Fun Fiction Friday - August 4, 2017

Fun Fiction Friday
August 4th, 2017

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday.

In my Fun Fiction Friday I share the books the older girls and I are reading, and a short review of a Young Adult or Juvenile book I have finished, if applicable. I will also ask the girls to tell me something they would like to share about at least one of the books they are currently reading. As I am also reading books for adults, I have started my book blog up again. A few weeks ago I shared my Friday Finds, Book Beginnings on Friday, and The Friday 56 in my Friday Fun post. I haven't had a chance to post one since, but hope to do so today. I will also be sharing my reviews of any adult books over there. If I do, I will share links to those reviews in my Fun Fiction Friday post. 

I am currently finishing up one of the books I mentioned last week. Honestly, I should have been finished by now, but I've been so busy. Definitely NOT going to get to all the books I took out to read this summer. I am going to have to return the other book I mentioned last week, Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell, and put it back on hold because it is past due.

The one I am finishing is The Castle in the Mist by Amy Ephron. I was so excited to see I had a message on my Tots and Me Facebook page by the author. That was just so exciting. Anyhow. I will be sharing my review of The Castle in the Mist next week. I'm sure I will have it finished in the next couple of days. I am also going to start reading the next book in the The Land of Stories series. I put it on hold as soon as I was done with the first book and I was conveniently at the library when it arrived the other day. 

The Castle in the Mist is another book I found on display in the library. It is a juvenile fiction book written by Amy Ephron, her first book for young people. In this story Tess and Max are sent to their aunt's English countryside village. There isn't a lot to do until Tess finds a key that unlocks a magical gate into a mysterious land where things that are wished for seem to come true, though at first they aren't even aware why strange things are happening.

The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer is the second book in the The Land of Stories series. Young Alex and Conner Bailey are back to help save the day in this sequel to The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. The Eastern Kingdom, once called The Sleeping Kingdom, had finally began to really recover from the original sleeping curse. At the time of the first book, the Sleeping Kingdom was still half asleep and unproductive (both the land and the people), though Queen Sleeping Beauty's actual curse had been broken before the book began. Now the evil Enchantress (the one who originally cursed her) is back and her evil had reached into the real world. Friends and acquaintances from the first story join forces to help Alex and Conner rescue their mother and save the fairy-tale world.

Moving on to the girls' books:

Amelia is still reading The Prisoner of Azkaban, a chapter book for Australia called Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures: The Australian Boomerang Bonanza, and recently started Charlotte's Web because we are reviewing the study guide from Progeny Press. She took Hamster Princess: Giant Trouble out of the library and hopes to be able to get to it soon.

Tabitha is really enjoying the History Mysteries from American Girl. She recently finished Watcher in the Piney Woods by Elizabeth McDavid Jones and is currently reading Ghost Light on Graveyard Shoal by the same author. She also chose to read Hamster Princess: Giant Trouble, zinging through it quite quickly. She is also reading Charlotte's Web, for the same reason Amelia is. 

Fun Fiction Friday

Book Review

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer is a juvenile book that I (yep, you guessed it) found on display in the children's room at the library. I actually took it out a while ago, didn't have time to read it, returned it, put it back on hold, and finally decided I needed to get it read. I'm sorry I didn't get to it sooner. It is a wonderfully imaginative tale that takes place mostly inside the fairy tale world. Twins Alex and Conner Bailey are grieving the loss of their father, and having some troubles in school, Conner worse than Alex. They remember how their father was always telling them tales to help them overcome difficulties. They also fondly remember being told fairy tales by their grandmother when they went to visit her. 

For their birthday, their grandmother visits and gives them the Land of Stories book they so fondly remember. Days later, they are suddenly transported into the book, into the fairytale world, where they find that all the stories they have been told really took place. However, they are now stuck in a strange, magical, and dangerous land. They make friends with a large talking frog, who had been magically transformed into this form. He sets them on a quest to find out about The Wishing Spell, a spell that can grant a person one wish, no matter what it is. They figure this is their only way to make it back to the real world. 

After they discover a journal written by a man who wanted to cast the spell some years prior, they set out to gather the same ingredients. They are helped by clues in the journal. However, someone else is also after the ingredients for the spell, and once it is cast it won't be able to be cast again. The objects they are after are all related to different fairy tales they know, such as Sleeping Beauty's spindle, and Cinderella's glass slipper. So, the twins have to trek across the land, making their way from kingdom to kingdom, facing dangers they could never have imagined, before the other person gets to them first. 

