PRIDE Reading Program Review

The following post is a collaboration between PRIDE Reading Program and MommyMaestra. All thoughts and opinions are the personal ones of guest writer, Stacie Farias. This post contains affiliate links.

The Orton-Gillingham Method

As a self-titled “Orton-Gillingham (OG) fangirl,” I was absolutely delighted at the prospect of getting my hands on a level of the PRIDE Reading Program to review. At the very least, my two oldest children are dyslexic and kiddos #3 and #4 present with similar traits; therefore, no reading program is welcome in our house unless it can claim OG status. For those unfamiliar with the characteristics of an OG program here is some helpful information on what OG means and why it is so effective for dyslexics.

It's important to note here, that this reading program is a wonderful resource for ALL children, not just those with dyslexia. However, those children with dyslexia who struggle with other reading programs will find this one to be easier and effective.

So it was with a hopeful heart and a discerning eye that I began to look through the Pride Reading level titled “Beginning Consonants” and started watching the Pride Reading Training Program videos. What I found, made a deep and lasting impression on me. 

A Homeschool Reading Curriculum for Children with Dyslexia

For this review of the Beginning Consonants level, I received the online Teacher’s Guide, the Student Workbook, and a set of the PRIDE Sound cards. I found the cards to be surprisingly sturdy, which is perfect for rough little hands. To the untrained eye, the Student Workbook looks plain and boring, but what a parent needs to understand is that kids with dyslexia often get overwhelmed when there is too much visual stimulation on the page. Cutesy pictures and lots of color may end up hindering a student’s progress. 

The PRIDE Reading Program is scripted like other OG programs such as Barton Reading and Spelling and All About Reading, but what I found to be unique about PRIDE’s online Teacher Guide is the layout of the scripts and procedures is so simple that it’s genius. Each step is boxed in bright orange so you don’t lose your place. The directions are written in black and dialogue is written in blue. It could not be any simpler to follow, which I appreciate as a busy homeschool mama of 5. I cannot tell you the amount of times I’ve taken my eye off a teacher’s manual, even for a moment, and lost my place. It sounds like a small complaint, but in a scripted curriculum, losing your place is frustrating and cumbersome. Using a Teacher’s Guide that is as user-friendly and open-and-go as this one encourages a parent to continue a program with fidelity. This is key to remediating for dyslexia.

Empowering Parents

E-v-e-r-y homeschool parent, on fire with determination and willingness, knows we will stop at nothing to learn the technique, pedagogy, program, style, etc. that is most suitable for our children. If a homeschool parent determines that being their child’s own dyslexia tutor is the best fit for their family, PRIDE Reading is an excellent choice for the parent new to OG programs. 

The most helpful feature of PRIDE Reading is the online PRIDE Reading training videos you receive access to with each level. Before you begin using this program with your kids, watch the training videos on the PRIDE Reading website. Unless you are experienced with OG programs, you NEED to see these videos to understand how particular OG procedures work such as sky writing and arm tapping. In fact, even if you have previous experience with an OG program like I do, watch the videos anyway. 

After years of using Barton Reading and Spelling (you can find my review of Barton here), I still learned a few tricks watching these training videos. I imagine the name PRIDE, which stands for Phonemic Recognition Instruction Delivering Empowerment, was meant to be directed at the student who is empowered with the skills to read. But these training videos empower the parent to be confident about the remediation they are giving their child. It’s incredibly moving to experience this as a homeschool parent who’s likely been told that they are not qualified to teach their own children let alone a child with a learning issue. Many thanks to PRIDE for creating such a wonderful resource for parents!

PRIDE In My Home

I decided to try PRIDE with my 4th kiddo because he is 5 years old, is not already using an OG program, and demonstrates similar dyslexic traits like his older siblings. He already knew some of his letter sounds but not all of them, which made the Beginning Consonants level a perfect fit for him. 

Take the placement check to find the best level for your child.

Overall, the lessons have gone better than I expected. Kiddo #4 is a very active child and these lessons are easily done while he wiggled in his chair or stood next to me. His maximum amount of concentration on ANY lesson homeschool subject is about 10-15 minutes and with PRIDE Reading, it is easy enough to complete a couple of units in that time. 

In Beginning Consonants, there are 20 modules and 3 units in each module making for a simple and organized level. It took several modules for Kiddo #4 to understand all the procedures, but once they are mastered, it’s pretty smooth sailing (I may have also promised gummy bears in exchange for a good attitude during lessons because whatever works, LOL). 

Some children will likely need more repetition and other children will likely blast through this level in a semester. As a parent, you will have to discern how fast or slow to pace the work. I also loved the additional links to past PRIDE articles that enhance learning at the end of each module. For example, at the end of the first module, there is a link to DIY Tactile Tile Letter Cards.

I was delighted for the excuse to break out my sandpaper letters and use them with this program. Like most OG-based programs, the student probably needs to finish a couple of levels before the effectiveness is revealed. I would caution the parent new to PRIDE that Beginning Consonants may not be the game changer, but it lays a solid foundation for the rest of the levels and is a gentle introduction to the ways of OG. 

