Choosing a Phonics Curriculum

Reading Eggs vs. All About Reading

In trying to decide on a phonics curriculum for my children, I’ve looked at many phonics programs and narrowed it down to two: Reading Eggs and All About Reading. To make my final decision, I’m looking at the pros and cons of each program. So, let’s have a look…

Reading Eggs

Teach Your Child to Read OnlineWe’ve used Reading Eggs for a year, although not consistently. It is a very fun program. Children are introduced to one letter and sound each lesson. They are also introduced to some sight words, such as I, at, am, etc. At the end of ten lessons, there is a quiz to see how they’re progressing. There is also a world where the children can play. There is no outside interaction in the world, which is a plus for me. Children can buy clothes for an egg creature that they design. They are also able to buy games to play. They earn money by playing lessons and are encouraged to repeat lessons. The money is easily earned, so the children are encouraged to earn things. If they find something they want, it’s fairly easy to earn the money for it. They even have lessons for older children that already know how to read.

In addition to the online program, Reading Eggs also gives the option of buying flash cards, activity books and beginning readers that match the readers in the program so your child can have the book in their hand.

PROS:

  • If the program gets too challenging, I can help her through it, but it won’t be me fighting her, it’ll be the program.
  • If I purchase a subscription for my 3 year old, he can also play it and begin to learn a few letters.
  • This is something we could continue to use for many more years.
  • My children love playing on the computer, so it might as well be educational.
  • She will want to work on this even when we are not doing school.
  • There’s no prep work, you just sit at the computer and get to it.

CONS:

  • She’s able to complete lessons without fully learning the letters. There is not a ton of repetition, if you just go lesson by lesson. This can be fixed by me sitting down with her during lessons and by using the flash cards more often
  • Most of the early readers are not books they can read, but more like Alphabet books: A book – apple, alligator, etc
  • It is subscription based, so you’ll have to pay monthly or yearly for subscription

All About Reading

Unfortunately, we haven’t used All About Reading yet, so I can only tell you what I’ve found out through their website and samples. This program consists of a teachers manual, student activity book, 3 readers, letter flash cards, word flash cards, and letter tiles. It is a hands-on curriculum.

Each lesson consists of 5 parts:

  1. Before you begin – This takes a few minutes and it includes learning the letter sounds, getting everything out, etc
  2. Review – You review with flash cards, the letters that the child hasn’t mastered yet
  3. New Teaching – the child will learn new letters using flash cards, use the tiles to read words and make new words, do activity sheets which sometimes include cutting & gluing, read fluency sheets or read from their readers
  4. Read aloud time – You are asked to read aloud to your child for 20 minutes everyday
  5. Track your progress on your chart

PROS:

  • Lessons are hands-on, which is good for the hands-on learners
  • Lessons start with review, there’s lots of repetition
  • We can use this program with each of my children, with no yearly subscription fee
  • The readers look like they’ll be interesting and hold the interest of the child
  • Setup is fairly quick and lessons are straight forward
  • There’s a lot of flexibility with the letter tiles, you can make and read any words you want

CONS:

  • I’m the one teaching the lessons, so if she struggles, I’ll be the one fighting her.
  • A little prep work is required.
  • Lessons will take a little longer than Reading Eggs lessons.

My Conclusion

I’m going to go with All About Reading Level 1, although it was very close. I’m pretty sure either curriculum would teach my daughter to read. The reason I’m going with All About Reading is because Alissa needs the repetition. I also think the hands-on learning will be helpful for her.

