Review: Daily Geography Practice

Title: Evan-Moor’s Daily Geography Practice Grade 2
Author: Sandi Johnson 
Genre: Educational book – geography grade 2
Publisher: Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
Physical Description: 196-page paperback 
List Price: $29.99
ISBN: 9781557999719 
To Buy: $21.75 at Timberdoodle Co. 


Synopsis:

In Daily Geography Practice, Grade 2, 36 map lessons introduce basic geography skills and over 80 geography terms. What a perfect hands-on approach to geography instruction!
The geography skills presented at Grade 2 include:

- Globes
- Compass roses
- Map keys
- Map grids
- Physical maps
- Road and street maps
- Rural, suburb, city, and state maps
- Population and product maps
- Tourist and weather maps
- Political maps of the United States and the world

About the Daily Geography Series:

While most children are fascinated with the study of geography, many teaching parents are discovering that without regular exposure, newly acquired information is not retained. If this is the case with your child, or if your state requires a grade-appropriate geography study, then Daily Geography Practice is what you are looking for.

With just fifteen minutes a day your child will become geographically literate. Each of the lessons is correlated to the National Geography Standards and includes a resource page that consists of a statement of the geography standard and skill being addressed, background information and suggestions for introducing the skill, geography vocabulary and definitions, and an answer key for the lesson.

Your child's page will be made up of two geography questions for each day of the week that progress in difficulty from Monday to Friday and an extra credit challenge question at the end of each week. Short, sweet, and to the point, Daily Geography Practice will assure that your children are geographically astute.

Esme’s Review (while packing a big tub with her animals for a voyage in the living room):
 
If I was in a boat, this book helps me know the instructions for how to get to the right isle.  You use a map to know the directions to go.  North, east, south, or west – you can look at the map to see if you’re going to the mountains, or to the picnic area, or to the bridge…

What Mom Liked:

I have a confession to make.  I requested this book “knowing” it would be above almost-4yo Esmé’s level, but it was the lowest grade level available for review at the time, and I REALLY wanted some ideas to supplement our geography themes and trips across the globe.

Surprise!  While I have to do much of the reading for her, she’s been breezing through the concepts in this Grade 2 book.  The first two chapters were strictly review, and since then she’s easily mastered the compass rose, directions, keys, and other basic map skills like describing where locations are in proximity with others.  (It helps that we spent about two months reviewing maps and continents at the beginning of this school year.)

I like the brevity of the lessons.  While the synopsis suggests 15 minutes/day, we finish a week’s lesson in about 15-30 minutes, depending on how much effort Esmé wants to put into the challenge project.  It’s just about right for us.

The illustrated maps are kid-friendly and quite fun for Esmé.  Since this is a reproducible book, I make copies for Esmé to review and do her challenge on.  There are also transparencies of the maps that would be quite handy in a classroom setting, though not so much for us.

The vocabulary and teacher summary let me know exactly what skills are being taught or emphasized.  Overall, it’s nice to know we’re covering the basics of geography skills with such ease and effortlessness.

What Mom Didn't Like: 

Nothing I don’t “like” – however, I do want to note that I don’t see this as a stand-alone text, but rather a foundation for other geography studies and a way to keep geography skills fresh and in use.  We read lots of books and stories about places around the world, and the map skills Esmé is learning will help her identify where these places are and grasp a better overview of the incredibly vast world God created.

Timberdoodle Co. has a large selection of geography materials:  curricula, games, stories, puzzles, and more.  They also offer complete core curriculum packages which include this Evan-Moore geography series.

Thanks to Timberdoodle Co. for the review copy of this book.

Wordless Wednesday

Nothing like a few peacock feathers to bring out the poser (and showcase the self-started haircut)…

Shopping Adventures

To read about some of our shopping adventures, educational and otherwise, check out today’s post at The Homeschool Village.  I’d love to hear about your preschool shopping experiences as well!

Review: The Ultimate Ladybug Book

Back in February, we started a ladybug themed study that seems to be stretching on and on – to the point that Esmé wants a ladybug cake for her birthday next week.  And it was all inspired by The Ultimate Ladybug Book pack by from 4 Little Penguins Publishing.

This 98-page pack includes lots of facts about ladybugs, quizzes/review pages and fun worksheets, craft ideas, science ideas, and recommended books and websites. There are also 28 pages of ladybug-themed notebooking pages.


What We Liked:  The subject matter itself was the biggest draw.  All the photos and facts were quite interesting.  We’ve always thought ladybugs were cute, but Esmé was sold as soon as she learned that there really are PINK ladybugs…

This study would be of best value for a home with multiple grade levels.  Most of the worksheets and quizzes are appropriate for an older grade level – maybe 2-5 – while the crafts, science, book suggestions, and website suggestions were easily adaptable for a preK-1 level.  And the notebooking pages had a variety of line styles for differing levels of writers .

