Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts

Monday, July 5, 2021

High School Writing Video Course

WriteShop I  - writing course for teens

The following is a sponsored post in collaboration with WriteShop. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

As a parent of a teen with dysgraphia, I can tell you that we have tried A LOT of different resources and curricula to teach writing. It has been my greatest source of stress as a homeschool parent, which is ironic because I just love writing. That's why I am so excited about this course from the WriteShop! Read on to see if it is a good fit for you.

Quick Overview


Program: WriteShop I
Subject(s): writing 
Religious Perspective: Faith-neutral
Format: Books and online video course
Grades: 6th - 10th
Language: English
Price
: $94.50 - $139.95


WriteShop I writing curriculum
 


Homeschool Writing Curriculum

The WriteShop is an incremental writing program for students. This means that it teaches writing techniques in manageable portions without overwhelming kids. This step-by-step approach helps kids develop sound writing skills. 

They have a lot of products on their website for teaching writing to students in K - 12th. But I elected to use WriteShop I for my 15yo who is going into 10th grade and, as I mentioned, struggles with dysgraphia.

WriteShop I has a total of 16 lessons. Each one takes 1 or 2 weeks - YOU choose how fast you want to go. 

Your child will complete a written assignment for each lesson and learn a specific skill set each time. On their website, you can also find a complete description, product details, reviews, and even the scope & sequence of each product they offer. 

I really like that this writing program is geared toward older children (tweens and teens) so that they don't feel like the lesson are babyish even if they are learning basic writing skills. Even the writing prompts are more age-appropriate.

WriteShop I

Online Video Course

You do have the option to just buy the teacher's guide and student workbook. If you're comfortable teaching your child writing, this is a great way to go.

BUT if you are looking to (mostly) outsource the teaching for this subject, then the video course is excellent. They go over each lesson, focusing on the main activities and skill builders. Parents will still have to review/edit the writing assignments, but the actual skill teaching will be done through their online portal which has the recorded videos. 

The nice thing is that if you aren't worried about schedules, your child can just complete this at their own pace. It's your choice.

The video lessons don't waste time. They get to the heart of the lesson and don't drag it out. This is FANTASTIC. It stops my kid from being bored and complaining. The student portal is easy to navigate, very intuitive, and not cluttered up. 

And it even has self-editing tips to help your student. (<-- BIG PLUS!!)

WriteShop I Video Course


I always advise readers and other homeschoolers to download samples of a curriculum or watch videos that the company shares about their products before purchasing. So here is where you can download a sample lesson for WriteShop I.


Placement Quiz

If you aren't sure which product to purchase for your child, you can have them take the placement quiz! This is a free tool on their website to help you decide at what level your child is in terms of writing.

What I love best

My 15yo HATES writing. He has dysgraphia and we have just really struggled to find the right curriculum to help him. We've used a lot of great programs, but the hardest part for me has been teaching writing to this kid. It is stressful for both of us. 

And I've been especially concerned about this since he has started high school. Prepping for essay writing has had me full of anxiety. But this course is helping me relax and feel more confident in him.

I love that WriteShop offers this video course that does the teaching for me. All I have to do is review his work once he's completed the assignment.

I also like that there is a lot of humor mixed into this course. My middle kid is the one with the best sense of humor in our family. He's always telling jokes and appreciates a good one. So this added aspect, really helps him to relax and be more receptive to a WRITING program.

***It's important to note that you can do the Video Course without books OR you can choose to do the Video Course with the books.

If this sounds like the writing course that you've been looking for, then go and check out the WriteShop! You can find WriteShop I here and all of their other products for younger grades here.


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WriteShop I: Writing Course for Teens


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Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Updated Heritage Journal Series


My Heritage Journal series is getting a facelift and the first new cover is out. I absolutely love it and have to give a huge shout out to artist, Rosa Lopez, for her amazing talent and for helping my series finally be perfect!

The first new cover is for My Mexican Heritage Journal. The series was created for children ages 8 to 14 and provides them with a way to record their family's story and heritage.

It's a great project for kids to work on over the summer or as an elective during the school year. And the stories, interviews, recipes, and memories written inside will make it a family heirloom that your child will treasure always.

