Teaching Baby To Read Blog
Give your baby a head start in life!
BLOG.TEACHINGBABYTOREAD.COM
Product Review - Seeds Family Worship CD
I am really excited to review the Seeds Family Worship CD for my blog today. I came across Seeds on another blog and thought it sounded great. Teaching my kids Bible verses is a high priority around here and our experience has been that anything we sing we remember. I was considering it for purchase but the company offered to send me their sampler CD with 6 songs to review. I will definitely be purchasing the 6 CD collection and the great thing about Seeds is that every CD you buy comes with a duplicate extra CD. This allows you to give your extra copy away to a friend or split the cost with a friend. I think it is a win-win either way. I shared my extra CD with my friend Tracy and she has written a review as well which I will post below.
So what do I have to say about the CD we received? It has quickly become a family favorite. All 6 of my children have been singing the songs, which are Bible verses. Does it get any better than that? How powerful it is to sing the Word of God! The music is so good that I actually listened to it while I went running today. Yup, that good. It is somewhat rocky and upbeat music. I like that there are different singers and styles. This keeps each song from being monotonously the same. I looked up each Scripture and printed the words to the songs so we could easily sing along. Seeds definitely makes learning God's Word easy to do while being enjoyable. The songs get stuck in my head forcing me to listen to them again and again. I give the sampler CD 2 thumbs up and so does my family. If I had to chose something I did not like about the music, I would say there is nothing.
While I was getting ready to write this review I went to their website and found out that you can listen to the music online at www.seedsfamilyworship.net. I will definitely listen online until I order the whole collection. You can purchase all 6 of the Seeds CDs for just $59.99 or $12.98 a piece, and remember that comes with an extra CD to giveaway. It is a great investment and such a beautiful thing to be able to learn Scripture so easily. I did not receive any compensation for this review and this is my honest opinion.
Tracy's Review of Seeds Family Worship CD
I was so excited to receive a copy of the Seeds Family Worship Sampler CD last week! We loved it immediately! My son (4yrs) and I popped it in the CD player over lunch one day and, while lunch took way longer than it should (apparently, chewing and listening aren't skills my son can do concurrently), we had an amazing time of worship. From grooving in his seat, to air guitar, to jumping up and down, to mommy joining him "dancing" (term used loosely) and playing air drums, it was a magnificent time! At one point, I looked out the window wondering if anyone was seeing my lack of abandon and realized that it didn't really matter - God was likely dancing with us and what more could you want?! So with tears of joy on my face watching my boy singing God's word, I danced...and made plans to order the full CD set!
Here is a YouTube video of one of the songs from the CD we received.
Here is a YouTube video of one of the songs from the CD we received.
How to Make Oat Milk
I thought I would share my recipe for making oat milk here. We have used rice milk, soy milk and almond milk for years since my daughter is sensitive to dairy products. We had never tasted oat milk prior to making i, but I was looking to make my own nondairy milk since we go through quite a bit. I made rice milk and oat milk and her preference is definitely for the oat milk. I am thrilled that she likes and that it is so easy to make at home. I used to buy almond milk, but not anymore. Now we make oat milk at a fraction of the cost and it is healthy. My husband tested it with our pH test kit and it registered somewhere around 7. It has a pleasant taste. It tastes like like oatmeal. I use it in cereal, baking or anything that calls for milk.
Oat Milk Recipe
1 cup of raw oats (I use the old fashioned oats that take 5 minutes to cook.)
4 cups of water (Can be adjusted to your desired level of thickness.)
1 TBSP agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend for about one minute.
I use a clean piece of material to strain it.
You can throw away the oat pulp, or eat it.
My daughter likes to eat some of it.
Voila! Oat milk. It takes minutes to prepare and it's healthy.
Here is my little helper enjoying her oat milk.
I usually make two batches since we go through this rather quickly. Enjoy.
4 cups of water (Can be adjusted to your desired level of thickness.)