While they were above my daughter’s level, I appreciated the fun worksheets included:  a License Plates one, Hangman, and more.


What We Didn’t Like:  While there was nothing specific I didn’t like, I checked around for supplementary material and was amazed at the amount of free resources available on this topic.


Rating:  Overall, this gets a 4 out of 5 – one point down because so much free material is available elsewhere on this topic.

Thanks to Heart of the Matter for coordinating the review file of this product. 

You can currently acquire a PDF version of this pack through CurrClick for $12.50.

Review: Slippery Willie’s Stupid, Ugly Shoes

Title: Slippery Willie’s Stupid, Ugly Shoes
Author: Larry Peterson
Genre: Children’s picture book
Publisher: Tribute Books
Physical Description: 24-page hardcover
List Price: $16.95
ISBN: 978-0-9822565-7-2
For More Info: http://www.slipperywillie.com
Book Preview:  http://www.freado.com/read/9129/slippery-willies-stupid-ugly-shoes
To Buy:  http://tribute-books.com/shop.html#children8


Synopsis:

Willie Wiggles hates his slippery feet. He just slips, slides and spins all over the place. But what he hates even more are the special shoes that have been made for him that will help him to walk just like all the other kids. Willie thinks that they are the "stupidest, ugliest shoes in the whole world."

Discover how sometimes we worry about things about ourselves when actually there is nothing to worry about in the first place.

About the Author:

Larry Peterson was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. As a freelancer, he has written many newspaper columns for local publications. Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes is his first children’s book. Peterson has lived in Pinellas Park, Florida for the past 28 years.

Esme’s Comment:


If the other kids were making fun of somebody, I would hug him and make him feel better.


What Mom Liked:

Having had my own share of required “paraphernalia” when I was a kid, I loved this fun look at a serious topic.  Waaay back in college, I wrote a story for a marketing class project about a girl who had to wear a back brace.  While the story had a similar message to this one, I love the author’s idea here of using a “silly” difference – slippery feet – to make it 1) applicable to just about any difference and 2) nonthreatening to those who do have specific differences.

The illustrations fit the the comical exaggerated storyline perfectly.

This book would serve as a great resource for kids who have differences (isn’t that most of us?), as well as for kids who need a little assistance empathizing with others.  The suggested activities and discussion questions at the end drive the lesson home.

Esmé had no problem following the story.  While the story is a great fit for lower-grade students, the illustrations on every other page keep the attention of smaller ones like her.  Little touches like Mom catching Willie with a butterfly net were perfect for Esmé to relate to.

What Mom Didn't Like: 

Got nothing for you…

Thanks to Tribute Books for the review e-copy of this book.

Talkin’ About Jesus

How do you encourage your preschooler to have a heart for Jesus?  I thought I’d start with a simple step:  Talk Jesus! 

Looking at what’s really important over at The Homeschool Village today.

Learning Center 1: Building Blocks

Remember my whole frustration with the “learning through play” concept?  And my subsequent challenge to find the purpose through play by making a round through Learning Centers?

Well, the first stop in the challenge was the Block Center.  You can read more about it over at The Homeschool Village today…

March 12 Homeschool Wrap-Up

Theme for our studies this week…. St Patrick’s Day.  We wrapped up our ladybug study (more on that later) and started in on the green stuff.


A great book we read…. Small Green Snake by Libba Moore Gray.  Cute baby snakes, lovely sound effects, a pleasure to read aloud and a book that is requested multiple times.

 

One lesson or interesting fact we learned…. St. Patrick was a slave for six years.  After I explained the concept of a slave to Esmé, she started telling me all the things she would have her slave do for her if she could have one.  Gulp – I’m not letting her put one on her birthday wish list… :)

We had a lightbulb moment this week…. Esmé is starting to read words on signs and in stores – sounding them out and/or asking me for help.  I love it!  “Mom” is one of my favorites.

As Mom/teacher, I found this week to be…. Busy busy busy.  It’s hard to get beyond busy…

A favorite hands-on project…. Building with blocks – Esmé figured out the patterning thing to make a tall tall tower.  Then she played “frog pond” with her tower.



Favorite extracurricular activity (if any this week)…. Wildlife Safari trip – where Mom got to play tug-o-war with a lioness.  Esmé opted out.  It was pouring rain, but neither of us minded.



We laughed when…. she decided to be a Ying or some other such Dr. Seuss creature, using a feather duster.


Craft idea for this week….  The cut-and-paste St. Patrick’s Day activities at First-School, particularly the St. Patrick’s Day Candle Craft and the Irish Teddy Bear Craft



I am praying for my child to….  understand that beauty is more than skin deep. 


I am learning to…. use MySQL – and figure out all the reasons it’s better or worse than MS SQL Server. 

