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Learn To Read With Reading Kingdom Review

Are you looking to improve your child’s ability to read and write? Then you might want to check out Reading Kingdom online interactive curriculum.

Reading Kingdom offers a better strategy than what has traditionally been offered to help kids improve their reading and writing skills, reduce academic failure, and reach reading proficiency.

Reading Kingdom

Online Learning Program

Interactive Curriculum

Highly effective

Adapts To Each Child

Individualized Instruction

Research based

Ages 4-10

Retail $19.99 month ($9.99 additional child).

Reading Kingdom in an online learning program developed for students ages 4 to 10 to help them become proficient at reading and writing to a 3rd grade level. It is fun to use and kids can use the program on their own. Because it is filled with learning games and books, kids are motivated to use it each day. Reading Kingdom works as a standalone curriculum or as a supplement to your curriculum. Reading Kingdom works on any device with an internet connection (including Windows, Mac, iPad, Android, Chromebooks, etc.)

Reading Kingdom uses a patented strategy called the Phonics Plus decoding system created by Dr. Marion Blank, a developmental psychologist who is also one of the world experts on reading. Learning with Reading Kingdom has been made available in a fun online interactive program by her son Jonathan Blank, an expert in computer software development. Now families everywhere can have access to this award winning learning system to help kids learn to read and write.

The Phonics Plus decoding system is based on learning the meanings of words, the pattern sequencing of letters, and sounds that create meaning.

Sequencing: recognizing patterns from left to right.
Writing: understanding letter placement on keyboard and writing through out the program.
Sounds (Phonics): sounding letter blends,
Meaning: understanding the meaning of words and their context.
Grammar: grammatical rules
Comprehension: remembering and understanding what has been read.

The Department of Education reports that two out of three kids today are failing at reading and writing proficiency and Dr. Blank believes it is because they learned to read with phonics only. There are many reasons why learning with phonics only fails to help so many kids.

Screenshot (185)

However, rather than just learning phonics only, Reading Kingdom teaches the Phonic’s Plus decoding system as foundational for mastering reading and writing proficiency. This method brings reading, writing, and comprehension together. As students learn these skills, they will benefit both now and later in life as many of these skills overflow into other areas in a person’s life.

How It Works:

Reading Kingdom uses fun reading games, story books, and the Phonics Plus decoding strategy to boost each student’s skills and confidence in reading, writing, and comprehension. When kids finish the program, they will have mastered above a third grade reading level.

Reading Kingdom contains 5 Levels. Each level is adaptable for the skill level of the person using it, so it customizes itself per the child’s needs. Each level builds upon the skills learned in the previous level. Before moving forward it gets kids ready for the next level so both sets of skill levels flow smoothly together. A Progress Check (review quiz) is given after each level. More practice is given if needed, or if they have mastered everything, they are promoted to the next level.

Reading Kingdom is designed to be used 4 days per week. Each level is filled with several sessions and you complete one session each day. Each session takes about 10 to 20 minutes to complete. A child learns 1 new word or reads 1 new book during each session.

Below are a few examples of different skill levels. The first picture shows the level, the number of new words, new words plus word variants, total new words, and new books learned in that level. The second picture in each category below is an example of a learning game in that level.

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

The entire Reading Kingdom online program starting at the lowest level and working your way through to completing the highest level, is designed to take about 12 to 15 months to complete all the levels and skills. However, an older child child who already has acquired some reading skills, takes the placement test and scores above the beginning level, etc. maybe able to complete the program quicker, perhaps in as little as 6+/- months. This program could also be used for review for older students and ESL and remedial learning. A child who is a struggling reader may take longer than average to complete. The program is flexible and adapts to the skills of each child. However if your student is on the Autism Spectrum or has other learning challenges, then you might want to check into another program Reading Kingdom has developed called ADS Reading.

Who is Dr. Blank?

Dr. Marion Blank is known around the world as a literacy expert. She developed and directed the Light on Literacy Program. She has served on the faculty of Columbia University. She lectures around the world, and has authored several peer-reviewed articles and books. Dr. Blank has developed award winning teaching programs. She is the author of the Reading Remedy and creator of the Reading Kingdom.

Video
Here is a short video about Reading Kingdom:

How We Used Reading Kingdom In Our Home

I was thrilled for my kids to have the opportunity to use Reading Kingdom. We were given a one year subscription in exchange for writing an honest review about our experience.

My kids have been using the Reading Kingdom program for about 6 weeks, and have practiced almost daily during our language arts study time since getting the program. I am using this program with my three youngest kids, ages 6, 8, and 10. The 8 year old is the most consistent user. He has averaged 4.3 days per week. The 10 year old has averaged 3 days per week. The 6 year old has an average of 2.3 days per week.

Sometimes the 6 year old isn’t as motivated as the 8 year old and 10 year old are to sit at the computer. I think he has stopped a few times before his lesson was completely finished for the day, and I am not sure if that reduces the average number of days counted. I think he will become more motivated to finish each lesson as he gains more skills.

