tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49561251596254937002024-03-14T06:12:07.168-04:00Word of Truth Boys' AcademyStudy to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-42456032989475714532009-07-29T01:27:00.002-04:002009-07-29T01:40:53.838-04:00Getting Ready for KindergartenExcitement is in the air as we prepare for Kindergarten! Elijah will be starting K in September. After several years of research and consideration, I have settled upon my choices for Eli's curriculum. I love what we'll be doing this year!!! For Bible, I decided to use Bible Truths K (BJU). Max will be joining us for this part of the day. We will be using RIghtStart Math Level A, a program emphasizing understanding math as opposed to memorizing without knowing why. For reading I am using a combination of materials that mesh with my philosophy of teaching reading. We will mainly be using Reading A to Z and Patricia Cunningham's Making Words Kindergarten. When Eli is ready, we will also use All About Spelling. We are using Handwriting Without Tears for letter learning and penmenship. Max will be joining us for our unit study which will be either a homeschoolshare.com unit or a Five in a Row book. We are starting the year with Evan-Moor's Nursery Rhyme Pockets. This should be a wonderful year!!!Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-32223683851522497032009-02-01T22:30:00.012-05:002009-02-01T22:57:10.635-05:00Visiting the Manatees at Blue Springs<div><embed src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=7e7e8b569faacbf33c3fec" quality="high" scale="noscale" width="408" height="382" wmode="transparent" name="FLVPlayer" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=7e7e8b569faacbf33c3fec&skin_id=701&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div style="margin:0px;font:12px/13px verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:20px;padding-bottom:15px;width:408px;text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=7e7e8b569faacbf33c3fec&skin_id=701&source=emplay" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link_image/7e7e8b569faacbf33c3fec/701.gif" style="border:0px;" width="408" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt2" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none;">Photo and video editing at <span style="text-decoration:underline;">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div></div>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-55668392173900374552009-01-02T01:02:00.003-05:002009-01-02T01:04:20.735-05:00December's Free Book GiveawayAnd the winners are ...... momofemmett for the "Usbourne Book of Science Activities" and rockie_73 for "How to Make an Apple Pie..". January's bookgiveaway will be coming soon. :)Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-4691045725311528272008-12-12T23:33:00.000-05:002008-12-12T23:50:41.138-05:00Visiting Jekyll Island with KidsFor Thanksgiving we visited Jekyll Island in Georgia as we have every year for the many years. I thought I would post a slideshow here to share with family and friends as well as for those considering visiting Jekyll with kids. Jekyll is such a fun place to visit! Some of our favorite things to do are walk on the "driftwood" beach, take long walks around the island, drive around the island at night to see all the critters (deer, possum, raccoons, owls, armadillos), visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, eat at the Hotel, letterboxing, play on the playground by the putt-putt course, and as of this year visiting Cumberland Island. Check out my slideshow if you are interested in visiting this unique place!<br /><div><embed src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=78d9db43c11a07af6286a7" quality="high" scale="noscale" width="408" height="382" wmode="transparent" name="FLVPlayer" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=78d9db43c11a07af6286a7&skin_id=1703&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div style="margin:0px;font:12px/13px verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:20px;padding-bottom:15px;width:408px;text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=78d9db43c11a07af6286a7&skin_id=1703&source=emplay" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link_image/78d9db43c11a07af6286a7/1703.gif" style="border:0px;" width="408" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt2" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none;">Photo and video editing at <span style="text-decoration:underline;">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div></div>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-63886941789567430402008-12-08T21:56:00.000-05:002008-12-08T22:05:12.166-05:00Toffee BarsThis post is completely off-topic from my blog! :) I love this recipe for toffee bars so I thought I would share for those who need a quick recipe for a cookie swap. It's one of my favorites and most requested at church over the years:<br /><br /><strong>Toffee Bars</strong><br />1/2 cup butter<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup flour<br />1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk<br />2 tablespoons of vanilla<br />1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />1 small package of pecans chopped (if desired)<br /><br />In a mixing bowl beat the 1/2 cup butter, the sugar, and salt with an electric mixer on medium to high speed till thoroughly combined. Stir in flour. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 13X9X2 inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 15 minutes or till edges are lightly browned. In a heavy medium saucepan heat condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat till bubbly, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 5 minutes more (Mixture will thicken and become smooth). Stir in the 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Spread over baked layer. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or till golden. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the baked layer and put in oven (can be turned off) to melt for a few minutes. Take a knife and spread the melted chocolate chips (they will still look whole until you spread with knife). I cool in the fridge before cutting. The first piece may break when removing but after that they come out beautifully. Enjoy!!!Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-67482233306782661722008-12-05T08:44:00.004-05:002008-12-06T09:06:02.273-05:00December's Free Book GiveawayFor December's free book giveaway I have two wonderful books - "The Usborne Book of Science Activities - Volume One" and "How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World" (an ex-library book in very good condition). "How to Make an Apple Pie" is a Five in a Row Book, Volume 1 and has a unit posted here - <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/resources_applepie.php">http://www.homeschoolshare.com/resources_applepie.php</a>. I found myself with two copies of these and thought they would make perfect giveaways. To enter the giveaway leave a comment on this post. Please leave some way of me contacting you back - be it your blog, website, or email address. The drawing will held on December 31st.<br /><br /><br /><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=woroftruboyac-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0679837051&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=woroftruboyac-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0746006985&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/resources_applepie.php"></a>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-37926101126718037372008-12-01T22:49:00.003-05:002008-12-05T08:55:09.468-05:00And the winners are ...Penney Douglas won "The Gingerbread Baby" and Diana from <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thenarrowway">http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thenarrowway</a> <a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/thenarrowway"></a>won "The Usborne Book of Science Activities Volume Two". Congratulations ladies!!! Stay tuned for December's free book giveaway as I will be posting it in the next few days.Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-29626559673152727012008-11-29T23:34:00.003-05:002008-11-29T23:53:14.102-05:00Letterboxing with kids - fun for the whole family!The past two years my sons and I have done letterboxing while on Jekyll Island for Thanksgiving. The fun thing about letterboxing is that it gets your family outdoors experiencing nature while searching for a hidden letterbox. <br /><br />The sport of letterboxing involves following clues to find a hidden box which generally has a special stamp. Generally the stamp has been created by the person/people who hid the box. When the box is found, the special stamp can be stamped in your journal to keep track of all the letterboxes you have found. I bought my sons a small photo album for letterboxing which we use with 4 X 6 index cards. We stamp the index card, label the stamp based on the clue title, the location, and then write the date. The box also generally has a small log in which you stamp your own special stamp and record your names. We purchased our "family stamp" from Michaels. <br /><br />You can find a mulititude of letterboxing clues at <a href="http://www.letterboxing.org/">http://www.letterboxing.org</a> for locations across the United States. This would make a great Christmas gift for families - you could make up a kit with an album/journal, a compass, and inkpads to get them started as well as some clues printed off for their area.<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=781fcc948f358d9ffd6f93" quality="high" scale="noscale" width="408" height="382" wmode="transparent" name="FLVPlayer" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=781fcc948f358d9ffd6f93&skin_id=701&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div style="margin:0px;font:12px/13px verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:20px;padding-bottom:15px;width:408px;text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=781fcc948f358d9ffd6f93&skin_id=701&source=emplay" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link_image/781fcc948f358d9ffd6f93/701.gif" style="border:0px;" width="408" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt1" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none;">Make an on-line slide show at <span style="text-decoration:underline;">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div></div>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-62888785364707232992008-11-22T08:07:00.009-05:002008-11-22T16:39:02.391-05:00Developing Phonemic Awareness with Your Preschooler & KindergartnerHave you ever wondered why nursery rhymes are an important part of "preschool learning"? One very important reason is because they promote phonemic awareness which is the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words. It is an oral ability therefore does not involve looking at print. Research has clearly demonstrated that there is a significant correlation between phonemic awareness and beginning reading acquisition. Reading nursery rhymes to your child is one important way to promote phonemic awareness.