If you want to read and see more about the inside of these books, visit my original post. 

The next cover will be My Puerto Rican Heritage Journal. I can't wait for its reveal!

You can purchase your copy of this new journal here:

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

K - 8th Activity Guide from Smithsonian


This is so awesome! This week I saw that there is a new Smithsonian Education activity guide for kids available for download online.

Inspiration Nation is filled with inspiring stories, hands-on experiments, and art projects for students in K through 8th grade. The 40-page activity guide is bold, creative, and colorful, and portions of it are bilingual. 

It focuses on three main questions:

  1.  “How have you been inspired?,” 
  2. “How have others been inspired?,” 
  3. and “How can inspiration change the world?”

This resources is part of their Learning Lab collection, so when you download it, you'll have the option of taking a tour. If you've never used a Learning Lab, it's pretty fascinating. There is a tool bar that lets you do/read a variety of things including:

  • information about what you are seeing, i.e. a description and other details,
  • additional resources or interactives that the artist has uploaded to supplement the piece,
  • the option to add the piece to your own virtual collection (!),
  • the ability to bookmark it as one of your favorites,
  • the option to cite the source if you are doing research (it will create the citation for you in MLA, APA, or Chicago style),
  • and the ability to flag the source if you are especially impressed or concerned about it.
Overall, what a fabulous resource to keep your kids engaged and learning this summer in a really fun way!

Click here to get your free print-friendly PDF of “Inspiration Nation.”

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Bardsy Creative Writing Program

The following is a sponsored post in collaboration with Bardsy Homeschool and MommyMaestra. All opinions are my own.

Creative writing. It's one of those subjects that homeschool parents either love to teach...or don't. The latter is because many parents aren't comfortable teaching the subject or just don't know where to begin. Fortunately, Bardsy Homeschool is here to help!

Some wonder why creative writing is even necessary. But there are numerous benefits to developing your skill for creative writing! It's not just about literacy. Creative writing improves your child's grades in other subjects, too, such as math and science. Sounds crazy? Read more about it and the other benefits on Bardsy's website.


Quick Overview

Program: Bardsy Homeschool
Religious Perspective: Secular
Format: Online - (Self-Paced) Recorded
Grades: 5 and higher
Price: $8.99/month




Homeschool Writing Curriculum

Flexibility. That's the word that I would use to describe this awesome creative writing program for students. Really, I think it is a young writer's dream program because there are so many tools and more than one way to use the program in a homeschool creative writing course.

Once you've signed up for Bardsy, you just login on their home page and are then taken to your dashboard (see above). Here, you'll find everything laid out for you in a nicely organized manner. There are three main sections to the dashboard:

  1. Writing
  2. Courses
  3. Inspiration
Each section has three tools for your child to use. 

If you have a prolific writer in your home, they can jump right in and begin their next great story by going to "New Story" in the "Writing" section. There they'll find a simple writing editor that allows them focus completely on their new story. There's no fluff here. Just a basic writing program similar to Word. 

If they need to take a break and come back the next day, they can then click on "Latest Story" in order to pick up where they left off. Or maybe your kid writes several stories at a time because their head is so full of ideas! 

But really, the best tool in the "Writing" section is the "PROSPERO Story Wizard" that guides your child through the steps of creating a new story. Your student can click on the elements he wants to work on and then develop them before sending all of the information to the story editor. 



If you are looking for lessons, instead, then the section on "Courses" is what you'll need. These classes are set up more like a class and involve your child watching a short video about a specific topic related to writing, and then has them complete specific activities to create their own story. For example, as you can see from the image above, the "Writing Warmup" course has a story map that guides your child through the process from start to finish.

The final section - "Inspiration" - is a collection of tools, such as printable graphic organizers and videos, to help your student in the creation process. 

But perhaps my favorite part of this section is the "Story Spinner" which provides your child with a set of writing prompts by listing a character, a world, and a theme about which your child must then write a story. My oldest child, who is 16 and the story writer in our family, actually thinks this is absolutely brilliant.

