One Minute Reader App by Read Naturally {Mosaic Review}

Today I am reviewing a reading App for the iPad by Read Naturally.

About the Product: 
I was given Level E of the One Minute Reader App to review. I chose this level as Ladybug is a struggling reader and Monkey reads at the same level as she does. 

 One Minute Reader is very easy to use. Download the App, have your child choose the story he/she wants to read, type in their name and go. First your child will read the story for 1 minute. 

 This is called the "cold read". After they finish the story you will see a thermometer that shows how many words they read during this "cold read". Next, they touch the highlighted words to learn their meanings. They earn points for every highlighted word they touch. After, the have done all the vocabulary they listen to the story 3 times. 

 When they are finished listening to the story, they move on to the "hot read". Now they read the story again, and after 1 minute they touch the last word they read. Continue practicing reading the story until they get a "hot read" score they like. Then they move on to see the thermometer again. This time it will compare the "cold read" and "hot read" scores (words per minute). Be ready to see some awesome growth! 

After each story there are some comprehension questions and a crossword puzzle to solve.

 In a Nutshell:
~There are 6 Levels (E, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
~The FREE App has a placement tool
~Each Level has 25 short stories and is $19.99
~Read Naturally has many other reading products

Our Thoughts:
Monkey loves it...but he loves learning and reading and the iPad. So, he is not a good judge for this. Ladybug doesn't hate it or fight me when I ask her to use it! This is AMAZING. She is a struggling reader and usually fights me on anything that may actually help her improve her reading fluency. She likes this because it is quick, she can earn points, she can SEE her improvement (the thermometer and graphs) and she doesn't have to do it all in one sitting. I, like Monkey, love this app. While the price is a little steep for me, I will be getting more levels as Ladybug and Monkey progress. Why? Because, in just a few short weeks I have seen Ladybug go from hating to read to tolerating it AND doubling her cold read scores (from 9 to 21 or more words per minute). I am willing to pay for anything that will help her learn to enjoy reading while at the same time help her become a more fluent reader.
  
About the Vendor (from the website):
As part of her master’s program in special education, Candyce Ihnot developed a unique and highly effective strategy to help struggling readers achieve fluency. She combined three research-proven methods (teacher modeling, repeated reading, and progress monitoring) into a simple set of steps that would later become known as the Read Naturally strategy. Eventually, this strategy would help hundreds of thousands of struggling students read more fluently. Along with her husband, Tom, a high school economics teacher and basketball coach, Candyce founded Read Naturally, Inc., in 1991.

Contact Information:
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Ooka Island ~ A Mosaic Review

Today I get to review Ladybug and Monkey's FAVORITE learning game! They absolutely LOVE Ooka Island. We had the chance to review it a couple years ago and they were so upset when it ended. A few months ago (before I knew we were going to review it again) I found a great deal on a subscription and purchased it! Now...on with the review!

  *Note: The Ooka Island website is PACKED full of information and videos. Please click all the links in this post to truly SEE what Ooka Island is all about! What is Ooka Island? From the website:  The Ooka Island Adventure is a downloadable hero-mission in 3D designed to teach young children how to read fluently and well. The Ooka Island Adventure combines the highly engaging components of a state-of-the-art virtual world with the scientifically proven OokaMethod that builds literacy skills.

Carefully embedded within the Ooka Island Adventure are dozens of interactive instructional activities that captivate the child and motivate them as they learn essential pre-reading, reading, spelling, and writing skills. After completing the Ooka Island Adventure, children will be on their way to reading fluently and well for life.

Ladybug and Monkey playing Ooka Island

In a Nutshell: ~Download and Install Game (high-speed required) ~Internet required for play ~Ages Pre-Kindergarten - 2nd grade (could be used for older children for remediation) ~Earn Ooka Mist (currency) to purchase goodies for the Pencil Playground ~85 leveled books ~Customize your Avatar ~First, follow Zobot around the Island (guided learning-20 minutes). Next, Enter the Popcorn Library. Then, Explore the island (free play-8 minutes). Repeat until the entire program is complete. ~The Cave of Sounds: Auditory recognition of sounds, letter-sound correspondence, identify initial and final consonants in words ~Popcorn Library: Reading comprehension and fluency skills ~Alphabet Mountain: Identifying and sequencing lower and uppercase letters ~Bubbly Trubbly: Letter-sound correspondence ~Cake Factory: Letter-sound correspondence, segmenting, blending and decoding ~Submarine Listening: Identifying vowel in initial, medial and final positions ~Word Ball: Auditory discrimination between syllables and words, decoding ~Pencil Playground: Social/emotional play-based learning ~Clumsy Wacky Moving Company: Blending onset and rime, blending sounds into words, rhyming ~Pricing is affordable (less than $20/month for up to 4 children). There are 3 ways to purchase (home edition, school edition and homeschool edition)  ~Website Contact Form ~Twitter ~Facebook ~Pinterest ~Blog

Monkey playing with his Zopet in the Pencil Playground

Our Thoughts: We love Ooka Island. Monkey asks to "do school" everyday (including weekends). He loves playing Ooka Island and is learning so much. We have had trouble getting Ladybug to enjoy learning to read. Ooka Island is the ONLY thing we have found that she doesn't fight and is actually willing to do. She is also making progress in her reading ability. I love Ooka Island because both my little readers enjoy it and Ladybug is actually enjoying reading. It has been quite a struggle with her.   

