Back to School/5 Year Blogiversary Grand Prize Giveaway

Welcome to the Back to School/5 Year Blogiversary Giveaway

Hosted by: Tots and Me

Co-Hosted by: Chestnut Grove Academy, Circling Through This Life, and The Shady Lane

Back to school time is here! 

The summer, once again, just flew by and now it is time to think about school books, schedules, and learning. No matter how your children are schooled, there are plenty of goodies in this prize pack to stimulate those brains and get them learning. 

Let me introduce you to the wonderful sponsors of this giveaway.

FunBites - Rock 'n Learn - Endless Games - Classroom Friendly Supplies - Blue Orange Games - The Reading Game - ABC Twiggles - Fundanoodle - BrainFood Learning - Press4Kids - Home Educating Family - 10Monkeys.com - KidQuest Science Adventures - Raddish

One winner will win this entire Back to School Prize Pack valued at approximately $370. The winner will receive:

Winner's Choice FunBites Cutter for some kitchen fun. You can choose between triangles, squares, and hearts.

(Read the review here)

Rock 'n Learn Learn a Language DVD to begin learning a foreign language (or Winner's Choice of a Rock 'n Learn DVD)

(Read the review here)

Crazy Legs from Endless Games for some get-up-and-move fun. Great for phys. ed. time.

(Read the review here)

Korner'd from Endless Games for those times you want a challenge and some family fun.

(Read the Review here)

Pencil Sharpener from Classroom Friendly Supplies, because we have to keep those pencils sharp to get the work done.

(Read the review here)

Battle Sheep from Blue Orange Games for family fun and sharpening your strategy skills.

(Read the review here)

The Reading Game- The fast action memory game with picture flashcards and story books, to help your child learn to read.

(Read the Review here)

1 Year membership to ABC Twiggles for multi-sensory ABC Learning Fun

(Read the review here)

Winner's Choice of 1 Learning Activity Kid from Fundanoodle. 

Choose between I Can Build Upper Case Letters! and I Can Bead, Lace, Rip, Trace!

(Read the review here)

A set of 3 Fascinating World of . . . DVD's from BrainFood Learning. Learn about Insects, Mammals and Birds.

(Read the review here)

1 Year Access to the News-O-Matic app from Press4Kids- The Daily News Experience, Just For Kids.

(Read the review here)

The Well Planned Day 2014-2015 Family Homeschool Planner from Home Educating Family Association (hedua)- To keep your day organized

(Read the review here)

A 1 Year subscription to Math World from 10Monkeys.com- For math fun for children in K through 3rd grade.

(Read the review here)

A digital/eBook copy of both the Wild at the Zoo Adventure Pack and Bugging Around: Insects from KidQuest Science Adventures for more science fun.

(Read the review here)

A Cooking Box from Raddish to encourage learning in the kitchen.

(Read the Sponsor Spotlight here, and stay tuned for the full review which will be coming in the near future, as I only just received the product and we haven't had a chance to use it.)

All you need to do is enter in the Rafflecopter form below. There are only 4 simple mandatory entries, with the remainder of the entries being optional. Remember, you do not have to do the extra entries, but they will increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and over.

The giveaway runs August 18th through August 31st.
All entries are subject to verification.

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Tots and Me received the above mentioned products for free in order to conduct thorough reviews.  Tots and Me  received no further compensation. This did not in any way influence her reviews. As with all her reviews, the Back to School reviews reflect her own honest experience and opinion. She only recommends products or services she use personally and believes will be good for her readers. All opinions are her own. The participating bloggers did not receive any compensation and are not responsible for shipping any prizes. Tots and Me is only responsible for shipping The Fascinating World of Insects DVD from BrainFood Learning, all other prizes will be shipped from the sponsors. 

Teaching Children to Read (and a Giveaway)

Welcome to the Back to Homeschool Blog Hop, where over 50 of my fellow bloggers from the Schoolhouse Review Crew are going to be sharing various posts on the subject of homeschooling. As I have been spending the last month sharing different products in my Back to School/5 Year Blogiversary Celebration, I am going to be sharing with you some of my favorite products, ideas and resources for different subjects. These aren't written in stone, but I plan to share some ideas on:

• Teaching to Read
• Online Learning
• Hands-On Learning
• Science
• Math

In honor of today's Back to School/5 Year Blogiversary Celebration review of The Reading Game, I would like to focus on what I have done in the past and plan to do in the future to help my children learn to read.

For many years I had been a strong supporter of learning to read using phonics, and only phonics. This came about because of my strong dissatisfaction of the way my older children were taught to read in public school. They all struggled through school because they did not have a strong foundation in reading. I was then introduced to teaching with phonics when I was teaching at the Montessori. The head teacher was able to teach our preschool age children to read short books in time for our Ladies Night at the end of the school year. These children went into kindergarten already knowing how to read. I was quite amazed at the results!

