I *think* these may only work for CBD discount members, but give 'em a try if you are ordering!

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This week's freebie is a collection of quotations from Shakespeare's plays.  There are also a few new freebies on the site including several of the "Easter Egg" freebies, plus some phonics and math games.  If the link below doesn't take you to the freebies, just do an advanced search and set your criteria to be items priced between $0.00 and $0.10.

Happy Browsing!

Seriously- I just read about this company in the Wall Street Journal.  The company is called ChaCha and it provides answers to cell phone users via text message.  According to the WSJ article, guides are paid $.20 per answer.  Here's the company's link if you want to investigate this opportunity further:

http://info.chacha.com/Careers/BecomeaGuide/tabid/74/Default.aspx

There are some new (or renewed) offers of note available to Co-op members that I wanted to share:

Members can save 10% on DaveRamsey.com for Teens and 25% from Christian Liberty Press (I've really enjoyed their K level materials for history and science). 

Explode the Code Online is now available as a Group Buy.  The final savings amount isn't set yet but it will be between 33% and 50% off.  The Click N Read Group Buy expires on May 31st. 

There are several other discounts currently available plus more stuff in the "pipeline" but the ones above were the most interesting to me.  You might want to take a look at the website for yourself if you have older students as a lot of the offerings would be great for a middle or high school student, I'm just not there yet.  LOL! 

Homeschool Buyers Co-Op

I was going to mention how much fun we were having with Click N Read phonics, but hesitated because I bought it for a really low price and didn't think that price was still available.  There's a big difference (to me anyway) between recommending a $30 learning game and suggesting one that costs closer to $70.

The previous offer that I took advantage of through Homeschool Buyers Co-op had closed out on April 1st and that's when my online access activated so I couldn't review the product before the deadline.  But, (here's the purchase tip) the offer has been reopened and now you have until May 31st to place your order. 

Here's a sample lesson from the Click N Read website, if you'd like to take a look.  The first 10 lessons, which I'll say more about in a moment cover the letter sounds.  The information on the website recommends that you skip these if your child already knows the letter sounds.  Thus, the sample lesson number 15 thus is actually not very far into the program.  So it should give you a pretty good idea of how the lessons progress. 

I initially purchased this program for my 7 year old who knows his letter sounds and phonics rules, but just has no zest for reading yet.  I was able to acquire Study Dog when it was free a few years ago so we had been using that program, but I thought the rocket ships of Click N Read might appeal more to my son.  Also, the introductions to each lesson in Study Dog (where the "story" is set up) tend to get a bit tedious after awhile.  Click N Read tends to get to the lesson quickly, whereas Study Dog lesson needed to be set up with a story explaining why you were performing a certain task (i.e. sort the pillows to clean the room, match the words to unlock the code...).  

Anyway, it was my 4 year old who first took an interest in trying the program, so I reset my starting point to Lesson 1 and began.  Lessons 1-10 introduce the letter sounds and also do some ear training exercises.  In addition, these lessons also teach your child to locate the letter for each sound on the keyboard.  We have only completed 3 lessons so keep in mind that my observations are limited.  The lessons start with an introduction to the primary sound the letter makes.  The dog character hosting the lesson "says" the sound for each letter and then the child is taken through a series of review steps where she is asked to click on the correct letter after hearing the sound. 

Next an image of a keyboard is displayed and the location of the letter is pointed out to the child.  The child is asked to locate the letter on the keyboard (either by clicking on the vitual keyboard displayed or typing on the real keyboard), identifying the letter by it's sound. 

For ear training, the "dog" says a word slowly, separating each sound, and then speeds up the word to blend the sounds.  Once a few letter sounds have been learned, the child is asked to listen to each word the dog says and identify the starting letter.  For instance, the dog may say "am" and the child must then select between an "a," "m," or "s" as the starting sound. 

Within the first three lessons the program was already taking the next step and teaching the child to put those letter sounds together to locate a word or read a word.  The first words taught were "am" and "Sam."  In Lesson 3 the student is taken to a virtual reading room where these words and others using additional letter sounnds are put together into a short sentence that the child is encouraged to read aloud. 

I think even these initial lessons will be great for my 7 year old (if I can get him to read the words aloud) but it was over my 4 year old's ability to do comfortably.  She knows many of her letter sounds and the program is a good introduction for her to demonstrate what to do with those letter sounds, but she was not always able to accurately select the correct words by initial letter sound or read the sentence.  Study Dog in comparison teaches all the letter sounds and names first, then moves to identify initial sounds, then rhymes before moving to distinguishing between two non-rhyming words.

Fortunately, my 4 year old doesn't realize that the program actually keeps track of how many answers she gets "wrong" and I am choosing to work with her and provide "hints" rather than use the program as a stand alone lesson for her.  She really enjoys the program though and asks to do the lessons.  So for whatever reasons, she seems to like the program.  I'm not sure how she will fare on the more advanced lessons but hopefully I can convince her to just watch while her big brother works on those. 