How to Personalize and Supplement the Program

I have just a couple of tweaks I’d recommend to families so that they could get the most out of PRIDE Reading Beginning Consonants. I would recommend that you include picture books at the end of the modules which emphasize the specific sound in the module. For example, I happened to have a set of Jane Belk Moncure’s First Steps to Reading A-Z series and read My “b” Book, following the first module and the other books following each of the letter sounds we were learning. The picture book choices are endless! Blueberries For Sal by Robert McClosky for the letter ‘b’ and Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina for the letter ‘c’ are a couple of other examples. 

There are many picture book titles that would compliment this level AND celebrate Hispanic culture as well. M is For Mexico by Flor de Maria Cordero comes to mind, as well as ¡Todos Al Celebrar! A Hispanic Customs and Traditions Alphabet Book by Dr. Ma. Alma Gonzalez Perez. If you’d like to pick a picture book to focus on 1 letter at a time, that is more than possible too! Imagine the laughs you will share if you read a book like Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto, while learning about the letter, ‘T’. 

Because I’ve homeschooled for almost 10 years now and have used Handwriting Without Tears with all my school-aged children during those years, it was strange for me to attempt handwriting using the line spacing in the PRIDE student workbook. Although I do not see anything particularly wrong with the handwriting portions of PRIDE, it looks like any standard handwriting program on the market, I appreciate PRIDE including it in their program.

Bottom Line

PRIDE Reading deserves a place at the same table with all the best homeschool reading programs. The ease of use of the Teacher’s Manual paired with the effectiveness of Orton-Gillingham methodology makes PRIDE Reading an ideal program for homeschooling families. 

Visit the PRIDE website to learn more about their program, to find your child's level, or to sign up for their free introduction course!

You may also be interested in...

• Resources for Dyslexia Awareness Month
• Barton Reading and Spelling: Expensive, Boring, and Effective
• Teaching Children with Learning Differences to Read with Reading Horizons
• Reading Eggs review

Want to find this review again? Pin it!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of level one for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ~Stacie

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Bio:

Stacie Servantes Farias is an Army wife and mom of 6 with a “very healthy” obsession for Snoopy, Disney movies, Audrey Hepburn, Dr. Pepper, Whataburger, books, and homeschooling. Originally from Mission, Texas, Stacie and her high-school sweetheart hubby live with their kids and dog in a different home every few years, because that is the military life. She has big plans to write a book exploring her theory that La Llorona drowned her children because they would take their socks off all over the house and then would complain that they never had clean socks!

Barton Reading and Spelling: Expensive, Boring, and Effective

The following is a guest post by Stacie Farias, a Mexican-American mom of 6 who does not blog because she is too busy reading other blogs to write one of her own.

Have you been struggling to find the right reading and spelling program for your children? Do you have a child with a learning difference who needs the right program to guide them on their path to reading fluency? Today's reading program might be for you! Barton Reading and Spelling is a powerful program that works with all children.

This post contains affiliate links.

The Basics

Barton Reading & Spelling is an Orton-Gillingham based reading and spelling program created by Susan Barton. According to the Barton website, the Barton system “is a great tutoring system for children, teenagers, and adults who struggle with reading, spelling, and writing due to dyslexia or a learning disability.”

Barton Reading and Spelling has 10 levels that range in price from $300 - $350 per level. All students must pass the free Barton Student Screener in order to be able to use the program and all tutors, or parents who “tutor” their own children, must pass the free Barton Tutor Screener. There are several other requirements to be a Barton student (or at least be able to benefit from the Barton program) that are listed here.

The Real Review

Now that I have explained all the basic information, let me give y’all the real deal from a homeschool mom who has tutored her kids through 7 of the 10 Barton levels. 

Barton Reading and Spelling is VERY expensive, as far as homeschool curriculum is concerned. We have paid $350 for just one level?!?!? And all you get is a large spiral-bound manual, some colored tiles, and a set of DVDs!!! 

Yup. A lucky set of circumstances helped us to cover some of these costs, but yes. We paid $300 to $350 per level for a box with a giant manual, some colored tiles (although the tile app is better) and a set of DVDs. The plus side of Barton is that it has a very high resale value. Most families buy one level at a time and list that level “for sale” on eBay or various Facebook groups and easily get back $250-$300 back. That money goes into buying the next level their kiddo needs. Another plus is that many Barton parents later invest in becoming certified Barton tutors and begin to tutor other children. Overall, tutoring your own children is still astonishingly cheaper than paying a tutor to do it for you. 

Barton Reading and Spelling is VERY boring. LOL! This does not sound like an endorsement but it most definitely is, after an explanation. Barton was originally written for adults and so there are no cutesy pictures or anything of ANY visual interest in the student pages. The practice stories are drab. The procedures of Barton are so repetitive that you may require a caffeine boost to get you through them. But the repetition is key! The formulaic, systematic, and yes boring, procedures are exactly what a dyslexic student needs to recall and retain the many skills that are needed to read and spell. This is the secret of an Orton-Gillingham based program and why it works. And by the way, Barton is scripted. Moms, you CAN teach your child using this system by watching the DVDs, then doing the lessons from the script. That’s all you need. 

