My Reading Specialist

Homeschool Helper

2020-08-14T15:58:00.002-07:00

What is a homeschool helper?

A homeschool helper is someone who has experience in both babysitting and homeschool teaching but is not a qualified tutor. The benefit of hiring a homeschool helper is that parents can take a day off from teaching and catch up on work or other items. A homeschool helper charges less than a tutor hourly, offers a wide range of abilities from babysitting to lesson teaching, and is very engaging with all ages.

Read below to meet a local homeschool helper in Grants Pass, Oregon.

Hi, I'm Samantha Allen. I'm an 18-year dual college & highschool student currently getting my high school diploma and AAOT simultaneously. I'm the second oldest of seven children in a mostly homeschooled family so I've had lots of experience helping children of all ages with a variety of different school subjects. I was also homeschooled all of my life, up until I started the dual high school/college program at 16. I love working with children and I can't wait to dive right into tutoring and helping families! Click below to schedule an appointment with me in Grants Pass, Oregon.

COVID-19 and How Do I School My Child At Home?

2020-03-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

With the state of the world and the spread of COVID-19 I have been asked by many families-what now? The answer is simple, you do school at home. I am here to offer support in all areas of home-schooling. Whether you want to join an online virtual school, get support from an online curriculum, or want to order your own curriculum, I am here to meet with you to explain all the options. I have worked with many schools, as well as my own, and have experienced many different teaching practices.

I am not here to steer you towards one option, but rather to help you decide what the best learning style is for your child and get you set up.

I also work to train staff and schools administrators in ways that they can best support student learning at home.

If you have more questions about my background please click on the "Who Am I?" page at the top.

Or if you would like to make an appointment page click on "My Services" page.

Kid's Music Series: Songs From The Baobob CD and Book

2011-11-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for Children's Books with amazing illustrations, and the first thing I noticed about Songs From The Baobab was the beautiful artwork! The illustrations of the African Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes the mothers were telling their children take on life through the colorful paintings. The textures and different mediums and patterns used creates a story in-itself to accompany the simple phrases. I appreciated that each page had the African words to accompany the English translations, and the story really comes to life when you enjoy it with the accompanying CD.

Songs From The Baobab the CD includes 29 songs that are from 10 different countries including Rwanda, Senegal and the Ivory Coast. The beats range from uplifting and fast, to relaxing and soothing, and I felt like I could just imagine the people singing these songs with such joy and enthusiasm. The songs are sung in 11 different languages, and even though I could not understand them I still felt a connection to the women, children, and men singing. The kids really enjoyed listening to something in a foreign language and would often stop to interrupt and tell me the translation-which was very hilarious! We also enjoyed how each song concluded with a brief description of the cultural significance of the song and instruments used.

Songs From The Baobab CD and Book are a great way to add some cultural history from Africa into your little ones library.

Check out Songs From The Baobab from The Secret Mountain.com for images, commentary, and audio samples. You can even purchase the album to add to your MP3 device!

TouchyBooks Review and Discount: The Journey of Christopher Columbus

2011-10-08T14:58:00.001-07:00

With Columbus Day just around the corner, why not celebrate with a discounted TouchyBook? The Journey of Christopher Columbus is currently 50% off and will be sure to delight any child with a fun-filled quick history lesson.

As a teacher, I was happy to see that the book was historically accurate, and as a mom to 2 preschoolers I was happy to see it was geared towards little kids. TouchyBooks made Christopher Columbus come to life with cute graphics and a simple storyline. The book's wording works well in that they made Columbus talk about himself in the past tense as he explained to kids today what people believed about the world when he was around. He explains that they thought the only continents were Europe and Asia ("The Indies").

The interactive features included were a few simple touch-and-move features per page, but there were also two new puzzle games that the kids really liked.

So if you are a TouchyBooks fan like me (and if you are not-you don't know what you are missing), pick up The Journey of Christopher Columbus today for 50% off.

Scholastic Storybook Treasures DVDs Review: My First Collection Vol. 2 Featuring Spoon

2011-10-03T11:17:00.001-07:00

Scholastic just seems to know what kids like, and The My First Collection Vol. 2 Featuring Spoon is another hit. This DVD set includes 3 discs featuring: Spoon, Dem Bones, and That New Animal. There are 13 stories total with a run time of 127 minutes (plus extras). It is recommended for ages 2-6; however, I think the Dem Bones songs are great for older kids as well.

