Rock n’ Read presents:
A Song a Day – Brain Prep for Pre-Readers – 15 minutes per day

By Ann Carpenter Kay
https://www.rocknreadproject.org/song-a-day-1 — See explanatory video

Published by Ventris Learning, LLC
120 pages, 8.5 x 11, soft spiral bound
Online downloads include manipulatives to print and cut out and Real Metronome or iPhone metronome are necessary.

Rhyme adds structure to language. It creates a predictable pattern that the brain can latch onto. When combined with rhythm, this pattern becomes even more powerful, activating multiple areas of the brain at once. Recent science findings show that combining music with learning enhances learning and brain function in general.

Reviewed by Michael Leppert

A Song a Day program is a novel and very usable approach to the relationship between musical practices and reading/speaking skills. The first section of the 120-page book consists of a Musical Skills Assessment that the child completes before beginning to apply his/her skills to the 50-lessons of 15 minutes per day.

The Assessment measures ability to keep a steady beat, clapping the rhythm of a song – every syllable of the lyrics – matching a pitch and singing in tune. While the last 2 skills might be biologically selective – those children with perfect pitch will ace that portion of the Assessment – children with normal levels of pitch recognition will be able to perform these 2 measurably well. The teaching adult does not need any prior musical knowledge or skill. The book provides clear guidance for each step. Studies have shown that individuals with ADHD have difficulty with some of the skills addressed in A Song a Day.

The book continues to list the Neurological Development value measurements, including the pre-Phonics skills of matching letters with the sounds they make. Also, Foundational Pre-Reading Skills value measurements are listed, so the user parent can ascertain exercise and procedures that improve the child’s ability to ultimately read and comprehend what is read.

The parent guides the child through the fifty 15-minute daily lessons and the child’s skill increases in both musical and memorization functions. Some of the songs are simple and well-known “Hush, Little Baby, Don’t Say a Word” is one; “Old McDonald Had a Farm” is another. This is excellent brain development in memorization that will last the child’s lifetime. Remember, this is for Pre-K and K age students. The imaginative musical parent can build upon the Song a Day skill developments to repeat the same techniques with more challenging musical and/or memorization exercises for older children. In other words, this teaching technique never ends. The use of the metronome at this young age will prove very valuable to the child in developing beat memory for later applications if s/he chooses to learn an instrument and/or become a serious vocalist. Developing precise rhythmic ability is absolutely necessary to sight-reading for instruments and voice.

The website, A Song a Day is attractive https://www.rocknreadproject.org/song-a-day-1

The human brain is highly responsive to rhythm and repetition.

Think about how easily children memorize nursery rhymes. Lines that might otherwise be forgettable become unforgettable when set to rhythm and rhyme. This isn’t just helpful—it’s transformative. It allows children to internalize language patterns long before they are able to read independently.

One of the most overlooked benefits of rhyming is the confidence it builds in young learners.

Reading can be intimidating. Faced with a page full of unfamiliar words, a child may feel unsure and hesitant. Rhyming changes that experience by giving children the ability to predict.

4. When a child hears or reads, “We’ll catch a little fox and put him in a ____.”s/he can often guess the next word before seeing it. This sense of anticipation turns reading into an interactive experience, rather than a passive one.

Bringing It All Together
When we step back and look at the science, the conclusion is clear: Rhyming is not just a fun addition to early education — it is a foundational tool. It strengthens phonological awareness, supports memory and retention, builds confidence, enhances language development, and makes learning enjoyable. It transforms reading from a daunting task into an accessible and even joyful experience. For parents and educators, this means that incorporating rhyme into daily learning is not option l — it is essential. Ω

Movement-Based Strategy for Teaching and Learning – Our lessons are not Trace & Copy.
The strategy is called a “directed lesson.”

Available at www.peterson-handwriting.com

By Randy Nelson

The alpha letters are taught much like you would teach a line dance or aerobic exercise routine. The strategy is easy to use. The teacher handbook provides a daily lesson outline that focuses on process instruction – where to start, which way to go AND how to move.

The basic lesson includes four steps: Illustrate & Describe, Air Writing, Finger Tracing and finally, Write & Say. “Action Words” create a rhythmic template for the movements during all four steps.
The student text provides movement models for “finger tracing” and models that communicate how the movements will be made on practice paper. Trace movement models with the pointer finger, moving with the voice as the Action Words are chanted in unison with the teacher.

