Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Saying Goodbye to 2008

It is hard to believe this year has flown already! Is it just me or does each year go by faster and faster? Every year is a good year if it brings us closer to God (and sometimes that means a tough year:-), but this year brought our family some great things and great times!

This year, we saw the vision for Hope House come into reality. God provided all that we had need of to get the facility ready (thanks to some new friends from Tracy, CA). He brought us a wonderful director that we have confidence in to accomplish the work God has put in her heart as well as ours. He has provided for every need throughout the year - in His time!

He led us to make the move up to the Phoenix area and worked out every little detail to accomplish that move. We are very excited to be able to worship in His awesome presence every week with these folks who have become like family to us!

We have continued to grow as a family and our children have entered those teen years! Our relationships with them have grown and changed, and all for the better! God is so awesome! If we will just learn to WAIT ON HIM, He will accomplish every good work in our lives!

For the past 5 years or so, the main lesson we have been learning is to wait on Him - for everything! For His provision, for His leading, for His timing (which is NEVER the same as ours:-) and for every little thing! He knows all and sees all and is the best to decide the what, where, how and when! We serve an absolutely awesome God!

And as far as this economy goes, well He is in charge and will always take care of us. We have been excited about the low gas prices and grocery prices since stores are competing for our business. When you already live VERY frugally, the downturn in the economy hasn't had that great of an affect, except in ways that have benefited our budget:-). So look on the bright side and take advantage of those lower prices while they are here. And God will take care of us when things change again, too! He has a plan and He ALWAYS provides for His own! Trust in Him, lean on Him, look to Him and you will have a wonderful new year (no matter what the circumstances are)!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Learning through PLAY!!

The basic concept of the Puppetools site - that is learning through play - is something I believe in greatly! The founder, Jeffrey Peyton, has spent many years researching and putting together information for educators about the great advantages of learning through play. He quotes many famous philosophers and educators who stressed the importance of play in learning.

The Puppetools website is designed primarily for the classroom teacher who needs inexpensive and creative ways to bring the joy of learning through play into the classroom. He teaches the basics of the "hinge" which is what all of the puppets are built upon. There are many patterns and ideas for use in learning and teaching that could be very helpful to getting you started in using play as a learning tool.

I truly believe in using play for learning and teaching, and when my kids were little we used puppets as part of that play. Now, we lean more towards games, but the concept is the same. Children will learn and retain more when it is presented in the context of play.

And individual subscription is now available for only $20 for a full year. If your co-op or homeschool group is interested in Puppetools, you could purchase a Group Subscription and share among 30 different families for only $99 for a year. That comes out to only a little over $3.00 per family!!

Whatever your method for including play as a learning and teaching tool, please make sure to incorporate it in your daily teaching to enhance your child's ability to learn and retain the material!! And take a moment to check out Puppetools to see if this may be the way to get you started.

ALEKS Math

Ok, I am not a big proponent of online education, but this program may be the exception. ALEKS math is not just an online math program. At the heart of ALEKS is an artificial intelligence engine that assesses each student individually and continuously. It avoids multiple choice questions, thereby being more able to assess the student's abilities and challenges. ALEKS offers K-12 grade learning in all the applicable math subjects.

After taking the assessment, each child is given a pie chart showing what areas they need work and how much. Then the student can choose which area of math to work on until they fill up that section of the pie chart completely. They can move freely from topic to topic, thus keeping them from getting bored with one area of math. Also, if they are struggling in one area, they can switch to something they are more comfortable with for awhile.

My children actually like this program, and I sat with them as they worked and was very impressed with the quality of the material. We had a few technical challenges since we are using MACs, but quickly overcame them so that the kids could both work at the same time on different computers. My son loved the fact that it allowed him to use the calculator for long problems, as long as he understood the process and steps taken to figure out the problem. My daughter enjoyed the Geometry sections since she has not done much of this yet in her regular math program.

Here is some more information that I think will be helpful to you from their website:

"To ensure that topics learned are retained in long term memory, ALEKS periodically reassesses the student, using the results to adjust the student's knowledge of the course. Because students are forced to show mastery through mixed question assessments that cannot be predicted, mastery of the ALEKS course means true mastery of the course."

How is ALEKS different from other online learning programs?