Barton Reading and Spelling is VERY effective. I have seen it in my own children. Their spelling is not perfect 100% of the time but they now have tools to help them. My children can break apart syllables. My children know what schwa is. My children are helping their younger siblings learn how to read using Barton techniques. Wha?!?!? Yes! I caught my dyslexic 12-year-old explaining to my 7-year-old why “y” makes different sounds at the end of a word. It’s called the Cry Baby Rule, thank you Barton!! 

With regards to my children’s reading skills, Barton has been effective in 2 ways. First, my children have stopped guessing at words (at least in front of me) and my children can read words that they have never encountered before by breaking apart syllables. Many people think this is the same as “sound it out,” but it is not the quite the same. There is a system for breaking apart syllables to determine what sounds the letters make and my kids understand this because of Barton. If you are more convinced by numbers, take a look at these studies about Barton’s effectiveness. 

Disclaimer! I could not possibly say everything there is to say about the Barton experience. Some days it just clicks and some days we have to close the manual and take a break. And what can I say about Susan Barton herself? She is a queen, A QUEEN!! If you watch this video of Susan Barton explaining signs and symptoms of dyslexia, you can see how much she cares and how much she knows. When you hear the story about her nephew, grab a tissue. 

Please! If you suspect dyslexia in your child or children, I highly recommend checking up Susan Barton’s two websites:

• Bright Solutions for Dyslexia
• and the Barton Reading and Spelling specific website. 

Do NOT be put off by the early 2000s look of the websites. LOL! The information is up-to-date.

Supplies to Help You Teach

These are some of the extra supplies I find helpful in teaching my kids to read with this program. 

• tabletop whiteboard and markers
• 3-ring binder
• page protectors
• plastic (tile) organizer
• Crayola Take Note ERASABLE Highlighter Set << These are awesome!

I also really like the I See, I Spell, I Learn Super Combo Picture Sight Words & Picture Homophones Flashcards...

And these guided reading strips are also extremely helpful.

Keep learning!

Click on these links to additional information about dyslexia resources or other reading program reviews.

• Resources for Dyslexia Awareness Month
  
  
• PRIDE Reading Program Review
  
  
• Teaching Children with Learning Differences to Read with Reading Horizons
  
  
• Reading Eggs review

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Stacie Servantes Farias is an Army wife and mom of 6 with a “very healthy” obsession for Snoopy, Disney movies, Audrey Hepburn, Dr. Pepper, Whataburger, books, and homeschooling. Originally from Mission, Texas, Stacie and her high-school sweetheart hubby live with their kids and dog in a different home every few years, because that is the military life. She has big plans to write a book exploring her theory that La Llorona drowned her children because they would take their socks off all over the house and then would complain that they never had clean socks! Stacie also thinks she is really funny, but she is mostly lame. 

Teaching Children with Learning Differences to Read with Reading Horizons

The following is a product review by homeschooling mom and MommyMaestra reader, Mireya Marroquin Dunn.

As a follower and reader of the Mommymaestra's blog and Facebook page, I'm always so impressed at how much research and resources are shared to us readers. I'm always looking forward to seeing what is new. A while ago, there was a post on the reading program ”Hooked on Phonics." MommyMaestra recommended this program to teach young children how to read.  She partially attributed her children's reading success (they currently read way above their reading grade level) to the program. I also invested in buying a "Hooked on Phonics" kit back in 2003, when my oldest child was starting kindergarten. And it did work well for her. It is really a great program, but what happens when it doesn't work well for every child?

This is what happened with my second child. I was excited about using HOP with him before he started kindergarten, but it just didn't seem that the letters and sounds were sticking in his memory. He was attending a public school, and as time went on, I was naive and started to think that he would just learn it. Many of his teachers informed me that he had a learning delay and that he would catch up eventually. He continued to struggle even though he did have an Individual Education Plan (IEP), and despite the accommodations that were made even though we followed recommendations.

A Reading Program for Kids with Learning Differences

Then, in fourth grade, he was diagnosed with Dyslexia. He continued to make very little progress. I finally decided to pull him out of the public school system and homeschool myself, but still worried about how I was going to teach him how to read. I began to do a lot of research and found the blog of a woman who has eight children, seven of whom have learning differences. She recommended a reading program called Reading Horizons (an explicit, systematic, multi-sensory reading instruction made simple). Her older children learned to read using the online interactive software, called Reading Horizons Elevate.

The program begins with the basic 26 letters of the alphabet, then continues to focus on:

• 42 sounds
• 5 phonetic skills
• 2 decoding skills

In addition, it teaches and reinforces with a variety of practice methods the most common words, sight words, & some grammar lessons. There are six chapters with 68 lessons in all. It comes with assessments after each chapter and three library assessments to measure reading levels.