This is our second time to use this program and I can see similarities in the ages in regards to skills and motivation. We had a subscription to Reading Kingdom three years ago and the kids learned a lot at that time and loved it. We were excited to see how much they have improved since then.

Each child has two options when starting the program. The first option is for those starting at the beginning level and are just learning to read. They can start at the very beginning with the very first lesson session. The second option is to take a placement test to find out what skills the child already knows and where they should be placed. The placement test has two parts, a keyboard typing test and a sequencing test.

Typing & Keyboard Test

These placement tests help the parent, and the Reading Kingdom program understand what skills the student already knows, and what skills they have yet to learn. Because Reading Kingdom is an adaptable reading program, it responds to the child’s skill level and their ongoing progress. It also recognizes what they don’t know because of the mistakes they are making, and provides extra support and training in those areas. This helps customize the program to their learning level.

Sequencing Test

Since he is a beginning reader, I had my 6 year old start at the beginning level without taking the placement tests. My 8 year old son and 10 year old daughter both took the placement test. They took the letter sequencing test and a keyboard typing test.

The placement test put the 8 year old a little above where I thought it would. He is a strong reader and quick learner and did well on the placement test. It placed him on Level 3. However the 10 year old struggled more while taking the test, as it is timed and she is slower to answer even if she knows the answer, and it started her in the middle of Level 1. Both she and I thought she would place on a higher level. It seem to us that because she struggled with speed on the placement test is the reason why she started at a lower level, and not because she didn’t know the answer. Though she was a bit disappointed at first, it has turned out to be good review for her to go back over many of the words and practice them, and the parent report is showing she is getting an “excellent” score on her lesson sessions.

After the tests, and placement, then each kid can begin their sessions. The program is set up to do 1 session a day, though you can do more. After they log in, each of my kids have a dash board that shows their progress.

On the parent dashboard, I can go in to a tab and choose to review reports, change the level or speed for responses, or even set it to retake the test if needed. For now, I have left everything at the default speed and mainly use my dashboard to review the reports. Reports can also be downloaded and sent by email too. I like the parent dashboard because it gives me a basic summary of how each child is progressing, what words they are learning and what words they are struggling with.

As a parent, I know each of my kids learn differently, some are fast and some are slow at picking up certain skills. It is nice to have a curriculum that can adapt to their learning styles.

When my kids complete a level (or test out of a level) they have the option to print a diploma certificate for that level.

I would encourage other homeschool families to check out Reading Kingdom. You can help your child achieve reading proficiency when you team up with Reading Kingdom for the Phonics Plus solution to help your child succeed.

FREE

Try before you buy with FREE Sample Lessons. Reading Kingdom also offers a FREE Trial Offer, free worksheets, and many other free resources too. They also have special discount offers to choose from when you subscribe.

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Follow Reading Kingdom on their social media links for all the latest news, teaching ideas, product updates, and special offers.

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Starfall Home Membership Review

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Have you ever checked out the the Starfall Education Foundation website? It has a lot of learning fun to offer!

We were recently given a one year subscription to their upgraded paid version called The Starfall Home Membership in exchange for writing an honest review of our experience.

The Starfall Home Membership

Online Learning

Phonics, Reading, Spelling Games,

Music, Learning Games, Math

PreK – 2nd Grades

One Year Subscription

Retail $35

The Starfall Home Membership subscription includes free mobile App to access the membership account from a mobile device.

The Starfall Home Membership

The Starfall Home Membership is an educational program for younger kids. It is designed for kids in PreK through 2nd grade. It is also great for kids (or adults) of any age who are learning English As A Second Language, any age with Special Needs, or even older kids who need Remedial work, or to just for fun to brush up on some of the basic phonics, reading, and math skills.

Starfall Education Foundation offers both a free version and a paid version (The Starfall Home Membership) of their online program that is filled with supplemental educational learning games. They also offer a FREE mobile app, a printed version of full curriculum for sale and other resources for sale, and FREE parent teacher resources including FREE worksheet generators, posters, books, and other free printables. Requirements to use the program are access to Internet service, and a computer or a laptop or mobile internet compatible device to access the program.

Check out this video for a short demonstration of a phonics spelling game from the Starfall Education Foundation.

Here is an example of a fun math game. To see it in action, click the “play button” on this video for a short demonstration.

The Parent – Teacher Center

Looking through the Parent – Teacher Center can help give parents ideas on how to use the program and incorporate the program into their student’s curriculum.

It includes supplemental worksheets, custom worksheets, posters, curriculum downloads, informative guides, and the latest information from Starfall to keep you up to date.

Starfall also offers an organized lesson plan already put together. You can use this resource online, or purchase the printed curriculum. They offer a full printed curriculum that comes boxed with several additional extras (books, games, toys, manipulatives) that go along with the curriculum too. Be sure to check out their curriculum if you are looking for a helpful resource.

Our Experience

I used The Starfall Home Membership with both my six year old and nine year old sons.