  • Uses artificial intelligence to target gaps in student knowledge
  • Provides a cycle of assessment and learning
  • Assesses and instructs with standards-based content
  • Remediates gaps in student preparation
  • Adapts to student needs with individualized instruction
  • Presents only topics the student is ready to learn
  • Provides clear explanations and feedback
  • Monitors learning progress with automated reports
  • Allows students to toggle between English and Spanish
  • Offers unlimited online access from any computer
  • Requires no minimum purchase -- Buy as few or as many subscriptions as needed!
  • Allows you to save unused subscriptions
I encourage you to check out ALEKS for yourself and see if this might be a helpful math program for your children. They have a free trial so you can actually see what it is like.


A subscription to ALEKS is

  • $19.95 per student, per month, or

  • only $99.95 every 6 months, or

  • only $179.95 every 12 months.
They also have a family discount program so that you can get discounts for multiple students.

Time 4 Learning - Online Education


Time 4 Learning is an automated online learning system with K-8th grade material that can be used by homeschoolers. The majority of their program is Language Arts and Math, but it also has some Science and Social Studies for some grades. This program is completely online and the student would do all their schooling on the computer. For me, this is a negative since I strictly limit my childrens' time on the computer and would definitely not want them to do all their schooling online. However, I know that this is not the case for many families. So, with this in mind, I will share what Time 4 Learning has to offer.

For children who love to work on the computer and interact online, Time 4 Learning may be a great incentive to do their schoolwork. The lessons are animated and colorful, although my children thought them a little goofy. Children get to work at their own pace and can repeat lessons whenever desired. There are reports for the parents to check progress, as well as complete lesson plans.

This is a secular program, so evolution is taught and some of the humor may be a little questionable depending on your family:-). Personally, I would not choose an online curriculum. However, if you would like something to supplement what you are teaching, or an educational option for your kids when they have time on the computer, you may want to check out Time 4 Learning. It costs $19.95 per month for the first child, and $14.95 for the second. They offer a risk-free 14 day trial that may be perfect for you to see exactly what Time 4 Learning has to offer.

All About Spelling

For starters, I want to let you know that I have tried several spelling programs, made my own, used those included in my unit studies and used none. I don't believe in using a formal spelling program until around 3rd or 4th grade, when your child can write well. Up until that time, I believe they learn alot of spelling just from reading.

Ok, with this explanation given in advance, I want to tell you how impressed I have been with All About Spelling! This program is set up in such a way as to not be tedious for the child that is not yet comfortable with a lot of writing. It is creatively put together so as to teach spelling without a bunch of repetition and copy work. There are games to make it fun and smaller children can use magnetic letter tiles to spell words rather than always writing them out.

Since my children are older, we quickly reviewed through Levels 1-3 and began working on Level 4. In the first several lessons, there were spelling rules that I had never heard of!! And I am an excellent speller (spelling bee winner and all that:-)! There was some prep work of cutting that they have eliminated by making the cards perforated - so that is a HUGE plus! You have word cards that you can use to keep track of words that your child still needs to work on, as well as Phonogram Cards with all the sounds so you can keep reviewing and keep track of what your child has mastered. All About Spelling brings together the three pathways to learning - auditory, visual and kinesthetic. There is a built-in review system and reinforcement activities to ensure that students retain what they learn and how to apply it in practical situations.

And this program is very reasonably priced! They range between $29.95 and $39.95 for a full year set, which includes the Teacher's Manual, as well as the Student Material Packet. You will need a Student Material Packet for each child to keep track of their progress, but these are only $12.95 - $17.95 each. You will also need to purchase a set of Letter Tiles ($9.95) and their Magnets ($5.95) one time to use with all of your children. The last spelling program I purchased was almost $100!! So this is very reasonable!

They have sample lessons on their website so you can see how it is laid out. Each lesson is very short and simple so spelling won't take a lot of your time each day. And because of the multi-sensory approach, it is much more appealing to all types of students. All in all, I am very impressed with this spelling program and will be continuing to use it with my kids! If you are not thrilled with your current spelling program, I challenge you to check out All About Spelling and see if it isn't just the fit for you!

A Little Grocery Shopping Help in Phoenix, AZ Area

If you are in the Phoenix, AZ area, this might be of help to you in your weekly shopping. For those of you who are too busy to peruse the sales ads and find out what is on special (and truly a good price:-), I am going to make a quick list each week (maybe twice since ads come out at different times) and post it here, as well as send it directly to those who wish to receive it in their email.

