It’s the last Friday of March, so it’s time to share some of my favorite things. This month you’ll notice that my list is all about homeschool! There are so many great resources out there to make learning fun! Today I’ll share some of our favorites!
Flashlight Books
So they are technically called Shine -A -Light books and they are published by Usborne. You guys, I love Usborne books! We have quite a few in our library and I’m glad I added these “flash light” books to our collection. I decided on the four pictured below, however there are many more to choose from. I have a feeling I need to add the transportation ones in the future.
Jackson has really enjoyed reading in the dark and using his flashlight to find the hidden illustrations! He walked into my room at 6 a.m. the other morning carrying his flashlight and a book! He was ready to read and I was barely awake! We are introducing him to history and science using these books in a fun way!
To shop and support a fellow Apraxia Mama, click here.
The Bus Stop Game
We found this game in the gift shop at the Transportation Museum in St. Louis. I worry so much about teaching Jackson math because it’s my least favorite subject. I’m a writer and word nerd after all.
When I found this game I knew it would be a great way to work on basic addition and subtraction. It’s the perfect game to play as a family and use to teach turn taking and other social skills.
The game is made by Orchard Toys. I had never heard of this company before, but they make some great stuff! Many of their games and learning toys are available on Amazon.
The “Hey Jack!” Series
I wanted to find a book series for Jackson that was similar to Junie B. Jones for girls. I wanted books that I could read aloud to him and that he’ll eventually be able to read on his own.
I came across this series on the Usborne website and immediately added it to my cart! Not only do I love that the kid’s name is Jack, but I love the reason the author decided to write the books.
According to the website, Sally Rippin, author of the Hey Jack! books wrote them because her son struggled with reading. Each book is written so that no words cross over onto another page, there are no hyphenated words, and some words appear bigger than others. These books were written with a very specific purpose in mind. One is for a child to pick up the book, look at the page and say “That doesn’t look so hard, I can read that” The other is to give kids 6-8 a fun, engaging story that they can relate to and learn from.
I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!!
It’s like these books were written just for my kiddo! The entire Hey Jack! series is going in Jackson’s Easter basket. I cannot wait to start reading them with him!
“Not the Former Things” Blog
I stumbled across this new (to me) blog and it is overflowing with information about homeschooling children with special needs! Shawna writes about homeschooling children with Autism, ADHD, mental illness and chronic illness. She writes truthfully about the joys and stresses of homeschooling. I have already been so encouraged by her words. I have no doubt her blog will be a valuable resource to me.
I also ordered her book, Special Education at Home and can’t wait to start reading it!
Homeschool
I can’t believe I’m saying homeschool is one of my favorite things after just a few short weeks, but it seriously is!
Don’t get me wrong, I still worry and stress about the future and if I really have what it takes to do this. We are still finding our groove. BUT…the freedom that has come with this decision has been life-changing. I can already tell a huge difference in Jackson’s stress and anxiety levels, as well as my own. Public school was draining us both.
I’m loving the slow and peaceful mornings. I love teaching him in fun and creative ways. I love that God has changed my heart to want to do this for my son.
