tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22058080313700757072024-03-08T09:50:21.831-08:00Young Adventurers - Home EducationMargaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-69065795958467954422018-06-14T08:31:00.000-07:002018-06-14T08:31:07.471-07:00Socrates with S'mores Pt 2Not long ago someone jokingly called my family preppers. It may have been meant as an insult, referencing zombie apocalypse or complete breakdown of society scenario, but when I thought about, we are preppers in a sense. No we aren't ready for zombies or nuclear war... somehow I doubt our tents, fire lighting kit, camp stoves and slingshot would really make the difference. But we are prepping our children, not for war and death (or undeath) but for life.<br />
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Camping, fishing, Bush craft and survival skills all give a child confidence. They encourage him or her to get outside and explore, to learn and ask questions. They break children away from what we not so jokingly refer to as electronic life support... the internet, and encourage them to get outdoors and get active. These activities prep a child for a healthy and active life. Many skills such as archery and knot tying increase dexterity. Putting up a tent can involve problem solving skills, all the more so if you use a Halfords tent (more on that in an upcoming post), and all of that activity can help children remain physically fit. I am also am a firm believer in the benefits of dirt, fresh air, exposure to every sort of plant, animal, insect and yes possibly a few pathogens in low doses from an early age. Children who grow up immersed in these things develop natural immunities. How often do you see a child with allergies on a farm?<br />
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Outdoor activities can serve as a catalyst for more traditional learning as well. My son's interest in outdoor skills. We have read book after book on scouting, outdoor skills, fire making, plant identification, map reading, plant identification and more. Many of the skills learned do transfer to other fields, plant identification may be helpful in biology, maps and orienteering use some maths skills, learning about fire making and fire myths has taught us about world cultures and most of all , all that reading is an excellent way to boost academic attainment.<br />
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But of all the skills my children have learned in the outdoors what I like most of all is "prepping" our family to remain close. My youngest spent an entire day alone with his father, something they would rarely do, just catching fish. The smiles and easy camaraderie between the two building bonds to last a lifetime. My oldest is in the teen years now. He still talks to me, but not as often, but sitting together beside a fire, we chatted happily for hours. I know things won't always be so easy, troubles will come as they age, and distances may appear between us when they grow up. But the time around the campfire, telling stories in tents and even in the complete disaster of the worst tent ever, these all make memories, they forge connections and hopefully prep our family to remain close and loving for life.<br />
Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-90204510952452665892018-05-20T12:16:00.001-07:002018-05-21T09:39:08.628-07:00<h2>
Socrates with S'mores, </h2>
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Bringing out the natural philosopher in your child.</h2>
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<i>Part one Socrates</i></div>
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As soon as a child can speak he begins to wonder about the world around him. Young children want to touch, explore and examine everything. They ask question after question in an attempt to discover the nature of the world. In this respect, they have more in common with the ancient philosophers than do most adults. Socrates too sought to understand and illuminate the world around him through questions. The Socratic method of teaching refers to teaching through asking leading questions. Unfortunately Socrates questioning angered those in power, and he was put to death. To me, every time we brush off a child's eager questions of the world, or force them to endure monologues which are aimed at teaching the established narrative rather than seeking truth, we kill some part of the natural wonder and joy of learning in a child. Even when we do do absolutely know the answer, or at least think we do, how much better to allow the child the joy of discovery, to present the evidence we can find and let them from their own conclusions. True, it isn't the safest way to teach, my children have not always come to the same conclusions I have, but I view my job as being to teach them how to think, not what to think. A famous quote attributed to Socrates tells us "the unexamined life is not worth living". It is easy of course to say such things without meaning them, but Socrates did mean what he said, as evidenced by his choice to die rather than give up questioning anything and everything. The foundation of my educational philosophy is to question everything.<br />
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Now not all of our education is centred on the Socratic modelled, nor do I teach an entirely Classical Education, I will go into the other half of our educational in part 2 - S'mores, and in fact that is the most fun part, but I view the basics of a classical education as the essential underpinning of any well rounded education. Wikipedia defines the Classical education movement as a Western phenomena. According to their site "The Classical education movement advocates a form of education based in the traditions of Western culture, with a particular focus on education as understood and taught in Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages." There are of course alternatives for other parts of the world, and in particular the Vedic version fascinates me, but my children our European and I have based their education on their own native culture, history, religions (yes Europe has had more than one religion) and heritage. That isn't to say we don't learn about others as well. It is simply that we focus on the basics of any good education regardless of locale, the old fashioned three r's : reading, 'riting, 'rithmatic + what I consider the 4th r, or requirement of a well rounded education, rambling, or outdoor activities (more on that in part two) and the history, literature and heritage of their own culture. In addition a classical education includes philosophy and the sciences. A classical education would traditionally include instruction in Greek and Latin as well, but while this would have been essential at one time, to read so much of the Classical literature, I do not see these languages as particularly relevant today other than the basic understanding of Latin names and classifications of plant and animal life. We have decided to use our time on other subjects instead.<br />
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It would not include the many practical skills a child needs to learn, but I imagine it was assumed a child would learn these at home. A classical education, in and of itself does not prepare a child for any career other than teaching. It has drawbacks as does any other strictly adhered to method of education, but that does not mean it does not have value. We combine elements of a classical educations with more modern pursuits, such as computer assisted learning, computer building and electronics; as well as outdoor skills, building a fire, shooting a bow, or finding wild food; martial arts and defensive; and the bare necessities of domestic life, how to cook, sew and clean clothes.<br />
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In General we focus on our own history, culture, literature and religious beliefs, though we do include those from other nations as well. After all, we believe every story has many sides. A classical education traditionally would include tuition in Greek and Latin. We do not pursue these subjects as the odds of the children remembering them are slim and the amount of time devoted would take from other subjects. While part of our studies are devoted to the essentials, we also include anything the children take an interest in. Some of our previous unit studies have included prehistoric plants, insects and even diseases; biological and chemical warfare; parasites that effect some degree of mind control (zombie makers), and the evolution of weaponry. Our current project is an on going study of fire and we have been making plans and gathering materials to recreate a primitive armoury, everything from fire hardened spears to a bola, sling, and possibly an atlatl. The children are also desperate to create thermite, and believe they could do this wish aluminium powders and rust. I haven't researched the safety aspects of this to decide on whether to give consent yet. The classical subjects form the roots of education, but the whole philosophy is more like a tree with many branches. Every day is another adventure.</div>
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For more information on classical home schooling , from slightly different perspectives please see:<br />
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https://welltrainedmind.com/a/classical-education/</div>
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http://www.home-school.com/Articles/classical-education.php<br />
http://bigthink.com/scotty-hendricks/want-to-raise-the-next-socrates-teaching-children-philosophy-is-easier-than-you-think</div>
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Or if you just want a really quick definition:<br />
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mDXauzcdHCo<br />
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A good Socrates for children:<br />
https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/socrates<br />
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A philosophy book we are using now:<br />
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00TK751Y4/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o09_?ie=UTF8&psc=1<br />
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See also my older post on books that teach values.<br />
http://youngadventurer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/childrens-books-that-teach-values.html<br />
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Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-57235877908891306962014-02-24T11:47:00.000-08:002018-05-28T04:48:25.579-07:00<br />
Some of these species have existed virtually unchanged for millions of years. One was thought to be extinct. All of these have very minimal change from the time of the dinosaurs or beyond, and all are things you can obtain and keep in the UK without spending an absolute fortune.<br />
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<strong>Dawn Redwood</strong> - <strong><em>Metasequoia glyptostroboides. </em></strong><br />
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Thought to be extinct for millions of years, a single specimen was found alive in 1941 in China. Although critically endangered in its natural habitat, these are widely available as seeds or saplings online. This is a large fast growing redwood but is also often cultivated as a bonsai tree. The dawn redwood is the only known deciduous conifer. Grew fron the Cretaceous up until 2mya.<br />
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<strong>TREE FERN - Dicksonia Antarctica</strong><br />
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A very common plant in the Jurassic, these continued to growin New Zealand and are widely available as seedlings<br />
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<strong>Ginkgo, <em>Ginkgo biloba</em></strong> - Cretaceous. This tree is thought to have gone extinct in the wild, but been cultivated in Buddhist monasteries, and then as an ornamental tree. <br />
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<strong>Monkey Puzzle Tree - </strong><strong><em>Araucaria araucana</em></strong><br />
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The closest relative to the trees which flourished in the carboniferous period.<br />
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<strong>Horsetail Plants</strong><br />
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Cretacous - prefer very damp locations, ideal to plant near ponds, but can be grown indoors or out if you keep,<br />
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<strong><em>ANTS:</em></strong><br />
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Fossil ant nests have been found from the Jurassic period. The ants of this time spent more time underground, but they aren't too far from modern ants.<br />
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<strong>Mosquitoes</strong><br />
OK you probably don't want to keep these as pets - but they have been around from the time of the dinosaurs, as well as their companion, malaria - all right we definitely do not want to keep that living fossil, but perhaps understanding how it evolved may help us to fight it someday.<br />
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<strong>Madagascar Hissing Cockroach:</strong><br />
Not completely unchanged but very very close to the creatures that have survived every mass extinction event in the history of the earth - and if anything survives the next one, my bet would be on these things. All the same, not something I really want to keep in the house, but many people do. You can buy one on ebay for about £7 including postage.<br />
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<strong><em></em></strong><br />Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-17396949663038634352014-02-24T11:02:00.001-08:002014-02-24T11:02:20.255-08:00Living FossilsMost children go through a dinosaur phase, but it has been more than a passing fancy for my oldest, who has wanted to be a palaeontologist since he was 3 years old. So we have the usual collections of rocks and fossils, but sometimes it is nice to see something alive, much as it was millions of years ago. There are some plants and animals that have remained virtually unchanged. Of course none of us can go out a coelacanth to add to our fish tank, but there are some relics of the dinosaurs age you can keep in your own home.<br />
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<strong>Fancy three eyed, prehistoric, cannibal pets? Try Triops</strong>.<br />
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We absolutely love triops. For those of you unfamiliar with these lovely creatures - they are the oldest living animal species on earth. Triops cancriformis has existed virtually unchanged for 200 million years. They have three eyes - hence the name triops and appear to keep growing as long as they live shedding a complete skin every few weeks. These little creatures allow children to own and observe a living fossil, a creature that shared the earth with the dinosaurs, and has survived a number of mass extinction events. There are only two drawbacks to these little beasties in my opinion. The first is that they are short lived. These animals evolved to hatch out in puddles grow and mate quickly ( oh and they can mate and produce young all by themselves - a single animal can impregnate itself and produce young) and then die out leaving the eggs behind for the next rainy season. The second problem is that they are cannibals. No matter how many hatch out - I always end up with one big fat one. I am going to try more substrate and plants next time though in the hopes that some hiding places may increase the survival rate. <br /><br /> In the past - I have bought a number of triops kits. They tend to be fairly expensive for what you get - a packet of eggs - usually this exact same packet eggs stamped Triops USA from Netyfish, a packet of food and a small plastic container completely unsuitable for raising a triops to adulthood. The purchase price for these kits ranges from £9.50 including postage to £21.99 with an average price of around £11. These eggs will cost you £3.00 including postage from Amazon, and if you want the food that will cost you additional £2.00. Postage is automatically combined if you purchase the two items together. It isn't an absolute requirement, but I do prefer to use the prepared triops food when they first hatch, switching to larger foods as they grow. One pack of triops food should be enough to last the average lifespan as the only food. <br /><br /> HOW TO HATCH TRIOPS <br /><br /> Ideally you need 4 litres per triops. The containers sold in kits are usually about 1/2 litre. Obviously this is not going to work. I use a cube type fish tank which works quite well. If growing triops in the summer, you can use a plastic goldfish tank, or any other large clean container that has never had soap in it. Any soap residue will kill these. A large well cleaned glass jar will work, as will a goldfish bowl. Even a big new bucket, although that would not provide ideal viewing opportunities. In the winter however you will need a heater - which means you need a glass tank. This is one area where I take issue with many of the kits which claim these can live at room temperature. The recommended temperature is 22 degrees. I have found these do very well without a heater in the summer months, which are still obviously below these temperature, but these are not going to hatch without daytime temperatures of at least 14 degrees and preferably higher, nor will they survive a single night in autumn to winter unless you leave your radiator on 24/7 or use an aquarium heater or heat lamp. Personally I don't quite understand the recommendation of a heat pad or heat lamp made by many triops enthusiasts. An aquarium heater id the ideal way in which to keep an aquarium heated. <br /><br /> You can use a small aquarium filter once your triops reaches 1/2 " or more in size, but a small air stone would probably be better, and unless you happen to have a large a number of triops that have refrained from eating each other, this really isn't necessary. You may also choose to use any substrate suitable for tropical fish, but again it is not required. If you have access to a bit of pond mud, this may provide additional nutrients, but it will also cloud your water. <br /><br /> Please note - these things are microscopic when they first hatch - it will take awhile before you can see them swimming about. <br /><br /> WATER: <br /><br /> You are meant to use distilled water or rainwater only. I have used rainwater when possible but have also used tap water as long as it is well aged. I simply scoop a bit from my fish tank. Chlorine will kill them though and the drops used for tropical fish don't seem to work for them as other substances in the water that settle with time may pose a problem. <br /><br /> FEEDING: <br /><br /> Your triops favourite food will most likely be his siblings. After he has dispatched all of these he will eat triops food, fish food, blood worms, dried brine shrimp, daphnia, tubifex worms, alagae wafers or anything you could feed tropical fish. They love algae as well. They will also eat - a pinch of dog food, lettuce, spinach, apple, boiled carrot or potato, peas, corn, cress, aquarium plants, even the roots of grass. They will eat cooked meat as well, but this will pollute your water quickly. I have allowed mine a tiny bit of cooked chicken, but remove anything leftover after a couple of hours. <br /><br /> LIFESPAN: <br /><br /> This is the worst thing about these creatures. The lifespan is meant to be two months. I have had one for three and a half and it grew huge, but there really is no way to keep these creatures for years. You may be able to hatch the offspring - this requires completely drying out the substrate, preferably for months and then rehydrating. The eggs can not hatch without a dry spell. They also will not hatch until temperatures are right, laying dormant for many years if necessary before the conditions for hatching are correct. They can survive freezing to almost boiling temperatures while dormant. <br /><br /> EDUCATIONAL: <br /><br /> I do think these creatures are quite educational, but only if you take the time to learn about them. Just watching them swim about isn't highly educational, but if you look them up online, find out how they evolved, how the planet has changed since the first triops appeared and ask why these little things have survived longer than any other animal on the planet - they become highly educational. Our guesses for their survival include: The ability for only one to reproduce, the ability to remain dormant for many years until conditions are right for survival of the hatchlings and the ability to eat virtually anything. I would also recommend " When Dinos Dawned, Mammals Got Munched and Pterosaurs Took Flight - A Cartoon Prehistory of Life in the Triassic". The mention of triops is limited, but this does give an idea of what the world was like in the early Triassic just after the Permian Extinction, which the triops is listed as a survivor of, although to my knowledge the fist fossils date back to just after the event. " When Bugs Were Big, Plants Were Strange, and Tetrapods Stalked the Earth: A Cartoon Prehistory of Life Before Dinosaurs " would also be quite useful as this discusses life before the curtain fell on most of the earth's life forms. <br /><br /> RECOMMENDED ? <br /><br /> Yes, but preferably for children over age 4. I would also explain to the child before the triops are hatched that they have a very short lifespan, and will not live for more than a few months. My children are still always disappointed when they die, but always want to try again with a new one. If you are wanting to test a child's commitment to keeping a pet though, this might be just the thing. If the child grows tired of it and will not care for it anymore, you won't have too many months of looking after it yourself, and it is pretty low maintenance. I only wish they could breed a strain with a longer lifespan. <br /><br /> I would certainly recommend this package of eggs over any of the sets going. After all, all you can really use out of the triops sets is the eggs and the food so why pay for a plastic bowl and a fancy box?<br />
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<b>Summary:</b> A unique chance to own a pet that shared the earth with dinosaurs.<br />
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Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-66695744052883856022013-09-24T13:38:00.001-07:002013-10-20T07:50:43.945-07:00Educational Board GamesWe no longer hit the books on Fridays in our home. Instead we head for the games shelves. I once read ( and have spent forever trying to find the link) that there were the top three family activities to help children succeed academically were : <br />
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Books - reading to your children, reading with them, and providing varied material for them to read themselves.<br />
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Days Out - The obvious museums and zoos and such, but also simple days out such as parks, the seaside or wooded areas.<br />
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Board Games: This one took me by surprise but it makes sense. There are so many skills children can learn from board games. You need to read and follow instructions - at least to get started - we often make our own rules or variations later. Even the simplest games encourage conversation, teach children to take turns, and of course how to cope with both winning and losing. Younger children's games often include matching, colour recognition, counting and fine motor skills. Older children's games are apt to include a few more math's concept like counting money and change, strategy and more. There are a wealth of board games designed specifically for educational purposes each with their own goal in mind. I'll be trying to include as many of the games we use and enjoy as possible for now - so if my ratings look a bit one sided - it is because I am only including favourites for now. Age recommendations are my own. I consider the children's interest levels, difficulty of problems etc when estimating age, but assume some parental help is available for very young players.<br />
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<strong>Colours</strong><br />
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<strong>Candyland by Hasbro</strong><br />
A perfect first board game. Teaches colours, taking turns and a wonderful game for Christmas time.<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/board-games/hasbro-candyland/1591842/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/board-games/hasbro-candyland/1591842/</a><br />
Ages: recommended 3+ but both of my boys played this from age 2. Still gets used at Christmas time but really best for children under age 6<br />
Players : 2 - 4<br />
Reading Required? No.<br />
Entertainment Value **** 1/2 Educational Value ****<br />
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<strong>Maths</strong><br />
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<strong>What's The Point by Greenboard Games</strong><br />
Teaches, fractions, percentages and decimals<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/board-games/what-s-the-point/1727202/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/board-games/what-s-the-point/1727202/</a><br />
Ages Technically 8+, but my five year old enjoys playing this as a team with me.<br />
Players: Technically 2 or more - you could go up to 6, but it would grow tedious with too many players. This could be played alone as well.<br />
Reading Required? No.<br />
Entertainment Value ** 1/2 Educational Value *****<br />
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<strong>Sum Swamp - Learning Resources</strong><br />
Very basic addition and subtraction - fun but only for younger children.<br />
Ages 4 - 6<br />
Players 2 - 4<br />
Reading Required? No.<br />
Entertainment Value **** Educational Value ****<br />
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<strong>Magic Cauldron Maths - Orchard Toys</strong><br />
Simple addition subtraction, a couple of very easy multiplication questions.<br />
Fill a cauldron by collecting cards that equate to the correct number for each spell. Uses heat sensitive cards, but these can be hard to work on a cold day. I resorted to keeping a cup of tea handy and holding the cards against the cup, but children playing alone could use a heated bean bag ( not included).<br />
Ages 4 - 7<br />
Players - 2 + but could be used alone if you really needed to.<br />
Reading Required? No.<br />
Entertainment Value **** Educational Value ****<br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Run, Run, as Fast as you Can! by Orchard Toys</strong></span><br />
An all time favourite in our house. Teach simple fractions and counting as well as adding abit of rhyming and literature if you wish. My youngest has played this since age 2, my oldest still enjoys this at age 8, and I'm quite certain I will never outgrow it.<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/board-games/orchard-toys-run-run-as-fast-as-you-can/1680005/change">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/board-games/orchard-toys-run-run-as-fast-as-you-can/1680005/change</a><br />
Recommended ages 4+ but I would recommend from age 2 with suprevsion if you child has outgrown eating small parts.<br />
Players 2-4<br />
Reading Required? No.<br />
Entertainment Value *****+ Educational Value *****<br />
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<strong>SNAKES AND LADDERS</strong><br />
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It doesn't really matter which version you choose, we have a lovely set by Galt with animal pictures and a ludo game with different habitats on the back, but any Snakes and Ladders game will work.<br />
When playing the game as you are meant to, children learn to count up to 100 and simple addition.<br />
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Adding a few sets of flash cards and some coloured markers creates a whole new game. You can use a ready made set of flashcards or make your own. Just be sure you will have answers that equal up to 100. We use coloured glass pebbles like you would have in a fish tank as markers, but anything will work : Hot Wheels cars ( although they roll about terribly) toy dinosaurs, zoo animals etc... The object of this game is to get four of your markers in a row, while clocking other players from doing the same. Any time you correctly answer a flash card, you place your marker on that square. If it is already occupied - we allow the child to choose another square, but if you want to make it more cut throat you can bump the player off. Other options would be to draw another card, or just miss the turn. In all honesty this doesn't teach any more than flash cards alone - but it is a lot more fun.<br />
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For more variations see my review @<br />
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<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/board-games/galt-snakes-ladders-and-ludo-game-set/1730681/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/board-games/galt-snakes-ladders-and-ludo-game-set/1730681/</a><br />
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<strong>Spelling</strong><br />
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<strong>Scrabble by Mattel</strong><br />
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The ultimate in spelling fun, this also teaches vocabulary, especially if played with a dictionary, and quite a lot of maths adding up scores, especially with triple or double and letter scores. This is an all time family favourite and one every home educating family should have.<br />
Players 2 - 4<br />
Reading Required? Yes<br />
