Resource: Audible

Have you discovered Audible yet? We have been members for over eight years and have an extensive library! I am always in the middle of an audiobook. I listen when I walk in the mornings, sometimes when I cook, and when I drive somewhere without the Lambies.   One of my favorites series has been the Riyria Chronicles by Michael J. Sullivan.  It's not for little kids, but is good reading for teens and up who love fantasy, sharp wit and adventure.

Audiobooks have been very useful in my schooling, especially with a certain child who was not learning to read easily.  I had him listen to stories while reading along with the printed book, and that seemed to help him a lot.

Many, if not most, Ambleside books are available at Audible, including H. E. Marshall books, including Our Island Story, James Herriot's Treasury for Children, Churchill's History of the English Speaking People, Homer's works, and an amazing assortment of classics of all kinds. It's really a great resource! 

You can listen to the narration before buying a book and the narrators are all professional!  I have tried Librivox, and just couldn't find readers that I could listen to and enjoy.  

If you are intrigued by the idea, you can try Audible for free, and get TWO books completely free! Just click the link below (which is an affiliate link) and sign up! I don't think you will regret it.

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks

You can get a 30 day free trial, get any two audiobooks you want from their extensive library. They are yours, even if you cancel your membership. Win-win!  

After 30 days, with the Gold membership, you get one book each month for $14.95.  Personally, we are Platinum members and get two books every month, along with other benefits.  You get 30% off any additional audiobook purchases and you can cancel any time. Again, all the books you have bought, you keep, even if you cancel. I love that my purchases are MINE!
   

Informal Reading Assessment

Everyone likes to have an idea of how well their child is reading. I found a nice little assessment page that will help you find the approximate matching grade level for your child's reading skill.

You simply have the child read the column of words and mark when they make a mistake.  After reading to a certain threshold (which is explained in the directions), you have their reading level. Simple!  I plan to do this over the next week with all of my young readers.

Informal Reading Assessment

The Overall Boys

This is a sweet little Primer I found at a thrift store. The Overall Boys and the Sunbonnet Girls were quite popular in the 1900's and far beyond. In fact, in the 1960's, my grandmother made a Sunbonnet Girl quilt for my baby sister who, sadly died at 6 weeks old.  I have that quilt now and it is precious to me.  I tucked each of my babies with it. The original copyright on my book is 1905, with a later copyright date of 1915.

The Overall Boys follows Jack, Joe, Tim and Ted as they explore their world. The text is not dumbed down and the Boys have REAL adventures!

Like the Sunbonnet Girls, their faces are hidden by their hats much of the time. 

Don't you just love the bodysuit swimwear?

Boys will be boys and have FUN!

My copy included this precious inscription, which documents my copy as being given as a birthday gift in 1919.

What a great find!  I love visiting thrift stores and discovering treasures.

Summer Books!!!

The school year is wrapping up and it's time for Freetime FUN reading!  I'm reading through the Chronicles of Narnia with the four youngest Lambies and we will continue them.  When it's time to read, I announce loudly, "It's time to go to Narnia!" and they come running to resume our adventure.

I have several small books that I want to read with them this summer, but I also think it's time for Anne of Green Gables. I'll probably get the audio version and we'll listen as a family while doing various handicrafts.

My teens have their own books that they are enjoying.  EmBlem is enjoying the Wheel of Time series. GirlofGod is, as always, reading Sherlock Holmes, and also Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Vic is reading Percy Jackson and Trixie is devouring the Series of Unfortunate Events.  Polly is a big fan of the Magic TreeHouse books and will be beginning the Dear America series soon.  Jack and Missy are still learning to read, but enjoy being read to and looking at picture books.  Jack is *this close* to being able to enjoy a book on his own.  Troubles, who is ready for a new blog name, is reading "The Bears on Hemlock Mountain" and the Little Bear stories by Else Holmelund Minarik.

And Momma's current read? The Riyria Revelations.  I listen on the audiobook version as I walk in the morning, do outdoor chores, if the Lambies aren't helping, and sometimes while I cook. They have been very good!

What are you reading this summer?