<br /><br />Children go through stages as their phonemic awareness develops -first becoming aware that language is made up of individual words, next that words have syllables, and last that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">syllables</span> have phonemes (smallest units of sound that help distinguish one word from another - like "r" and "l" rip/lip). Reading to your child is one of the most important ways to promote phonemic awareness particularly with text like nursery rhymes and Dr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Suess</span> books. I am going to mention a few more activities that you can do with your child to promote phonemic awareness.<br /><br />1. Teach children to clap the beats of words. For example, horse is a one clap word, dinosaur is a three clap word. You can do this with names of people in the family to begin with because children have a natural interest in the names of people in their lives. Not only will this activity help promote phonemic awareness but as they become early readers/writers, it will also be useful for breaking apart words to write.<br /><br />2. Begin to talk about words that begin the same sounds and then to distinguish words that have different sounds at the beginning.<br /><br />3. Count words by giving your children counters (can be food like raisins or non-food like pennies) and having them putting down a counter for each word that you say. To do so, tell the children a simple sentence like "The dog went outside" then repeat the sentence slowly while the children put out a counter for each word. Next have them count to see how many words you said. Making the counters edible will make this a VERY fun activity!<br /><br />4. Play a blending and segmenting game using pictures or objects in the room. First demonstrate by saying the name of a picture one sound at a time. For example, show 5 or 6 pictures of short words like (cat, pig, dog, horse, frog). Choose one of the pictures without the child knowing which one and say the sounds separately "p - i - g". Have the children say the word with the sounds together "pig" and then point to the picture. You can eventually progress to making it an "I Spy" game using objects in the room.<br /><br />5. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Elkonin</span> boxes are another wonderful method of developing phonemic awareness which can also be used later in early reading/writing. To make an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Elkonin</span> box you draw a rectangle horizontally and then divide it into boxes according to how many sounds are in a word. For example, for cat you would have a rectangle divided into three. Then you have the child say the word slowly and push pennies into the boxes to represent the sounds. Make sure that the child is not breaking up the sounds when saying the word so that there are pauses or breaks between sounds. I tell the children to sing the word. Each box should represent one unit of sound not letter. So for the word ship you would have three boxes to represent the sounds- sh - i - p and for house you would have 3 boxes h-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ou</span>-s. It would be best to start out with three and four box words. Below are a 3 and 4 sound <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Elkonin</span> box and sound cards you can use to get started. Please let me know if you have any questions!<br /><br /><br /><a title="View Elkonin Boxes Cards document on Scribd" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 12px auto 6px; FONT: 14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/8289362/Elkonin-Boxes-Cards"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Elkonin</span> Boxes Cards</a> <object id="doc_587193236819041" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=" height="500" width="100%" align="middle" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" name="doc_587193236819041"><param name="_cx" value="17965"><param name="_cy" value="13229"><param name="FlashVars" value=""><param name="Movie" value="http://documents.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=8289362&access_key=key-1ab44aerqfvgulk1sw3g&page=1&version=1&viewMode="><param name="Src" value="http://documents.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=8289362&access_key=key-1ab44aerqfvgulk1sw3g&page=1&version=1&viewMode="><param name="WMode" value="Opaque"><param name="Play" value="0"><param name="Loop" value="-1"><param name="Quality" value="High"><param name="SAlign" value="LT"><param name="Menu" value="-1"><param name="Base" value=""><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="Scale" value="NoScale"><param name="DeviceFont" value="0"><param name="EmbedMovie" value="0"><param name="BGColor" value="FFFFFF"><param name="SWRemote" value=""><param name="MovieData" value=""><param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="1"><param name="Profile" value="0"><param name="ProfileAddress" value=""><param name="ProfilePort" value="0"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="true"><br /> <embed src="http://documents.