Entertainment Value *****+ Educational Value *****<br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle"><span style="padding-left: 0px;"><strong>Fish N Spell Game</strong> </span></span><br />
<span style="padding-left: 0px;">What's In The Box?</span><br />
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<li><span style="padding-left: 0px;">cloth pond</span></li>
<li><span style="padding-left: 0px;">wooden fishing poles with magnets.</span></li>
<li><span style="padding-left: 0px;">80 magnetic fish with letters.</span></li>
<li><span style="padding-left: 0px;">cards which have common words in four languages. You can choose to spell them in English, French Italian or Spanish. </span></li>
<li><span style="padding-left: 0px;">two cards with eight fish shapes to spell your words on.</span></li>
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<span style="padding-left: 0px;">The idea of the game is to turn all the fish upside down and see who can find the all the letters to the given word first. It is meant for only two players, but more can play by sharing the fishing rods and having the older players play without the card. The card is just a bit of paper anyway. I do wish it had been magnetic as it would have kept the letters together better. You are not meant to take turns which can make this mad race, but we do take turns.</span><br />
<span style="padding-left: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="padding-left: 0px;">We also often use our own cards, either Kipper's Word Games cards from ORT, or home made cards using words from my son's phonics books. With my oldest we have played using a spelling list as well - so he doesn't get a card to guide him them.</span><br />
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<span style="padding-left: 0px;">There are a few flaws with this game. The fish stick together easily, the card for making your words is a bit flimsy, and the words on the cards are all easy in English. I don't really feel you can learn a foreign language with this as you wouldn't know the pronunciation, but it would be handy if you were already studying one of the three extra languages. But this still earns five stars because it is so flexible. You can leave the fish right side up for younger players and use this to teach alphabet recognition as well as simple spellings. By adding your own cards, you can focus on any subject you wish. You can even try spelling dinosaur names or latin names of plants - there are enough tiles for most words.</span><br />
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<span style="padding-left: 0px;">Highly recommended for ages 3 - 10 but be aware that this does contain magnets. These are very weak, but the game is still not recommended for under 3's.</span><br />
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<strong>Hangman by Milton Bradley:</strong><br />
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This is played very much like the original paper and pencil game. Each player chooses a word and places the letters in a rack at the front of their case. Players take it turns to guess a letter. If it is correct - the letter is placed facing out in the appropriate position in the rack at the top of their case, making this visible to person guessing, If it is incorrect their opponent turns the wheel one click revealing a part of a gallows - or the gallows with part of a body swinging from the hangman's noose ( although the noose itself isn't shown. When a whole body is displayed that player has lost - or in our house died - complete with gasping and choking with hands clutched to throat before collapsing in a very melodramatic death. <br /><br /> As an alternate you can place all the tiles on top of the case to begin with facing the person who has made that word. As their opponent guesses letters correctly - these are turned over, but my son did find it difficult to spell his words in reverse when he was younger. <br /><br /> Traditionally, each player should just make up their own words and must be able to spell any word they will be using. This is the way we play now as my oldest is 8 and can spell a reasonable number of words. When my son was very young ( ages 5 -6) I often gave him a book we were reading at the time and we would each choose a word from the book. This makes this game easy and fun for very young players. I feel this also helped my son learn to read and spell the words he was using in his every day school work as well. As he has grown older we tried using spelling lists for awhile, and it does help him to learn the words, but it also made guessing the words quite easy. Now we just choose whatever words we like - although as an adult I do refrain from using words I know he will not be familiar with - where if I were playing with another adult I would choose the most obscure words possible. <br /><br /> The biggest drawback to the plastic version of the game is that your are limited to only 8 letters. This leaves many dinosaur names out of the game. I also find the cases very hard to open, but my son can open them easily enough so I suspect that is just me. There are plenty of tiles and we have never come across a word that needed more of any letter than we have. <br />
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<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/board-games/hangman/1668082/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/board-games/hangman/1668082/</a><br />
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Stop back soon I hope to be adding more games daily.<br />
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<br />Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-12259671765080177632013-09-07T06:49:00.003-07:002013-09-07T06:49:50.425-07:00One of the best home ed items we have bought this year!<span class="i7_headline"><strong>Toys of Wood Oxford Multifunctional Advanced Beads Puzzle & Threading Board</strong></span> <br />
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Most people buy back to school clothes, gym kits and stationary. We buy back to school toys. Of course do a lot more than just play, but play is an important part of our curriculum. I believe children retain what they learn better when they are having fun, but something like allows children to use several styles of learning. The manufacturer claims this is suitable for ages 3 -10. I originally scoffed at this idea, feeling 10 would be far too old for this toy, but seeing how much my 8 1/2 year old enjoys it, I've changed my mind. <br /><br /> WHAT'S IN THE BOX: <br /><br /> Wooden tray with a peg board lid. There are two grooves cut into the inside of the tray which can be used to hold the pegboard upright like an easel if desired. <br /> 360 wooden mushroom shaped pegs , various colours, small medium and large tops. the bottom of the peg is just under 1/2 centimetre in diameter. The pegs are nearly 1 centimetre tall. The height is the same for all of them , it is just the width of the mushroom part. <br /> 6 coloured laces. <br /> 5 wooden shapes for threading: cow, teddy bear, butterfly, fish <br /> And instruction booklet showing several designs to make. <br /><br /> OVERALL QUALITY AND MANUFACTURING INFORMATION: <br /><br /> This toy is made in China. The Amazon ad states that it does conform to EC toy safety rules has a ISO 9002 Certificate and conforms to EN71. this doesn't mean much to me so I looked it up. EC toy safety is obvious, but the ISO 9002 certificate is a British standards certificate but now obsolete. EN71 refers to "European and International toy safety standards EN71"* <br /><br /> The overall quality of the toy can only be described as exceptional. The wood has a lovely smooth surface and the lid fits on top perfectly. The lacing figures are simple, they are all one colour, but also have a nice texture and appear very well made. I do suffer from tremors at times in my hands, and unfortunately this box really went flying shortly after purchase. I was delighted that it came out unscathed. The paint is thick and robust and appears unlikely to chip and thank goodness the whole box was put together well enough o withstand some impact, although obviously this is not recommended. My favourite part however, is the pegs. We do have plastic pegs as well, but these are so much nicer. I just the love the feel of real wood and so do the boys. <br /><br /> The instruction booklet is written in both Chines and English , and I'm afraid the translation is not very good. In one instance it reads "Don't keep the toy in the mouth to prevent children devour small parts of the toy". The English is not perfect, or even good, but it does get the point across, and in all honesty it is common sense anyway, You really shouldn't need an instruction book to advise you not to throw this toy at each other or to allow small children to eat the little pieces. The "Warning choking hazard - Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years" is clearly stamps as are a few other references to 3+. The majority of the instructions are illustrations so no text is needed but what I really like about the booklet is that it has the English word under most pictures accompanied by the Chinese symbol. I really like this as my children have had some interest in Chinese writing and I think it is wonderful for them to be exposed to this little taste of another culture. <br /><br /> WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS? <br /><br /> I could write a book on what you can do with this toy. It is great fun simply to make pictures and allow for artistic expression. It is also wonderful to make geometric shapes and explore patterns. You can have fun creating half of a picture and allowing a child to create the other half. You can make pictures only from pegs, or by lacing the wooden shapes onto the board. Or you can use this as a threading board with strings alone, crisscrossing them back and forth to make designs or stitching out letters. The wooden shapes can also be used for tracing, or you can just stitch the threads in and out of the holes. You can play X's and o's with this , or even a simplified version of Go one of Albert Einstein's favourite games. <br /><br /> CHILD DEVELOPMENT: <br /><br /> Fine motor skills: The small mushroom pegs are perfect for encouraging children to develop a pincer grip. The threading and lacing activities help children develop the ability to use the hands asymmetric bilateral integration or the ability to use both hands at once in a different task. Both lacing and using the pegs improves hand / eye coordination. <br /><br /> Literacy: The ability to recognise patterns is a key skill required in emergent literacy. You can start with something as simple as a two colour pattern and allow the child to guess which colour comes next. If your child makes a picture, you can use pegs to spell out the word underneath. The main reason I bought this though is letter recognition. First I make the letter with pegs, then encourage my child to feel the shape of the letter. As he does I say the letter name and sound, and we think of words which begin with it. Next he makes the letter himself. He ends up using all of his senses in this activity, sight, touch, sound and even critical thought as he thinks about where to place the next peg. <br /><br /> Maths: You can discuss small, medium and large as you pick out mushroom pegs. The manufacturer suggests doing simple sums on this, but we didn't find that very interesting. But a child can learn multiplication easily using blocks of pegs. An example would be to find the total for three rows of eight. This is excellent for discovering factors as well as a child discovers how many different patterns he or she can make with a set number of pegs. You can practice simple division with remainder as well, or use pegs to represent number values such as blue for ones, red for tens etc... - or you could just use the pegs to count. <br /><br /> Geometry: This does not make a perfect circle, but it is nice for more angular shapes, and allows children to learn the shapes through touch just as we did with the letters. You can also show how some shapes can combine to make others. You can make wonderful geometric patterns as well. <br /><br /> Multicultural: Try making some of the Chinese characters along with the picture. You might also read a book about Chinese writing. I would recommend Jin Jin The Dragon by Grace Chang and The Pet Dragon by Christoph Niemann. <br /><br /> Art and colour recognition are fairly obvious so I won't go into these. <br /><br /> DOWNSIDES: <br /><br /> I only have two problems with this set. First I wish you would buy more pegs as with only 360 pegs and 550 holes you can not fill the whole board. The second issue is that while the lid fits perfectly, it does not attach, so this can spill easily, and believe me, you do not want 360 pegs rolling about the floor. To solve this, either make sure the pegs are kept in the plastic baggies, or get a pencil case to keep them as I did. A soft pencil cases fits easily in this, along with all the other bits, and I even had room for an extra set of wooden shapes which I bought separately. There are two notches at the top and bottom of this set. I place a rubber band over the whole box, fitting into the notches to hold everything together and it works perfectly. <br /><br /> PRICE AND RECOMMENDED EXTRAS: <br /><br /> This set sells for £13.99 new and delivered from Amazon, fulfilled by Toys of Wood Oxford. <br /><br /> As mentioned, you can not buy additional wooden pegs for this set. However, you can buy plastic ones. They aren't as nice, but they are fairly cheap. Amazon charges £18.49 for five plastic pegboards and 1,000 pegs but I bought the 1,000 pegs alone for roughly £5 on ebay. I have also added a beautiful set of wooden lacing seaside animals from ELC, and as luck would have it, they even fir in the box. Finally I bought of Miniland plastic letters for sewing. These letters can be stitched directly onto the board with the threads, as can the ELC animals. The possibilities are absolutely endless as Amazon has quite a few lacing and threading toys that could easily be added to this. <br /><br /> OUR OPINION: <br /><br /> My sons are ages 5 and 8. Both really enjoy this toy, and I have to admit, I do as well. There are just so many things you can do with this. I think we could have this for years and still find new and different uses for it. Because this toy does have such massive amount of different uses, it never grows boring, you can always find a new game or activity. I love this because it keeps learning fun and really is helping my son with pre reading skills and fine motor coordination. My sons love it simply because it is fun. If dooyoo allowed 1/2 star ratings, I would drop this to 4 1/2 stars because you can not buy replacement parts. We are very careful with small parts, but if you can't be sure these will always be put away properly, this mightn't be a good choice as you will not be able to replace them. I can't bring myself to drop this to 4 stars though as the boys both love it, it has had hours of play already, and it is educational as well. <br /><br /> # How to play a children's version of Go or Goe: <br /> Go is an ancient Chinese games, dating back at least 2,500 years. It is meant to be played on black line, but in this case, we can play it with holes. The idea is simple. Each player gets a colour. You take turns placing pegs. The idea is to surround your opponents pegs. Whenever a group of pegs is surrounded by another colour, with no open space in which to move, they are captured and must be removed. This is actually a highly complicated game using maths and logic, and we do not attempt the correct scoring. For a children's game, we simply count up the number of pegs on the board after a set time and whoever has the most wins. If you wish to play the game in it's true form, you Google "How to Play Go" <br /><br /> *Wikipedia.<br />
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This review also appears on dooyooMargaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-26412872847347640862013-09-07T06:46:00.003-07:002013-09-07T06:46:36.458-07:00The Board (games) of EducationThe children will be going back to school soon, and many parents at this time of year are thinking of ways to boost their child's academic achievement. If your child attends school, you may be looking for ways to help the child excel in class, or is some cases simply to catch up. If you are a home educator, you are most likely planning out an entire curriculum. But regardless of whether your child attends school or not - almost all children are home educated to some extent. Most of do try to engage in educational activities at home. Board games are often overlooked, but their value can be immense. For the life of me, I can not find the original study I am about to quote, but it did state that the three most important things a parent could do to help their child academically were: <br /> 1 - read to them. <br /> 2 - take them places, everything from museums to parks. <br /> 3 - play board games. <br /><br /> Now the first two originally came as no surprise to me, but over the years I have come to see more and more how board games can help a child academically. This book focuses on how board games can help a child develop key skills which may translate to academic success, as well as just basic skills required for life. Obviously, I did not need any convincing, I've been using board games more and more on our home education journey - to the point that next year Fridays will be devoid of all pencil work. We will only have board games, science toys, arts and crafts or days out. I bought this book, not to discover if board games could be a part of our curriculum, but in the hopes of finding new and better ways to use them. <br /><br /> The author, Jeffrey P. Hinebaugh is an American attorney and partner in a law firm. He has also taught economics, and is the father of two home schooled children. Because he is American, this book will have American names of games, and some of the games may be less common over here, but in most cases he does mention British Equivalents. I would note that he also seems to be referring to older variants of some of the games, so that The Game of Life he refers to in the book looks nothing like the edition currently available on Amazon. While some of these games may be less common in the UK, I did engage in a quick search on Amazon and ebay and found all of them were available, although some were a bit on the expensive side. Sadly, none of the Orchard Toys board games are listed though, and I believe this is because these are primarily British games, nor were any games created especially for educational purposes, and there are quite a few excellent ones out there. <br /><br /> The book begins with the simplest games Candyland and Chutes and Ladders - which for us means "Snakes and Ladders". At this stage children are learning very basic skills, such as colours and how to count. the author also points out that these teach very important life skills, like how to lose, and that bad things happen - like landing on a snake just when you are ready to reach the end. The Chutes and Ladders section was one of the best in the book and offers all sorts of variation on the game to make it more challenging for older students, as well as teaching new skills. I have got a few ideas from this, and I have in fact just ordered a Snakes and Ladders Game, but I also had a been reading up on other board games and realised I could make my own version of some very expensive maths games with a snakes and ladders set and some markers. Still the simple idea of added polyhedron dice to the game and a maths dice with +, -, x, and / make this a brilliant way to drill basic facts without work books or flash cards. I also liked the idea of using this game to introduce the concept of negative numbers. <br /><br /> Scrabble and boggle are of course brilliant games to improve reading and spelling. Scrabble also teaches maths skills as we use both addition and simple multiplication to calculate scores. The author gives a few variations, but most of these were ones I was already familiar with. Still, I found it a useful section and it does really make think just how beneficial these games are. <br /><br /> I was less impressed with " I Will Buy It!", the section on Monopoly, Payday and The Game of Life. I'll admit these games do all teach maths skills , especially if you have the child serve as banker, but I'm less impressed with their value as means to teach children to invest, budget, and plan for retirement in real life. The payday game does look quite useful for calendar skills, although it looks rather boring to me, so I may consider making my own version with calendar , monthly supplies drop and an expedition theme, if I can get my hands on a few cheap game boards or something similar to reconstruct. <br /><br /> The section on logic and deductive reasoning was brilliant, and this alone made the book worth purchasing in my opinion. This is an area in which the schools are falling short now, and the need for children to be able to think for themselves and come to logical conclusions, or even logical guesses has never been more apparent. The games included are Cluedo, Battleship and Mastermind. I already own the first two, but after reading this, I ordered Mastermind the same day. Much of what Hinebaugh says in this chapter is common sense, but it hadn't really occurred to me before. He does point out exactly how these games encourage children to use logic reason, and form educated guesses. <br /><br /> The section on war games was also brilliant. The include draughts ( checkers), Risk and Stratego. I am now in the process of searching for yet another spare game board to make a game of Risk based on a modern map, and perhaps one of the Europe only. I had never though of using Stratego places on a map of an actual battlefield and adding or subtracting points for things like high ground, narrow passes, marshes etc... This opens up a whole new level of gameplay. It also got me thinking of ways I could change the games , and I have some unusual ideas as well. I've though of our own addition to this as well - disease dice. Disease wiped out entire armies so something as simple as camping your troops in a marsh could put you at risk of fevers etc... If we include a budget and allow the players to buy weapons, medicines food etc... we could make an incredible game. These games are meant to teach strategy and negotiation, but with some alterations they can teach history, science, military tactics and more. <br /><br /> "Out of the Blue" shows how games like Pictionary and Scattergories can increase creativity and drastically improve a child's ability to express themselves. They don't really sound like a I need board game for them for them though, so I can take these ideas without buying the games or add a Pictionary category to one of my own made up board games. <br /><br /> "Einstein Played Board Games" seems a bit of leading title. It does mention that Einstein enjoyed Chess and Go, but doesn't give much detail on these. I had to look Go up myself, but it looks brilliant and is easy enough to play with a chessboard and markers. This chapter really primarily deals with chess, but I can't say that learned much from it. We all know chess has educational benefits, and this gives us some evidence of this in terms of studies and research. There is a significant discussion of Game Theory here, but I'm afraid if I hadn't already studied this in philosophy years ago, I would have been a bit lost. However, this is the only section that I feel any adult would struggle to understand. This section does have a very useful list at the end which lists each game and skills taught. <br /><br /> Overall, I am glad I bought this book. It was expensive. I paid £9.49 for a new copy from Amazon, with used copies being offered at twice the price - something that has never made much sense to me. I did give me some new ideas, and get me started on making up more ideas of my own. I've always been one to add to games, or even make whole new games out of old and unwanted ones. It did help me realise that playing board games really is teaching quite a lot, and so does constitute a fair use of our educational time, and gave me the research to back this should the school board ever call it into question ( which is unlikely as they don't seem to care how we do things as long as we get the desired results). <br /><br /> To be honest though, there really isn't a lot here I couldn't find by combing through home education sites, it just puts everything in one place, and many of the variations were similar to things we already do. Still, I learned enough from this to justify the purchase price in my opinion, and I tend to be very creative in the use of board games already, so I expect most people will get as much from it as I did. I know I am going to sound a bit arrogant here but in all honesty, I do believe if I wrote down my own educational variants for board games though - I would have more ideas than I found in the book. That said, it is always nice to find a few new ones. My one real complaint was that I did grow a bit bored with the authors use of his children as examples. It seems on every game he went into detail on how they lost the pieces, and what they used as substitutes. Some info on what they learned from the game might have been more helpful. <br /><br /> Finally, there is some really fun trivia on the games, and how they evolved. I was fascinated to learn that Snakes and Ladders developed from an ancient Indian board game which illustrated the path to enlightenment. Apparently many of our games originated in India, but there is fun trivia on more modern games as well. <br /><br /> The big question is - should you buy this? If you home educate - I would say yes. If you already home educate with board games, you are sure to find some new ideas, and if not this will certainly encourage you to consider it. If you do not home educate, but are actively looking for ways to help your child get ahead at school, this might also be worth considering. I do believe children would benefit more from books and board games at home than from workbooks, and especially if your child needs help in specific areas, this might be very helpful. If you already have a number of these classic games, this book will certainly be more useful for you. If not, buying enough games to make this book useful may not be practical. As mentioned, I don't own all of them, but I do own more than half - although some are altered. Mariopoly is ever so much more fun than Monopoly Jr and we will be converting Monopoly Skylandopoly next week. <br /><br /> I believe a family game night has many benefits, but we do have to face the facts that not all children will want to play board games when they could play X-box or Nintendo instead. Home educated children are going to leap at the choice of a board game over workbooks. A child who is already tired from a long day travelling to and from school, doing homework and trying to find a bit of time to socialise might really prefer to unwind with a video game before bed instead of a board game. It would certainly be worth discussing with your child before buying the book and games. I'm also afraid too many attempts to make a game more educational may result in the child growing bored. It's one thing to play a game based on maths facts instead of learning those facts from worksheets. It is quite another to be asked to do more sums after a full day at school and pages of homework. Of course other children will be so happy to be spending one on one time with the parents like this that they won't care how educational it is. So whether this book will work for you or not depends very much on your own child's interests. In short - if your child enjoys these types of games, this book may be very helpful. If they don't - there isn't much point.<br />
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This review also appears on dooyoo.co.ukMargaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-37653386935196218172013-08-07T11:31:00.000-07:002013-08-07T11:31:18.612-07:00Home Education in Northern Ireland - Meeting with the school board. My posts here are usually about books but meeting with the school board seems to be a subject which fills many home educators with dread. I'll have to admit, I was quite frightened myself at first after hearing few horror stories, but I phoned the gentleman in charge up a few months before hand, found him very helpful and actually look forward to their visits now. This is not a post about whether you should or should not with meet with the board. That decision is not mine to make. This post is assuming that you will be meeting with the board, whether willingly or less than willingly. If you live in Northern Ireland I would very strongly recommend that you visit the school board site for this: <a href="http://www.belb.org.uk/downloads/sen_home_education_guidance.pdf">http://www.belb.org.uk/downloads/sen_home_education_guidance.pdf</a><br />
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If you live elsewhere, I can not stress strongly enough that you must find the legal requirements where you live. Do not rely on hearsay or opinion. Most people mean well, but a mistake here could have serious consequences. Look up the documents, read themselves and form your own opinion. If in doubt I would ask the board for clarification, and failing this I would seek legal advice. I will not give any legal advise as to the situation as I not qualified to do so. <br />
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My first advice on meeting with the board is to try to do so with an open mind. If you greet people politely and respectfully, most people respond in kind. Even if you have had differences, try to put them aside for this meeting. If you despise the board - do not say so in front of your child. The last thing you want is a child who is terrified of or antagonistic the visitor. I know many people do have issues with the local boards. I can not comment on anyone else's personal experiences. Sometimes I find it difficult to think it is the same person I know being described, but we all have different circumstances and opinions. All I can say is that our visits have gone very well. I have found both members I have dealt with to be very helpful, polite and easy to work with. My only complaint would be that they skipped us one year and never came at all, but I do appreciate that there are many families to visit.<br />