Here is what you get with this set:

Disc #-Spoon: This disc is perfect for ages 2-4

-Spoon: The cute tale about learning to appreciate YOU (contains highlighted text feature)

-A Boy, A Dog and A Frog: Cute video (not cartoon) about a young boy and his dog trying to catch a frog. No words, just cute music.

-Otto Runs For President: Still storybook images shown with highlighted text feature

-Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!: Lots of color in this one. Still images and highlighted text.

Disc #2-Dem Bones: Amazing disc that is perfect for anatomy lessons (Dem Bones) and history lessons (Erie Canal, dinosaur bones). Good for ages 4 and up.

-Dem Bones: LOVE this one! Great song with highlighted words. The parts of the body are colored red on the skeletons when the song talks about them. We learned a lot of new facts about our bones!

-Hush Little Baby: Still photos from the original storybook with highlighted text as it is sung (twice).

-Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night: Still photos and highlighted text. A little morbid considering the fox is going hunting...so just be aware.

-Dinosaur Bones: Great colorful images and highlighted text that will teach your little one all about dinosaur bones and paleontologists!

-The Erie Canal: This story starts out with a quick history lesson (and real life photos) of the creation of the Erie Canal. Then, the story transitions into still images (cartoons) and a song about the Erie Canal that the kids really enjoyed!

Disc #3-That New Animal: Preschooler Oldies but Goodies

-That New Animal: Still pictures and highlighted text about a dog who is trying to figure out why this new animal is here (aka: the baby)!

-I Love You Like Crazy Cakes: Adorable old story with highlighted text.

-Smile For Auntie: Very old images with highlighted text. Not really a family favorite.

-Blueberries For Sal: One of my favorite old stories complete with highlighted text.

Scholastic Storybook Treasures: My First Collection Vol. 2 featuring Spoon truly has some amazing stories and songs on it that are for any age! The publisher recommends these discs for ages 2-6; however, with the songs on the parts of the body, and the Erie Canal, this collection could be a teacher's dream! I highly recommend this set, so buy yours today:

To find more Scholastic Storybook Treasures, like NewKideo on Facebook.

Scholastic Storybook Treasures Review: Chrysanthemum...and More Whimsical Stories

2011-09-30T15:14:00.001-07:00

There is something about the teacher in me that runs our free time at home like a classroom. If we are going to watch a show on TV, is it educational? Is the book we are reading at night serve a purpose other than entertainment? Can you count those vegetables before you eat them?! Seriously, my brain never turns off.

So when I hear the name Scholastic I do think "educational," and they did not disappointed with their latest release boxed DVD set Chrysanthemum...And More Whimsical Stories. The set comes with 3 DVDs, each of which is at least one hour long. Every disc contains short stories that are read aloud by celebrity narrators. I had a fun time guessing which ones Sarah Jessica Parker, Meryl Streep, and Danny Glover read!

I really liked the "old-school" aspect of these stories in that the original artwork (in most cases) was used, rather than a beefed-up cartoon that really takes away from the story itself. It reminded me of working in the classroom and reading a Big Book to my students. Now you can watch these DVDs at home and have the same feeling. Ahhh!

The BEST feature of these DVDs is that the "main stories" on each disc showed the words at the bottom and highlighted them as the narrator read along! Hooray, Scholastic for encouraging one-to-one correspondence for little kids, and the read-along capability for older kids. I was a little disappointed that the "bonus stories" on each disc did not have this feature, but they were still enjoyable; however, the teacher in me was sad.

Here is a break down of what you get for your money:
Disc #1- Most of these stories have a mouse theme, and are very preschooler friendly
Chrysanthemum
Owen
A Weekend With Wendell
The Caterpillar and the Polliwog
Hondo and Fabian-Bonus Story
Mouse Around-Bonus Story

Disc #2- Classic fairytales with beautiful original artwork (especially in Rapunzel)
Rapunzel-NOT to be confused with the Disney version of the story
The Elves and the Shoemaker
The Talking Eggs
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China-Bonus Story
Princess Furball-Bonus Story

Disc #3- More "cutesy" stories that a younger reader/preschooler will love
Is Your Mama A Llama?-NOT to be confused with the Mama Llama series that is so popular today!
Noisy Nora
Each Peach Pear Plum
The Little Red Hen
Reading to You Bunny-Bonus Story

For under $25 Scholastic Storybook Treasures: Chrysanthemum...and More Whimsical Stories is a must-have! You will have over 180 minutes of short stories to watch that will help your child learn various reading skills from building one-to-one correspondence, recognizing sight words, and reading along. Buy it today and "Like" New Kideo on Facebook to see all the latest and greatest from Scholastic as they are released!

