Once Upon a Book {Jan-March 2010}

For those of you who don't know, I contribute to the Once Upon a Book feature over on Totally Tots. Basically, I choose a book(s) based on the Totally Tots theme of the month and come up with fun ideas focused on the book and the current theme.

The posts contain:

• a book summary
• a related Bible verse
• ideas for crafts, math, science, art, games, snacks, songs, fingerplays, dramatic play, fine motor skills etc.

Here are the books I chose for January through March 2010. You can click on the book images to go to the post showing what I did with my tots for each of the books.

 

To see all of my Totally Tots posts, click here!

Jenn

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Liberty Lapbook Review & Giveaway

When I was contacted by Egghead Academics to review their Liberty Lapbook-The Founding of a Country, I was excited. However, when I got the Liberty Lapbook download I was totally amazed!! I figured it was going to be a simple lapbook with a few key US History facts. Boy was I wrong!

The lapbook download is jam-packed…to the tune of 132 pages! History is not my strong point (I am a math girl), but this lapbook download lays EVERYTHING out for you. Not only does it include lots of great printables and activities, but there are also links to other sites to use with the study! That means that I don’t have to spend extra time trying to find resources that I may need or sort through a bunch of random links!

I am so thrilled because this will be a GREAT supplement to my daughter’s 2nd grade history curriculum which focuses on US history! Can you just imagine how giddy I am!!!  :-)

So, what exactly is included in the Liberty Lapbook download?

• A complete study guide for your child
• Links for additional information and resources
• Lapbooking activities for grades 3-8
• Activity sheets designed with fun in mind
• Creative writing activities
• Copywork activities to help develop strong penmanship skills
• Fill in the blanks, research activities, crossword puzzles, and more!

Some of the topics covered in the Lapbook include:

• Life in Early America
• The American Revolution
• The Constitution
• Women in history
• Symbols in history
• Patriots & loyalists
• Tax Acts
• The thirteen colonies
• The Fourth of July
• The Bill of Rights

Click here to see a sample of the Liberty Lapbook 

~Giveaway is now closed~

Giveaway Information:

The folks at Egghead Academics have graciously offered to give a Liberty Lapbook (valued at $14.95) to TWO of my readers! How cool is that…double the chances of winning!!!

Here's how to win: If you would like to win a Liberty Lapbook there are a few ways that you can enter.

~ Mandatory Entry: Head over to Egghead Academics and leave a comment letting me know what other lapbook or upcoming lapbook you would be interested in trying.

~ Additional (optional) entries: (Leave a separate comment for EACH entry)

• Subscribe to or follow Mama Jenn and let me know you did/do. 
• Blog about this giveaway and leave the link to your post.
• Tweet about this giveaway and let me know you did.
• Leave a comment stating a US history fact that you remember learning as a child.
• If you are planning on teaching US history this year, leave a comment with the name of the book(s) and/or curriculum you will be using.

This giveaway will be open until 9pm PST Thursday, August 5, 2010. Two winners will be chosen at random and I will announce the winners on Friday, August 6th. Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you. Thanks!

This Liberty Lapbook was provided to me free of charge for review and giveaway purposes. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and have been not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

Jenn

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Proverbs 25:21 {printables}

I created these printables to go with my daughter's My Father's World 1st grade curriculum, in which she learned Bible verses from Proverbs. To help her remember them, I made printables for her for each of the Proverbs covered in the curriculum. We put an 8.5x11 of the verse up on our Bible board and I also scale it down and print it onto a blank 4x6 inch index card to go into her Bible verse memory book.

I also created printable copywork for each of the verses. Once she completed the copywork, I hole punched it and put it in a 3-ring folder so that we have another record of her verses. Plus, it is nice to be able to look back and see how her penmanship improved!

You can download the docs by clicking on each of the images.

FYI: The curriculum does come with blank pages to use for the copywork. However, I made these to coordinate with the memory verse pages above. Plus, I just think they are so darn cute and my kids are loving them!

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Proverbs 21:30 {printables}

I created these printables to go with my daughter's My Father's World 1st grade curriculum, in which she learned Bible verses from Proverbs. To help her remember them, I made printables for her for each of the Proverbs covered in the curriculum. We put an 8.5x11 of the verse up on our Bible board and I also scale it down and print it onto a blank 4x6 inch index card to go into her Bible verse memory book.