Click HERE for 30% off Ooka Island 

(in addition to the already 37% off Family Edition)!!!

Doctors, School and a Broken Pipe...Oh My!

This month has been much busier than I am used to. I have had 5 (yes, FIVE) doctor appointments since January 2nd and I have 1 more on Monday and then out-patient surgery on Wednesday. I am hoping that after the surgery things will slow back down to a normal pace and we can get back into our school routine.

We have also started our new curriculum and I have managed to snap a few photos (Yay Me)! With this new curriculum we are doing a month of history, then a month of geography and then a month of science on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Friday we do Literature and either Art or Music. Monday are a free day (used for catch-up, field trips, or one-on-one time with my oldest). These subjects are done as a family in the afternoons. Math, Reading, Spelling and other subjects are done in the morning individually.

So far we have had 6 History lessons and 1 Literature and 1 Art Lesson (with all the doctor appointments we are 1 lesson behind in Lit and Art). We have learned about how history is His Story, studied Creation, started our timeline, and created our notebooks. In Literature we are studying Fairy Tales and the lessons they teach us. In Art we are focusing on the Creation and how God is the Ultimate Creator and that because we are made in him image we are also creative beings. Additionally, Monkey and Ladybug do reading and spelling each day and Unicorn is learning to cook and sew.

On another note, we had some UNUSUALLY COLD weather here. Normally, this time of year, we have Highs around 65 and Lows around 40. Last week we had Highs around 40 and Lows around 20! Now, in other parts of the country, this wouldn't be a problem but, here in the Phoenix, Arizona area this is not good! Our pipes are only buried 3-6 inches below ground...not good when you have extended periods of freezing temps. We were pretty lucky, we only had ONE pipe burst and it was an external, above-ground pipe. It was a pretty easy fix. Needless to say, I am grateful for the 75 degree high we had today!

New Year, New Curriculum

I hope you are having a great start to your New Year! 

Last month I mentioned that I had found a curriculum that meets all my desires and this week we are just getting started on our first few lessons. As we are just starting, and I am learning the curriculum too, I don't have any pictures...yet! I hope to write up a post by the end of next week. By that time we will have done 2 weeks of lessons and (hopefully) I will remember to pull out the camera and snap some photos. In the meantime, I did manage to find some time to update our curriculum tab at the top of the page, so feel free to check out our curriculum there. I have made some other changes to the tabs and their content so if you haven't clicked on the tabs recently you may want to do so! ;)

Here are a few photos from January so far:

Unicorn made this Yummy dinner

Unicorn made this outfit!

Ladybug working on her reading!

Ladybug and Monkey doing their Spelling!

I have had 4 Dr. appointments and 2 blood draws and no answers yet!

 

TOS Review ~ All About Reading (Level 1)

As a former public school teacher I have very strong opinions on what is the best way to teach reading. I have been searching for a "program" that is easy too use, not time consuming and teaches phonics including the phonics rules. All About Reading does all of this...and more! I was given the opportunity to review All About Reading Level 1 and Deluxe Reading Kit from All About Learning Press with Ladybug (she is 5 and 1/2).Level 1 $107.70 $99.95~Teacher's Manual~Student Packet (flash cards and Activity book)~3 (three) ReadersDeluxe Reading Kit $48.95~Letter Tiles*~Magnets*~Basic Phonograms CD-Rom*~Reading Divider Cards*~Reading Card box~Tote Bag~Star Stickers*Basic Kit ($28.95)PROS~Comprehensive~Easy to use (scripted)~Very little prep time~Lessons are short~Review is incorporated~Flexible~Multi-sensory~Multiple kit options (to keep costs down)~Only need to purchase additional Student Activity book to use with more children ($16.95)~Low cost AFTER initial start-up costs~Lots of Support (Articles, Blog, Forum, Contact) ~1 Full Year Money back Guarantee 
CONS~CAN be expensive to start-up
Other Products~All About Reading Pre-Level 1~All About Reading Level 2 Readers (complete level 2 coming out THIS year)~All About Spelling Levels 1-6~All About Homophones~Games
Our ThoughtsI am really impressed.  In fact I was so impressed, that I bought All About Spelling Level 1 to use with Ladybug and All About Reading Pre-Level 1 to use with Monkey. I like that lessons are scripted but that I can go through something quickly if the content is already mastered. I especially like that the letter tiles are the same for both All About Reading and All About Spelling so once the basic or deluxe kit is purchased you can purchase the rest of the items that you need (the dividers and storage boxes) a la cart! Finally, I also like that for each additional child that uses the program only the student activity book is needed! Ladybug enjoys the program as well. She really likes the readers!