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<strong>Preparing for the visit:</strong><br />
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Keeping a journal: A journal or log is one of the very best ways to show what your child does each day. I do keep one year round, which documents attendance subjects covered and things I need to remember - like to review a difficult subject a month later to make sure it has stuck. If you don't wish to do this all year - I would consider keeping a record for a week or even a single day. This gives the board member an idea of what you do. My youngest is just staring school this September and the oldest<br />
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The following are two examples from our journal:<br />
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Friday, 26 April<br />
New Ants arrived - set up ant farm.<br />
Planted Sunflowers ( which the slugs ate)<br />
Searched online for a new book reading book descriptions and sample pages. Chose Can Science Solve - Black Holes.<br />
Guitar practice<br />
Researched ants online<br />
Kumon Multipication<br />
Logic Puzzles<br />
Wrote report on Ants<br />
Read Gawain and the Green Knight<br />
Read Astrosaurs<br />
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Tuesday 25, May<br />
Collins Mental Maths<br />
Had problems with square centimetres. Used rulers and tape measure to measure various objects. Looked online for items sold by square meter. Took breaks on trampoline to deal with frustration and came back to problem.<br />
Anton and the Piranha - helped write review for book<br />
Nearly Dearly Insincerely Adverbs. Played game using adverbs ( many rude).<br />
Helping to teach brother alphabet, creative movement making alphabet shapes with bodies.<br />
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As you can see the last day is a bit short, but we all have bad days - some might choose not document, but this is in red ink so I know to review it later. I've never claimed we were perfect. The parts in ( ) aren't in the actual journal.<br />
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At one point I tried to keep a list of books used. I soon realised I'd need another book just for this. As we have our visits in the home, I leave out a few books we are using at the time, but thy can see all the bookshelves if they wish. If meeting away from home I would bring a list of the some of the most frequently used items though. Mine might look something like this:<br />
Project X Code series<br />
Astrosaurs series<br />
Kumon, Collins and Letts workbooks<br />
Klutz books<br />
Collection of science kits toys and equipment<br />
Maths manipulative including pattern blocks, fraction cubes and Cuisenaire rods<br />
Educational board, card and computer games.<br />
Horrible Histories books magazines and videos<br />
Vast collection of books on many subjects including from science, history, folk tales, geography, literature and books that are just fun to read.<br />
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<strong>Provide samples:</strong><br />
My son used a simple spiral notebook this year with maths questions written in, book reports, written work from school books etc... this provided a quick means to show all subjects but in one place but other years I just used a folder. A blog page like this is also an excellent way to show case writing skills. This is my son's blog <a href="http://themadscientistschool.blogspot.co.uk/">http://themadscientistschool.blogspot.co.uk/</a> . We haven't put up many posts yet, but as he is now age 8 this should be growing soon.We also kept workbooks etc to show if needed and had this available at the time of the visit.<br />
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I also would be certain to mention outside activities. My sons take karate lessons, attend Boys Brigade, Sunday School and the oldest goes to youth club. This does provide some evidence of socialisation, but it also lets the board know the child is seen regularly - which has become an issue after the child being starved to death in England with no one noticing because she was listed as home education ( but to be fair it has just happened again - the school noticed and phoned the doctor but no one phones child protective services! The boy actually died from abuse but was near death from starvation as well). In addition to this though, it also shows a well rounded education. my sons learn religion in BB and Sunday School and karate is both a physical fitness activity and an art form.<br />
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I also have a book ready for the child to read each time and a project they have worked on. I had photos of trips and days out, and a list of online programmes used. This could all be combined - except for the book into a simple portfolio.<br />
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<strong>Prepare an ice breaker:</strong><br />
The board member will want to speak to your child if possible. Children can talk a mile a minute if they want too, but can easily clam up when you want them to talk. I made sure my son had a certain book I knew he gets so excited about he would be certain to break into a conversation about it as the book for him to read out loud. I also know with his interest in the science behind it he would be able to carry on a fairly intelligent conversation regarding the subject. I also had his ant farm and bio dome out, and always have some project the child will discuss. Once he gets started talking he is fine.<br />
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<strong>My child still won't talk:</strong><br />
If you think your child is going to be too uncomfortable to read out loud, or simply will not talk to strangers - why not prepare a short video of him or her reading a favourite book - discussing why they like home education or conducting a science project. If your child will not be meeting with the visitor, this will be even more helpful.<br />
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<strong>Prepare yourself:</strong><br />
If this is your first visit, I would expect to be asked why you home educate. Think about this before hand and be prepared to give some explanation as to your reasons for home education, your long terms goals in this regard, and what methods you use. If you plan to go against standard practice - be prepared to explain why. I refused to push reading before my child had reached reading readiness, and had all the research to back my decision if needed. It wasn't needed though as the gentleman agreed with me. <br />
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In all honesty, one of my reasons for home education is my belief that the local school is substandard. It certainly isn't my only reason - but I would truly hate to send my child there. There really isn't any point in spending a half an hour bashing the schools or boards though. I have simply said I feel that the local school does have an issue with literacy and that this is too important to me to leave to chance. If your child has had a bad experience, it is fair enough to mention it - but I would suggest sticking to the facts and covering it as quickly as possible without name calling or casting too much blame on any individual. But I also feel you should be able to mention some positive reasons for home education rather than just saying it because the local school is rubbish.<br />
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<strong>Common Sense:</strong><br />
The school board isn't really there to inspect your home and it should be safe for children anyway. There should be no obvious health and safety hazards. But rather obviously, some effort should be made at creating good impression. The child's study area at least should be reasonably tidy. If this is just the kitchen table - you won't want it covered in ash and overfull ashtrays. The children should be up, dressed and reasonably clean and presentable. I'll admit I've let them stay in nice footed PJ's all day on cold and miserable days in the winter - but not when the board is visiting. I would put pets such as dogs outdoors or in another room and if you have frequent visitors ask them to avoid calling at that time.<br />
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I wouldn't worry about things like a crying baby, a toddler who has just dumped the toy box etc.. these are normal and to be expected. On one occasion a child had recently wrecked the border in the living room and it looked quite tatty. I wasn't happy about it, but it wasn't mentioned, nor was the chipped paint in the study room. This is not an issue for the quality of education. We are not expected to live in a mansion. The paint in my hall is always chipped from bicycles being kept there. That is just the way it is.<br />
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<strong>Ask questions:</strong><br />
If you have any concerns about the visit, just ask. The lady who visits us now is a qualified teacher as well, so I see this as an opportunity to get a second opinion on anything that might be troubling me. I do not think they expect us to be perfect so asking if a child is on track for a certain subject is not going to do any harm, and they may have some excellent advise to help if there is an issue. The gentleman from the board who came on our first visit recommended we try some pencil grips and they worked wonders. On the last visit, the lady who came out simply reassured us that my youngest sons switching from hand to hand for writing and colouring is still normal, and advised us to ignore it at this time and let him work out for himself which hand to use. If they do express concerns in a certain area - I would ask what I could do to improve this.<br />
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<br />Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-78803982003515621672013-06-22T14:47:00.001-07:002013-06-22T14:47:58.048-07:00Insect related educational toys and unit study ideas<strong>INSECT LORE BUTTERFLY GARDEN:</strong><br />
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This is really just a simple net structure with a coupon to order live caterpillars - which will cost an extra £2.95, but it is fun and it allows children to witness metamorphosis first hand. We currently have 4 cocoons. We used a live plant inside this as well as the supplied foods and the caterpillars really seemed to enjoy it.<br />
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<strong>INTERPLAY WILD SCIENCE ANTOSPHERE:</strong> <br />
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My son is fascinated with tunnels for some reason. At one point he asked for a hamster. I asked him if he really wanted a hamster - and all the work that entails or he just liked the cages with connecting tunnels. Turns out it was the tunnels. So when I saw this, I knew he would like it - and ants should be a lot more low maintenance than a hamster. The worker ant only lives about 5 months, so unless by some chance a female worker breeds ( very are and since I don't think we have a male even less likely), or we find a pupa which hatches into a queen, or perhaps buy one, the colony will die out in the fall. This might be just as well as I don't know if the cold above ground would kill them even though they are indoors.<br /><br /> WHAT'S IN THE BOX? <br /><br /> 2 red tinted pods <br /> 2 clear pods <br /> a length of red tubing which is meant to be cut into 4 bits <br /> 6 legs - or support pieces <br /> 1 clear canister, very much like the old film containers which is called an ant catcher <br /> 1 red food canister <br /> cotton wool <br /> 12 O rings <br /> 2 plugs <br /> sand <br /> tweezers ( although I'm not sure why, you'd crush and ant if you picked it up with these) <br /> A pippette for dripping water through the ventilation holes, or directly into the pod for planted pods. <br /><br /> WHAT'S NOT IN THE BOX? <br /><br /> Ants - you can catch your own or order online either from Interplay, the company that makes this set, or another source like. Interplay charges £5.95 including postage for 45- 50 ants. This group will not include a queen, nor does it appear to contain larvae or pupa. Interplay only sells the harmless, common black ant. Alternatively you can choose from a wide range of packages from the Queen Ant Shop, many of which contain queens, eggs etc with prices starting at £4.99 and free shipping. This business not only does the common ant, they have a few imported varieties, the native but more unusual yellow ant, and if you are not quite right in the head a few varieties of red stinging ants. I can't quite imagine putting these deliberately in my house, and the business makes very clear they are not suitable for children. I did to write to the fellow, who is very knowledgeable and happy to offer advice. I don't think he would even sell you the red ants if he knew they were for children, advising the common black as the most active, or the yellow if you want something a bit different. <br /><br /> SETTING UP: <br /><br /> The basic model is pretty quick and easy to build. I would estimate less than ten minutes, with the child doing most of the construction. Because we had bought 3 sets, construction was more complicated. My son had envisioned recreating an 8 pod set which was pictured on the back of our first set. However even with 3 sets, we did not have enough legs. If we had been able to build this - it would have taken a very large area to set up as well as each base is nearly 12" across. We ended up building a smaller set with two bases and 9 pods. This later had to be downsized when I accidentally snapped a leg, leaving us with 8 pods. <br /><br /> We built this without paying much attention to the instructions. The bottom half of each pod is meant to be all open , while the top part is divided into 3. Our way didn't work and meant switching everything around - after we put the ants in. You need to do it the right way because the ventilation and water holes on the top. Word to the wise : read the instructions. <br /><br /> The instructions are well written and contain a lot of additional information about the life cycle of ants and general ant care. There are even a couple of recipes if you want to start cooking for you ants. There is also a picture of a real ant colony, showing how this is modelled after their natural habitat.<br /><br /> OUR EXPERIENCE: <br /><br /> Both of my boys love this. they love the tubes and the general set up. Having extra pieces makes this even more fun, but a single four pod set is would have been adequate. having extra pods means we can try different things though. We have two pods with creeping plants growing in them, Creeping Julie I believe and cress. The other pods have mixtures of material. Foolishly I put cotton wool in one ( it was meant to soak in liquid for drinking) but the ants love it. Others have soil, sand, grass cuttings and a fiber substrate intended for reptiles and invertebrates. The ants seem to prefer the dryer soil and sand. The ones with plants are kept wetter. <br /><br /> This set is well sealed and you are unlikely to have escapes - unless some idiot leaves a tube disconnected or a plug off. This has happened once when we were rearranging the pods. The idiot shall remain nameless, to protect the guilty. Thankfully, it was when this was first set up and we don't seem to have lost many - if any - and the children didn't mind too much. It meant my oldest had to collect more ants, but he really enjoyed his father getting upset about it, so I'm sure it was worth it. Especially as it has future wind up value. I'm currently looking for plastic ants to decorate his food with or put on his face when he is sleeping. Needless to say this would be more of an issue if we were to have ordered one of those really nasty stinging varieties. You do have to be very careful that the pod seals perfectly when assembled though. This should be no problem with sand or soil, but if you have plants, a small stem sticking out can create a gap - which might result in escapes.<br /><br /> PROBLEMS: <br /><br /> So far our problems have been minor. I did snap one leg, but that was my fault. The overall construction is very good. We did have some problems with the food conatainers and ants becoming stuck in these. I phoned the company and they are sending out a new food container, so I would advise you to observe the food jars closely and if ants get stuck, dump them back into the pods and phone Interplay. I considered rating down on this, but customer service was so brilliant, I decided to keep the 5 star rating. You are advised to place all food in the feeding container so you can throw out anything that is not used. Apparently the ants will keep their own area tidy, if need be using an extra pod as a rubbish dump. I certainly hope so as I can't imagine any way of cleaning this once it is set up. The other issue is ants do not live forever. I am looking into buying a queen, but I don't know if one can be added or the temperature requirements. Worst case scenario, the ants will die off ant this will need to be put away in winter, but one can always collect new ants in the spring, and I do feel that children can understand that an ant is not meant to live for years. Also an ant farm is basically a group of anonymous creatures, it isn't like the children will form a special bond with one. <br /><br /> EXTRAS: <br /><br /> This can also be connected to Interplay's Ant World, a more traditionally shaped ant farm, and you can interconnect as many Antosphere pods as you like. this can also connect to Interplay's worm farm or Eco Dome. Interplay also has some really brilliant looking sets like Antlantis, Fantasy Island, and the Mayan Ant Invasion, which I would love to have, but they do not seem to be available in the UK. I did find one ebay seller willing to ship here, but at a price of nearly £70 it was well out my range. <br /><br /> OVERALL: <br /><br /> I think this is an excellent toy. Even at full price, I feel it does represent value for money. It is educational and fun, and has encouraged my sons to want to learn a great deal more about ants. It really is a nice looking set up, and I love that we can create different types of environments in each pod, giving the ants a more realistic environment, as the clear balls with plants would more closely resemble what they are used to above ground, while the red pods create a more natural underground habitat for them. I feel that it much more fun watching them scamper about the different the levels than a single rectangle like most ant farms use. Of course the rectangular ant farm might be a fun add on at some point. I also think it is more educational as the children can experiment with different types of environments and see which the ants prefer. If we are able to add aphids to a planted pod this will add a whole new dimension to the set up. The children can also experiment to find out which foods the ants like best, what times of day they are most active in, etc... <br /><br /> Obviously this toy is not suited for every child. A wee neighbour girl approached my son to see what he had in the collection jar and ran away screaming. This obviously would not be a good gift for a child phobic of insects. The manufacturer advises that this set not be used by a child with a known allergy to insect stings or bites, or by a child under 36 months, which I feel is rather obvious. But if your child likes creepy crawlies this really is a very interesting toy. It is set up in a large window sill between my computer and the children's and I have to admit, I often find myself observing the ants as well. <br />
Full review @ dooyoo<br />
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<strong>DISCOVERY CHANNEL / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BUG BARN:</strong><br />
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WHAT'S IN THE BOX? <br /> The Bug Barn: <br /> This is 8" long and 4 1/2 " high if you do not count the handle. It is made of plastic with a fine steel mesh screen material which ensures plenty of ventilation, but is not quite as good for viewing as plastic. There is a sturdy handle and two screen doors which slide open easily and close securely. The very fine screen mesh should prevent any unwanted escapes - but perhaps not all wanted escapes - more under our experiences. This is my four year olds favourite part of the set as it allows him to bring to creepy crawlies <br /><br /> Magnifying Glass: <br /> This surprisingly good, we have had many magnifying glasses in science kits and I really did not expect much based on previous experience. This has a very sturdy handle a quite good magnification + there is a small circle with higher magnification. The total length is 9 1/4" with the glass itself being 4 " across. I would expect to pay £5 - £6 for this on it's own, so I was well pleased to have this included. It is plastic, and I find the glass magnifying glasses to be the best, but one hardly expects glass in a toy for small children to run about with. <br /><br /> The Catch Net: <br /> You won't be catching butterflies easily with this one. The net portion is only 5"x 4" but it is reasonably sturdy and is fun for trying to catch flying insects. or perhaps some pond or tide pool dipping. The small size of this net is perfect for transferring creatures to the bug barn if you wish though as it fits over the door perfectly. Despite being small this is my oldest son's favourite part of the set. <br /><br /> Tweezers: <br /> Not really much use in my opinion. I think it would be all too easy to accidentally injure a bug trying to lift it with these. You can however grasp an unfortunate fly with these to lower into the waiting trap of a Venus flytrap. <br /><br /> Stickers: <br /> These are window stickers that peel on and off easily and very nice, but sadly depict American insects <br /><br /> Canister: <br /> We call this the bug jar. This is 2 1/2" high and 2 1/4" wide. The lens has a built in magnifying glass but this is not exceptionally strong. The lid is also vented, but this is definitely a catch and release jar, or something to catch an insect and transfer it to the bug barn. You would not want to keep any bug in this for long. <br /><br /> Instructions: <br /> These are very basic but then it is self explanatory anyway. Unlike most of these sets, this does not include a booklet of common insects to find, but as these always seem to be for American insects, I'm not bothered by this. I have bought a number of British bug identification books so while a sheet with common creepy crawlies would be nice, we don't really need one. It has a warning that you should not stare at the sun through the magnifying glass, but I would think that is obvious. <br /><br /> Our experiences: <br /> My sons absolutely love this. They have had hours of fun searching for insects, which they bring in and identify, looking up facts about them in the books and occasionally keeping them for awhile to observe. they are learning to classify insects, take field notes and record experiences all of which I feel is useful for educational purposes, but more than that, they are really enjoying themselves outdoors in the fresh and air and sunshine. I also just find something nice about seeing my children enjoy the kinds of activities I enjoyed as a child. I like to see them play with things with out whistles and bells, computer chips and screens. I think every child should have fond memories of bug hunting expeditions.<br /><br /> This toy is listed for ages 6+ but my youngest is 4 and absolutely loves this. Of course a bit of supervision would be wise, and children need to be taught to avoid bees and wasps, but there really aren't many dangerous insects in the UK. <br /><br /> It is possible to burn things with the magnifying glass, and my boys were burning holes in paper earlier. I think it would be quite difficult to actually start a real fire this way, but a bit of supervision is never a bad thing. As long as an adult is keeping an eye out, I can't see any harm being done.<br />
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Necessary kit for an insect hunting safari.<br />
This review also appears on dooyoo<br />
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<strong>BACKYARD SAFARI BUG VACUUM:</strong><br />
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<a href="http://themadscientistschool.blogspot.co.uk/">http://themadscientistschool.blogspot.co.uk/</a><br />
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<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/child-development/backyard-safari-bug-vacuum/1710451/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/child-development/backyard-safari-bug-vacuum/1710451/</a><br />
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Unit study ideas: <br />
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I would also suggest outdoor activities in the springtime - go on a bug safari - record and graph the number of each type of insect found. Use an insect identification book to identify species and chart family, order etc...<br />
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For a maths exercise one might look up measurements of many different specials and compare sizes.<br />
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Draw out food chains showing how many animals depend on insects.Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-25937977250306524582013-06-22T14:24:00.002-07:002013-06-22T14:48:39.831-07:00A dragon book so good it deserves a post of its own.<div class="description">
Please note this review contains spoilers. The whole point or shall I say "hole " point of buying this book is the ending. My meaning will be come clear at the end of this review. <br />
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My youngest son loves dragons, so when amazon recommended this for me I couldn't resist. It begins with a very cute little green dragon, playing sword fight, having a snack, brushing his teeth and taking a bath. He then looks up at his mother with a book in his hands and an enchanting look that just must be saying "Please read me this". His mother happily cuddles up to read the story of a fierce red dragon, who never goes to bed, terrorises trolls and eats princesses for dinner. <br />
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When the story is finished, with the sweetest of expressions the little dragon softly asks again to read again. Looking a bit tired, his mother obliges, but she changes the story a bit, making it a bit more gentle, and perhaps more conducive of sleep. The little dragon is still very happy, dancing about, but when his mother goes to leave he grabs her tail shouting "Again!". This goes on for several more pages, with the mother dragon looking more and more exhausted and the little dragon wider and wider awake. The mother tries to make the stories more suitable for calming down and going to sleep, but little dragon doesn't like this. He gets angrier and angrier until he turns a bright angry red himself, finally releasing a fireball which puts a hole right through his book, and your book as well. It's a good thing it is nearly the end of the story as the last page and the back cover now a big blackened hole in the middle. <br />
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This book is two stories in a way. We do get to hear the complete story of the angry red dragon each time as the mother reads it to the little dragon, while at the same time, there is another story of the little dragon and his mother. The second story is told primarily in pictures and the illustrations tell it perfectly. Other than the first line "It was nearly bedtime." the only word is "again". even a child who can not really read can quickly learn these lines and takes turns voicing little dragon's lines while the parent reads the story like the mother dragon would. As the story progresses Mother looks more and more worn out ( I'm sure we all know the feeling) while little dragon's face changes from angelic to petulant to nearly demonic with rage. <br />
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My son still giggles with delight every time we read this. He especially loves when the poor Mother dragon falls asleep and the little dragon jumps up and down on her screaming "again" which he often acts out by jumping on my bed. He also loves the hole in the back of the book and enjoys peeking through it or poking his fingers through. he likes pointing out how the little dragon is getting very angry as his facial expressions change, and little spots of red appear. <br />
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As a parent I can certainly relate to poor Mrs Dragon as well. At least my boys are nice enough to tiptoe off to bed, or the youngest may just go to sleep beside me when I have fallen asleep halfway through a story. the look of exasperation on the mother dragon is sure to bring a smile to most parents. <br />
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I have hundreds if not thousands of books. I have no intention of counting, but as a single shelf can easily hold 100 picture books, and I have book case after book case filled with books I don't think my estimate is too high. In fact a rumour was flying about that the school board counted the books in your house on home visits. My husband simply said "They may bring plenty of helpers then because they are not staying overnight". I doubt you could count them in one day. Needless to say they have never bothered. With so many books, it takes a lot for book to really stand out as exceptional, but this is one of the very best picture books I own. If you have a child between 9 - months and 7 years - all I can say is "buy it". Even my eight year old was laughing with this one, as was I. This is another book that will never find it's way into the charity shop. When my sons outgrow it, I am keeping it for myself until such time as they have children of their own. <br />