I love stories that bring "real" world characters into "fairy tale" lands (or vice versa), tales that make it appear as if fairy tales are real. In this story, the different fairy tale characters all live in their respective kingdoms (there's even a map of the land). Alex and Conner make new friends, and some new foes, helping people/creatures along the way, while graciously accepting the help of others. Though, there are some instances where they end up having to steal, one such time was from the goblin and troll kingdom, because well, there was no way those creatures were going to help them, as they had just captured the twins as slaves. 

I will say, there are times when it seemed a bit too convenient that they were able to get the needed object. Times when I feel there should have been a bit more of an obstacle in their way. That said, I still enjoyed the book immensely (obviously, seeing as I quickly put the next book on hold). There were quite a few startling revelations along the way, and the twist at the ending was something I could sort of see coming, but played out in a surprising way. 

All in all, I have to say, I love The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell and am looking forward to reading the sequels. One of these days, the girls may find time to read them as well. I think they would really enjoy them.

Thrilling Audio Adventure with In the Reign of Terror from Heirloom Audio Productions {A TOS Review}

We had the wonderful opportunity of reviewing the newest release from Heirloom Audio Productions. We have loved all of the audio dramas they have put out in the past, and frankly we were giddy with anticipation when we discovered a new adventure was available. When we found out we had been chosen to review In the Reign of Terror, we were just about jumping for joy. We couldn't wait for the first chance to get in the van so we could start listening to the story. 

We received the two-CD set, plus were given access to the Live the Adventure Club website in order to access all the bonus material that comes along with it. I'll be talking more about the bonuses later; first, let's get into the story because I just can't wait to share it.

This two and a half hour story begins in a similar fashion as all the Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty adventures have, with Mr. George meeting up with someone with whom he is going to share his story. Mr. George is actually supposed to be G.A.Henty, the author of the book. In this adventure Mr. George meets up with a new character named Harry who lives here in America. They meet while looking at the graves in Arlington National Cemetery, and get into a discussion comparing the American War for Independence and the French Revolution. This comparison continues as he gets into his story, and we meet another young man named Harry Sandwith, the main character of this tale. 

Harry is 16, the same age of the other Harry that Mr. George is telling his story to. This is a common thread in all of these audio adventures, having the main character(s) be the same age and name as the person (or people) Mr. George meets up with. We first meet this Harry while he is with his father traveling by carriage to the sea. Harry is on his way to meet up with a packing boat so he can travel from England to France. Harry is interested in becoming a soldier because of stories he has heard of the heroes of the American War of Independence. Though his father, a doctor, would prefer for him to pursue a safer career in medicine, he respects Harry's decision to follow his dream. He is on his way to France to work for a marquis and his family, teaching the boys English, while hopefully gaining expertise for a military career. 

The problem is, it is not the best time to be traveling to France. There is a lot of unrest in the country as it is the time of the French Revolution. Fortunately, for a time, the unrest was more behind closed doors, though bad times were coming. A servant named Monsieur du Tillet provides a bit of comedy while taking Harry to the marquis's chateau. The children, okay fine, the entire family enjoyed the hilarious language bungles that Tillet made with his English in an attempt to make Harry not feel so bad when he messed up his French. Definitely not a major plot point, but a favorite part nonetheless.

We are then introduced to the Marquis de St. Caux and his two sons (Ernest and Jules), three daughters (Marie, Jeanne, and Virginie), and the Dowager Marquise de St. Caux, his mother. At first Harry has a hard time because as much as he would like to be a part of the family, the children can't overlook the fact that he is not of noble birth. It takes a life threatening event, in which Harry is the hero of the day, to change the children's thoughts toward Harry. After that he truly is like a member of the family. 

Sadly, these good times are not to last, as the san-culottes, or the commoners, are taking over, making new laws against the nobility and upper class. The marquis tries to fight along with others in defense of the king and queen, yet the king refused to take up arms against his country, and is eventually taken to prison. Slowly more and more of the nobility are also taken prisoner, until finally, the marquis and his family are in mortal danger. Harry escapes with the girls and is in charge of getting them safely out of the country. The brothers go off in another direction and sadly are captured quite quickly. The Marquis and the Dowager did not fight and were also taken into custody. 