The purchase I made through the co-op provides me with a "lifetime" subscription for one student.  That means that one student's progress may be tracked at any given time.  But once that student has completed the program, their records can be deleted and a new name added.  You will also have the option to add extra students for an additional fee.  One negative for the program is that it is internet-based, I don't have a CD of the software.  So if the company goes out of business or offline or I lose my internet connection- no Click N Read.  Also, I have a fast internet connection so I'm not sure how a dial-up connection would handle the interactivity.  But, in comparison to what our household spends in any given year on non-educational (or marginally educational) computer games, I consider this to be a pretty good deal.  I'll consider it to be a great deal if I can get my 7 year old to take an interest in it.  But even if he passes on it, I've still got a 2 year old that can make use of that lifetime subscription.  Besides, if it really does last a lifetime, there's always the grandkids. 

Hmmm.... I wonder what the internet and computers will be like for our grandkids. 

If you've not made a decision yet on a phonics program, the Homeschool Buyers Co-op newsletter announed that a deal may be forthcoming for access to Explode the Code online.  So, keep your eyes open if you are still in search of that "perfect" phonics curriculum. 

From a e-mail alert I just received:

In appreciation of teachers everywhere, Learning A-Z will open one of its six password-protected websites each day of Teacher Appreciation Week, May 5-9, PLUS on May 12, so teachers can download and print differentiated teaching materials.

The websites will be open on the days indicated below from midnight to midnight EST.

May   5:   ReadingA-Z.com: Thousands of printable books and lessons
May   6:   Raz-Kids.com: Interactive leveled reading library
May   7:   WritingA-Z.com: Leveled writing lessons
May  8:    VocabularyA-Z.com: Customized vocabulary lessons
May  9:    Reading-Tutors.com: Reading skills packets
May  12:  ScienceA-Z.com: Multi-leveled science units

Tell your co-workers, friends, neighbors, or even put a posting on your website about Teacher Appreciation Week at LearningA-Z.com.

I don't recall visiting the Science website last year, so that one may be new.  Happy browsing!

So here's what I couldn't give the details about earlier:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marguerite Copel
(214) 721-1273


ALLERGY ALERT ON UNDECLARED DAIRY IN 11-OUNCE SINGLE SERVE SILK SOYMILK CHOCOLATE FLAVOR IN PLASTIC BOTTLES

Mount Crawford, Virginia (April 23, 2008) - WhiteWave Foods Company is voluntarily recalling 11-ounce plastic single serve bottles of Silk Soymilk Chocolate Flavor because it may contain undeclared milk protein. The individual bottles are printed with both a "use by" date of May 7, 2008 (printed as 05 07 08) and a Universal Product Code (UPC) of 2529360028. Consumers can find this information on the back of the individual bottle.

People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk protein run the risk of a health problem or illness if they consume this product. Some reactions have been reported.

This affected product was distributed nationwide and reached consumers through retail and foodservice outlets. WhiteWave's sales team is working with distributors to actively recover any affected product remaining on store shelves.


HOW TO IDENTIFY THE RECALLED PRODUCT

This recall includes only 11-ounce single serve plastic bottles of Silk Soymilk Chocolate Flavor with both a "use by" date of May 7, 2008 (printed as 05 07 08) and a UPC code of 2529360028. Consumers should look for this information on the back of the bottle.

The Company apologizes for any inconvenience to its customers. Consumers who purchased the product may return it to the place of purchase for a full refund or exchange. Consumers with questions can contact the Company at 1-800-587-2259.

The Food and Drug Administration has been notified of this recall.

Stay safe!

T.

Gas and groceries have already hit some very high prices and many families are struggling.  Unfortunately, the news isn’t going to get better just yet.  Meat prices are going up.  I had suspected this already but now the WSJ is predicting it as well. Because of the recent droughts and the steep increase in the cost of grains, many farmers have been reducing their livestock ranks through early slaughter.  This of course flooded the market with meat and brought prices down or at least kept them from increasing at the same rate as we’ve seen other food prices rise.  I’ve been able to consistently find meat for less than $2 per pound during the last year.  However, now that the stocks have been reduced, the price restraints are over.

By the end of the year analysts are predicting a rise in meat costs similar to that which has been seen in other foods.  If you’re like me and know how to reduce your dependency on meats but just haven’t bothered, now’s the time to get back into those good money saving habits.  If you don’t know how to stretch those grocery dollars yet, you might want to start researching now as things are going to get worse. 

For those of you who are already struggling, be sure to find out of there is an Angel Food Ministry in your area or consider asking your church to start one.  There are also lots of websites online where you can find tips on frugal living and making the most out of the foods you can purchase.  May each of us be encouraged to do what we can to help one another. 

This picture book winner of a Mom’s Choice Award from The Just For Mom Foundation is enchanting. The story is the second book published in the Prairie Tales Series by South Dakota State Historical Society Press and offers a whimsical look at the prairie through the retelling of a Native American folktale. The story itself was originally published by Zitkala-Ša in 1921 as one in a collection titled American Indian Stories. In this rendition the tale is paired with the delightful illustrations of S.D. Nelson.

