by Tessa | Homeschooling, Resources
Unschooling Reading Resources
Reading is such a huge part of my life so I’m always on the lookout for good unschooling reading resources. That’s a fancy way of saying I love resources that are fun but also actually work to teach kids to read. I now have 4 kids who are completely obsessed with books (granted one of them is still to little to actually read by himself).
The big question to consider when strewing any resources is how do your kids learn? I’ll be upfront and say that I do very little actual teaching to read and my biggest role was to offer the boys opportunities to learn and then sit back to let them choose what works best for them. But I do have some favorite resources that have been popular with all my boys so far that I wanted to share with you.
My three older sons all learned their letters and letter sounds around two. (The newborn obviously isn’t reading yet.) My eldest started reading just before his 7th birthday and now, 2 years later, is reading far above grade level. My second son, age 6, is reading some words and, if he decides to sit and practice more regularly, will be well on his way to above grade levels within the next year. My 3 year old is practicing writing letters and pretending to read by sounding out words.
Favorite Resources to Teach Kids to Read
(disclaimer: some of these are affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Keep in mind I only share products that I know and love! Full Disclosure)
” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>Letter Factory DVD
Tad the frog goes to the Letter Factory and Professor Quigley lets him sit in on the lessons as the talking letters learn their sounds. My boys have all loved the characters and Leap Frog has done a fantastic job in making each letter and sound memorable. For example, a “monster” walks into the “A Room” and all the little A’s scream “Aaahh!!!”. Don’t worry, it isn’t a scary monster, just the professor in a fuzzy purple costume. The “P Room” is always a favorite as the P says “P” and pops like popcorn. I recommend this to every mama (or grandma) that I know who wants to introduce their child to letters in a fun way.
” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>Letter Factory Flashcards
We bought the DVD and Flashcards as a bundle and these cards have been played with a ton over the last 8 years. They’ve seen better days but, by some miracle, we have managed to keep all 26 together. The kids love to ask their littlest brother what each letter says and the older two build words and ask each other to guess which word it is. The only downside with word-building is that we only have one of each letter, which limits the amount of words. But they are still a great tool to introduce letters and beginner reading.
” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>Talking Words Factory
(Can you tell that we love Leap Frog? They didn’t even need to pay me for this.) This show came with our initial purchased bundle and shows the Leap, Lily, and Tad going to the Talking Words Factory. I think some of the talking letters must graduate to this factory because it is all the loved letters from the previous show, except this time they go through the “word whammer” and get stuck together, along with the icky, sticky letters (vowels). This is the movie that has gotten both of my older boys interested in building words and all I have to do is hit “play” while I’m making dinner.
The big question to consider when strewing any resources is how do your kids learn?
These Apps are available for Android and iPhone. We have installed Endless Alphabet (vocabulary words), Endless Reader (sight words), Endless Wordplay (spelling/word building), and Endless Numbers (counting and early arithmetic). The Android version (not sure about the Apple store version) has a few words or levels as a free sample and then you can buy the rest as packages. As of this post, I have not purchased any of the expansion packs for three reasons: I can’t figure out which app I should buy an expansion on (which one the kids would get the most out of), I don’t know if the expansion packs will work with my Google account or if I will have to purchase the pack separately for each tablet. They aren’t cheap, if you move beyond the free versions, but the letters and words make fun sounds and are simple enough for even my toddler to drag and drop. Plus it is really cute to watch my 3 year old kinesthetic learner imitate the goofy motions of the letters!
We started out with the free 2 week trial that they offer new users. The boys ended up liking it so much that I bought a subscription. The gist is that the child does a lesson full of games and catchy songs and fun characters to guide them, and then they get to hatch an egg with an animal in it (or they hatch an acorn if they are doing a Mathseed, as I purchased the companion Math version as well). They boys love figuring out which animal they will get at the end of the lesson and get excited every 10 lessons when they get a new map.
My eldest had issues with the timed lessons so I often sat beside him to turn off the ticking sound and would cover up the timer and tell him we would just practice a few times. He now realizes that the timer is irrelevant and he has learned to turn off the sound and ignore the visual. A great lesson for him to learn how relax enough to think under pressure.
I like that it lets you redo the game as many times as they like, though some of those silly songs from lessons the boys did a couple years ago are still stuck in my head! (1,2,3,4,5, once I caught a fish alive. 6,7,8,9,10, then I let it go again.) You can also get your child to do a placement test if they seem to be struggling or if they’re cruising through the lessons.
My eldest has finished all the maps in Mathseeds and Reading Eggs and isn’t interested in Reading Eggspress (he would rather read paperback books at this point). My 6 year old loves to cruise through 4-5 lessons in one sitting and then doesn’t touch it for a couple weeks. I don’t force him to sit down but I did put a box on his sticker chart. He does his “morning high-5” and then gets to hatch an egg or seed. Again, I’m not super strict about it and give him the option to do it or not. He often decides that he wants to and I have learned to be okay when he doesn’t.
The program is good for toddlers all the way up to tweens and it is is the only program that I consistently pay money for and I’ll continue getting subscriptions for my upcoming readers as well. Getting me to part with my dollar is not an easy task so that’s saying something!