So, for the week of December 29, 2008, here are the best buys that I have found:

BEST DEAL: Skinless, boneless chicken breasts - $1.67/lb at Albertsons
and
Ranchers Reserve Beef Chuck 7-Bone Pot Roast $1.27/lb at Safeway



Albertsons
2 lb baby carrots 2 for $4.00
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts $1.67/lb
Farmer John Refrigerated Maple Bacon Sliced (16 oz) $1.77
Challenge Unsalted or Regular Butter (16 oz) 2/$6.00
Milk $1.88/gallon

Fry’s
Chicken Thighs and Legs $0.99/lb
93% lean Ground Beef in 2 lb Chub $1.88/lb
Dole Salad (in a 1lb bag) 10/$10
2 liter Pepsi products $0.88
1 lb bag of baby carrots 10/$10

Basha’s
2 liter Coke products $0.77
Roma tomatoes $0.88/lb

Safeway
Safeway skinless, boneless chicken breasts $1.77lb
93% lean ground beef $1.77/lb
Avocados Hass (1 lb) $0.48/lb
Smithfield Bacon (16 oz) Thick Sliced, Hickory Smoked 2 for $2.96
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce (18 oz) Hickory/Brown Sugar 2 for $3.19
Ranchers Reserve Beef Chuck 7-Bone Pot Roast $1.27/lb

Sprouts
Peppers Bell, Field Grown Red,Green, Yellow (1 lb) $0.77/lb
Peppers (Capsicums) Banana (Yellow Long) (1 lb) $0.77/lb
Lettuce Red or Green Leaf (1.00 ea) $0.77/lb
Chicken Thighs, boneless / skinless (1.00 lb) $1.69/lb
Pears Bartlett (1.00 lb) $0.88/lb
Grapes Red Globe (1 lb) $0.88/lb
Grapes Blue/Black Seedless (1 lb) $0.88/lb
Apples Fuji (1 lb) $0.88/lb
Apples Braeburn (1 lb) $0.88/lb

Food City usually has the best produce prices, so check there. Their ad is not out yet. And don’t forget 99 Cents Store for produce – they have great prices, too!

You will notice not much processed-type foods on this list. That is because I seldom buy them so am not an expert on what is a good price. Don't forget that WalMart price matches, just make sure it is the same brand. I have found that the cashiers usually keep the sales ads from all the competitors handy to look up prices, so you just need to mention them (from this list even) to get the better price.

If you would like to receive this in an email each week, simply comment on this post leaving your email address and I will add you to my weekly distribution list.

Hope this is helpful for some of you out there! Happy grocery shopping!

Monday, December 22, 2008

What Are You Baking for Christmas?

I began my baking today for Christmas - finally! Life has been a little busy with moving and all, but I am beginning to get settled in and today I began my baking.

First, I made 3 batches of peanut brittle. This was my first time to do it by myself and it turned out great! And I even taught my daughter how to make it.

Then, I had to go and do all my shopping to get all the ingredients for baking and Christmas Eve and Day meals. Then I made 2 Key Lime Pies from the original recipe my mom got from the guy who invented it in Key West, FL. This is such a simple recipe, but SO yummy!

There are only 4 ingredients:
5 egg yolks
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup of key lime juice (I squeeze my own from Mexican limes - the small ones)
1 graham cracker pie shell

Mix the first three ingredients together and pour into the pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes and you are done!! Top with some freshly whipped cream and you have a winner dessert for any occasion!

Tomorrow I will be baking pumpkin pies and pumpkin roll, as well as pumpkin dinner rolls. Then we will be making snickerdoodles and peanut butter M&M cookies. That will be all for us!

How about you? What are you baking (or have you baked) for Christmas? Care to share a recipe or two?

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Did You Know There Was A Little Man in the Map?

Well, I learned something new when I read this delightful book with my children - there is a little man right in the middle of the United States map and he can help you learn all 50 states!

The Little Man in the Map is a delightful and beautiful hardbound book from Schoolside Press that will help your children (and you) learn your U.S. geography. The author is very imaginative in creating clues that will help you to remember the location of all 50 states.

After reading this book, my children said to me, "But the states don't really look like a man." So I took them to another map and showed them that indeed, there is a Little Man in the Map!! They were really shocked! They thought the author changed the shape of the states to make it work, but the states do really look like that! So even though my children thought the book a little corny (they are 12yo and 14yo), they did learn the placement of all 50 states in just a short time through the clues and rhymes in the book.

