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).

 

 

 



 

       

Review: Reading Kingdom

Reading Kingdom is an online program that teaches reading and writing through a 3rd grade level. This program costs $19.99 per month, or $199.99 a year. Additional students can be signed up at $9.99 per month, or $99.99 a year.  For the purpose of this review, I was given a full subscription for up to 3 children.  I used it with Nicholas, who is 7 years old and entering 2nd grade.

Reading Kingdom is designed for use by children ages 4-10, as well as struggling learners.  It begins by teaching preschool skills, such as identifying letters and left to right tracking.  Each level works on keyboarding skills, word recognition, reading comprehension and punctuation.  By the end of the 5 levels, your child will be familiar with 950 total new words.

Reading Kingdom teaches reading through a system developed by Dr. Marion Blank.  It is neither a phonics nor a traditional whole language approach.  Instead, it teaches reading through a set of 6 skills (you can read more about her philosphy here):

• Sequencing
• Motor Skills
• Sounds
• Meaning
• Grammar
• Comprehension

Reading Kingdom is customized for your child.  To begin, the child takes an assessment to determine where to start in the program.  After this initial assessment, the program will pay attention to what your child knows and further customize the lessons.  Because of this customization, parents are reminded to not give any help to their child.

The screens are bright and colorful, without being busy or overwhelming.

To complete the exercises, the child can either use a physical keyboard, or use the mouse and an on-screen keyboard. 

Unfortunately, Nicholas didn't really enjoy this program.  He didn't have any trouble with the reading or spelling, yet he was placed at a lower level.  The first time he took the Skills Survey, he was placed in Level 1.  Knowing his reading level, I was surprised and asked the Skills Survey to be reset.  This time I typed for him, having him say the letters for all the words, along with ending punctuation.  As soon as I didn't hit the period key in time, the survey stopped and he was placed into Level 2 (again, below his reading level).  I decided to go ahead and have him just start lessons on this level.  He found the program frustrating because there is no way to correct mistakes.  Once you hit a key you are locked into that answer--no backspacing is allowed.  I understand that being able to use a keyboard is important in this day and age, but I don't really see how it should be this closely tied to learning to read.  I believe a lot of his frustration could have been solved by allowing him to correct typing mistakes.

I do really like the Reader Report:

This one page makes it easy to tell exactly where your child is in the program and how they are doing.  

If you are intrigued by the program and would like to try it out, there is a free 30 day trial available.  You can also check out more reviews of Reading Kingdom at the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

 

READS Parent/Child Reading Comprehension System

EGM Educational Systems, LLC recently sent their READS Parent/Child Reading Comprehension System for me to review.  This system was developed by a certified reading specialist, Elaine Meyers.  READS stands for "Really Easy and Dynamic Strategy", and this is what Ms. Meyers aimed for when she developed this reading comprehension system.

READS targets children in grades 1-4.  It works with anything your child is reading to help you gauge whether or not they understood what they've read.  The kit is $19.95, and includes:

• READS Parent's Manual
• Question Cards & Ring
• Rewards Chart & Stickers
• Magic Finger & Reading Guide Strip
• Speedy Speller
• Reusable Storage Pouch

The 16 page Parent's Manual explains how to use this program with your child.  The reward chart & stickers can be useful for children who are motivated by goals and rewards.  The Speedy Speller includes 1400 words and abbreviations, and includes spaces for children to write in words they need help remembering how to spell.  The reading guide strip and magic finger help children keep track of where they are on a page.

The 30 question cards are the meat of the program, though.  Sample questions are:

• "Summarize the important events in the story."
• "Tell one way the main character is similar to you and one way the main character is different form you."
• "What surprised you when you were reading?"
• "Would you recommend this book to a friend?  Give a reason."

I used this program with Nicholas, my 7 year old.  His reading has taken off, and this has given me an easy way to know if he's actually understanding what he's reading.  I would read him the question before he started reading his book for the day, and after a couple of days of questions, he started coming to me asking me what his question for the day was.  He would also often randomly answer previous questions throughout the day.  I was surprised that he enjoyed the questions so much, but he did.  He's an eager reader, so we didn't utilize the reward system, and he's not writing compositions yet, so he didn't need the Speedy Speller.  He was very tickled by the magic finger.

I like that READS doesn't require any prep work from me, and the questions allow me to keep track of his understanding of the books he's reading.  The materials are high quality, and the little bunny mascot is adorable and inviting.  If you have a student in early elementary, I'd recommend taking a look at the READS program.

For more reviews of READS Parent/Child Reading Comprehension System, visit the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog.







Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Reveiw Crew in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Primary Arts of Language

Institute for Excellence in Writing is a well known company in the homeschool community.  In addition to writing programs, they produce spelling and poetry resources as well.  The Schoolhouse Review Crew was given the opportunity to review their reading and writing program for early elementary students, Primary Arts of Language.

