Audio Books

Times have been a little tight the last few years and we try and save money any way we can. I can pass up the coffees, the fast food, the shoes, and new clothes. What I have a hard time passing by is books. I absolutely love books. I love bookstores. I love reading books. I love buying books. My husband shares my book passion so much that on our honeymoon, we stopped by every bookstore we passed that week.

I want to pass this passion for books and reading onto our children. When I was a child, I loved pulling out my little blue record player off the shelf of our spare bedroom and opening up my storybook record sets. I listened to them for hours. As I browsed our local bookstore, I fondly remembered those times and set out to find the audio book sets. The lowest audio book set price I found was $9.99. With three children, that is impossible. That's when I discovered it was more economical to purchase mp3 players on sale (they don't need high GB storage for their audio books and those run pretty cheap these dates--- especially on sale days) and record my own mp3 files and create my own audio books. I know mp3 players are old-school, but I love them because they don't have all the razzle-dazzle of tablets with screens, etc. so I don't have to limit the use the of mp3 players as much as their tablet time. 

I download some files from our library website. We have a link on ours called READS. You enter your library card number and can download the audio books for a "checkout" period. This is usually a couple of weeks. Check your local library and see if you have this option. It usually has you to download a software audio player to your mp3 and you can listen to the audio books for 2 weeks. Make sure your mp3 is compatible. Some mp3s only take certain formats.

I have also recorded some of my children's books onto their mp3 players. They love it when I do this. In fact, my daughter, who has a bit of separation anxiety, was pleasantly surprised when I read an entire Junie B. Jones book and recorded it on her mp3 for her sleepover at Grandma's. I read to them every night, so this gave her a bit of normalcy to take with her.

There are also many websites that offer audio books for free. Here is a short list of just a few: 

• StoryNory: Variety of story types for kids including classics such as Rumplestiltskin, Three Little Pigs, stories from around the world, and original stories.

• LibriVox : Searchable database of children's classic tales - contains mp3 files and ebook downloads.
  Titles include works such as Alice in Wonderland, My Life and Work by Henry Ford, Aesop's Fables,
  Little Women, Real Mother Goose,  Wizard of Oz, Frog Prince, and more
• Robert Munsch: Listen to Robert Munsch narrate book selections such as Love You Forever,Class Clown, and Up, Up, Down.

Finding these resources has really saved us a lot of money over the past few years, and will save us even more in the years to come!

Story Cubes

I love summertime. I love the extra flexible time to spend with the kiddos. We take extra trips to different parks, play in the sprinkler, and take time to catch the early "kidsfest" movies once a week at a discounted price. They are older movies that are out on DVD, but we like to go eat some popcorn and have the theater experience.

Although it is a more relaxed time of the year, I still like to do things that keep our brains active. One of my favorites is playing Story Cubes.

It is a game where you roll a set of dice and you create an original story with the pictures that are displayed on the dice. You could make a cheap version by cutting pictures out of the newspaper or magazine, or even writing words on a slip of paper and draw a few out of a bag and create a story with those words.

I like this one because it was easy and it does have pictures if you have a non-reader, or beginning reader. It includes all age groups. I also liked it because it was only about $7 at our local bookstore and I had a coupon and a gift card for that store :). That means it was a brain-game ready-to-go ----- no preparation necessary!

We have had some pretty interesting stories and great laughs so far with this game. It is small and very portable so you can take it with you to doctor's appointments or anywhere you are going to have a wait. It is so much better than having the kiddos on electronic games and is a real bonding experience for the family. 

Do you have any favorite family games that you like playing in the summer to keep the brains active?

Games that Reinforce Language Skills

I would love to have more traditional Montessori materials, but frankly, I just cannot afford it at this time. I would also love to be able to make even more of my own materials, but I cannot find the time. However, the learning "must go on" no matter how small our budget is or how little time I have. This is why I am also on the lookout for items that can be useful to our learning style, fun, and economical. Blogger Jr. fits all of the above.

