American Girl - Kaya Week 5

American Girl - Kaya Week 5
Our topic was Indian Life. Mrs. Reddin led the discussion and helped the girls make the most adorable baskets! The baskets were made with cardstock and a square tissue box (to be the frame, it was removed after all the paper strips were woven in). The top edge was finished in a cute binding-type paper and we added leather straps for handles. Every girl's was as unique as they are! We oppted not to give the baskets the "holding water" test of Kaya's time...




We also made Indian drums with extra cans and balloons. A couple of pencils made great drumsticks (although not neccessarily "authentic" Nez Perce ...)


The MCA (masculine club of awesomeness...) began their official "chess tournament". We are using "Chamionship Chess" teaching materials.
Since it was perfect weather for football, we had a little chess...then off to the great outdoors!

Aesop's Fables Readers by Brill Kids

Here is another product from Brill Kids (if you're interested at teaching babies to read, you can read my previous review here)

Here's a description of the readers from their website:

"These books have been specially designed to give your child all the fun of storybook time, while also teaching your child to read."

Features include:

Text and illustration presented on separate pages.

More spacing between words to make it easier to see words individually.

A blank flap extension to cover the illustrations as you direct your child's attention to the written text.



The titles in this set Aesop's Fables (Volume 1) included:

The Lion and the Mouse
The Fox and the Grapes
The Fox and the Crow
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Turtle and The Rabbit

The set is available for $37.50 (reg. $50). You also get the digital format to use in your Little Reader (if you have it) for free with the purchase. It adds animated pictures as well as voices.

So, if you read my earlier review, you know I have some reservations about babies reading (maybe it'll work for you?) While the readers were brightly done, the "reading" skills were a bit advanced for any 3 mon. old's around the Bentz test laboratory...actually, the 1 year old didn't have much interest either.
The 6 and 8 year olds enjoyed them though!

One thing we did not like, the illustrations seemed a bit cheesy, and sometimes the rhymes were written in way that made you wonder if English might not be the primary language of the author...

The flaps were supposed to seperate the focus on the illustration and isolate it to the words themselves. Once again, I find that this kinda goes against personal philosophy of reading. I find the illustrations are the "hook" that draws my kiddos into the book, and then the words keep them there. But, everyone has a different approach, and this may fit yours better.

We did like the rhyming text (when it "worked"). And, I loved the idea of Aesop's Fables in a young kid friendly format.

Check out what the other members of the Review Crew thought here

(I was given a complimentary copy of this product in exchange for my honest opinion).

Kite Kapers

Have you ever wanted to tell your kiddos..."Go Fly a kite!".... Well, now you can. (I mean it, you can tell them to "go fly a kite", and it will actually be a good thing...)

Kite Kapers is another great Download N Go Unit study (I was given a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion).

Download N Go unit studies by Amanda Bennett are 5 day long learning adventures for grades K-4 (but, I can't keep my older kids away from us while were doing it!)
Everything you need comes ready to "download and go" in an easy to download pdf file.
When you open it, you will be delighted to find that Amanda has done all the hard work for you - each unit is filled with educational videos, book suggestions, notebooking style pages, Bible copywork and even all the components needed for a lapbook!
You can check out the numerous titles (enough to find something for everyone...)and at $7.95 each, you can't miss!

$5 Fridays and Terrific Tuesdays are also features you will want to stop by and check out... (you can even get this title for $5.00 - today!)

So, onto our Kite flying adventure...

Day One - What is a Kite? We investigated the important vocabulary pertaining to kite - the parts, the styles and what makes them fly. We discussed what Charlie Brown did wrong (kite safety!) and designed our own kite (Josh's actually looked like a dinosaur...imagine that!)

Day Two - The History of Kites. How long have kites been flying? Let's just say this...Maybe Jesus was flying them. But, a famous explorer gets some credit for bringing them westward, italian scientists used them and, Holman Walsh was hands down our favorite! (you are going to have to get this unit to hear his story...!) We even got out our paper and straws and made a mini kites, for those "crafty" mom - you can see how Martha Stewart makes a kite (we stuck with the paper and straws!) We continued our kite designs - guess what Lydia's looked like (a zebra, of course!)