I also created printable copywork for each of the verses. Once she completed the copywork, I hole punched it and put it in a 3-ring folder so that we have another record of her verses. Plus, it is nice to be able to look back and see how her penmanship improved!

You can download the docs by clicking on each of the images.

FYI: The curriculum does come with blank pages to use for the copywork. However, I made these to coordinate with the memory verse pages above. Plus, I just think they are so darn cute and my kids are loving them!

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Proverbs 29:25 {printables}

I created these printables to go with my daughter's My Father's World 1st grade curriculum, in which she learned Bible verses from Proverbs. To help her remember them, I made printables for her for each of the Proverbs covered in the curriculum. We put an 8.5x11 of the verse up on our Bible board and I also scale it down and print it onto a blank 4x6 inch index card to go into her Bible verse memory book.

I also created printable copywork for each of the verses. Once she completed the copywork, I hole punched it and put it in a 3-ring folder so that we have another record of her verses. Plus, it is nice to be able to look back and see how her penmanship improved!

You can download the docs by clicking on each of the images.

FYI: The curriculum does come with blank pages to use for the copywork. However, I made these to coordinate with the memory verse pages above. Plus, I just think they are so darn cute and my kids are loving them!

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Missing in Action…

It may seem that I have been “missing in action” for most of the month, but I have had lots of action going on…just not in BlogLand. I have been taking a vacation of sorts…a vacation from blogging as well a vacation with my family. We have had lots of fun and it has been great to live in the moment and really (I mean REALLY) enjoy being silly and spending time together as a family!

But, things are beginning to wind down and I am starting to feel that the summer vacation is closer to the end than the beginning. However, as much as I have enjoyed the summer, I am excited about things to come. I have gotten the last of our curriculum materials and I am super excited to start planning. I have a new workbox planning sheet that I am LOVING and yes, I plan to share it with you all. I have an awesome giveaway coming up for all of you studying American history. I’ve got some funny stories to share as well as some “melt mama’s heart” stories. Plus, I’ve got quite a few printables that I never got around to posting (including the remaining Proverbs Printables to coordinate with My Father’s World 1st grade). I will also update our curriculum choices for the 2010-2011 school year and post about some of the fun crafts that I never got around to sharing.

Needless to say, there is alot of new stuff that I am super excited about! So, even though I will soon say goodbye to our summer vacation, I will soon be welcoming in another adventurous year of teaching and training my five little blessings!

Jenn

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Ladybug Spot Addition File Folder Game

I made this file folder game to help with basic addition. It was very easy to make and they kids have really enjoyed it!

Materials Needed:

• a file folder
• black & red cardstock
• 9 pocket page protectors
• circle punches (I used my Creative Memories circles & blades)
• googly eyes
• tape
• glue stick
• dry erase markers
• printable addition cards from About.com

To make the game: Cut a large circle out of the red cardstock and draw a line down the middle of it. Cut a medium sized circle out of the black cardstock and position it behind the red circle. Glue and add goggley eyes. Cut a bunch of smaller circles for the spots.

Next, tape one of the 9 pocket page protectors onto the other side of the folder. (I used a strip of tape across the top. Be sure to NOT tape the top inserts closed.) You will also need to cut down one of the pages so that you can use just one of the pockets below the ladybug. (You will be able to insert the addition cards and write the answer using a dry erase marker.) I found that it was easier if you cut the single pocket so that the top and right side open up and bottom and left side stay closed…this makes it easier for little hands to quickly insert and remove the cards. Glue the single pocket below the ladybug.

Finally, print out the addition cards and store them in the page protector. These fit perfectly!

How to use the game: Choose an addition card and place it inside the single pocket below the ladybug. Place the appropriate number of dots on each side of the ladybug. (See the photo above.) Now count up all the dots and use a dry erase marker to write the total on the card. Erase your answer and move on to the next card.

That’s it! This is a great way to add some fun math to a unit on ladybugs as well! I got the inspiration to make this cute little game from Michelle’s “L is for Lemonade and Ladybugs” post at Delightful Learning!