Millie And The Lost Key App Review: Dog Gone Cute!

2011-09-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

There are so many children's APPs out there now, that finding one with the right fit (for the right price) can be a little tricky. Well, Millie And The Lost Key by Millie Was Here is an amazing one for your little boy or girl, and for $3.99 I think it is worth the price. Plus you can get the free APP "Meet Millie" to kick off the series and give it a try.

I have tested out a lot of APPs for kids, and it seems like the interactive features in some are great, but in others fall short. The features often over-shadow the story, but in Millie And The Lost Key you get the best of both worlds: creative interactive features AND storyline.

Millie And The Lost Key is about a dog named Millie (who looks scary-identical to my Tibetan Terrier Sami I had as a child!). Millie goes on an adventure trying to find the key to unlock the treasure box filled with her favorite treat. She ventures through many obstacles (all set in and around New York City with real photos) to find her long lost love-bacon.

What makes this APP really unique is that the storyline is set around original photography! You actually get to meet Millie and see her in action as she searches for her treasure. The photos are paired up with interactive illustrations at times, and you even have the option to make Millie do different things (like fly a plane, calm down, search around, and more).

The APP has three modes to play in: read to me, read by myself, or my new favorite-bedtime mode (in which the sound is lowered and all the game features are disabled). The narrator's voice is great and really makes the story come alive. As a Reading Specialist, I especially like that the words are lit up as the story is read aloud! Hooray, teaching kids one-to-one correspondence in a fun way!

The interactive features are what really sell this app. Here is a list of some of them and the kid's favorites:
-pop up pictures that you push to come to life
-moving the airplane around the page to show the route Millie will take
-playing games in which you touch a rotating "tile" to make it flip over (kid's loved this one)
-carnival-style games that you can win prizes and points for
-scratch off pictures similar to lotto scratchers-new feature I have never seen before and the kid's favorite!
-sliders to make pictures move (even a winding path one great for hand-eye coordination)
-buttons to make pictures come to life
-touch and move images
-stickers that are hidden on every page and your child can collect (a little tricky to find for younger ones, but fun to collect)

I could probably fill up this entire post if I named all the features, so you will just have to try it for yourself. Millie And The Lost Key is appropriate for any age child, and there is nothing inappropriate (within the wording or context). This book is a sweet story in a collection of APPs about Millie! I am excited to see what comes next!

Keys To Reading Silently With Comprehension AND Speed

2011-07-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was asked by a My Reading Specialist.com reader about which techniques are most effective for silent reading, and how one might acquire this skill. This is a great question that I felt really needed a post to answer all the parts. Here is the reader's comment, along with my embedded answers in red.

Hello,
I have a question about how one should read when they are reading silently.

I was recently talking to a friend who is a very good reader. He told me that when he reads, his eyes see the words and the words "click" (or rather the meaning of the words "click") in his brain and he understands them. He told me that when he sees numbers, they slow him down because he has to actually say them in his head.
There are two methods of reading silently: subvocalization (saying the words inside your head), and non-subvocalization in which you are not saying the words but rather thinking about the meanings of the words.

It is interesting that numbers slow him down; however, if they are in the numerical form rather than the written word I can see that connection. That is likely due to the area of the brain that does mathematical functions as opposed to the portion of the brain he uses to "define" the words inside his head.

I realized that when I am reading, I actually say every single word in my head, as if someone was reading it aloud to me.
I often do this as well. I found that I had to practice reading in a faster manner (regardless of clarity) a few times to make my brain more comfortable with the feel. This 'forced speed reading' does help you train your mind to gloss over words and interpret meaning rather than saying these words subvocally. It is something you really have to work at, but can be done.

So I have a few questions about this.
1: Which method is more efficient; actually saying every word in one's head, or being able to look at the word and instantly understand its meaning?
This is actually a trick question because BOTH methods are effective for different purposes:

-Subvocalization (or saying the words inside your head as you read) is very effective for memorization, focused comprehension, learning, and intense focus. It is bad for reading quickly as you will never read faster than you talk at about a rate of 150 words per minute
-No Subvocalization is great for reading at a very rapid pace, and is good for total comprehension of the entire written work.