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This sells for £7.58 for hardback copy new and delivered from Amazon, or £5.28 from Amazon Marketplace. You can get a paperback for less, but in this case I would recommend paying the extra for a hardback copy as the hole effect is much better. I also feel that this is one of those books that may be read until it is falling apart in a paperback format. I did get my copy for much less as I bought used as new. I love this book so much though that if it were out print and something happened to my copy I could easily see paying £20 or more. As far as I am concerned it is priceless.</div>
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* This review has also appeared on dooyooMargaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-26332325100686955312013-05-20T13:24:00.002-07:002013-06-22T14:22:39.109-07:00More Dragon BooksJin Jin and the Rain Wizard:<br />
After reading the first Jin Jin, we just had to have the second. This one is as lovely as the first. In this story Jin Jin loses the power to breathe water after throwing rice away. He learns that food should not be wasted, as many people suffer without enough to eat, but he also learns that you can correct a mistake with enough effort. This is another beautiful story that combines Chinese Folklore with a mother's loving stories to her own child, illustrated just a beautifully by her brother. It gives some information on Chinese characters as well, and teaches something of Chinese history and culture, so this is very much a book that educates as it entertains.<br />
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The Pet Dragon;<br />
This book does set out to teach children Chinese characters, but as educational as it is, it is even more entertaining. It tells a lovely story of the friendship between a girl a very tiny red dragon - who doesn't stay tiny for long. Like most Eastern stories, there is some moral to this as well. The girl is kind and helpful to an elderly woman and this kindness is returned.<br />
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Tralfagar True: Another Stepehn Cosgrove story with a beautiful and gentle blue and purple dragon who teaches the furry kith and kin the meaning of friendship and the importance of sharing.<br />
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Dragonology:<br />
The cover of this book is the first that thing that will draw any reader in, and it is beautiful. The paper is thick and smooth and printed to look like a red leather covering, with a circle in the middle which displays a lovely illustration of a dragon in flight. This circle is surrounded by three glass gemstones and text both in English and the language of the dragons. Encircling this illustration is a stunning red dragon embossed into the cover. This dragon is raised, so that children can run their fingers over it, feeling the dragon, or lay a paper across it and make a rubbing. Best of all though, it is made of a foil type material, which if tilted toward the light right will reflect a flame like glow. Finally we have a Celtic design in another circle like a great seal. The overall impression is magical and well suited to this book. <br />
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Inside the book we find several pages telling us all about dragons. The first set mentions other animals once thought to be myths that are now known to be real. There is a scientific explanation of how dragons fly and breathe fire, involving methane gas, a map of the world with locations of dragons, detailed descriptions of various types of dragons, the life cycle of dragons, their natural history and behaviour. After this we receive all sorts of advice for the study of dragons and finally a history of dragonologists and dragon slayers. the entire book is presented in a journal like format, meant to be the records of a dragonologist, Ernest Drake.<br />
Full review @ dooyoo<br />
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Dragonology Pocket Adventures:<br />
Four short choose your own adventures perfect for younger readers. We finished each of these in one night. They are illustrated and teach just a little bit of geography as well.<br />
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Dragonology Chronicles<br />
A series of longer chapter books with two children studying as apprentices for dragonologist Dr Drake. Black and white illustrations, easy to read, and lovely stories.<br />
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Dragon Stew:<br />
Dragon stew is about a very polite red dragon, and four very rude Vikings with nothing to do. The Vikings decide that capturing a dragon might be fun, they could tie him up and cart him home and cook up dragon stew. They know they are in the right place when they find a gigantic pile of dragon poo. The Vikings find the dragon, who politely greets them and asks them if they would like something to eat, but the only thing the nasty Vikings want is a pot of dragon stew. <br />
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This is a very short story with a lovely rhyming text and a real pleasure to read aloud. Rhyming text or Nursery rhymes are considered to be a key part in emergent literacy, and believe it or not, this process starts as young as 6 months of age. Reading to your child from a very early age is the very best thing you can do to help them become readers later, but rhyming books are especially important for children who are not yet reading. Rhyming text is also far more difficult to write well, and many books rhyme, but fall short in the story, and just because it rhymes does not mean it will necessarily have a good cadence as well. This has an excellent story for little ones, as well as a wonderful cadence and rhyme. <br />
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The illustrations are top notch as well. They are somewhat carton like, but bright and colourful enough to entice even a very young child, and very, very funny. My son usually prefers longer stories now, but I am well pleased that he really enjoys this as well, as at age 4, he is not reading yet. I would highly recommend this, from ages 6 months or even younger ( I read to my children before they were even born). This is a book for sharing with a child though, by the time a child is old enough to read this on their own, I feel they will most likely have outgrown the story. There is nothing in this book that I feel would upset or frighten even the youngest child. <br />
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Full review @ dooyoo<br />
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<span class="fn">Where Did All the Dragons Go:</span><br />
<span class="fn"> ' Where Did all The Dragons Go ' is, as the title suggest about what happened to the dragons long ago. Every part of the world has ancient tales of dragon like beasts, but of course none are alive today, so if you choose to believe they once were real - where have they gone? This book is for every child who asked this question. This book tells of a time long ago, when dragons shared the earth with man. The children loved the dragons and often joined in their games, but the adults could not understand the powerful creatures and feared them. The time came when the dragons knew they must leave to find their own place. they joined into a great flock and flew away, to a place unknown, but perhaps some trace remains. When the clouds grow black as smoke, and the fire of lightning can be seen, you just my hear the dragons roar again. <span class="fn">Beautifully illustrated, rhyming text.</span></span><br />
Full review @ dooyoo<br />
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The Dragon Snatcher:<br />
George's dragon comes home but he needs help. An evil wizard is stealing all the dragons eggs to cast a spell to banish dragons from their home forever. Can George find the last egg in time?<br />
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Too Hot to Hug:<br />
Lovely story about a baby dragon whose warmth is lovely at first - but he soon becomes too hot to hug. Beautiful pictures and a happy ending.<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/too-hot-to-hug-steve-smallman/1710800/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/too-hot-to-hug-steve-smallman/1710800/</a>Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-4226339695826259692013-05-06T11:53:00.001-07:002013-05-06T11:53:46.270-07:00Dragon Books for childrenThese are all books with good dragons - so if you are looking for dragon slaying adventures. I'm sorry, but this is the wrong place. These books are for younger children who love dragons. <br />
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The Water Dragon by Jian Li:<br />
This is a truly beautiful book with some of the most beautiful illustrations I have ever seen, and a lovely story to match. It is a story of kindness and morality, but does not read as such. To a child this just a wonderful story, but the it still sets a wonderful example as well. It is a story of a boy who finds a magical dragon stone, but then his village is beset by drought. He sets off on a quest to find the magical water dragon, helping many animals along the way. The story is told both in English and Chinese. One a scale of one to five, this book breaks the scales and easily earns a six.<br />
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Jin Jin the Dragon by Grace Chang:<br />
This is another beautiful story based loosely on Chinese folklore. Jin Jin is a beautiful golden creature who hatches
from an egg alone. He meets several helpful animals as he travels on is quest to
find the wise old turtle and crane so he can find out what he is. He has the
scales of a fish, the claws of an eagle, the antlers of the deer, the body of
the serpent etc... But his quest to find out who he is interrupted as he comes
across people in desperate need of help? The beauty of this story is that in
helping others, he discovers his true nature.<br />
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In addition to a beautiful
story, the illustration in this book are lovely as well - what child would not
love Jin Jin? This book also explains how Chinese characters are formed, as Jin
Jin reads the clues to continue his quest, and your child will learn a few of
these as well. But this is not a book children will see as educational, although
it is, for children this book is simply magic - and I have to confess - I found
it magical myself.<br />
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Finally the author tells us more about dragons in
Chinese culture in a brief note at the end of the book, as well as giving us
information on Chinese characters in general, and the ones used in this book in
specific. This is another book I find difficult to limit to 5 stars and am adding a plus to show that even among 5 star rated books, this is a cut above.<br />
*****+<br />
<br />
<span id="btAsinTitle">The Popcorn Dragon by Jane Thayer</span><br />
Dexter looks more like a traditional western dragon, but he appears to live on the African savannah, as his friends are an elephant , a giraffe and a zebra. The elephant looks a bit closer to an Indian elephant though, but they are all beautifully drawn. This story is more about friendship than anything else, but it touches on many common childhood themes, loneliness, showing off, and getting along with others.<br />
<br />
Dexter is a very young dragon - and has just discovered a new skill - blowing smoke. But he ends up showing off a bit too much and not thinking of others, which leaves him isolated from the other animals. He soon discovers another talent - his hot breath can make corn into popcorn - but this time he learns to think of others as well.<br />
*****<br />
<br />
The Muffin Muncher by Stephen Cosgrove<br />
Out of print now and more difficult to find, but this is a lovely story with beautiful illustrations about a dragon who loves to eat muffins and learns that helping others can often make it easier for them to help you as well.<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Dragolin by Stephen by Stephen Cosgrove<br />
A beautiful little green dragon who can not breathe fire, at least not at first, and learns to believe in himself.<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Serendipity<br />
A very sweet pink sea serpent with a message about pollution.<br />
**** 1/2<br />
<br />
The Egg by M.P. Robertson<br />
When George finds an enormous egg in his mother's chicken coop , he takes it on himself to nurture and care for it. It turns out to be a dragon's egg and George makes a wonderful dragon mother, but eventually the dragon longs to be among it's own kind. A lovely story about love and letting go.<br />
*****<br />
<br />
The Snow Dragon by Vivian French<br />
A long time ago, the world was divided into two halves, the northern hemisphere was ice cold and populated by peaceful snow dragons. The southern hemisphere was fiery hot, and home to the fierce fire dragons. Only a small strip in between that was neither too hot nor too cold was home to the two legs (humans). Everyone stayed to their own parts of the world, and so their was peace, until Book tells the ruler of the fire dragons that a two leg will cause their demise. So the fire dragons searched out and destroyed the two legs, leaving only a few survivors hidden in caves. In their quest to destroy the two legs they went further and further north, changing the world to a hot dry desert and forcing the snow dragons to retreat deeper into the snow covered mountains until only one remained. <br />
<br />
Now Book enters the picture again, found by an orphan twolegs, Little Tuft. Book shows Little Tuft a picture of the last snow dragon and the quest begins. Sometimes book helps Tuft, and shows him the which path to take, other times he misleads the boy deliberately. Tuft perseveres through all danger until he finds the snow dragon and persuades her to help. <br />
Spoiler Alert - as this book has an ending which may upset some children - I will give away the ending.. The snow dragon gives her life to destroy the fire dragons and bring peace to the world. The twolegs prosper. Then at the end Little Tuft thinks he sees the shape of the snow dragon in the clouds, and you can see her in the illustration. This gives parents the easy out of saying the snow dragon isn't really dead, she has just changed int a cloud dragon and lives in the sky.<br />
This is a beautiful story and well illustrated, but my sons never took to it as much as the other dragon stories as they really did not like the ending.<br />
****<br />
<br />
<span class="i7_headline">Puff, the Magic Dragon (Book & CD)</span> <br />
A beautifully illustrated book of the popular children song, with accompanying musical CD and a happier ending through the final illustrations.<br />
<br />Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-49301920992846137542013-03-31T07:12:00.002-07:002013-06-01T13:29:18.427-07:00Unusual Alphabet books - including tactile alphabets, dinosaur ABC's and moreThese books are all suitable for young children with the possible exception of two under Monster's ABCs. If you want a very scary one for mature audiences you will find one on my other blog : <a href="http://goodbooksforbadchildren.blogspot.co.uk/">http://goodbooksforbadchildren.blogspot.co.uk/</a> .<br />
<br />
TACTILE ALPHABET BOOKS:<br />
I have no idea why so few of these have ever been printed. Most children learn so much better when through many senses. These combine sight, touch and hearing.<br />
<br />
<span class="i7_headline">Sparkle Books Learn Your ABC</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">This book consists of 9 pages printed on a heavy 9" x 6" card. Each page
has 3 letters, except the last which has two. There is a large capitol
for each letter cut out of the card to reveal a shining sparkling
letter. There is also a set of smaller letters in capitol and lower
case, a word beginning with that letter and a simple drawing to match.
There is no text at all other than the single words and the letter
pairs. This does have it's own usefulness though as children can easily
learn the words for each of these common objects by looking at this
book often. All in all this is a very basic ABC book, and the main point
of interest would be the sparkling letters, which I have found even
very young children seem to enjoy. <br />
<br />
There is however one other aspect about this book that makes it worth
adding to your child's bookshelf. The cut out letters are ideal for
tracing with little fingers, something my own children enjoy doing with
this book. This allows the child to learn the letters with three senses,
visual, auditory and tactile, as opposed to most ABC books which only
use two. While this will be of special benefit to tactile/ kinesthetic learners, I do believe this is helpful for all small children. </span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">* Also reviewed on dooyoo</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">Usborne Touchy Feely abc</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">This is a very traditional alphabet book - a is for apple, be is for b
and c is for car. They are very bright and
colourful, and reasonably well drawn, but perhaps best suited to younger
children - ages 1 -3.
Not every picture has a texture, but most pages do have at least one
textured pictured. I rather think it is cheating to use a cut out
section with smooth card as a texture through when the entire book is
made of smooth card. In addition to the card texture, they have a number
of cloth textures. These are not the greatest, but they are OK, and
enough to get him to read the book now and then. They most certainly do
not compare with the textures in Fiona Watt's That's Not My.... series.
<br />
<br />
This book uses lower cases letters only, and would be very useful for those following a Montessori programme, or otherwise trying to use only lower case letters. The letters themselves were a bit of a dissapointment though. They are all
textured, but only with a stamp creating ridges into the paper. There
are none that have a cut out insert, and the texture is slightly less
noticeable than the stickers I have used for a similar purpose on other books. For tactile purposes as this is not quite as good as Learn Your
ABC (Sparkle Books) - which wasn't even intended to be a tactile book.
<br />
<br />
In short this book is neither very good nor very bad, it is simply
mediocre. I think it would be a very good baby or toddler book, but it
still has some use for any child who is learning their alphabet. I do
have a lot of complaints with this book, but at the same time, there are so very few tactile ABC books printed, it is still worth considering. </span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">My dooyoo review:</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/touchy-feely-abc-fiona-watt/1692343/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/touchy-feely-abc-fiona-watt/1692343/</a></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">Montessori Letter Work by Bobby and June George</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">Lower case letters only - as one would expect from a Montessori book. these letters are not in alphabetical order - which I feel is a good thing - it means children are learning the letters by sight, not order. Simple traditional ABC book type illustrations. The main reason to buy this book is the large textured letters with arrows showing the correct way to form the letters. I would note though these are not sandpaper letters. The texture is simply a painted on material and not the most noticeable. Also Montessori purists will be horrified at the suggestion to pronounce each letter with an extended vowel sound such as "duh" for d. We simply skip this part and say the sounds the proper way.</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">Animal ABC Books</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"> A is for Animals by David Pelham</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">26 flaps with a large clear upper and lower case letter. These open up to reveal stunning pop up animal illustrations. Highly recommended.</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle">Animal ABCs (San Diego Zoo Series)</span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">A very fun small fold out book with lovely colour photos. Upper case letters only.</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">Animalia by Graeme Base</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">Beautiful hidden pictures animal alphabet. Upper case only.</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">Dinosaur ABC Books</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline">An Alphabet of Dinosaurs - Peter Dodson</span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline">Beautifully illustrated with vivid,
colourful paintings showing a great deal of artistic talent. In addition
to a full page painting for each letter there is also a very detailed
black and white drawing of the animals skeleton. Next to the
skeleton is a simple figure of a man to give an idea of the size of this
animal. <br />
<br />
Each letter also has a long paragraph describing the animal. This is
written on a fairly high reading and interest level. For instance, one
sentence reads "Erlikosaurus belonged to a group of dinosaurs called the
segnosaurs". This is a well written scientific book
which is certain to please young paleontology fans, but may not be of as
much interest to the average nursery age child - of course you can always subsitute with a simpler more age appropriate description.<br />
<br />
This does not display the letters on their own.
The only place a child will really see the letter is at the start of
each dinosaurs name. This is written in an artistic and highly stylized
manner, which looks lovely, but really is not the best for children just
learning to read. I drew large letters into the book myself. Then having seen how helpful
stickers were in an alphabet book, I also places foil alphabet stickers
for each letter on the page with the text</span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/an-alphabet-of-dinosaurs/1692121/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/an-alphabet-of-dinosaurs/1692121/</a></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline">The Dinosaur Alphabet Book - Jerry Pallotta</span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline">Lovely book with clear upper and lower case letters, nice paintings and plenty of facts for each dinosaur.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/the-dinosaur-alphabet-book-jerry-pallotta-ralph-masiello/1692871/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/the-dinosaur-alphabet-book-jerry-pallotta-ralph-masiello/1692871/</a></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline">Dinosaurs Write With Me Alphabet</span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg">This is really lovely book, printed on an exceptionally thick card. It
features one dinosaur for each letter, with a well drawn illustration
and a few brief facts presented in a rhyming text. At the bottom of each
page are two lines with the upper case letter shown in black, grey,
dotted lines, and finally a blank section so children can read the
letters, trace over them with the special pen and then practice their
own. The books zips up into into a built in case with room for a pen and
small cloth so you can take this out and about as well. Also included
with the book is a pen, stickers and a cd rom. Upper and lower case letters are featured, but writing practice is upper case letters only.</span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/dinosaurs-and-more-write-with-me-alphabet/1683301/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/dinosaurs-and-more-write-with-me-alphabet/1683301/</a></span></span><br />
<br />
Alphasaurs and Other Prehistoresic Types by Sharon Werner and Sarah Nelson<br />
Alphasaurs has a very unique style of illustration. Each dinosaur or prehistoric reptile is made up only of the first letter of that creatures name. So Allosaurus is drawn only using only the letter A in upper and lower cases and of different sizes. This seems like an impossible task, but the artists has really created beautiful black and white pictures using only letters. In addition to the dinosaur being made of letters, there are facts on each animal as well. These facts are told in a highly alliterative verse, using the featured letter over and over. The letter is also drawn into the smaller illustrations with the facts, so the book tells us Allosaurus were both angry and aggressive, with capital A's drawn into angry faces. Fruitadens lived in a forest and the forest is drawn with the letter f for the the trunks of each tree, and the letter P forms the branches of pine for the Parasaurolophus.<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/alphasaurs-and-other-prehistoric-types/1708263/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/alphasaurs-and-other-prehistoric-types/1708263/</a><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg"></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg">MONSTER ABC BOOKS</span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg"></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg">The Absolutely Awful Alphabet Book - Mordecai Gerstein</span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg">Titally nonsensical beasts in the shape of upper case letters witha short description amde up of words beginning with that letter.</span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg"></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg"></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg">Z is for Zombie Merrily Kutner:</span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg"></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg">My boys love this book but it may frighten some children. Each page has a picture of a monster or some other creepy item, followed by a
short rhyme such as " Bogeyman: Darkness masks the Bogeyman, till you're
sleeping that's his plan". The illustrations are usually in darkened shades,
some showing the subject very clearly, such as a sink full of bloody eyeballs,
the cyclops eating a man, or a queen with her head in her hands, while others
only give you a hint of things to come - a clawed hand reaching in the door for
the bogeyman, or a set of eyes staring in a bedroom window for the end of this
book accompanied by this warning "Beware the night and what it brings, for out
their lurk such scary things".<br /><br /> It has the name of each spooky item, but this is in a highly stylised
block text, which I would find difficult to read if I did not already know the
spellings for each word. Lower case "U" is the worst. It is presented as a black
square shape with a white diamond in the middle, but all of the letters in the
name of each subject are splattered looking, as if made by dipping a shape in
ink, and slopping tons of extra ink over the letter. It actually doesn't look
bad. There is a certain artistic quality to it, but it hardly suits a child who
is just learning to read. <br /><br />To make up for this shortcoming I placed large
foil alphabet letters to the side of each poem. This worked out perfectly as the
letters are very visible, but can also be traced with a finger allowing a child
to learn the alphabet through touch as well. Of course you could simply write
the letters in with marker, but having used the stickers, I would highly
recommend this - and if possible - a textured sticker would work even better.</span></span><br />
<br />
Full review on Dooyoo<br />
<a href="http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/z-is-for-zombie-merrily-kutner/1690809/"><span style="color: #f48d1d;">http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/z-is-for-zombie-merrily-kutner/1690809/</span></a><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg"></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg">Y is for Yowl - parental discretion also advised. Some parents have objected to a knife thrower illustration. Of course knife is a terrible word to illustrate the k sound with regardless of your opinion on scary books. Illustrated with phots, but some are rather poor. My children did not find this frightening at all. It does have upper and lower case letters. </span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg">Full review @ dooyoo <a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/y-is-for-yowl-laura-purdie-salas/1693507/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/y-is-for-yowl-laura-purdie-salas/1693507/</a></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="med reg">Full review on Dooyoo<br /><a href="http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/z-is-for-zombie-merrily-kutner/1690809/"><span style="color: #f48d1d;">http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/z-is-for-zombie-merrily-kutner/1690809/</span></a></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">CLASSIC ABC BOOKS</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">Curious George Learns the Alphabet by H.A. Rey</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">One of the very best alphabet books ever. Each letter is cleverly made into a picture - so the upper case A becomes an alligators mouth, the lower case a becomes an apple. This also includes a story of how George learned to write - and gets into a bit of mischief as well.</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><br />
</span>Dr Seuss ABC<br />
This book isn't just a classic, when comes to ABC books, it is THE classic. It has 63 pages and uses capitol and lower case letters.