Extras

The dashboard also has a Google Books search engine that allows your child to search for a particular title. Then they can purchase it or read excerpts, if they are available. Many books are actually available for free on Google Books. And then - this is the really awesome part - they can write down notes about the book AND/OR write a review of the book. They can also add titles to their wish list.

Also, if your child is serious about writing, the "Hot Tray" link at the top will take them to their personal "desk" where they can find places to write down Notes, a To Do list, write a Journal entry, or quickly pull up a calendar. 

Students can also personalize their account by clicking the "My Stuff" link at the top of the page.

Can you believe that you get access to all of this for only 8.99 a month!?!

If this sounds like the program you've been looking for to help your young writers develop their skills, visit their site today to sign up!



Free Downloadable Character Development Toolkit


Bardsy has SO MANY tools for your family to use as they plunge into creative writing... and one of those is FREE! The downloadable Character Development Toolkit is a mini course that guides your child through the process of creating super characters for their stories. Their multimedia approach and graphic style make the experience super fun. 

I do think that my favorite part of it is the list of printable character archetypes, which come with descriptions. But my 14 yo loves the video. Lots of goodness here for you to access!


I love how overall, the program breaks down all of the parts of writing an amazing story into manageable step-by-step activities. The online format is engaging for kids and makes the process more enjoyable. And the self-paced format is great for taking the stress out of writing - especially with reluctant writers.

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Thursday, January 14, 2021

Printable Activities for Martin Luther King, Jr Day

Printable Activities for Martin Luther King, Jr Day

I don't know what this coming weekend before the inauguration holds. All I know is that this year has started in such a way that the words of Martin Luther King, Jr ring in my ears...

“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”

and...

“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”

There's a lot of hate and anger in this country right now. And a lot of misinformation or outright lies. 

The only way I know to combat all of this is by focusing on our children. Mahatma Gandhi once said, "If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children."

So what better way to start, than with Martin Luther King, Jr. himself? Here is a list (in order of target age) of my printable activities for learning about the activist and civil rights movement leader.

Martin Luther King Jr. Bilingual Coloring Activity


FREE! A simple color-by-number activity for introducing Martin Luther King, Jr. to younger children in preschool and lower elementary.


Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Triptych Activity


In this writing triptych, kids can read a little bit about Martin Luther King, Jr. and read some quotes from his famous speech. They can color it, and draw or paste a picture of themselves on one of the folds of the triptych. Then they can think about the quotes and write a few words (short paragraph) sharing their own hopes for this country.

Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Activity


This simple activity allows students to write their own ending to Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. They simply color in the base sheet and write in their ending, before coloring in and attaching a flap-style poster to the top.

A Martin Luther King Jr. Glossary


Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with this easy, noprep, printable poster and glossary! Available in full color or black-and-white, you can decorate your classroom or have your students color in the poster and read the glossary which features words related to Dr. King.

Bilingual Martin Luther King, Jr. Activities BUNDLE

Bilingual Martin Luther King, Jr. Activities BUNDLE

SAVE! When you purchase my MLK BUNDLE!

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Free January 6 2021 Writing Pages

 

As I type this, the news has been on in our home most of the afternoon and evening. Today has been historic, and not in a good way. And it has been a teachable moment of gigantic proportions.

My teenagers have been asking all sorts of questions. My oldest is taking AP US history and my middle kid is taking civics. So what happened at the Capitol today held their attention. 

Today, we talked about the Constitution and ethics. We talked about peaceful transfer of power. We talked about the right to protest...and the federal offence of entering the Capitol by force. 

I think this is a really important opportunity for kids to think critically and deeply about government and power and laws. So I created some writing pages for my son to use tomorrow during our civics lesson. 

And I thought, well, maybe some of you would like to use them in your classrooms, too. They are FREE and very versatile. 

You can use them to have your students write down their thoughts about what happened today. They can write about how they felt or how the attack on Congress relates to what they have learned about how our government works. Or they can write about the events leading up to it. Or the events they witnessed on the television. 

The file comes in English and Spanish. And it has several formats for a variety of ages and skill levels. 

Click here to download these writing pages

Wishing for peace for our country.

