12 Days of Christmas Fun -- A Review

Lapbooks.

I love them.

But I rarely complete them. I am known to download everything, spend hours printing the individual items to be meticulously glued onto this homemade creation, and then peter out when I am only half done with all of the cutting.

But . . . this time around I had a goal. I HAD to complete the 12 Days of Christmas Fun for grades PreK-2nd (a $20.00 E-book) published by In the Hands of A Child.

I was doing a review.

Celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas with your PreK-1 student with the Twelve Days of Fun Project Pack from In the Hands of a Child. This 84-page Project Pack includes 12 days of lesson plans with a day-by-day supply list to help your twelve days of lessons be truly fun! Our largest PreK unit yet, the Twelve Days of Fun includes 24 activities plus 7 BONUS activities to help your child complete a lapbook and 12 days of ornaments. This unit includes both religious and secular activities that correlate to the Twelve Days of Christmas song.

My first step was to become organized. I printed the ENTIRE download. Yes, I know that this wasn’t very granola of me . . . but in my defense it was recycled paper. I hole-punched the packet and ACTUALLY read the instructions. It was a beautiful moment.

The unit or lapbook is meant to be used AFTER Christmas and follows the seemingly nonsensical song (more on that later), The 12 Days of Christmas, which is sure to drive you batty if you listen to Donald Duck sing it repetitively 24 times in a row for 12 days, not that I would know anything about that.

The lesson plan comes with a supply list that is broken down by day and includes items that you probably have presently in your home. For the next 12 days you are given an activity with how to complete the craft or game, the list of supplies (again), followed by instructions and additional bonus activities. The last few pages of the unit include directions for how to create a lapbook base and what a 12 Days of Christmas lapbook actually looks like when completed.

With proper organization in place, and taking time to pre-cut the items to be used the following day, this lapbook becomes very easy to use.

I enjoyed how the activities provided compelled me to leave my comfort zone and get out the glitter, sequins, and liquid glue. Our vacuum got a lot of use the past 12 days. Still even today, no one can enter and leave this house without taking some glitter with them.

However, many of you know that I try to make learning a part of everything we do. I don’t just do something to do it. There has to be a reason why we are studying something. What skill are we gaining . . . what new fact will add to our world view . . . how does this fit into the Bible.

So as I was putting our lapbook together the night before we began, I probably scanned the lapbook 3 or 4 times searching for the song . . . you know the 12 Days of Christmas. But it wasn’t included. (Yes, I know that most everyone has this song memorized BUT ME!)

And then I searched for the learning and application portion of this unit. What on earth did this crazy song mean? But it was nowhere to be found. Ekkk!!!! What was I going to do? I didn’t have time to research this before morning Tot School hit?!!

Come to find out that the Pre-K thematic units do not come with a research guide. Is that a problem? For most people . . . probably not. For former teachers who are living out their profession through their dining room schoolroom . . . yes.

A partridge in a pear tree--Jesus

But did the boys still have fun even though they didn’t know that each of the “gifts” symbolically stood for various Christian elements?

You decide.

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments

3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists

5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament

6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation

We were supposed to have created some egg goose cups. Umm . . . it wasn’t going to happen. I don’t know if I was mentally challenged in some of these crafts . . . well . . . I think I was mentally challenged because I didn’t always understand how I was supposed to complete or construct the craft.

Since I botched the goose up, I printed a goose from www.abcteach.com.

7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes

9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

Our beautiful and completed lapbook . . .

I have used other products from In the Hands of A Child and been impressed with the quality and content of the unit studies. In hindsight, I probably would have made sure to have an audible version of the song OTHER THAN Donald Duck and have gone to the library to provide an artistic rendering of the song to help the Granola Boys understand that we were physically creating the song we were hearing Donald Duck sing 50 times in a row.

And when I really think about it . . . do the Granola Boys really need to know that the song was used as a memory aide when the Catholic faith was not allowed to be practiced? Would they understand that the 12 drummers symbolize the Apostle’s Creed? OK . . . I get it. Lighten up, Jodi.

