SCARCE: New (to me) books

Today several members of I-HOPE (the new homeschool co-op/group that I have started) traveled to Glenn Elyn, IL to visit SCARCE. SCARCE is a "school" book rescue. I learned about them back in February, but I didn't have the privilege to go down their until today.

They are FREE for public school teachers, but do make homeschoolers pay a yearly membership fee, plus $5 per book. They have a LOT there! Digging around I was able to find Social Studies (World History) textbooks for the children. I was able to get 2 textbooks (one for each child), the corresponding student worksheets, chapter tests, and the complete book on audio CDS for $30 (not including the yearly membership fee).  Based on my brief assestment of the material while at SCARCE I'm confident that this material will last me for 2 school years.

I'm excited to dive into the books more and see what's actually there! I'm also over joyed to have been able to get the corresponding audio version of the books. We were told almost an year ago that Web-princess has convergence insufficiency. At first we didn't do anything with that knowledge because we were in the middle of dealing with Superstars surgery for ITW. (Can you believe that it he had the surgery almost a year ago? At the end of the month we see the surgeon to learn if he can be brace (AFO) FREE!)

After things started to settle down post surgery, I started to dive into convergence insufficiency to learn what I can do for Web-Princess. I learned that those with convergence insufficiency responded best to reading with the same methods used for dyslexia. Those with dyslexia respond best with a multi-sensory approach to reading.  I learned all of that January 2010, but it took me several months to learn what the means and HOW to do that in our home. I really didn't start applying things until April/May 2010, which really was at the end of our school year. I've started THIS school year trying to do things as multi-sensory as possible.

Thus the more senses I can engage when learning to read or doing reading activities the best! We do a lot of writing with shaving cream, writing in sand, reading with audio books. We have been learning phonics with card games. The more I can engage the different senses at the same time the better she responds. So to get a Social Studies Book today with the corresponding audio version is AWESOME!!

Speaking of Web-princess, I'm so please to see progress in the reading, writing, spelling area. Her independent reading is more of a 2nd grade level. Her writing is more of a K level. However she's starting to get it and is actually trying to read more on her own.  Not only that but she has also made up her own books and stories. All independent and outside of "school" time.

Her latest creation is called "Soopr Sron Boy" (translation Super Strong Boy). It's a chapter book! She even included a table of contents at the beginning of the book. She informed me that this book will have a sequel (although she called it a new chapter, but what she describes to me is sequel).

Chapter 1: Her Ces the Hero 

Sopr Sron Boy wes a vare god hero.

Translation: Chapter 1: Here Comes the Hero

Super Strong Boy was a very good hero.

 I know this is "behind" what most of her peers would write.  However it took us two school years to learn why reading, spelling, and writing was a such a struggle for her.  Now that we know and have been applying multi-sensory approach as much as possible she has made HUGE progress. In just a few months she has gone form a child that refused to even TRY to read something to a child that is TRYING  READ and WRITE her own books!

I know that as long as I try to use multi-sensory approach to reading, writing, and spelling as much as possible that she will continue to bridge that cap and will no longer be "behind" when it comes this area.

That's why it's so cool that I found the social studies books today with audio CDS! Yes it's social studies, but it does require that she reads it! So being able to read the book and listen at the same time, engaging both senses, will be awesome!!!

Look and Say vs Phonics

Imagine walking into a place with books and more books. Books on shelves, books on the floor, books stacked against the wall. There's just enough room to walk through. There are more books then any one person would know what to do with. Well that's where I was this pass weekend.

picture source

DH Saturday morning said I want to go to Toad Hall? "Toad What?" I replied, "What is that?" "Toad Hall" DH replied, "It's a store that sells old books and comics." I quickly learned that DH has known about the place for YEARS, just never told me! He said it doesn't open till noon. So we decided we would go then. My FIL (Father-In-Law) called to see what we were up to and decided that he would join us at Toad Hall.

We walked into Toad Hall and I wanted to run out. I was just in awe over the books and how everything was stacked up on each other. I thought to MYSELF "My gosh, I'm surprise they are allowed to be in business and that this isn't considered a fire hazard." The lady behind the counter welcomed us and asked if we were in search of something special. We told her no just looking. Eying Superstar and Web-princess she offered that the Children's books were up on the 3rd floor! 

We looked at her an amazement 3rd floor? Yes this is the second floor there's stuff downstairs, upstairs, and in the building across the street. I made my way then to the stairs and climbed them. As I got to the top I couldn't find a light, thankfully there was a HUGE window, and noted there was no heat up here. Again I wonder how can they be in business? Not only that I had to stretch my legs over things just to get to the children's section.

They had some children books and next to them were older books. I pulled an older book of the shelf and had to wipe the dust of just to read the cover. To my amazement there was MORE BOOKS behind the one I pulled off. It was a reader. I pulled another book and it was speller. I pulled another book and it was an old math book, An Ray's arithmetic book to be exact. I pulled another book and it was a McGuffey Reader. Ray's Arithmetic, McGuffey Reader these are titles I'm familiar with. I got excited. I wondered is there a set here?