Self-Motivated Desert Learning

If allowed, learning happens so naturally. My nearly eight year old Troubles is suddenly enamored with all things desert. If I had planned lessons on my timetable, they may or may not have produced some knowledge about the topic, but since it is self-motivated learning, it's ALL absorbed with enthusiasm!  He expressed interest in deserts last summer and we read a few books about them.  It's interesting how curiosity goes round and round.  

Some resources from this study:

Books:

Eyewitness Desert

Eyewitness Bible Lands

All About Rattlesnakes

Desert Giant

Cactus Hotel

Cactus in the Desert

Camels and Llamas

The Desert Alphabet Book

You Tube:

Nat'l Geo Rattlesnake Biography

Video of Rattlesnake vs. Cottonmouth

Roadrunner Kills Rattler

The Mojave Desert

Sailing Stones

First Aid for Snakebites

Images of the Mojave Desert

Deserts of the World Map

A Struggling Reader Story

Some of my children have struggled to learn to read.  Some have picked it up quickly.  Some take a while, but end up successful in not TOO much time.

With one of my strugglers, I took a new tact this year.  He had been working through 100 Easy Lessons, and reached a little over halfway.  Each day, he struggled through it, guessing some sounds, forgetting what he had "mastered" yesterday... It's the way his brain works.  I know it.  He knows it.  We try not to get too worked up about it because when it clicks, it will click!

We tried Pathway Phonics, too, among other things, but it advanced too quickly for him so we set it aside and returned to 100 EZ Lessons.

When school started this year, I sat this son down and talked about how last year went.  We discussed how hard letters are for his brain to remember and how repetition is the key.  Then I "broke the bad news".  I told him we were going to start 100 EZ Lessons over again, rather than pick up where we left off before summer break.

He wasn't happy.

However, ten weeks into our school year, I can say it was the right decision!  He is breezing through the book, reading successfully and with more speed and accuracy.  He actually is interested now in learning to read and is practicing outside of reading time!  He has correctly sounded out words and phrases in real life, even during free time.  He's not fluent by any means, but I see a being a Reader in his future THIS YEAR!

Sometimes, it just takes a reset button.

Valentine's Day Books

The hearts and candies are everywhere in the stores, but at the Crew's home, we're all about the history.  I want my children to know the real reason that we remember Valetine's Day.  It's not for the chocolate (but who am I to say "no" to a little nibblet of sweetened cocoa?)!

We will be reading a few good books to help us remember the legendary-but-maybe-true-ish meaning of Valentine's Day.

The Story of Valentine by Wilma Pitchford Hays, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard is my favorite.  It's just the right length to be easily read over a week and is engaging to kids of all ages.

Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda is another good biography.  I love the ancient mosaic style of the illustrations.

Though not specifically for Valentine's Day, I like to read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein this time of year.  I usually get a little scratchy-voiced and teary eyed at the end.

That's all folks.  Valentine's Day is fun, but not a real focus for study around here.

ETA: How could I forget Cranberry Valentine?  Thanks to VBMKL for reminding me!

Elementary Christian Reading

My dear nearly-non-blogging friend Twiggy wanted me to do a post about Christian reading for kids.  I have to admit that I don't seek out many specifically Christian series or books.  I mostly keep the reading to classic things that don't go against our beliefs.  That being said, there are some that are in our library and come to mind.

First and foremost, the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis.  Every one of my children who are able have read these.  Most have listened to at least one read aloud.  I really love these books.  The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was read to me, and the rest of the class, in the third grade by my favorite teacher, Mr. C.  I'm so glad that he introduced me to Narnia!

Another from my childhood was "In Grandma's Attic" by Arleta Richardson. My parents bought me the first while we were driving from Northern Oregon to Northern Washington. I began to read and read until the book was finished. I looked up and we were at the ferry boat, ready to end our drive!  Those were the fastest hours ever.  I received many of the remaining books as I grew, buying the last few that I didn't have as an adult.  I have a complete series now and enjoy sharing them with my girls.

Brian Wildsmith's Jesus, Joseph, Exodus and The Easter Story are beautifully illustrated, fairly simple stories.  I was put off by a rather clear drawing of Joseph's hiney in his story.