It also teaches a unique marking system which explains when and why vowels are short and long. As you progress through the online system, you learn to break apart longer words into smaller pieces by making the appropriate markings. This is to understand the proper pronunciation in multisyllabic words. It also gives spelling tips.

The program reinforces the skills learned by decoding vocabulary words (over 1,000 words) after the lesson has been introduced. Each vocabulary word is presented with an auditory definition and context sentences. They also offer a library section with a wide variety of timed reading passages. This measures fluency. And comprehension questions follow each reading passage.

Progress Tracker

One of the great things about this program is that it keeps track of your child's reading progress. If your child doesn't master a particular skill, they have the opportunity to redo it before moving on to the next skill. Once my son began to use this reading program, I saw my son's confidence improving and he was not struggling so much with reading sentence by sentence. When my son began the program, he was reading about 5 years below his reading level. Within nine months, he completed the reading program. He was re-assessed and had made an amazing four-year reading improvement. This was so remarkable!

Here's an explanation of the Reading Horizons Elevate Methodology:



I believe so strongly in this reading program that I wanted to help other children who were struggling with reading. So I offered to tutor kids in my neighborhood at my next door neighbor's afterschool homework tutoring center. Since I began tutoring them back in September 2016, they have seen significant gains, too. A few of them even made honor roll this past third quarter grading period! The effects were double because by helping them improve their reading, their grades also improved in other subjects. You can check it out yourself and read what other parents/teachers/tutors are saying about Reading Horizons.

But Reading Horizons is NOT just catered for struggling readers; it is also used to teach children in kindergarten through 3rd grade how to read. This program is called Reading Horizons Discovery.  AND it is even available for English learners to learn the fundamentals of reading. It also has an extra feature with the option to have the lessons translated into several different languages in text instruction. You can also get a pronunciation tab added in order to practice pronouncing the English words with your headset/microphone.

Reading Horizon Program Options

The At-Home Reading Horizons programs (Discovery & Elevate) are offered with two options:

• direct instructions (book materials with a teacher manual) 
• or the online interactive software, which has the same material covered as in the text books.  

Read more information on the At-Home Reading Horizons version.

For the online interactive software, Reading Horizons offers a $10 (30-day trial) and if you like it and see progress, you can upgrade after your trial period for $189 for an entire year. This is valid for two students, but you can add three more additional students for $25 each. I honestly believe it's been the best investment I have made for my Dyslexic son. He can finally read!

A very happy & inspired mama,

Mireya Marroquin Dunn

You may also be interested in...

• Resources for Dyslexia Awareness Month
• PRIDE Reading Program Review
• Barton Reading and Spelling: Expensive, Boring, and Effective
• Reading Eggs review

Review: Languages4Kidz Early Language Learning Program

Today, thanks to Multicultural Kids Blog, I have a chance to share with you Languages4kidz, an early language learning program for teaching Spanish and English to children 6 and under.

Name of program: Languages4kidz
Target age: birth to 6 years
Amount of materials: Moderate
Price: $75 - $104 (for packages)
MommyMaestra Rating: ♥♥♥

THE REVIEW:

I didn't receive a full program package for this review, but instead, was sent samples of materials from several different packages, including two eBooks, three MP3 song clips, and a teacher's guide for the Kindergarten program. I didn't use this with my children, who are older, but reviewed the materials myself. Here are my thoughts on this program...

This program is an introductory program for families with infants and toddlers. The immersive program has a simple assortment of materials including:

• Read-aloud books in the target language
• Downloadable songs or CDs
• Teacher guides & lesson plans

The goal of the program is to expose children to the target language (English or Spanish) as early as possible. There are four main packages, each one designed for use with children of different ages: babies 3-24 months, toddlers 2-3 years, preschoolers 3-5 years, and children 5-6 years.

The books are engaging and teach basic concepts that you might find in a Pre-K or kindergarten program. They are fun read-alouds for both the reader and the listener.

The teacher's guide I received is for children 5-6 years old. The lessons are structured as such:

1. Warm-up
2. Circle time
3. Theme focus
4. Theme song
5. Creative workshop
6. Story time
7. Wrap-up

The teacher's guide is very comprehensive, explaining child development at the beginning, a thorough description for using the guide, and then the lessons. The music time can include songs, nursery rhymes or fingerplays. The guide gives examples of ways to make the reading time more interactive using several different methods, such as echo reading and choral reading.

The lessons are very much activity-based, and they are fun for the children. However, this is not a no-prep program. There is a good deal of preparation required on the teacher's part. They may need to draw/create materials to use in their lessons, or gather ingredients/materials for the activity that are not included in the packet. For example, here's a partial list of the materials you'll need for lesson 1.

This program also requires a teacher who is fluent in Spanish. So if you are a parent or teacher who speaks and reads Spanish, this may be a good fit for you. If you don't know Spanish, then you'll more than likely need to pass because you won't know how to pronounce the words and phrases listed in the lessons. 

Overall, the lessons are fun, instructional, and well thought out. Mrs. Graciela Castellanos is the founder of the company. According to the website, she is a native of Venezuela with nearly 30 years of teaching experience. 