If you would like a delightful addition to your U.S. geography studies that will also help you to remember the states, The Little Man in the Map is the ideal book for you! There are also free coloring pages you can download from their website, as well as a wall map to aid your children in learning the states. And this beautiful book is only $19.95 and would make a great addition to any home or school library.

Make Multiplication Fun!!

Times Tales is the answer to all your children's struggles with learning their times tables!! I was very skeptical when I first purchased this product several years ago, but after only 30 minutes, I was a believer!! My daughter had struggled so much with trying to memorize her times tables without much success. And after only a few minutes with this story-like program, she only needs a very slight memory prompt in order to remember any of the upper, more difficult times tables. It took so much stress out of our lives and in such a short period of time!!

And when I received the newer version, I found that it also included the more difficult lower multiplication facts ( like 4x6 and 4x8) which my daughter was still struggling with. In minutes, she solved that dilemma forever! I cannot speak highly enough about this simple, yet amazing, method.

I also had the pleasure of checking out the Clean n Flip charts from Trigger Memory Systems: Zone Cleaning for kids, Laundry for kids, and Bedroom Cleaning for kids. Boy, do I wish I had bought these a few years ago - we would have foregone so much aggravation and stress over cleaning up! These charts are laminated and simply designed for ease of use for your kiddos. They are a fantastic way to help your kids learn to be responsible and they can work through the steps on their own without needing Mom to oversee. I am very impressed with these wonderful products. Go to their website and check them out - I promise you won't be disappointed!

Great Old Books for a New Generation

Salem Ridge Press is a publishing company, established in November, 2005, dedicated to bringing back quality children’s books of the 1800’s and early 1900’s for a new generation of readers. They strive to republish books that are well-written, interesting and wholesome. I had the distinct pleasure of checking out several of their books and was very impressed with the quality of the books that they are republishing.

I had the pleasure of reading Glaucia, the Greek Slave and was very pleased with the quality of the story. It is a wonderful story about a slave girl in the first Century who learns about Jesus. It gives a tremendous amount of history and culture of the time in Greece and Italy. This would be a tremendous supplement to any Ancient Greece study!

My daughter read Mary Jane, her Book and was delighted with the simple story. It reminded her a little of the Junie B. Jones books which she thoroughly enjoyed.

I would highly recommend any of the books that Salem Ridge Press has republished, as well as anything they will be republishing in the future since they are a company founded on Godly principles by a homeschool graduate. The
underlying philosophy of Salem Ridge Press is found in the Bible: "Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8)." Daniel firmly believes that what we read matters and what we take into our minds is a major factor in forming our ideas and character. His goal is to be a blessing to others by providing reading material that fits the qualifications outlined in the Bible. While not every title that Salem Ridge Press publishes is explicitly Christian, all of our titles have strong moral values and encourage positive character.

You can feel safe in letting your children read any of these books since they are carefully screened and edited where necessary to protect your child's purity. I will definitely be looking to Salem Ridge Press for more good family reads as we continue our literature-based unit studies.

Monday, December 15, 2008

New To Homeschooling? Here Is The Ideal Way To Get Started...

If you are new to homeschooling or even just beginning the process of deciding to homeschool your children, this is the perfect way to get started - Homeschooling ABCs! Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest, Inc. will guide you each step of the way to make your first year of homeschooling a wonderful experience you will want to continue for many years! She has put together a series of weekly email newsletters that will take you by the hand and introduce you to all the different facets of homeschooling, from curriculum choices to socialization, and everything in between.

Homeschooling ABCs consists of 26 weekly lessons (one arriving every 7 days) that will gently guide you through preparing to homeschool your children, what does homeschooling really mean on a daily basis, choosing curriculum, networking with other families and much, much more! Her approach is so similar to mine when I am teaching my Homeschooling 101 workshop, so I can wholeheartedly recommend this to any new homeschoolers! In fact, I think this should be mandatory for all those contemplating or beginning to homeschool:-). It would help alleviate so many fears and worries of those new to the whole world of homeschooling.

And the price for Homeschooling ABCs is so reasonable, I don't know why anyone would turn it down! The cost is $10 per month for the 6 month duration for a total of $60! And you also receive tons of extras like curriculum samples and other products along the way that are worth over $250!! She includes links to many products and/or books that would be helpful to the new homeschooler, as well as a myriad of tips and ideas to make your first year great!