Paul Maier's excellent, beautiful books are a great addition to our library.  He has done a great job relating the stories of Genesis, Exodus, Easter, Christ's birth, Martin Luther and The First Christians.  I put these out often and the children pore over the beautiful paintings.

I have The Sugar Creek Gang series and The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black, but have not read them through so I can't review them.  Do any of you have something to share?

Duel Reading

Troubles and Polly have been working together, reading Days With Frog and Toad. Polly is reading aloud and Troubles is following along...but did you see his book?

Look closely...

Nope, he didn't want the same one as she was reading. He chose this one instead.

Think he'll be conversing en Espanol soon? He just might the way his crazy little brain works!

Cross Lateral Movements

I've been researching cross lateral movements to assist Missy, age 9.5, with her reading. She has learning challenges and I am hoping that these will help her recall the phonic sounds and how they blend into words. We've been using 100 Easy Lessons for a couple of years and it just isn't clicking with her.

When I first introduced Cross Lateral Clapping (think of "Miss Mary Mack"), she couldn't do it, even slowly. She had fun trying, though! After a few days of practice, it was if she'd been playing this game for years! I call her a few times a day now and just clap with her for a minute.

I looked up some more exercises to add to our play time. I found one idea on one site, another couple on another. Finally I found one blog that had lots of ideas in one place. What a resource! This week we will begin doing windmills and elbows-to-knees in the mornings.

I have also dropped 100 Easy Lessons for now and began using Progressive Phonics. We're doing the alphabet portion first, beginning with Alphabetti Book 1-1. It's enough challenge for her and she's enjoying it. She's mastered the first book, "Dod the Dog" and has moved on to "Dod and Bob". It's a nice blend of phonics and sight work and has accompanying copywork, coloring pages and other busywork to print off if you want.

She may not ever read "War and Peace" but I do want her to have basic reading skills. If sight reading is something that will help her, I am going to give it a try.

New Books

I went to a book sale tonight and came home with a mixed bag of great books. The first is "A Voyage of the Basset" by James Christensen. Wow. This book leaves me speechless.

The art is truly amazing. I can't believe that I hadn't heard of it before! Make a search of the title in Google images and enjoy some of the lovely artwork.
I haven't read the story yet, but if it matches the illustrations, it'll be wonderful!

The next one is "Everyone Knows What a Dragon Looks Like" by Jay Williams.

This is illustrated by Mercer Mayer, so you know the art is great. The colors in this book are deep and earthy, just like I like best. The story is good, too! Han is polite and generous, to the joy of all involved. He also knows not to judge a book by it's cover!

I grab any and all Patricia Polacco books I see, if they are a reasonable price. This nice hardcover is a library-bound copy that looks new. Bonus-I didn't have this title yet!



Bill Peet doesn't write great literature, but he does write entertaining stories that stick with my children. The vocabulary is challenging, but the Littles understand just fine and always want another book. I am *this* close to having ALL his stories now!



I will be reading about the Kweeks with the Littles tomorrow, I believe.

Stand Back......

I picked up a gem of a book at the thrift store today! For one thin little dime, I became the owner of "Stand Back," Said The Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" by Patricia Thomas, illustrated by Wallace Tripp. Have you read this story? It's hilarious! I am always on the lookout for good rhyming books. Two of my sons and one of my daughters seem to have been born without the ability to rhyme or recognize a rhyme when they hear it. We read lots of rhyming books to help them overcome this lack of poetic ears.

I read it to Troubles, Jack and Missy and they immediately asked to hear it again. That's a sign of a great book. As I was looking it up on Amazon to get the link for this post, Troubles saw the computer screen and gasped, "Your going to sell that book???? I don't want you to sell that one!". That's another sign of a great book!

Edward Ardizzone

Missy, Troubles and I are reading through our Edward Ardizzone books. We love his sketchy watercolors with their soft colors. Having visited the ocean recently, the children are quite taken with the Little Tim series. I have found all of ours at library sales, but some are available for fairly reasonable prices online. We've already enjoyed "The Little..." series, written by Graham Greene and when we finish the Tim books that we have, we'll read "Nurse Matilda" or the beautiful "A Child's Christmas in Wales".