1 TBSP agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend for about one minute. I use a clean piece of material to strain it. You can throw away the oat pulp, or eat it.My daughter likes to eat some of it.
Voila! Oat milk. It takes minutes to prepare and it's healthy.Here is my little helper enjoying her oat milk.
I usually make two batches since we go through this rather quickly. Enjoy.
How to Make Oat Milk
I thought I would share my recipe for making oat milk here. We have used rice milk, soy milk and almond milk for years since my daughter is sensitive to dairy products. We had never tasted oat milk prior to making it, but I was looking to make my own non-dairy milk since we go through quite a bit of milk here. I made rice milk and oat milk and her preference was definitely for the oat milk. I am thrilled that she likes and that it is so easy to make at home. I used to buy almond milk, but not anymore. Now we make oat milk at a fraction of the cost and it is healthy. My husband tested it with our pH test kit and it registered somewhere around 7. It has a pleasant taste. It tastes like oatmeal. I use it in cereal, baking or anything that calls for milk.
Oat Milk Recipe
1 cup of raw oats (I use the old fashioned oats that take 5 minutes to cook.)
4 cups of water (Can be adjusted to your desired level of thickness.)
1 TBSP agave nectar (You can add more or less to taste.)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend for about one minute.
I use a clean piece of material to strain it.
You can throw away the oat pulp, or eat it.
My daughter likes to eat some of it.
Voila! Oat milk. It takes minutes to prepare and it's healthy.
Here is my little helper enjoying her oat milk.
I usually make two batches since we go through this rather quickly. Enjoy.
4 cups of water (Can be adjusted to your desired level of thickness.)
1 TBSP agave nectar (You can add more or less to taste.)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend for about one minute. I use a clean piece of material to strain it. You can throw away the oat pulp, or eat it.My daughter likes to eat some of it.
Voila! Oat milk. It takes minutes to prepare and it's healthy.Here is my little helper enjoying her oat milk.
I usually make two batches since we go through this rather quickly. Enjoy.
Review of Speekee -Teach Your Child Spanish Program
I am really excited about the review today for the Speekee Program. I have been trying to teach my youngest children, ages 5 and 7, some Spanish, so we have been looking for good resources to help us along. We were given a trial to Speekee TV, which consists of 10 episodes to choose from. You can also purchase Speekee on DVD. We have been using Speekee for the last 7 weeks and my children have really enjoyed it. At first glance, Speekee, the main character, may look a little scary or strange, but within a few moments of watching Speekee, you will love her. Speekee is a soft spoken, gentle-natured character that made learning Spanish fun for my children.
The first thing we noticed was that the music is great! The songs are upbeat and very catchy. The first day that we watched Speekee I overheard my 5 year old daughter singing it while she was in the kitchen. That was a sweet and special moment for me. It is really important that children engage the programs we choose, or else they will not be open to learning. I encouraged my kids to repeat what was being said and to answer any questions. This really helped us conversationally. My daughter quickly learned to reply in Spanish when asked her name, among other things.
Speekee is a complete immersion program, but you can choose to keep the subtitles on. We did keep these on and I think it really helped us to understand what was being said and how to say it ourselves. The font on the subtitles is very small, so it is not distracting, but we were able to read what was being said in English and in Spanish. You do have the option of removing the subtitles if you want a complete Spanish immersion experience.
I had read other good reviews of Speekee and am really grateful to use the program. We definitely give it two thumbs up and will recommend this as a great way to learn Spanish. If you want to try Speekee you can visit www.speekee.co.uk and sign up for a free 2 week trial offer to Speekee TV. I recommend you check that out.
I have a bit of video I was able to capture of my kids enjoying Speekee. You can see that below. My daughter really enjoyed singing along, and my older kids, who could hear it playing were singing the songs as well. A CD of the Speekee music would be great to own.
To find out more visit www.Speekee.co.uk.