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USA Flag Cake

Need a fun and easy dessert to celebrate the Fourth of July? Check out the USA flag cake that we made last year.

I was super easy! We made a white cake and used whipped cream for icing. Then we decorated it like the USA flag using blueberries and strawberries! Yum!!!!

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Raising Able {Review}

Lately I have had somewhat of an epiphany concerning my kids and chores. I started to realize that my kids are capable of helping out so much more than I was requiring of them. They have their regular "personal" chores including brushing the teeth and hair, cleaning their rooms, making their beds, picking up their toys, etc. I would periodically have them help out with dusting, vacuuming, folding towels and setting the table. So, when Susan Tordella asked me to review her book, Raising Able: How Chores Cultivate Competent Confident Young People, I jumped at the opportunity...talk about perfect timing!

About Raising Able:

This book, Raising Able: how chores cultivate capable young people uses stories, theory and examples to teach parents how to engage 2-to-22-year-olds in working around the home.

Learn how to use family meetings and chores, encouragement, natural and logical consequences, mutual respect and more to teach children self-discipline and to nurture their self-esteem.

Doing a few regular chores such as cleaning toilets, sweeping floors and washing dishes naturally counteract entitlement. Children gain empowerment by doing chores. The parenting strategies in this book will improve your family environment because parents can give up yelling, threatening and bribing children.

Raising Able will prepare your child to grow up and live independently, starting when they're as young as 2 years old. (cited from the Raising Able Site)

See what else Susan has to say about Raising Able:



My Thoughts:
Raising Able definitely solidified and confirmed my thoughts about what my kids were capable of...which is so much more than I had been requiring! We did as Susan recommended and had a family meeting to discuss chores. The kids actually wanted to have more chores and were excited about them...not quite what I was expecting! They began volunteering ways that they could help out the family! Even the 2 year olds had suggestions of ways they could help!

Speaking of my little ones, I really appreciated Susan's chapter on taking time for training. I personally feel that this is one of the hardest things to do in regards to chores, but has the potential for some of the greatest benefits. If I take the time now to invest in my kids and teach and train them, it will hopefully better prepare them for the future as Susan says, "when they are 60 miles away going 60 miles an hour."

The book is filled with tons of stories and examples of how chores have influenced and benefited the lives of many. While I was impressed with many of the stories, what stuck out to me the most was the parenting analogy of the soggy potato chip law.

Ideally, we all would like a nice fresh crisp potato chip from the top of the bag. However, when a fresh potato chip is not available, we'll take a soggy potato chip because it's better than nothing. Likewise with children. Attention for bad behavior is better than being ignored. Aim to give fresh crisp potato chips regularly through positive attention and encouragement. (Tordella, 115)

This reminded me that my kids want my attention at all costs, even if they have to get it via negative behavior. I must be more mindful of this need (especially since I have five little ones vying for my attention all day long) and look for ways to encourage them.

I must admit that my initial thought was that the title, Raising Able, referred to Cain and Able from the Bible. However, the book does not contain any Biblical references. While I did not agree with everything in the book, I still found alot of valuable information that has encouraged me to continue to train my kids so that they can help out around the house even more.

While reading through the book, I did notice some typos. I contact Susan about the mistakes and she assured me that she was aware of them and went to great lengths to eliminate them from the first run of the book.

Conclusion:
So, with the birth of my epiphany and the reading of Raising Able, we have started giving the kids a few extra chores (with plans for gradually adding more). My 6 year old daughter now unloads the dishwasher every morning. I cannot begin to tell you how helpful this is for me! My 5 year old boys take out the recycling boxes each day and my 2 year olds help fold the washcloths. Everyone LOVES getting to vacuum with the little Dirt Devil and I have plans for teaching them to clean their bathroom! While this may not sound like much in the way of chores, it is a huge encouragement for me! My kids are capable and willing to help out. I just need to continue to take the time to teach and train them so that they can take on more chores!

Thank you Susan for helping me to kick it up a notch and get my kiddos contributing more to the family!

This book was given to me free for review purposes. I do not have to return the book.. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are mine.

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