I knew I wanted to implement some of the techniques that were used at the Montessori with my children.  I also did quite a bit of researching to see what others were doing and saying about teaching children to read, and literacy. Now I would like to share some of the resources I used.

Books I Read:

Native Reading by Timothy D. Kailing

Mommy, Teach Me to Read by Barbara Curtis

The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

Phonemic Awareness Activities for Early Reading Success by Wiley Blevins

Activities I did with the girls:

The most important thing I did with the children was read, read and more read. 

We played with letter magnets, letter blocks, felt letters, and foam letters, learning the sounds and using them to form words.

We played the Beginning Sounds game. We try to think of words that start with a certain sound. For example, I'd say, "I hear 'mmmm' when I say 'mmmmommy,' 'mmmmouse,' 'mmmmmoon.'" As the children got older they were able to add their own words. 

I made lunches where the foods started with the letter we were focusing on. A cutout of the letter was made in bread or cheese and added to the lunch.

We made letter/sound collages and letter/sound books.

We made crafts in the shape of letters.

We played with sandpaper letters, learning to form the letter and focusing on the sound. 

I made a movable alphabet that we could use to form words, starting with C-V-C words.

I had Tabitha sit on my lap as I typed out words and had her sound them out.

We used printable books from Progressive Phonics where I read the majority of the story, but Tabitha read the words highlighted in red. 

Videos and Shows The Children Watched:

Leap Frog Letter Factory

Leap Frog Talking Words Factory

Leap Frog Talking Words Factory 2: Word Caper

It was after Tabitha started watching Talking Words Factory that everything seemed to click. She was only 2 1/2 and suddenly she was blending words together. Shortly after that she was reading The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss with me. They also watched Super Why! on television.  As Tabitha started to read more, she read Hello Reader books, Step Into Reading Books, and Abeka 1st Grade Readers. We have not used any specific curriculum to learn to read, just lots of fun games, activities and crafts. Here are some of my old posts where I share what I have done with the children to teach reading.

• Teaching Toddlers Reading Readiness explains some of our activities and crafts in more detail.
• Getting Ready for Reading is a post I wrote 4 years ago to help explain what I had done with Tabitha to help her learn to read.
• What Have I Done to Help Tabitha Learn to Read was written a year later and mentions some other activities.
• Working on Beginning Letter Sounds with "The Great Phonics Hunt" shares a hands-on sensory tub I created.
• Word/Picture Card Details and Caterpillar Word Families is a post I wrote to share how we use the word and picture cards for Letter of the Week, plus how we sounded out words. I also liked to work on word families.

I primarily used phonics to teach Tabitha, but I have also added in sight words occasionally. We have two of the Sight Words DVD's from Rock 'n Learn which the children enjoyed. Currently I am using The Reading Game with Hannah. This is something new for me, as it does not focus on phonics, but on memorizing sight words with phonics added in at the end. You can read my full review here. (Just to let you know, you can earn bonus entries into the Back to School/5 Year Blogiversary Grand Prize Giveaway by commenting following the directions at the bottom of the post.)

Speaking of The Reading Game, at the end of the post you will find this week's Back to School Celebration Giveaway. This is the last weekly giveaway before next week's Grand Prize Giveaway.

There will be a wide variety of homeschool posts shared this week by my fellow Crew mates on the Schoolhouse Review Crew. I hope you will find some time to stop by and see what wisdom you can glean. There are always wonderful posts by these great ladies. Here, check out today's posts: Kym @ Homeschool Coffee Break shares My Back to Homeschool Checklist: School Scripture Tara @ This Sweet Life shares 25 Back-to-School Oatmeal Recipes (and a Giveaway) Laura @ My (re)Viewpoint shares Avoiding the Homeschooling Comparison Trap Alyson @ Family Style School shares Wow Is It Really That Time Kemi @ Homemaking Organized shares Our Methods (and Madness) Anne @ Upstate Ramblings shares Back to Homeschool - 10th Grade Curriculum Julie @ Nurturing Learning shares Our 2014-2015 Curriculum Choices Beth @ Acorn Hill Academy shares Making History Relevant: Century Chart Also check out the main post on the Schoolhouse Crew Blog, for all the participating blogs and a chance to enter the huge giveaway worth $1300.
And now for this week's Back to School Weekly Giveaway There will be 2 winners again this week! Each winner will receive a copy of The Reading Game

All you need to do is enter in the Rafflecopter form below. There are only 3 simple mandatory entries, with the remainder of the entries being optional. Remember, you do not have to do the extra entries, but they will increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and over.