                                                        

Blogger Jr. comes with picture cards with the words spelled on the bottom. You place the cards in the container and cover up the word with a drop-down "door." The dice is used to spell out the word.

                                                        

I really like this game because it has a control. Little Angel can check her answers after she is done spelling the word. It is fun, educational, and we found it on sale at Target for under $8. What a deal! Maybe if I could find a few extra minutes here and there I might can even create my own word cards to fit in the holder.

Blending Sounds to Create Words

My Young Thinker and Little Angel were able to blend sounds easily using the normal montessori  materials. They seemed to pick up on the letter sounds, names, and blending with no difficulty whatsoever.

My Sunshine was a different story. She learned the letter sounds and names very quickly. She would form the letter sounds and even say them together so quickly she was practically saying the word. For instance, she would say p-i-g and we would get faster and faster until she was practically saying the word. However, when I said, "Now, what is that word" right after she practically just pronounced it, totally different sounds would come out of her mouth like n-o-g. She was trying to think too hard and put too much pressure on herself to try and get it right. She was in pre-k at the Montessori school in which I taught at the time and her teacher approached me with concern. Mainly, I think it was because most parents at the school expected their child to be fluent readers by Kindergarten. I asked her if she thought there were any underlying concerns that would make her believe she was not developing at her approximate age level (only 4), she said no. I told her that I wasn't concerned and that I believed it would come in time.

The only issue was that she was frustrating herself. She wanted to read those words like her friends did in class. While searching for some ideas to create new lessons, I ran across the site Right Track Reading. It suggested to have the kids "sing" the sounds while blending. Since My Sunshine loved to sing, I thought this would be a great idea... and it was. Her "nog" turned into "pig" in just a few days. Her frustration soon disappeared. It worked like a charm!

"Play is the Work of the Child"

The "buried object" work was always one of the most popular "works" at the Montessori school in which I taught. Children would literally stand at the small table for hours finding objects, placing them on the word mat, and then hiding them again. One child even begged his mother to get him to school as soon as the classroom opened, so he could beat his friends to the work. I can't say I really blame him --- it is a fun work.

Little Angel really enjoys it too. I do have to watch out though.... sometimes after she is done, I find "extra" treasures in the bowl where she has buried her own "treasures."

All you need is a bowl of rice,phonetic objects, and a word mat. Some teachers have used beans, however, I have read somewhere that if a child eats a certain type of raw bean, it could be dangerous. Since I cannot remember where I saw it, I thought it was best not to take the chance. You could also use cheerio type cereal, or anything in which you could easily "bury" small objects. The child sticks his/her hand in the bowl, hunts until an object is found and then finds the word that matches the object. The child then places the object beside its name on the word mat. 

Other variations:

• Create a word mat with beginning letters of the objects hidden in the bowl (children match object with its beginning sound)
• I haven't tried this myself, but you could also do the same with middle and ending sounds also

One Word Booklets

Little Angel is at the stage that she likes little things.... little toy figures, little pencils, little combs and brushes, and little books. She says she feels "like a giant" when she is playing with the little things or holding the small things. 

This inspired me to create little booklets for her to read. She kept picking up small books around the house and looking at them. The only problem is that she could not independently read them all by herself. The store bought books had words like "practice" or "wish" thrown in with what was supposed to be a beginning phonetic word book.

Little Angel really enjoys reading through the one-word booklets I created. I took the pink level reading list and just listed a single word on each individual page. I created 15 booklets using the 2 and 3-letter phonetic words from the pink level.I punched holes in the top left hand corner and secured the pages with a ring. I have also created booklets for the blue level words also. This gives her one more way to practice in reading the words individually in order to achieve the automaticity needed.

Outdoor Nonmenclature Cards

I love the traditional Montessori-style of teaching and I try to stick to at least the main philosophy of the method of following the child while setting up as many natural learning experiences and variety of interesting experiences as possible. 