My favorite new resource is…. Pencil Fun Books.  I was in the local Christian bookstore when I noticed a few of these – vintage edition copyright 1971 – on the shelf.  My dad was a Christian bookstore manager when I was a kid, so I must have gone through all the books.

I grabbed one for Esmé and enjoyed it at least as much as she did.  I was excited to see that David C. Cook has a new version of the books – just do a search for “Pencil Fun Books.”



Pic of the week….  Take 2:  Puddles are to splash in.


Join in the Wrap-Ups with MamaBuzz:

Mission Sunday: Bangladesh

I was born in Bangladesh way too many years ago – and we moved to the US before I turned four.

We recently added a little “sister” to our “family” from Bangladesh, and it’s been fun virtually introducing Esmé to my “homeland.”  (And let’s just keep encasing “words” in “quotes,” shall “we?”)

Anyway, I came across a beautiful photo gallery on facebook appropriately titled "Face of Bangladesh," and I got permission to share some of those photos with you (thanks, Deepak)!

Enjoy a view into this beautiful country...

An old lady fishing:

The epitome of elegance:

A trip to the market:

This one just makes me think of Huck Finn…

Village bathing spot:

Laundry time:

Pure loveliness:

I’ve got a stack more favorites, but we’ll stop here for now…

Review: St. Patrick’s Day Copywork Crafts and Pages

It’s that time of year already – we’re coming up fast upon March 17…  And to start off the month, we’ve been working with St. Patrick’s Day Copywork Crafts and Pages from Eastern Wind Academy.

This pack includes nine different types of copywork projects and covers the history of St. Patrick’s Day, some of the symbols and legends, and a sampling of Irish blessings and proverbs.  You can find copywork in five styles:  print-tracing, pre-cursive tracing, cursive tracing, primary lines, and regular lines.

What We Liked:  This is copywork at its best – as it goes beyond just copywork to become part of a project, craft, game, greeting card, etc.  That would be our favorite part – Esmé particularly enjoyed cutting the crafts out.

I like how the package provides a wide overview of St. Patrick’s Day, from history to legends, to Irish blessings, proverbs, and jokes.

I also appreciated the availability of different copywork styles for different levels of writers.  This is something we can bring out again in future years as Esmé’s writing abilities grow.

What We Didn’t Like:  Not so much a dislike as an observation:  the font used for the tracing options is a bit small for the beginning writer.  Also, I removed one page of the 127-page pack due to theological differences, but really a very minor thing.

Rating:  Overall, this gets a 5 out of 5 – for its variety of projects and its value for the money.

Thanks to Heart of the Matter for coordinating the review file of this product. 

You can currently acquire the copywork pack through CurrClick for a sale price of $2.00.

New Meme

I’ve been finding it harder and harder to do a school summary post as Esmé gets older – who really wants to see math workbook pages or hear about the same curriculum over and over, you know?

So I think the new weekly Homeschool Wrap-Up meme with MamaBuzz will be a fun way to share!  Here are the questions:

• Theme for our studies this week….
• A great book/s we read….
• One lesson or interesting fact we learned….
• We had a lightbulb moment this week….
• As Mom/teacher, I found this week to be….
• A favorite hands-on project….
• Favorite extracurricular activity (if any this week)….
• We laughed when….
• Craft idea for this week….
• I am praying for my children to….
• I am learning to….
• My favorite new resource is….
• Pic of the week….

I’m hoping to get my act together enough to participate next week – and just wanted to share the meme with you all right away so you can participate, too!

Winner…

You can't be a winner and be afraid to lose.
~Charles Lynch

Congrats to the winner of the $75 CSN Gift Code, picked by Random.org:  #17 abfantom!

Mission Sunday

There are a few theological concepts I keep running into that drive me nuts:

• That there is some magic age (or moment) where children are able to grasp and accept Christ’s gift of salvation – and until they make that choice, they are either in some sort of limbo, or are saved on the basis of their parents’ faith, or something along that line.

• That we can do nothing about our children’s hearts – it’s all up to the Holy Spirit – but we sure can do something about their behavior.  So Christian parenting is all about discipline and enforcing proper behavior – and throwing in Bible stories for good measure…

On the first concept, I have this to say:  Jesus said we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven.  It’s backwards, folks!

On the second, I say:  It’s ALL about the heart!  You can enforce perfect discipline, but if you’re squelching the heart in the process, you’re doing worse than the most lenient, inattentive parent.

Rather than wax philosophical or engage in theological debate here, I want to share with you Amanda’s posts on Salvation for Kids at Impress Your Kids.  Love them, love them love them!

• Salvation for Kids Part 1
• Salvation for Kids Part 2
• Salvation for Kids Part 3
• Teaching Kids About Salvation