You can download examples from the Languages4kidz.com website.

Overall, I think this is a nice program for educators who are fluent in the language and have the time to devote to preparation.

If you'd like to learn more, visit Languages4kidz.

Moff Band + PBS KIDS Party

Is your kid in love with tech, but you are worried about too much screen time and not enough physical activity? Betty is back this week with a review!

Santi was thrilled to test and review the super cool Moff Band and PBS KIDS Party app. I knew that the two innovative, educational and smart products for kids would make the perfect match. So perfect that Santi, who will be 5 this weekend, knew it was special…he even said it was the perfect holiday gift!

The Moff Band is a smart wearable toy that empowers children to get up, use their imagination and take action. Let’s face it; kids will take any and every opportunity to use their electronic devices. Although so many digital toys are super educational today, as a parent I worry about how much they are deeply concentrating and focusing on small and large screens. After 20 minutes on their tablets or my smart phone, they are out of sorts! The Moff Band allows kids to step away from the device and dance, practice their favorite sport or pretend to be a ninja without staring at any screen. Santi’s imagination went wild and after a few minutes, completely walked away from the screen and continued his imaginative play.

Over 30 realistic sound effects are included in the free Moff app. Sounds include air drums, guitar, ninja swords, baseball, cooking and magic wands. What’s even better is that Moff has partnered with PBS KIDS and Santi has the choice to go over to PBS KIDS Party app and play with the Moff band there too! Dance, Sounds, Piñata, and Numbers are the current four games and lots of fun. Interactive and educational? This mom says, “Yes, please!”

Designed for 5 to 8-year-olds, PBS KIDS Party and Moff Band has been played and enjoyed by Santi’s younger and older brothers. Check out the video to see Santi in action.

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Betty Galvan, is writing "for smart and stylish moms" over

at MyFriendBettySays.com.

New from Maestro Classics: Merry Pranks of Master Till

Do you remember, oh, about three years ago when I told you about Juanita, the Spanish lobster/Juanita, la langosta española? That CD has remained one of my children's most favorite homeschool lessons. And Maestro Classics has continued to be one of my favorite resources for introducing my children to classical music. Not only do they absolutely LOVE to listen to the stories in music - do YOU know anyone who doesn't love/recognize the story and music of Peter and the Wolf? - but I love the activities and lesson plans that accompany each album. You can get any of the albums as a CD or MP3. We've used both.

Merry Pranks for Master Till is the newest album from Maestro Classics. It features music of the great composer Richard Strauss. This musical work is actually one of Strauss' tone poems and is considered one the best tone poems ever composed even though most of his audiences didn't understand or like it at the time of its release.

The poem tells the story of Till, a witty boy from medieval German folklore who is prone to playing pranks on the snobby people around him who are of the upper class. Although his main purpose seems to be entertaining others, he's also quick to teach them the error of their ways! Click here to listen to some sample snippets.

The album comes with a 24-page booklet that is full of activities and is illustrated with cut paper art by Giles Laroche. My kids so enjoy flipping through the booklet and doing the activities on their own.

I love that I can go to the Maestro Classics site and download lesson plans specific to this album. The curriculum encompasses many subjects including history, science, geography, language arts, music, art and math. I don't have to do any research. I can find information, links, and ideas all in one place. Last year in history, the kids studied Medieval history so the Merry Pranks for Master Till and the links we discovered through the curriculum were a perfect complement. There were also a lot of crafts related to the time period and I'm really looking forward to making these German Schultüte {school cones} filled with candy for the first day of school.

So if you're looking for fun materials and activities to keep your kids busy and entertained, I highly recommend the albums from Maestro Classics! All of them, including Merry Pranks for Master Till, are available for purchase as a CD or as a MP3 (the MP3 includes the booklet as a pdf download).

Disclosure: This product was sent to me for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Dream A Little/Sueña un Poquito CD GIVEAWAY!

We truly have a blast here at Mommy Maestra. To review such amazing products for children and then share with you and our own kids is a gift that keeps on giving. I am excited to write about Nathalia's latest musical contribution, Dream A Little, Sueña un Poquito today because I was truly hooked in the first 30 seconds of the first song of her new album. I was actually dancing in my seat!

When I heard Los Planetas I thought I was listening to a rock en español hit from the radio! The lyrics are truly bilingual, too. Here's a little peek:

Flying in my rocket ship, I’m an astronaut going to outer space
Voy en un cohete veloz 

    Un astronauta soy, al espacio voy

The album was a quick hit with my three boys too! The songs jumped from a cumbia to a lullaby, to more rock, salsa and pop. My favorite song is about bubbles! Pop, Pop, Pop's catchy beats and fun lyrics in Spanish and English, are super contagious. I am certain that children of all ages and adults will love all the songs!

Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, Nathalia moved to the U.S to attend the Berklee College of Music. She continued her studies in Antioch University and received a Masters in Clinical Psychology. After her experience as a musical therapist, she discovered that she could use the tool of music to teach her children Spanish. She has currently developed a second music album, which can  purchased HERE, but will also be released on major online stores on December 12. 