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=8289362&access_key=key-1ab44aerqfvgulk1sw3g&page=1&version=1&viewMode=" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" play="true" loop="true" scale="showall" wmode="opaque" devicefont="false" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="doc_587193236819041_object" menu="true" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" salign="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="500" width="100%"></embed> </object><br /><div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 6px auto 3px; FONT: 12px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.scribd.com/upload">Get your own</a> at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Scribd</span> or <a style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline" href="http://www.scribd.com/browse">explore</a> others: </div>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-33378237451112899832008-11-18T23:20:00.003-05:002008-11-18T23:42:33.601-05:00Owl Babies Lapbook & ActivitiesWe just finished a unit that I created for the boys using "Owl Babies" by Martin Waddell. You can find the unit here - <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/owl_babies.php">http://www.homeschoolshare.com/owl_babies.php</a> . Most of the items in the lapbook are available on that website. I also scanned the picture of the giant owl from a wonderful book called "All About Owls" by Jim Arnosky. This nonfiction book was a wonderful compliment to use with "Owl Babies" which is a fiction book. I am absolutely amazed at how my owl counters came out as I am not artistic in the least. They were exceedingly easy to make and I'm sure will get plenty of use over the next few years. Making the owl picture with the pretzels for the branch was a lot of fun and I was amazed how they turned out!!! We used chex mix for the embellishments (round pretzel eyes and noses). The boys loved the lacing cards and I think it afforded them some fun fine motor practice. I think I will incorporate this in a few more future units. All in all owl babies was a hit!!!<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=76a88b75a345d1e9d8a2f0" quality="high" scale="noscale" width="408" height="382" wmode="transparent" name="FLVPlayer" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=76a88b75a345d1e9d8a2f0&skin_id=701&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div style="margin:0px;font:12px/13px verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:20px;padding-bottom:15px;width:408px;text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=76a88b75a345d1e9d8a2f0&skin_id=701&source=emplay" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link_image/76a88b75a345d1e9d8a2f0/701.gif" style="border:0px;" width="408" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt1" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none;">Make an on-line slide show at <span style="text-decoration:underline;">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div></div><br /><br /><OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_fbd52387-e090-472a-9b84-595f4d3dc086" WIDTH="300px" HEIGHT="250px"> <PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fworoftruboyac-20%2F8003%2Ffbd52387-e090-472a-9b84-595f4d3dc086&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><PARAM NAME="quality" VALUE="high"><PARAM NAME="bgcolor" VALUE="#FFFFFF"><PARAM NAME="allowscriptaccess" VALUE="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fworoftruboyac-20%2F8003%2Ffbd52387-e090-472a-9b84-595f4d3dc086&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_fbd52387-e090-472a-9b84-595f4d3dc086" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_fbd52387-e090-472a-9b84-595f4d3dc086" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="250px" width="300px"></embed></OBJECT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fworoftruboyac-20%2F8003%2Ffbd52387-e090-472a-9b84-595f4d3dc086&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-71518308866472278652008-11-12T13:47:00.003-05:002008-11-12T13:59:35.859-05:00November's Free Book GiveawayNovember's Free Book Giveaway will go to two recipients. The books for this month are Jan Brett's "Gingerbread Baby" and "The Usborne Book of Science Activities" Volume Two. There is a lapbook that corresponds with the Gingerbread Baby at <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/gingerbread_baby.php">http://www.homeschoolshare.com/gingerbread_baby.php</a> . The drawing will held on Nov. 31st and will be promptly mailed out in time for a December gingerbread unit. To enter leave a comment on this post. :)<br /><br /><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=woroftruboyac-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0399241663&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=woroftruboyac-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=074600978X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-63447131138419997112008-11-12T11:55:00.004-05:002008-11-12T12:23:21.359-05:00Preschool Sorting with Recycled LidsWhen I did the Jesse Bear unit with my boys I really wanted some of those cute multicolored bears that come with little colored plates or buckets for sorting. At the time I didn't have the money so I came up with this idea instead - it's free and works just the same! My county has us throw away the lids on beverages and then recyle the actual container. When doing so, I noticed that the lids came in an array of colors so I began collecting lids from different beverages - oj, soda, grade juice, milk jugs, ... When I had enough, I wrote color words on paper plates that matched the colors that I had collected. The words were written with crayon and matched the color red. I spread out the plates on our kitchen table and the boys sorted them by color. We have also sorted by size. For those of you on a budget like me, this is a free alternative to those cute bears.