I was sent the Primary Arts of Language Complete Reading Package ($69) and the Primary Arts of Language Complete Writing Package ($89).  These are for grades K-2, and are intended to be simultaneously, though you could use them individually.  I used these with Nicholas, who is 6 (nearly 7) and in first grade.

The Primary Arts of Language Complete Reading Package contains:

• Reading Teacher's Manual
• Reading DVD-Rom
• Phonetic Games
• Phonetic Farm Folder

The Teacher's Manual contains all 80 lessons for the program.  Lessons are laid out clearly in list form (view a sample).  They are not scripted, but instead give you bullet lists for each section of the program.

The DVD-ROM contains the Student eBook to print out, a video by author Jill Pike that explains exactly how to use the program, as well as helpful mp3s by Adam Andrews and Andrew Pudewa.

The Phonetic Games book (view a sample) includes all of the games used in the program.  These are file folder games that are used throughout the program as a fun way of reinforcing the phonetic rules.

The Phonetic Farm Folder provides a fun and colorful way for the student to keep track of all the phonetic rules.

Nicholas' favorite part of PAL Reading

 

The Primary Arts of Language Complete Writing Program contains:

• Writing Teacher's Manual
• Writing DVD-Rom
• All About Spelling Basic Interactive Kit
• All About Spelling Level 1 Teacher's Manual
• All About Spelling Level 1 Student Materials Kit

The Writing Teacher's Manual (view a sample) contains the lessons to the writing portion of PAL.  It is broken down into 3 parts:  Printing and Story Summaries (31 lessons), Copy Work and Style (40 lessons), and Composition with Style (16 lessons).  

The Writing DVD-Rom contains a video by author Jill Pike explaining how to use the program, Student e-Book (view a sample) to print out, and mp3s by Adam Andrews and Andrew Pudewa.

All About Spelling (view a sample) is a popular spelling program that teaches spelling though teaching the phonograms.  It is a multi-sensory program, using phonogram magnets that allow your child to manipulate the phonograms as they learn to spell.

 

As you can see, there is a lot of parts to the program.  A single lesson using both PAL Reading and PAL Writing has you and your student:

• Read and discuss a poem
• Mark up and discuss words in the poem
• Teach and review phonograms
• Write an entry in a journal
• Read practice sentences
• Complete a writing lesson
• Play a game or two
• Add to the Phonetic Farm
• Complete Student worksheets

It is suggested that you break up the lessons throughout the day.  

Even though Nicholas was just starting to read when we began this review, I started at the beginning since I had not taught him the phonograms.  He enjoyed the poetry in the lessons, the worksheets, and the Phonetic Farm.  Because the phonograms are presented through poetry, he didn't feel like he was moving backwards in his reading instruction.  

I'm a huge fan on the writing portion.  I've been trying to get Micah (8) and Nicholas to form their letters properly for a long time.  In this program, each letter is given a story to help the student remember how to form the letters.  Both Micah & Nicholas now form the letters we've covered properly.  Beyond the handwriting portion, the story summarizing introduces (without being intimidating) young students to plot, character, setting, action, and conclusion.  Once a student can summarize these things orally, they can move along to writing a retelling of a story or event following the same model.  Students are taught proper capitalization and punctuation, as well as how to write key word outlines.  

All About Spelling isn't introduced until Part II of the writing program, and we didn't make it that far during the review period.  However, I have confidence that it will work very well for Nicholas.  The lessons are scripted and clear, which will make it easy to teach, and I think Nicholas will enjoy the colorful tiles and hands on aspect of the program.

I was a bit intimidated by all the parts of the PAL program, but it turned out I didn't need to be.  After a couple of lessons we easily fell into a routine, and Nicholas enjoyed the varied activities.  PAL has been a hit in our homeschool, and I look forward to continuing the program.

For more reviews of IEW's Primary Arts of Language, go here.



Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Pearson Homeschool: Reading Street

I recently received Scott Foresman Reading Street 5 to review.  This is published by Pearson, and is made available to homeschoolers by Pearson Homeschool.  Reading Street integrates reading instruction with grammar, writing, vocabulary, and spelling.  There are 6 units, and each unit is broken down into 6 weeks, providing enough content for 36 weeks of instruction.  The homeschool bundle consists of 2 student hardback books, a Teacher Resource DVD-ROM, ExamView Assessment Suite CD, a Guide on the Side, and a Parent Guide.  This bundle is priced at $124.99.