Though they had to share the same dashboard (as families are only given one account), each boy enjoyed different aspects of the program.

We worked on this review of Starfall during January and February. It is accessible 24/7 and we used it on weekdays as a supplement to our curriculum and weekends if the kids requested to play on it.

The first thing the kids did each day they worked on the program was view the interactive calendar.

This was a fun exercise to see and learn more about the days and months.

The calendar lists the main holidays each month, and then you can add items, such as students can dress it up with the provided border options and stamps or print and color it. My boys changed the border for the holiday and marked the weekends stamped with stars.

Holidays for January included:

New Years Day
Martin Luther King Jr Day

Holidays for February included:

Groundhog Day
Valentines Day
Chinese New Year
Presidents Day

The calendar feature also asks the kids a few questions about what day of the week and other questions that helps them get familiar with reading and using the calendar.

Another fun personalizing feature of Starfall is the avatar. Because there is only one account per household, there is only one avatar to share.

The six year old got to choose the avatar features and dress it up and then both boys worked together on answering the questions about items in the room or various rooms of the house.

A nice feature of Starfall is the dashboard filled to the brim with learning opportunities. The Learn To Read tab is really nice. It brings you to a list of letters, words, or combinations, and then after those skills are mastered, the student proceeds to the books that feature those letters or word combinations for more practice.

The six year old is learning letter sounds and using them in short words.

He is also counting to 20 and using simple math such as adding numbers.

Math songs help him remember different concepts.

Starfall offers lots of math games that make learning math concepts fun and motivate him to want to do more fun practice of skills.

There are plenty of activities to choose from. I am just barely skimming the surface in sharing these things so far. There are also puzzles, activities with subject themes, and some basic learning games in Sign Language such as the ALS alphebet and some signing words in the music activities too.

My nine year old son is a strong reader already and really enjoys reading books.

Here are a few pictures from some of his activities, books, songs, and learning games he has been working on.

A nice feature for strong readers and those just learning to read is the option for the book to be read aloud to you. My older son did not need this feature, but my younger son did.

Sometimes after my older son read the page, I would go back through it with him and push on the little ear button to have the sentence or paragraph read to him. He was like “Mom, I already read that!” However, even though he did a good job reading, I wanted him to hear the deflection in the reader’s voice as it read through the different characters and with different emotions. Learning how to express emotions and vary the sounds enhanced the learning for him.

Every option, whether it was phonics, books, math, music etc had even more opportunities for him to read.

He is enjoying the various math games.

There are a lot of musical options too. There are folk songs, nursery rhymes, math songs, abc songs, classical composers, and more.

There are lots of extra learning activities too such as holiday cards, and more. In one of the activities, my son helped a mouse practice writing a letter to his grandma.

Final thoughts about the program:

This program has a lot of activities to offer and can help kids learn and improve their reading and math skills. It is affordable at just $35 a year for the entire family, so if you have multiple younger children, you only have to pay one low price and they can all use it. You can try out the free version and see how it works for your family. The paid version offers a whole lot more. Also it does not keep scores after the activity, and kids can repeat the activity as many times as they want. You can take it on the go with you by using the mobile app so it can give kids something fun to do while traveling in the car or when “waiting” on appointments or waiting for other activities to begin. It is flexible and my younger kids have enjoyed using different parts of the program.

I would have loved to have had this program when I was teaching English as a Second Language to International college students. A program like this would have helped immerse the International students in the English language and engage them with fun activities, songs, and audio visual interaction. The read aloud option of the books, with emphasis on tones and expression would have really helped practice speaking and understanding language and how it is applied in conversation and different situations.

One consideration to keep in mind for religious homeschools, and especially Christian families, is that there are themes in the books and games options (such as aliens, fantasy, dragons, magic, Halloween, etc) that would be part of public school education, but may conflict with bible teaching and a homeschool with a Christian worldview. However, each activity is optional and you can choose which games or books you want to use in the program and avoid selecting certain topics that do not agree with your religious beliefs and cultural practices. The program is flexible and has many different options and you can use what you want from it.

Starfall learning games and books are interactive and engaging and the program has a lot of different things to choose from to build skills and practice reading and math. It is a publicly supported non-profit educational foundation, and it’s standards are aligned with the public school Core Curriculum of both European Union and USA and other countries.

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Greek ‘n’ Stuff: Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! Review

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Want a fun way to learn Greek? Then check out Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 3 Set by Greek ‘n’ Stuff.

We have been using the Student Worktext, Worktext with Answer Key, and the Pronunciation CD from their Level 3 Greek language course. I am really impressed with this curriculum.