The challenge to move rhythmically enhances the internalization process greatly. In step four we “Write and Say” on practice paper. As rhythm and timing improve it translates into improved control of the movements. The writing on the practice page improves as a result. In short, we teach the fluent type of movement from the beginning. Skills practiced in handwriting exercises are easily correlated into all other written work – one sub skill at a time. The child learns how to make improvements in applied work by setting specific goals.

The web site offers tremendous support in the form of presentations that amount to a methods course. The presentations are available to all for free by selecting links on our Information Directory page. Many use animations to make key learning points. We also provide a Resource Library loaded with pdf files ranging from curriculum information to posters for correlation of specific skills. Here again, the support is free to all. Get the Scope & Sequence file from the Curriculum section of the library on your first visit. The document will provide you with invaluable information about the processes your child needs to learn – and how they affect the learning of all written language skills.
When you are ready to learn more about teaching handwriting, please spend some time with us on the web. www.peterson-handwriting.com.

R.N.

What is Make Sense!?

www.makesensegames.com

Make Sense! is a set of language games designed to teach English syntax (the way sentences are structured), including logic around Who does What, When, Where, How, Why, etc. It’s a “sentence building” toolkit built around cards and game play.

Here are some key features:

• It’s a kit of five games (skill + chance) using 732 cards which can combine to yield tens of thousands of sentences, both simple and more complex ones.
• The components include phrases (WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW, WHY, DETAILS/RESULT etc.) rather than focusing only on parts of speech.
• Games are designed to be flexible (in difficulty, time, competitiveness/cooperativeness), to support pronunciation, intonation, oral pause, punctuation, vocabulary, idioms.
• There is also a solitaire syntax companion product (for self-study or small group / buddy study) using decks of cards to create sentences with rules similar to classic Solitaire.

Pedagogical Foundations

For homeschoolers, knowing why this works is just as important as what it does.

• Cumulative syntax as generative learning: The idea is that sentence-structure learning shouldn’t be rote memorization of grammar rules, but more like building with building blocks: Phrases that can be combined in many ways to create new sentences. This supports creativity in language use, not just accuracy.
• Mental rehearsal: Players are constantly trying out possible sentence structures as they play, trying to fit cards, phrase blocks etc., which requires thinking ahead about what kinds of sentences are possible in order to play well. This kind of predictive thinking strengthens syntax skills.
• Adaptability: Because the games can be modified (difficulty, speed, what rules you emphasize), they can be used across different learner levels (from lower-intermediate to advanced) and by different ages.

How it Works for Homeschoolers

Here’s how a homeschooling family might use Make Sense! effectively, including strengths and possible limitations.

Strengths

1. Interactive and fun
   For many learners, especially those who get bored with worksheets or grammar drills, this makes syntax lively. Game-elements (chance, competition or cooperation) help maintain interest.
2. Flexible pacing and levels
   Families can adjust how much time is spent, the difficulty, whether you use all the games or just one, etc. You can slow things down for kids who need more time or speed it up for those ready to push further.
3. Promotes speaking, comprehension, and writing
   Even though the medium is cards and game play, there are opportunities for speaking (reading cards, forming sentences out loud), listening, and eventually writing (reproducing or creating own sentences). Parents can extend game time into writing prompts: “Take one of your sentence combinations and write a short paragraph using it.”
4. Self-study and peer study options
   The solitaire syntax decks or buddy study options make it possible for learners to work independently or with a peer. That’s helpful in homeschooling where sometimes you may want your child to do something on his/her own while you are occupied elsewhere.
5. Durability and material quality
   The game is physical, with durable cards, which is nice because homeschoolers often like manipulatives and tactile learning tools. Less reliance entirely on screen-time.

Things To Be Mindful Of / Limitations

1. Age / Level Appropriateness
   While the product is adjustable, it is intended more for lower-intermediate to advanced English learners. Younger children (say early elementary) or those just starting with complex sentence structure might find it overwhelming unless the parent modifies heavily. Homeschoolers with younger or early readers may need to introduce sentence structure more gently first.
2. Initial investment (time/materials)
   There may be some upfront effort: Learning the game rules, possibly printing or preparing materials, deciding how to adapt for your child, perhaps creating follow-up tasks (writing, expansion) to solidify learning.
3. Supplementation needed
   It’s strong for syntax, but you’ll probably want to pair it with vocabulary building, reading, writing, grammar/exercise work. It’s not a full grammar curriculum in itself, but rather a powerful supplement or component.
4. Monitoring/assessment
   As with many game-based tools, parents/home educators need to observe how well a child is transferring what they learn in the game into speaking and writing outside of it. That means building in assessments or informal checks: Writing assignments, conversations, etc.