The illustrations are what you would expect from Dr Seuss, cartoon type
characters, often of totally nonsensical creatures such as the zizzer
zazzer zuzz. They are warm and brightly coloured and I could still
remember every page and picture from my own childhood before buying this
for my children. <br />
<br />
The text is not always rhyming, as one usually finds with Dr Seuss, but
still had that rhythm to it which makes it easy to read and pleasant to
listen too. It clearly distinguishes between capitol and lower case,
with phrases like "BIG A little a What begins with A? " Although some
prefer to teach children only one set of letters at first, I find it
just as easy to teach both, especially when the differences are clearly
drawn as in this book. Still for a strict follower of Montessori, the
capitol letters would make it inappropriate, as would the letter names. I
also believe this book clearly helps a child learn the phonic sound for
each letter in a fun and easy way. <br />
* also reviewed on dooyoo.<br />
<br />
The Little Engine That Could ABC Time by Watty Piper<br />
<br />
<span class="med reg">Beautiful gentle illustrations best suited to a younger child. Also has hidden pictures to find.</span><br />
<span class="med reg"></span><br />
<span class="med reg">Peter Rabbit's Hide and Seek ABC </span><br />
<span class="med reg">Sliding picture ABC using original Beatrix Potter illustrations. This is a lovely book but please be aware the pictures are very difficult to change and could easily be damaged by young children. This must be used only with close parental supervision.</span><br />
<span class="med reg"></span><br />
<span class="med reg">ABC Letterland</span><br />
<span class="med reg">Beautiful illustrations with Letterland characters and text focused on each letter. Very useful for phnoetic reading programmes.</span><br />
<span class="med reg"></span><br />
<span class="med reg"><span id="btAsinTitle">Chicka Chicka Boom Boom </span></span><br />
<span class="med reg">Rhyming Alphabet Book</span><br />
<span class="med reg"></span><br />
<span class="med reg">And a few other suggestions all by Jerry Pallotta</span><br />
<span class="med reg"><span id="btAsinTitle">The Underwater Alphabet Book</span></span><br />
<span class="med reg"><span id="btAsinTitle">Yucky Reptile Alphabet Book</span></span><br />
<span class="med reg"><span id="btAsinTitle">The Bird Alphabet Book</span></span><br />
<span class="med reg">The Extinct Alphabet Book</span><br />
<span class="med reg"><span id="btAsinTitle">The Butterfly Alphabet Book</span></span><br />
<span class="med reg">The Construction Alphabet Book</span><br />
<span class="med reg">The Airplane Alphabet Book</span><br />
<span class="med reg">The Yummy Alphabet Book</span><br />
<span class="med reg"></span><br />
<span class="med reg">Putting it all together</span><br />
<span class="med reg"></span><br />
<span class="med reg">the alphabet tree by Leo Liomi</span><br />
<span class="med reg">A sweet gentle story of a friendly bee who teaches the letters on the alphabet tree to join together in words and sentences to stay safe in the storm.</span><br />
<span class="med reg"></span><br />
<br />Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-83062309118796804712013-01-17T11:05:00.001-08:002013-06-22T14:33:18.998-07:00Bug Books for childrenLike many home educators we often take a unit study approach to education, and since we have been collecting the new CODE books we have tied many unit studies into the topics covered by these books. The first cluster in CODE is Bugtastic - which makes this a great time to collect bug books - some of our favourites are:<br />
<br />
CODE books 1 -4 Bugtastic<br />
<br />
The Very Hungry Caterpillar - True this is at at even younger reading age, but it's a good confidence booster and lots of fun. You can also make lovely caterpillar print paintings by dipping a half of a potato in different coloured paints to make the body, drawing on some legs and adding some google eyes. You can also make a butterfly by folding an A4 paper in half, painting half the picture and then folding it over. If you want really fancy butterflies - cut out a butterfly shape from card. cut large sections out of the wings and paste coloured tissue paper over these for a stained glass effect.<br />
<br />
Life Cycle of an Ant<br />
<br />
The book begins by explaining exactly what an ant is. It explains that ants are invertebrates, insects and Hymenoptera ( a group of flying insects that includes ants, wasps and bees. I quite like this because it encourages children to start thinking about the scientific classification of organisms. It also teaches children the different castes of ants, their body parts and what the function of each part is. After this is a short section on colonies and nests, including a very interesting but brief paragraph on army ants making a living tent by linking bodies together to protect the queen and eggs when they rest during the day. <br />
<br />
Only after learning the very basic facts about ants does the child move on to the main section, the life cycle. This explains the difference between life cycle and life span, has an illustration showing the process starting with an egg, which hatches into a larva, then a pupa and finally and adult. There are some excellent high magnification photos, as well as more detail information on each stage of the life cycle. You can actually see the eyes of a larva ready to hatch within the clear egg, and view worker ants bundling several eggs together to move them. There are several photos of larva and pupa as well including one very high magnification of a pure white pupa folded up in a cocoon which looks very much like something from a sci-fi flick. <br />
<br />
Next we learn about the mating behaviour of ants, but there is nothing too graphic here. A queen ant only mates once. She will remain fertile for life. After mating a new colony is formed. Finally, the book winds up with some details on the social lives of ants, diet and feeding and ants in danger or under threat. The final page is short section on making an ant farm and keeping ants. <br />
<br />
We all really enjoyed this book. The boys loved the photographs which are of an exceptionally high quality show all sorts of tiny details. the magnification shows even tiny hairs on some of the ants, and all the photos are sharp and clear. They especially loved the pictures of the eggs, larvae and pupae. they also enjoyed seeing the different castes of ant : worker, soldier, queen and drones. There is one photo under feeding where one regurgitates into another's mouth which had the perfect level of gross for young boys. <br />
<br />
I loved this book because, although written at a fairly easy reading level - I think most children could read this easily by age 7 - this does present a fair amount of scientific detail. It encourages children to think in terms of classification of species as well as to understand how the ants life cycle works, how creatures change as they grow, and of course something of the way these insects live in a huge group, each member with it's part to play.<br />
Full review @dooyoo:<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/the-life-cycle-of-an-ant/1706124/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/the-life-cycle-of-an-ant/1706124/</a><br />
<br />
Bugs by Number: Unique nook with all illustrations made only of numbers. Not exactly a counting book, but plenty to count if you wish as well as bug facts:<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/bugs-by-the-numbers-sharon-werner/1711113/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/bugs-by-the-numbers-sharon-werner/1711113/</a><br />
<br />
An absolute must for insect identification in Britain:<br />
<a class="i7_HeadSubNPH_oselink item" href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/non-fiction/collins-complete-british-insects-michael-chinery/" title="Collins Complete British Insects - Michael Chinery - Non-Fiction Book"><span class="fn">Collins Complete British Insects - Michael Chinery</span></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/non-fiction/collins-complete-british-insects-michael-chinery/1711468/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/non-fiction/collins-complete-british-insects-michael-chinery/1711468/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Watch Me Grow: Butterfly: A very simple easy to read book, but lovely photos illustrating each step of the change.<br />
<br />
<span id="btAsinTitle">Honey Bee's Hive - Mini Beasts</span><br />
<br />
Army Ants - Mini Beasts<br />
<br />
DK Eyewonder: Bugs<br />
<br />
DK Insects<br />
<br />
<span id="btAsinTitle">A Ladybug Larva Grows Up - Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers: Life Cycles</span><br />
<br />
Incredible Insects<br />
<span id="btAsinTitle"></span><br />
What is Pollination? Big Science Ideas: An excellent resource showing how insects pollinate plants. <br />
<br />
<span id="btAsinTitle">Uncover a Tarantula: Take a Three-Dimensional Look Inside a
Tarantula!: A really fun book with a 3d model showing the insides of a tarantula as well as plenty of information about these creatures.</span><br />
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Ant's Bug Adventure - Bookband Blue level 4<br />
Ants at Home - Project X - Bookband Lime level 11<br />
Ant Meets the Queen - Project X Bookband Lime level 11<br />
Ant Attack - Project X - Bookband Brown level 12<br />
Ant Storm Project X - Bookband Brown level 12<br />
The Swarm - Project X- Bookband Y5 Blue level 14<br />
Wow Explained - Project X - Bookband Y5 Blue level 14<br />
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The project X books above include several reading levels.Ants at home is non fiction, and WOW explained is a unique cross between fiction and non fiction. The rest are part of a wonderful serial adventure involving children with special watches that allow them to shrink to microsized and explore the world on a whole new level. Ant's Bug adventure features and angry stag beetle, the next 4 titles are about ants and the final 2 feature bees.<br />
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Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-52268768045204270072013-01-04T12:29:00.000-08:002013-01-17T10:37:33.185-08:00Project X Code: Bugtastic and home educationBugtastic is the first cluster in Project X's new series CODE. These books are designed to be used with a phonetic approach to reading - and the emphasis is on phonetically decodable words. Each book in this series is divided into two sections. The first half is meant to be 100% phonetically decodable, to allow emergent readers to read with confidence. The second part of the book is 80% decodable, which allows the story to be more exciting. In the beginning a parent and child can share the reading of this book with the child reading the first half and the adult the second. As the child becomes more familiar with the text, they can then attempt the more complex section of the book. <br />
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Of course the big issue with "phonetically decodable" is that what is phonetically decodable for one child is not phonetically decodable for the next. Wikipedia defines decodable text as: "a type of text often used in beginning reading instruction. With this type of text, new readers can decipher words using the phonics skills they have been taught. For instance, children could decode a phrase such as "Pat the fat rat" if they had been taught the letter-sound associations for each letter--that 'p' stands for the sound /p/, 'a' for the sound /a/, etc." So - if they have not been taught these sounds - this text will not be decodable. I think the definition on righttrackreading.com is the easiest to understand: "In reading instruction, the term 'decodable' refers to words containing only the phonetic code the child or student has already learned." Since many phonics programmes begin only with soft letter most books in this series will not be decodable to children until they have moved on to long vowel sounds as well. This particular book, as well as the book number tow are an exception to this, using only soft vowel sounds with the exception of one single word "Bite" which is essential to this story, and the name of one character, Tiger. However, the series as whole does begin with reading level 3, and assume the child has had some previous instruction in phonics, including a knowledge of long vowel sounds for book 3. <br />
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Although designed for phonetic instruction, there is really no reason why you could not teach a child to read this book through whole language as well. The only difficulty is that there will be more unfamiliar words for a new reader because this series focuses on phonetically decodable rather than high frequency words. That said, with the exception of"Bite", I would expect every word in this particular book to be on high frequency word lists as well. The first half of this book uses a total of only 27 different words + the names of the five characters. All of the words are single syllable and very easy to read. I think "jump" and "visit" would be the most challenging. <br />
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With so few words, and such simple ones at that, I would expect the story to be a bit dull, as most phonetic readers are. The main drawback to phonics instruction is that by limiting the vocabulary used, stories become dull and children are often not motivated to read. This series was specifically designed to overcome that for children with reading difficulties and / or sen. The second part of the story does provide a richer vocabulary, but this entire series is also very highly visual. It is illustrated with beautiful computer generated imagery of the same quality level one would expect from a top of the line film animation studio like Dreamworks. Taken by itself, the text would be very dull, but the pictures suggest a far more exciting adventure story.<br />
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The Bugtastic cluster, as one might guess has a lot of bugs. The children in this story have shrunk to micro-size so a preying mantis or even a grasshopper can look like a monster, and a slugs trail can become a very slippery hazard. Future sets will include all sorts of boy friendly topics such as space, vehicles, jungles, sharks, dragons, dinosaurs, and more. <br />
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In addition to the story, there are also a few pages introducing certain phonetic sounds which will be emphasized in this text, a few words broken down into phonetic components, a few tricky words and some questions or exercises relating to the story. This really is intended as a school book and the educational emphasis is obvious. <br />
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I've always been impressed with Oxford's range for beginning readers in general and Project X in particular. As soon as I saw this series, I knew it would be good. Looking through the first books I was very impressed from an educational standpoint, and I knew my sons would enjoy these. I did expect these to be read for pleasure as well as being used for school assignments ( I home educate). After all, my youngest at 4 is not reading yet, and my oldest at age 7 reads at a young adult level). They have been used for educational purposes as a refresher course in phonics for spelling improvement, and also just as base to build focus additional studies around. For instance with this unit we also read several non fiction titles on insects, and I think as school starts back next week we will do some bug art projects as well. <br />
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While I knew my sons would enjoy these books, even I was was surprised by just how much they enjoyed them. They were given money for Christmas by a generous Uncle, and rather than buy new video games as I expected, they both chose more books in this series. They have also been doing extra chores and saving up all of their pocket money to buy books. It is rare for my children to buy their own books - as they know Mom will eventually buy the books for them, but these books are expensive (£3.60 - £5.00 each, with the price going up when the page count increases from 24 to 32 pages) There are a total of 56 books plus the starter book which was over £7 so I can't very well buy the whole set all at once, and as I am buying as many as I can ( with help from dooyoo) they are also spending all of their money to add the set. Personally, I feel when a child is willing to choose school books over a new video game that is very high praise indeed. <br />
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My youngest says he likes these books because they have "the shrinky kids", whom he knows and loves from the previous Project X series. He says he really likes the baby dragon too. He says the books are funny, but most of all , I believe he enjoys imagining his own micro adventures. We often pause between books for him to describe what it would be like to do all the things in the book. To be miniature sized and see giant bugs, to go into space, or find a dragon. <br />
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My oldest says he loves the illustrations, and that the books are like a video game because you beat the boss of each world (the Bite) before moving on to the next level. He thinks the Wonders of the World will be the most exciting, but we haven't got to those yet, and can't wait to see what the big boss is for the whole set - very much like a video game. I think he must be using his imagination with these too though as he has often found a quite corner with a stack of these books and sat quietly staring at illustrations for far longer than it would take him to read the text.<br />
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I think these books are so wonderful. My children love them and they really are so much fun. They encourage the children to want to learn more about other subjects like we did with the bug unit. My youngest is learning some phonetic sounds from the phonics section at the beginning of the book and these will be wonderful when he starts reading n his own. My oldest is really far too old for these, as at age 7 he can read ata young adult level ( Thanks to the original Project X and Charlie Higgins) but he is still enjoying these, often reads to his brother, and I think they are helping his spelling as well.<br />
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This cluster is made up of ( in order):<br />
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1. The Web: This begins with a caterpillar style roller coaster and features a fright from a grasshopper - which looks a lot more frightening to micro- sized Cat. Featured phonemes: j,v,w,zz.<br />
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2. Cat's Quest: Poor Tiger has a tumble in a dripping puddle of slug slime before being carried off by an ant. Cat races to the rescue. Featured phonemes: x,y, qu.<br />
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3. Missing: This book features a short non fiction section on bugs as well a short story a Max, Mini and Ant search for Tiger and Cat. this story has more slick slug slime, much to the delight of my son as well as the first Bite of the series - a Preying Mantis. Featured phonemes: ch, th, sh, ng.<br />
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4. Bite Fright: The final book of this cluster sees team X battle the boss of this level, the Mantis Bite in order to progress pass through the exit door and progress to the next level. Featured phonemes: ai ee, igh.<br />
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Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-65432694011201906152012-12-15T12:04:00.002-08:002012-12-15T12:18:37.273-08:00Finally - phonetically decodable books that children really want to read.Just over a year ago I was reviewing a number of books from Oxford's Project X series, which I dubbed the most exciting new development in children's books since Dr Seuss. Project X was a set of levelled readers which included both non fiction and fiction titles especially designed to bridge the attainment gap between boys and girls in literacy. While the series was designed to get boys reading - I see no reason why girls would not enjoy it every bit as much. There were 2 very strong female characters, and girls can enjoy action and adventure just as much as boys can. The series featured four children who discovered special watches which allowed them to shrink to micro size. At first it was all fun and games. I think every child has dreamt of shrinking down to the size of their toys, playing in their toy castles and riding in scalectrix cars - but soon it became an adventure as the team battled the evil Dr X. <br />
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I can't speak highly enough of my opinion of the original series, beginning with level one at age 5, within a year my son made it all the way to level 16 before growing bored with the series and moving on to young adult books and then graphic novels. These books made him really want to read, and I can remember him rushing to the post, happily abandoning a video game for a new book, and gave him the ability to read far more complex text. In addition to being a wonderful tool in developing literacy, they are also just good storybooks and both boys have rediscovered the original series now. My youngest absolutely loves them and Shrinky Kids books were one of the top items on their Christmas list. <br />
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But as much as we loved them - they did get some complaints for not teaching phonics. I happen to be a staunch supporter of phonics, and in addition to the Project X books - I spent a small fortune on Hooked on Phonics, Starfall Phonics and BOB books - however I believe most children will learn best with both phonics and whole language. Not every word in the English language is phonetic - and sounding out words takes too long. In addition to this, Phonics primers have never been very exciting - they were not the type of book children really wanted to read again and again. In all honesty - I never expected to find a completely decodable series of books with a high level interest for children - but I am over the moon to be proven wrong this time. <br />
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Project X Code is every bit as revolutionary as the original series - if not more so. The programme is designed for children with special educational needs or delayed reading levels - but I see absolutely no reason not to use this as beginning reading series for all children. The series uses synthetic phonics and is leveled just as the original series was to match the expected phonetic progression as children work through the different reading levels. It is not a series of phonics instruction ( project X has another series for that) but is is a series of phonetically decodable books beginning at a very easy reading level and progressing to more and more complex material in very tiny steps. This series provides very high interest reading material, which a child only just beginning to sound words out can start to enjoy. <br />
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So how did Project X accomplish the impossible and create a truly interesting series using only decodable words? Well - it appears they cheated just a little bit. They divided each book into two halves - the first half of which is 100% decodable. The second half is only 80% decodable. The idea is that in the beginning the child will read the first half of the book while a parent or teacher reads the other half until they are able to cope with both. Just as with the original series - the first books have limited text and a very small vocabulary, adding a few new words with each book until the child is reading fluently. Even the first books do have a distinct and enjoyable storyline - so much so that both my seven year old and my 4 year old enjoy listening to these. I was very surprised to see my seven year old take such an interest - he is very selective in picture books now, but the main theme of this story has really captivated him and he can't wait to get further books in the series as well. The main drawback at his age is that he can read the whole book in a few minutes - but at least he is still enjoying them. It is very unusual to find a book so easy to read that really interests an older child so much. <br />
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This specific book is not meant to be read by the child. My oldest read it easily, but it is intended to be read aloud by a parent or teacher to get the child interested in the series. It sets the scene for the rest of the series and is much larger as well. In this book a new micro-park is about to open , using technology similar to the watches used by Team X - or the shrinky kids as my son calls them. The entire them park is controlled by a computer named C.O.D.E. and built on a miniature scale. To enter the park, visitors must pass through a shrink ray, becoming micro-sized, but something has gone terribly wrong on opening day. The parks creator, Macro Marvel is trapped inside, sending out a desperate message to stop C.O.D.E. The super computer in the meantime is powering up with the intention of shrinking the entire world. Macro's daughter Mini, has rushed into the park to save him and is now trapped inside the park as well - the only ones who can help are Team X. <br />
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To defeat C.O.D.E. the team - with the help of Mini Marvel must travel through 4 levels in each of 14 worlds, overcoming the challenges and finally defeating the boss of each of world, very much like one would when playing the levels of a video game before taking on the main boss and clearing the game - or in this case series. To do this children must learn the vocabulary to read each book and read the code words at the end of each book. These are nonsense words used only to teach children to sound the words out and there is considerable debate as to the use of these. If your child is in school, this is part of the testing process so you may as well use them. If not the choice is yours, and I still haven't made up my mind. You can use the nonsense words or tape a wee post it over them using the most difficult words from the next book, or a combination of the non phonetic words from the book you are reading and new phonetic words from the next. <br />
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This book is illustrated using state of the art computer generated imagery, and it really is impressive. The books look like a video game, and the action , adventure and overall format make reading these very much like playing a video game. They have so much appeal - I believe most children will desperately want to read them. My four year old has now started reading his alphabet books regularly in an attempt to get ready to learn to read - specifically because he is desperate to read these himself. Completing each book gives the child the sense of satisfaction of completing a level on a favourite video game. Through out the series the shrinky kids will visit: a bug world, space, a dragon realm, a vehicle based attraction with all sorts of wild races, a jungle, an undersea zone, a waterfall zone, a polar region, a castle, a valley with volcanoes and dinosaurs, a zone with famous landmarks from all over the world, ancient Egypt, and finally Marvel Towers and C.O.D.E. control. There is certainly something here to fascinate any child - and this can easily be combined with other sources to encourage all sorts of learning. <br />
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This book was the most expensive of the series. I paid £7.15. This is because it is larger and includes an interactive CD- ROM with a short cartoon, teaching information and this book as well as the first 4 in the series all in an ebook format. The next books can be purchased from £3.20 each. This is terribly expensive - but I honestly believe a series like this can do more for my children than tuition in a high quality fee paying school - and compared to that - the price is peanuts indeed. It is a considerable investment - which is why I am really starting to collect the books now as story books before my youngest really needs them - but I can think of no better way to spend to my money then investing it in my children's education. So - all I can say is Thank God for Dooyoo who make it possible for me to afford some extras like this. <br />
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I think it is fairly obvious by now that I giving this book a full 5 stars - and that only because I can not give it 10. But don't take my word for it - you can read the whole book online here: http:// www.oup.com/ oxed/ primary/ projectx/ code/ Just take out the space after each /. This will give you a chance to see the quality of the animation as well. You can read the entire text of 4 of the main books on the Oxford Owl site as well, so you can see if this series suits you before buying any books. I read the free books with my children to gauge their interest - which was incredible before my first purchase. This series would work very well with or without the original series. I do feel the phonics set would be a real benefit to those using this, but it could be used with other phonics sets.Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-81726845759156429302012-11-21T10:58:00.002-08:002012-11-21T10:58:51.170-08:00The best British childen's magazines for home education.Having reviewed a large number of magazines for home education, I've decided to share our results.<br />
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<strong>1st place:</strong><br />
This went quite easily to <strong>Aquila</strong>. As I have included my full review just below this post I will not go into much detail. This is an excellent choice for education for many reasons. It has a strong emphasis on science, but also incorporates many other subjects. The very part though - is you do not even notice it is educational as you read it. The subjects are presented in such a way that it is truly fun for children rather than feeling like another school assignment. To find out more go to:<br />
<a href="http://www.aquila.co.uk/">http://www.aquila.co.uk/</a><br />
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<strong>2nd: </strong><br />
<strong>Puffin Post:</strong> The main reason to subscribe to Puffin Post is not the magazine at all - it is the books. A subscription to Puffin Post costs £45 and only includes 6 issues - one every other month. Each issue has articles on several books as well - but the best part is - you get to choose one book from each issue to be sent out to you as part of the subscription price. So the child reads the magazine, finds out about each book and then chooses the one they want to read the most. I really liked these magazines, they are well written and cover a wide range of interests, but the part I like best is that they really encourage children to choose their own books. <br />
To see my complete review please visit dooyoo@<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/magazines-newspapers/puffin-post/1672727/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/magazines-newspapers/puffin-post/1672727/</a><br />
or visit<br />
<a href="http://www.puffinpost.co.uk/island/">http://www.puffinpost.co.uk/island/</a><br />
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<strong>3rd:</strong><br />
<strong>How It Works: </strong>An excellent science and technology magazine , listed as ages 8+. This magazine appears to combine articles for children with more adult articles.<br />
see my review @<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/magazines-newspapers/how-it-works/1673149/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/magazines-newspapers/how-it-works/1673149/</a><br />
or visit their site:<br />
<a href="http://www.howitworksdaily.com/offer/?gclid=CL6oz7Xb4LMCFebLtAod0V0AoA">http://www.howitworksdaily.com/offer/?gclid=CL6oz7Xb4LMCFebLtAod0V0AoA</a><br />
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<strong>4th:</strong><br />
<strong>Discovery Box: </strong>An excellent magazine for those who are looking for a publication that covers a wide variety of educational interests. The majority of the magazine is non fiction, and there is a good mix of subjects covered. Each issue has a has articles on science, nature and geography. <br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/magazines-newspapers/discovery-box/1674163/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/magazines-newspapers/discovery-box/1674163/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bayard-magazines.co.uk/gammebox/discoverybox.htm">http://www.bayard-magazines.co.uk/gammebox/discoverybox.htm</a><br />
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<strong>5th:</strong><br />
<strong>National Geographic Kids:</strong><br />
We are letting our subscription to this magazine lapse. It simply had too much fluff and too many ads. But this is written at a lower reading age than most of these magazines, and with a limited amount of text makes easy light reading for younger children. Some issues are better than others, but you do learn something about science, nature and the world in each one.<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/magazines-newspapers/national-geographic-kids-magazine/1446517/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/magazines-newspapers/national-geographic-kids-magazine/1446517/</a><br />
<br />
<strong><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic-kids.co.uk/?infinity=gaw~Brand%2BUK%2BENG%2BSPART~National%20Geographic%20Kids~15066328099~national%20geographic%20kids~e&gclid=CM7_9-Xe4LMCFSHHtAodNEAA2Q">http://www.nationalgeographic-kids.co.uk/?infinity=gaw~Brand%2BUK%2BENG%2BSPART~National%20Geographic%20Kids~15066328099~national%20geographic%20kids~e&gclid=CM7_9-Xe4LMCFSHHtAodNEAA2Q</a></strong>Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-79272724099126875392012-11-20T10:49:00.004-08:002012-11-20T10:49:54.984-08:00My review of Aquila MagazineThis review can be found on dooyoo, ciao, the Aquila website and in shortened form The Observer on Sunday 18, 02. 2012.<br />