I started to pull, wipe, and dust books. I started to make piles of Readers. I started to make sets. I shortly realized that I wasn't going to get a McGuffey set, but I most likely will get an Elson Set. So I focused more on the Elson books. 

Superstar found his way up to the third floor and started to help me make sets. Some more time past and DH called up the stairs were leaving. I yelled down okay. I looked at the sets I've started to make, grab the most complete set, and put the rest on the shelves again to the best of my ability.They clearly where in no special order before, so as long as it fit it was okay.

I came down the stairs with my 5 new found books (seen below) and told DH I want these for school. He asked if I got a whole set. I said no, but I got most of them. I have book 1, 2, 4, 5, 6. 

The lady said they could be mine for $25. I agreed the to price and left. My FIL wasn't too thrilled with our expenditures. He felt it was over priced and wasn't afraid to say so. I told him that I felt I got an okay price seeing I know what people pay just to have pdf files of some of these older books.

 

We then decided to go out to lunch with my FIL. On the way to the restaurant, DH offered that I might find the missing book (3) on ebay or something like that. Of course the primer book is missing as well, but I don't need a primer book for the kids. So what does this have "Look and Say" vs "Phonics"?

It is without a question that Jane, Dick, and Spot gets the blame for the "Look and Say" era. Phonics are the new thing again, and I think that's why the McGuffey Readers are popular with homeschoolers. They, without a question,  are among the first phonics books. With some digging in places like Project Gutenberg you can find pdf, txt, or HTML files of the McGuffey Readers for FREE vs buying a CD with the files. (There are other books as well)

So where did Dick, Jane, and Spot come from? Well it turns out they were introduce to the children in the early 1930s in the Elson-Gray Readers. Especially in the PRIMER and PRE-PRIMER reader!

Those Readers that I picked up for $5 a piece just HAPPEN to be the very SAME readers the introduced Dick, Jane, and Spot to the world! To bad I didn't find the Primer or Pre-Primer book of the series (or book 3 for that matter). he-he. However I'm sure that if I went back to Toad Hall, that I would find it there. I would just need several more hours to dig!

Besides having readers for the kids to read with, I actually have a piece of "history" now. It has been fantasizing to learn how these 1930 readers, the readers that I picked up, changed the way reading was taught in schools for several generations. That is until they decided to go back to phonics in the 1960s.

Although many schools even in the early 1980's still taught with the look and say method. I know because I was never taught phonics in school. I think now most schools teach phonics or a combo of phonics and look and say methods.

Multisensory Reading Approach

As many of you know few months ago in the midst of dealing with Superstar's ITW Web-Princess was diagnosis with convergence insufficiency. We have been given some at home therapy options, but I also have to find a way to reach her in regards to reading. Knowing what is wrong and the therapy to strengthen her muscles is only 1/2 of the battle. The other 1/2 is find ways to teach her and bridge that gap.

Can I just say the children librarian we have is AWESOME? I feel so bless to be able to go in and just talk to her. I shared with her what was going on and I how I'm thinking about taking on an Multisensory Reading Approach with Web-princess. It's the same approach that is often taken with children that have dyslexia.

I know that convergence insufficiency is not dyslexia, but after some research I feel that the multisensory approach would be good for Web-Princess. That way she is learning from her other senses when it comes to reading and not just her vision. I was sharing this with the librarian and she could see the benefit as well and was helping me put together somethings. It's so awesome to have a lady that can just walk around the library and pull books without the use of the catalog. She knows what's in the children section like the back of her hand.

I also recently learned about "Sound Out Chapter Books". To my delight 6 of the titles were listed in the online card catalog, but they did NOT show a library and they did NOT have a call number. I showed this to the beloved librarian. She thought it was odd and did some looking on HER computer.

She learned that they were at the library a few towns away and that they were bought by that library through a Project Read Grant. She was confident that we could do inter-library exchange on project read material so she put a request on some of the books for me.  (Although there is still a question if it would actually go through because they are project read material.)

I'm hoping that we can get the books. I'm hoping the fact they are chapter books will be a big boost to Web-princess's ego! Not only that but because they are still decodable books I'm confident that they won't be above her reading abilities. I told our librarian that I'm interested in these because with Web-Princess being almost 8 I need to move pass "Mat sat." "Mat sat on a hat". I need to give her material that will have some more substance and story line to it, but not be above her abilities.

What's really cool is when we were looking up the books the librarian said when they get here (assuming the request is granted) I would like to look at them and learn more about the series and also get your input on them.  That made me excited! Perhaps our library will get some or different titles then the other library has.... (wishful thinking, but it was delight to see the librarian's interest in this books)

I still have a lot to learn about the Multisensory Reading Approach. If you are using this type of approach with your children Please share!! What are you doing? What are you using? How long per day? I would really love to hear from you!!  I'm still learning about this approach because it's not familiar to me; so any input, advice, ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Laminating Heaven!

Today I was able to pick up a Laminator and I'm in heaven. A few months ago I had bought Phonics Games but have been reluctant to use it, because I didn't have a laminator until today.

It's so cool to be able to have a laminator now! I've laminated the games so now they are more durable and ready to play. I've also have laminated a times table that I was able to print off for free. This is nice because the times table is now also more durable and will last longer now. What else could I laminate?? LOL