Practical Suggestions for Using in Homeschool

Here are some strategies and sample schedules to integrate Make Sense! into a homeschooling program.

Value for Teachers / School Use

Though the focus here is on homeschooling, there are some features that also make Make Sense! attractive to classroom teachers:

• Teachers can scale classes (up to 12 players) and adjust difficulty so that mixed-ability groups can all participate.
• They often praise the adaptability, how the cards can be used in multiple ways. Learning can be differentiated.
• Teachers report increased student engagement: instead of grammar drills, students enjoy creating sentences, exploring “what if” possibilities, figuring out structure by doing rather than just listening.
• For ESL / EFL settings especially, this helps students who need to work on syntax and sentence fluency in addition to vocabulary and pronunciation.

Who It’s Best Suited For

Putting it all together, here are the kinds of homeschooling or schooling situations in which Make Sense! is likely to be especially effective:

• Families with children in upper elementary through high school who are ready for more complex sentence structure.
• Students learning English as a second language (ESL / ELL) or for whom grammar is still a weak point.
• Homeschoolers who like hands-on, game-based, exploratory learning rather than lecture / drill style grammar.
• Parents who are willing to adapt and supplement: using the game plus other reading / writing work to reinforce what’s learned.

Overall, Make Sense! Sentence Builder is a robust, game-based tool that offers a strong way to improve sentence structure, fluency, and syntax understanding in an engaging way. For homeschooling families, its flexibility, hands-on nature, and the balance of skill + chance make it especially appealing. It’s not a one-stop grammar curriculum, but as part of a language arts program it can do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of making writing and speaking feel more dynamic and less like drill. Ω

https://www.hopecurriculum.net/
11650 CR 4215
Tyler, TX 75706

Imagine that your child can understand high school level information, but reading a regular textbook is difficult. Maybe he or she has dyslexia, a learning difference, or another condition that inhibits success. Most likely your child is frustrated and plagued with self-doubt. Wouldn’t a curriculum that is designed for your student’s learning situation be great?

The Homeschool Online and Print Elements, known as the H.O.P.E. Curriculum, is the answer!

The H.O.P.E. Curriculum is a comprehensive high school curriculum designed for students who are reading at a 2^nd – 4^th grade level. Your child can be successful in algebra, learn literary analysis in English, cell division in biology, how to job search and complete job applications (addressed in several subjects) and, most importantly, feel confident as he or she masters high school requirements.

The H.O.P.E. Curriculum includes these subjects:

Algebra A
Algebra B
Geometry
Biology
Integrated Physics and Chemistry
U.S. History
World History
World Geography
Government
Economics
Speech Communication
English (for emerging readers)
English Language Arts I
English Language Arts II
English Language Arts III
English Language Arts IV
Careers I
Careers II

The textbooks are self-paced with self-explanatory lessons and “games” that reinforce the lessons. Workbooks, goals and objectives, activities and projects, and vocabulary enrichment are also included. Tests are included to measure success.

The H.O.P.E. Curriculum subjects are available Online or in Print form and represent the core of high school classroom learning.

Authored by Dr. Nancy Nichols, a 40-year educational veteran, who has successfully worked with children with all ranges of academic and behavioral challenges. Dr. Nichols has covered all of the bases for developing a knowledgeable adult, able to navigate our complicated world. If your child has the challenges of ADHD, dyslexia or other, visit H.O.P.E.’s website https://www.hopecurriculum.net/ and see what Dr. Nichols’ program has to offer you and your child in terms of learning without frustration!

Unit Study for Self-Esteem Building in English and Spanish

https://www.thechildrensgiftseries.com/

Assessed by Michael Leppert

Ms Dionne Grayson is a writer of books of easy, positive encouragement for children and adults. She is a firm believer in the power of intention and developing self-belief and confidence in her readers. Her series of 10 titles in English and 10 that are paralleled in Spanish, comprise a Unit Study in Self-esteem. The books illustrate a variety of gifts (skills) that children have and how a school child can share his/her gift with classmates. Ms. Grayson offers suggestions of what careers a person with such a gift can pursue into adulthood. The books are printed on heavy, glossy,S beautiful paper and are brightly illustrated by Harry Aveira.