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 3

Student Worktext

Soft Cover

Spiral Bound

Retail $21.95

Biblical Greek
Student Worktext
Alphabet and Vocabulary review
Greek Grammar
Masculine and Neuter Second Declension Nouns
Present Active Indicative Verbs
Movable nu
Read and Write Simple Greek Sentences
Matching, Dot-to-dot, Puzzles
Flashcard Pages (printed on normal workbook paper at the back of the workbook)
For Older Students (upper elementary – adult) and Students Who Have Completed Level 2

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 3

WorkText with Answer Key (Teacher Manual)

Spiral Bound

Soft Cover

Retail $21.92

Biblical Greek
Student Worktext with Answers
Teacher Tips
Translation Helps
Sample Lesson Plan Schedule
Big Picture You are Here – Grammatical Overview Charts
Some English Derivatives of the Greek Words Taught In This Level
References for Further Study
Recommended for those who have not had previous experience with the Greek language.

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 3

Pronunciation CD

Level 3 and Level 4

Retail $10.00

Biblical Greek
Level 3 and Level 4
Pronunciation of New Vocabulary
Pronunciation of Paradigms
Indexed to the Workbook Level and Page (this is very handy)
The Alphabet Song

Our Experience With This Course:

I am excited about this course! The Worktext teaches kids (and adults) Biblical Greek in a fun, familiar, and interactive way.

This course feels similar to an early learning English course. In the beginning, my son learned the alphabet and practiced writing the letters, he practiced saying the letters and voicing the sounds each letter makes, just as he did when he learned English.

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek Level 3 course is a beginning level Greek course for students 10 – Adult. Each level is color coded and we are using Level 3 with the “green” color for beginners. Level 3 is also a continuation level of Greek for younger students who first used Levels 1 (dark pink) and 2 (blue), and younger students who are reading and writing at least at an upper elementary age.

If students are younger than 10 they are encouraged to start with the first two levels that have less information per page and less writing. Kids younger than 2 grade should start with Level 1 and kids older than second grade but younger than upper elementary age should start with Level 2.

36 Lessons

There are 36 Lessons in this curriculum and it is intended to be used as a full school year (or 36 weeks) of study. Each week begins a new lesson and each lesson has daily assignments for that week.

There are both written and verbal practice assignments and to do the course well, students need a minimum of the Worktext, a Pronunciation CD, and Flashcards (either from the back of the Worktext or purchased seperately) to master the lessons. The lessons included in this beginner’s language course are:

Alphabet review – Part 1
Alphabet review – Part 2
Vocabulary review – Part 1
Vocabulary review – Part 2
Accusative case – singular and plural (second declension masculine)
First person – singular and plural (present active tense)
Genitive case – plural (second declension masculine)
Genitive case – singular (second declension masculine)
Vocabulary review – Part 3
Vocabulary review – Part 4
Third person – singular (present active tense)
Nominative case – singular (second declension masculine)
Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 1
Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 2
Third person – plural (present active tense)
Nominative case – plural (second declension masculine)
Moveable v, vocabulary and sentence practice
Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 3
New vocabulary, vocabulary practice – Part 1
New vocabulary, vocabulary practice – Part 2
Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 4
Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 5
Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 6
Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 7
Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 8
Second person – plural (present active tense)
Dative case – singular (second declension masculine)
Dative case – plural (second declension masculine)
Vocabulary and sentence practice – Part 9
New vocabulary, vocabulary practice – Part 3
New vocabulary, vocabulary practice – Part 4
Nominative and accusative cases – singular and plural (second declension neuter)
Second person – singular (present active tense)
Vocative case – singular and plural (second declension masculine)
Final review – Part 1
Final review – Part 2

Appendix

Additional “Help” pages are available in the back of the book. There are several Appendix pages including:

Glossaries
Greek Alphabet
Vowels and Diphthongs
Punctuation
Breathing Marks
Word Order
Voices of the Greek Verb
Moods of the Greek Verb
Present Tense
Gender of the Greek Noun
Cases of the Greek Noun
Second Declension
Bible Copy Work
Index
Feedback Form
Flashcards (printed on paper in book to be cut out if desired, or buy additional flashcards printed on heavy cardstock with metal ring available on the website.)

We have enjoyed using this course so far. After a few weeks of using this with my 12 year old son, I could not believe how easily he learned Greek using this method. He worked on a lesson a week and completed various workbook pages each day.

Getting started with Greek.

We took a mini-break from school for a couple of weeks this summer, and he got right back to it when we got home and has already made it to Lesson 4! He is motivated to learn and really likes using this. He has never had Greek before, this was his first exposure to the language and I am very pleased with how well this curriculum is working for him.

Practice writing and pronouncing Greek letters.

At this level, learning is familiar, even though it is a different language. Similarly to learning English, with this Greek Worktext, as he learned the names of letters, how to write them and pronounce them, then he began learning how to put the sounds together to pronounce words and eventually learn to use those words in phrases.

When you look closely at some of the pictures, you might notice my son’s Popsicle stick bookmark he was using. He wanted a quick way to find all the letters in the Greek Alphabet on one page, and the Glossary of word definitions. He marked these quick references found at the back of the worktext in the Appendix with a Popsicle stick. The resources at the back help a lot in seeing the big picture and understanding.

