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Curriculum Clean Out starts next Sunday!

Apr52010
April 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment

curric clean outIf you would like to participate in the Curriculum Clean-Out! here are a few guidelines to go by. I’ll try to explain everything as best as I can, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask! No questions? Then start going through your stuff!!

What exactly IS the Curriculum Clean-Out?

Essentially, it’s a blog carnival. Homeschool Creations will be the host site for all the permalinks to the various curriculum giveaways. I have quite a few extra books and homeschool things on my shelves that we won’t be using, and it’s a shame to have them sit and collect dust. I’m cleaning off my shelves in order to pass along some great products to other families. Other families will be cleaning off their shelves and holding giveaways on their blogs and linking back here.

What can I use as a giveaway?

Any curriculum or item for homeschooling that is in usable shape {i.e. not a workbook that only has one page empty or textbooks that are highlighted ’til the pages are see-through}. While these are freebies, we don’t want to give away something that really should be thrown away.

Is there anything that is not okay to giveaway?

This isn’t for coupons and entrants should not be expected to pay anything for the giveaway prize.

Do I have to giveaway something in order to enter other’s giveaways?

No. Feel free to browse the links and enter as many giveaways as you would like! Anyone can play along.

Do I need to have a blog in order to enter the giveaways?

No. If you do not have a blog, please be sure to leave a way to contact you. Example: janedoe at hotmail dot com would be extremely helpful to help find you and you do not need to enter your full email address.

Who is responsible for shipping?

The person hosting the giveaway will cover the shipping costs. If you are hosting a giveaway, be sure to specify where you are willing to ship your ‘prize’. Continental US only? Canada?

How will readers enter?

After linking up your blog post to the MckLinky here, your readers will enter the contest by leaving a comment ON YOUR BLOG POST.

Can I link my giveaway at any time?

Absolutely. You don’t have to have your giveaway post ready the first day. Since the Curriculum Clean-Out Carnival will be going on for almost 2 weeks, you can join at any time.

Should I post pictures of my giveaway item?

If you can ~ great! If you can’t, you can also link to a similar item on Amazon. If it helps your readers visualize it, that will help you out even more!

What if I want to giveaway more than one item? Do I need to have two posts?

Woohoo! If you want to create two posts, feel free to link them both up. It’s up to you how you would like to run your giveaway.

When will the Curriculum Clean-Out go ‘live’?

I will have the post up and live on Sunday, April 11th at 5:00am EST. The linkies will stay active until Saturday, August 24th at 5pm EST.

 Who will pick the winners?

You are responsible for choosing your winners {random.org is a great help for picking numbers} and you are responsible for notifying the winner of your giveaway. Please don’t ask the entrants to check back to see if they have won. And entrants, please be sure to leave adequate contact information!

 How in the world do I use MckLinky?

If you need to know how to find and use a permalink, click here. Please use your permalink and NOT the main page of your blog as your URL. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask {I’d be happy to help you out!}. I will be going through the links periodically to check and will let you know if your link needs to be changed.

What is the best way to link my giveaway?

There are several different ways you can enter your link. It would be helpful for readers to know what you are giving away to. For example:

Jolanthe {A Beka K Phonics Guide} or

A Beka K Phonics Guide {US shipping}

Is it okay for me to create my own MckLinky on my blog for the Curriculum Clean-Out?

Please link your posts to the Curriculum Clean-Out! here at Homeschool Creations. That way we have a central spot for everyone to check for the giveaways.

Are there any other requirements?

Yes. Please be sure to use the button {html link is below} or link back to the giveaway post here at Homeschool Creations. If you are not sure how to do it, here are some directions on how to create a permalink. Linking back to my site will also help other readers find other giveaways to enter. Here is the html for a 150 x 150 button {pictured above}:

<center><a href=”https://www.homeschoolcreations.net/category/Curriculum%20Clean-Out” target=”_blank”><img border=”0″ alt=”Photobucket” src=”http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv146/homeschoolcreations/CurriculumCleanOutApril.jpg“/></a></center>

If you have any other questions, feel free to comment and ask! Be sure to let your friends know about the upcoming giveaways!

 Photobucket

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Flip Along Fun Giveaway

Mar102010
March 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment

IMG_3374

A few weeks ago, a nice sized package arrived at our house intended for our youngest two. They were VERY excited to have a package just for them!

Flip Along Fun has since been a part of our workbox time with Kaleb {age 3} and also for Zachary {age 5}. Both boys enjoy sitting down to play with the book on their own or have Mommy {or an older sibling} help them out as they play along with the book.

What is Flip Along Fun?

Simply put, Flip Along Fun is an interactive flip-book for children ages 2-6 where children mix and match story elements to create their own little story. Children build a story by:

1) picking one of the panels on the left hand side {2 bunnies flying kites}

2) find a middle panel they want to add {3 mice in hay} and then

3) finish their story by finding the right side panel that includes both the bunnies and the mice.

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See how the numbers all add up? There are other cute animal illustrations on the panels ~ bears, cats, and frogs and all of the stories involve simple math problems for little ones, along with fun rhyming and basic problem solving.