Our Reading List for April 2012
Another month of 2012 is gone and with it are all the books we enjoyed together for the month of April. I did not number the list this month, so until I post all the books here, I don't know how many my little girl read. I do know that I am having a hard time keeping up with her voracious appetite for reading. She surprised me the other day and read The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by herself in one sitting while I was running errands. I could not believe it. I have noticed that she has been reading to herself more and more. It is wonderful. My job is to keep a fresh supply of books on hand for her to indulge in. Today's trip to the library stocked us up for a few days. So, here is April's reading list.
- Curious George and the Firefighters
- Pooh Goes Visiting
- Little Bear and Owl
- A Tree is Nice
- Silverlicious
- Crictor
- Baby Beluga
- Miss Nelson is Missing
- Titch
- Where the Wild Things Are
- The Cat Club
- Madeline at the White House
- The Monster Returns
- Otto the Book Bear
- Merry Christmas to You, Blue Kangaroo
- Lola at the Library
- Race You to Bed
- Extra Yarn
- Elephant on My Roof
- Another Brother
- The House that Jack Built
- Madeline's Rescue
- Penny and Her Song
- A Fly Went By
- Duck Tents
- Chopsticks
- Mama, Why?
- A Father's Song
- Hey, Rabbit!
- Bear Snores On
- Bear Feels Scared
- One of Each
- Come Along, Daisy
- Ducky
- Peter Pan
- Pinkalicious
- Goldilicious
- Froggy's Day with Dad
- Trojan Horse*
- Fancy Nancy
- If You Give a Pig a Pancake
- Lots of Ladybugs
- Zinnia and Dot
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?
- Katy No-Pocket
- I, Crocodile
- Laura's Little House
- Dance at Grandpa's
- There's a Nightmare in My Closet
- Martha Doesn't Say Sorry
- A Picture for Harold's Room
- The Very Best Daddy of All
- Dogs
- Red Butterfly
- Climb the Family Tree, Jesse Bear
- Let's Count It Out, Jesse Bear
- Happy Birthday, Jesse Bear!
- Animal House
- The Tallest of Smalls
- Tales From the Odyssey*
- The Pied Piper
- Winnie the Pooh, Make the Best of It
- The Best Way to See a Shark
- Moths
- Duckling Days
- Butterfly House
- Daisy and the Egg
- It's Not Marsha's Birthday
- The Little Red Hen
- Arthur's TV Trouble
- Little House in the Big Woods*
- Five Little Monkeys Play Hide-and-Seek
- The Story of Pocahontas
- Pilgrim Cat
- The Littlest Pilgrim
- The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus
- Stars
- Nine Days to Christmas
- The Piano
- Little Bear's Friend
- Little Bear's Visit
There you have it, eighty-one books for April. The * indicates chapter books. I am having a hard time keeping track of the books she reads because she reads and forgets to tell me. Some of these may have been on another month, but I cannot keep track of repeats unless they are in the same month. We are getting a little bored with the choices at the library. I think it is time to look for some new books on Amazon or visit a different library. To all you that enjoy reading to your children, happy reading! Let's make May a great month of reading with our kids.
If you want to know how to encourage of love of reading in your baby or young child, visit www.monkisee.com. Young children can learn to love to read beginning at birth. It's never too early to share a book with your baby.
10,000 Reasons Cover by Davida
As some of you may know, my four lovely daughters make up the musical group Davida. You can view their music videos on the DavidaBand YouTube Channel.
Today I would like to share a recently uploaded cover of Matt Redman's song 10,000 Reasons. Just click below to watch their version of this wonderful song.
Today I would like to share a recently uploaded cover of Matt Redman's song 10,000 Reasons. Just click below to watch their version of this wonderful song.
Can Baboons Learn to Read? Why Not Babies?
Today I am posting a recent article about some experiments that were done with baboons. Scientists tested baboons and found that they can very differentiate between actual written words versus nonsense words. The link to the story is below, but the question of the day is, if baboons can recognize words, and they do not learn to read, why not babies? I think the study is fascinating and look forward to more of the results of the study, but for now we will keep on proclaiming that babies can and do learn to read. If you want to know more about how to teach your baby to read visit www.monkisee.com.