Maurice Sendak

I have a large collection of Maurice Sendak's books. Everyone knows and most folks love "Where the Wild Things Are" (book only, skip the movie!). Many folks have seen and enjoyed "Seven Little Monsters", "In the Night Kitchen" and "The Nutshell Library". Some were even familiar with "Higglety Pigglety Pop!" before they made the short for the Wild Things movie.

Having written and/or illustrated over 90 books, some are bound to be out of print and/or lesser known. I recently found out from Little Lamb Books that Maurice Sendak made a pop-up book. It's called "Mommy?". As soon as I read about it's existence, I ordered one from Amazon. It came yesterday. It's classic Sendak, with slightly creepy but cuddly monsters and a simple storyline that lends itself to imagination. It's been in one child or another's hands since we got it. Troubles rolled out of bed this morning, layed on the couch for about five minutes, then stretched out on the floor with it, naming the various monsters and watching the mechanics of the book as he slowly opened and closed it.

"Outside Over There" was Mr. Sendak's last book, written in 1981. He has finally written and illustrated a new book! It's called "Bumble-Ardy" and it's due to be released in September. I can't wait! I have it in my Amazon cart even now.

Whatever the title, you can't go wrong with a Maurice Sendak book. Go get one today and READ with your children!

He's a Reader!

Troubles has begun to read! He's been doing 100 Easy Lessons since we began school in the fall. He has flown through them. He would want to do two or even three lessons at a time. Since he wasn't all that challenged at first, I let him. At about Lesson 20, he slowed down to one lesson a session. Last week I introduced him to "Hop on Pop". He was thrilled to have a book to read. He wanted to read it right away, so, of course we did.

He felt so good to be reading a Real Book. He asked to read several times a day. It didn't take too long to get through it! Maybe we'll try Fox in Socks next. Do you have a favorite book suggestions for beginners?

Hans Christian Anderson

Having finished "Winnie the Pooh" and "The House at Pooh Corner" with Missy and Troubles, I have decided to enjoy various Hans Christian Anderson books with them. We have lots to choose from and they are such great stories!

This morning we read "The Woman With The Eggs". Troubles laughed at her at the end and said, "Prideful, greedy woman!"

You can get many of these classic stories online. Here's one source and another. I also found some free audio recordings!

ETA: I found "Seven Tales by H.C. Anderson" by Eva Le Gallienne illustrated by Maurice Sendak at a used book store today. Hooray for Maurice Sendak illustrations!!

What Not to Buy

My friend, Vee and I are wrapping up the book collecting series. I'll be doing one more post, highlighting illustrators that I collect, despite the author. Today, we are discussing "What Not To Buy".

Vee said almost everything that needed to be said about in her recent post, (sorry!  Homeschoolblogger is no more and all her great articles were lost! This is a tragedy!) but I'll have a go with a post, too.

1. Twaddle, of course. However, what is twaddle in my home may be beloved in yours. For example, we adore Little Critter. Some folks don't. I don't care for David Shannon's books and despite winning the Caldecott medal, I think they are ugly both in text and visually. Investigate lots of different books even if they are 'twaddle' to others. Don't feel bad for getting rid of books that everyone else loves if they are not right for your family.

2. Abridgments. You simply miss out on what makes a great story great. Reading abridgments can also make your child a lazy reader. They are dumbed down and fail to inspire. They are also often missing references that the author made about the Lord, so a great Christian story becomes just another story.

3. ALL the books in a series. So many times a great story is conceived and written, and then the franchisement of it begins. Book Two is pretty good, Book Three is just ok, Book Four is downright silly Book Five stinks. However, there is still Book Seven. Eight, Nine and Ten to go! When a series goes downhill, let it go without you. Inkheart (but please read the first one; it's fantastic!), Nancy Drew and The Boxcar Children (after #19...get #1-19!) come to mind when thinking of series that go downhill fast.

4. Exclusively pristine hardcovers with dustjackets. Please don't be a book snob! Books are meant to be handled and they will get grubby. Hardcovers are expensive and it's much harder to find them used. Is it better to have only a few really great titles, high on a shelf where they are safe, or to develop a love of reading in your tots with books surrounding them? I like a hardcover as much as the next person but I won't ever pass up a softcover copy of a book I want simply because it's not hardcover.