<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=75f17f84e2bb5c7c9ab356" quality="high" scale="noscale" width="312" height="310" wmode="transparent" name="FLVPlayer" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=75f17f84e2bb5c7c9ab356&skin_id=801&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div style="margin:0px;font:12px/13px verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:20px;padding-bottom:15px;width:312px;text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=75f17f84e2bb5c7c9ab356&skin_id=801&source=emplay" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link_image/75f17f84e2bb5c7c9ab356/801.gif" style="border:0px;" width="312" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt0" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none;">Make photo slide shows at <span style="text-decoration:underline;">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div></div><br /><br /><OBJECT classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" id="Player_6c114123-565c-45ad-8ecc-2f774d1847ae" WIDTH="250px" HEIGHT="250px"> <PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fworoftruboyac-20%2F8003%2F6c114123-565c-45ad-8ecc-2f774d1847ae&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><PARAM NAME="quality" VALUE="high"><PARAM NAME="bgcolor" VALUE="#FFFFFF"><PARAM NAME="allowscriptaccess" VALUE="always"><embed src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fworoftruboyac-20%2F8003%2F6c114123-565c-45ad-8ecc-2f774d1847ae&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_6c114123-565c-45ad-8ecc-2f774d1847ae" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_6c114123-565c-45ad-8ecc-2f774d1847ae" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="250px" width="250px"></embed></OBJECT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fworoftruboyac-20%2F8003%2F6c114123-565c-45ad-8ecc-2f774d1847ae&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-2616550119754373212008-11-06T00:17:00.008-05:002008-11-07T12:17:49.270-05:00Mrs. Wishy Washy Unit & LapbookWe just finished our Mrs. Wishy Washy unit! We had such a good time with it. We did all the activities that I created which are posted at <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/mrs_wishy_washy.php"></a><a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/mrs_wishy_washy.php">www.homeschoolshare.com/mrs_wishy_washy.php</a>. My boys really enjoyed fingerpainting the pig with "mud" (chocolate pudding) and then fingerpainting another pig with shaving cream. I made a flannelgraph set for retelling the story from this website - <a href="http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/MrsWishyFeltBoardSet.htm%20Enjoy">http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/MrsWishyFeltBoardSet.htm</a> . This was a big hit! That is the same website where the bubble counting cards and story sequence cards came from. There was a ton of possibilities on that website. I got the "Counting Animals" book from <a href="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/">www.enchantedlearning.com</a> . To culminate our study we visited Green Meadow farms. This was a great unit for my boys who are 3 1/2 and 4 1/2. Thanks for taking a look!!!<br /><br /><div><embed name="FLVPlayer" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=" width="408" height="382" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" wmode="transparent" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=7525412c60f0dd520c126f&skin_id=701&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com"></embed> <div style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 15px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 12px/20px verdana,arial,sans-serif; WIDTH: 408px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=7525412c60f0dd520c126f&skin_id=701&source=emplay" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link_image/7525412c60f0dd520c126f/701.gif" width="408" /></a><br /><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt1" target="_blank">Make an on-line slide show at <span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div></div><br /><object id="Player_e05a5ebc-c3ff-4e6d-a7be-00f28e717f03" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/swflash.cab" height="250" width="300" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"><param name="_cx" value="7938"><param name="_cy" value="6615"><param name="FlashVars" value=""><param name="Movie" value="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fworoftruboyac-20%2F8003%2Fe05a5ebc-c3ff-4e6d-a7be-00f28e717f03&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><param name="Src" value="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fworoftruboyac-20%2F8003%2Fe05a5ebc-c3ff-4e6d-a7be-00f28e717f03&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate"><param name="WMode" value="Window"><param name="Play" value="-1"><param name="Loop" value="-1"><param name="Quality" value="High"><param name="SAlign" value=""><param name="Menu" value="-1"><param name="Base" value=""><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="Scale" value="ShowAll"><param