This is very difficult to do with three children while making sure everyone has at least one pair of clean underwear (I will confess one day last summer, I found my daughter wearing her bathing suit bottoms as undies when I forgot to double check her underwear stash for the week).

All things considering, I try to use the materials I make or put together in as many varied "lessons" as possible --- not necessarily true montessori, but I feel that it is effective, fun, and better than sitting at desks all day long :)

One of the ways we use this set of outdoor nomenclature cards is in the more traditional manner of matching label cards with the respective picture card. I printed off two sets of labels and affixed the name of the thing shown in the picture to the back of the card for self checking.

On beautiful days, we use the cards in an outdoor activity. We lay the cards on the sidewalk, pictures down and words facing up. Little Angel takes the cards and finds an example outside of what the word states.

To self-check, Little Angel flips the card over and see if the picture matches the real-life example. I love finding ways to take our classroom outside... and the kids seem to become more peaceful after an activity like this also.

You can find a copy of these montessori materials: outdoor nomentclature cards at

  www.insighfulbrain.com

Domino Reading Practice

One of the theories they pushed when I worked in traditional schools is "automaticity" in reading. Automaticity is when the child has practiced reading the word to a level that the word no longer has to be decoded (the child is able to read a common grade level word  in approximately 1 second).

The Reading Success Lab goes on to state that "readers who do not develop automatic letter and word recognition skills are certain to experience reading comprehension difficulties. A child can read words with 100% accuracy, but if those words are not read rapidly enough to get a complete thought in working memory within the 10 second constraint, comprehension will be difficult."


This is one of those "theories" from the traditional school system that actually seems to hold true. If a child has to use all their brain power to decode common grade level words in their reading, they will have a more difficult time comprehending what they have read.


We never discussed the term "automaticity" in my Montessori training or at the Montessori school in which I worked, however it is a natural occurance that happens using the montessori approach. Think about how many times a student practices the same skill, but in a variety of ways. This is what I believe makes Montessori-type education a better fit for my family. My children are able to gain this automaticity at their own developmental stage and in a more engaging way - not by circling a bunch of worksheets and skill and drill for hours a day.
I am not suggesting that anyone worry or panic if their child does not reach "automaticity" at a 'certain age.' All children develop at a different rate. However, it is a good thing to offer as many practices as possible in a variety of different ways so a child is able to achieve this skill naturally. 


It is sad to say that when I worked in the public schools many years back, if a child did not develop at the rate the administration/and or teacher thought he/she should, many times the child was made to feel inadequate, missed their playtime to get extra tutoring, or the parents were made to feel like there was something wrong with the child (this is why I only stayed 2 years :)! )


Our "pink-level" domino set is not a traditional montessori material, but it fits in to our montessori approach to reading very well. It gives Little Angel extra reading practice and she loves to see how many different designs she can make with the dominos while matching the picture to the correct word. It is also self-correcting - if she doesn't match up the correct word with the correct picture, she will have a left-over piece when she is done.  I have downloadable copies of the pink level and green-level domino sets available at www.montessoriforlearning.com.


I also have a "blue-level" domino set in my free download section.

Mirror Mystery Cards

My children love novelties, surprises, and "mysteries." My Little Angel especially loves them. I was trying to think of new ways for her to practice reading individual words to get the "automaticity" that comes with successful reading. My older children had just "discovered" the reverse image of mirrors when looking at writing on T-shirts they were wearing. This gave me the idea to create "Mirror Mystery Words."

I made small cards with 2 and 3-letter phonetic words (text in reverse). I folded each card and placed in a bag (I usually only put 10 cards in the bag at at time). She pulls each one out and holds it up to a small mirror to read it. It is also a great springboard to discuss how mirrors and cameras work... getting a little science worked in also!

She also loves making "scary" and silly faces in the mirror after she finishes reading all the words :)

I have pre-printed 2 and 3-letter phonetic "Mirror Words" available for free on Montessori For Learning. 