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As many of you may know, I am passionate about children’s literacy. This was one of the major reasons behind my decision to home educate. I want my children to read well – but also to love reading. After all, as Mark Twain said, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot.” I have also felt it important that children have a wide variety of reading material and enjoy reading from many different sources, so in addition to my massive collection of children’s books, I like to have at least one magazine subscription as well.<br />
The problem is that finding really good magazines to appeal to boys of my son’s age and interests is difficult. We have subscribed to <em>National Geographic Kids</em> for some time, but the last issue was the final straw. My son read 9 pages of the magazine – but this amounted to very little text in bubbles alongside photos. The majority of the issue was advertising or writing about new products we could buy. It’s gotten to the point that each issue is like browsing through the Argos catalogue as the children come up with which items they want on their Christmas list. I did ask my son if he wanted to keep getting the magazine – he says he isn’t fussed with the magazine but likes some of the sweets and toys. I can buy sweets much cheaper at Tesco though, and the toys usually end up in the bin a few days later. So my quest for the perfect children’s magazine began.<br />
After a fair amount of time researching online, I came across mention of AQUILA billed as “the magazine for children who enjoy challenges”. A bit of research shows this magazine was originally developed for “gifted and talented children”. In fact I have found one private school boasting that they use this magazine for their gifted and talented programme – and I could easily see designing a monthly curriculum around this. The company states that their current position is as follows: <em>“we hope that AQUILA can inspire all children to reveal their brilliance”</em>. Personally, I believe all children are gifted and talented. It is simply a matter of helping them to discover their own unique gifts and talents. After reading this magazine myself and with my son, I do believe this magazine is an excellent resource to do just that. <br />My only problem with this magazine was that the price was £45 and I was concerned that if we didn’t like it I’d be out a fair amount of money. I had never seen an issue and didn’t know anyone who had. They do offer a money back guarantee but I know it can take ages with some companies to get your money back. So, cheeky git that I am, I emailed and asked them to send me a sample copy which I would review, and if I found the magazine appropriate to our needs I would subscribe.<br />
When my sample copy arrived, my first thought was “This is a bit thin”. It is in fact only 24 pages. By comparison <em>NG Kids</em> has 52 pages. Pulling a random copy off my shelf though, I found 21 pages of advertising, then we have 4 pages of pull out posters, none of which would be of any interest to us, and overall far too much fluff.<br />
Once I started looking through AQUILA magazine my initial appraisal was quickly cast aside. It may be only 24 pages, but there were no advertisements (excepting a small offer in a box to refer a friend), no page after page of pull out posters of fluffy animals – in fact there were no posters at all. Of the 24 pages, my son read and enjoyed every one except the letters to the editor, and a single page in this magazine had more text than the nine pages he read of <em>Nat Geo Kids</em>. There are illustrations – and some very nice ones at that – but there is a good balance between illustrations and text in this magazine. There are enough pictures to keep a younger child interested, but there is still plenty of in-depth information in the text.<br />
I received the Sept 2012 issue. The main articles in this issue were: <br />
<strong>The Disappearance of Large Animals</strong>: This article explored possible reasons for the extinction of most of the very large mammals during the Pleistocene age. It does not give one single answer but explores many possibilities and encourages readers to think for themselves.<br />
<strong>It All Happened in the Trees</strong>: This article is about the evolution of mankind, pointing to how scientists believe many current features of humans stem from life in the trees. I don’t agree with everything in this article, but I teach my children the prevailing scientific theories with the understanding that many people have different beliefs. But agree or disagree, I really enjoyed this article, in large part because it encourages children to think and question things. There is an interesting section on vision here, which led us off into many other subjects. We started by reading about how the position of an owl’s eyes give it the ability to judge distance better, but this led to a discussion of how different animals have different types of vision – which finally led to a fairly large project we have started on dinosaurs, by examining different features, such as placement of the eyes, and using this feature to guess if the animal is a carnivore or herbivore. We also had a very long discussion on how the opposable thumb affected the development of humans – but why other animals with an opposable thumb have not developed in the same manner. This article was only two pages, but so far we have spent hours reading, discussing, and pursuing other activities.<br />
<strong>Puzzles</strong>: This magazine has two pages of puzzles, all of which involve some sort of mental exercise. We enjoyed doing these together and I found them fun as well. My son liked the fossil match puzzle best while I felt a maths puzzle involving cubes was the best.<br />
<strong>Things to make</strong>: This section has a lovely craft idea which we will be doing as soon as we gather the stones. Basically you heat small round stones in the oven and colour them with wax crayons for some really lovely results.<br />
<strong>Stone Age People</strong>: This article describes several different types of humans. It mentions early settlements, use of tools, Neolithic monuments and more. My son was especially interested in the cave art so we will be trying to reproduce some of the drawings on slabs of clay.<br />
<strong>Wordworm</strong>: This appears to be a monthly column; the focus for this issue is an article discussing the French language. My son especially enjoyed discovering which words were the same in French as in English, so we are going to be working on a project of our own to find as many common words as possible between English and German.<br />
<strong>Paws for Thought</strong>: Also appears to be a monthly column. This issue had an article on the Scottish Wildcat.<br />
<strong>Just Think</strong>: This article was my favourite. It asks if we have a choice and explores the concept of scientific determinism. I think this was brilliantly written and encourages young children to think philosophically as well as scientifically. This led to another very long discussion. The result was that my son believes in a mild form of determinism but is willing to convert and believe all behaviour is controlled by pre-set chemicals and electrical impulses, because according to this idea he should not get in trouble if he watches <em>The Big Bang Theory</em> or plays video games when he should be studying, or does anything else he isn’t meant to. After all, it isn’t his fault – it is scientific determinism – who are we to argue with science?<br />
<strong>Fun with Maths</strong>: Another monthly column, this issue explains the history of counting, the base ten system and why we have the numbers eleven and twelve instead of one-teen and two-teen.<br />
<strong>Fiction</strong>: I didn’t expect much from this. My son is very picky with fiction, and for the most part finds short stories quite dull. I was pleasantly surprised though when he really enjoyed the two page story – <em>Sharing the Good News of Mr Bones</em>.<br />
Overall, I really can’t think of anything bad to say about this magazine. It is expensive – but I often complain about the lack of real quality in children’s magazines. This is a small independent publication putting out a really first class product, and it does not have advertising to help defray expenses. Considering these facts, I find the price quite reasonable and hope that by subscribing I can help keep a wonderful publication in print. Needless to say, I did subscribe. I can’t wait for the next issue – the focus is on volcanoes and earthquakes.<br />
In addition to the standard £45 for 12 issues, they also offer 4 issues at £20. There was an offer in the magazine to refer a friend and they could get 3 months for £10. They did allow me 3 months at £15 though which means I can buy the full subscription after Christmas.<br />
This magazine is recommended for ages 8 – 12. I would say the lower age limit is fair enough. My son is age 7 and quite enjoyed this, but the text is small and this is written on an adult reading level. He could read it, but we chose to read this together, and I feel he got more out of this magazine with all of our discussions as a shared activity. I would recommend this for children of his age, but not much younger. As to the upper limit though, I am in complete disagreement. I think this magazine would suit teenagers with an interest in science very well. I also could see subscribing to this magazine purely for my own reading pleasure if my children were grown. It has been a long time since I enjoyed a magazine so much. I’m afraid I can’t stand the traditional women’s magazines. There is more to life than makeup and romance stories. It’s nice to find a magazine that encourages thought and leaves the reader feeling as if they have learned something – and I will never be too old to enjoy learning new things.Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-10922165934248933722012-11-17T14:10:00.002-08:002012-11-20T11:00:01.203-08:00Using magazines in Home EducationHome educated children often develop very specialised knowledge. I am certain my 7 year old knows more about paleontology than many adults, and both of my sons know far more about aircraft, the military and DNA than the average child their age. My just turned four year old, recently looking for good insult told his father - "I'll smash you so hard they won't recognise your DNA". He knows perfectly well the value of DNA in identification, and is always trying to come up with some scenario under which Parasaurolophus DNA could be found and used to resurrect his favorite dinosaur.<br />
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I've met an other home educated child who could tell you everything about dogs, right down to veterinary care. In fact she impressed a local vet so much that he hired her at a very young age, having already memorised most of the veterinary manuals at 15. Yet another in his teens knew everything about mechanics, while others could answer any question on the history of Japan, The Middle Ages etc... <br />
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There is nothing wrong with a child pursuing their own interests and learning the things they want to learn. In fact I am quite certain they learn more, and more importantly retain more information when the facts interest them. I do not mind if my children spent a significant amount of their time in education learning about their favourite topics. But as great as specialised knowledge is - I don't want it to be at the expense of general knowledge. At age 7, my son is certain he wants to be a paleontologist, but 7 is far too young for career choices to be set in stone, even if he has stuck to ths one for 3 years. As my children are very young - I want them to branch out - explore everything.<br />
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This is where a really good magazine can be invaluable in home education. A monthly magazine provides a bit variety to a child's ordinary routine. The articles in each months magazine introduce to new topics we might never have considered before. It is like have an extra teacher in the home, someone to a offer new and different point of view.<br />
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Educators have recognised the importance of non-fiction in a child's education, and schools are including non-fiction from a very early age. Most home educators do too, but a magazine is the perfect way to keep this varied. We recognise now that children build vast stores of general knowledge in early childhood, organising this information and putting to better knowledge as they grow older. But far too many older children are growing up without the general knowledge one would expect. University instructors are repeatedly complaining that students lack the most basic general knowledge - scientific literacy, a knowledge of their own history and the history and culture of other nations. A good general interest educational magazine is an excellent means of building of base of general knowledge about the world around your child.<br />
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We have recently sampled and reviewed quite a large number of children's magazines. We found Aquila to be far and away the best choice for our family, but we will still be using a few extras as well. I chose Aquila for a few reasons. The first is that being an educational publication, it fits in quite well with a home school curriculum. I also loved the fact that this magazine is all content. There were no page fillers or fluff, nor were there any commercial ads. The very best thing about this magazine for us is the fact that in contains enough familiar and well loved topics to keep my son interested and wanting to read it combined with new topics we would never have dabbled in otherwise.<br />
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Each month presents a new list of topics for us to explore and there is quite a lot to discuss as well crafts to do and subjects for further research. We always choose at least one topic to find out more about. It might be volcanoes, or prehistoric mammals, or how hands shaped evolution. or the silk worm or Ancient Egypt. We even had one issue with an excellent article the concept of scientific determination. I think this was a wonderful way to encourage children to really think philosophically and scientifically. Most of these are topics we would not have explored otherwise, so this magazine helped to give him a broader and more balanced education.<br />
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I would recommend choosing at least one high quality, non fiction magazine. You will of course have to consider your own child's interests and reading level. Just reading the magazine will do a lot to encourage literacy as well as to help your child learn about new places, ideas, and concepts. But I certainly would not stop there. I would plan on devoting at least one full day to each magazine. Read it, do the crafts, look up topics online, and if need be, order a few books to match as well. By becoming actively involved in the subjects your child will learn more - and it is great way to spend time together as well. Most of all, I think my child learns just by discussing the topics with me. We always try to consider other points of view, play devil's advocate and argue another position on science related topics etc... The more you put into a resource like this - the more your child will get out of it.<br />
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My next post will be a round up of educational magazines for children featuring the best and worst of genre, after which I hope to include some photos of art projects from the magazine we are using. Please check back soon for a complete run down of children's magazines in the UK.<br />
<br />Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-41801412174043754182012-10-28T08:55:00.001-07:002012-10-28T08:55:42.740-07:00Dinosaur arts and crafts:<strong>Dinosaur Pictures With Textures:</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
Children love different textures, so we decided to make dinosaur art with all sorts of different textures.<br />
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1. Melted crayon:<br />
This one requires close adult supervision. We started out by tracing pages from a dinosaur colouring book. Next we held old crayons in a candle's flames and dripped the wax onto the pictures. The results were beautiful, colourful dinosaurs with a lumpy scale like texture.<br />
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2. Feathers:<br />
The big buzz in paleontology right now is feathered dinosaurs. Although the fossil evidence is pretty limited - more and more books are depicting dinosaurs with feathers -and accurate or not - it certainly is fun. Simply take a traced or printed dinosaur colouring page, paint it with glue and then stick on very small cut up pieces of feather.<br />
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3. Sand paper dinos:<br />
Use a very coarse grade sand paper and cut into dinosaur shaped. Paint using acrylic paint for the most remarkable and durable finishes, but ordinary child's paint will work as well. Then paste onto coloured jungle scenes.<br />
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4. Glitter Glue:<br />
Once again we start with a template of a colouring page traced, photocopied or printed from an online source. The first step is to carefully trace the outline leaving a thick bead of glitter glue. Once this is completely dry, paint teh picture in and sprinkle with a bit more glue.<br />
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5. Paper Mache cut outs: <br />
Cut out dinosaur shapes, plants and trees. from card or cereal boxes. Mix flour salt and water in a paste and dip tin strips of kitchen roll into these, and cover the dinosaur adding extra bits to give a 3D appearance,. Paint and dry. Paint a prehistoric scene onto a bit of card and glue the dinosaurs on.<br />
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<strong>Etchings:</strong><br />
Lightly colour a piece of paper with Crayola Crayons, or use markers if you wish. Use plenty of colours - preferably bright ones. For the second layer, colour very heavily with crayon. It does need to be a good brand of crayon - and I would recommend Crayola. Next lay a dinosaur stencil over the paper and using a tooth pick, the back of a paint brush or anything small you can scrape with, scrape away the top layer of crayon to reveal a colourful dinosaur image.<br />
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<strong>Foil Art:</strong><br />
Have the child draw a dinosaur on a very heavy card or a bit of cardboard. The inside of a cereal box works perfectly. If you prefer, you can cut out a printed dinosaur picture and paste it on instead. Next draw around the outline with white glue, leaving a heavy bead. Allow this to dry completely before the next step. Cover with aluminium foil rubbing lightly until the heavy line of the glue shows through. Wrinkle sin the rest of foil are a good thing - so don't try to smooth them all out. Tape the foil down behind the cardboard. Mix 1 part white glue, 2 parts water and a few drops of food colour for each colour or a very good quality water colour paint. Paint over the foil. wiping excess paint off the raised outline. Let dry and you have a nice shiny piece of foil art.<br />
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<strong>Diorama</strong><br />
Using and old shoe box lay the lid face up with the one side of the box glued to the lid leaving a larger area of ground and an enclosed space for background. Colour or paint in a prehistoric back ground scene on paper and tape to the back and inside walls of the box. Then cut out trees, a volcano and other shapes. Glue these to car to make them stiff and place them on the lid - some closer to the back and some to the front for a 3D effect. You can either use tiny plastic dinosaurs or paper cuts outs to complete the scene. A flying Pterosaur adds a nice touch as well.<br />
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If you want to make a really fancy diorama - start with a rectangular plastic aquarium - use clay and cloth to fashion plants, volcanoes, rocks etc... and model dinosaurs. For the back use a sheet of aluminium foil over a bit of card. You can give this a wash of blue paint if you wish. Then cut out background plants in three colours of coloured card and layer these over the foil.<br />
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<strong>Dinosaur Imprints:</strong><br />
Simply press model dinosaurs into clay. Allow to dry and paint.<br />
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<strong>Dinosaur sock puppets:</strong><br />
A coloured sock with the end folded inwards to make a mouth makes an easy start on a dinosaur. Add eyes, teeth and a few distinguishing features like a crest or plates and you have a quick and easy dino.<br />
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<strong>Dinosaur egg candles:</strong><br />
Carefully poke a small hole at the bottom of an egg and a larger one at the top. Blow the contents of the egg out - a good time to bake a cake or make eggy toast. Rinse and dry. Then thread a wick through the holes leaving plenty at both ends. Tape up the bottom. An adult will have to melt and pour the wax, but you use old candle wax and broken crayons. Let the child choose the colours add one colour, wait a few minutes and add another, layering colours. Let teh child give the shell a swirl. Let this dry for a few days and peel away the shell.<br />
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<strong>Walking with Dinosaurs footprints:</strong><br />
Fill a square plastic dish pan or other tray at least 3" fill with damp levelled play sand. Carefully press the shape of a dinosaur footprint into the sand, two if you have room, using only one side of the tray. Next have your child place one foot into the tray then step across leaving two footprints. If this doesn't come out just right mix it up and try again. Fill the tray with a thin layer of plaster of Paris. Let dry, paint and then paint again with clear varnish or clear drying white glue to make it less fragile.<br />
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<strong>Pasta Pictures:</strong><br />
Start with dark coloured card. Cut out and glue a dinosaur skeleton picture on to the card. Select a variety of pasta shapes, including spaghetti, small elbow macaroni, shells - crushed and whole + whatever else looks interesting. Glue bits of pasta ( raw) over the skeleton picture. If you want to make this really exciting - paint the pasta with glow in the dark glue first and let dry.<br />
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<strong>Making Fossils:</strong><br />
Get a couple of plastic replica fossils or skeletons and press into plasticine. Fill with plaster and paint.Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-79309526884180091652012-10-23T11:19:00.001-07:002012-10-23T11:19:42.169-07:00Dinosaur Unit Study and activities - home school / home education A unit study is simply a theme for home education. It can be in addition to regular text book work - or almost all activities can be based around a single theme. Living in Belfast, I have been unable to find an affordable packaged curriculum - which means I make my own. We do use some text books - but I also like to let the children explore their own favourite topics - which in our house often means dinosaurs. Here are some of our ideas for Dinosaur activities:<br />
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<strong>Museums:</strong><br />
We were quite lucky that the Ulster Museum recently hosted a visiting dinosaur exhibit - but even without this, there are always some fossils on display and a replica skeleton. A museum visit is a great way start for a dinosaur unit study. While you are there I would strongly suggest asking staff for information on local fossil hunting.<br />
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<strong>Fossils:</strong><br />
There are several prepackaged fossil kits for children - some of which are quite reasonable - but nothing can compare to finding your own. Of course you aren't likely to dig up a T-Rex in your back garden - but if you consult local books and experts as to where to look you will be very likely to find some type of fossil with enough effort. We've only found two a small aquatic life form and a plant, and this was after days of searching, but we do learn by our failures as well. We are beginning to learn what types of rocks to look in. And once you've found something - identifying it is loads of fun as well. But because it will take so long to build up a collection like this - we have added to it with a packaged set from Amazon, and a couple of bits from our museum gift shop.<br />
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<strong>Make your own fossils:</strong><br />
After reading several books on imprint fossils, my son still couldn't quite grasp the idea. Taking some model dinosaurs and skeletons and pressing them into clay immediately showed him how it works. We could see the scaly skin patterns in the clay, or the imprint of bones, footprints etc.... We used air drying clay and painted it afterwards - making some nice decorations to hang up, but you can also press imprints into sand and fill with plaster, or even melted wax - a good way to get rid of broken crayons and left over candle wax.<br />
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<strong>Digging for dinos:</strong><br />
We set up a large plastic box with a bag of play sand and buried a number of model dinosaurs. I was really surprised by the amount of time the children spent happily digging these out. To make it more exciting - buy a dinosaur skeleton model- or two and bury the pieces. Trying to figure out which bone goes to which dinosaur can be trying - but can give some insight into a real paleontologists work.<br />
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<strong>Timeline:</strong><br />
We cut pictures from magazines or images printed from the computer and lay them face up on clear fablon or contact paper. Then we carefully cut them out again, resulting in a very durable picture. We actually painted a solid colour border on the wall of our play room/ school room, but you can easily take a bargain strip of wall paper border and paint the back different colours for different periods and eras. Then tape or blue tack this down the length of a hall, across a large wall, or even around a room. Finally, the children tape or blue tack the various dinosaurs and other creatures onto the correct time period.<br />
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<strong>Classifying dinosaurs:</strong><br />
We also make our own books using simple page protectors and 3 ring binders, or report portfolios. Children can classify animals by type of animal - such as flying reptile, Permian reptile, dinosaur etc... by era, by diet, or habitat. We did a project where we tried to predict a dinosaurs diet using clues such as placement of eyes, teeth, claws, and brain size. We also used modern grocery store fliers to cut out pictures of foods for carnivores, herbivores and omnivores, and added pictures of dinosaurs according to their diets.<br />
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<strong>Dinosaur Maths:</strong><br />
Get out the tape measure and chalk and mark off the length of various species of dinosaurs out on the street or footpath. This gives children a much better concept of size than a book. Try to find out the height of power poles or local buildings so you can compare the taller dinosaurs in height to those as well. <br />
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Take the estimated sizes of many dinosaurs and make charts and maths problems - how much larger was Spinosaurus compared to T Rex? Which was longer Apatosaurus or Brachiosaurus? <br />
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<strong>Fact or Fiction?</strong><br />
Choose some dinosaur movies - Jurassic Park being the most obvious. How many mistakes can you find? For instance Velociraptor is much larger in the films - perhaps to make it more frightening. Can you think of a dinosaur that would have been better in Velociraptors place? ( A Troodon is closer to the size of the film's most frightening creatures - and also the smartest dinosaur). How many of the dinosaurs actually lived in the Jurassic Period? We also noted that Pterosaurs would certainly not be confined to an island - they were meant to have migrated for incredible distances. There are many other mistakes in the film - such as the idea of Tyrannosaurus Rex not being able to see you if held still. This is a creature that hunts by smell. You'll likely find many errors we missed, but it doesn't matter if you find more or less, the idea is to think critically and approach the question using scientific information.<br />
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What do you think of cloning ? Wouldn't they need an egg? the right size for each species? Any other major mistakes in the cloning idea? These films may not me good science, but they are a wonderful way to encourage scientific discussion and thought.<br />
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<strong>Reading and Writing:</strong><br />
I will not list any books here as I have listed so many in the two preceding blogs, but of course a good dinosaur unit study would involve reading as many books on the subject as possible. Children can then write their own articles about their favourite dinosaurs for their own home made books, or even fictional stories involving dinosaurs. It cold be a about a species previously thought extinct being rediscovered - or a the use of cloning like Jurassic Park. Perhaps time travel could provide the basis for a good dinosaur story - or imagine what if the dinosaurs had never become extinct. Could Troodon have evolved into a species like humans - would humans have evolved at all. Or if you don't believe in evolution at all - your child could write about a scenario expressing your own beliefs. Did humans and dinosaurs live at the same time - it could make a great story. The ideas for creative writing are endless.<br />
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<strong>Grow your own prehistoric pet:</strong><br />
Triops date back from before the time of the dinosaurs. Amazon sells several kits to hatch one out - but they fail to mention this creature can not survive cold. Either raise these in the warmer months or buy a small tank and heater. Keep in mind the life span is only 3 months - so no matter how well your child cares for this pet - it will die. The good side is, if you keep a few and dry out the sand - you may be able to hatch new ones the next year.<br />
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<strong>Prehistoric plants:</strong><br />
Many plants from prehistoric times have survived, including ferns and buttercups. Grow a small prehistoric garden.<br />
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<strong>Arts and Crafts:</strong><br />
This will have to wait for my next blog as I have too many craft ideas to fit into this one.Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-50082472788951997572012-10-20T08:54:00.001-07:002013-08-07T12:07:01.782-07:00Dinosaur books for children and toddlers. Please see my previous post Paleaontology and dinosaur books for older children as many books will appeal to more than one age group as well. These are my recommendations for younger dinosaur mad children, including both fiction and no fiction. The links in blue are to my reviews on dooyoo which will be longer and more in depth.<br />
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<strong>Bumpus Jumpus Dinosaurumpus</strong><br />
This is a rhyming story with a brilliant rhythm that even the youngest child will pick up on. It starts of with "a quake and a quiver and a rumbling around" and builds up to a proper dinosaur bash. There is a bit of a fright as a fearsome Tyrannosaurus crashes is, but thankfully he only wants to join in the fun and the wild romp continues until finally the exhausted dinosaurs tumble in heap and fall asleep.<br />
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When my children were babies I acted out the dance with them - waving their arms stamping their feet etc... Now that they are older they do themselves and our whole house shakes with the dinosaur romp.<br />
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In my opinion, this is one of the best books ever for babies and still very popular with older children. It is bright, colourful and teaches children a number of dinosaur names, but more importantly, it teaches young children to love books. I read this book to both of my sons froma very early age ( 8 months and 6 months) and both fell in love with the story. It is still popular today and theya re now ages 4 and 7. If you could buy only one book for a young a child - I would recommend this one.<br />
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<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/bumpus-jumpus-dinosaurumpus-tony-mitton/1452898/change">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/bumpus-jumpus-dinosaurumpus-tony-mitton/1452898/change</a><br />
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<strong>The Three Little Dinosaurs</strong><br />
Second only to Bumpus Jumpsus Dinosaurumpus, this is another wonderful story book for children from infancy up to perhaps age 8.<br />
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I bought this book for my 4 year old as my 7 year has long since outgrown
picture books. As it turned it though, both boys loved this and laughed until
they had tears in their eyes. I had no sooner finished reading the book when
they both asked to hear it again. This book is a twist on the classic story of
the three little pigs but told with so much humour it is certain to be a
favourite with any child who loves dinosaurs - and most likely a number who do
not. The banter between the dinosaurs is brilliantly scripted. The T -Rex
insists on calling the little Brachiosaurs pigs and it develops into a first
class slagging match in which the bully always comes off the worst.<br />
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The
Tyrannosaurus Rex is determined to eat the three tiny Brachiosaurs. But they
finally find safety in a house of stone. T-Rex won't give up though - he spends
years plotting and planning. But while Brachiosaurs are born small, like all
sauropods - they grow very rapidly. When Tyrannosaurus returns he gets quite a
surprise. This means this book could also be a good a choice for a child dealing
with bullies, but the main reason to buy this book is just for the fun of it.