The Teacher’s Worktext with Answer Key has helped me understand what my son is learning. This book has everything in it that the main worktext has with the addition of the answers and several teaching helps. So even though I have not had Greek language training, with the help of the book I can help my kids learn the material in their worktext and we can discuss it.

The CD is an invaluable resource for learning how to prounounce the letter sounds and words correctly. The repetition of practice with the flashcards and the Worktext help reinforce what he is learning.

More!

I have been so impressed with using the Worktext, Worktext with Answer Key, and the Pronunciation CD that we were sent for review. I am especially impressed how well my 12 year old son has progressed through it, that I decided to purchase two more copies of the student Worktext, three sets of Flashcards, three sets of the Quiz and Text Booklets, and a set of the Greek Alphabet Bookmarks (no more Popsicle sticks!).

Our additional books arrived last week! Now the 12, 14, and 17 year old boys are all learning Greek. Thank you Greek ‘n’ Stuff for creating these resources! Though the two older boys are just getting started with theirs and are a few weeks behind their younger brother, I have no doubt they will be able to catch up with him and they can learn with this method together and this will be even more beneficial for all them as they journey this course together.

All of the resources are great! I would encourage everybody to get the flashcards and bookmarks too. They are not expensive and they are an invaluable resource.

The bookmarks have the complete Greek alphabet. This resource includes the capital letter, small letter, Greek name of the letter, short vowels, long vowels, and dipthongs. The bookmarks are inexpensive and come in a set of 5. Since I only needed three for the boys, that left one for my husband and me. I love it! I am using it to mark where I am reading in my bible. It is a really handy resource to have.

These Flashcards are wonderful too. They contain 78 cards already to use, so I don’t have to cut them out of the back of the student Worktext. They are sturdy and made with a heavy duty paper so they will hold up to repeated use. They are printed double sided, so the word my son is learning is on one side and the meaning is on the reverse. Also on the reverse side is the Greek Level and Lesson Page # so he can go back and review the lesson again when needed. The cards are also hole punched to keep them organized on the provided metal ring.

I am considering getting the Level 1 and Level 2 for my younger three children so they can work through the beginning level for younger students together too. The younger level has coloring pages and fun activities and is much easier for young kids just starting out.

Additional Level 3 Supportive Products Available:

Though you can master this course with the Worktext, Worktext with Answer Key, and the Pronunciation CD, I personally think it would be worth your time to check out the additional supportive materials and bundled sets Greek ‘n’ Stuff has to offer. I would especially encourage families to at least add in the sturdy Flashcards and Bookmarks.

Each level is numbered and color coded, so be sure to buy the supportive materials that match the level you are using. We are using the Level 3 (green) so when purchasing supportive products, I made sure each one matched with the correct number and color.

A few of the additional Level 3 items available for this course include:

Flashcards. (78 Cards + Metal Ring) – $8.00

Bookmarks (Set of 5) – $6.00

Sheet Music for the Greek Alphabet Song – $2.95

Quizzes and Exams – $5.50

Answers only key – $6.00

Bible Copybook – The Gospel of John – $25.95

FREE STUFF

Be sure to check out the FREE Greek Sample Pages Greek ‘n’ Stuff offers on their website. They offer free samples of Greek, as well as Latin, and Bible curriculum.

Greek ‘n’ Stuff

Greek ‘n’ Stuff offers 8 levels of Greek language training. The first three levels are for beginners.

Greek ‘n’ Stuff also offer student worktexts in Bible Studies, Songs, Readers, and Copywork in the Greek language too. But that is not all, they also have language learning products in Latin and French, and have several Bible Studies too.

Social Media

Be sure to check out Greek ‘n’ Stuff on their social media for all the latest news and updates.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreeknStuff/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/heyandrewteachmesomegreek/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreeknStuff
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kuriakos/greek-n-stuff/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenmohs/

Homeschool Review Crew

Members of the Homeschool Review Crew recently had to opportunity to review several of the great products Greek ‘n’ Stuff has to offer.

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 2 Set

Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! – Level 3 Set

Alone with God Bible Studies

I Can Study Jonah & Ruth Alone With God Bible Study (13 week study) KJV or NIV

I Can Study Esther Alone With God Bible Study (13 week study) KJV or NIV

I Can Study I Samuel Alone With God Bible Study (39 week study) KJV or NIV

I Can Study Acts Alone With God Bible Study (52 week study) KJV or NIV

Be sure to check out other reviews written by families on the Homeschool Review Crew about using these products with their kids.

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The Crafty Classroom: Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook Review

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We have a fun and easy to use preschool curriculum to tell you about today from The Crafty Classroom.

The Crafty Classroom has lots of affordable printable curriculum options for kids of all ages. We are currently reviewing their Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook. This product has made teaching preschool super fun and easy in our home.

Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook

658 Pages

26 Letters with 24 Activity Pages Per Letter

Illustrated

PDF Download

For ages Preschool to K4

Retail $15

This downloadable curriculum includes everything you and your student need to hit the ground running. The Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook is 658 printable pages on a PDF downloadable file. It contains lots of illustrated full color (and black and white) downloadable materials that are great for teaching children the alphabet and teaching them verses from the bible while they grow in their faith in God.