It did take Little Angel a couple of practices to hold the cards the correct way in front of the mirror and also to get accustomed to reading in the mirror. However, once she did, she was zooming through the cards. It can also help if you draw an arrow on the back of the cards so they know which direction the card should be held.

Mystery Word Bag

Kids love surprises. This is one of Little Angel's favorite works. It is also one of mine as I love watching her expression and listening to her dramatic gasp as she pulls each word card out of the "mystery bag" and unfolds it revealing the "surprise." This is one of the great things about Montessori -- the children get to practice the same skill over and over, but in a variety of interesting ways.


I created my "Mystery Bag" out of an old placemat and secured velcro to the top. I made "mystery word" cards out of two and three letter phonetic words(and longer phonetic words for the blue series) and folded them up and slipped them into the bag.

She opens the bag and reaches in and pulls out a folded piece of paper, then opens it and reads each word (like it is a most-asked-for Christmas present!).
I have created some pre-made mystery cards and have them available on my website for the pink, blue series (and I have a set of charade cards for the green series that I have been known to use in this bag.

Easy to Create Flip Books

As you watch your child sound out letters to create each word, you learn a little more each day about the wonders and mysteries of learning to read. My Sunshine would read each phonetic word correctly, but even after a while, she was still sounding out each individual letter. She wasn't absorbing the sound combinations and I was witnessing that is just wasn't as easy for her to read those words as it could be.


I scrounged around the house for some type of materials to create something that would help her see the pattern.
I was determined I could make something from materials I already had in the house. This was mainly due to the fact that taking three young children on a "quick trip" was never as quick as I thought it might be. They are wonderful and well-behaved when we run errands, but lets face it, even a normal 5 minute trip turns into a minimum of 45 minutes to an hour after you load up, unload, buckle in car seats/booster seats, get the sock seam all lined up just perfectly, and the fact that everyone always seems to have to go to the bathroom when you get to the store (even though everyone just went at home). I have come to the conclusion that this "urgent potty need" arises from curiousity about each store's bathroom versus the actual need to go. My children are just amazed at the potty that flushes itself and the automatic faucets and towel dispensers. I bet I could turn that interest into a science lesson one day!

Anyway, I found some large index cards. I hand-wrote common letter combinations in the middle of each card. Then, I cut small sections of index cards to write individual letters that would create words when flipped over in the book. For example,  my "it" book has "it" written in the middle of the card. I created letter cards ("b","f","h","k","l","p","s","w","z") that I stapled on the far left side of the card. Now, we practice reading "it" as a combination of letters, then we turn the first card over and we created "bit", turn the next card and we created "sit," etc. Her eyes lit up as she created the new words. She was so excited, I thought I was sitting in front of Nancy Drew as she solved her first mystery!

Initial Word Sounds

My Littlest angel needed practice in isolating initial sounds. She could word build just fine, but when it came to thinking about the initial sound in other situations, sometimes she got the initial and middle sounds mixed up and then she would get frustrated.

This led me to create the initial sound cards for her. After practicing just a couple of times, she now has the initial sounds mastered.

There are two controls built into this work. One, is that each initial sound card has only the correct number of letter cards needed for the set. Two,
is the control card itself. She loves flipping over the control card and self--checking her work. I love the way she points at the control card and restates the name of the word and then points at her work card, and restates it again (extra reading practice!)

Pink Level Picture Labeling (Two-Three Letter Phonetic Words)

I still cannot believe how amazed I am at how easy my children learn to read using the Montessori materials. It is just like it absorbs naturally in their brain. I love seeing the little lights flash in their eyes as they see the letter sounds they learn form into words they know. It also makes me smile to see how proud they are of being able to read.

My littlest angel is learning 2-3 letter phonetic reading. Her face gleams with pride and confidence as she sounds out the word and then spots the picture of the word. She even does a little "clap dance" after she is done. I have the download of the pictures and labels already created at www.montessoriforlearning.com so you can use them today!