It has been a joy to receive these weekly newsletters and walk the path just like I was a new homeschooler in order to experience it just like a subscriber would! It has brought me back to the basics in my homeschooling. Even after 10 years of homeschooling, it is important to get back to the basics and not get caught up in what everyone else is doing. I have truly appreciated Terri's approach and thoroughness in covering so many different aspects that are important to the new homeschoolers.

If you are new to homeschooling, just contemplating the idea, or have been homeschooling a little while but have begun to get frustrated or overwhelmed, Homeschooling ABCs may be just what you need to help you along the way and help you experience the joy and excitement of homeschooling your children.

Terri Johnson is also offering a free 5-day mini class called
DO YOU WANT TO HOMESCHOOL WITH CONFIDENCE?

5 Ways to Know That You Are on the Right Track!

This would be a good way to try out what she has to offer and see if Homeschooling ABCs is right for you!


The Best Christmas Story I Have Read in a Long Time!

This morning we finished reading Cootie McKay's Nativity by Todd Wilson and I could hardly finish reading it for crying! It is the most precious and wonderful Christmas story I have read in a very long time. I received this book, along with book 2 of The Familyman's Christmas Treasury (Captain Chaos and the Manger Blaster!) and To Bethlehem - a Christmas Game for the Entire Family. I have been SO impressed with these wonderful products by The Familyman - Todd Wilson. I learned of these products through a weekly email newsletter that I get called The Homeschool Minute. Todd is one of the weekly contributors and has mentioned his game and books, so I just had to check them out. We love to play games, so I was really interested in a game about Christmas.To Bethlehem is so much fun to play and the more players the merrier! It is simple enough for little ones to participate, but fun for anyone at any age. There are silly things and questions that make you really think about the true meaning of Christmas. You use shekels (gold plastic coins) for money and there are times you have to pay fees or other players. You may have to sit on someone else's lap or wear your socks on your hands, but I guarantee that you will have fun and make some treasured memories along the way!

Then we began reading Cootie McKay's Nativity after breakfast together as a family. Wow, what an incredible reminder about the real reason we celebrate Christmas - and I'm not talking about Jesus being born! I don't want to spoil the ending, but we wouldn't be celebrating His birth if He wasn't alive now!! I cried through the last several pages with joy at this wonderful story (it is bringing tears to my eyes just remembering it:-). I can't wait to read Captain Chaos - I think we will start it tomorrow morning.

Todd is an excellent writer and brings the characters to life through his words. My family got a kick out of me reading Cootie's accent! He has a wonderful heart for fathers and families and I am going to have to check out more of his products after seeing how wonderful these are! I hope there are more Christmas Treasury stories in the works!

If you want to make some precious Christmas memories this year, hurry and order To Bethlehem and the 2 Familyman's Christmas Treasury books! I bet they can still get them to you in time if you hurry! You and your family will truly be blessed!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Teach Art From A Christian Perspective with Spears Art Studio

I am very arts/crafts oriented and LOVE to do all kinds of projects. However, we have never really used an art curriculum and was very interested in the Spears Art Studio curriculum when it arrived. I received the K-8th grade curriculum and have been so very impressed with how inclusive it is. There are fantastic themes and projects for every month of the year, and there are separate art projects for each grade K through 8!

The format of
Spears Art Studio K-8 Christian Art Curriculum, A Teacher's Manual© 2008 consists of a main theme (seasonal and holiday recognition included) for each instructional week of the school year, with one or more activities for each grade level based on that main theme, addressing art elements, art principles, design elements, etc.
• expanded Scripture integration
• color format and color illustrations (on CD-Rom in PDF)
• fuller development of themes
• Scripture connections

• core curriculum connections
• 269 art activities (many new and revised)
• 137 patterns and posters
• 498 instructional pages
• analyzed for National Visual Art Standards and TEKS

(Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills)

This art curriculum
supports the grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric stages of Classical education, but is an incredible art program for any style of homeschooling. And for what you get on one CD, it is VERY reasonable priced. The complete curriculum for K-8 is only $39.95 with shipping included. This includes all of the templates for projects, as well as all the teaching materials! If you want to buy the printed copy, you can get a black and white copy in a binder, as well as the full color CD rom, for $134.95. That comes out to about $14.99 per grade year! How reasonable is that!