The giveaway runs August 11th through August 17th.
All entries are subject to verification.Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received The Reading Game for free.  I received no further compensation. This did not in any way influence my reviews. As with all my reviews, the Back to School reviews reflect my own honest experience and opinion.  I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

Free Blogger Opp: Back to School/5 Year Blogiversary Celebration

Free Sign Ups for my 

Back to School/5 Year Blogiversary Celebration

Organized by Karen @ Tots and Me

There will be 1 Winner.

Prize Package is valued at approximately $340 

(there may still be some additions).

You can see the full list of prizes here.

Signups Close August 14th, 2014

Giveaway Dates: August 17th-31st
Open to US residents

You will get a free Facebook link for participating. You must post the giveaway on August 17th and promote 3 times a week. 

You can opt to get your choice of second link (Twitter or Pinterest) for posting the announcement post on your blog.

(Link to Announcement Post html can be found on the sign up form. )

Co-host spots are available for $10. You will get three links (Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest) plus a comment link (to a non-giveaway post). Co-hosts will also be listed on the Giveaway image and have a back-link in the Giveaway post.

All Co-host money will go toward a Amazon Gift Card or Paypal prize (winner's choice). 

Co-host spots, with the same benefits, will also be given if you choose to supply a prize, of at least $10, to the prize package. You will be responsible for shipping the prize to the winner.

Sign up here!

Back to School/5 Year Blogiversary Celebration: Weekly Giveaway #4

Welcome back to the Celebration! I am so glad you are here. We're getting closer to our destination on this trip to the Grand Prize Giveaway which is slated for August 17-August 31. Along the way I have been thrilled to be able to bring you these extra mini-giveaways, along with reviews of all these great products.

Not only are there going to be reviews and giveaways, but if you are a blogger, I will be offering you an opportunity to join in with the Grand Prize Giveaway. Details will be coming this week on how you can be involved.

This week, I am again giving away some great technological learning resources. This week I am pleased to offer the following:

First Place Winner will receive:

• A 1 year access to 10Monkeys Math World for one child (suitable for children in K-3rd grade).
• A 1 Year subscription to News-O-Matic iPad App. from Press4Kids (suitable for children ages 7-11)

Second Place Winner will receive:

• A 1 Year subscription to News-O-Matic iPad App. from Press4Kids (suitable for children ages 7-11)

All you need to do is enter in the Rafflecopter form below. There are only 3 simple mandatory entries, with the remainder of the entries being optional. Remember, you do not have to do the extra entries, but they will increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and over.

The giveaway runs August 4th through August 10th.

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received the above products mentioned above for free.  I received no further compensation. This did not in any way influence my review. As with all my reviews, the Back to School reviews will reflect my own honest experience and opinion. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

Back to School/5 Year Blogiversary Celebration: Weekly Giveaway #3

Welcome back to the Celebration! I am so glad you are here. We're traveling down the road, headed for the Grand Prize Giveaway which is slated for August 17-August 31, and along the way I am thrilled to be able to bring you these extra mini-giveaways, along with reviews of all these great products.

Not only are there going to be reviews and giveaways, but if you are a blogger, I will be offering you an opportunity to join in with the Grand Prize Giveaway. Details will be coming soon on how you can be involved.

This week, I am changing gears a bit. For the last two weeks I have given away a copy of The Reading Game. Now, I am going to go a bit technological on you. This week I am pleased to offer the following bundle to one lucky winner. 

You will receive:

• A 1 year access to 10Monkeys Math World for one child (suitable for children in K-3rd grade).
• A 1 year membership to ABCTwiggles Multi-Sensory ABC Letters Preschool Curriculum.
• A 1 Year subscription to News-O-Matic iPad App. from Press4Kids (suitable for children ages 7-11)

All you need to do is enter in the Rafflecopter form below. There are only 3 simple mandatory entries, with the remainder of the entries being optional. Remember, you do not have to do the extra entries, but they will increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and over.

The giveaway runs July 28 through August 3.

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received the above products mentioned above for free.  I received no further compensation. This did not in any way influence my review. As with all my reviews, the Back to School reviews will reflect my own honest experience and opinion. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

Back to School/5 Year Blogiversary Celebration: Weekly Giveaway #2

Welcome to the Celebration! I am so glad you are here. We are headed for the Grand Prize Giveaway which is slated for August 17-August 31, and along the way I am thrilled to be able to bring you some extra giveaways, along with reviews of all these great products.

Not only are there going to be reviews and giveaways, but if you are a blogger, I will be offering you an opportunity to join in with the Grand Prize Giveaway. Details will be coming soon on how you can be involved.