The focus of this curriculum is to help kids learn their ABC’s and biblical truths at the same time. By giving kids biblical truths in small pieces each day, it helps kids build a strong foundation and identity in Christ. Each week students learn a new letter, a character quality of Father God, and a corresponding bible verse as they grow in their knowledge of him and build their faith.

This curriculum is designed to keep the prep work to a minimum.

Good news! All you need to complete this course is the printed out worksheets for the day (or the week), a bible, a pencil and crayons. For a couple activities you will also need glue, scissors, and a ruler. That is it! This curriculum is designed to keep the prep work and organization for the teacher to a minimum. You can store everything you need in 1 binder (large sized) and a zippered pencil case. You can also add dividers into your binder for each letter if you want to.

It is suggested to teach this material 4 days a week during a 26 week course. Each day there are 4 to 5 worksheets for your student to complete. The suggested age range is Preschool to K4, but K5 and possibly first graders might benefit from going over this curriculum too. This curriculum would also be a great way to introduce ESL students to the English language too.

Included are lesson plans and a suggested schedule and 24 activities for every letter of the alphabet. You are encouraged to complete 1 letter per week for 26 weeks. The 24 pages of activities include: letter pages, Bible activities, games, worksheets, charts, coloring pages, math explorations, copy work, and more.

Charts

Character of God Chart
Bible Verse Chart
Bible Vocabulary Chart
Letter Chart
How to Write Chart

Coloring

Beginning Letter Bible Coloring Page
Bible Verse Coloring Page
Bible Themed Quilt Letter Square w/Cutting Activity
Blank Letters (x3 for coloring or art projects)

Worksheets

Tracing Worksheet
Handwriting Worksheet
Bible Verse Copywork Page
Find the Letter Worksheet
Beginning Letter Worksheet

Math

Daily Math Worksheet
Count & Graph Worksheet
Spin & Race to the Top Worksheet

Games

Full Color Memory Game (or Flashcards)
Bible Verse Maze and Activity Page
4 in a Row Bingo Game Cards (4 different cards for each letter)

Take Home

Bible Verse Crown

Suggested Calendar & Schedule:

This curriculum is flexible and you can fit it into many scenarios for your student. They suggest that you plan a work schedule of 4 days a week, working on 1 letter per week for 26 weeks.

The curriculum includes a handy reference Suggested Calendar & Sample Schedule.

HOW DID WE USE IT?

I can’t believe how quickly my youngest son is growing. It seems like yesterday he was still a little guy. I am so thankful for this opportunity to review this curriculum because it fit perfectly for our family. Life is busy with 6 kids in the house. With this curriculum, all the prep work is done and we can just pull out what we need each day and do it. He is progressing very well through this preschool curriculum and I think he will be ready for kindergarten curriculum this fall. He is so excited about his Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook. We are currently working on the letter F and he asks to do his school work each and every day since we started! He loves learning!

I thought I would show you what a week with this curriculum looks like. Each week follows basically the same routine. Below is what the first week learning the letter A and following the schedule laid out in the curriculum looked like in our home.

Monday:

Character of God: Discuss the weekly theme, memory verse and vocabulary that are all related to an important character quality of God. Pray together and thank God for being our CREATOR!
How to Write Chart: Use the chart to introduce the Letter A. FINGER PRACTICE the proper formation of uppercase and lowercase version of
the letter A.
Beginning Letter Bible Coloring: Color the upper and lowercase letter A beginning letter picture and word to color. While my son colors, I can read the corresponding Bible story and discuss the weekly theme.
Bible Handwriting Practice Page: This page reminds children
of the proper letter formation and strokes. Beginning letter words
are shown to provide ample practice opportunity.

Tuesday:

Beginning Letter Chart: Shows children 10 different beginning letter words. Hang it on a wall or place on the front of your binder for a frequent reminder during the week. You can also play games like tic-tac-toe, print two for a matching game, etc.
Bible Memory Verse: Read the verse for children to
work on memorizing for the week. Review the verse with your child throughout the week.
Bible Verse Copywork: Coloring page and beginning
handwriting tracing page for the weekly verse.
Race to the Top: This is a fun game played with a paperclip
spinner. Children spin the paperclip and then trace the correct
winner (uppercase or lowercase). The first letter to the crown
wins! Follow up questions guide children through less and more
and inequalities.
Bible Maze: A simple follow up worksheet with mazes and
small motor control art activities.