This is the type of book that will encourage children to grow up loving books.
This is the type of book that children can enjoy listening to for years to
come.<br />
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I have collected children's books for many years, and in all
honesty have a larger collection than most children's libraries. We only keep
the best books and even so have book cases in every room of the house. Even with
a collection this large - this stands out as one of the very best picture books
I have ever found. <br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/the-three-little-dinosaurs-jim-harris/1671534/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/the-three-little-dinosaurs-jim-harris/1671534/</a><br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Dinosaur (DK Touch and Feel)</strong></span><br />
Another book for infants, but still enjoyed by older children, this book allows children to feel the scaly skin of a dinosaur and the sticky tongue of T Rex. Most young children very much enjoy tactile books and this adds a whole new dimension to story time.<br />
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<strong>Danny and the Dinosaur</strong><br />
An I Can Read book this cute story of a museum dinosaur who comes to life for the day also makes an excellent resource for emergent readers to practice their skills.<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/danny-and-the-dinosaur-syd-hoff/1468577/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/danny-and-the-dinosaur-syd-hoff/1468577/</a><br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Ankylosaurus Fights Back (Smithsonian's Prehistoric Pals)</strong></span><br />
The illustrations are lovely and the story is well written. In this story
Anklysaurus uses his tail to fend off a carnivore - but spends most of his time
eating --- and farting much to the delight of my 4 year old son. It seems the
plants Anklyosaurus ate produce a lot of wind.<br />
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In addition to the story,
brief facts on this type of dinosaur are included. I would be point out that
this series has been printed in more than one format. There is a hardback
version, as well as a large paperback book with a beautiful pull out poster - or
a very small miniature paper back book - perhaps 4" tall. We ended up with the
small version but it is still well loved. Some even include soft toys and
cd-roms. Read carefully to be sure you get the edition you want. <br />
<span id="btAsinTitle"><strong></strong></span><br />
<strong>Parasaurolophus Escapes</strong> [With Tear-Out Poster]<br />
This book is also from Smithsonian's prehistoric Pals series, and I would note that there are several other books available including ones about Velocoraptor, Spinosaurus, Mosasurus, Iguanadon and Pteranodon. We bought the larger paperback edition of this book - which included a lovely pull out poster. The story is simple, but fun and the illustrations are lovely. I would recommend for ages 2 -5.<br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><strong>Mungo and the Dinosaur Island - Timothy Knapman</strong></span> <br />
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'Mungo and the Dinosaur Island' combines dinosaurs, hunters which reminded us of pirates, and plenty of adventure, but it all begins in a library. I liked this. I liked the fact that books could be seen as a doorway to adventure. Mungo chooses a book called the Lost Island, and settles down to read it later that night in bed. The story begins with some terrible pirates who plan to capture a rare butterfly to sell. But soon they find more unusual animals to exploit - Dinosaurs. A few are very large, but most are tiny ( my son didn't think any of this because we've already used the idea that animals could become smaller with each generation in a small environment like an island). Thankfully Stegosaurus may be tiny, but he is brave. He is all set to save the day when disaster strikes. Mungo turns the page too soon, and Stegosaurus hasn't had a chance to chase the hunters away. There is only one chance left for the poor captured dinosaurs. Mungo must go into the book with Stegosaurus and help him defeat the evil villains. <br /><br /> The first thing to strike me with this book was the illustrations. They are absolutely brilliant. The cover art is nice, but it doesn't do justice to the rest of the book. Everything is so bright and colourful, the expressions on the dinosaurs are perfect, and the illustrator has brought the story to life perfectly. The story itself is excellent as well. It is wonderful adventure, but never really frightening.<br /><br /> My son says this book must get 5 stars as it is "the very best". He says the best part of all is the Stegosaurus biting the bad guys butt - something I imagine most young children would enjoy. He also loves the look on the Stegosauruses face when he screams "NOOOOOO!" and the look of surprise on the hunters face when he finds out what looks like a rock is something very different. I'd have given this five stars on illustrations alone, but combined with a wonderful story, this book really is a must have for any child who enjoys Dinosaurs. <br />
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Non Fiction:<br />
<span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Dinosaur's Day (DK Readers Level 1)</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/dinosaur-s-day-ruth-thomson/1548155/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/dinosaur-s-day-ruth-thomson/1548155/</a><br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Dinosaur Dinners (DK Readers Level 2)</strong></span><br />
This is listed as level 2 book for reading, but it is quite easy still with large text. I would recommend this for independent reading from age 6, but it is even better as fun story book for very children. I would recommend this as story book from age 1 with it's delightfully scary hungry dinosaurs looking at you. My four year old loves this one as well. This also explains the difference between herbivore and carnivore.<br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><strong>Project X: Dinosaur Safari</strong> </span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">Project X is an exceptional series of leveled readers designed to get boys reading. This book is an easy to read informative book. It is not the most in depth, but for only 24 pages with a limited amount of easy to read text it packs in quite a lot of material. If this book sounds interesting - why not try my link below for Oxford Owl under Home Education freebies. It contains the entire book online so you can try it for yourself. This book is meant to be for ages 7-8, but my son read this at age 6 and my youngest has used it as a storybook since age 2.</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/project-x-dinosaur-safari-claire-llewellyn/1570835/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/project-x-dinosaur-safari-claire-llewellyn/1570835/</a></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Dinosaur Encyclopedia (First Reference)</strong></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">DK's usual high quality text and illustration for younger readers. This is a favourite with my four year old.</span><br />
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<span class="i7_headline">Also recommended:</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Dinosaur (Eye Wonder)</strong></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>National Geographic Little Kids: First Big Book of
Dinosaurs</strong> </span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Meet the Dinosaurs (DK Readers Pre-Level 1)</strong></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>My Best Book of Dinosaurs</strong></span></span><br />
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<span class="i7_headline">Education:</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Ten Little Dinosaurs (Wiggle Eyes)</strong></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">This is one of the best counting books we have, and easily doubles as bedtime story. What makes this book unique is the addition of two large googley eyes. These are weighted so that they will face up. When the book is closed the eyeballs face outwards as shown. As you open the over you can see the eyeballs turn around - and a bit of movement can make it appear as if the dinosaur is actually watching you. All of the subsequent pages have two holes for the eyeballs to peer through - or you can have a bit of fun and hold the book up to your face and make all sorts of dinosaur noises. Of course no one knows what dinosaurs sounded like - which leaves us free to make up our own sounds - everything from roars and growls to long drawn out conversations from the Saurolophus. <br /><br /> This book begins like the 10 little monkeys rhyme, but instead of monkeys we have dinosaurs, in this case, 10 little Pachycephalosaurus jumping on the bed. Pachycephalosaurus are the ones with a very thick dome shaped skull with wee spikes around it. When the inevitable accident occurs - the doctors says "No more boneheads bouncing on the bed. <br /><br /> As we count down from 10, each number has a different species. Rather than each page showing them jumping on the bed, the author has introduced some variety to the story with a number of different activities including 9 dinosaurs on one bike, playing in traffic and arguing with an umpire. Each set of pages has 4 rhyming lines and a nick name for the species pictured - often insulting like "big mouths" and "nut brains". The verses fit into the rhythm of the original 10 Little monkeys rhyme, giving this an immediate familiarity, and making it a very pleasant book to read or listen to. The dinosaurs featured in this book are as follows: Pachycephalosaurus, Stegosaurus, T Rex, Spinosaurus, Archaeopteryx , Ankylosaurus, Supersaurus, Chasmosaurus, Saurolophus and Triceratops. Of course Archaeopteryx is not really a dinosaur, but is a pterosaur, but this book isn't really meant to be a serious science book so I can almost overlook that one. </span><br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/ten-little-dinosaurs-pattie-schnetzler/1669897/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/ten-little-dinosaurs-pattie-schnetzler/1669897/</a><br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><strong>Dinosaur Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta </strong>and <span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>An Alphabet of Dinosaurs by Peter Dodson</strong></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">are both quite similar. Both books feature beautiful painted illustrations with a different dinosaur for each letter and both also contain detailed information for each dinosaur featured, meaning they can be enjoyed long after a child has learned their ABC's.. The Jerry Pallotta book hide a slight edge as far as information in my opinion, but teh Peter Dodson book came up trumps on illustration. The book by Pallotta featured a large bold upper and lower case letter for each page though an the Dodson book did not. In fact, as much as it goes against my nature to deface a book - I ended up writing in the letters myself in the Dodson book as I felt the purpose of an alphabet book was defeated by leaving them out.</span><br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Dinosaur ABC Colouring Book (Dover Coloring Books)</strong></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"> I bought this when my 4 year old requested a dinosaur colouring book, thinking he could work on his ABC's while colouring in. When it arrived he insisted the pictures were to nice for him to colour as he might make mistakes - but we have just copied off pages for him to colour, paint or do other projects with.</span>Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-80117420432671372112012-09-23T08:21:00.000-07:002013-07-03T11:09:17.225-07:00Paleontology books for children . Dinosaur books for older children.With my oldest son - age 7 dreaming of becoming a paleontologist, and my youngest - age 4 absolutely crazy about dinosaurs we have collected a vast array of dinosaur and palaeontology related resources. I have written a more detailed review for many of these and have included links where possible. These are some of our favourites:<br />
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<strong><span class="i7_headline">Prehistoric - DK</span> </strong><br />
This is technically an adult's book but written in such a way as to have value for all ages. This is an absolute must have item for any child or adult with a serious interest in prehistoric life beyond dinosaurs - although it has plenty on dinosaurs as well. We bought this specifically for information on plants and insects and have started our own prehistoric garden as a result of reading this. It is, without a doubt, the most extensive and beautifully illustrated book available to laymen on the prehistory.<br />
Please see my complete review @<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/non-fiction/prehistoric-dk/1712697/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/non-fiction/prehistoric-dk/1712697/</a><br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><strong>Dinosaurs: A Visual Encyclopedia /<span id="btAsinTitle">Dinosaurs a children's Encyclopedia</span>- DK publishing</strong></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">This book was printed in 2011 and represents the absolute state of the art in both the science of paleontology and in the creation and photography of realistic dinosaur models. The name however, is a bit of a misnomer. This would be better named the Prehistoric Encyclopedia - but DK also has another, even larger book with this title. If by chance you will find some repetition, but this is much more child friendly format.. This tome has a total of 304 pages. Of these pages the combined section for birds and dinosaurs is only 98 pages. This book begins The early earth void of life and continues with bacteria, invertebrates, all manner of aquatic life, insects, amphibians and the first reptiles. Then we will move onto the dinosaur section and finally the mammals including early man. The amount of information in this book is staggering. It is written for the older child or adult - but even my 4 year old enjoys this book. One of the very best, most extensive books on prehistoric history in print. All ages but written at an adult reading level.</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/dinosaurs-a-visual-encyclopedia/1665644/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/dinosaurs-a-visual-encyclopedia/1665644/</a></span><br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><strong>Paleontology: The Study of Prehistoric Life - Susan Heinrichs Gray</strong></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><strong></strong></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline">There are thousands and thousands of dinosaur books for children, but there are honestly are not very many specifically on paleontology. This book is not really about dinosaurs. it is about the science and history of the study of dinosaurs. This book tells us what fossils are, what a paleontologist does and how they do it. This is small inexpensive and easy to read book. At age 7 my son can read this easily, but there is enough information to interest even an adult. ages 6 - 14</span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/paleontology-the-study-of-prehistoric-life-susan-heinrichs-gray/1663652/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/paleontology-the-study-of-prehistoric-life-susan-heinrichs-gray/1663652/</a></span></span><br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><strong>Bones Rock!: Everything You Need to Know to be a Paleontologist - Peter L. Larson</strong></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline">This is <strong>the</strong> book for budding paleontologists. no other book comes close to this in terms of the amount of information - not so much on dinosaurs but on the science of Paleontology and yet remains easily accessible by children. This tells us what a paleontologist does, what methods they use, how theories are formed - and disputed. The book begins, not with dinosaurs, but with science. The book explains how science works. It presents science, not as a set of facts, but of theories and ideas that are subject to change. Science becomes a living and fluid thing rather than a stuffy set facts to memorise. Reading this book, I can almost forget how much I hated science as a child with some teachers. This is not an adult text, like 'Walking With Dinosaurs', nor a child's text, like 'Eyewonder Dinosaur'. different sites have listed this as ages 9-12 and 10 -14. I would say it would be very suitable for ages 8 -14. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/bones-rock-everything-you-need-to-know-to-be-a-paleontologist-peter-l-larson/1606343/guides/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/bones-rock-everything-you-need-to-know-to-be-a-paleontologist-peter-l-larson/1606343/guides/</a></span></span></span><br />
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<strong>Scientists At Work - Dinosaur Hunters Paleontologists</strong><br />
<strong> </strong>This book is published by Heinemann books - a company known for educational materials. I believe their primary market is schools and libraries, but they do sell to individual customers - and offer home educators schools rates. Like most of my books though, this was purchased from Amazon. This is another specialist book. It doesn't really tell you anything about living dinosaurs. This focuses only on fossil remains and the discovery, excavation, preservation, identification, restoration and study of these remains. This gives a child an honest look at what is like to be a palaeontologist, as well as what type of studies will be required to enter the field. It as an excellent resource for the child very serious about palaeontology, but not as useful for the younger child just wanted to learn a little a bit about dinosaurs. I would place the reading level at ages 7 -8, bearing in mind there will be a number of long and difficult words related to this field. I would expect this book to have been written for ages 8 -12, but would still recommend this for teenagers considering a career in palaeontology.<br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards</strong></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline">Graphic novel style book detailing the bone wars between Cope and Marsh. Reading level - ages 7+ . A brilliant idea but can be difficult to follow. Recommended to older readers and those with a serious interest in Paleontology.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Dinosaur Detectives - DK Readers Level 4</strong></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline">Well written easy to read book on paleontology for ages 7 - 14.</span></span></span><br />
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<strong>Dinosaur Hunters - Step Into Reading Level 4</strong><br />
All about how fossils are formed and collected. A lot of material about Jim Jensen aka "Dinosaur Jim" a modern palaeontologist - some info on Cope and Marsh and Gideon Mantell. Ages 7 -14.<br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>I-Spy Minerals, Rocks and Fossils</strong> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline">Very inexpensive handbook for British fossil hunters - should apply to Ireland as well - or at least so I have been told by the local museum. Reading level - 8+</span></span></span><br />
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<strong>DK Rock and Fossil Hunter</strong><br />
Some information on collecting and identifying rocks and fossils, but this is primarily a book of experiments and hands on activities which teach about geology and paleontology. Ideal for home educators or families who really enjoy experiments and projects. Ages 6 - 12 but will require some parental assistance.<br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Make Your Own Dinosaur Out of Chicken Bones - Christopher McGowan</strong></span><br />
We are just starting on this one - and saving up the required bones- so I can not say how well it works. However it is very well written book with plenty of information about how real dinosaur skeletons. Ages 8+<br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><strong>Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs - Robert Clarke Sabuda</strong></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><strong></strong></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline">These pop ups are among the best I have ever seen, the book is also extremely well written and would be an excellent book, even without the pop ups. The information is detailed, yet easy to understand. It mentions the fact that sometimes paleontologists get it wrong. It includes the famous blunder in which iguanodons spiked thumb was originally thought to go on it's nose. After reading this book, a child will have a pretty good basic knowledge of paleontology as well as knowing the three periods within the Mesozoic Era (Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous), about fossils and the main types of dinosaurs as well as a few of the best known species. They will have an idea of size and scale of many of these beasts, as well as how they lived and the prevalent theories on how they died. That is a lot of information for 12 pages! </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/encyclopedia-prehistorica-dinosaurs-robert-clarke-sabuda/1593701/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/encyclopedia-prehistorica-dinosaurs-robert-clarke-sabuda/1593701/</a></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="fn"><strong>Encyclopedia Prehistorica Sharks and Other Sea Monsters - Robert Clarke Sabuda </strong></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="fn">Prehisoric sea life.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="fn"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/encyclopedia-prehistorica-sharks-and-other-sea-monsters-robert-clarke-sabuda/1579495/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/encyclopedia-prehistorica-sharks-and-other-sea-monsters-robert-clarke-sabuda/1579495/</a></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="fn"><strong>Encyclopedia Prehistorica Mega-Beasts - Matthew Reinhart</strong> </span><br />
<span class="fn">Prehistoric mammals</span><br />
<span class="fn"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/encyclopedia-prehistorica-mega-beasts-matthew-reinhart/1597201/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/encyclopedia-prehistorica-mega-beasts-matthew-reinhart/1597201/</a></span><br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Planet Dinosaur: The next Generation of Giant Killers
(Natural History)</strong> </span><br />
Excellent book with stunning photos and the very latest discoveries. Written an adult age level, but both of my sons - ages 4 and 7 enjoy this with an adult reading most of it - or just to browse the beautiful photographs.<br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><strong>The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs - Joanna Cole</strong></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">This book is recommended for ages 4-8, but I feel this still has a lot to offer the older child, especially in the home education setting. This makes science very easy to understand and has excellent ideas for projects to do at home.</span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/the-magic-school-bus-in-the-time-of-the-dinosaurs-joanna-cole/1546699/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/the-magic-school-bus-in-the-time-of-the-dinosaurs-joanna-cole/1546699/</a></span><br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><strong>"Walking with Dinosaurs": A Natural History - Tim Haines</strong></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">Adult reading level but can be used for younger children with an adult to help. </span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"></span><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/non-fiction/walking-with-dinosaurs-a-natural-history-tim-haines/1488011/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/non-fiction/walking-with-dinosaurs-a-natural-history-tim-haines/1488011/</a><br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>"Walking with Dinosaurs": The Evidence - How Did They Know
That</strong></span><br />
The facts behind the series and book. Well written plenty of photographs, would best suits ages 8+ as this is written at an adult reading level.<br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><strong>Ultimate Book of Dinosaurs - John Malam</strong></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline"><a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/non-fiction/ultimate-book-of-dinosaurs-john-malam/1548533/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/non-fiction/ultimate-book-of-dinosaurs-john-malam/1548533/</a></span><br />
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<span class="i7_headline"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Rise of the Reptiles (Prehistoric animals)</strong> </span></span><br />
<span class="i7_headline">Life before the dinosaurs - Permian reptiles age 8 -10 +</span><br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>When Fish Got Feet, Sharks Got Teeth, and Bugs Began to
Swarm: A Cartoon Prehistory of Life Long Before Dinosaurs</strong></span><br />
Fun easy to understand cartoon style history of life from the dawn of life through the Devonian period.<br />
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<span class="med reg"><strong>T Rex - Uncover it - Dennis
Schatz and Davide Bonadonna</strong></span><br />
<span class="med reg"> This one is fun for all ages. It has a large plastic model inside detailing the skeleton, internal organs, nervous system etc.... Of course much of this is speculation, but this is clearly stated, as well as how they used living animals to guess at what T- Rex's internal structure may have been like. Perfect for children who love to touch and feel as they explore books, plenty of good information as well.</span><br />
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<span class="med reg"><strong>DK <span id="btAsinTitle">I Can Draw Dinosaurs</span></strong></span><br />
<span class="med reg">Ages 6+ . Simple easy to follow instructions to draw your own dinosaurs.</span><br />
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<span class="med reg"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Super Crocs & Monster Wings: Modern Animals' Ancient
Past</strong></span></span><br />
<strong> </strong>This one wasn't as exciting as we had hoped. There is almost nothing with dinosaurs, but if you like dragonflies - this is your book. There is quite a bit of material on Meganeura, as well as information on modern dragonflies. There is also a good section on crocodilian, a section on how a fossil is formed and a much larger section on prehistoric and modern reptiles. This book also lists 7 mass extinction events. This is something that concerned my children - if life on earth has been almost totally eradicated 7 times - what's to say it won't happen again? Recommended for ages 8+.<br />
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<span class="med reg"><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>Dinosaur (DK Revealed) </strong></span></span><br />
Like most DK books, this is well written, well illustrated and packed with useful information. What makes this book different from the rest is the addition of transparent overlays. These allow you to look inside an egg - or a dinosaur and were a great hit with my children. I believe exploring and playing with books is a key component to developing literacy and this is just the type of book to encourage children to touch, feel, look at and explore.<br />
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<span class="med reg"><strong>Dinosaur Atlas Book - <span class="med reg">Malam, John</span></strong></span><br />
Who says geography is boring? Learn about the continents, other countries and more while learning about dinosaurs. This book provides wonderful maps with locations of fossil finds, but it also has detailed information on dinosaurs, transparent overlays and top notch illustrations. Recommended for all ages.<br />
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<span class="med reg"><strong><span class="med reg">Dead Dinosaurs : (The Knowledge)</span></strong></span><br />
This is a paperback book - something like the Horrible Science series. It takes a light hearted and entertaining but highly informative look a dinosaurs and palaeontology. Illustrations are limited, cartoon style and black and white only but the text is far more in depth than most books. Recommended for ages 8+, but my 7 year old has really enjoyed this, so I would recommend this for slightly younger children if they are proficient readers and they have a significant interest in this field.<br />
<span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><span class="i7_headline"><strong></strong></span> </span></span></span>Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-36526172766728459492012-06-04T11:57:00.001-07:002012-06-06T06:45:47.264-07:00The best freebies for home education/ homeschooling. Free books, ebooks and games.<strong>Home Education on a budget:</strong><br />