This week, I would like to again offer a giveaway for The Reading Game, 2nd Enhanced Edition.

All you need to do is enter in the Rafflecopter form below. There are only 3 simple mandatory entries, with the remainder of the entries being optional. Remember, you do not have to do the extra entries, but they will increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and over.

The giveaway runs July 21 through July 27.

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received the above products mentioned above for free.  I received no further compensation. This did not in any way influence my review. As with all my reviews, the Back to School reviews will reflect my own honest experience and opinion. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

Welcome to My Back to School/5 Year Blogiversary Celebration {Plus Introduction Giveaway}

It seems like it is way to be soon to be thinking about "Back to School," but it really is just around the corner. Stores have already started getting their school supplies out and sales have started. I'm planning lots of fun reviews for July and the beginning of August, reviews of fun educational products. There will be weekly giveaways, starting with the one you will find at the end of this post!! And we will culminate with a Grand Prize Giveaway (valued at over $300) at the end of August.

You can supplement your child's learning, whether you homeschool or send your children to public school, with the fun, educational products found here.

Preschool Learning:

ABC Twiggles: Online program
Bead, Lace, Rip and Trace from Fundanoodle
I Can Build Uppercase from Fundanoodle

Teach Your Child to Read with:

The Reading Game

Science DVDs 

Fascinating World of Mammals from BrainFood Learning
Fascinating World of Birds from BrainFood Learning
Fascinating World of Insects from BrainFood Learning

Foreign Language

Rock 'N Learn Learn a Language (or your choice of any other Rock 'N Learn DVD)

Home Ec. (time with your children in the kitchen):
Fun Bites

Phys Ed:

Crazy Legs from Endless Games

Fun, Educational Games

Korner'D from Endless Games
Battle Sheep from Blue Orange Games

For Mom:

The Well-Planned Day Planner
Pencil Sharpener from Classroom Friendly Supplies

Current Events:

News-O-Matic app

Prize Package worth over $300

Stay tuned for reviews of all these great products. They will be coming to you throughout the remainder of July and the beginning of August, in preparation for the Grand Prize Giveaway August 17-31!

Now, I promised you a giveaway. 

The very kind people over at The Reading Game have generously offered me extra copies of The Reading Game. So, for this first weekly giveaway I would love to offer one lucky winner their own copy.

All you need to do is enter in the Rafflecopter form below. There are only 3 simple mandatory entries, with the remainder of the entries being optional. Remember, you do not have to do the extra entries, but they will increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and over.

The giveaway runs July 16 through July 20.

Thanks for stopping by and good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received the above products mentioned above for free.  I received no further compensation. This did not in any way influence my review. As with all my reviews, the Back to School reviews will reflect my own honest experience and opinion. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

It's Almost Here: The Back to School Blast Giveaway Hop

Starting at midnight tonight you can come back to enter to win a great Back to School Prize Pack. I have had the great opportunity to review 3 awesome products. Two of these were for my Back to Preschool Blast which starts next week and the other I reviewed back in May. Crayon Rocks and Early Expert Spanish have both agreed to provide an additional prize for this great event.  I reviewed the Cube It! FunBites cutter a couple of months ago and have been offered the opportunity to review the Luv It! Cutter in the near future. 

Here is a little information about each product:

"Crayon Rocks are all natural soy wax crayons made from USA grown soybeans and colored with mineral pigments.

The colors are vibrant and can be layered to make beautifully textured art work.

They were designed to strengthen the tripod grip muscles, preparing fingers and hands for handwriting.

The shape allows small fingers to color in large, wide strokes creating pictures rich in color.

Used by occupational therapists to develop fine motor skills."

"Early Expert: Spanish is an engaging educational game grounded in research. Early Expert is easy to set up. First purchase it, and we will send a password to the email address you provide. Then simply log in, update your password information, add your children, and click Play! Up to four children can have logins per account. The game is entirely online and available to play from any PC or Mac!"

"Each FunBites Pack includes a high performance curved blade cutter that quickly creates small bites and a matching popper top that pops out food instantly so hands are clean, food is untouched. FunBites is 100% MADE IN THE USA, top shelf dishwasher safe and BPA Free."

Not only can you have a chance to win the above prizes, but there will be a Grand Prize hosted by This Flourishing Life, Generations Of Savings, and Tailor Made Momma are all hosting the grand prizes on their blogs. They are featuring prizes totaling $1000 in back to school gear for all ages. Head on over to their sites to enter!

And there will be many other blogs offering prize packages worth at least $25!

So stop back between midnight tonight and August 14th for your chance to win.

And don't forget to check out all the reviews/Sponsor Spotlights for my Back to Preschool Blast 

The giveaway will run from August 8 through August 25.