OK . . . I need to get off of my high horse. It is fun to make crafts because it simply is fun to play with glitter, get glue all over our fingers, eat pears with sprinkles all over them because Granola Mom NEVER lets them do such an unhealthy thing, and listen to Donald Duck 100 times.

And one more thing . . . the font used for tracing in this unit study is not how I am instructing the Granola Boys. So . . . I just jumped on over to www.abcteach.com and printed out our version of whatever was supposed to be traced.

For more reviews of products from In the Hands of A Child visit MamaBzz! This is a Mama Buzz review, written by Granola Mom 4 God (Jodi). The product was provided by In the Hands of A Child for this review.

Thanks so much In the Hands of A Child!

Technorati Tags: MamaBzz,In the Hands of A Child,lapbook,12 Days of Christmas

All About Spelling -- A Review

Mr. Me-Too has embarked on his journey to literacy.

Yes, I know . . . he is only 3 years old.

Don't start thinking that I have a genius (though I do think he is very smart.) And don't start feeling guilty that you are just letting your spirited child play.

You do have an intelligent child and your aren't doing anything wrong.

Had I not been part of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew I probably would still be doing chunky wood alphabet puzzles or haphazardly introducing a letter of the week about every three weeks. (Remember how long we were stuck on the Letter A--waiting for the ants that NEVER arrived?)

But I received this great product in the mail and well . . . I needed to use it.

So, Mr. Me-Too became my guinea pig. Mr. Smackdown was already otherwise engaged with a different phonics based program and Mr. Smiley . . . well . . . he just learned to walk this week.

All About Spelling, The Multisensory Program for Spelling Success, written by Marie Rippel . . . is what I would like to tell you about.


My initial impression was something like this . . . Nope. Not gonna work. It came in a box. There were two manuals, magnets, and a bunch of perforated cards. I saw words, words, words. I didn't understand (at the time) how a three year old could benefit from this.

Spelling? He just learned the ABC song!

Don't judge something by the cover, folks. Take it from me.

Then I actually READ what was in the Level One manual and realized, "Holy cow . . . this is going to be so easy to use and incorporate into Tot School. Not to mention the fact that I really don't have to make a lesson plan. I just open the book and we do the lesson for that day!"

I don't even have to supply supplementary worksheets.

Bonus.

In the kit that I received the following NECESSARY items were included:

• Starter Kit ($26.95) containing Letter Tiles, Magnets, and Phonogram CD-ROM

• Level One Teacher's Manual and Student Materials packet ($29.95)
• Level Two Teacher's Manual and Student Materials packet ($39.95) --which I wouldn't consider completely necessary for us at this stage in the game. But I know that we will use it eventually . . . with multiple kids.
  

I will add that I REALLY want the Beehive Reader, which acts as a bonus reading component. The stories correspond with the lessons in All About Spelling. I currently have it on my PaperBackSwap wish list . . .


All About Spelling boasts of being visual, kinestetic, and auditory. In Level One, the goal for Mr. Me-Too is to gain MASTERY of the first 26 phonograms (written sounds). However, from the start he is learning ALL of the sounds that each letter makes. For example, he has learned that the Letter C makes the two sounds that you hear at the beginning of cat and city.

I like the teacher's manual as it is arranged into "three easy-to-follow sections" (according to the All About Spelling website:

• Review: The Review section provides continual review of phonograms, spelling words, and important concepts so your student can advance confidently from one lesson to the next without the frustration of having to re-learn previous material. All About Spelling doesn’t “teach it and forget it.”

• New Teaching: The step-by-step lesson plans lay out new material clearly and concisely and save you valuable time. You don’t need a degree in education or hours of planning every night to teach All About Spelling—all the work has been done for you.

• Reinforcement: The important Reinforcement section gives your student the opportunity to apply what he has learned and to use that knowledge in practical situations.