To read the story click here.
Here are a few quotes, if you don't want to read the whole article:
"For the first time,
we have an animal model of a key component of literacy, the recognition
of the visual word form."
ANCIENT BRAIN CIRCUITS
The study was intended less to probe animal
intelligence than to explore how a brain might learn to read. It
suggests that, contrary to prevailing theory, a brain can take the first steps toward reading without having language, since baboons don't.
For the new study,
scientists at Aix-Marseille University in France trained the six baboons
by setting up nine booths, equipped with computers and touch screens,
in two trailers in the monkeys' 80-by-100-foot (25- by-30 meter)
enclosure. The animals wandered in when they felt like it.
Once a baboon was
at the screen, it was shown a string of four letters that was either a
real English word ("them") or a non-word ("telk"). The baboon learned to touch an oval on the screen when it saw a word, and a plus (+) for a
non-word. Every correct response brought a reward of dry wheat.
Once they got the hang of things, it was test time.
Again strings of
four letters appeared on the screen, but now they were never-before-seen strings. If a baboon decided the letters formed a word, it pressed the
oval sign; for non-words (always three consonants and a vowel), it
pressed a plus. In a video released by the scientists, the baboons swat
the screen ("itcs": plus!; "kite": oval!) with the alacrity and
assuredness of a 12-year-old acing a video game.
The baboons were engaging in "orthographic processing," said Aix-Marseille's Jonathan Grainger, who led the study. That term means recognizing letters and their
positions. It has nothing to do with sounding out a word, let alone
understanding it. Still, it is a necessary early step in reading.
"When people learn
words, and when we learn to distinguish words from non-words, we're
doing statistical pattern recognition, too," said Duke's Platt. "The
critical finding is that the baboons were able to transfer this learning to words they had never seen before."
Grainger called the baboons' accuracy remarkable, since the words were so superficially
similar to the non-words (not a "sxjayud" in the bunch).
To be sure, other
animals have learned to recognize letters. In a 1982 experiment, for
instance, pigeons were able to identify all 26 letters of the English
alphabet.
A prime candidate
for those processing abilities lies in a region of the brain that
becomes active when people read. Discovered by Dehaene, it is called the "visual word form area" and is located behind the left ear. It
recognizes strings of letters, and the more active it is in 7-
to-18-year-olds, studies show, the better readers they tend to be.
(T)he study has implications for education. "You might conclude that
phonics doesn't work" as well as teaching children to read by
recognizing the entire word, said Platt. "This study suggests that
reading is all about pattern recognition and not working out phonemes."
To read the story click here.
Here are a few quotes, if you don't want to read the whole article:
"For the first time,
we have an animal model of a key component of literacy, the recognition
of the visual word form."
ANCIENT BRAIN CIRCUITS
The study was intended less to probe animal
intelligence than to explore how a brain might learn to read. It
suggests that, contrary to prevailing theory, a brain can take the first steps toward reading without having language, since baboons don't.
For the new study,
scientists at Aix-Marseille University in France trained the six baboons
by setting up nine booths, equipped with computers and touch screens,
in two trailers in the monkeys' 80-by-100-foot (25- by-30 meter)
enclosure. The animals wandered in when they felt like it.
Once a baboon was
at the screen, it was shown a string of four letters that was either a
real English word ("them") or a non-word ("telk"). The baboon learned to touch an oval on the screen when it saw a word, and a plus (+) for a
non-word. Every correct response brought a reward of dry wheat.
Once they got the hang of things, it was test time.
Again strings of
four letters appeared on the screen, but now they were never-before-seen strings. If a baboon decided the letters formed a word, it pressed the
oval sign; for non-words (always three consonants and a vowel), it
pressed a plus. In a video released by the scientists, the baboons swat
the screen ("itcs": plus!; "kite": oval!) with the alacrity and
assuredness of a 12-year-old acing a video game.