Monday, May 4, 2020

Cinco de Mayo Printable Resources




Cinco de Mayo is almost here! Need fast, printable, no-prep materials? Check out these options:




Good for larger families with multiple children, you can let them choose the style of booklet they'd like to use: a flipbook, an accordion book, and a booklet. All three are available...
• in black-and-white for coloring in
• with descriptive text or blank to allow students to write inside,
• and in English or Spanish. 



This interactive notebook delves deep into the REAL history of the holiday and the impact it had on U.S. history. This set includes:
• Notebook cover page
• Close reading passage on the history of the Battle of Puebla
• Close reading passage highlighting the biography of General Ignacio Zaragoza
• 4 Information templates & map
• Discussion questions



These 8 coloring pages are an introduction to the REAL history of Cinco de Mayo. From General Zaragoza to Napoleon III, your students will learn about the impact the Battle of Puebla had on U.S. history through brief descriptions in English and Spanish that are easy for young children to understand.

  
The REAL History of Cinco de Mayo Reading Passage (4th - 8th)

A one-page history on the Battle of Puebla and Cinco de Mayo. From Benito Juarez's decision to stop paying foreign debts for 2 years to the significance of the battle on U.S. history, this informational text is written for students in 4th - 8th grade. Includes an 8-question comprehension quiz plus answer key.



Available in English and Spanish, this set has 9 designs in each language with writing lines for both beginning and advanced writers.

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Friday, May 1, 2020

Barnes & Noble National Children's Short Story Contest


Do you have a budding writer in your home? I would really love to see Hispanics represented among the 15 winners! It's important that our stories be included and published. But that means that we have to write them. Encourage your children to enter!

Barnes & Noble is calling on children ages 6-12 to share their original short stories for a chance to be published in a book as well as receive a signed edition book from bestselling author Gail Carson Levine.

“We believe in the power of stories to inspire and bring joy, particularly in challenging times such as the one we’re living in now,” said Jackie De Leo, Vice President and General Merchandise Manager of Bookstore at Barnes & Noble. “Our Children’s Short Story Contest was created to be a fun and motivating outlet for young writers to share their work. We can’t wait to see the submissions, and although we can’t share all of them, we’re looking forward to publishing some budding authors in a book to be showcased by Barnes & Noble.”

Parents or legal guardians can submit on BN.com. Fifteen select entrants will be published in a book sold exclusively at Barnes & Noble this holiday season, with proceeds going to charity. The fifteen winners and fifteen runners-up will also get a signed book from bestselling author Gail Carson Levine, who will be writing a forward to the published book.
  • Parents or legal guardians can submit an original written or graphic short story on behalf of children ages 6 – 12 from April 27 through May 29 on BN.com.
  • Entries should include the parent or legal guardian’s name, email, and address. Only the child's first name and age should be provided with your entry.
  • The work must be an original written or graphic story.
  • Suggested word count is 300 - 800 words or 4 pages of a graphic story (black & white).
  • The fifteen winners and fifteen runners-up will get a signed book from bestselling author Gail Carson Levine. Winners and runners-up will also have the chance to be featured on Barnes & Noble's social channels.

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Earth Day Bilingual Acrostic Poem Activity



Discover how acrostic poems benefit students and learn about a fun Earth Day bilingual acrostic poem activity. Download your free templates and get creative!

Tomorrow is Earth Day. It's been all but forgotten as countries around the word are coping with the pandemic. But this is the perfect time to think remember it. Because if nothing else, this virus should show us the interconnectedness of all life on Earth.

How Acrostic Poems Benefit Students


This year, I'm offering this printable activity for Earth Day. I've chosen poetry because that is a writing form that seems to fit perfectly with the beauty of our planet and the life on it.

Acrostic poems are an excellent tool for students of all ages and skill levels. By using acrostic poems, students can:
  1. practice their writing skills and critical thinking,, 
  2. expand their vocabulary, 
  3. improve their understanding of language and syntax,
  4. and GREAT for language learners because students have to think in terms of relationships: What words associated with the topic and begin with....? 
Additionally, acrostic poems provide a structured and focused framework for students to express their thoughts and ideas on a particular topic, such as Earth Day. This can help students develop critical thinking skills and learn how to organize their thoughts and ideas effectively. 