2: As I suspect the latter, how does one acquire this?
You must work at it. The reason you are using subvocalization is because you were taught that way! As a child you began by reciting letter sounds of words aloud and then you would transfer this skill inside your head.

I suggest taking time each day to read by speed reading the passage as fast as possible first regardless of accuracy. Then go back and try it a little bit slower. It is important to try and think about the 'meanings' of the words and NOT the words themselves. Of course, this is very difficult. With practice you will begin to improve and your speed and accuracy will pick up.

Just like how you learned to read as a child...this is a process! It has to be worked on over and over to achieve mastery, but it is a very great skill to have. If you find that you are stopping more than 5 times in a 100 word passage (this is known as the 5-finger rule) the context of the passage is above your reading level (ie: your vocabulary is not high enough to achieve mastery). Having a high vocabulary is absolutely a key to learning to read quickly. My suggestion to increase accuracy: crossword puzzles, scrabble, online word games with definitions.

One more, slightly off-topic question. Is it possible to learn to read multiple words at once? Is it possible to learn to see and understand say 2, 3 or even four words at once, so when you are reading you are able to read by moving your eyes less and less sideways and thus you can read much faster? If yes, how might one acquire this?
Many speed-reading programs would say yes. I have heard that it is possible to train your brain to read multiple words at once and comprehend them; however, I admit I have not experienced this myself. I find that as I read quickly that I will "flash" my eyes across a line and pick up many (but not all) of the words at once. When I think about it now (since I obviously don't as I am reading), my brain can very often fill in the blanks when it comes to conjunctions (and, for, or, so, etc), and other high frequency words. Therefore, it appears that I am reading multiple words at once, but in actuality I am reading portions of phrases.

*I really hope that I was able to answer all of your questions, and that you have a good place of where to start to acquire this skill.

-Please leave me comments and let me know:

Did you find this post helpful?
Have you tried these techniques? Did they work for you?

TouchyBooks Review and Giveaway: The Witch's Apprentice

2011-07-17T13:55:00.001-07:00

It's that time again you lucky ducks! Today's review of the TouchyBooks story The Witch's Apprentice also has a giveaway in which 5 winners will get to pick the Touchybook story of their choice loaded directly on to their iPad or iPhone. Only takes a few seconds to enter!

Today's book The Witch's Apprentice seems to fit in perfectly in today's world of Harry Potter and Twilight lovers (yes, I admit I am one of those...team Edward in case you were wondering)! This book though is geared more towards younger viewers (ages 12 and under) rather than tweens (anyone else getting tired of that word?). The graphics are dark and spooky in overall appearance, though the little girl witch is more cutesy than evil. She is training to be a witch and talks about all the steps and spells she must practice in order to achieve her goal. I loved the large amount of interactive features that were really unique which included:

Dressing the witch in her proper attire (socks, hat, cape, etc)-kids LOVED this one
Reading magic cards (they are printed backwards and you must read them in a mirror-so creative!)
Reading magic words with the touch of a wand
Creating your own concoctions (thank you for using large vocabulary words)
Racing witches around on brooms through the sky
Practicing magic spells on the cat and turning her into....whatchamacallits!
Picture puzzles (the kids had fun mixing and matching animal parts)
Choosing different funny noses for our witch

This TouchyBook is definitely on our must-have list. Now is your chance to win it (or another book of your choice).
5 people will win a TouchyBook of their choice. Just complete at least the BOLD entry below, then complete optional entries for more chances to win! If you have any problems entering using this Rafflecopter giveaway, please leave me a comment below. Good luck!

Today's Reading Tip: Read The Walls!

2011-07-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

I took LoLo out for an adventure the other day (aka The Mall) and decided that we would play little games with all the signs and words we saw out in public. This is a great way to get him thinking more about how letters make up words, that words have meanings, and that words can be found anywhere.

Here are some of the things we read:

Menus in restaurant windows (he used pictures and the first letter of the word to figure them out)
Signs out front of stores advertising sales (he was excited to see words he knew "the," "and")
Push and Pull signs on doors (he learned the difference between these words "-sh" vs. "-ll")
Walmart coupon flyer at the door
Advertisements in store windows (I would have him look at the pictures to figure out what the ad was for, then show him to corresponding word)

So next time you are out, make reading the words around you a game!