Things I Learned at CHEA

I attended the CHEA Convention this past weekend in Pasadena, California. Here are a few things I learned:

  1. CHEA stands for Christian Home Educators Association.
  2. Conventions are helpful, even if they seem silly. 🙂
  3. Some workshops are life-changing and some are life-wasting, choose wisely.
  4. The Exhibit Hall is my favorite part of the convention.
  5. Heidi St. John is really cool. 🙂 She is down to earth and practical. If you have a chance to hear her speak, take advantage of it.
  6. The best nugget I found in the exhibit hall was a Spanish Curriculum that has a program geared towards preschoolers. We’ll be using it this year for my 3 year old and 5 year old.
  7. Last but not least!! When attending a homeschool convention, if you can turn it into a girls day, do it!! You won’t regret it 🙂

Attending the CHEA Convention has kick-started my school planning. Next I will be showing you the two reading programs I’m trying to choose between. I’m also trying to decide between using workboxes or just a schedule. I’m looking into The Well-Planned Day to schedule our lessons, but I’m trying to decide between the print copy and the software. Lots and lots of decisions in the month of July!! I hope you’re enjoying your summer.

Did you attend CHEA or another homeschool convention? What is something you learned?

London 2012 Summer Olympics Printables

As the Olympic Flame makes it’s journey to the Olympic Stadium, the world waits in anticipation of the opening of the London 2012 Olympic Games! The 2012 Olympics will begin on July 27, 2012 with an exciting Opening Ceremony. Here’s a set of Summer Olympic themed printable activities for your kids. They’ll learn terms related to the Olympics, make a puzzle, play a game of Tic-Tac-Toe and more.

The 11-page Summer Olympics Printable Packet includes:

  • Olympics Puzzle
  • Summer Olympics Wordsearch
  • Summer Olympics Crossword Puzzle
  • Summer Olympics Matching Worksheet
  • Summer Olympics Multiple Choice Worksheet
  • Summer Olympics Vocabulary Sheet
  • Olympics Tic-Tac-Toe Game
  • Olympic Medal Stand Activity
  • Gymnastics Coloring Page
  • Summer Olympic Sports Coloring Page
  • Summer Olympic Sports Coloring Page 2
  • Answer Key for Worksheets

What is your favorite sport to watch during the Olympic Games? Who is your favorite athlete?

Research question: Who are Wenlock and Mandeville?

Summer Olympics Printables, 11 pages

More Summer Fun:

Olympics Resources Available: (from Teacher Created Resources)

Slide 1
Journey to London Grd 1-3
Slide 2
Journey to London Grd 4-6
Slide 3
Medals Wear 'Em Badges
Slide 4
Olympics Stickers
Slide 5
US Olympic Gold Medal Stickers
Slide 6
Olympic Dream Banner

Homeschool Support Group Lists

Homeschool support groups exist to provide encouragement and support for homeschool parents as well as provide activities and field trips for the children.  The Homeschool Support Group Lists are ready to be populated with your support groups. You can submit the information on the Homeschool Support Group Form and I’ll take care of the rest. There are two groups in the database you can take a look at, one in Florida and one in North Carolina. I will be making lists for other countries in the future.

Fun at the Beach Printables

There’s nothing like a fun day at the beach in the summertime! Living in Southern California, we’ve even gone to the beach in the wintertime. Here’s a set of beach-themed printable activities for your kids. They’ll learn terms related to the beach, make a sun visor, color a picture, play a game of Tic-Tac-Toe and more.

The 12-page Fun at the Beach Printable Packet includes:

  • Beach Puzzle
  • At the Beach Wordsearch
  • At the Beach Crossword Puzzle
  • At the Beach Matching Worksheet
  • At the Beach Multiple Choice Worksheet
  • Vocabulary Sheet
  • Tic-Tac-Toe Game
  • Door Hanger, Pencil Topper and Bookmark (Girl)
  • Door Hanger, Pencil Topper and Bookmark (Boy)
  • Fun at the Beach Sun Visor (Girl)
  • Fun at the Beach Sun Visor (Boy)
  • Coloring Page

If you make it to the beach this summer or even a river or lake, have fun, stay safe and wear sunscreen!

Fun at the Beach Printables, 12 pages

More Summer Fun:

Celebrate Independence Day – July 4th

In America, Independence Day is celebrated each year on July 4th commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It is a national holiday and is celebrated with community picnics and parades during the day, followed by spectacular fireworks displays in the evening.

I’m working on printable pages for the holiday which should be completed by the weekend. But in the meantime, here’s a 4th of July Wordsearch and some of the activities from Flag Day and the Summer Adventure Planner will also work. Check back on Monday for the new printables.