I'd like to say when deciding where, or in fact whether to send my child to school, that his well being was the only consideration. I'd like to say that, but , like most families, finances did play a role in our decision. I had ruled the local schools out, but if money had not been an issue, I might very well have tried a private school such as Steiner education. I do spend far too much on books and science toys, but I also take advantage of as many free resources as possible. This is my list of free online resources - some of which are really phenomenal. The first two have collections of complete online ebooks which your child can read absolutely free of charge. I have rated these on a 5 star rating basis, but I have not listed any sites which I would give less than 3 stars. If the site has no stars it simply means I haven't used it enough to give a fair rating. In addition, at the very bottom I have posted an online review site for adults. By writing reviews I have been able to earn free Amazon vouchers - which have translated into quite a few free books for our home education programme.<br />
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<strong>Oxford Owl - reading and maths:</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/">http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/</a><br />
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This site now contains both reading and maths, but the maths section is new and still very limited. It is recommended for ages 3-8, but we did use it with my youngest from age two. Of course a parent's help will be required with a very young child. This site is an absolute treasure trove for home educators. It has some excellent articles for parents on helping your child learn, fun games, but best of all it has massive online library with 105 free full length ebooks you can listen to the computer read the story, or turn the sound off and let your child read themselves. These are top quality, fully illustrated books by well known authors, exactly like the books you would buy in a books store except online instead of in print. These books are all graded, or levelled for developing readers, so not only can you find just the right level for your child to enjoy these, you can also use this site to determine the correct level if ordering graded readers. If I had to choose just one free online web site for home education - this would be it.<br />
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<strong>Starfall Phonics - reading</strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.starfall.com/">http://www.starfall.com/</a><br />
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Toddlers - to about age 8.<br />
The main areas are:<br />
"ABC's - Let's get ready to read" which teaches the alphabet and sounds with fun games and animations. <br />
"Learn to Read - Zac the Rat and other tales" . This section is truly amazing with 15 complete phonetic story books, animations and several games to teach children to read.<br />
"It's Fun to Read" a collection of poetry, games and music for the newly emergent reader.<br />
"I'm Reading" a collection of 14 complete online fiction and non fiction books for early readers, plus world folktales, Greek Myths, Chinese Legends, plays and comics.<br />
This site is completely free, you do not even need to register to use any of these activities, but they have developed another section for paid memberships. But the free section alone is one of the very best sites I have found, and includes a wealth of online reading material and games. This site really helped so much with teaching my oldest to read at age 5. The animations showing phonics rules like when "two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking" and a brilliant song / animation showing how the silent e makes the long vowel song. My youngest at age 3, has been enjoying the alphabet games lately. He especially loves the games where he separates upper case and lower cases letters.<br />
I still use this with my 7 year old for the more advanced books and myths and legends.<br />
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<strong>Jump Start World, Math Blaster and Knowledge Adventure - all subjects</strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.jumpstart.com/">http://www.jumpstart.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mathblaster.com/">http://www.mathblaster.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.knowledgeadventure.com/">http://www.knowledgeadventure.com/</a><br />
* * * * *<br />
Ages 2 -12<br />
All three of these sites are owned by the same company, Knowledge Adventure but only the last site is completely free of charges. I have decided to include Jumpstart Virtual world and it's sister site Math Blaster because both sites do offer a limited amount of play for free. I have to admit I have been a member of this site for 3 years now and joined the day after discovering it, so my knowledge of the free portion of the sites is limited, but it is certainly worth a try. Membership does cover both sites, and after paying for a month I bought a lifetime membership, which I consider one of the best investments I have ever made for my children's education.<br />
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<strong>Oxford Project X free worksheets - reading.</strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.oup.com/oxed/primary/projectx/">http://www.oup.com/oxed/primary/projectx/</a><br />
* * * *<br />
This site is limited as it designed primarily to promotes Oxford's Project x books. It does however offer a wealth of advise for parents on helping children read, and in particular, encouraging boys to read. It also offer a number of free worksheets to print up in teacher resources, as well as fascinating look at how CGI illustrations are created for the children. While the website will be most useful to families using the Project X books, most of the worksheets could be used without the books with very minor adaptations.<br />
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The series itself is, in my opinion the most exciting development in children's reading since Dr. Seuss started his "I can read it all by myself " series. These books are truly innovative and original and in our experience, have worked miracles with my sons reading development as he has eagerly poured through these books, from level 1 to level 9 in a matter of months. He was just desperate to get to "the good books", a continuing series of adventures stories featuring four children who can shrink down to pocket sized and must save the world from the evil Dr X. Within a year he had made it to level 16, which is as high as Oxford readers go. He did start outgrowing these stories by the time he reached level 14, but this is only because Oxford's Project X had developed his reading to such a degree that he was able to move on to paperbacks, and soon thereafter, young adult and graphic novels.<br />
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<strong>Other free educational sites:</strong><br />
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<strong>Multiple Subjects:</strong></div>
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BBC Bitesize * * * * *<br />
Brilliant selection of maths, english and science activities.<br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/">http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/</a><br />
Shephard Software's Kids Corner * * * *<br />
Ages 3-10Wide variety of children's education games including maths, science, animals, health, vocabulary, the world, and the USA.<br />
<a href="http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/kidscorner3.htm">http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/kidscorner3.htm</a><br />
Kids Know It<br />
<a href="http://www.kidsknowit.com/">http://www.kidsknowit.com/</a><br />
Homework Help *****<br />
Very good general education site, but especially useful for history.<br />
<a href="http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/index.html">http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/index.html</a><br />
National Geographic KIds<br />
<a href="http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/">http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/</a><br />
Funschool.com<br />
Arcade style educational games.<br />
<a href="http://funschool.kaboose.com/arcade/index.html">http://funschool.kaboose.com/arcade/index.html</a><br />
Brain Pop<br />
A bit of everything from history, maths and English to weird science .<br />
<a href="http://www.brainpop.com/">http://www.brainpop.com/</a><br />
Top Marks<br />
Games for all subjects and all ages - very large collection - all free.<br />
<a href="http://www.topmarks.co.uk/EducationalGames.aspx">http://www.topmarks.co.uk/EducationalGames.aspx</a><br />
The Khan Academy ****: Educational videos on almost everything, I believe this is intended for adults, but there is still plenty for an older child or teenager.<br />
<a href="http://www.khanacademy.org/">http://www.khanacademy.org/</a><br />
Thinkfinity - everything from lesson plans to free games:<br />
<a href="http://www.thinkfinity.org/">http://www.thinkfinity.org/</a><br />
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<strong>Maths</strong><strong> </strong><br />
Cool Math 4 Kids<br />
<a href="http://www.coolmath4kids.com/">http://www.coolmath4kids.com/</a><br />
Penguin Math**** - very simple animations but fun way to practise math facts - feed the penguin the fish with the correct answer.<br />
<a href="http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/popup/popup_addition.htm">http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/popup/popup_addition.htm</a><br />
Timez attack ***** Exceptional 3-d graphics - fun and very educational - plays like a real video game - but we can't figure out how to open doors :( Still worth a try. Free and Paid versions.<br />
<a href="http://www.bigbrainz.com/">http://www.bigbrainz.com/</a><br />
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<strong>Reading </strong><br />
Marvel Comics and Marvel Kids ***** Never underestimate the value of comics to make children want to read. You can read a good number of comics here, completely free of charge:<br />
<a href="http://marvel.com/digital_comics/list?isFree=1">http://marvel.com/digital_comics/list?isFree=1</a><br />
<a href="http://marvelkids.marvel.com/">http://marvelkids.marvel.com/</a><br />
DC Comics *****<br />
<a href="http://www.readdcentertainment.com/free-comics">http://www.readdcentertainment.com/free-comics</a><br />
<a href="http://dcnationcomics.kidswb.com/">http://dcnationcomics.kidswb.com/</a><br />
(Please note - I have never found anything on either site not suitable for young children, but comics have become an adults medium rather than children's. I have some printed comics with material that is questionable for young children - so please preview the adult Marvel and the DC sites before letting your very child read - the kids sites will have nothing to worry about. If you should find anything out of order, please let me know. I have listed these as we do get quite a lot of good reading material here - but I do preview comics first now. If your child is 12+ I would not be concerned, but it's always best to have an idea what younger children are reading).<br />
Phonics Play ***** This site has paid section, but a large number of good quality games are available free of charge<br />
<a href="http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/DragonsDen.html">http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/DragonsDen.html</a><br />
Read Write Think ***** A number of free resources and games - including Fractured Fairy Tales - Takes some to to explore the site and find the best materials but well worth it.<br />
<a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/">http://www.readwritethink.org/</a><br />
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Planet Oz Kids - Ace Detectives<br />
Free online mystery game, ages 8+<br />
<a href="http://www.planetozkids.com/Ace_Detectives/index.html">http://www.planetozkids.com/Ace_Detectives/index.html</a><br />
Oxford Reading Tree - Traditional Tales * * * * *<br />
Three complete story books to read online, "Rabbit on the Run", "The Frog Prince" and Finn MacCool".<br />
<a href="http://www.oup.com/oxed/primary/oxfordreadingtree/traditional_tales/">http://www.oup.com/oxed/primary/oxfordreadingtree/traditional_tales/</a><br />
Kidsstoriesonline.com<br />
Free children's ebooks , small collection, but proper storybook format, pages that turn, illustrations etc..<br />
<a href="http://www.kidsstoriesonline.com/online-stories.html">http://www.kidsstoriesonline.com/online-stories.html</a><br />
All family Resources<br />
The Complete Brothers Grimm - read online for Free<br />
<a href="http://www.familymanagement.com/literacy/grimms/grimms-toc.html">http://www.familymanagement.com/literacy/grimms/grimms-toc.html</a><br />
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<strong>Spelling & Grammar</strong><br />
KidsSpell.Com<br />
<a href="http://www.kidsspell.com/index.php">http://www.kidsspell.com/index.php</a><br />
Grammar Games Online<br />
<a href="http://www.ellwood.goleta.k12.ca.us/GrammarGames/grammargames.html">http://www.ellwood.goleta.k12.ca.us/GrammarGames/grammargames.html</a><br />
Kids Spelling, Grammar and Writing Games ( quite a bit of reading too)<br />
<a href="http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/writing/Kids_Writing.html">http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/writing/Kids_Writing.html</a><br />
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<strong>Science</strong><br />
Kid's First For Health from Great Ormond St Hospital * * * *<br />
Ages 4 -18. Wide variety of health related topics including an interactive body tour.<br />
<a href="http://www.childrenfirst.nhs.uk/kids/">http://www.childrenfirst.nhs.uk/kids/</a><br />
Ed Heads - Activate Your Mind * * * * *<br />
Ages 8 - 18. Hands on interactive projects + lesson guides. Explore the weather, design your own cel phone and create a stem cell line are just three of the activities children can choose.<br />
<a href="http://www.edheads.org/">http://www.edheads.org/</a>#<br />
Nasa for Kids<br />
<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html">http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html</a><br />
Nature.ca<br />
Genetics / genome - wealth of information plus online games such as pass the genes.<br />
<a href="http://nature.ca/genome/03/a/03a_e.cfm">http://nature.ca/genome/03/a/03a_e.cfm</a><br />
Cells alive<br />
<a href="http://www.cellsalive.com/">http://www.cellsalive.com/</a><br />
<span class="fn">How to Make Science Toys ****</span><br />
<span class="fn">These are all common - and well known science tricks, but they are still fun. If you have a couple of good science project books you've likely done most of these, but if not do check this out (a nd it could save you buying a book)</span><br />
<span class="fn"><a href="http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryactivities/tp/makesciencetoys.htm">http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryactivities/tp/makesciencetoys.htm</a></span><br />
<span class="fn">Horrible Science *** This site has a fairly limied amount of content other than advertising for their books, but what there is, is good.</span><br />
<span class="fn"><a href="http://www.horrible-science.co.uk/welcome">http://www.horrible-science.co.uk/welcome</a></span><br />
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<strong>Geography / World Cultures</strong><br />
Kids Web Japan * * * * *<br />
One of the very best sites I have seen to teach children about another country. This site has everything: folklore, geography, technology, culture education and much much more.<br />
<a href="http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/">http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/</a><br />
Folklore and Myths<br />
Short unillustrated stories from around the world<br />
<a href="http://folkloreandmyth.netfirms.com/">http://folkloreandmyth.netfirms.com/</a><br />
Planet Oz Kids Myth's and Legends<br />
More stories from around the world, as well as some brief animal facts and information on animals and indigenous peoples. School activity downloads also available. Unillustrated or one single illustration for most.<br />
<a href="http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/index.html">http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/index.html</a><br />
International Children's Digital Library<br />
Online story books, fully illustrated from around the world.<br />
<a href="http://en.childrenslibrary.org/">http://en.childrenslibrary.org/</a><br />
Online story books, fully illustrated from around the world.<br />
Kids Homes Around The World<br />
<a href="http://www.katw.org/index.cfm">http://www.katw.org/index.cfm</a><br />
DLTK's Countries & Cultures Activities<br />
<a href="http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/index.htm">http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/index.htm</a><br />
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<strong>History</strong><br />
BBC Schools Primary History * * * * *<br />
Learn about ancient Greeks, the Romans, anglo Saxons, Vikings, Children in Victorian Britain, or Children in WW2.<br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/">http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/</a><br />
Channel 4 Learning History Essentials<br />
Brief facts, activities for home and quiz for various periods in history from ancient Egypt to Victorian Britain.<br />
<a href="http://www.channel4learning.com/apps26/learning/microsites/E/essentials/history/index.shtml">http://www.channel4learning.com/apps26/learning/microsites/E/essentials/history/index.shtml</a><br />
Kidiedia *****<br />
Listed as a history site, this virtual encyclopedia for children also includes a fair amount on the sciences.<br />
<a href="http://www.historyforkids.org/">http://www.historyforkids.org/</a><br />
Horrible Histories *****<br />
<a href="http://horrible-histories.co.uk/">http://horrible-histories.co.uk/</a><br />
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<strong>Creativity - Animation:</strong><br />
Go Animate<br />
<a href="http://goanimate.com/">http://goanimate.com/</a><br />
ToonDoo<br />
<a href="http://www.toondoo.com/CheeredBook.toon">http://www.toondoo.com/CheeredBook.toon</a><br />
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<strong>Art</strong><br />
Art Attack *****<br />
<a href="http://www.disney.co.uk/disney-junior/art-attack/?ex_cmp=sem_g_uk:tv-djr:aa::05420:0411">http://www.disney.co.uk/disney-junior/art-attack/?ex_cmp=sem_g_uk:tv-djr:aa::05420:0411</a><br />
Crafts for Kids - simple layout massive variety of projects grouped by subject<br />
<a href="http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/">http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/</a><br />
Crayola<br />
<a href="http://www.crayola.com/things-to-do/crafts-landing.aspx">http://www.crayola.com/things-to-do/crafts-landing.aspx</a><br />
Planet Pals<br />
<a href="http://www.planetpals.com/ppreuse.html">http://www.planetpals.com/ppreuse.html</a><br />
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<strong>Free Books:</strong><br />
Write reviews on books - or just about anything else on dooyoo and get free Amazon vouchers to buy all those books we so desperately need in home education. You don't have to be an experienced writer - just make a genuine effort to tell people about the products you won and use. To get the most from this site:<br />
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Do write about products you really feel strongly about - write about your favourite things.<br />
Do read and rate other peoples reviews - not only will this help you learn how much detail you need on this site - but most people will return the favour and your miles which re cashed in for £ will grow.<br />
Do give opinion not just stats.<br />
Do use the site to explore and find curriculum. There are quite a large number of reviews on this site for children's books, science toys and educational material.<br />
Do ask if you have any questions about products here - almost all of the members are very happy to tell you a bit more about whatever they review. Speaking for myself - I love sharing my favourite books and science kits - I just don't know when to shut up if you ask for more info :)<br />
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Don't ever copy anyone else's work. Copied reviews are the quickest way off this site.<br />
Don't write about products you don't own.<br />
Don't get upset if a takes a few weeks to get top rates, or take offence if members ask for more details.<br />
Don't tell how a book or movie ends or any major spoiler without warning readers first. Really spoilers should only be used in children's books, where there is a valid reason for doing so - such as an ending that may upset a child, and with clear warning before giving any spoilers.<br />
Don't expect to make a living or get rich quick. You can make £20 + a month in a reasonable period of time, which cold go a long way to buying children's books. But you can not make a living from home on this site.<br />
<a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/</a></div>
</div>Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2205808031370075707.post-73737329083872194882012-06-02T10:32:00.002-07:002012-06-02T10:33:03.720-07:00Top Ten Home education, or homeschool essentials.What items do you really need to successfully home educate? this may vary from one family to the next but here are the items we could not live without.<br />
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1. Books - not just text books, in fact we have very few text books, but books about anything and everything. I spend 1 - 2 hours per day reading to my children. At times I have read out loud until I've lost my voice. In addition to me reading to my sons, my seven year old reads quite a bit himself. But in order for a child to choose books over the vast myriad of entertainment choices they have today- we really need to maintain a good selection of books with topics that catch the boys' interest. One of my most important goals in deciding to home educate was to encourage my children to read for pleasure. I could sit and read with him for hours a day - ask to read out loud or on his own - but reading for pleasure can not be forced. I choose books for specific subjects, but my sons chooses the books that are kept for pleasure reading. At the moment, this means comics books. Wait - you may be thinking - are comic books really educational? In my opinion they are. At least my son is reading, and enjoying it. when a child reads anything for the sheer pleasure of it, they are going to build their reading skills.<br />
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But we do have a lot more than comic books. We have everything from simple board books to classics like Grimm's Fairy Tales, the bible, science and history books, young adult novels, children's fiction and non fiction, as well as the odd book intended for adults. Books have been our biggest expense in home education - but they are also the most treasured. while some families get by on far less, especially if they have access to a good library ( which we don't), a reasonable amount of books is an absolute necessity to teach at home.<br />
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2. The Internet - I just don't know what we would do without the Internet. From the time my youngest was under 2, he would say " why don't you google it" if I didn't know the answer to something. I can't believe how much comes up that I didn't know when reading various books with my son - whenever we get a question I don't know how to answer we have two solutions : Amazon.co.uk and Google.<br />
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3. Hooked on Phonics - this may fall under books, but I can't imagine going teaching my son to read without a good phonics programme. We used several, and I am glad to have had all of them, but if I had to choose just one, this would be it.<br />
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4. Jumpstart and Mathblaster - As well as owning several pieces of software from this company, we bought a lifetime online membership to Jumpstart which includes Mathblaster as well. Both of my sons ( ages 3 and 7) use this site regularly, learning core subjects while they play.<br />
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5. Workbooks - I don't class these as books, books are much more fun. I don't ever want to go overboard on workbooks, but a few good workbooks are essential for Maths, and quite helpful for other subjects. We used Kumon, Maths Made Easy, Science Made Easy, Brain Quest and a few others.<br />
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6. Homemade books. Some of our most useful books are home made. An alphabet book with familiar pictures is an excellent way to teach letters and letter sounds. Another home made book taught simple words. Our very favourite own book is a story my son made up based on We're Going on a Bear Hunt, <a href="http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/we-re-going-on-a-bear-hunt-michael-rosen/1516087/">http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/junior-book/we-re-going-on-a-bear-hunt-michael-rosen/1516087/</a> . My son chose his own scary subject ( ghosts) and ended up with a wonderful story about a ghost hunt in Luigi's Mansion ( stolen directly from the Nintendo game). Another fun book is "It Wasn't me" about a dog who gets the blame for everything in the house - featuring our dog and family. We also have a book of dinosaurs, a book of space, and are currently working on my son's own history of the world. We just pick any event or invention and place it in the correct order. You can use a photo album, scrap book, or binders to build your own books. It's cheap, it's fun and includes so many areas of learning all in one go. Plus it leaves lovely keepsakes to remember.<br />
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7. Trips - you can learn so much from a day out. Of course places like museums and zoos are obvious, but there is quite a lot to discover in the local park as well. Even a shopping trip can be educational. Nothing teaches maths skills so fast as telling a child they can spend x amount of money - they'll have their purchases tallied up in no time.<br />
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8. Science toys - we absolutely love our science toys. We have everything from a very high powered usb capable microscope , to chemistry sets, science kits, magnifying glasses, magnets and so much more. Hands on science teaches so much and it is fun at the same time.<br />
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9. Board games: This may not sound very educational, but I remember some years ago reading a study of three factors most likely to influence educational attainment outside of socioeconomic status. The three factors most likely to increase educational attainment were, in order: <br />
<ul>
<li> Reading - this includes parents reading to children and setting an example by reading themselves, and access to a good selection of books. In fact another study very accurately predicted educational attainment just by counting the number of books in the house. the higher the number of books - the higher the child was apt to go in education - I always take comfort in this when spending too much on books ;)</li>
<li>Family Outings - the more often a family spends time together doing things like visiting museums, seasides, parks, or other attractions, the better a child did in school.</li>
<li> And finally - board games. A family habit of playing board game son a regular basis was an excellent predictor of academic success. Of course other issues play a part. A family that spends a lot of time on board game is obviously spending time together . This isn't possible if both parents are away from home for most of the child's waking hours - or if neither parent likes to spend time with the child.</li>
</ul>
Board games are great way to spend time together, but there are many very educational games out there. For instance Magic Cauldron Game directly teaches maths, as does Sum Swamps. Silly sentences teaches reading and sentence structure. But other ordinary entertainment games have wonderful educational value. We love Hangman which is a wonderful way to have fun with spelling, as is Scrabble. Many games teaching adding and subtraction as you count out the money. Battleship has taught my son to use grids and Run for Your Life helped him learn fractions. Top Trumps teaches greater than and less than. Make it doubles Top Trumps, using two cards for each play and you have a great addition game. Bakugan was the best thing we ever found to teach maths though as you have to add and subtract points according to various ability cards to determine who wins each battle. But you can make your own board games as well pasting pictures over an old board, making up game cards and rules to suit any subject.<br />
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10. Art supplies: I think this is basic requirement of having small children anyway, but a good stock of paper, crayons, paints, clays, and other are supplies are a real necessity for home education.<br />
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For older children:<br />
As they grow there is only so much we can teach them at home. I think volunteer work, or just learning a skill from a mentor are among the best resources we can have with older children. My sons are a bit young for this now, but my 7 year old does benefit greatly from being able to take a class outside of home (karate) as well as participate in the Boys Brigade.Margaret Y.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15774812039094557889noreply@blogger.com0