Today's Reading Tip: Get A Grip

2011-07-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

Is your child learning to write, or having trouble with penmanship? If so, get a grip! Now, don't be offended...I meant it literally. Getting a rubbery pencil grip (like the one shown below) can really help your child learn the proper finger positioning for writing.

Most kindergarten teachers take the time to correct hand positions, though with the rigors of today's state standards and all they have to accomplish, many teachers lack the time needed to correctly teach this skill. As a result, some children need more time to perfect writing. Now that it is summer you have the chance to get your child's penmanship up to speed. So go get a rubberized grip and practice, practice, practice!

TouchyBooks Review and Giveaway: The Tortoise And The Hare

2011-07-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that I will now be reviewing new TouchyBooks on a regular basis. What that means for ME is that I get to test and review new stories on one of the best apps for kids there is, but what is means for YOU is the chance to win free books! Hooray!

Today's story is the classic fable The Tortoise And The Hare. I am happy to say that TouchyBooks stuck with the original story and added a modern twist with cute graphics. I liked the purple Hare and the way he came off as cocky in the beginning and so forlorn at the end! The Tortoise is very friendly and cute, especially with his little headband.

The kid's favorite parts of the story were the balloon that floats up at the starting line and you can touch it to pop it which begins the race! They wanted to play that page over, and over, and ugh over. Another page that received tons of laughs was where the Hare decided to take a nap because he had such an overwhelming lead. As he napped there were snot bubbles that oozed out of his nose, and with a touch you can pop them. Guess what the kids did over and over on that page?

This is a great, classic, simple story that was a lot of fun. It didn't seem to have as many interactive features as some of the other books; however, we loved the ones it did have.

***This giveaway is brought to you by Rafflecopter. This is my first giveaway using this new system, so please be patient with me, or let me know if you have any trouble entering!

Little Sky Writers App: The Little Airplane That Teaches Writing And Phonics

2011-07-01T20:38:00.001-07:00

Little Sky Writers by Dano2.com is a cute little app that any child, or airplane lover, will like. It is the perfect app for young preschoolers who are learning to write, recognize letters, or phonics. This app is available for the iPad and iPhone. On the menu screen your little one will be able to pick which color plane he would like (red, blue, pink), and then you press the start button and your engine starts up!

You can choose to practice writing letters in capital or lowercase font. My favorite feature of this app is that it shows a dot where the plane should start and stop writing the letter, and a 'track' that the plane should follow. This teaches your child the correct way to write a letter. Directionality is not often shown in similar apps, and as a Reading Specialist I have to say that I LOVE that they included this feature in Little Sky Writers.

As the plane follows the path it leaves behind puffs of smoke to show that the path was completed. Such a cute feature. What is even better is that it can not follow an incorrect path. If your child tries to drag the plane on an incorrect path it will simply pull the plane back on track! A great feature for young kids with limited fine motor skills.

One feature that the kids found hysterical was the voice of the narrator. As you trace the letters he says words and phrases that coordinate with the letter. LoLo really liked the letter G which said "Gobble, Gobble is thought to be what a turkey says; however, he really says 'Hello, I am a Turkey'!" Somehow this phrase just seemed to throw him into a fit of laughter every time...seriously, like 20 times!

This app is a great summertime activity to help your child learn writing and phonics skills for the upcoming year, or to review skills they need to perfect. Check it out by going to your app store on your device, or iTunes and typing in 'Little Sky Writers.'

Today's Reading Tip: Keep Working This Summer-Here's Why

2011-07-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

Every year as school starts back up I find that some of the same groups of students come back to see me for Language Arts support. As always I find that these students did NOT continue to practice any of the skills I taught them over the summer, and therefore we usually have to back track about 4 months!