4th of July Wordsearch

Homeschooling Kindergarten

I’ve been thinking a lot about the curriculum that I will be using this year and spending lots of time researching different books and programs. I’ve decided not to go with a prepackaged Kindergarten program, because I don’t want to feel the pressure of doing and completing everything in a set program. If I were to pick a prepackaged Kindergarten program, I would probably pick My Father’s World because it is reasonably priced, Biblically based, and has simple, straightforward instructions.

These are the books that I’ve decided on:

Math – Math K5 Student Worktext 3rd edition

The reason I chose this book, is because it’s colorful and goes at a great pace. It introduces children to shapes, same & different, numbers, counting, addition, time, calendars, money, measurements and more. Each lesson is one page, front and back.

 

 

Reading – Reading Eggs and Bob Books

I’ll be using Readingeggs.com for our reading. This is a great computer program that teaches all the basics of reading. My daughter loves it!! (I’ll talk more about that in my next post.) I’ll also be using the Bob Books. These books are not the most interesting or colorful books, but they’ve given my daughter quick success. I’ve had trouble finding any other books that are able to get her reading so quickly and easily. Within 3 days, she’s been able to read the first book with minimal help.

 

Handwriting – Zaner-Bloser Handwriting K

I chose this book, because it has clear instructions on how to write letters properly. I know how to write, but when I’m teaching I want to be sure to teach proper techniques. This book seems to make those techniques clear. It is also a very colorful, fun looking book.

 

 

Literature/Art – What Your Preschooler Needs to Know

This book is one of my favorite books. It has poems, stories, songs, art, history, and science. It contains a lot of classical stories that every child should know, like The Little Red Hen or The Gingerbread Man. We started this book last year and it quickly became a favorite in our household. Everyone gets excited to read these stories. It also has pictures to go with all the stories. When we finish this book, we’ll probably go on to the kindergarten book.

 

Vocabulary – Wordly Wise 3000, Book K

I’m really interested in this program. It seems like a great way to expand little children’s vocabulary. You read stories aloud and teach them words like muddy, soil, dew, stare, fluffy, etc. This is something I can use for both my preschooler and my kindergartner.

 

 

Phonics – Spectrum Early Years Series

My children love workbooks. They love to write and circle things. So I like to include a few books from the Spectrum Early Years series. I really like these books because the are cheap and they cover many subjects. I’m going to choose Phonics Readiness for my 5 year old. And Basic Concepts for my 3 year old. The phonics book covers letter sounds and recognition. The Basic Concepts book covers beginning writing, shapes, colors, and other early learning concepts.

Homeschool Convention

Those are my choices for next year, so far. I plan on going to the homeschool convention in July, so some of these choices might change. This will be my first convention and I’ll probably be totally overwhelmed, but it will be a good overwhelmed.

~ Jessica Jacobs

NOTE from Beverly: The above links go to Christianbook.com if the books are available there or directly to the publisher if they’re not. The following books are also available at Amazon.com:

Summer Sale on Saxon and more

As I was working on the Math Curriculum Guide, I realized that CBD (Christianbook.com) has a summertime homeschool sale going on and Saxon books are 40% off until June 30th. They are also offering 25% off on A Reason for Handwriting and Spelling, Easy Grammar and Shurley English, all until June 30th.

Welcome to my Homeschool Journey

Welcome to my new blog on HomeschoolJourneys.com! I’m super excited to start writing about our journey through homeschooling.

I’ll begin with our journey to our new house in Arcadia. We moved in 6 weeks ago and are just about settled in. We went from a two bedroom upstairs condo, to a 3 bedroom house with a yard. With this new beginning, I’ve decided to give myself a fresh start in all areas, especially in how I take care of household responsibilities. I’m hoping to have everything running smoothly by the time the school year starts. I want to be able to start off my first year of homeschooling with a calm, peacefully run home. Of course, it can only be so calm with 3 children, age five and under.