The baboons were engaging in "orthographic processing," said Aix-Marseille's Jonathan Grainger, who led the study. That term means recognizing letters and their
positions. It has nothing to do with sounding out a word, let alone
understanding it. Still, it is a necessary early step in reading.
"When people learn
words, and when we learn to distinguish words from non-words, we're
doing statistical pattern recognition, too," said Duke's Platt. "The
critical finding is that the baboons were able to transfer this learning to words they had never seen before."
Grainger called the baboons' accuracy remarkable, since the words were so superficially
similar to the non-words (not a "sxjayud" in the bunch).
To be sure, other
animals have learned to recognize letters. In a 1982 experiment, for
instance, pigeons were able to identify all 26 letters of the English
alphabet.
A prime candidate
for those processing abilities lies in a region of the brain that
becomes active when people read. Discovered by Dehaene, it is called the "visual word form area" and is located behind the left ear. It
recognizes strings of letters, and the more active it is in 7-
to-18-year-olds, studies show, the better readers they tend to be.
(T)he study has implications for education. "You might conclude that
phonics doesn't work" as well as teaching children to read by
recognizing the entire word, said Platt. "This study suggests that
reading is all about pattern recognition and not working out phonemes."
Boca Beth Review and Giveaway
I recently received some products to review from Boca Beth. I had read other reviews and wanted the opportunity to use some of the products with my children because I really want them to have some exposure to Spanish. I realize that I cannot teach them to speak Spanish fluently, but I want to expose them to Spanish so they can learn the basics. I know I can do this for them and we enjoyed practicing our Spanish with Boca Beth.
I received the Boca Beth coloring and activity book, My First Songs in Spanish CD, and the I Like Animals DVD. I used these products with my children ages 5 and 7. Overall, their favorite product was the coloring/activity book. They enjoyed coloring the pictures with Boca and saying the words. They would sit together and each color a page. Below you can watch a short video of them practicing the words they learned in the book.
Our next favorite product was the My First Songs in Spanish. We honestly haven't used the products as often as I would have liked to, but we plan to continue using them for a good long time, at least until we learn all there is to learn from them. The program is bilingual, incorporating both English and Spanish. This was beneficial for us, since we do not speak Spanish, and since my kids are 5 and 7, it helps them to understand what they are learning. You can see some video of them enjoying the CD below.
And the last product to review is the I Like Animals DVD. This is a nice DVD that teaches the names of the animals along with sentences regarding what the animals are doing. It is repeated in English and Spanish, which is nice for us, because I do not have to continually repeat what is being taught. It also has the words and sentences in both languages on the screen. This is great! Since both of my children can read they could read the words in English and attempt to read them in Spanish as well. This helps them to learn to speak and read in Spanish. I am really excited about that. We also love the enthusiasm that Beth Butler brings to the program. She is very passionate and her excitement carries over to her program. You can view some videos of my children enjoying the video.
Okay, so there you have our review of the Boca Beth products. Beth has so generously offered to donate some products to one of my blessed readers. This is my first giveaway, so I am really excited about it. If you would like to win a Boca Beth coloring/activity book, a CD and a DVD, just leave a comment here telling me why you would like to use these products. We will choose a winner on April 30th. Thanks Boca Beth for letting us review your products and helping us along on our journey to learn Spanish.
I received the Boca Beth coloring and activity book, My First Songs in Spanish CD, and the I Like Animals DVD. I used these products with my children ages 5 and 7. Overall, their favorite product was the coloring/activity book. They enjoyed coloring the pictures with Boca and saying the words. They would sit together and each color a page. Below you can watch a short video of them practicing the words they learned in the book.
Our next favorite product was the My First Songs in Spanish. We honestly haven't used the products as often as I would have liked to, but we plan to continue using them for a good long time, at least until we learn all there is to learn from them. The program is bilingual, incorporating both English and Spanish. This was beneficial for us, since we do not speak Spanish, and since my kids are 5 and 7, it helps them to understand what they are learning. You can see some video of them enjoying the CD below.