Now, imagine what your child would be like if you work with them this summer on keeping up with their reading skills! Obviously if you are reading this you care about your child's academics, but did you know that MOST children do not do any sort of academic work over the summer, and MOST are behind by 4 months upon entering school in the Fall? So, I encourage you to have your kid be at the top of the class. Even if your child was about average in his class last year, you now have the potential to have him entering the following year closer to the top portion. So get working! Only about 10-15 minutes a day is needed, but the key is consistency and focus! You can keep it easy by buying a workbook for your child's grade level he will be entering, or you can go over all that work that the teachers sent home over the course of the previous year. Good Luck...and remember teachers LOVE parents like you :)

Today's Reading Tip: Spell It Out

2011-06-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

So you smarty pants out there probably just spelled "it" out loud didn't you? Well, what I was referring to was spelling words out loud to help your early reader understand that words that are spelled can be sounded out to make words they understand.

LoLo is 4 years old (and 4 months) and is just realizing that Mommy and Daddy talking in 'code' is really us just spelling words that we want to keep him unaware of. No longer! Now he understands what we are doing and is asking every time we spell something what the word is. I told him he would have to sound it out if he wanted to know. So I decided that on purpose when I would talk with my husband and I would spell out very easy CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words just so he could figure it out.

Today we were talking about both kids not taking a nap and here is what happened:
Me: "So Sandi told me that neither kid took a N-A-P today and that was not good!"
LoLo: "What does N-A-P spell?"
Me: "If you want to know you will have to sound it out to figure it out for yourself."
LoLo: "Ok, can you help me? (Me-No) Well, N-says /n/, A says /ah/, P says /puh/" Then he tries a few times to sound it out and after a few tries he gets it. "Oh, we didn't take a nap today and that was bad!"
Me: Turning to husband "We need a new system!" "Good job LoLo, now you can find out all of Mommy and Daddy's secrets (LoLo smiles really big)!"

TouchyBooks: The Children's App You MUST Own!

2011-06-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

In the world of Apps for your electronics there are too many to choose from, but not tons that are great for kids. Sure Angry Birds is a fun game, but educational and fun...I think not! That's why when I was asked by TouchyBooks to review their app store and interactive books for kids I was ecstatic. Then once I tried them with the kids I was blown away!

The books are called TouchyBooks because they interact with your child's touch via iPad or iPhone. These will soon be offering them via Android, Windows Phone, and Flash Web too. You can download your own TouchyBooks bookshelf for free and try out a few sample books before you purchase any paid books. This app can be downloaded via iTunes or the app store on your device. Here is what your virtual bookshelf will look like:

I decided to try out the free books first and downloaded those on to our iPad. The first thing I loved about them was the amazing illustrations! Each book has completely different styles of illustrations, but overall I found the graphics much more amazing than many children's books we own (and that is a ton given I am a Reading Specialist)! The Moon Secrets book reminds me of a happier version of The Nightmare Before Christmas in regards to graphics, while The Candy Factory illustrations seem to take inspiration from the children's book Abuela.

Each book can be played two different ways: read to me (with audio), or read with me (no audio). I love that the text seems to appear on the page in a font that is similar to the illustrations. The funky font in The Candy Factory appeared tilted and silly, while the Sleeping Beauty font was elegant and floated on the page. Each story has different touch sensitive areas on the illustrations, so your kids can make mice run, characters fly, or a prince kiss a princess (to name a few). I especially liked that the kids could make the cotton candy cloud float around the page with a touch of a finger (in The Candy Factory). In the book The Adventures of Alt you can make Alt (a funny little alien being) go on adventures! He flies in a balloon and rescues friends. I could go on and on about what an amazing app this is, but you truly must try it out for yourself!

Here are my favorite books that we tried:

Sleeping Beauty: an abbreviated version of the classic tale with dramatic illustrations and a 'surprise' feature where you make the prince kiss Sleeping Beauty to wake her up!

The Adventures of Alt: take Alt on an adventure to rescue new friends while listening to a 'robotic' narrator (honestly could have done without that part, but overall loved Alt and the interactive features)!

The Candy Factory: a MUST have! You can make the kids float on a cloud of cotton candy around the screen....enough said!

Moon Secrets: a cute short story that works for young ones with short attention spans. Adorable large graphics that move with the story. This one is FREE to try!

I Want To Be A Pirate: LoLo's favorite one (of course). He told me today that he wants to be a pirate when he grows up...oh boy! I liked the colorful characters and simple backgrounds. LoLo really liked the canons that fire when you turn the page!

So if you are going to download any app for your kids this summer...this is the one! Try select TouchyBooks today for free and I know you will be hooked! Also, look for our upcoming giveaway in which you could win the TouchyBook of your choice for FREE!