However, the key features of this particular learning system that I like are:

• The Flashcards that provide a visual and hands-on way to help your student learn and review phonograms, words, and spelling rules.
  
  

• The Spelling Review Box helps you organize the flashcards so you can quickly see which words, phonograms, and spelling rules your student still needs to learn and review. (Flashcards and dividers are included; you supply the 3x5" index card box.)

• Due to a lack of consumable material, I can use this program for more than one student AND use this program throughout their schooling career.
  

What do I honestly think of the program?

This is the 4th reading curriculum I have used in my teaching career. So far, I am enjoying it. Have I seen Mr. Me-Too read yet? No. But let me remind you that I am working with a three year old. Our focus has been getting our cute little grey box out and working on 5 phonograms at a time for mastery. We talk about what letter is on the card and what sound(s) that letter makes. This curriculum is flexible enough that we can go at our own pace, realizing that the GOAL is mastery.

Mr. Me-Too is young. I am in no hurry to rush him into and through the literacy process. My goal is to review his cards almost every day and to have him enjoy the experience rather than whine when he sees the grey box.

So far, so good. Since using this program I have seen him grow in his awareness of letters that are all around him. He is excited to see letters in action and point them out to me. After this review I plan on continuing our usage of this program.

Like I said . . . it is simple, easy to use, and requires no planning. Additionally, setting up the little grey box was lots of fun for me!

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

As a member of the Homeschool Crew, I was given this product to review, 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 delightfully mine. And I am keeping this Curriculum!

Technorati Tags: The Old Schoolhouse,All About Spelling,Granola Mom 4 God

My Steeping Cup

I just completed a photo shoot.

I won't be paid for it.

But it did make me happy.

And it is a little unusual.

I would like for you to meet my new Steeping Cup . . . .



. . . . that Sarah gave me to cheer me up.

Remember when I barfed on my blog?


Well, Sarah brought me a Steeping Mug to cheer me up.

We all speak different love languages. And Sarah's language is gifts (ahem David) . . . as is mine.

I also hinted around BIG time that I was envious of her steeping mug.


And now I am listening to the Nutcracker while enjoying my green tea that I stole from my mom. Actually, I didn't steal it. I "helped" her clean out her tea cabinet a few months back.

Until today, I never had the right tea mug for this particular tea. Good tea MUST be enjoyed in a good, quality tea cup.

Or the experience is lacking, in my eyes.

But not today. I am truly satisfied with my tea. And my mug. And my photo shoot.

Granola Christmas Traditions

I have a great book on incorporating traditions into your family holiday activities. The problem is that it is sitting by the Christmas tree unopened. I would imagine that it will remain that way indefinitely.

Though new ideas remain hidden, we do have a few traditions that occur each year.

As a general rule, I wait until the last bite of pumpkin pie has been eaten to blast some Gene Autry Christmas music. My sister dearly loves gets highly annoyed by this tradition which makes it all the more delightful to pursue. (Gotta love me, Sis!) However, due to feeling slightly melancholy this year, Christmas music has been playing in our household for 2 weeks.

We decorate our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving (or the next day that we are actually home from celebrating with family). Holiday music wafts through the air along with homemade hot chocolate. The Hottie Hubby makes the annual trek up the ladder to the attic, which is recounted blow-by-blow by Mr. Smackdown each year. He is so curious about this dark and unknown place that his daddy disappears into and emerges with a large tree. It is a little bit of Christmas magic.

This year the Hottie Hubby turned tree time into Tot School. I loved it! Can you guess what he did by the picture?


He had the boys separate the boughs by letter and asked for the letters accordingly. I had a proud wife moment with his ingenuity at using the common moment to explore a little bit of learning!

Two ornaments are required to hang from our tree. The first is a large nail. My dear friend, Christina, gave this nail to us our first year of marriage. Newly married herself, she had already realized the importance of establishing family traditions early on. The nail reminds us of the tree that was used at the death of our Savior. It is important to celebrate the birth of our Savior, but it is through his life and subsequent death on the cross that we have eternal Life with Him. This nail reminds us to keep Jesus the focus of the season.


