Homeschool Review Crew - English On A Roll Multi-Sensory Color-Coded Language Arts

I have a very hands-on learner who has plenty of Language Arts learning gaps and is terrified of writing paragraphs, so I was thrilled to get a chance to review the English Grammar Teaching Method from English on a Roll. It is rare to find a language program that is hands-on and uses the multisensory pathways to the brain of:

Visual

Auditory

Kinesthetic/Tactile

English on a Roll is unique and an effective teaching tool that has research behind it based on the principles of Multisensory Structured Language (MSL).

I received a paperback Instructor's Manual Book that contains 37 lessons and workbook pages that can be copied to be used with more than one student and 1 cube set that consists of a seal-tight plastic container of word/letter dice that can be used with up to 6 students.

What is English on a Roll?

HOW IT ALL BEGAN:
Linda Hopkins Koran is the creator of the English on a Roll program. She came up with the idea and began teaching English as a Second Language ESL.She had a challenge in accomplishing her task of teaching these students because not only did her students not speak English, but she did not speak their native language either. So, she got creative and designed the first set of English on a Roll cubes using wooden blocks and paint and was delighted to see the response.

Since this time, English on a Roll has been used to help numerous students from five year olds learning to read through adults, some with special needs like dyslexia or autism.

Linda believes that:

"Languages are like intricate puzzles"

The idea is to create an environment for success and cut back on mistakes commonly made when learning the English language. To do this, the cubes representat the main parts of speech in color coding. The student can easily see the word choices based on color and makes it so that it is less overwhelming.

The colors are used in groups:

Pronouns - Blue
Question Words - Green
Nouns, Articles, and Prepositions - Dark Blue
Verbs - Red
Adverbs - Orange
Adjectives - Purple
Punctuation - Black
2 Blank Cubes with labels

The lessons include verbal repeating, game play and worksheets.

BOTTOM LINE:

The program helps students of any level and age, recommended for ages 5 and older, to gain mastery of English grammar and syntax. Students literally build sentences as they roll and turn the dice. The main successful elements to the program are:

• Game-like element making it fun!
• Multi-sensory learning
• Encourages practice which is the key to mastery

*~*~*

Check out the Demo Video on the English on a Roll page by clicking on the picture below:

The set I received includes 40 cubes (38 engraved with color-coded related word groups and 2 blank cubes with labels for limitless vocabulary customization) and one 142-page instructor manual that includes teaching tips, lessons, games and reproducible materials with the permission to copy for use in your home or classroom and can be used with more than one student.

   

The book is written with the idea of it being used in a classroom or group setting of up to six children per cube set, but it's super easy to adapt for one-on-one homeschooling or to use with more than one child.

How Did We Use It?

Though the program is designed to work well with a classroom setting or with students in groups of up to six per cube box, it was just my 10-year-old and I who used this which worked really well for the most part. Some of the game play had to be adapted but nothing that was overly difficult to adapt.

I was happy to discover a typed note explaining that the easiest way to remove the dice from the container is to keep the box sealed, flip it over, and then open. I tried it, and it was so easy that way.

The instructor's manual was laid out so nicely. The lessons are easy to follow and most lessons include Prep - Notes and Vocabulary - Teaching Tips - Teach The Concepts - Conversation/Game Play - Written Exercises Instructions and Reproducible Worksheet.

The book contains a Cube Guide and then explains what English on a Roll is and how it works before diving into the lessons. There are 37 lessons:

1. Subject Pronouns
2. Be Verb
3. Consonant Start Nouns and the A Article
4. Making Statements with Be
5. Yes/No Questions with Be
6. Answering Yes/No Questions with Be
7. Article A and An with Nouns
8. Regular, Irregular, and Noncount Nouns
9. Noun/Pronoun Relationships
10. Who and What Questions to Be
11. This/That/These/Those
12. Adjectives and Adjective Phrases
13. Adjective Phrases with A or An
14. Adjectives with Be Statements
15. Subject Pronouns, Possessives Adjectives, and Nouns
16. Possessive Adjectives, Be Statements, Whose Questions
17. Prepositions of Location and Prepositional Phrases
18. Questions of Location with Where
19. Verb Tense Concepts
20. Simple Present (Every day) of Be, Statements, and Contractions
21. Present Progressive (Right Now) Statements
22. Present Progressive (Right Now)Questions and Answers
23. Simple Future (Tomorrow) Statements with Will
24. Simple Future (Tomorrow) Questions with When
25. Simple Present Tense (Every Day) of Have
26. Have, Be, and Possessive Adjectives
27. Simple Present, Do Verg, Yes/No Questions and Answers
28. Simple Present, Questions and Answers with Do and Have
29. Simple Present (Every Day), Regular Verbs
30. Simple Present (Every Day), Regular Verbs, Questions and Answers
31. Simple Past (Yesterday), Positive and Negative Statements with Be
32. Simple Past (Yesterday), Questions and Answers with Be
33. Simple Past (Yesterday) Regular Verbs
34. Simple Past (Yesterday) Have and Do Verbs
35. Simple Past (Yesterday) Yes/No Questions and Answers
36. Simple Past Questions and Answers with Have
37. Review: Simple Present, Past, Future and Present Progressive