And the last product to review is the I Like Animals DVD. This is a nice DVD that teaches the names of the animals along with sentences regarding what the animals are doing. It is repeated in English and Spanish, which is nice for us, because I do not have to continually repeat what is being taught. It also has the words and sentences in both languages on the screen. This is great! Since both of my children can read they could read the words in English and attempt to read them in Spanish as well. This helps them to learn to speak and read in Spanish. I am really excited about that. We also love the enthusiasm that Beth Butler brings to the program. She is very passionate and her excitement carries over to her program. You can view some videos of my children enjoying the video.
Okay, so there you have our review of the Boca Beth products. Beth has so generously offered to donate some products to one of my blessed readers. This is my first giveaway, so I am really excited about it. If you would like to win a Boca Beth coloring/activity book, a CD and a DVD, just leave a comment here telling me why you would like to use these products. We will choose a winner on April 30th. Thanks Boca Beth for letting us review your products and helping us along on our journey to learn Spanish.
Cayden Reading at 20 months old
I am so excited to share this video today. I first saw it posted on Brillkids, but instantly recognized Mela Bela as one of our MonkiSee customers. I asked her if she would let me share it here and she consented. She told me she will film him reading the MonkiSee books and share that also. I am really excited about this video and the video to come. Cayden began learning to read using the MonkiSee program when he was 6 months old. According to his mom, it is still one of his favorites. You can see him reading a book here.
To learn more about how you can teach your baby to read with the MonkiSee program visit www.monkisee.com.
To learn more about how you can teach your baby to read with the MonkiSee program visit www.monkisee.com.
Making Butter With Kids - Inspired by Little House Books
I just started reading Little House in the Big Woods to my 5 year old. I read the books a year or so ago to my son, but he has decided to sit in and listen again. The Little House books are so wonderful. They really give you a picture of what life was like in the pioneer days. The children beg me to read another chapter. I love when that happens. Yesterday they both read ahead on their own, since they were too impatient to wait on me.
Yesterday we read the chapter where they were making butter. I have wanted to do this with my children for some time. After we read the chapter, we watched this video on How to Make Butter. It looks extremely easy, no fancy equipment necessary, just some energetic children to shake the cream.
I bought some organic heavy whipping cream and we made butter last night. It was so easy to do and the good news is that the butter is absolutely delicious. The kids were so funny shaking their containers. They complained a little about being tired, but did not want any help. Within 20 minutes we had separated the buttermilk from the cream, leaving us with creamy, silky butter. We added a little salt, spread it on some bread and enjoyed the efforts of our labor. The children did a taste test between our butter and store bought butter, and they concluded that our butter was tastier and that we should make our own butter from now on. I am not sure about that, but it nice to know we can and that it is simple to do.
I gave each child a container filled about 1/3 full with cream and had them shake it continuously. We checked it after about 15 minutes and poured off the buttermilk and then continued. Here are some pictures of the final results.
Yesterday we read the chapter where they were making butter. I have wanted to do this with my children for some time. After we read the chapter, we watched this video on How to Make Butter. It looks extremely easy, no fancy equipment necessary, just some energetic children to shake the cream.
I bought some organic heavy whipping cream and we made butter last night. It was so easy to do and the good news is that the butter is absolutely delicious. The kids were so funny shaking their containers. They complained a little about being tired, but did not want any help. Within 20 minutes we had separated the buttermilk from the cream, leaving us with creamy, silky butter. We added a little salt, spread it on some bread and enjoyed the efforts of our labor. The children did a taste test between our butter and store bought butter, and they concluded that our butter was tastier and that we should make our own butter from now on. I am not sure about that, but it nice to know we can and that it is simple to do.
I gave each child a container filled about 1/3 full with cream and had them shake it continuously. We checked it after about 15 minutes and poured off the buttermilk and then continued. Here are some pictures of the final results.
Today we are going to make some homemade bread to enjoy with our chilled, homemade butter.