It becomes a story with many dangerous twists and turns, quite suspenseful as we don't know for sure how many of the family, or their friends, are going to escape and how many will perish. In fact, even those who do eventually escape do not do so unscathed. During the second half of the story, there are many lives lost, as we discover the horror that was the French Revolution. 

As with all the previous Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty Audio Theater releases, I highly recommend this adventure. It is a great way to learn about what life was like during the French Revolution. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what new twist is coming next. 

That said, I do want you to be aware that some of the content may be a bit too much for younger listeners. While there was more actual on-air violence in some of the other stories, especially the ones that focus on war, this one does have quite a bit of gruesome detail mentioned. Even though we don't actually hear all the deaths, there is a lot of it. And some of them can be very emotional, especially considering who is being killed. There is some detail mentioned about how some of the executions are carried out, though they take place "behind closed doors" so to speak. 

I really appreciate the lesson that is imparted in the story. As is mentioned at various times throughout the adventure, the horrors that happened during this period of time, were due to people turning away from God, instead of what happened in the American War of Independence, where the people were seeking God and his favor. Our American forefathers sought independence, as opposed to revenge and bloodshed. 

Now, let's take a look at the bonus material.

As in the past, we were given access to some wonderful bonus material to help us enjoy our adventure.  This time however, there is a brand new website called Live the Adventure Club which we were given access to. From my dashboard on this site I made my way to my "Adventure Library" where all of the audio adventures' bonus material can be found. However, we do only have access to the bonus material for In the Reign of Terror, which makes sense. All I had to do was click on "Bonus Content" to see all we had access to. From there I was able to download the Study Guide.

Also available in this section are the following:

• In the Reign of Terror Adventure Playlist (listen to the adventure online)
• In the Reign of Terror Original E-Book
• Official Soundtrack
• Printable Cast Poster
• Inspirational Verse Poster
• Desktop Wallpaper Download
• Official Script Download

The Study Guide and Discussion Starter is a great resource to facilitate our learning.

It is organized in the same way the study guides have been for the past several releases. First it lists the Crew and Cast, and then their is an Introduction to the Study Guide. There is a short biographical section which focuses on a few people who are relevant to this story: G.A. Henty, Maximilien Robespierre, and Marie Antoinette. Each track of the adventure has one or two pages devoted to study questions. 

There are "Listening Well" questions and more in-depth "Thinking Further" questions. Additionally there is a list of "Defining Words" for each track. Included in the "Defining Words" section are both English vocabulary and French words. 

Interspersed throughout the study guide are "Expand Your Learning" boxes. You can find out more about such topics as 18th Century Architecture in Paris, Estates (or classes) of France, The Guillotine, and Health & Medicine During the French Revolution. There are also a couple of recipes shared: No-Knead French Bread and "Let Them Eat Cake" Simple Brioche Recipe. A few of the pages even have pictures depicting scenes from the track featured on that page. 

At the back of the Study Guide you will find a list of additional resources for the French Revolution, three Bible Studies, and the Historical Background for the story. 

We usually utilize the Study Guide after we have listened to the entire adventure at least once. During our rest time on a Sunday afternoon, I will put the CD in the DVD player while the children rest on the floor. After each track, I will pause the playback and ask the children the "Listening Well" questions. As the children are still young, we don't really dig into the "Thinking Further" questions. The children do a great job answering the questions. After a while, when I am convinced that the children are actually listening and understanding, I will allow them to listen without having to answer questions. I actually asked a lot more questions this time than I have when we listened to previous adventures. 

I also take time to Google some of the defining words and information in the "Expand Your Learning" boxes. The children were also interested in learning more about what a rabid dog would look like, as there is one in the story. I also asked if they could translate some of the French words. As Bastille Day came during the time of the review, we also looked up a bit about the Bastille. 

We don't go too in-depth with the Study Guide at this point, as they are still young. I use it more as a gauge to see how well they are listening to the story. I also enjoy reading the information for my own knowledge. I have to say, I have learned a lot more about the French Revolution than I ever knew. 

Now, remember I mentioned that these bonus resources are available on the new site called Live the Adventure Club? Well, I have spent some time perusing the site, and I am amazed at what is available there. In addition to these bonuses, there are Kid Activities where children can extend their learning and have fun. 

There is a section where you can listen to one track at a time, following along with the script if you would like, and when you are done, take a multiple choice quiz. 

Once all the quizzes have been taken, an Adventure badge and printable Award Certificate can be earned. 

Also available are coloring pages for all the audio adventures released so far, word searches (which can be completed online or printed), and other fun activities related to the stories, such as building a sugar cube pyramid and making a ship in a bottle. 

Additionally, there are resources for parents as well, such as reviews of popular movies with points that parents might want to know before allowing their children to see them, Live the Adventure Radio  podcast episodes on topics of interest for parents, articles on different topics for parents, and articles related to the importance of G.A. Henty's works being shared in today's world. There is also a Live the Adventure Club Community, a forum for parents to connect with one another. 

I have to say, I love the name of the new club website. When using the resources provided, you really do get more into these adventures, like you are living the adventure. I would highly recommend checking out this club site. They are currently offering an incredible deal too. You can sign up for a free (yes free) 3-month trial and receive the newest release, Captain Bayley's Heir, for just one dollar! Just click on over to the Live the Adventure Club.

The new club website is a wonderful feature. It really has enhanced our time with this Heirloom Audio Productions product. And, In the Reign of Terror is a thrilling addition to our G.A. Henty collection. If you would like to see what we thought of the previous releases, I invite you to check out my other Heirloom Audio Productions Reviews.

You can find Heirloom Audio Productions on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram.

Don't forget to click on the banner below to check out the reviews of my fellow Crew Mates. 

Throwback Thursday Blog-Style #163: August 3, 2017

Welcome back to... 

I know, I know, Throwback Thursday seems to be all about sharing pictures from the past, great memories that mean something to you, that you would like to share with others. At least that is how it appears to me. Throwback Thursday wasn't something I was participating in, and then I came up with an idea.

I thought it would be great fun and a help to my blog to share old content, but not just any old content. Each week I will share an old blog post from a previous year, any year, BUT it has to be from the current week (for example, something I've posted around August 3rd, from any previous year)  I will go in, edit the post if needed, add a pinnable image if I don't already have one, and share it on Facebook.

Last year I focused solely on recipe posts for the posts I wanted to share, and the year before that, I shared past review posts. It was fun remembering some of the recipes and reviews I had forgotten about. This year I will be sharing random posts.

Would you like to join in? You do not need to edit your past post in any way, you don't need to create a pinnable image, though it couldn't hurt, in fact it will help your blog traffic to add quality pinnable images to your posts.

Just go into your archives, choose a favorite post from this current week from any previous year, and link it up below. (If you don't have anything from this current week, it is still okay to link up with a post from a previous year around this time. And if you haven't been blogging for a full year, feel free to share any earlier post.)

Please make sure to share from the past as instructed above if you would like your post to qualify for the Featured Post. Most weeks I find that there is a wonderful post, but I can't feature it because it is a current post, not from the past. I love reading the current posts, if you want to share them. However, I am not able to feature them, because the spirit of Throwback Thursday Blog-Style is to share posts from the past.
Thank you

I will be pinning posts to my appropriate Pinterest boards and will be randomly selecting a Featured Throwback Thursday post to share next week. Just a note, I will be sharing a picture from your post if you are selected as the featured post, but I will link back to your post. I will ALWAYS give credit and link back. By linking up you are giving me permission to use your picture in the post. 

Here is my Throwback Thursday post:

Originally posted August 2, 2016
Littles Learning Link Up: August 2, 2016 - Crowns for the King of Kings

Here is this week's randomly selected

Featured Throwback Thursday:

Kym from Homeschool Coffee Break shared July Blogging Challenge - Retablo Treasures.

To participate, link up below. It would be great if you could visit several of the other posts that have linked up. Stop by, comment, and pin images so we can help each other.

No button currently, and there won't be one until I can figure it out seeing as Photobucket has changed things. Feel free to still share the picture in place of the button. Just link it to my Throwback Thursday Blog-Style permalink please.

Happy Throwback Thursday!

An InLinkz Link-up

Wordless Wednesday: August 2, 2017 (w/linky) : Changing Evening Sky

Took a walk around the park the other day while the children played. Loved the look of the sky through the trees, so I took some pictures every time I came back to the same spot.

And here are some of my other favorites from that evening:

Looking forward to seeing your Wordless (or not so wordless) Wednesday posts this week.

No button currently, and there won't be one until I can figure it out seeing as Photobucket has changed things. Feel free to still share the picture in place of the button on your Wordless Wednesday post or in a list of Wordless Wednesday linkies. Just link it to my Wordless Wednesday permalink please.

An InLinkz Link-up

Hands-On Grammar with English on a Roll {A TOS Review}

It is no secret that I like to use manipulatives with the children. I realize how important that extra sense of touch and the manipulation of objects can be in helping a child to learn. Through the years we have used manipulatives for both math and language arts. When the children were younger, they learned to read using all sorts of letters, from magnetic letters and foam letters, to blocks and even felt letters. I even made some beginning reading and C-V-C magnet word cards. Of course, most of these were for words representing nouns, as those are things that can be seen and understood by preschool children. When I discovered that there were word cubes that could be used to teach grammar, I couldn't wait for the opportunity to try them out. I was thrilled when we were chosen to review the English Grammar Teaching Method from English on a Roll.

This program can be used by children as young as five who are beginning readers through adults who are learning English as a Second Language. They also work well for those in Special Education programs. If a student can benefit from hands-on, multisensory learning, this program may just be the way to go.

We were sent the Instructor Manual along with the set of 40 color-coded word cubes, which also included a sheet of 30 small, blank labels. This set can be used with up to six students. Though I have been focusing on using it with one child.

The 142-page Instructor Manual contains a Cube Guide and an introduction section titled, "About English on a Roll," then it gets into the 37 lessons, each of which is 3-4 pages long.

The Cube Guide is a helpful reference to see how many of each type of cube group there are plus a full list of the words.

As you can see in the above chart, these cubes are color-coded. Here is a full list of which colors go with which part of speech:

• Blue - Pronouns
• Green- Question Words
• Dark Blue- Nouns, Articles, and Prepositions
• Red - Verbs
• Orange - Adverbs
• Purple - Adjectives 
• Black - Punctuation and Conjunctions
• Blank - To allow for customization, adding extra words 

The introduction section of the manual goes into the importance of manipulatives and the Multisensory Structured Language (MSL) teaching methods. It also explains why English on a Roll is special, who can learn using it, and who can teach with it. Finally, don't miss the "How Does it Work?" section. This has very important information and tips. 

Here is what the first page of a typical lesson looks like:

The gray box at the top of the page is a quick look at what is needed for the lesson.

• The Prep section lists which cubes are needed (you only get out the cubes that are needed during the lesson, as to not overwhelm the child), the pages that need to be copied, and any additional materials needed. 
• The Note section contains tips for the teacher.
• The Vocabulary section shares and defines the new words being taught. 

Then you will find the actual lesson that is to be taught. It is broken into three sections. 

• Teach the Concepts: explains, step-by-step and in detail, how to teach the lesson using the cubes and printable worksheets.
• Conversation/Games: gives ideas for practicing the concepts that were learned.
• Written Exercises: tells you which worksheet the child will be working on. 

The reproducible pages finish up the lesson. Don't worry, the copyright allows for printing copies for a classroom or family. There is a page that helps you work through the new concept together, and then a worksheet for the child to work on and fill out. As I am working one-on-one with Hannah, I haven't even been photocopying the practice page. I just open the book to the page, and we work right from it. I do give her her own copy of the worksheet though, as there are blanks that need to be filled in.

For now, I've found that this folder works well for keeping her papers organized.

Let's talk a little more about the actual cubes. 

The are stored in this heavy duty plastic box:

The lid snaps securely to keep the cubes safe. 

As you can see, those cubes are packed in tight. So, I was very thankful for a hint that was shared by the company. While the box is closed, turn it upside down, then open it. The lid has a bit of a lip that helps contain the cubes, but they can be easily removed.

These one-inch cubes are just the right size to fit in a hand to be rotated or rolled. They have some weight to them, but aren't too heavy. The words are etched onto the surface and are easy to read. The one thing I wish was different is, I wish they were written in lower case letters, as that is the way I insist my children write their words, unless they are writing the first letter of a proper name or starting a sentence. At first Hannah was filling in her worksheet using all upper case because she was using the cubes as a guide. She seems to be remembering to use lower case now though.

The words on each cube are somewhat related. For instance, the noun cubes contain the singular and plural of three different nouns. One verb cube will contain all the forms of that verb. One pronoun cube will contain the forms of the specific types of pronouns (subject pronouns, object pronouns, etc).

