Friday

{Review} Spanish for You!

 Foreign Language has always been at the top of the list in terms of what I want my kids to know. I think it's an important and marketable skill to have. But even though I know that the younger you are, the easier it is to learn a new language, this particular subject always got pushed to the back burner. Lately the kids' exposure to Spanish has been much more frequent, so I was happy to be asked to review a new Spanish curriculum called Spanish for You! and to see how effective it would be for our family.

 

About the Product:

 

Spanish for You! was created by an experienced Spanish teacher to effectively and affordably teach children the Spanish language. It teaches reading, writing and speaking skills so that students can really communicate in Spanish. Just a few of the key points of the program are:

  • It is flexible in many ways. This curriculum has been tested in the classroom, in homeschool co-ops, and at home. You can mix and match your activities to best suit your situation and you can move at your own pace. 
  • It's affordable. Starting at only $39.95 for an entire year's worth of curriculum, this program is very budget friendly. 
  • It's ready to go. Weekly lesson plans are included, so all you have to do is print and go. 
  • The program is designed to teach multiple ages at one time. 3rd grade or 8th grade, they can all work together on the same material. 
  • The Spanish for You! website contains ideas and instructions for many different games and activities to keep the learning new, fun and exciting
  • 2 Audio files are included. One is spoken by a non-native speaker and one is spoken by a native speaker.  
  •  

How I Used the Program:

 

My boys are currently ranging between 7th grade and Kindergarten, so I got to test just how well this program is for teaching multiple levels. When you order Spanish for You! you will receive a physcial copy of the text book in the mail and all other supplies are provided via PDF download. I will admit to being a little overwhelmed with the size of the downloads and the amount of files. So I suggest you locate and open the lesson guide first. Each Sunday I printed out that week's lesson guide (2 pages for me...one fore grades 3-4 and one for grades 5-6). The lesson guide will tell you exactly which files to locate and print for the week.

We would all gather together over the book and listen to the audio for that day. I paused it as we needed to repeat, answer questions on pronunciation, etc. We made flash cards for new vocabulary, which could later be used in a variety of ways to help solidify the learning. I received the Estaciones Book, so all of our learning revolved around the seasons. And right off the bat the kids were speaking the days of the week, months and various weather terminology.

Each day the kids would speak, read and write in Spanish. The program covers vocabulary, common phrases, commands, verbs....lots of stuff! But it wasn't overwhelming since it was broken down into small parts with lots of practice. And since it's a combination of spoken repetition, written dictation/worksheets and listening to the spoken language, it's very good at appealing to all sorts of learning styles. And at the end of the very first day, the kids took their flash cards and ran up the hill to talk to their Aunt Lili, who is a native Spanish speaker from Colombia. I loved that they were excited to show off their new knowledge!


The Bottom Line:

 

What I liked most about this program:

  • I do not know/speak Spanish. I know the[very] basics, I've watched Dora and Diego over the years, but that is where my knowledge ends. Thanks to the audio files, I don't have to guess on how to pronounce things and I can learn right along side of my kids. 
  • You really can teach all levels at once. The worksheets are different for the various grade levels, so each child can work on the exact same material but at a higher or lower level depending on age.
  • It's affordable. You can get materials for all grade levels (3rd-8th) for an entire year for under $65. 
  • The flexibility. You can take a little or as long as you need for any given part. The lesson guide breaks it down into a 4 day week, but you can take longer or shorter than that if needed. Some times we need the extra practice and some times things just click right away. 
  • The extras- if you visit the website there are links to lots of free mini-lessons, worksheets and activities. All to help you get the most out of the program.
What I didn't like.....well, this might be a first, but I don't have anything to say here. The one downfall I was going to mention has already been taken care of, which means I should probably add great customer service to my list of what I like!

Where to Buy:

 

If you would like to purchase Spanish for You! for yourself you can buy online through their website. You can choose from Estaciones (Seasons), Fiestas (Celebrations) or Viajes (Travels).

Each package will consist of a soft cover book, PDF Files of the lesson guide, worksheets and flashcard pictures. You will also receive 2 mp3 audio files of the lessons. You can choose to purchase a package for grades 3-8 for $64.95 or individually (3-4, 5-6 or 7-8) for $39.95.



Wednesday

A Boy, a Girl and a Chicken


 Rylan has this bird named Queenie. We hatched her in the incubator last fall. She's was a sickly chick. Not very strong, a little floppy, one leg seemed a little off. When we let them out of the brooder and they were old enough and strong enough to hold their own against the big hens, Queenie stayed inside the coop, roosting on the feed cans or hiding behind them all day.