You can listen to a sample of her album on her site here. There are 10 songs on this album that teach children about everything from the planets to the Amazon. The titles are:

• Los Planetas
• El Amazonas
• Magical
• Shine
• Norah's World
• Pop Pop Pop
• Shake Them Bones
• Tu Día Puedes Cambiar
• There's No One Like You
• Sueño Feliz

The Giveaway

Mommy Maestra readers are in for a treat! Nathalia is giving away a free CD to one of you!  We are so happy to include this giveaway during the holiday season, as it will surely set a festive mood in your home. And it makes a great stocking stuffer!

Please fill out the Rafflecopter below. Suerte!





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Betty Galvan, is writing "for smart and stylish moms" over

at MyFriendBettySays.com.

Wild Kratts Toys Giveaway

 

Where are my Wild Kratts fans? I know you're out there because whenever I post on our favorite wildlife-loving brothers, we always get immediate feedback.

If you've followed this site for very long, then you'll know my kids are crazy about the Kratt brothers. My son has seen every episode of Wild Kratts and can practically recite the script by heart. Ever since I can remember, my son has wanted to grow up to be an Animal Rescuer...like Chris Kratt. I find drawings of Chris everywhere; in books, under the couch, in the car, and every notepad in the house. We've made costumes, even though I bought the green WK creature power suit shirt from the PBS Shop. And I have downloaded all of the WK printable activities from the PBS KIDS so many times that I finally just saved them to my children's computer.

MONTHS ago, I showed my son this video interview of Chris Kratt that my friend Drew from BenSpark.com made. Before anyone even started talking, my son spotted the new toy line in the background. He's been impatiently waiting for the toys to become available ever since.

I was planning on getting some for him this Christmas, but we lucked out and our awesome friends at PBS KIDS sent us a couple of sets to review.

The action figures are everything a WK fan could want. Not only do they resemble the animated characters on the show, but they have donned the creature power suits, come with creature power disks and even some of their animal friends.

My son wasted absolutely NO time breaking them out of the boxes (I was barely able to get the photograph above!) and racing outside to begin his wild adventures. Luckily, the sturdy toys are waterproof!

Each set comes with four power disks - one for each character. My son likes to sort and resort them according to various factors such as land animals vs. ocean animals, fast runners vs swimmers, mammals vs birds vs reptiles. He even made himself a little pouch to hold them out of an old paper towel tube.

Overall, we've been thrilled with the toys. I love how they encourage imaginative play and get my son outside, while my son loves being able to finally manipulate his favorite PBS KIDS characters into adventures of his own design.

THE GIVEAWAY

PBS KIDS has generously offered a Wild Kratts set plus a Wild Kratts animal plush to one Mommy Maestra reader!

To enter to win, simply use the Rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!

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Disclosure: I'm a PBS KIDS ambassador. I received the product for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Celebrate Día with ¡Uno, Dos, Tres con Andrés!

Time for another music review! If you follow me on Facebook, you might remember me posting an adorable music video featuring bilingual music for kids by Uno, Dos, Tres con Andrés. (I've posted it below in case you missed it.)

Well, just in time for Día de los Niños, musician Andrés Salguero has released his debut album and it is such a delight for Latino families! ¡Uno, Dos, Tres con Andrés! is a bilingual feast of Latin rhythms and introduces us to salsa, bolero, mariachi, and so many more! Andrés' bilingual songs are fun for children and parents alike, covering topics like colors, friendship, and parents. You and your child will be jumping and counting to ¡Salta, Salta!, then dancing to the bachata rhythm in Los Colores. I really love the variety of music styles that Andrés presents in this album. It celebrates the diversity of the Latin culture, and the unifying - rather than separating - force of bilingualism.

Parents will love this album for their early elementary children, as well as for their Spanish/English learners. It is a great way to develop vocabulary and basic concepts. But really, the songs are just plain fun for kids of any age.

The CD comes with an illustrated booklet with the lyrics to each song making it a great tool for bilingual children learning to read. The super cute illustrations were created by award-winning Colombian artist Carlos Diaz Consuegra.

But you don't have to take my word for it. Listen to Los Colores yourself and enjoy the music video. It will steal your heart!



If you'd like to get your own copy of ¡Uno, Dos, Tres con Andrés!, just visit their fantastic site. You can even listen to a sample of each song - after which you won't be able to help but buy the album!

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this album for review. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

JBL Flip Portable Stereo Speaker Review

This post is of my Homeschool Tech series. Updated 12/13/2022

This post contains affiliate links.

Are you looking for the right tools to boost your lessons? Is it time to upgrade your tech devices so that your student can benefit the most from audio-based courses and projects? Then consider this great deal on audio equipment for your homeschool, like the JBL Flip 6 Portable Stereo Speaker.