Disclosure: These downloads were given to me by TouchyBooks to facilitate this review. All opinions and words are my own.

Today's Reading Tip: Ask Questions!

2011-06-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the lack of posts these past few days, but life was getting crazy! Now, back to Today's Reading Tip!

Today's tip is in regards to asking questions to help your child retain comprehension of what was read. I created some cute little question owls, and for the life of me can not seem to find them now! Anyways, I would love to tell you how to make your own.

Here is what you will need:

6 tongue depressors OR popsicle sticks
6 owl stencils cut out on cardstock or very heavy paper
a sharpie
some white glue

First, take the owl template you can find HERE and print out 6 each (or use your own template). One per sheet in the largest size you can accommodate. Then, write one of the 6 question words on the owls in large letters across the torso (one word on each owl)

WHO
WHAT
WHERE
WHEN
WHY
HOW

Next, you can choose to laminate your owls if you wish and then cut them out. Once they are cut you are ready to glue them on the sticks and use them with your child.

Here are some ways I use mine in the classroom and at home with LoLo:

As we read I occasional stop and hold up a sign and ask a question, such as: "WHO stole the cookie?"
If my students have a question as I am reading they can hold up an owl and ask me a quesion. Example, Leah held up the WHAT owl and asked "what happened to the troll under the bridge?"
At the end of the story I use the owls to recap. I hold up each one and ask a specific question. Example, "WHO is the main character," "WHERE did the story take place," etc.

Once you have made your owls, tell me HOW will you use them?

Today's Reading Tip: Make A Word Flip Book

2011-06-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

Now that LoLo is really taking an interest in reading words he sees places I really want to give him more opportunities to be confident and succeed. After all, how can a child really feel good about reading when he is trying to sound out words like "cafeteria" and "selection?!" So, since he is only 4 and needed more encouragement to read words he could sound out I decided to make him a word Flip Book.

Here is what you will need:
-A 4x6 cheap photo album that holds at least 20 cards (I bought mine at the local $1 store, or the bin at Target)
-some BLANK 4x6 index cards
-a marker

Just write some sight words and simple 3-letter consonant-vowel-consonant words on them. Here is a great list with suggestions. These words will be easy for your little one to sound out and are great for teaching early reading techniques.

Self Tanner: Jergen's Natural Glow Firming Lotion

2011-06-12T08:27:00.001-07:00

Self Tanner: Jergens Natural Glow Firming Lotion

Hi everyone! Ellery here from Mom's Life Made Easy with another sunless tanner review. This time you can find this one right at your local drugstore for under $10. Jergens Natural Glow Sunless Tanner With Firmer is a pretty thick lotion that has a slightly sunscreen smell to it with a hint of coconut (reminds me of Banana Boat sunscreen). There really is no "tanner" smell, which is nice, you just smell like you spent the day at the beach.

This tanner is unique in that it gives you a gradual tan when you apply it daily. I tried it everyday for two weeks and I could see that my skin did look more coppery and did not have an orange tint. The change was very gradual and not something you would really notice after just a few days.
I also liked that the lotion did moisturize well, so I didn't feel that I needed to add my own moisturizer on top. It also blended well into the areas I didn't tan, such as my face, hands, and feet.

Now on to the bad news...I didn't notice any firming! I was all excited to see some slight toning on my thighs and belly, but didn't see a thing. After two weeks I can't say that I felt or visual noticed any sort of "firming." So my suggestion would be to just stick with the original and save a buck or two!

Happy Tanning from Mom's Life Made Easy!

Disclosure: None, I purchased at my local store. Thanks for suggesting this post Aunt Cathy!

Today's Reading Tip: Activities For Your LeapFrog TAG Reading System

2011-06-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

Do you own a LeapFrog TAG Reading System? If not, I highly recommend it! This system comes with a "pen" that when placed on top of words or markers in TAG specific books will read the word or story aloud to a child. I love both of the TAG systems: The TAG (which allows the child to read a whole page/portion of text, or will read word by word), and the TAG Jr. (which has simpler features for a younger child).