Note: These photos are of Ladybug doing the All About Spelling Level 1...
it is really hard to take pictures of us doing All About Reading! 

Click here to read what my Crew Mates think of All About Reading!
{Disclaimer: I received All About Reading Level 1 and the Deluxe Kit in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and all opinions are my own.}

Summer Reading (and more)

I signed the girls up for an online Summer Reading Class and so far they are loving it! 


Unicorn's first book was "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen. 

The teacher "meets" with the class online once a week and they have a discussion about the book. Then she sends project options via email! Unicorn has been researching wilderness survival and is creating a  powerpoint of her Top 10 Survival items to show what she has learned. 

This is what she came up with:

10. Flashlight

9. Gloves

8. Water Bottle

7. Mylar Survival Blanket

6. Small Roll of Fishing Line or Dental Floss

5. First Aid Kit

4. Lighter

3. Compass

2. Cell Phone

1. A Map of the Area

Ladybug's first book was "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" by Judy Barrett. 

After Unicorn read the book to her and she "attended" class, Ladybug and Unicorn made a 6-Day Desert Food Forcast on powerpoint. They had fun finding clip art and animating the words and pictures! 

looking through the book for ideas

jotting down ideas

Here is their 6-Day Desert Food Forecast:

Unicorn's Monday Forecast - Blazing hot with a chance of monsoon pizza!

Ladybug's Tuesday Forecast - Cooler with a chance of ice cream storms!

Unicorn's Wednesday Forecast - Steaming hot with a chance of spaghetti fog!

Ladybug's Thursday Forecast - Really hot with a chance of cookie hail!

Unicorn's Friday Forecast - Frying hot with a chance of violent peanut butter storms!

Ladybug's Saturday Forecast - Really, really hot with a chance of hamburger tornados!

Ladybug's second book was "Pickles to Pittsburgh" also, by Judy Barrett (I wish I had a picture of this book but it was checked out of the library). Her teacher challenged her to learn more about Pittsburg and to hold a "Pickle Tasting" with her family and chart the results.

This is what they learned about Pittsburgh:

Did you know that Pittsburgh...

is in Pennsylvania?
is known as "The City of Bridges"?
is known as "The Steel City"?
is the Host City for the 2011 NHL Winter Classic?
was named "The Most Livable City" in 2007, 2009 and 2010?
has an average high of about 60 degrees?
has an average low of about 41 degrees?
was ranked as one of the top 5 places in America to raise children?
has one of the top 3 zoos?
is home to the original Mallo Cup marshmallow candy?
is where the movie "Angles in the Outfield" was filmed?
is where the "Big Mac" was invented?
held the first World Series Game night game?

And their Pickle Pictures & Results:


We tried 6 varieties - "Spicy Dill", "Sweet Gherkins", "Tiny Sweet Midgets", "Kosher Dills",  "Bread & Butter Chips" and "Sweet Relish"

This was Unicorn's face for all 6 kinds...she didn't like any of them!

Ladybug tried all 6 varieties that we bought but only liked the 

"Tiny Sweet Midgets" and the "Sweet Relish"

Monkey didn't like any of the pickles...He would tell Unicorn, "put that back!"


Dad liked all the pickles and Mom liked all but the "Kosher Dills".

Next week, Unicorn will be reading "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson

and Ladybug is reading "Froggy gets Dressed" by Jonathon London

Next week is also Friendship week so the girls will be doing a Friendship Web and a Friendship Poem.

Year-Round Educating...

While we will continue with Math, Religion, Reading and Preschool (and writing our Penpals) throughout the summer, I will be posting less frequently until August. We are getting ready to move (again) and I have started a new part-time job at the community college, so our "schedule" (term used loosely) will be a little crazy until the end of July!

Unicorn is progressing through Dreambox.com, Math Mammoth and has been reading books like crazy. She is almost finished with the "Series of Unfortunate Events" by Lemony Snicket, she only has one book left. She has also read "Ella Enchanted" and is starting "Hatchet" today for the "Beach Bag Book Club" that starts on Thursday. Tomorrow we will sign up for the library summer reading club. Also, tomorrow begins the summer movies at Harkins Theatres, the first show is "Charlotte's Web"! For Religion during the summer I am going to have her read "Book of Mormon Stories" and do the "Book of Mormon Workbook" from Discover the Scriptures. While the stories and the workbook are below her grade level in reading it will be a good introduction to studying the scriptures daily.

Ladybug is having a blast with the Mother Goose Time preschool curriculum. I have been supplementing it with extra letter and number pages to give her more practice with writing. 

Check out some pictures of what they have been doing!

Ladybug's Piggy Bank

Practicing "F" and "6"

Fun with Colors

Wow...can you believe she just turned 4!!

Ladybug's Pizza

Unicorn wanted to make Pizza too, so she found some scraps and made a Pizza!

Beary Scary Ladybug!

Our Bean Project!

Another way to Grow Beans!

Another angle on the planted Beans!