An introduction: Meet my three children

Alissa – Age 5

Alissa lives up to the oldest child name. She is in charge and proud of it. She’s a mini mom to her siblings, she takes good care of them and is always willing to lend me a hand in my many endeavors. But she also has many of her own ideas and is often thinking of things to create, parties to throw or places to go.

Anthony – Age 3

Anthony was born on April Fool’s Day, and he lives up to that name. He’s the funny guy, always trying to make everyone laugh. He loves to run, play, & climb. But, he can also be found coloring, painting, or doing puzzles. He can stay focused on things for a long time, even longer than his older sister.

Rebecca Joy – Age 1

Rebecca is my delicate girl. She was the smallest as a baby, because she came a little early. From the moment I held her I’ve felt as though I needed to protect her and cherish her as long as I have her. She’s always been more quiet, but able to stare down anyone she doesn’t like. She’s become more vocal now and with that, more stubborn. She will not back down. She sees no reason to say please, if she’s already gotten her point across. She’s a delight to the whole family.

A Fresh Start: Settling in and making changes

I’ve also been taking the time to settle in. I’ve made it a point to decorate, spend time outside with the kids and also do some gardening. I want to take full advantage of all the time that I have in this house. We don’t know how long we’ll be in this house, but I’d like to enjoy all the moments I can. I want it to feel like home for my little ones.

One of the ways that I’m improving my care of the household is by reading and applying the Large Family Logistics Book. This book has been a lifesaver. The first half of the book talks about the attitudes and character needed to run a household. The second half of the book gives very practical advice on how to manage a household. It’s been teaching me many things about how to run a household smoothly by creating routines, systems, and dividing up tasks by days.

I’ve found after reading this book that my heart is more focused on my family and in finding joy in my responsibilities, instead of dragging my feet and trying to fight them. My children are enjoying all the changes too, they are becoming more helpful and more content. I would recommend Large Family Logistics to anyone that needs help learning how to run a household, even to those that don’t have a large family.

The Kids in the Swimming Pool

The Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Family Room Pictures

The Girl’s Room

Summer Adventure Planner

This printable Summer Adventure Planner is your ticket to a fun-filled summer! We have found that the key to having fun with kids is to plan ahead. We’ve done the brainstorming so you can fill out your calendar and get to having summer fun.

The 28 page Summer Adventure Planner includes:

  • Instructions on how to set up self maintained reward programs
  • Ready made pages and schedules
  • Blank theme pages and schedules
  • Reward charts
  • Summer calendar
  • Club plans
  • Reading and worksheet tracking pages
  • And More!

Choose the pages that best fit your family and themes. Here are helpful tips to help you get the most out of your summer adventures.

Themes:

The summer months have been divided into 3 themes: June – Carnival, July – Rodeo/USA, August – Sports/Olympics. Use these themes as you buy reward stickers, plan games, activities and outings. You can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like.

Calendars:

Having a calendar filled out and posted on the wall will give everyone an idea of the fun to come! Fill in a simple activity on each square to bust those summer boredom blues!

Schedules:

These will be different for every family, but we’ve included sample ideas to get you thinking. Some families will want to do more, some less and some will want to tear up the schedule and forget it! Do what works best for your family.

Clubs & Rewards:

We’ve included forms to keep track of clubs and charts for stickers and rewards. We have a system set up with small rewards in a “treasure box.” Treasure is earned after a sticker chart is filled, usually about 5-7 stickers. Choose a method that will work for your family.

Here are some things to consider: Rewards should be simple and easy to earn. Some reward ideas are: stickers, erasers, pencils, small candies, small notebooks, party supply-type toys, etc. Rewards can also be for experience sharing, some ideas are: going for ice cream, playing a game with mom, having a water fight, etc. The thing to keep in mind is that you’ll want the kids to be rewarded often to keep the momentum of the clubs going.

Packets:

Packets are to keep learning happening in a fun setting during the summer. Packets are also something to do when kids are bored or on a long car trip. Keep them simple and fun!

Summer Adventure Planner, 28 pages


More Summer Fun: