Littles Learning Link Up: Scarecrow Fun Round Up

Welcome to Littles Learning Link Up. 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.

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.

It's time for this month's Round Up

For the past year I have my Round Up posts have been centered around literature and crafts. Now, I will be going back to my original Round Up format of sharing any crafts or activities whether the post includes a book or not. Don't get me wrong, I've really enjoyed exploring all those wonderful books, in fact, I will be posting our favorite Scarecrow books in this week's Picture Book Fun post on Saturday. However, it is time to go back to my original format. Of course, there may be books included in the posts that are shared here, it just isn't the focus anymore. 

First I would like to share the cute Paper Plate Scarecrows the children and I made a couple of weeks ago. 

Not only did I do these with the preschool co-op class, I made a few myself because they are just so adorable, and my children also wanted to make them. 

You will need:

2 paper plates per child (I used smaller, sturdy cardboard plates for this craft)

Strips of yellow construction paper

Black construction paper ovals

Orange construction paper triangles

Off-white or tan construction paper cut into hat shapes

White school glue

Glue sticks

Black markers

Thin Stix (or your preferred form of art materials) for decorating the hats.

In the finished craft, the paper plates are glued together, top side to top side, to get a bit of a 3-D effect. However, first we needed to glue the yellow hair to the edges of one of the paper plates. We just applied a thin line of glue along the top half of the outer rim and then the children attached their strips. 

We set those aside to dry while the children created their scarecrows' faces. The children used the glue sticks to attach the eyes and nose. 

Then they used the black marker to draw on a mouth, and if they chose to do so, they drew little "stitches" around the eyes and nose to make it look like those were sewn on. They didn't all want to do that though, and I didn't require it. Especially because some of them are so young. The older children did enjoy adding that detail.

Then the children used the Thin Stix to decorate their scarecrows' hats. They loved all the different colors. (By the way, don't miss my review of these amazing little paint sticks later today or tomorrow.)

One more shout out for the Thin Stix.

Because they dry so fast, like within 90 seconds, the children didn't have to wait long to attach the hats to the top of the head. First we attached the top plate to the bottom plate with the white school glue. Then I put a little more glue above the eyes and they glued their hats on.

The finished Paper Plate Scarecrows:

Scarecrow Fun Round Up

Crafts

Handprint Scarecrow Art from Arts & Crackers

The Scarecrows Wedding from Jenny at the Gingerbread House

Scarecrow Silhouette Craft Project from School Time Snippets

Scarecrow Paper Craft for Kids from Meaningful Mama

Scarecrow Art Project Free Printable from Wise Owl Factory

Dingle Dangle Scarecrow Puppet from Kids' Craft Room

Craft for Kids - Paper Bag Scarecrow from JDaniel4's Mom

Scarecrow Craft with Landscape from Sallie Borrink

Cut-and-Paste Scarecrow Craft from Life Over C's

Scarecrow Craft from Somewhat Simple

Paper Roll Scarecrow Craft for Kids from Non-Toy Gifts

Cute Foam Scarecrow Craft from Kids' Craft Room

Black Glue Scarecrow Puppets from The Pinterested Parent

Toilet Paper Tube Scarecrows from The Pinterested Parent

Acorn Scarecrow Stick Puppets from The Pinterested Parent

Cupcake Liner Scarecrow from The Pinterested Parent

Learning Activities

FREE Scarecrow Kindergarten Worksheets from Kindergarten Worksheets and Games

Skillful Scarecrow Activities and Free Sample from Wise Owl Factory

Roll and Cover Scarecrow Alphabet Activity from Mom Inspired Life

Scarecrow Syllables for Second Graders from Look! We're Learning

Scarecrow Beginning Sounds Spin & Color Game from Totschooling

Scarecrow Busy Box from Teach Me Mommy

Scarecrow Writing Prompts - 20 Writing Center Activity Cards from Sallie Borrink

5 Little Scarecrows Poem and Powerpoint for #PlayFul Preschool from The Preschool Toolbox

Alphabet Activities: Scarecrow Letter Patches from Growing Book By Book

Miscellaneous Scarecrow Fun

Scarecrow Ideas, Books, Writing Prompts, and Crafts from Sallie Borrink

Scarecrow Snack and Party Idea from JDaniel4's Mom

Do you have any fun Scarecrow Crafts, Activities, or Snack ideas? I would love for you to link them up below.

Thanksgiving is drawing closer! Don't forget to check out my Thanksgiving Round Up:

Now onto:

Littles Learning Link Up Features

On my last Littles Learning Link Up post, there were 9 wonderful posts linked up. I will be picking one randomly selected post to share, plus the top clicked-on posts.  

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:

Kelli from 3 Boys and a Dog shared Halloween Printables: Cutting Practice

And here are this week's top clicked on posts.

Kelli from 3 Boys and a Dog also shared Fun and Easy Halloween Crafts

Crystal from Crystal & Co. shared 25 Easy Origami Tutorials for 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 my Toddler Ideas or other relevant board, 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, if applicable. 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 Sunday 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.

An InLinkz Link-up

Fun Fiction Friday (On Sunday again) - November 5th, 2017

Fun Fiction Friday
November 5th, 2017

Welcome back to Fun Fiction Friday on Sunday. (Yes, I know, I know. I'm trying to get better at this.)

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.

I have been focusing on The Testing trilogy by Joelle Charbonneau.  It is another dystopian series, and I just haven't been able to put it down. I loved that one of the endorsements said that, "The Testing is a chilling and devious dystopian thriller that all fans of The Hunger Games will simply devour." When I saw the books on the shelf at the library, that really caught my attention. Now that I have finished the trilogy, I have to say I agree wholeheartedly with this sentiment.

I still have these Novella compilations from the I Am Number Four series out from the library. I started the Secret Histories and plan to get to the other one as soon as I am done with the first.

Moving on...

We finished All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor and The Tanglewoods' Secret by Patricia St. John. We have now started Star of Light by Patricia St. John.

Tabitha is still reading Prince Caspian.

Amelia is still trying to read The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 

Fun Fiction Friday

Book Review

Today I would like to share about The Testing trilogy by Joelle Charbonneau. I was going to share about one book at a time, but this series was another one that I couldn't put down. It gripped me from the very beginning. 

We start our adventure in the first book called The Testing. Malencia Vale, or Cia as she likes to be called, is chosen for the testing that is the future's way of selecting leaders for the country which has been absolutely ravished by the Seven Stages of War. She is thrilled to be chosen, along with a few more students from her colony, yet her father shares secrets about his testing that bring doubt and worry. However, it also causes her to be extremely vigilant during the 4 stages of the Testing. After the stressful yet typical written test, the testing candidates find themselves facing harsher consequences during the hands-on portions of the test, consequences that include death. The candidates discover just how far they will go to earn a spot in the University. They learn what they are capable of. The reason no one has put a stop to this testing all these years is because the candidates memories are wiped of their time of the testing. 

In Independent Study we follow Cia and her friends who survived the Testing, to the University. They find themselves facing more testing and more challenges, some just as deadly. On top of that, they now have to study and compete for internships, which brings Cia into a very interesting position to help stop the Testing. They start to discover more about the details of the Testing and what happens to those who don't pass, and they know they need to expose it and put an end to it. In addition to the students, we discover there are also rebels out there who hope to bring down the Testing as well. 

In Graduation Day, Cia has to decide who she can trust to help her in her fight against those who want the testing to continue. But she is not sure who she can trust. 

I absolutely loved this series. I agree that fans of The Hunger Games trilogy would enjoy these books. There are a few similarities, yet the premise is quite different. In The Testing the participants are out to demonstrate that they are worthy of being the leaders of the government. Though there is killing involved by some in order to get ahead, the ultimate goal is not to kill all the competition for the amusement of the country and as punishment. In fact, the citizens seem blissfully unaware of what takes place during the Testing and during a student's time at the University. 

As we go through the series, we do see the main characters fighting against the corrupt government. There is violence and death, as the most ruthless vie for the top positions, in order to show that they are worthy of leading the country and keeping it from falling again. There is intrigue and mystery as our main character has to learn who she can and cannot trust, and also has to learn to rely on those she is not sure whether she can trust or not. 

There is quite a bit of suspense and action in this series. From the final stage of the Testing that takes them on a journey from Chicago to the capital of Tosu City, to battles within the capital between different factions of rebels and students, and the government agents. As the reader I found myself unable to stop turning the pages to find out what would happen next. The author did a wonderful job creating a future world that was quite believable. Throughout the story we get the backstory of what happened during the Seven Stages of War that led to the annihilation of so many. I loved the way parts of this history were discovered as Cia took her tests and as she got into her studies. 

I can definitely recommend this trilogy (and already have to a few people). I was pleased that there was no profanity or sex. It is hard to find young adult books these days that steer clear of these things. Though there is a bit of a romance occurring in Cia's life, it takes way-back stage to the action in the story. And when it does get brought up, it actually plays into the plot well. 

If I were to rate these books, I would definitely give them 5 stars. 

I'm sharing over at:

Improving Reading Skills with The Magic Stories {A TOS Review}

I absolutely love finding new resources to help my children improve their reading skills. So when I learned about The Magic Stories, I was intrigued. I was even more interested when I discovered that The Magic Stories was published by Allsaid & Dunn, LLC, publishers of The Reading Game and authors of the Wordly Wise series. We actually reviewed The Reading Game a few years ago. Hannah used it then, and Harold is using it now. It was wonderful to receive these new stories for older children who are more advanced readers. 

We received the full set of six Magic Stories books in downloadable PDF format, along with the deck of Naughty Forty Words and pages of support exercises that go with each story. 

The stories we received are:

• The Magic Hole
• The Magic Ax
• The Magic Joke
• The Magic Hotdog
• The Magic Boots
• The Magic Box

Each story is between 16 and 24 pages in length. Additionally, the last page of each book contains the list of Naughty Forty words. 

These books are "optimized" for an iPad or computer screen, but can easily be printed on paper, which is what we did. I wanted to be able to cuddle up on the couch while Hannah read these stories to me, and as we don't have an iPad, this was the best way to go. Besides, I prefer physical books myself over a book on a screen. So, you can choose whichever format works best for your family. However, I did want to say, I printed on white paper, so there are no colors as shown in the images above. If I could have done so, I would have loved to have color coded them like that, as it reminds me of The Reading Game.

The Naughty Forty cards for each book are available in a separate file. There are four pages of cards, ten cards on each page. These words are more difficult words or ones that don't follow rules. Here is a page of the words from the first book, The Magic Hole:

These are arranged alphabetically. Along with the word, which is printed in bold font, there is a sentence using the word. 

I printed two copies of these cards out onto card stock to make them a bit sturdier as I knew we would be using them as flashcards and for a memory game. Just to clarify, it does not state that we are to print out two copies, but because we used The Reading Game, I really wanted to include this aspect to The Magic Stories. With The Reading Game, you are to play the memory card game to help the child learn the words, then they get to read the story cards and ultimately the books. 

In addition to the books and the Naughty Forty word decks, we received the Exercises that go with each book. There are seven pages in each file. 

• Exercise 1: Maze
• Exercise 2: Finish the Sentence (two pages)
• Exercise 3: "Imagine!" or "Real & Imaginary"
• Exercise 4: Finish or Write the Story
• Running Record
• Naughty Forty Word Assessment Worksheet

The maze is a wonderful and unique way for the child to review the story. 

The child is to read each sentence and decide whether it is true or false. Then the "T" or the "F" is followed to the next section. Correct answers move the child through the maze, while incorrect answers direct the child to check off one of the boxes at the top of the page and go back. If the child gets too many wrong they are supposed to reread the story. 

In exercise 2, Finish the Sentence, the child is to complete the sentence in their own words, sharing what they remember about the part of the story that the beginning of the sentence addresses.

Exercise 3 will be one of two different activities. In "Imagine!" the child is to imagine they are in different situations related to the story and write a sentence or two to answer the question. With "Real & Imaginary" the child is to think through different ways that things in the stories may really be able to happen versus what would be imaginary. They may have to circle/underline their answer or write out their own examples. 

Exercise 4 gives the child a chance to use their creative writing skills. Sometimes they are given a choice of two beginning paragraphs which begin a story somewhat related to the book they just read. Other times they are given ideas for a story to choose from. These stories are to be written on a separate piece of paper. 

In addition to these exercises these files contain the Reading Record and the Naughty Forty Word Assessment Worksheets. I used both of these sheets prior to Hannah reading the story and after we were done with the story. 

The Reading Record tests fluency, giving the child a 100 word excerpt from the story to read. I timed Hannah and marked the words she struggled with. It was quite encouraging to see her time and accuracy improve in the second reading. 

The Word Assessment Worksheet lists what are supposed to be the Naughty Forty words. It is used to determine if the child can read the word, understand what it means, and use it in a sentence. We did find that these words don't always match the words on the cards and the last page of the book. As I use the vocabulary cards to fill out the assessment sheet, I just added words or crossed them out when they didn't match up. Though it wasn't a huge deal, I would much prefer the assessment page to match with the actual Naughty Forty words. 

EDIT:

Though the files we received contained Word Assessment Worksheets with different words than the listed Naughty Forty, there are updated correct lists toward the bottom of the page on The Magic Stories website.

How did we use The Magic Stories?

As we were provided no instructions, I came up with my own plan. We are taking two weeks to go through each story plus it's exercises. Prior to reading the story, I would go through the flashcards with Hannah. I would mark whether she could read the word, plus make a separate mark to note whether she understood how to use it in a sentence. Sometimes she couldn't read the word, but once she knew what the word was she was able to use it in a sentence. Other times she was able to read the word, but didn't quite know what it meant. The majority of the time she surprised me by being able to read the word and use it in a sentence. 

It wasn't until we were done with the first story that I realized we were missing the memory matching game aspect that we loved with The Reading Game. So, for the second story, I printed out the second copy of the cards. I still used them as flashcards first, then we played the game, utilizing ten words at a time. 

Like in The Reading Game, she had to be able to read the word in order to collect it after she matched it. 

We didn't get through all the cards before she was begging to read the story. So, I let her read, as we had already reviewed all the words prior to playing the game. We move to the couch and she reads the entire story to me in one sitting. We did find that there were additional words in the stories that were tricky for her, not just the ones that were identified as a part of the "Naughty Forty." I admit, it did make me wonder why specific words were or weren't chosen to be added to this list. 

The introductory day of each story is mainly vocabulary with the cards, assessments and a reading through of the story. Then the second day I have her read the story and work on the maze. The third day we may work on the vocabulary cards again or just go straight into the story. This time she may read to daddy instead of me. She then begins on Exercise 2 where she has to complete the sentences. This exercise takes her two days, and may require her to reread portions of the story to help her finish the assignment, especially because we hadn't worked on it since the previous week. The fifth day we work on Exercise 4, which isn't as much comprehension of the story, but being able to use her imagination or think logically about aspects of the story. For the first story, I actually wrote her answers as she dictated them to me, because it was more writing than she is used to doing at a time, and I really didn't want to take another extra day. So far we have also skipped the fourth exercise which is composition. I figure once we get through all the stories, we will go back and do all the creative writing exercises. On the sixth and final day with the story I do the assessments again. 

EDIT:

I have been advised that you can now find the instructions on the Magic Stories website, in the free resources section toward the bottom of the page. I was happy to discover that we were using them the correct way. Though as homeschoolers, we have learned that it is okay to use products and curriculum in ways different than the instructions state. Ah, the beauty of the flexibility in homeschooling.

There are also Answer Keys for the first two exercises of each book.

What did we think of The Magic Stories?

Hannah is very excited to be working on these stories. She loves reading them and seeing the lesson that the main character learns. Additionally, she really enjoys working on the mazes.

I love that this has given us some fun "mommy/daughter" time. My husband and I have been quite impressed with her reading skills as she reads through these books. We were wondering if she was really reading some of the chapter books she said she was reading or if she was just skimming along, not understanding. Realizing all these "naughty" words that she actually recognizes and understands has been a big shock to us. Though of course there are some that I wasn't surprised she didn't know, such as "indignantly." That one seemed a bit advanced for a second grader. 

I love that these stories aren't just fun, but also include moral lessons. Though with the second story, The Magic Ax, I was a bit upset that the main character, Tom, never actually confessed to lying about cutting all the logs when it was the ax performing the work. Yes, he did learn the importance of doing the work because the ax lost its magic. And yes, he worked very hard and persevered (a word Hannah loves using), but he was working so hard to make sure his family didn't discover his secret, before he realized he enjoyed the work. 

The stories themselves are just about the right length for the grade they are intended for, 2nd-3rd grade. Hannah has been able to read them in one sitting without complaining. The font in the stories seems to be just about the right size and there is enough space between lines to make in not feel cluttered. 

Additionally, though there are quite a few pages, it is not all text, as you can see in the above picture. There are a decent amount of these black and white illustrations that help break up the text and help tell the story. 

The exercises do a wonderful job reviewing the story and digging into it. Though there were some times when Hannah would be in tears because she wasn't sure what she was supposed to write and she couldn't express what she wanted to. This is one of the reasons we take two days for Exercise 2. She gets stuck and frustrated and I can't get her to get her work done. This isn't anything against The Magic Stories, it just isn't something she is used to doing, so I back off and allow her to take longer to finish the work. 

All in all we are really enjoying The Magic Stories. Hannah is getting to practice her reading and is increasing her vocabulary and comprehension skills. I can definitely recommend this product. 

The Magic Stories would like to offer my readers a 25% discount should you choose to order The Magic Stories.  To receive the discount, enter “raisingreaders” in the coupon box upon checkout.

Also, if you would like to win the 6-book PDF set, you can stop by my giveaway for your chance to win. The giveaway ends 12/2. US only

If you would like to see what The Reading Game is all about, I invite you to read my review. 

You can find the company on their The Reading Game social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

You can click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about The Magic Stories.

Throwback Thursday Blog-Style #176: November 2, 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 November 2nd, 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 November 2, 2015
A is for . . . Adding Up the Steps

Here is this week's randomly selected

Featured Throwback Thursday:

Joy's Jots, Shots, & Whatnots shared Paper Pieced Pumpkin Mug Rug or Pot Pad..

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