Acrostic poems can also be a fun and engaging way to learn about a particular topic, as students are encouraged to think creatively and come up with words and phrases that reflect their understanding and feelings about the subject. They really help students to think deeply about themselves and their perceptions. 

Earth Day Bilingual Acrostic Poem Activity


Do you remember doing acrostic poems when you were a kid? They were one of my favorite activities as a child. Usually, our teacher would whip them out around Mother's Day. They even made a song about it. You remember:

"M" is for the million things she gave me
"O" means only that she's growing old
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me
"H" is for her heart of purest gold
"E" is for her eyes with love-light shining
"R" means right and right she'll always be
Put them all together they spell MOTHER...

So just for fun, I've put together this packet of bilingual Earth Day acrostic poem templates. It includes directions and examples in both English and Spanish, as well as five different acrostic pages with prompts of varying length and difficulty. There's also a blank page to allow children to use their own focus word.


Overall, acrostic poems are a valuable tool for students to develop their writing and communication skills while also fostering creativity and self-expression. I hope you enjoy this printable activity to celebrate Earth Day!

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Monday, October 14, 2019

Free Download: Day of the Dead Writing Pages



It's time for MKB's Day of the Dead Series! This year, I'm sharing this free download of Day of the Dead writing pages. I hope you'll download them and share them with your children and/or students. Scroll down to see how to add to their writing experience!

This post contains affiliate links.

The Multicultural Kid Blogs' Day of the Dead Series


I can't express how much I love being a part of the Multicultural Kid Blogs community. In my own struggle to raise world citizens, they have taught me so tremendously much about what it means to be a global citizen. From recipes to holiday descriptions to art, music, and so much more, they've truly helped me to better understand other countries and cultures and, most importantly, people. And I so enjoy all the resources that they offer their readers, especially those downloads and crafts designed for families and children.

So, of course, it is no surprise that every year they recognize the Día de los Muertos holiday. The last few years, I wasn't able to participate as I struggled to care for my mom and have a baby. (One was hard enough, but juggling both duties at the same time took most of my attention.) But I definitely followed along. And I'm happy to join this year.

Free Day of the Dead Writing Pages


My contribution is a free download. These Day of the Dead Writing Pages come in several designs and formats for beginning and advanced writers. AND they are available in both English and Spanish.

How to Use these Writing Pages

You can, of course, just give your kids the writing pages and allow them to write whatever they want. But if your students need some guidance or topics to get them started, here are a few ideas for using the writing pages. You could have your student(s):

  • write their own Calavera poems
  • write a report on the holiday
  • write about what Día de los Muertos means to them
  • write about how their family celebrates the holiday
  • write about who they are remembering this year in their Day of the Dead celebration
  • write about the elements that are included on the ofrenda

The Free Download


I hope you enjoy using them in your classrooms or at home.



Additional Ways to Make Writing Fun


If you'd like some more ideas for making this writing activity extra fun, consider giving your children the following as a gift or packet to celebrate the holiday.

Sugar Skull Smens - Scented Pens


Sugar Skull Ballpoint Pens


Sugar Skull Pencil Case



Sugar skulls elephant organizer



Other Posts from the MKB Series

Day of the Dead series | Multicultural Kid Blogs

Multicultural Kid Blogs is proud to be hosting another blog hop for Day of the Dead! (Don't miss our series from last year, 2017, 2016, and 2015!) Be sure to visit all the posts below for great ideas on sharing Day of the Dead with kids:



Other Posts About Day of the Dead








Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Hispanic Heritage Month Writing Contest





Do you have a middle schooler or high schooler in your home or classroom? Are you in a Suddenlink/Optimum service area? If so, be sure to check out the annual Hispanic Heritage Month essay contest from Suddenlink's owner, Altice USA.

Students must write an essay in English of 500 words or less describing "those (of Hispanic heritage) who are making connections in their communities." The grand prize is a $3,000 scholarship. Three finalists will win an iPad.

Essays should be typed and double-spaced. The deadline is October 31st.