Books, books, and more books
The final resource that has helped my kids with learning and loving to read is to surround ourselves with books. I’m partial to non-fiction books with lots of vivid pictured but I do keep a good stock of quality fiction stories around too. My husband reads a chapter of a read-a-loud every night and I read a lot, both for myself and with them, so reading is just a normal part of their lives. My 9 year old has even started reading a bedtime story to his brothers every evening. I know that the library is ideal for getting fresh books but I love to get books from the thrift store to fill our own shelves. They are super cheap and then the kids can read them over and over again. I also often have a book on hand regarding whatever topic they’re interested in. They don’t have to wait until we make a trip to the library and can delve into that book for however long they want. (Though I have noticed I have a gap in my home library when it comes to geology. Guess I need to make a trip to the thrift store soon, yay!) Sometimes they pull a book of the shelves and get interested in a new topic that way. While I agree that libraries are handy, they do not replace a home library.
You may also enjoy reading:
Book List for Boys (I’m sure they’re great for girls too but I don’t have any girl readers at this point.)
How to Encourage Boys to Love Reading (Again, the advice is sound for girls too but my reading experience is just with boys so far.)
As you can see, we love both technology as well as old fashioned paperbacks when it comes to reading. We don’t do phonics lessons, or forced reading assignments and probably never will (unless a child asks for it). My goal is for my kids to grow up thinking reading is a normal part of every day life. We love Leap Frog and also purchased a LeapReader Pen and LeapPad a couple months ago at a garage sale. So far they are well loved and I believe they will both contribute to the boys’ growing love of books and reading.
What are your favorite ways to foster a love of reading in your children? In yourself?
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by Tessa | Resources
It’s the last Friday of the month and I thought it would be a good time to share some of my favorite reads this month. These are some of the best blog posts of September that I have been reading. If you like them and want to see more of what I’m reading through the month, be sure to check out my Facebook Page and Pinterest Boards.
Organizing Files on Your Computer: By Leah at Fabulously Organized Home
I have a ton of files on my computer. Photos, podcasts, ebooks, homeschool printables, volunteer forms, and more. It have is semi-organized but have been trying to figure out something better. I needed a way to go through all my files to figure out what I have and where I should put it all. This post has some great step-by-step instructions on how to organize your computer files. I have a lot of work to do but Leah gave me a starting place and the motivation to get started.
Developing a Vision for Your Family:Â by Sheila at To Love, Honor, and Vacuum
I can’t even begin to describe how much I love this post. “I want to invite you to dream: to dream about what you want for your family, and what you want for your marriage, and what you want for your home.” Who doesn’t want to dream? And then to include your husband in those dreams is pure bliss. Plus, Sheila has free printable worksheets for your and your husband to pray though and develop an action plan.
Aim for Love, Not Perfection: by Sue at Stories of and Unschooling Family
What excited me about Sue’s blog is that she’s a “been there, done that” unschooling mom. She has unschooled her children into adulthood and, as a perused her blog, I became even more confident in the decisions we have made in regard to our own children’s education. It is great to see the perspective of someone who is further along in this journey who is willing to give us the opportunity to learn from her own adventures. This post is one where she talks about how her ultimate goal is that her children know they are loved by her and by God, and that they have a love of learning.
 Clutter Free Forever: Vintage tips for an organized home: by Ruth at Living Well, Spending Less
Decluttering. Downsizing. Simplifying. I have spend the last couple years of my life doing just that. I purged a lot of stuff a few years ago before my littlest Biscuit was born (we needed the room) and then we downsized out home about a year ago and I had to purge even more. Let me tell you a little secret: once you get over the initial hurdle of beginning this process, it feels great! I live in one of the older homes that Ruth talks about and it has been a mixed blessing. Some days I dream of having a more modern home (or maybe just one with all it’s baseboards in tact!) and possibly even larger, but most days I remind myself that a smaller home is a good thing. It’s easier to keep clean and it forced my family to draw close to each other. There is no room to withdraw and hide. Less stuff + less space = More love to go around.
 Creamy Rice Pudding: on All Recipes
We eat rice frequently and, for unknown reasons, have been having a lot of leftovers lately. What better way to use leftover dinner than to make desert from it? This recipe has been a huge hit with me and my boys. I like it with a handful of raisins and C likes it best with approximately a cup of cinnamon. The Biscuit will usually eat whatever is set in front of him but he has a strange habit of pouring his milk into his pudding. Hot or cold, this is one yummy dish!
by Tessa | Resources
I like to read. A lot.
I thought it was only fair to share some of my favorite posts that I have read this month:
How to Store Ebooks: by Amy from Raising Arrows
This goes hand-in-hand with the fact that I like to read. I love the practical way she puts everything into folders. I also have been attempting to use Calibre Library but I’m still working on figuring that all out. So folders are working well for me right now.
How to Use Your Skills for God: By Tricia Goyer
A great reminder about how the skills and interests we have are gifts from God and meant for us to use for His purpose.
Top Ten Pieces of Advice for New Homeschoolers – by Planner Perfect’s Jenny Penton
Simple tips for anyone who is starting their homeschooling journey or for those who are feeling stressed about where they are at and want to get refreshed. She also has Top 10 lists for questions she gets asked as an unschooler and her favorite homeschooling websites.
My Rather Imperfect Home – by Sheila from To Love, Honor, and Vacuum
She speaks to my heart. Let’s allow our homes to reflect who lives in them!
Italian Chicken Dinner Recipe (I don’t know who the original chef for this is)
I “Pinned” this quite a while ago and made it for the first time this month. It was inhaled even faster than spaghetti! It has officially been added to our dinner menu rotation, as per my husband’s request. I love that it’s all in one dish – minimal cleanup for this dinner!
If you want access to more articles that I’m reading, make sure you become a fan of my Facebook Page and follow me on Pinterest.