name="DeviceFont" value="0"><param name="EmbedMovie" value="0"><param name="BGColor" value="FFFFFF"><param name="SWRemote" value=""><param name="MovieData" value=""><param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="1"><param name="Profile" value="0"><param name="ProfileAddress" value=""><param name="ProfilePort" value="0"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="false"><br /> <embed src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fworoftruboyac-20%2F8003%2Fe05a5ebc-c3ff-4e6d-a7be-00f28e717f03&Operation=GetDisplayTemplate" id="Player_e05a5ebc-c3ff-4e6d-a7be-00f28e717f03" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" name="Player_e05a5ebc-c3ff-4e6d-a7be-00f28e717f03" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="250px" width="300px"></embed></object><noscript></noscript>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-867854386504321802008-11-01T16:40:00.002-04:002008-11-07T12:18:01.830-05:00Winner of Shell GiveawayAnd the winner of the shells is .....Anne. Congratulations!!! November's giveaway will be announced soon.Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-23747080437023403702008-10-24T08:53:00.005-04:002008-10-24T09:17:13.267-04:00Homemade Koolaid Playdough<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJrQCmiGJgw1M3igKdf2Qr1ZFiExF0xRTBlcAeKYx-Pp8XfDgc2thd3B1N89BxN3uVpEE9sNZXP0lQquQkgYMK3QyMaKnLBf_mzn8gsspxznmNWkcbZXFGThtE0AZDBC7JAdUzB-HrPc/s1600-h/my+blue+boat+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJrQCmiGJgw1M3igKdf2Qr1ZFiExF0xRTBlcAeKYx-Pp8XfDgc2thd3B1N89BxN3uVpEE9sNZXP0lQquQkgYMK3QyMaKnLBf_mzn8gsspxznmNWkcbZXFGThtE0AZDBC7JAdUzB-HrPc/s320/my+blue+boat+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260703180201867970" /></a><br />This is my all-time favorite recipe for playdough. I even like it better than store bought Playdough. The texture is awesome - it isn't crumbly like Playdough and is very easy for little hands to manipulate. It also smells so yummy!!! The Kool-aid packets give beautiful, vibrant colors. When the colors get mixed up, it doesn't turn a "dismal gray". For playdough pictured, I used pink lemonade & grape Koolaid. The recipe is as follows:<br />1 1/4 cup flour<br />1/4 cup salt<br />2 pkgs. unsweetened Kool-aid<br />1 cup boiling water<br />1 1/2 tbl. oil<br /><br />1. Mix flour, salt, Kool-aid, and oil until blended.<br />2. Add boiling water, mix with spoon until cool enough to knead.<br />3. Continue kneading until color is blended.<br />4. Store in air tight bag or container in the refrigerator (I have always stored in fridge).<br /><br />I found a box of "101 Wilton Cookie Cutters" at Goodwill which the boys have loved using!!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnKYo7vU3fzM75enMSag_DPR5HrDhzm4C4srHzI3OQRfFOO_5sTVisp5m_teKkdD_p_U_YKZbi-vbzm-27N81O_EgwjVYyV9qEtgK1Spc5YQWthb_3okgwm2nr9jWkL5DWfQykqMpwXc/s1600-h/my+blue+boat+018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnKYo7vU3fzM75enMSag_DPR5HrDhzm4C4srHzI3OQRfFOO_5sTVisp5m_teKkdD_p_U_YKZbi-vbzm-27N81O_EgwjVYyV9qEtgK1Spc5YQWthb_3okgwm2nr9jWkL5DWfQykqMpwXc/s320/my+blue+boat+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260706923225993634" /></a><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=woroftruboyac-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001D1FJ2E&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-12356064202411492982008-10-21T01:13:00.009-04:002008-10-21T19:14:27.312-04:00My Blue Boat Lapbook<div><embed src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=7352ab42f68f02ce55bed1" quality="high" scale="noscale" width="408" height="382" wmode="transparent" name="FLVPlayer" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=7352ab42f68f02ce55bed1&skin_id=701&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div style="margin:0px;font:12px/13px verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:20px;padding-bottom:15px;width:408px;text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=7352ab42f68f02ce55bed1&skin_id=701&source=emplay" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link_image/7352ab42f68f02ce55bed1/701.gif" style="border:0px;" width="408" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt1" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none;">Make an on-line slide show at <span style="text-decoration:underline;">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div></div><br />We recently spent two weeks on "My Blue Boat" by Chris Demarest which is a book in the Before Five in a Row curriculm. The book is currently out-of-print but many library systems have it available for checkout. It was a fun unit which my boys really enjoyed. We used many components for our lapbook from here: <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/b4_resources_my_blue_boat.php">www.homeschoolshare.com/b4_resources_my_blue_boat.php</a><a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/b4_resources_my_blue_boat.php"></a>. I tied in several Bible stories that have boats in them like Jesus calming the Storm & Noah's Ark. We also used our new Do-a-Dots to dot the "W is for Whale" page from here: <a href="http://www.makinglearningfun.com/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.makinglearningfun.com/Activities/ocean/OceanWhaleMagnet.gif">www.makinglearningfun.com/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.makinglearningfun.com/Activities/ocean/OceanWhaleMagnet.gif</a> . We made boats from