 

 

The teaching book example shows a black and white simple drawing of a tree, but my little artist insisted that it be drawn with color and that the AM ARE and IS were turned into red apples on the tree. So, that's how we did ours!

What Did We Think?

When I first saw what the program was about, it intrigued me and I was interested to see how it worked, though I honestly thought that my daughter would have already developed English language skills that are beyond what she would be able to learn with the program. Still, I wanted to give it a try because my daughter is going into the 5th grade, but somehow her Language Arts studies have been all over the place with my changing curriculum many times to fit her needs. She has a good mastery of the English language, reads at a high level, but somehow has developed learning gaps in key components of vocabulary over the years and dis absolutely petrified to write anything more than simple sentences.

When the kit arrived, my daughter noticed it immediately and asked about it, so I took the time to sit down with her and figure out what it was all about. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the program was enjoyable, and was not as far under her grade level as I had anticipated. If anything, it is a great way to reinforce her previously shaky knowledge of English to hopefully make her a more confident writer, reader, and speaker. I will even admit that I may have even learned a thing or two in the process, and I write for a living so this is always a perk for me to get excited about words.

Some of the parts of the program we thoroughly enjoyed were how the cubes color coded the words. Somehow, my daughter and I both think in color. So, grouping the parts of speech by color is BRIlLIANT! I really loved how these groupings make it so easy to build and structure a sentence properly without being overwhelmed at the thousands of words to choose from otherwise. Lastly, the game play made us actually do more in a day than originally intended. She wasn't satisfied with just one lesson, she wanted to keep doing it.

FIND ENGLISH ON A ROLL ON SOCIAL MEDIA @:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/englishonaroll/

Read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:

TOS Review: Memoria Press

* I was more than thrilled to get a chance to review New American Cursive: Penmanship Program Workbook 1 from Memoria Press.

We have used a few other Memoria Press books over the years, and they have never failed to deliver. This course is no exception.

New American Cursive, NAC, is a form of cursive that was developed by 35-year expert, Iris Hatfield. NAC is a form of cursive that offers more than 25 fewer strokes, eliminating unnecessary awkward strokes, to help make learning cursive easier and more legible.

It's a unique, fresh and simple approach to teaching cursive to kids as young as First Grade. The idea is not to force a high-level skill upon little hands, but rather to introduce the child to all the benefits of cursive as soon as possible. The earlier a child learns how to write cursive, the earlier he or she will benefit from all cursive has to offer; including, gaining competence from the start. And, the thing is - The New American Cursive: Penmanship Program Workbook 1 presents learning cursive in a way that makes it easy, artistic, encouraging, and fun.

Some benefits to learning cursive are said to include:

• hand-eye coordination
• ability to read cursive (by the way: Our founding fathers wrote documents in handwriting of cursive)
• self confidence
• improved reading and spelling
• increased writing speed with legible results
• improved brain neural connections
• ability to develop a personal signature

It only took us about 15 to 20 minutes a day to cover each lesson. The book starts with demonstrating and teaching proper paper, hand, and pencil position for left or right handers; and, it ends with the student writing sentences in a short letter, the Pledge of Allegiance, and it even covers writing numbers.

There are three workbooks in this series that start with Workbook 1 geared toward First Graders. Memoria Press also offers a supplemental software with customizable worksheets.


What is New American Cursive: Penmanship Program Workbook 1?

This is a workbook style paperback that introduces students to cursive using "Mr. Meerkat" as the instructor guide throughout the book. It is intended to introduce children in First Grade to New American Cursive, NAC, which is a form of cursive that was developed by Iris Hatfield. The 35-year cursive expert, Iris Hatfield, developed NAC as a form of cursive that offers more than 25 fewer strokes, eliminating unnecessary awkward strokes. By breaking down the process to its simplest form, it helps to make learning cursive easier and produce more legible work.