Even if your children aren’t able to add and match correctly yet, the IMG_3377book still provides lots of silly rhymes that will make your kids giggle. Kaleb will sometimes just sit down and create his own silly story, not caring if it all adds up correctly, but he is ENJOYING the process and having fun! Zachary definitely enjoys the math aspect and  tries to read along when he can sound out the words.

The book includes 27 different story panels that are super-sturdy {think board book sturdy} and it is 9” x 12” in size. It has been lugged around our house over the last few weeks and doesn’t show any wear at all {which is no small feat!}.

Interested in Buying?

If you would like to purchase a copy of Flip Along Fun for your family, the author is offering a $3 coupon for each copy that is purchased between now and April 30th! To take advantage of this great offer, use the coupon code H-02.

Want to Win it?

If you would like to win a copy of Flip Along Fun for a little someone in your family, there are a few ways to enter. Be sure to leave a separate comment for EACH entry. But first, leave a comment letting me know which member of the 4 foot and under crowd you would like to win this for!

1. Check out the site Under the Lamb and browse a little ~ let me know something else that catches your eye!

2. If you participate in Preschool Corner {or have in the past} give yourself an extra entry.

3. If you follow or subscribe to Homeschool Creations, give yourself an extra entry.

4. If you follow Flip Along Fun on Twitter, give yourself an extra entry.

5. If you follow Homeschool Creations {aka me} on Twitter, give yourself an extra entry.

6. Blog about it {just post a quick link back here} and give yourself an extra entry.

7. If you purchase a copy of Flip Along Fun for yourself, give yourself FIVE additional entries ~ and don’t forget to use the coupon code H-02!

This giveaway will be open until Thursday, March 18th until 8pm and I will announce the winner by Saturday, March 20th. Please be sure there is a way for me to contact you ~ otherwise I will draw another winner. Note: US Residents only, please!

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

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Cobweb the Cat ~ Beehive Reader {Review}

Feb142010
February 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment


image For the last two months I have been using the Cobweb the Cat with Zachary {our recent 5 year old} to go along with the All About Spelling Level 1 program. Cobweb the Cat wasn’t available when our older two were learning how to read, otherwise I would have been kicking myself for not having owned it sooner!

Cobweb the Cat is the first book in the All About Reading program. It goes hand in hand with the Level 1 Spelling program, so as your child is working through their spelling and learning the spelling/reading rules they can put it into practice using the Beehive Readers. Even though it goes along with All About Spelling, it can be used independently as a reader for any child.

There are ten short stories in the reader. To give you an idea of what the stories are like, Zachary recently read the short story “The Pond” and we’ve been working our way through the other stories in the book a little at a time ~ here’s a sample of a page from “King Sam and the Bat”.

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Great features of Cobweb the Cat:

  • Hardcover {making it rather durable in the hands of a certain 5 year old}
  • The pictures in the stories are all ink sketches that are beautifully done ~ yet don’t always reveal the storyline, so children don’t use the pictures to predict the story.
  • There is a handy chart {and I love charts} showing you what spelling lessons correspond to the different stories in the Reader
  • Underlining of text {it looks similar to a notebook page} helping children track the words and read more easily.
  • Wording layout encourages children to read in phrases rather than reading word-by-word
  • Short stories that are realistic {and enjoyable for adults to listen to}
  • There are more coming!! Four more readers are scheduled to release by the end of 2010 along with a teacher’s manual ~ the books are being illustrated right now!

Find Out More

Cobweb the Cat {$19.95} is available through the All About Spelling website. Shipping has been fast in my experience and Marie is always helpful in answering any questions that I might have. While you are browsing the site, be sure to also check out the great spelling program that we are using with all of our children.

Click on the Homeschool Crew banner to read other reviews about this product.


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

Jolanthe Signature affiliate button

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Filed Under: Giveaways, Reading, spelling Leave a Comment

Strider Running Bikes

Feb52010
February 5, 2010 by Leave a Comment

stider bikes

When Strider Bikes agreed to be a part of the 1,500 Subscriber Celebration I was VERY excited. My excitement, however, was no match to that of a certain {then} 2-year-old. Kaleb was practically beside himself with happiness.

Fortunately the weather was gorgeous in late November when we pulled it out to have Kaleb ride it ~ and he took off right away, all smiles, stopping every now and then to say the color of his bike and tell me the letters on the bike {grins}.

Strider Bike ride

I promise you that every.single.day since he first rode the bike he has asked us {no less than} five times a day ~ “Can we go on a bike ride today?” It’s become a family joke of sorts, but Kaleb REALLY loves his Strider bike!!!

DSC07507

What is a Strider Bike?