Wednesday:

Blank Letter Pages: Large letters that can be put into a plastic sleeve or laminated and the design can be filled in with pompoms, buttons, sticks, play dough, stamps, designs, stickers, or things that start with that letter.
I Can Find the Letter: Find the letter A and count the upper and lowercase letters.
Letter Trace: Trace the uppercase and lowercase
letters. They can also make their own letters and color in a beginning letter picture for each row they complete.
ABC Quilt Square: Color and cut out uppercase
and lowercase letter A, then glue the letters onto the quilt square.
Place the quilt square on a wall (or a string, or notebook, or place of your choosing) as they learn each new letter throughout the curriculum.
Alphabet Memory Flashcards: Cut out the flashcards and use them in multiple ways: pocket chart, play a game of concentration, play sorting games, ABC order, letter sounds, etc.

You can make several sets of these flash cards and use them in games such as matching or go fish. My son really enjoys making and using the flash cards.

Thursday:

Daily Math Worksheet: Complete the daily math worksheet. Skills practiced include: Counting, Measuring, Addition,Tally Marks, Patterns, Ordinal Numbers, Positional Words, Number Line, etc.
Count & Graph Worksheets: Count the letters and pictures and then graph them.
Write & Read Worksheets: Tracing page. Fill in the missing beginning letter.
Bible Crowns: Color your crown. Decorate it and cut it out.
4 in a Row Bingo: Play “Letter A” BINGO. The bingo games at the end of each week are a lot of fun and a great way to review his letter.

My Favorite Part!

I am thankful this curriculum is easy to print and go! I am also thankful my son loves learning with it and we enjoy doing it together. But my favorite part of this curriculum is the focus on the character of God and the verses that help my son learn about his Heavenly Father.

In just a few short weeks he has learned several letters in the alphabet while having lots of fun, learned a memory verse (though he doesn’t have them memorized), learned a vocabulary word, and learned a character quality of God:

Letter A: God is our Creator. (Genesis 1:1)

Letter B: God is Truthful. (Psalm 33:4)

Letter C: God is Love. (1 John 4:8)

Letter D: God is our Protector. (Psalm 46:1)

Letter E: God is Eternal. (Psalm 146:6 &10)

Letter F: God is Upright. (Psalm 25:8)

I also love that is it so flexible and easy to use. You can use this curriculum as your main curriculum four days a week, or use it as a supplement to your main curriculum. You can print out all of it, or print out just the portions you are interested in. Being able to print only what you need is especially nice if you are working on remedial work with an older child who doesn’t necessarily need everything but does need practice in some areas.

My suggestion is to use this curriculum as your framework. The lesson plans are already done for you and the curriculum covers all the basics your little ones need to build a good foundation in learning the alphabet and letter sounds as well as identifying beginning letters with associated pictures. It also teaches kids basic understanding of who their heavenly father is, and how to go to his word, the bible, to read about him and build their understanding. Then if time permits, and you want to expand on this curriculum, feel free to use additional props like play dough, sensory activities, sensory bins, related snacks, correlate reading books into the theme, songs, videos, or additional crafts that relate to your letter of the week. I love it that this curriculum is so flexible, yet simple, and can be adapted to any family’s needs and schedule.

The Crafty Classroom

The Crafty Classroom has many wonderful and affordable resources for homeschool families. Be sure to check out some of their great products and see if they will meet your family’s needs:

For Preschool:

Alphabet Curriculum Notebook (26-weeks)

Bible ABC Curriculum Notebook (26-weeks & Bible)

For Kindergarten:

Learn to R.E.A.D. Curriculum Notebook (36-week Curriculum)

R.E.A.D. Review Pack (28 Early Readers that Correspond with R.E.A.D. Notebook) Can be used as a stand-alone product, if you are not wanting a full curriculum.

For Older Kids:

USA Activity Bundle

How to Write a Paragraph

Social Media

Check out social media links for all of the latest news and product updates.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Crafty-Classroom-121821161222656/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CraftyClassroom
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/craftyclassroom/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecraftyclassroom/

Homeschool Review Crew

Be sure to check out what other families on the Homeschool Review Crew had to say about using these products with their kids.

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Hewitt Homeschooling Review

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Hewitt Homeschooling has some great products for homeschool families. We are reviewing My First Reports: Bugs and Worms by Hewitt Homeschooling, and we are learning lots of great information and having fun at the same time. If you are in the process of putting your curriculum choices together, I would encourage you to add products from Hewitt Homeschooling to the list.

My First Reports

One unique product Hewitt Homeschooling offers is a curriculum supplement called My First Reports. My first reports uses a step by step approach to help elementary age children learn about a subject they are interested in and write a report about it.

Skills used in My First Reports include:

Research
Organizing
Sorting
Writing
Penmanship
Vocabulary
Reading
Critical Thinking

There are several My First Reports to choose from and they are geared for different ages, but all are flexible and can be used for grades 1 – 8 depending on the skill level of your student.