Throughout the book, Mr. Meerkat is pictured demonstrating how the child is to form each letter using the traditional handwriting lined writing sections of a dotted middle line between an upper and lower solid line on sections throughout the worksheet pages and arrows that direct the child's pencil to copy the letters and words.

The book is not bound at the left like most books, but it is bound at the top to give equal access to left and right-handed kids.

The repeating theme throughout the book is three-part:

How Did We Use It?

I sat down with my 8-year-old daughter who, according to our public school system and her late September birthday, puts her officially in the 2nd Grade. Though, she does some 3rd Grade work. Even so, she had not yet been taught to write cursive because my other children really didn't cover it till closer to 4th Grade.

   

  

What Did We Think?

I was looking forward to her learning cursive, and I was not disappointed.
When I told her she was going to learn cursive, she was a bit overwhelmed until I opened the book and began to work through it with her. It only took her to about the 2nd lesson before she was flowing along with Mr. Meerkat and laughing while she worked. It took us a few confusing turns to become used to the top-binding which means you sort of flip and turn the book when ready to go on to the next page rather than just turning page after page. But, once we got used to this format, it was easier.

I really like this particular form of cursive. All of the letters flow from one to another with ease and are not choppy or unnatural. I'm so excited that my child has been exposed to a solid cursive handwriting program at her early age.


Find Memoria Press on Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Read what other members of the TOS Review Crew thought of this cursive program, and see what reviewers thought of another Memoria Press product, First Start Reading, that some other members of the Review Crew received by clicking on the picture below.

ALSO, STAY TUNED FOR SOME UPCOMING TOS CREW REVIEWS OF MORE FROM MEMORIA PRESS!

New Books from Schiffer for Kids

Schiffer Books has released a new line of books for kids.  And, they are spectacular!  The publishing company sent me some of their kids' books in exchange for an honest review.  So, here is what I thought:

Bugs In Shoes - This book by Beth Wilder is absolutely adorable with it's cute rhythmic flow throughout. It is perfect for early, merging readers.  The bugs progress throughout the book trying on different articles of clothing.  This poetic rhythm and bright happy pictures helps draw the young reader in and makes the words entertaining and easy to remember.  A few lines from the book read as follows:

Bugs in earmuffs

Bugs in coats

Bust in swimsuits

Bugs in floats...

The book also has pages in the back that are meant to be photocopied for your child to color and enjoy.  You could also extend the learning time by using them in a matching game.  As you read the book with your child, have him or her set the matching bugs on the correct pages.

Bertie Bumble Bee - Troubled by the Letter "b" by K.I. Al-Ghani and Illustrated by Haitham Al-Ghani - This book is an excellent resource for parents and teachers dealing with a struggling or dyslexic learner.  The book is a sweet story about a little bee who is very excited about school until he is made fun of because he switches around his letters.  The book walks the reader through an enticing story revealing how mother bee helps her little bee figure it all out.

The suggestions for how to remember the correct way to write letters is very helpful and fun to follow.  The back of the book is filled with pages of how to help your child master basic phonics.  The story and the phonics helps are a rich resource for any teacher or student learning letters, even if it comes easily with no challenge.

Double-Talk Word Sense & Nonsense - By Zora & David Aiken Illustrated by David Aiken is a cute, easy-to-remember way of learning homophones using silly nonsensical rhymes, such as this one:

The sandman, they say, might help us to snore.  But not the sand man we build at the shore.

The pictures that accompany the cute little verses are very appealing.  They will draw your child in to look for detail after detail.

The Tale of Strawberry Snow - by P.L. Caudle Illustrations by Frank H. Simmonds, IV - This is a story about "making new friends" wobbly legs and a courageous heart describes the little pony in the book who makes friends with the most unlikely creature.  The story is sweet and easy to read for early readers (PK-3rd grade).

Boomer Explores Annapolis - by Angelique Clarke Illustrated by Jim Hunt  - This story is a brilliant method of teaching facts about a city while the reader is absorbed in the puppy's story.  Boomer could very well explore your town as well.  I wish there were a Boomer story about every capitol city (at the very least) as a way for kids to learn more about the USA.  Your dog-lover will learn a ton about the city of Annapolis in this story that follows a dog around town.  The factual tidbits about this city in Maryland are filtered in to a young reader unaware of how much he or she is truly learning about historical sites.  The lovable puppy will bring your child back to read the story again and again.  Each time the story is read, your child will remember more historical facts.

The books are available at Schifferbooks.com where you can learn more about other newly-released children's books as well.