We also allow a rather novel ornament on our tree called the pickle. This ugly but fragile ornament hides for the month of December. But on Christmas Day it is the object of much attention. Whoever finds the pickle receives an extra gift!


The rest of the ornaments are ones that my MIL gave the Hottie Hubby each year that he lived under her roof. My mom also jumped in on the tradition, and I have my own set of ornaments specific to my personality. We no longer receive ornaments but the tradition has been passed on to the boys who are given ornaments from their Mama and Nana. It won't take long before the tree is entirely the boys' ornaments. (Is there another word for ornament?) By the way, check out my bloggy friend's tree over at P.S. Love. Love. -- I have a bit of tree envy.

The Granola boys also have a tree in their room, that if they stay quiet for bedtime the tree is allowed to be their night light throughout their sleep cycle! This has only happened a handful of times, though. This tree is small and filled with miniature ornaments from the TV special, Rudolph.

Regarding gifts, the boys are given three gifts from the Hottie and I, to symbolize the three gifts the Wise Men gave to Jesus.

The Hottie and I often claim that we don't exchange gifts in order to keep Jesus the focal point of our celebrating, but this is a bit of a stretch. Each year we have a special Christmas date. We typically go out to dinner, see a movie, and visit Target. We stroll hand-in-hand around the store pointing out little trinkets that we would like to have. After setting a small budget, we separate for 15 minutes and sneak around the store, purposefully avoiding each other while we pick out items small enough to fit in our stockings.

We return home and sit back to back while we wrap our "surprise" gifts, stuff the stockings, and then take turns opening them. Yes, I know . . . we practice a bit of instant gratification. But it sure has been fun over the years!

We have a wood nativity set that is played with, run over by modern day Matchbox cars, and trampled by construction vehicles. Jesus remains hidden until Christmas Day. You can't have him born in November! For an additional twist, when the manger is set up, Mary and Joseph are not with it . . . they are walking and move closer to the manger each morning!

The culminating event for our family, though, is the baking of Jesus' birthday cake. We make an extra special cake, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus on Christmas morning and . . . get this . . . we eat the cake for breakfast!

What are some fun things that you do to make your Christmas season more meaningful?

Maureen over at Spell Outloud has been sharing a bunch of great ideas. If you are stumped on how to make Christmas more meaningful . . . check out her blog!

Little Boys Who Are Wild At Heart

I find it amazing how God wired little boys.

At an early age they are drawn to guns, swords, battles, blood, and guts.

This morning a simple sheet of paper became a sword. Wood toy guns often challenge the Hottie Hubby to a duel when he walks in the door from battling the computer all day. The mere mention of a potential fight produces a glimmer of chivalry in Hottie's eye as he even pretends to protect me from the pirates who have ransacked our house.

Out of the collection of 6 or so historical cartoon books we recently acquired to review, the Granola boys chose the one that was the most violent. We sat down to read said historical cartoon gladiator book. The estrogen filled voice of mine really didn't look forward to explaining the various killing instruments used throughout history.

However, my Granola boys willingly sat down on the couch for a good 1/2 hour, joyfully getting up to keep Mr. Smiley happy so that I could continue reading.

At one point I asked, "Do you really like all of this fighting and blood and guts?"

I was answered with a resounding "YES!"

But why? "Because it is fun." Fun? Are you serious?

Physical combat is not something that I will ever understand, but one thing I do know from reading John Eldridge's book, Wild at Heart, is that God wired boys . . . men to defend, protect, and be physical.

Through that danger we see a glimpse of our passionate God who would do anything to protect and defend us.

So when people hear my sons say, "Mommy, do you think that was dangerous and I was brave?" You better bet I take that opportunity to encourage them to be dangerous and brave. God made them to display strength, to defend, to stand strong. He is shaping them to be warrior's for Him.