5. Disney and other adaptations of classics. Vee mentioned this and it goes hand-in-hand with twaddle and abridgments. Please read the original versions of stories. There is so much more to them than can be expressed in a movie, and the Disney books will almost always be simply printed versions of the movie.

Do you have any guidelines to add? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

November Storybooks

The Bun: A Tale from Russia by Marcia Brown
Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown
The Queen with Bees in her Hair by Cheryl Harness
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by P. C. Asbjornsen and J. E. Moe illustrated by Marcia Brown
The Elves and the Shoemaker by Freya Littledale illustrated by Brinton Turkle
Steven Kellogg's Yankee Doodle by Edward Bangs
The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons
There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight by Robert Quackenbush
Curious George by the Rey's
Fannie in the Kitchen by Deborah Hopkinson
The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer
Crictor by Tomi Ungerer
Amelia's Fantastic Flight by Rose Bursik
The Happy Lion by Louise Fatio, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bat by Lucille Colandro
Happy Birthday, Jesse Bear by Nancy White Carlstrom
Sleeping Beauty illustrated by Felix Hoffmann
Thorn Rose by The Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Errol Le Cain
Sleeping Beauty- Rand McNally Publishers- illustrated by Elizabeth Webbe
The Story of Ping by Marjorie Flack
Brother and Sister by The Brothers Grimm, from The Juniper Tree and Other Tales from Grimm by Lore Segal and Maurice Sendak
The Three Lucky Ones from More Tales of Grimm translated and illustrated by Wanda G'ag
Curious George Rides a Bike by H. A Rey
The Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern
In The Forest by Marie Hall Ets
Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham
Tom by Tomie de Paola
Mousekin's ABC by Edna Miller
Little Nino's Pizzaria by Karen Barbour

Whew! We read a lot this month!

October Storybooks

I totally forgot to begin Octobers list on the first! Guess we'll be several days short of documented stories this month.

Nibble Nibble Mousekin by Joan Walsh Anglund
Elizabite by H.A. Rey
Selections from The Glorious Mother Goose
I Like Caterpillars by Gladys Conklin
Alexander by Harold Littledale
Sir Kevin of Devon by Adelaide Holl
Rain Drop Splash by Alvin Tresselt
Spotty by Margaret and H. A. Rey
The Vanishing Pumpkin by Tony Johnson illustrated by Tomie de Paola
Cranberry Halloween by Wende and Harry Devlin
Lucky Ladybugs by Gladys Conklin
Witch Hazel by Alice Schertle illustrated by Margot Tomes
Nobody's Cat by Miska Miles
Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC by June Sobel
Little PeeWee or Now, Open the Box by Dorothy Kunhardt
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
We finished Winnie-the-Pooh. We'll begin "The House At Pooh Corner" next week.
Sylvester, The Mouse with the Musical Ear by Adelaide Holl
Selections from Aesop's Fables illustrated by Boris Artzybasheff (please get this edition if you can. It's OUTSTANDING!)
Calf, Goodnight by Nancy Jewell
The Teeny Tiny Woman by Margot Zemach
The Milk Makers by Gail Gibbons
Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O'Neill
We began "The House at Pooh Corner"

Storybooks for August

We began school this month, so our lit and science books will be included in this list from now on, as well as impromptu read alouds.

The Chicken Book by Garth Williams
Bomby the Bombardier Beetle by Hazel May Rue
Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall
Eloise Wilkins' Mother Goose
The Roly-Poly Pudding by Beatrix Potter
Over the Meadow by John Langstaff
Baby Whales Drink Milk by Barbara Juster Esbensen
began Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
missed quite a few right through here.....
selections from God Loves You by Catherine Marshall (love.love.love this find!!)
Daniel Boone in The Book House Vol. 9 (read over several weeks)
Jack the Giant Killer in The Book House Vol. 6 (read over several weeks)
A Nest Full of Eggs
What the Moon is Like by Franklyn M. Branley
Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg
Tale of a Tadpole by Karen Wallace
Rumpelstiltskin illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Eyewitness Insects (specifically the dragonfly and damselfly pages)
Sir Small and the Dragonfly by Jane O'Conner