As we work through these grammar lessons, the children will get to utilize more and more of the cubes. They start out learning about and working with subject pronouns (I, you, he/she, it, we, they), then are introduced the "be" verb and are taught the relationship between the words. Hand gestures and the simple stick people illustrations help a student to make the connection. 

I do have to say, I didn't really use all the suggested hand gestures. They appear that they would be helpful for someone really young or who was using these in an ESL setting perhaps. For example, it is written to demonstrate "How many?" this way, "Put one finger up, make a questioning face and say, "How many?" Put your finger up again and say, "One." Do the same with two fingers, etc." As Hannah already understands the words that we were supposed to be demonstrating, I didn't feel we needed to go through the motions.

I did however appreciate the ways of demonstrating the pronouns, using the page to guide us while we pointed to ourselves or each other or the siblings in the room. She then got to review the pronouns by rolling the subject pronoun cube and finding the corresponding picture. 

These tips are helpful reminders even now that we are further into the lessons because she has needed reminding which pronoun to use when having to go from singular to plural. 

After learning about the subject pronouns and the "be" verb, we moved on to regular nouns that start with consonants and using the article "a." Once this was learned we were then able to make simple statements, putting it all together: Pronoun, "be" verb, article, noun, punctuation. 

On the worksheet, Hannah needed to fill in the blanks to complete these sentences, using the simple drawing to guide her. Such as, "I am a student." and "She is not a car. She is a student." She had to make sure the pronoun agreed with the "be" verb and the noun, also making sure to use the singular and plural forms correctly.

I love the way the lessons build on one another. After learning how to make the simple statements, we moved on to "Yes/No" Questions, where she had to change the sentence from a statement to a question.

The next lesson focused on answering those "Yes/No" Questions. We moved on to learning when to use "a" versus using "an," which then progressed into learning there are irregular and noncount nouns. 

We are currently on lesson 10, which focuses on "who" and "what" questions. As we continue through the lessons Hannah will be learning to make sentences with adjectives, learning about possessive adjectives, prepositions, verb tense, and so much more. When we get into these later lessons, I will also be having Tabitha and Amelia join in the lessons. Right now, they have mainly been using the cubes to play at building whatever sentences they want. Harold has also been trying to build sentences with the cubes, but has mainly been making nonsense sentences. 

Hannah and I have been working our way through the lessons slowly. I have Hannah work on grammar a few times a week at least. However, some of those days are just short review days to help her master the concepts already learned before moving on to the next lessons. I have noticed she continues to make mistakes when changing sentences that start with "I" into plural. She wants to use "you" or "they" not fully realizing that the correct plural would be "we." Sometimes a lesson will take a few days to complete because she struggles with the writing portion, so I allow her to do 4-5 sentences a day, instead of the whole page at once. 

There definitely are some lessons that have quite a bit of writing. Though the program can be used with children as young as five, I would say it is better suited for children who are mid elementary school age when it comes to the writing required. Not only is there a lot of writing, but the blanks on which the student is to write their answers is not really suited for younger children who don't have their fine motor skills developed for writing in small areas. A quick substitution of some lined writing paper helped Hannah immensely.

I didn't even have her try to write on the provided worksheet for the following lesson. I just handed her some lined paper. 

You may notice that, even with the lined paper in the first image, Hannah's writing was quite sloppy. She was already frustrated when I made the change of paper. That is why I have decided to start with the lined paper from now on if it will work. I have also started requiring only a portion to be written, the rest of the time she just shows me she knows the answer by using the cubes.

These adaptations have helped immensely. We really do enjoy this program. Hannah says she enjoys being able to use the cubes and make sentences. But she is not a fan of the writing. I guess the main point is, you need to make it work for you. Thankfully, this program is very adaptable. It is actually designed to be used more in a group setting, and was quite easily adapted for one-on-one work. If your child is not as advanced in their writing skills, you could either write the answers for them while they narrate, provide different paper, or you could have them stick to using the cubes.

I am quite impressed by the grammar that we have been working on, and what is to come in the book. The fact that the program builds on itself slowly is wonderful. I've noticed that the book we received is labeled as "Book One," so I am anticipating that this is a program that we may possibly be able to continue with.

You can find English on a Roll on Facebook

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Littles Learning Link Up: August 1, 2017

 Each month you will find:

• A seasonal round-up (usually toward the beginning of the month)
• Posts where I share what I have been up to with my preschoolers and/or early elementary children (including occasional highlight posts where I share how we used ideas that have been linked up here on Littles Learning Link Up).

Each week, I will host a link up, where you can share either what you have been up to recently, or old posts that may go with the theme.  Feel free to link up more than one post.

Each week I will continue to feature a couple of posts from those that have been linked up. 

I hope you will continue to share your wonderful posts, and I hope you will find something new to try with your child(ren).

It would be great for everyone to stop by and visit the other linked-up posts as well. Check them out, leave some comments, pin those that interest you. Let's make this a real party and socialize with each other.

What have we been up to?

Not a lot of change since last week. We are still enjoying the summer reading programs at our two local libraries. Last week the children got to plant radishes and lettuce, which are actually growing quite nicely. And at the other library there was a lumber museum demonstration. The children all got to help saw off a "cookie" from a log. 

Hannah and a friend worked together, then daddy came to help.

Daddy also helped Harold.

Tabitha and Amelia worked together twice so they could both have a "cookie."

We didn't get as much done last week for school as I had hoped. Took me quite a while to finish up the two reviews that were posted last week. So, we are hoping for a better week this week. We didn't even get to "fly" to Australia until this week. Though we did read some books last week. I did discover that Harold's Learning to R.E.A.D Curriculum Notebook is great for him to work on while I am having ECC time with the older girls. 

We will continue our summer school session this week and into next week, then we will take another break before starting school in September, like we did last year.  We are working on finishing up ECC with our lessons on Australia and I hope to spend some time doing all the hands-on science observations from the different units that we didn't get to through the school year. 

Let's take a look at that review schedule:

Last week I posted my reviews of Rigid Wrap and CelluClay Quik-Sculpting Kit from ACTIVA Products and the Learn to R.E.A.D Curriculum Notebook from The Crafty Classroom. The review for English on a Roll will go live this week, as will my review of Heirloom Audio Productions' In the Reign of Terror. The review for Hey Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! from Greek 'n' Stuff will be posting next week. Plus, I have just been assigned to review The Everyday Family Chore System from Everyday Homemaking (review posting later this month) and the Charlotte's Web E-Guide from Progeny Press (review posting in September).

Some things I would like to share with you:

The Fishy/Under the Sea Literature and Craft Round Up

I also started a new weekly feature called Fun Fiction Friday, where I share the books the older girls and I are reading, sharing their thoughts on the books, and possibly even a review of a Juvenile book I am reading. 

This Saturday I will be starting Picture Book Saturday. This post will feature the picture books we read during the week, with the children each sharing which one was their favorite.

Hoping to make both of these consistent, weekly features here on Tots and Me...Growing Up Together. 

Are you running out of ways to keep your children busy this summer? Check out my Summer of Fun Round Up:

Now onto:

Littles Learning Link Up Features

On my last Littles Learning Link Up post, there were 12 wonderful posts linked up. Sadly, there were no clicks, so I will only be sharing a randomly selected post this week.

Please, don't forget to stop by other posts that are linked up. See what catches your eye, stop by, pin the post to a relevant board, and perhaps leave a comment to let the author of the blog know you have been by for a visit. I know I appreciate others commenting and letting me know they have read my posts, so I am sure others do too.

This week's randomly selected post is:

Mommies Reviews shared Tips & Projects for Gardening with Kids.

Join the Party!

I would love to have you join in this week! What sort of activities do you do with your young children? Do you have some favorite activities you would like to share? I invite you to link up below. I will be pinning posts on one of my relevant boards, and I would love to feature some of the activities each week from what is linked up.

Please know I may share a picture from your post and link back to it, along with sharing how we used your idea in our school time. By linking up you are giving me permission to use a picture from your post. I will ALWAYS give credit and link back. Additionally, if you choose to try out any of the ideas with your child, please make sure you give credit where credit is due.

Linky will be open through Monday night, to give me time to check out all the posts and get the Features organized. Please take the time to visit some of the other wonderful posts linked up.

No button currently, and there won't be one until I can figure it out seeing as Photobucket has changed things. Feel free to still share the picture in place of the button. Just link it to my Littles Learning Link Up permalink please.

An InLinkz Link-up