I also like that I can incorporate activities to go along with our TAG system, such as:

I will put a sticky note on the page with the number of the words "the" on the page and have LoLo find them. I will do this same activity for every sight word we have previously worked on. Then, I just leave the notes in the book so he can play again later.
I will say a word to LoLo and have him use the TAG word to find it. Since he is a very early reader, I choose an easy consonant-vowel-consonant word like 'cat' and have him find it with his eyes and check his answer with his TAG pen.
I will ask him questions about the story and have him find the answer with his TAG pen. This works best for one-word answers that are specific in the text. An example would be "who found the bone?" and he points the TAG pen to the word Scooby.

If you do not yet have a TAG pen and books, what are you waiting for?

Today's Reading Tip: Print Your Own Early Readers

2011-06-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever gone to the bookstore looking for very beginning reader books only to be disappointed? Me to! Those Bob Books not only have extremely boring pictures, but also have incomplete sentences, unusual sentence structure, and periods at the end of phrases! Seriously, they are this reading specialist's worst nightmare! My suggestion would be to either make or print your own.
If you haven't been a My Reading Specialist.com reader for long, you might not know how much I love Cherry Carl's website Carl's Corner. One site she also hosts is called LittleBookLane.com. This site has a lot of little books that you can print at home. I like to print them out and have the kids color them. Then we go through with a highlighter and look for all of our "focus words" (usually sight words we are working on that day). LittleBookLane.com has so many great resources, and even has series of books that connect to the Literacy Series by Scott Foresman (SF) which may be used within your child's school.
Happy Reading!

Today's Reading Tip: Get Writing!

2011-06-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you have been keeping up with my 'Today's Reading Tip' series, you probably know how much reading and writing go hand in hand. It is a necessity that your child is practicing his writing skills often, and what more fun than to practice them without the traditional pencil and paper.

The Crayola Dry Erase Poster Set is a large re-usable sticker that goes up on your wall!

The best thing about it is that it has correct lines for the beginning writer (many products do not). It is a large size, has many lines, and is easily erasable so your child can spend a lot of time writing. I would suggest using dry erase pens that are washable just in case your child gets them on their clothes (or worse, the wall). These pens easily come off of skin and the white board:

Remember that when you clean it DO NOT use water! I leave my husband's gym sock next to it so the kids can put their hand inside and easily clean the board. If dry erasing does not get all the residue off, then try a dry erase specific cleaner such as this one:

Today's Reading Tip: Play The Game Memory

2011-06-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

Today's reading tip may sound a little odd to you, but let me tell you why playing the game Memory will help with learning to read. Memory helps train your brain to remember locations of either pictures or words, which in turn helps with building visual connections within a given space (the playable area in this case). Reading a book uses many of the same skills. For reading you must learn to recognize parts of words (such as word families), read from left to right, and recognize paragraphs and sentences. All of these skills have to do with visual cues much like playing the game Memory.

So the next time you play Memory, think about all the things going on in your child's brain and how these connections are helping build visual memory which in turn will help him become a better reader.

Today's Reading Tip: Benefits of Books on CD

2011-05-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

Wow! Things have been so busy around here that I have hardly had time to post. So sorry, there is more to come so keep posted. Today's reading tip is about the benefits of listening to books on CD.
Recently the kids got two new CDs on tape and I thought about how much listening to these helps build their phonemic awareness which in turns build their reading skills. Books on tape are great to listen to anywhere and do not have to accompany the book to be beneficial to children. Most people listen to them at home along with using the book, and this is a great way to teach your child good fluency as they listen to the reader speak, as well as show the visual connection of the word to the spoken word.
One way we like to listen to our books on CD is in the car. For example, right now we have Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? in the car.

The children know that it is a book, but they do not realize that by listening to the story they are building their phonemic awareness skills. The CD helps to promote good reading skills by giving an example of good fluency (speed/accuracy of the reader), rhyming, pronunciation, tone of voice, and in the case of this story-repetition. Then at night when we read the book, the children are able to put all of these skills to use. They don't even realize that they know all the words on the page until I point to them as they read to me!

Today's Reading Tip: Work Those Word Families

2011-05-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Once your preschooler has mastered his letter sounds it might be time to consider teaching word families.

Word families are groupings of 2-3 letters that are commonly found in many words throughout the English language, such as:
-at
-it
-all
-ate
-eat

There are too many to list, but try these great lists on Enchanted Learning.

Once your child has learned his word families well he will begin to recognize them as one set of sounds and will not have to sound out every letter individually. Even some of my older students who read letter-by-letter benefit from re-learning their word families to aid in better fluency (rate and accuracy of reading.