JBL Flip 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The JBL can be used with most Bluetooth-enabled devices, as well as home computer systems. It streams music wirelessly from your smartphone, tablet or laptop and makes listening to eBooks, music, educational videos, and online courses crystal clear. Or you can purchase an auxiliary cord and connect it to your desktop computer. When I first hooked up the JBL up to our school computer so the kids could listen to Juanita the Spanish Lobster, I was so impressed by the sound quality! We've always loved our classical music downloads from Maestro Classics, but listening to them with such a high-quality speaker takes the whole experience to a new level for my kids. It's like you can hear each note from each instrument and the sound just wraps around you.

There are two ways to use the speaker: resting flat or standing vertically on it's side. The buttons are on one end, so you can easily access them whichever way you choose to set up your speaker. I like that the buttons "click" when pressed so that my children know if they've turned on the speaker.

A Portable and Waterproof Speaker

I love that it is portable, too, because with warmer weather on the way, we sometimes like to take our lessons outside or to the park. A change of setting can really amplify a lesson, and make learning much more fun. You don't have to worry too much, either, about it getting beat up or wet as it is designed to be waterproof!

The best part, in my opinion, is the 12 hours of playtime.

The JBL also has a speaker-phone, built-in microphone, and call-answer button that lets you easily take phone calls. So if your kids value their time on the phone with abuelita and abuelito, but maybe you aren't so keen on them holding a cell phone next to their heads, then this is a great solution.

You should hurry into the store to test and try it out yourself, as well as other great audio products – from home theater solutions (documentaries anyone?), to car audio (homeschooling on the road?), portable speakers (examples above), and headphones (homeschooling more than one child; brain-building music to help your child focus). 

If you're ready to purchase a JBL speaker for yourself or loved one, then take advantage of your Amazon Prime membership and get this great deal.

What's your favorite homeschool tech device?

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Making Chores Easier with Dyson DC65 & Best Buy {PRINTABLE}

This post is sponsored by Dyson and Best Buy and includes a review of the new Dyson DC65. 

Does your child have assigned chores at home? Mine do. Since we live on a small farm, my husband and I rely on their help with all the chores that need to be done around here.

But you don't have to live on a farm in order for your child to help out with the housework. And I find that by giving my kids daily duties that they are responsible for is a great way to teach them a sense of responsibility and to be neat and organized. Now I'm not saying my kids ARE neat and organized, BUT we're learning those skills every day through small assignments.

My kids are close enough in age that we trade chores back and forth every other day. So for example, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays my daughter feeds the chickens, prepares the table before meals, and folds up blankets, while my son empties the recycling containers, wipes off the table after meals, and cleans the stairs. Then on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays they switch. Once a week one of the kids dusts while the other one vacuums. And every evening the kids take turns bottle feeding the calves, or they do it together, my daughter feeding one little calf while my son feeds the other. During these cold winter months, they are also in charge of collecting sticks for kindling for our wood stove, and sometimes they stack wood after their Daddy finishes chopping it.

Anyway, I've put together a few blank bilingual chore charts for you to use, if you'd like to. They are handy for helping us to remember to do the little assignments and establish a sense of pride, I think, in knowing that they've contributed to the running of our household.

DOWNLOAD YOUR PRINTABLE CHORE CHART HERE

Because my son suffers from some serious allergies to mold and other allergens, I have to be mindful of what chores he can do and the tools he uses to do them.

That is why I'm really excited about the new Dyson DC65.

The Review

When we got the new Dyson DC65 Animal it was sort of like my fairy godmother granted my biggest wish: a deep cleaning vacuum that can handle the high amount of traffic and resulting debris that goes through my house and floors (small farm, remember?). From grimy dirt, leaves, twigs, pine needles, and even some stuff from the cow pen that we won't mention here, my carpet collects all sorts of stuff on a daily basis. 

My family think I'm a vacuuming maniac because I can frequently be seen lugging a heavy vacuum around the house several times a day. I may or may not have a glassy look in my eye when I do it. (I'm not OCD, I just am determined to try and have clean carpets.) My kids "vacuum" once a week, but our old one is a monster that's pretty heavy to push, especially on rugs. Instead, they prefer to vacuum the stairs with our little cordless Dyson Digital Slim. (And, okay, I've been using that amazing little cordless on the rest of the carpet lately instead of The Monster.)

Anyway, if your home is like mine, it has a combination of floors - some carpet, some hardwood, some tile, etc. Well, I was super excited when I found out the DC65 does them ALL.

Not only that but it is SO LIGHTWEIGHT that my kids can easily push it around. It makes this particular chore easier for them and its modern design delights my robot-loving children making vacuuming suddenly fun again. (Vacuuming is now accompanied by lots of R2-D2-type beeping going on.)

When I first saw the DC65, I was skeptical because compared to our old one, there just doesn't seem to be a whole lot to the vacuum. I mean, the box says it has twice the suction (180AW of suction, to be precise) of any other vacuum, so you would think it would be a gargantuan monster, pero no, it's smaller. But the new configuration of bristles dig deeper into carpets to remove more dirt. When I turned it on and started vacuuming for the first time, I listened with a sort of horrific fascination to all the stuff in my carpets and rugs getting SUCKED away. (My Tía Visi's voice echoed inside my head: "¡Ay! ¡Qué asco!")  AND I can use the long-reach telescopic wand to swish away all those telarañas that gather dust in the corners of my rooms. 