The story is simple and fantastical. Field mice painted and in full ceremonial dress dance about a bonfire ignited inside a buffalo skull until they are dispersed by the surprise arrival of a wildcat. The story gives readers just a glimpse into this other world, but a charming one. The beautiful illustrations are rich in color and detail and very engaging. The colorfully garbed mice and the bright yellow of the cat’s eyes fascinated my four-year-old daughter. She described the story as “funny” and “exciting.”

I enjoyed the light touch that the author and illustrator of this book took in conveying the feeling of the prairie. It is first and foremost and beautiful picture book that just happens to provide a window into a unique culture. I also appreciated the author’s choice of words that might be new to a young reader or listener such as “frolic,” “nigh,” “stealthy” and “venison.” A helpful glossary at the back of the book defines these terms for the reader.

The site of the mice’s revelries, the skull of a dead animal, may distress some readers. Also, the mice dine on deer meat (venison) along with their dried root. Finally, when the cat’s yellow eyes appear through the sockets of the buffalo skull one of the mice exclaims that the buffalo’s spirit has returned.

I received my copy of this hardcover picture book free as an “Early Reviewer” and am really delighted to add it to my book collection.  I gave this book a 5 star rating at LibraryThing.com. 

I’m guessing most of you already knew that.  There have been four earthquakes in my life that I’m aware of, and actually I’m not sure of one of those.  Only three have occurred in my adult lifetime.  Two of them took place in the last 24 hours.  I did not like the experience- not one bit!  I was actually awake when the first tremors hit our area.  The window in the bedroom began shaking without any of the advanced warning you’d feel during a thunderstorm.  It sounded like a freight train, or at least close enough to trigger my panic instincts. 

You see, friends of ours had lived through a tornado that leveled many homes in their neighborhood a few years ago and they described it as hearing the sound of a freight train and then the tornado hitting their home before they even had time to grab the kid(s) and get down the stairs.  Thankfully, their home did not suffer major damage and they were kept safe.  Ever since I have drilled the procedure in my head- hear the sound, yell at DH, grab two kids and run for the basement. 

So, that’s what I did.  Well, first I muttered some mild expletives under my breath, as I don’t handle stressful situations well.  Then I hissed, “grab the kids, grab the kids, grab the kids” at my poor befuddled DH who had been sound asleep at the time.  He gathered his thoughts enough to ask what was happening and my brilliant reply was “I don’t know, just get the kids and go, go, go.”  So, we did.  DH later reports that on the way down the steps his charge, my 7-year-old son asked, “Why are we going downstairs?” to which DH could only reply “I don’t know. “  I may need to work on my communications skills.  

Anyway, the local news was already airing their sunrise edition when the first quake hit, a 5-point-something, so at least I had proof from an unbiased source that I was not insane. 

So, after waiting a few hours for the adrenaline in my system to dissipate and the nausea to go away, I was able to fall back asleep.  Oh ho, you say, foolish Midwesterner, didn’t you know?  Earthquakes have aftershocks.  Well, no.  Apparently despite having heard the term many times, I hadn’t put together what “after” and “shock” meant.  So, I’m sleeping away (yes, very late in the morning) when the entire bed starts to shimmy.  I get up and go downstairs to ask my DH whether there was another earthquake and he says “no.”  In fact he’s so certain that there was not another tremor that he told me I must have dreamed it.  Well friends, dreams don’t shake the whole room.  I tuned into the local news to learn that this one was a 4-point-something.  Again, I was relieved to have my sanity confirmed.  Apparently I am the only one in our household who notices when the walls start shaking. 

You know how cats just seem “tense” sometimes, a little jumpy?  Well that was me for the next few hours.  Despite the fact that our house was fine, we were fine and there was really no consequence from our experience- I just don’t like the earth moving underneath me in quite that fashion. 

So there you have it.  Earthquakes are unsettling, literally and figuratively. 

The Scholastic Spring $1 Sale is going on now.  I love the $1 sale for picking up little extras like blackline maps, spelling books, etc. 

You'll want to go to the Teacher's Store to find this sale.   Just hit the Scholastic.com link and then select Teacher Resources.  You'll need to register as a homeschooler to make purchases from the Teacher's Store. 

The selection is VERY limited this time, but if you look in the professional books there are two on writing and one on using Caldecott books in your classes that look good.  There are also a few resources on teaching early Spanish as well as lots of little cards and motivational posters. 

First, April 28th through May 3rd is the 2008 Ultimate Homeschool Expo. You can visit the site now to participate in free preview chats.

Second, Hobby Lobby has their T-shirts on sale this week.  You can get adult and children's sizes for less than a few dollars each.  I usually pick up a set in matching colors for the whole family. I also like to use these shirts for craft projects. To make my daughter's shirts more "girly" I sometimes ask my mom (she knows how to sew) to add lace or other details to the plain T's. 

you might want to check out the Kids With Food Allergies message boards. 

This set was one of the freebies available during the Easter Egg promotion, but in case you missed it, nows your chance to get set 1 of the Proverbs to Live By Paper Dolls.  Just click the banner below.