And because of this Rylan took a special interest in her. I told him not to get attached because I honestly didn't think she'd live that long.  But he brought her food and water. He carried her out back to be with the rest of the "chicks".  Finally she started to come around. She's still a little off looking and one leg is still a little odd, but she's running, pecking and venturing. She is also trained to run to Rylan as soon as she sees him. Or any person, if he's not around.


And now that we have a chicken that will run to us. A chicken that is a little smaller than average. Annika now has a chicken she can catch. And carry. And hug. And love.


And Annika really loves Queenie. Almost as much as Rylan....

This post is linked to the HomeAcre Hop, Farm Girl Friday, The Homestead Barn Hop,

Sunday

Finally....Spring


This winter wasn't particularly cold, but it was wet and gray....and long.


We didn't get any snow at all, until March. We had a dusting on the first day of Spring.  And various snow and ice days for a few weeks after.


 When I would look out the window and all I saw was brown and compare it to previous years when the same view was green and full of blossoms. And I honestly started to worry that spring wasn't going to come this year.....


But finally the switch was flicked....and finally Spring is here.


This post is linked to the Homestead Barn Hop, The HomeAcre Hop,

Thursday

Restructuring the Goats


We are making some changes this year in terms of our herd. When we first started out with goats we just got a couple of doelings with hopes of breeding and milking them the following year. Eventually our boys, Scooter and Scout, joined the herd as pets, weed eaters and company for any goat that needed them. And finally Thor, our buck. Over the past 2 years we have grown and today we have 13 goats in our pastures.


Now that we have a couple breeding seasons under our belts and we have a more defined idea about what kind of goats we want to raise, we are ready to make our changes. Over the next year we will be saying good-bye to most of our original herd. Thor and Bella are for sale now. This year's babies will be up for sale once they are weaned. And Bertie and June will leave us this fall or winter once they have dried up for the year or in the Spring if we decided to milk them through until our next kidding season starts. Scooter, Scout and possibly, Poppy, will be staying here. So who are we making room for?


Meet Dottie, a little 7 week old Nubian bottle baby and quite possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen.


She will grow up to be our first foundation doe. She is ADGA registered and comes from very good bloodlines.


 She also follows us around like a puppy and cries loudly when we leave her. In another month or so she will be joined by a second little Nubian doeling (provided she is born, that is).


 And this, is Dixon. Our future herdsire. We picked him up on a recent trip back to TN to visit with friends and family.


He's not quite as puppy-like as Dottie is, but his mama produces 2 gallons of milk a day, which is a pretty impressive amount. He is also ADGA registered and from excellent bloodlines.


So by this time next year, we will have a 100% Nubian herd and hopefully lots of little floppy eared babies jumping around!

This post has been linked to the Farm Girl Friday Blog HopHomestead Barn Hop, The HomeAcre Hop,

Sunday

Mountain Science Expo



Yesterday we went to the NC Arboretum for the Mountain Science Expo (part of the NC Science Festival). There was a ton of booths set up with things for the kids to see, touch and learn about.  Everything from the fish hatchery and trout identification to energy use and alternative energy sources.


And tree identification, soil types and all sorts of bugs and other specimen to look at.


Making gummy creations. Learning how to use a compass. Eating EarthFare snacks.


 Outside was set up for the messy, hands on sort of science. I think Cohen got about 20 pencils in before he sprung a huge leak.


Annika enjoyed the bubbles the most. And the puppies.


 Of course no science festival could be complete without Legos.


Downstairs they had opened up their classroom. And we got to explore animal skeletons as well as meet some of the resident animals- such as Snickerdoodle the rat and Salazar the king snake.


 On to Earth Science- with all sorts of rocks, minerals and fossils. As well as a laser thermometer to play around with.


Looking at the sun and the sun spots with the telescope.


Then we took a break to play like maniacs, and try to save each other from falling through the drainage grate.


And finally stopping to smell all of the flowers before leaving. 


April 6, 2013

Bones. Found outside and claimed by Annika.


The next round of tomato seedlings growing strong. About 80-90 total tomato plants.


1 of 5 lavender plants. Also growing strong.


Eggplant. It finally got warmer in the house, which means the eggplant finally took off.


Peppers. They grow slower than the tomatoes. But they are getting there. We are trying lots of new varieties this year.


Rhubarb.


And basil. I've got about 7 different varieties.


Spending time with the babies. They are phone pics, so not the best. But they are growing bigger everyday. We'll have some new ones to introduce soon too!


How was your day?