Day Three - People and Places of Kites. Ben Franklin, Alexander Bell, and "those brothers", we got to learn about how each of them used kites. Always on the lookout for a cooking project, you can try the kite cookies recipe on day three. And, the kite designs continued... have you ever seen a "soccer ball" kite? (Guess who did that one?)

Day Four - Science Secrets of Kites. Wind and clouds. We were all amazed by the videos of Octupus kites on the beach! You can make your own windsock or anemometer with the instructions included. The Bentz Kite Design contest continued... how do you get a piano into the air...make it into a kite - of course.

Finally, Day Five - The Goodies and Gadgets of Kites. Kite geography from around the world, you pick your favorite. And, don't miss out on a famous kite festival here in the US. We were amazed to learn about a connection with kites and earthquakes (especially in light of our current world news...) Maybe you'll want to make some "flying kite" bars to celebrate National Kite Month. And, the grand prize winner of the Bentz Kite Design contest... well, mine of course!

With beautiful weather coming, it's time to tell your kiddos "Go fly a kite.." and I suggest you join them!

See what the other reviewers thought on the blog tour

American Girl Club Week 3 & 4

For our 3rd and 4th American Girl Club meetings (opps, got a little behind in the blog!) We covered Indian Games & Pastimes, and Indian Dress.

Week 3 - We made Cornhusk Dolls and learned String games. The girls voted this their favorite club! (bummer, I didn't even teach this one... I wanted to be the "favorite"!)

The corn husk dolls were such a hit, that my kiddos proceded to make an entire "tribe" of corn husk indians with the leftovers. But, one warning - our dog thought this was her "favorite" activity as well, and has been happily "scalping" all the corn husk dolls she can get her paws on!

We also learned String games. Cat's cradle, the teacup, all those oldie-but-goodies. I think that the Moms may have had just as much fun as our girls.




The MCA (masculine club of awesomeness) continued their book discussions and are being challenged to "Do Hard Things". Plus - the weather was beautiful, so there was a bunch of football going on.

Week 4 - Indian Dress
So, this week we talked about Indian clothing (elk teeth and porcupine quill decorations = indian "bling").



We also, made Indian Headbands with our own personal touches.
And, we taught the girls how to braid hair. Everyone left looking very "authentic". I was a little self-conscious to have to stop for gas with indian braids in my red hair - and an indian headband on... but, I love pay-at-the-pump, don't you?!




The MCA got lost in the woods, but we managed to round up most of them. The boys are finding this adventure as much (maybe even more) fun than our girls! Now, I'm looking for more ideas for them to pursue. What an amazing group of families!!

This is my little "bluebird" showing us some Indian sign language (just in case you were wondering -what are they doing there?!)

Reading Kingdom

Welcome to The Reading Kingdom

(I was given a complimentary trial in exchange for my honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew.)

"The Reading Kingdom is a fun, easy-to-use online program that teaches
children 4-10 years old how to read and write to a third grade level."


It customizes itself to each child

It's created by Dr. Marion Blank, one of the world's top experts in literacy

It works with any other curriculum a child may be using

And, it's the only system that teaches all 6 skills needed for reading & writing success!

The Bentz Testing Laboratory selected the "girls" for this one (after all, the boys got to do the Cicada Killing Wasp Unit Study...)

My testers were a 7 year old, 2nd grade daughter and a 6 year old kindergarten daughter.

They began by each completeing a Skill Survey, which the program used to determine their individual starting points. Both needed additional keyboarding skills, and the program recognized that and place the in a starting session to work on those skills.

My testers enjoyed doing the sessions, frequently wanting to do more than just one in a sitting (they are designed to be short..15-20 minutes long). Progress reports are available for mom to review. The program is designed to be worked independently (no mom interference!!). Your child will progress through two Skill Surveys (helps with the typing, etc) and then on through 5 levels of reading and writing skills.

The program is NOT phonics based. This is where my education philosophy on reading was "stretched" a bit. I read through the reasoning and research that supported the program, but in the end, still disagreed with it. (hey, I have taught 6 kiddos to read and write - and phonics was our method of choice...) But, you can watch this video and make up your own mind on that one...

You receive a free 30 day trial. After that, subscriptions to Reading Kingdom are $19.99/month (with no monthly minimum), or $199.99 per year. You can cancel your subscription at any time. ( I was impressed - they do offer scholarship programs for families interested, but unable to pay..)