My First Report: Music
My First Report: Transportation
My First Report: Weather
My First Report: Me
My First Report: Famous People
My First Report: Wild Animals / Large Mammals
My First Report: Wild Animals / Small Mammals
My First Report: Pets/Farm Animals
My First Report: Bugs and Worms
My First Report: Birds
My First Report: Reptiles/Amphibians
My First Report: Plants
My First Report: Solar System
My First Report: Marine Life
My First Report: Olympics
My First Report: Outdoor Activities
My First Report: Sports
My First Report: My State
My First Report: Eastern United States
My First Report: Western United States
My First Report: Middle United States
My First Report: Southern United States
My First Report: Lewis and Clark Expedition
My First Report: Focus On The World

You can purchase My First Reports individually for $8.95 , or buy 14 titles as a bundle for $69.95 and save nearly 40% off retail.

Our Experience:

We chose My First Reports: Bugs and Worms for this review. It is designed for kids in 3rd – 4th grades, but can be used for younger students in 1st-2nd grades or older students in 5th-8th grades too. My First Reports: Bugs and Worms contains 52 pages including reproducible forms, worksheets, suggested reading and resources, and a unit study.

When we received the packet from Hewitt Homeschooling, I placed the pages into a binder. The pages come already hole punched so you can put it into a three ring binder for convenience, or into your students completed notebook if you desire. I am a unit study “collector”, or perhaps a unit study nerd might describe me better. I guess and I love being able to insert them into a binder and keep them for future use. If someday I pass along our schoolroom to my own grown kids, or to another family, hopefully all the unit studies we have acquired or created over the years will be easy to just grab and go because they are arranged neatly in their own binders. You could fill a whole book shelf with them. Ooohhh Awwhhhh. Yep, I am a unit study nerd!

We were very excited about this curriculum. This package covers information about 12 different bugs and worms:

Grasshoppers
Flies
Ants
Bees
Fireflies
Crickets
Ladybugs
Spiders
Caterpillars
Butterflies / Moths
Dragonflies
Worms

Unit Study Approach

This set is designed to used for 12 weeks, in a unit study method, covering one bug or worm and corresponding worksheets and suggested activities per week. Being a unit study, many different ages of kids can enjoy it, and it is cross curricular for many different subjects and covers:

Math
Reading
Social Studies
Music
Art
Language
History
Science
Health
P.E.
Bible
Suggested Field Trips

(Picture my son took of hundreds of new born baby spiders emerging from their nest on a tiger lily).

During the process of learning about a bug or worm you will also do many activities mentioned in the accompanying unit study. For example, various activities to choose from might include: geography you will take a map of your state or a region and list bugs found there. Younger students might cut out pictures and paste them on the map and older students would likely create a map and write a list of various insects identifying them and their locations or to add in an art aspect, they might sketch them too. In the bible they would learn about insects mentioned in various verses. For reading and literature they would read various books, magazines, news articles, and poems about bugs. For Language you would learn insect vocabulary words and spelling of each insect, as well as answer the report questions on the worksheets. You might create word puzzles and give an oral report too. For Math, you put the insects in order based on a category such as length or color or weight ect. Perhaps you could make a graph for comparisons. You might calculate speeds and distance traveled or the amount of food they eat. For Science you will make comparison graphs for body characteristics, learn about habitats and how to classify, catch-observe-release different insects when you are studying each one, etc. One suggestion is to build a wormery when you study the worms section. For art and science you might make a kite and then for P.E. you would go outside and fly it. Also for P.E. you would take a hike through your neighborhood or a park to look for insects and study where they are found, what they sound like, etc. For music you might study and recreate the sound of various insects, sing songs about insects and songs about creation including songs and praises to God. Art has so many suggestions like making a spider web, visiting an art museum, making collages or mosaics, sculptures, and various crafts. Field tips ideas include hikes or nature walks in various locations like parks, nature preserves, zoos, museums, the insect section of the library, a honey farm, or other farms where insects are used in some way, nature store, etc.

While learning about each “critter”, my 3rd grader completed a worksheet for each bug we learned about. The worksheet includes a picture of the bug, its class and scientific order, vocabulary words, and several questions to research further. He is encouraged to write complete sentences when answering the questions. When the week of learning about the insect is complete, and he has answered all the questions, he can transfer that information into a finished report by using his answers to help create paragraphs for a report about the insect he is writing about.

I have always loved the hands on aspect of Field Trips. My kids love the adventure and learning outside the classroom / house. We took a field trip two weeks ago to the Creation Museum to learn more about the history of insects and see various species in their collections.

This is a great curriculum resource and I would encourage other homeschool families to work it into their learning adventures this school year. My First Reports would also be a great adventure for summer school, Sunday School, or afterschool learning adventures too.

Social Media Links:

You can follow Hewitt Homeschooling on their social media to keep up with all the latest news and updates.

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/HewittHomeschooling

Twitter
https://twitter.com/HewittOnline

Pinterest
http://www.pinterest.com/hewittonline/

Google Plus
https://plus.google.com/b/115323246990194958229/+HewittHomeschoolingResources/posts

Hewitt Blog
http://hewitthomeschoolingresources.blogspot.com/

Be sure to check out what other families on The Old Schoohouse Review Crew had to say about using various products from Hewitt Homeschooling to meet your homeschool needs.

Please share.