They also have a high school curriculum which I am sure is fantastic based on what I have seen of the excellence with which Diana Spears has put together the K-8 program. The prices for the High School Art Survey program is only $29.95 for the CD rom, $69.95 for the hard copy in a binder, or a combo of both for only $84.95.

There are sample pages and lesson plans available on their website so you can check it out and see how excellent this program is for teaching art to your children at all levels. Take a minute and check it out today - I promise you won't be disappointed if you are interested in quality art education for your family.

Back in the U.S.A.!!!!

It is so WONDERFUL to be living back in the United States! We have lived in Mexico for the past 5 1/2 years and just moved back stateside a week ago. I just want to share how many little things we are so excited about! First of all, we have hot water any time and enough water pressure to turn on more than one faucet at a time! We have grass in our yard and a driveway and carport! Wow, what luxuries after so many years without these little things I bet you all take for granted:-).

And we get our mail right at our house and every day!!! We used to make a trip once a week to get mail. Our cell phones work all the time (not just intermittently when we got a US signal:-) and I can just run to the store for something without it being an all day trip! We can just jump in the car and be at friends' houses in minutes - don't have to wait for an hour in line just to cross the border! It only takes 10 minutes to get to church to worship - in English - with other believers! I can't even express adequately how thrilled I am each and every day to be able to do all these mundane every day things that most folks just take for granted!

I received a pile of grocery store ads on Wednesday - at my house!!! - and was able to go through and find the best deals and plan our meals around the best specials with one short trip to 5 DIFFERENT grocery stores!!! And they were all within a few minutes of our house!! We have 2 large shopping plaza/malls within 3 miles of our home, as well as a big mall about 4 miles away. There are so many things to do for Christmas that we are truly overwhelmed! Because traffic was so much worse during the month of December crossing the border, we would only get to do ONE thing for Christmas and now we have SO MANY OPTIONS!!!

Please take from this little bit of rejoicing on my part a new sense of all the many blessings and conveniences that God has surrounded you with! I hope for each and every one of you reading this that you will look at things a little more gratefully and realize that there are MANY blessings unique to living where you do and lift up your hearts in thanksgiving to God for all that you have.

I am bubbling over with joy every day as my children, husband and I enjoy the blessings of living here in Arizona in a wonderful home, community and country! I am enjoying every moment of this holiday season, giving thanks for every little thing that I am rediscovering, and I pray daily that I will always hold these things dear and appreciate all these little things that make life such fun! I don't want to take these things for granted every again, even as I get used to them again. I pray God will keep me in this place of thankfulness and joy through all the things He has planned for me. What an awesome God we serve!

Enjoy today and all the little joys it brings you!!!

Rime to Read


Although my children are older now, I wish I would have had this resource available when they were just learning to read. Rime to Read is a virtual program for beginning readers, and it reminds me a little of the Bob Books. However, what I REALLY like about these books is that the characters look like real little kids! My son just couldn't get over the fact that the Bob books had characters with triangle and other shaped heads!LOL

When my children, particularly my son, was beginning to learn to read, it would have been very beneficial to have little books like Rime to Read for him to read so that he could feel like he was accomplishing something. His greatest desire was to actually read a book, but it took a long time before he knew enough sounds to even read a simple reader. So I really feel these little learning booklets would be a great resource for your little ones just beginning to learn their sounds. And you can actually use these books to teach your children to read! The books are organized by rimes (words that look and sound alike, i.e. hat, sat, mat, pat, etc.) and you can purchase all 20 of them or just a vowel set f 4 books. Their prices are very reasonable ($44.99 for all 20, or $9.99 for a vowel set of 4 books) and you can try the first book for free at their website to see if this is something that can help you teach your child to read.

Here is what their site says about the program:
  • Rime to Read is a beginning reading program comprised of 20 short books.

  • The program is carefully structured to ensure success for the youngest readers as well as students needing remedial work.

  • Each of the twenty books, four per short vowel, highlights a specific rime or word family (e.g., bat, cat, rat). Each rime is color-coded throughout the series with a different color.

  • The color-coding of each rime encourages students to use visual similarities and differences to decode,a strategy employed by successful readers.

  • The color-coding also helps students develop phonological awareness by providing cues for sound discrimination and categorization.

  • Thirty-five common sight words are introduced and previewed the first five times they appear. Sight words are distinguished by black type.

So if you have little beginning readers in your family, take a moment to check out this great resource that will help those early readers feel a sense of accomplishment when they can read a whole book!