Review: Learning Wrap Ups

I find myself keeping an eye out for things that will occupy my younger boys during school time.  I was thrilled when the opportunity to review these products (perfect for grades K-5th) from Learning Wrap ups:

• 4th Grade Math Learning Palette 1 Base Center Kit:  $71.99
• 3rd Grade Reading 1 Base Center Kit:  $61.99
• Learning Wrap up Math Intro Kit w/o CDs:  $44.99
• Learning Wrap up Vocabulary Intro Kit:  $35.99
• 10 Days to Multiplication Mastery Wrap up and Book Combo:  $12.99
• 10 Steps to Addition Mastery Wrap up and Book Combo:  $12.99
• LearningPalette,com:  $59.99 for a one year subscription for up to 5 students

Learning Palette

 

As you can see, the Learning Palette base is a yellow disk with 12 smaller colored disks that fit around the circle.  Some of the colored disks are solid, and some have holes punched out of the middle.  The question cards fit over two posts on the front of the disk (the two posts keep the question card from spinning).  The center post allows for a plastic cover to be screwed on to hold all the disks in place so they aren't lost while the Learning Palette is being stored.

The student places the card they are working with on the Learning Palette.  On the front of the card are questions, with a solid colored dot or a colored dot with a hole in it next to the question.  The student answers the question by placing the correct disk next to the answer.  For example, on one card in my reading kit, the student is looking for synonyms.  The word "companion" has a green dot with a hole in it next to it, so the student would place the green disk with a hole in it next to the word "buddy".

To check the answer, the student flips the card over and places it on the two posts.  The student is able to quickly check the answers by looking at the colored bar next to the disks they placed for their answer.

 

4th Grade Math Learning Palette 1 Base Center Kit topics:

• Numeration:  Whole Numbers
• Numeration:  Fractions
• Numeration:  Decimals and Percent
• Algebra Concepts
• Geometry & Measurement
• Probability & Statistics

3rd Grade Reading 1 Base Center Kit topics:

• Synonyms, Antonyms, & Homophones
• Vocabulary
• Grammar
• Prefixes and Suffixes
• Reading Comprehension

Each topic for both math and reading contain 144 challenges (12 cards with 12 questions per card).  There are kindergarten through 5th grade levels available for math, and kindergarten through 3rd grade levels available for reading.

In addition to the physical Learning Palette, there is an online program available.  LearningPalette.com gives your child access to all the levels of both reading and math, and works much the same way as the physical product.  The same types of discs are available for your student to drag and drop to answer the questions.  Answers can be checked by clicking a "check answers" button, and the disks they've placed are marked with either a red x or a green checkmark.

 

Wrap ups

 

 

 

In addition to the Learning Palette, I also received two kits of Learning Wrap ups.  Learning Wrap ups look like large plastic keys.  They are made of a sturdy plastic, and each set is held together with a plastic rivet, so your student can spin whichever key they are working on out.  There is a string attached to each set.  To answer the questions, the student places the string into the first slot on the left-hand side, and then wrap the string to the answer on the right-hand side of the key.  The student continues down the question side of the key, until they've answered all the questions.  To check the answers, the key is flipped over.  There is a raised pattern on the back of each key, and if the string matches the pattern the student knows the answers are correct.

 

Learning Wrap up Vocabulary Intro Kit:

• Synonyms
• Homonyms
• Compound Words
• Antonyms

 

Learning Wrap up Math Intro Kit w/o CDs:

• Addition
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Division
• Fractions

We also received 10 Steps to Addition Mastery Wrap up and Book Combo and 10 Days to Multiplication Mastery Wrap up and Book Combo.  These books are used in conjunction with the corresponding Wrap up to help the student master multiplication and addition.  There are pages that use the Wrap up to help the student increase their speed, pages, review pages, word problems, and other activities.  The student keeps track of the facts they've learned, and by the end of the book they will have mastered addition or subtraction facts.





 

 

I like the fact there aren't any grade levels listed.  One of the benefits of homeschooling is having your child work at his or her level, but many products make this difficult by clearly stating the grade level.  Jacob (6th), Micah (4th), and Nicholas (2nd) all worked with these products, both physical and the online program.  Because they are marked with levels instead of grade levels, this was not an issue-- for example, Nicholas was able to work on Reading skills using the Learning Palette at a level higher than his grade, and Micah was able to work right on grade level using the Level 4 Learning Palette for math practice.  Micah was also able to reinforce Reading skills using the Learning Palette below his grade level, and Jacob was able to reinforce Math skills by using the Learning Palette below his grade level.  And they all used the Wrap ups to work on various vocabulary and math skills.

LearningPalette.com is a great idea, though it still has a few bugs.  As their teacher, I can view their progress through my account.  It appears the bottom of the report is cut off, but I can't scroll down to see.  That said, Jacob, Micah, and Nicholas all enjoyed this program.  During the review period, Jacob was in bed sick with strep for 4 days.  I pulled up the LearningPalette.com website, handed him the iPad, and told him to play around with it.  He spent a good amount of time (in between naps) exploring and doing various cards, and he liked passing the time with it. 

Micah and Nicholas also spent time on the website and enjoyed it, though both enjoyed the physical products more.  Moving the physical pieces to the Learning Palette was a bit more rewarding for these active boys.

All three really enjoyed using the Wrap ups.  Again, the physical act of wrapping the string was rewarding, and they liked being able to flip the key over to check their answer.  Micah made it a point to tell me he enjoyed these products because he didn't have to write anything down.

I had Jacob work on the multiplication book.  He struggles with remembering math facts, and this was worth his time.  He liked that it was clear and uncluttered, and he likes using the keys alongside having to write things down.

When the boys have some time and I want to keep their brains engaged, these are fun to pull out.  They don't require much teacher time from me; I just explain what they are supposed to do if it isn't clear (mostly on the Learning Palette cards), and let them learn through play.  My favorite thing about all of the products that we received is that they are all self-correcting, and the boys can see right away if they are right or wrong.

All in all, these are high quality products, and they make a great addition to any elementary homeschool.  Go to LearningWrapups.com to see all the different levels offered, and use the code "HOMESCHOOL" to receive 20% off your order (use the same code at LearningPalette.com for 20% off the online program).