here:<a href="http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11996">http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11996</a> <a href="http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11996"></a>and floated them in the bathtub. As a surpise, I purchased the boys their own wooden boats from Magic Cabin - <a href="http://magiccabin.com/magiccabin/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1004&pgc=549&cmvalue=MCD0Normal%20Search%20ResultP1">http://magiccabin.com/magiccabin/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1004&pgc=549&cmvalue=MCD0Normal%20Search%20ResultP1</a><a href="http://magiccabin.com/magiccabin/product.do?section_id=0&bc=1004&pgc=549&cmvalue=MCD0Normal%20Search%20ResultP1"></a>. The boys were so excited about the boats especially when they found out that we would be visiting Aunt Tammy at her beach house the next week. This was a wonderful way to culminate "My Blue Boat"!!!<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=woroftruboyac-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0152001778&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-81929397060395218432008-10-20T23:55:00.004-04:002008-10-21T01:44:55.341-04:00Lion's Paw by Robb WhiteI am so <strong>THRILLED</strong> to announce that "The Lion's Paw" by Robb White has finally been reprinted!!! I just got my very own copy after many months of vainly seeking an affordable copy of the then out-of-print book. I am currently working on a unit/lapbook for the book which should be posted on homeschoolshare.com. I will let you know when it is completed. This is a must read-aloud for any Florida family (although non-FLoridian children will also love it). :)<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=woroftruboyac-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0982093209&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-31267077492129524372008-10-08T16:33:00.005-04:002008-10-21T01:44:37.194-04:00October's GiveawayShells from Pensacola Beach!!! I am collecting shells as we speak :) for this month's giveaway. The shells will match the memory game I made for my "Hello Ocean" unit posted on homeschoolshare.com. You can view it here <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/hello_ocean_lapbook.php">www.homeschoolshare.com/hello_ocean_lapbook.php</a> - <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/hello_ocean_lapbook.php"></a>I will try to have at least one example of each except for a few of the more rare shells. Mostly there will be several of each type of shell. Leave a comment if you want to be included in the drawing. I will post the winner on October 31st.Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-84551284988541296652008-10-02T00:54:00.005-04:002008-10-21T01:45:12.405-04:00Jesse Bear What Will You WearWe spent last week reading "Jesse Bear What Will You Wear" and making a lapbook to go-along with it. Most of the components of the lapbook came from here -<a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/b4_resources_jesse_bear.php">http://www.homeschoolshare.com/b4_resources_jesse_bear.php</a> <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/b4_resources_jesse_bear.php"></a>. The boys loved the felt bears that I made for them. I traced this bear pattern <a href="http://www.first-school.ws/t/craft/bear_xmas1bw.htm">http://www.first-school.ws/t/craft/bear_xmas1bw.htm</a> <a href="http://www.first-school.ws/t/craft/bear_xmas1bw.htm"></a>on a cereal box and then glued the felt on to make the body. Then I got out a bunch of fabric scraps and they chose clothes for their bears. We attached the clothes to the bears using velcro so that they could change out the outfits. I also added a component to my lapbook of rhyming words from the book because Eli & Max are really into "What Rhymes". I chose several pairs of rhyming words from the book and put them on cards with a matching picture. Then we said the words and decided what went together. This was a big hit!!! You can see pictures of the lapbook & dress-up bears below.<br /><br /><iframe style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=woroftruboyac-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=068980623X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-58529666886687865782008-09-30T23:10:00.002-04:002008-10-02T01:10:20.593-04:00<div><embed src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=710225cba5282d9ce05099" quality="high" scale="noscale" width="408" height="382" wmode="transparent" name="FLVPlayer" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=710225cba5282d9ce05099&skin_id=701&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div style="margin:0px;font:12px/13px verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:20px;padding-bottom:15px;width:408px;text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=710225cba5282d9ce05099&skin_id=701&source=emplay" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link_image/710225cba5282d9ce05099/701.gif" style="border:0px;" width="408" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt2" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none;">Photo and video editing at <span style="text-decoration:underline;">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div></div>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-28639496596417524912008-09-30T22:18:00.002-04:002008-09-30T23:17:30.319-04:00And the winners are ...Congratulations to Janna, the winner of Stellaluna, and Ruby, the winner of Corduroy!!! Stay tuned for October's giveaway - it is very hands-on!Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-43360915273075758462008-09-27T23:24:00.002-04:002008-09-30T23:17:39.649-04:00September's Free Book GiveawayI will be drawing for the Free Book Giveaway on September 30th. There will be two winners - one for Corduroy and one for Stellaluna (both are hardcover). Email me your name and email address if you would like to be included in the drawing.Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-62195705083692799742008-09-22T12:33:00.011-04:002008-10-21T01:45:24.288-04:00Jenny's Suprise Summer LapbookWe spent the last 2 weeks doing Before Five in Row's "Jenny's Suprise Summer" lapbook. This was a great book and a perfect preschool lapbook!!! It is out of print so if your library doesn't have it you can request it through an interlibrary loan. I bought mine off of Ebay. It was not originally in my September plans but several weeks ago my mom and I both went searching for kittens at the local humane societies. Eli, Max, and I choose a classic orange tabby and named him Baxter after much debate. We also considered the names Garfield, Marmalade, Tigger, and Pumpkin. He is a considered a classic because he has bullseyes on both of his sides as part of his striping. You can see a slideshow of him here - <a href="http://wordoftruthboysacademy.blogspot.com/2008/09/introducing-our-new-kitty-baxter.html">http://wordoftruthboysacademy.blogspot.com/2008/09/introducing-our-new-kitty-baxter.html</a> . With that context, it made perfect sense to scratch my original plans to do "My Blue Boat" and go with this instead. Most of the lapbook components were taken from homeschoolshare.com and I added a few more which are now also on the homeschoolshare website. You can find a direct link to all the components here - <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/b4_resources_jenny.php">http://www.homeschoolshare.com/b4_resources_jenny.php</a><a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/b4_resources_jenny.php"></a>. I like to use the boys' art work for my cover and back page. I used Eli's cat for the front and Max's cat for the back. These were two additional art project we did to go along with the lapbook. As luck would have it, I also found the book "Cats and Kittens", an Usborne First Pets book, for five cents at a local thrift shop. It went perfect with the unit and had a great idea to make homemade kitten toys out of felt and catnip. The boys had fun with this and so did our kitty! We also used Scholastic's First Discovery Book "Cats". This was a fun lapbook and so relevant to our lives! I am so glad I didn't rigidly stick to my schedule!!!Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-40619927173735147032008-09-22T12:32:00.001-04:002008-10-02T01:10:20.595-04:00Jenny's Suprise Summer Lapbook<div style="width:300px; text-align: center;"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://w382.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w382.photobucket.com/albums/oo268/adrd2002/83b8fb7e.pbw" height="360" width="300"><a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshows" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" style="float:left;border-width: 0;" ></a></div>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4956125159625493700.post-81656268901810377202008-09-18T23:29:00.003-04:002008-09-19T00:00:54.459-04:00Prompts to Support the Use of StrategiesBelow I have given you the major teaching prompts that can be used with a student to promote the use of strategies in a child's reading. The prompts come from Fountas and Pinnell's book "Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children" which as you already know I highly recommend. This gives the teacher the language to use with a student based on the strategy needing to be emphasized. It is an excellent resource! After taking a running record or several running records with a student and having analyzed it/them, it will be apparent what strategies and cue sources the child is neglecting. The prompts can then be used to lead the child to using the strategy they are neglecting. For example, say that a child consistently sounds words out making miscues that don't make sense with the story but are very visually similar to the actual word. Rather than focusing on the visual (sounding out) aspect, it might be helpful to point out to the child, "Does that make sense? Check your picture and think about what would make sense." With a simple glance at the picture and thinking about what would make sense, the word may pop right out of his mouth. This promotes the use of the visual cues (sounding the word out) along with the meaning of the story. Remember the goal of reading is to comprehend so we don't want to have children so focused on sounding words out that they lose sight of the real purpose of reading. I have experienced many great "sounder outers" who read flawlessly but have very poor comprehension. If your child is struggling in reading, I would highly recommend that you learn how to take running records (which I have numerous posts about) and consider reading Fountas and Pinnell's book. <br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=woroftruboyac-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0435088637&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Robin D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09590284636057071931noreply@blogger.com0