I also love that it has a tangle-free turbine. If you only knew how much time I've spent with a pair of scissors and needle-nose pliers trying to remove all the hair, thread, yarn, fabric strips, and even pipe cleaners that inevitably fall to the floor in this house only to get sucked up into the vacuum cleaner and wrapped around the turbine. But no more! Because the counter-rotating heads with brushes remove hair and dirt. The DC65 is built to survive 10 years, and for the price, it better last that long. And if it does? Then it is totally worth it.

But you know what the best part is? The remodeled airflows help remove more dirt, dust, and allergens. That's a big plus with me because of my son's allergies. He hasn't had any major coughing fits after using the vacuum. There's no bags I have to deal with, either. I just remove the bin from the vacuum, hold it over the trash bin and push a button.

The DC65 is currently only available at Best Buy stores across the country. You can buy the Multi-Floor for $499, or the Animal (comes w/ TFT and dusting brush) for $599, or the Animal Complete (comes with extra tools and Zorb plus TFT and dusting brush) for $649. And it comes in three colors: Platinum, Purple, and Fuchsia.

Disclaimer: I received this product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are strictly mine.

Celebrate National Grammar Day with Super Grammar!

Happy National Grammar Day!

Last year, a little update on Scholastic's Facebook page caught my eye. They were sharing some free grammar worksheets with a superhero theme.  Thinking this might be fun for my kids, I downloaded the five pages and shared them with my children. Naturally, they loved the Super Grammar superheroes. In fact, they liked it so much, I went back and read the page with a letter to the teachers from the author and illustrator. And then I noticed something else - their signature. Tony Preciado and Rhode Montijo. Hmmm. Now I am REALLY interested.

So I contacted Tony and Rhode through the Super Grammar website, and arranged to feature them in an article for NBC Latino. They kindly sent me a copy of Super Grammar to review.

Super Grammar

I thought the book would be fun reading for my kids, but little did I know that I would actually wind up using this book as part of our homeschool Language Arts curriculum. We have been using Super Grammar for about a month now and I have been amazed at how much my children enjoy learning grammar, AND how much I enjoy teaching it!

The book itself is arranged into four main sections, each one focusing on a particular group of grammar concepts (disguised as superheroes) for children to learn. These four sections are: The Completion Team, The Amazing Eight, The Super Symbols, and The Sabotage Squad.

The sections are made up of various superheroes or supervillains who represent specific grammar concepts. The smallest team is the Completion Team, which is made up of two superheroes: The Subject and The Predicate. They are the most important team and spend their days working together to create complete sentences. Individually they are powerless, but together they are super strong!

Okay. So you get the idea. Here's how I'm using Super Grammar to teach my daughter who is in third grade. (My son is in first grade, but he enjoys watching and participating, too.)

For each grammar lesson, I focus on one new superhero. Because my kids learn best with interactive lessons, I use our dry erase board to present the superhero and his or her superpowers. To make the lesson even more memorable, I went to the Super Grammar website and downloaded pictures of the superheroes, printed them on cardstock, cut them out, laminated them, and then added a magnet to the back. Voilá! I have superheroes on the board for my kids to manipulate and focus on as we learn about each one. Take a look...

I basically use the book as a Teacher's Guide, but I don't stop my kids from looking through it - they love to study it and look at the pictures. Each of my lessons builds upon the previous one (Tony and Rhode have made this very easy, thanks to their layout and the order of their superheroes). I write the most important information on the board and read aloud the rest.

Sometimes I use the sentences that Tony gives in the book as examples, but I usually wind up making up some of my own so that they can practice. I like to pull in some of the other well-known superheroes, too, and make silly sentences which make my kids laugh. (For the record, I'm pretty sure the Green Lantern's favorite color is probably not pink. :)

My daughter has assigned each superhero his or her own color, and then uses that color to identify their role in a sentence. Now that we've gotten further in the book, we've started running out of colors. So now, I have her focus on identifying the specific superhero that we're studying at the time. It was getting a little crazy because she wanted to ID each one and we had lines and circles going everywhere. See...

The best moment for me happened a couple of weeks ago when I noticed that my daughter had not written a complete sentence in her writing assignment. She was missing the subject. When I pointed that out, she immediately cried, "Oh, no! The Fragment got me!!"

I had not been thinking of Super Grammar at all when this was happening, and I was floored that she had identified her mistake so quickly. And for the first time ever, my daughter has actually begged me to teach a grammar lesson for the day.

I am completely sold on this book. The only thing missing is that I don't have enough worksheets for my daughter to practice on in order to reinforce each concept. But I know that a workbook is in Tony and Rhode's plans for the future.

In addition, Super Grammar has created some super posters, each one featuring one of the four Super Grammar Super-teams. We got ours in the mail last week and my kids immediately divided them up equally between themselves, then ran for their rooms to hang them up.

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Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I did, however, receive a copy of the book and posters for review purposes.