Students may enter the contest by submitting one essay here. Or they can mail in their entry with this printable form. 


Other Scholarship Opportunities


Monday, May 6, 2019

Free Thank Your Writing Pages for Teacher Appreciation Week


Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Lots of goodness coming your way this week, starting with these free thank-you-themed writing pages to share with your children. Teachers love hand-written notes from their students, so why not have your kids write a little thank you to their teachers for all the hard work they do?

There are eight different designs, each in two different styles (for beginner or advanced spellers). And, yes, they are all in English and Spanish. You can download them here in my TpT store. Or if you are signed up for the MommyMaestra newsletter, look for them in your inbox soon!


IN ADDITION: Don't forget that tomorrow, TpT's sitewide Teacher Appreciation Sale begins! Get up to 25% off my entire store. What a great time to stock up on those items you have on your wishlists! Or get ready for summer with educational - but super fun! - downloads, like these...





Enjoy!

Friday, January 11, 2019

Bilingual Martin Luther King Jr. Resources

Over the years, I've created a few different printables to help teach my kids about Martin Luther King, Jr. And since MLK Day is coming up on Monday, January 21st, I wanted to be sure to share them with you in case you are looking for fast, easy printables to share with your kids.



For little ones, here's a fun activity. All you need is crayons or markers! I would first read one of the many wonderful MLK books available. Here's a list of my five favorites that I shared on Mom.me.



In this writing triptych, kids can read a little bit about Martin Luther King, Jr. and read some quotes from his famous speech. They can color it, and draw or paste a picture of themselves on one of the folds of the triptych. Then they can think about the quotes and write a few words (short paragraph) sharing their own hopes for this country.



This simple activity allows students to write their own ending to Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. They simply color in the base sheet and write in their ending, before coloring in and attaching a flap-style poster to the top. Available in English or Spanish.



Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with this easy, no-prep, printable poster and glossary! Available in full color or black-and-white, you can decorate your classroom or have your students color in the poster and read the glossary which features words related to Dr. King. 



Love them all? Then SAVE when you purchase the BUNDLE!

Monday, October 1, 2018

2nd - 4th Grade Writing Handbooks for Bilingual Learners

I'm pretty excited about my weekend discovery during one of my regular trips to my favorite used bookstore. When my older kids were little, we used the Write Away series and it was awesome. So imagine my delight when I found the SPANISH VERSIONS of both the second-grade and third-grade handbooks!

¡De viaje! and ¡Vía libre! (aff links) are handbooks for young aspiring writers. They guide students through the writing process by using easy to understand directions and giving clear examples. Your child will learn the basics of writing with this book through a variety of writing topics.

For example, in ¡De viaje! your 2nd grader will begin by learning ideas on what to write, keeping an idea journal, making a plan or outline and why an eraser is your friend (😉). They'll learn about making revisions, meeting with other writers to get feedback, how to correct their own work, and how to publish what they've written.

There's also a section on the nuts and bolts, which covers sentences and paragraphs.

Then there is a series of writing activities: personal writings (diaries, funny notes, cards to friends, and personal narrations), themed writings (book reviews, news articles, instruction guides, etc.), investigational writings (illustrated dictionaries, reports, etc.), stories, and poems.

These writing activities are followed by a section on learning to learn. It covers how to improve your reading, letters and words, how to talk and listen better, and a chapter dedicated to learning skills.

Oh, but we're not done! Then there's a grammar section to help students learn about parts of speech, sentences, the mechanics of language, how to improve your spelling, using the correct word, punctuation.

The final section is a student almanac with lists and tables of all sorts of things (sign language, the Braille alphabet, Roman numerals, etc.), maps, math, penmanship, and a look at history.

There is a TON of information packed into this little book!





And ¡Vía libre! is similar with a little more advanced content geared toward students in 3rd and 4th grades. But it has the same engaging style and is also jam-packed full of resources for your young students.



Anyway, I bought all three copies of each book and have them for sale in my shop. I wish I could have bought more, but these were the only ones they had. So it's first come, first served. You can find them here.  I've sold out, but you can find them here and here on Amazon (aff)!

Enjoy!

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