My opinion is that this program is innovative, and different. So, if you have found yourself with a struggling reader - and need to try a new approach - this may be your answer. It's definitely worth the 30 day free trial to see if is for you!

See what the other reviewers thought here

Hoppin Popcorn

Hoppin Popcorn is a funtastic Download N Go unit study by Amanda Bennett.

I am left speechless...who knew? I love "sneaking" school by the testers at the Bentz Learning Laboratory (by the way, we received this unit in exchange for our honest opinion, no compensation was given)
But, who imagined that we could cover so much school discussing - Popcorn?!

A Download N Go unit study is just that, all you have to do if pick a fascinating topic (many, many to choose from...) Download it and you are ready to GO! Each unit is designed for grades K-4 (but, I can't keep my older kids away from them...). They are designed to be completed in 5 days. These are the perfect "cabin fever" solution to you school (anyone feeling it lately?) You can take a "break" from your normal routine, and head on a fun adventure (but, your kiddos will still be learning - trust me!) Everything you need is already there - Science, Math, Geography, Book Suggestions, tons and tons of videos. And, if that wasn't enough - you get great notebooking pages and all the components for a lapbook (just to prove you were doing "school"!). You get all this for only $7.95.


So "zea mays everta" - (the scientific name for popcorn). One of our favorite snacks, but - let me say it again, "WHO KNEW?"

We started our exploration with Day 1: Popcorn - What is it?Amanda Bennett took us on an aMAZE-ing journey. We discovered what popcorn is, and visited a state in the "popcorn belt" of the United States. Everyone was excited to play with their corn husk dolls (hey, we did that at American Girl club!) and we started our own popcorn plants (hope that microwave stuff works okay...)

Next - Day 2: The Story of Popcorn. I thought I knew - but, "WHO KNEW?!" What is the real country of origin? Just a hint, the Pilgrims weren't the ones. We visited another popcorn producing state, and tried some parched corn.

Day 3: The Flavors of Popcorn. We learned all kinds of interesting facts, and more popcorn recipes! Some of our best "school" is in our kitchen.. Our geography studies continued with exploring another state. (I even snuck in some math.)

Day 4: The Science of Popcorn. This was my personal favorite... The video of how popcorn is made kept us glued to the computer - 450 degrees?! WOW! Thank you, inventor of the microwave (you'll have to get this unit to find out who he was...) We are grateful for the speedy popping of our favorite snack. A quick visit to another state and Orville Redenbacher (who else?!) and we were on our way to...

Day 5: Fun with Popcorn. We made our last state stop, and found several fun ways to enjoy our popcorn. And, now - onto movie night! Popcorn anyone?

See What the other reviewers thought here

Math Rider

I can hardly wait to tell you about this product! We love Math Rider

We were sent a complimentary copy in exchange for our honest opinion as part of the TOS Review Crew - we were not compensated except in FUN!

Math Rider is a Intelligent, Computer software program to help your child master the ever important, math facts. No more boring flashcard drills around here!

Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division are all presented in parent-customized "Quests" for your child to complete. Each journey begins with the telling of the "Quest Story". Your "rider" will advance through their quest to mastery (saving the Princess). Along the way, you will see a map to show your progress. The really neat feature - the facts will slow or speed as your rider approaches them - depending upon your child's ability! The only thing your child needs to do is type in the answer, no complicated keystrokes or mouse manuevering.




My tester for this product at the Bentz Laboratory - my least joyful math student... But, she LOVES horses, so I saw a shameless way to lay some math facts on the poor girl. Well, she LOVED Math Rider as well! In fact, she was motivated to complete her "quest" and wouldn't give up until she had. (that's a first, usually a little math can send her to fetal position quicker than you can say 2 x 2!)

I loved how the program showed me what she knew, and what she didn't! A neat graph even layed it out for me:



You can have multiple "riders", a bonus for families. It was a good thing, because her brothers were begging for their turn to test it!

Here's a little video for you:



This program was a huge hit! I even recommended it to a couple of friends looking for a new way to practice their math facts, and this is what they had to say "You were totally right- Math Rider is the bomb!! My little Alex loves it even more than Grace. Brilliant, Renita! Best math drill "game" I've ever seen. "- Angela in MN

It can be purchased online for just $37 - normally $49.95, I promise you won't be sorry if you add this program to your child's math review.

See what the other reviewers thought here.