to renew our subscription this year. She completed the Classic Nature Study including an Insect, Reptile, and a Mammal Unit. She also completed the Penguin, Dinosaur, Cat, Horse, and Tree unit studies.

Art - We finally bought watercolor paper at Hobby Lobby using a 40% coupon so Alyssa has been painting family pictures and nature pictures. She learned how to use her Shrinky Dink machine. I bought her one for Christmas, but it has been in storage. She had a lot of fun!  

History and Music - Our Experience History Through Music America: The Heart of a New Nation book arrived! We've been reading the e-book format for months which we love, but we prefer having the real book in our hands so I made a small investment. We are rereading the stories while listening to the corresponding songs. Alyssa also practices her piano song for 15-20 minutes a day using Alfred's Basic Piano Library Lesson and theory Book 1B. I can't wait for next summer's recital!

Places We Went
We went to the movie theater to see Guardians of the Galaxy. My daughter really wanted to see the movie. After discussing it with Jeffry and remembering . . . she's seen the Pirates of the Caribbean - we decided she could go see it. Wrong choice on our part! The movie is PG-13 and did contain foul language. Several of the scenes were scary and inappropriate too. I wish I had watched it first but I can't undo what has been done. We all make mistakes. Thankfully, she hasn't had any nightmares or repeated any bad words. I had a discussion with her after the show.

What I'm Cooking
Alyssa and I made Winter Granola. We are loving Marathon Mom's recipe and will definitely make it again. We put the white chocolate chips in too soon, because we were in a rush to eat it. We eat this during movie night and it tastes great in milk as a snack.

What I'm Watching . . .
Every Sunday evening, I watch Witches of East End, a new series on Lifetime. Check out past episodes if interested. I started watching this last year. I do NOT allow my daughter to watch it so she'll watch a movie on the portable DVD in her room, play in her room for an hour, or go swimming with her father. Alyssa watched a Barbie Princess Charm School show last night.

Random Five on Friday: My Most Recent Reviews
1. ) Smart Money Smart Kids by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze
2.) I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson
3.) Experience History Through Music by Diana Waring Presents
4.) My Child, My Princess by Beth Moore
5.) VeggieTales Celery Night Fever

Awesome Freebies, Giveaways, and Homeschool Deals . . . 
Educents is currently offering all five of the The Old Schoolhouse Planners for FREE for a limited time.

Educents Back-To-School Giveaways - Wow! Have you seen this one? Get yourself prepared!

• The GRAND prize is an Apple Mini iPad. 
• On a personal note . . . I'm super excited about the Phonics Road to Spelling and Reading Curriculum (Level 1)! I would LOVE to try this curriculum this year. 
• Did you see the $100 Gift Certificate to Home Science Tools? This would help make our Science lessons more hands-on this year. we still need to purchase Science curricula, supplies, and tools for experiments.
• The Neu Year Calendar and MySchoolYear.com Subscription would help keep us on track with regards to planning and organization. I need some way to track all our appointments, reviews, play dates, extracurriculars, and visits with daddy. 
• Oh . . . and wouldn't the Constitution Quest game be a fun and educational game to play during family game night? 

If you haven't visited Educents yet - head on over to enter these giveaways. Good luck!

Visit APlusTutorsoft to enter numerous FB Party Giveaways! I had a great time attending the party. There are so many incredible giveaway prizes - hoping we win one of the items on our wish list!

Ben and Me Schoolhouse Review Crew Back-To-School Giveaway - Fantastic vendors and prizes listed as part of these two awesome ginormous giveaways. Be sure to enter as soon as you can!

I have a VeggieTales Celery Night Fever giveaway posted here on A Learning Journey. Click on the link to read my review and enter the giveaway. Please share this giveaway with all of your friends. Good luck!

God Bless! Thank you for visiting A Learning Journey!

I will link this post at The Homeschool Mother's Journal and Random Five on Friday.