You might be wondering what makes a Strider bike so special {admit it…you’re curious}. Strider Bikes are essentially a pre-bike for kids ages 1-5. They have no pedals, chains, or sprockets. The bikes sit low to the ground and enable children to quickly learn to balance and build motor skills as they ride.  Within just three 20 minute spurts of riding his bike, Kaleb was lifting his feet and gliding for 15 to 20 feet stretches.
Here are a few of the things that I love about the Strider Bikes:

  • puncture-proof tires
  • adjustable seat starting at 11” extending to 16”
  • 7 pounds
  • adjustable handlebars
  • goes together in right around 5 minutes {the kids timed me putting it together!}

This video clip will give you a little more insight into Strider Bikes and some of the advantages to starting your child out with one:

All Strider Bikes {$99} come with a 60 day money-back guarantee, a full one year warranty and ship quickly via UPS {we had ours in just 2 days from the time it was shipped!}.  You can purchase your own bike through the company website ~ along with a few other bike supplies.

This giveaway is now closed

Disclaimer: Thank you to Strider Bikes for providing this product. This review is based on my own experiences and gives my honest opinion.

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Rosetta Stone Homeschool Level 1 {Review}

Feb32010
February 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment

rosetta stone 1 Rosetta Stone is a company well known for their language learning software. Did you know that they also have a special version of their language software geared specifically for homeschoolers?

Their homeschool language software is one the children {and adults!} can work on at their own pace and is fully interactive. The software provides up to five levels of instruction in some languages and begins with the foundation of listening comprehension, reading and writing. Rosetta Stone offers 31 different languages in their homeschool language software.

rosetta stone 2One of the features of the Homeschool software is that parents are able to see their children’s progress ~ which exercises have been completed, how much time they have spent learning and also test scores. Parents can also print off progress reports and lesson plans to save for documentation. Full features include:

  • Lesson Planning ~ predefined lesson plans
  • Full Year Curriculum~ the software is designed to guide students through in one level in a scholastic year.
  • Testing ~ students are tested periodically throughout the year and reviews are based on their scores.

rosetta stone 3

Another feature of the program are the audio CDs that help reinforce what students are learning. The Audio Companion CDs can be listened to while traveling in the car or loaded onto a student’s mp3 player for additional practice.

In the Box

Here is a look inside the box of our Spanish {Latin America} Level 1 for Homeschool:

  • Application CD
  • Language CD
  • Audio Companion™ CDs
  • User’s Guide – Discusses the basics of the Rosetta Stone program
  • Parent’s Guide – Aids the parent in lesson planning, tracking student progress, and effectively using Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3 in a homeschool environment
  • Headset with microphone
  • Quick Start Activation Card
  • Supplemental Education Materials CD includes printable files for:
    • Table of contents
    • Scripts for each lesson
    • An index to all words in the program
    • Student workbook including a quiz for each lesson
    • Unit tests
    • Answer key for workbooks and tests

Purchasing Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone Homeschool ranges in price from $229 to $299 a level, but does offer ‘bundles’. Levels 1-3 may be purchased for $539 and Levels 1-5 may be purchased together for $699.

Product purchases include free shipping in the continental US and from now until February 15, 2010 they are offering a 10% discount on all personal and homeschool product purchases. Rosetta Stone also offers a 6 month money back guarantee on all of their products.


This review is based on my own experiences and gives my honest opinion.

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Out of the Box ~ Backseat Drawing Jr.

Feb12010
February 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment

 

Drawing is something that can keep our children occupied for a very long time.  When Out of the Box games agreed to be a part of the giveaway celebration, they sent me the game Backseat Drawing to play with our kids. Guess who was VERY excited?

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We pulled out the game on a snowy afternoon and it was an immediate hit! Even Zachary {with a little extra coaching} was able to play along with us.

To play the game, one person is chosen as the ‘Director’ {aka the one who describes the picture that needs to be drawn} and another person is the ‘Artist’. The Artist must draw a picture that only the Director has seen ~ drawing a picture based on what the Director tells him to draw.

Backseat Drawing Jr.Everyone else then tries to guess what the picture is and the person who guesses correctly gets a point along with the Director.  Instead of using paper, the game uses a dry erase boards, so there isn’t a lot of clean-up or mess when playing the game.  The first person to get five points wins!

We played the game for several rounds {i.e. until everyone had a chance to win. :) While the game is for ages 7 and up, Zachary {who is 5} did play along with us by both Directing and drawing. Granted, his directions were a little more sketchy than others, but he was able to work through many of the cards without much difficulty.  Below you can see a few of our artistic endeavors while playing.

Backseat Drawing Jr
Backseat Drawing Jr. is a great game to use in helping focus on directions and also incorporate some great positional words ~ ‘draw a smaller circle inside the larger circle’ or ‘draw a medium triangle upside down under the circle’. Out of the Box Games also has a sheet of the educational standards for Backseat Drawing Jr.

Backseat Drawing Jr. Game
Ages: 7 & up {depends on the maturity of your child}
Number of Players: 3 to 8
Time per game: About 20 minutes per round
Where to buy? Available online from OTB Games

Out of the Box also has many other fun and educational games, including Apples to Apples Jr. {another favorite here}, so be sure to browse around their website a little bit.

 
Disclaimer: This review is based on my own experiences and gives my honest opinion.

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