• The Parent Guide is a 5 page color pamphlet that explains a bit about each component and encourages the parent to adapt the curriculum to their child.  
• The ExamView Assessment Suite CD allows the parent to either use the Reading Street test items included on the CD or create their own tests and exams for their child.  There are weekly tests, unit tests, and end-of-year tests provided.
• The Teacher Resource DVD-ROM includes many different teacher helps and worksheets. There are worksheets for each week for spelling practice, grammar review, literature elements, writing, and vocabulary (there are 20 worksheets available for Unit 1 Week 1).  There are vocabulary cards for each week.  In addition to the worksheets, there are additional practice sheets to be printed that include editing and grammar practice.  There are scoring rubrics and Reader's Theater Anthologies.
• The Guide on the Side is a spiral bound guide with teaching helps for the teacher.  It includes several tabbed sections:  Oral Language, Fluency, Vocabulary/Word Analysis, Comprehension, Writing, Genre/Text Structure, Media Literacy, ELL, and Resources.  Each of these tabbed sections are broken down further into small sections that are filled with ideas and guidance for successfully teaching all of the different areas.
• The Student Books are hardback and very colorful.  Book 5.1 contains units 1-3 and 5.2 contains units 4-6.  Each book begins with an Envision It! Visual Skills Handbook and an Envision It! Visual Strategies Handbook.  These are colorful reference pages for the student that focus on key concepts, such as cause and effect, literary elements, inferring, and story structure.  The stories and excerpts throughout the text include many different genres, and many are science or social studies related.

When I received this box, I was thrilled to unpack it.  The texts are shiny and colorful, and ask to be opened.  However, when I sat down to plan this out, I was confused.  There are no lesson plans available, because the publishers want you to be able to plan it out specifically for your child.  In the Guide on the Side there is a pacing guide that shows what skills are worked on each week.  This is helpful, but there are so many parts that it's really hard to figure out how they all fit together.  I decided that it would be best if I just jumped right in with Jacob.  I'll explain how we used Week 1.

Each unit has an overarching focus.  The focus for Unit 1 is "Meeting Challenges".  Week 1 focuses on courage, and we discussed courage.  The first skills introduced are character and plot.  These are defined and explained, and are referenced in the Envision It! Visual Skills Handbook, so we looked them up and studied the page.  There is also a comprehension strategy introduced called "Monitor and Clarify", and this is referenced in the Envision It! Visual Strategies Handbook.  Next we read the short story, Brave Melissa, and discussed the conflict in the story and how it was resolved, along with how Melissa was courageous.  Vocabulary is introduced next and homographs are discussed.  The next story, Lifesaving Classes, highlights the vocabulary words and  the student is supposed to write a paragraph using the vocabulary words.  I didn't have Jacob write the paragraph, but we did discuss the vocabulary words.  Next is an excerpt from the book Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings.  There is a Question of the Week:  "What inspires people to act courageously?" that the student is to keep in mind while reading.  There are questions throughout the reading in the sidebar that are supposed to keep the student engaged in the text, and after the story there are questions that require the student to think about what they've read.  Jacob and I discussed these questions orally, and then we read the author's bio together.  This is followed by an expository writing assignment, and includes some grammar instruction (on the four kinds of sentences).  The last reading assignment for the week is a how-to text called What Will I Do in an Emergency?.  The chapter wraps up with fluency exercises (reading with expression), a review of homographs, and an  assignment for conducting an interview.

There are 20 worksheets that go along with Week 1.  There are spelling worksheets, vocabulary worksheets, worksheets on plot and character, sequencing, the four kinds of sentences, dictionary usage, and a worksheet on written directions.  Each of these worksheets enforces a specific skill being taught in the reading textbook.  I found it easiest to just print out the worksheets and decided which ones to do after they were all printed.  There is definitely enough practice provided.

The Guide on the Side is written more for a classroom teacher than for a homeschooling parent.  I didn't use it at all, and don't know if I will.  Another disappointment was that there are references to online activities throughout the textbook, but these activities are not available to homeschoolers.  They aren't needed, but knowing that the activities are out there makes me feel like we were missing out on something.

Despite the fact I found this complicated and confusing to actually get going, I think it is a good program.  It covers a lot of subjects, and I like the way it covers basic literary elements and requires the student to think about and interact with the stories and excerpts.  We've never done a textbook reading program, and I wasn't sure what Jacob would think.  I asked his opinion, and he told me he really enjoyed it because it made him think.  I asked him if he wanted to continue with it, and he said that he did.  Finally, I asked him if he wanted to keep at it over the summer or if he wanted to wait until the fall to continue, and he requested to keep working on it over the summer.  That's a pretty strong endorsement from a 9 year old boy if you ask me.

If you're looking for a textbook reading program, I would suggest you take a look at Reading Street. You'll need to be prepared to spend some time figuring out a lesson plan, but that time is well worth it.  

For more reviews of Pearson Homeschool products (including enVision Math, myWorld Social Studies, MyMathLab Algebra 1 & 2, and additional levels of Reading Street) go here.

Disclaimer:  As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are mine.