The Children’s Gift Series of Picture Books, Coloring Book and Matching Card Game

“Malik Has a Gift” or “Malik Tiene un Don” – Malik’s gift is his love of math. He shares his math aptitude with his classmates to their benefit. The book also highlights two occupations a child with a love of math might pursue in adulthood – math teacher or accountant. “Malik” is an easy book to read, with beautiful original illustrations with the added bonus that being offered in both languages, the homeschooling parent can help his/her child to develop a Spanish vocabulary with parallel readings of all of Ms. Grayson’s titles.

“Caylee Has a Gift” depicts a young girl whose gift is chemistry – what she loves to do — that she shares with her classmates, including the Table of Elements.. A biologist or chemist are two occupations Caylee can consider as careers. The Children’s Gift Series highlights 6 girls and their gifts, boosting self-esteem for young girl readers and providing a positive view of girls’ abilities to boy readers.

“Elaina Has a Gift” shows a young girl whose gift is problem-solving, including dismantling things and re-assembling them. Elaina is a person who can look at an object and see how it is made and, when necessary, how to fix it. A civil engineer or computer engineer are the occupations the book suggests that a person with Elaina’s gift might pursue.

The series of 10 titles covers many gifts that open a child’s eyes to the possibilities available to each one and learning to value each person’s gifts or strong points. The Matching Card Game (ages 3-6) consists of 10 pairs of 5.5” x 3.5” solid plastic playing cards. One of each pair is a character from the Books and the other one shows items that character’s gift is associated with. Caylee the Chemist has as her item card pictures of a microscope, beakers of colored water and a Bunsen burner. The object of the game is to pair the pairs by identifying which items match the character. This builds a variety of skills in the young brain and personality and makes for fun for parents and children.

Ms. Grayon has developed a Coloring and Activity Book that coincides with the picture Books themselves. There are other picture books with corresponding videos as well. One of these, You and I, is a story book about a little girl and her dad on a Daddy-Daughter Day and illustrates the importance of a father’s place in his daughter’s life, providing support, encouragement and love.  There is a matching coloring book to accompany You and I.

Dionne Grayson has a Gift – she can write books that are enjoyable for parents/grandparents to read to their children and they remind us of the value we each have to each other’s world! Visit her website and take in all she has to offer! Welcome to The Children’s Gift Series Ω

By Michael Leppert

Carol’s Affordable Curriculum offers homeschooling parents and teachers/caregivers of preschoolers a line of complete curriculum for learning. The curriculum provides an activity for each Monday through Friday, to serve preschools as well as homeschoolers. The curriculum consists of worksheets, songs, arts & crafts projects and fun books of puzzles, etc.

In the first level of the curriculum, children learn to create arts & crafts, using markers, crayons and painting, while using their imaginations.

In the next level, Prek-K, a preparatory for kindergarten, the child continues with what was in the first level, but now adds cutting and pasting arts projects and continue to be imaginative.

Carol’s Curriculum provides a Christian Track and non-Christian Track that parallel above 2 levels that are non-Christian. The Christian versions include Bible verses and stories. This is a unique feature of Carol’s – a preschool curriculum that includes Bible messages. It contains the same arts & crafts projects, with cutting and pasting as the non-Christian ones. Both versions introduce 2-3 alphabet letters, 1-2 numbers, 1 color and 1 shape each month.

Carol’s Curriculum is designed around the theories of Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, young child development scientist and theorist of cognitive development, who believed that young children learn best through hands-on experiences.

Carol’s also offers flexibility, allowing parents to change their custom-packed order month to month. The curriculum works together with all of its elements, creating a seamless environment for teaching and learning.

Some of the Carol’s titles are “Alphabet for Toddlers” and “Alphabet Puzzle Book”, which used together can present the information and then reinforce it with fun activities. Studies have shown that fun is the most effective way to learn and Carol’s has done the design work for you, with fun curriculum already made. Other titles include: Seasonal Coloring Packets with 40 pictures in each of 4 volumes, to color and remember; Christian Coloring Packets of Jesus, Bible Families, Bible Stories, Christmas and Noah’s Ark, a 12-month Coloring Packet, and more!

To see the entire line of Carol’s Affordable Curriculum, visit www.carolscurriculum.com and shop for a while. Ω

by Emerson Sandow

Writing has always been a vital skill and even today, with the encroachment of electronic media, with foreshortened communications such as texting, etc., being able to convey one’s thoughts on paper reigns as the most important of skills – doing so clearly and intelligently is also helpful! In recent years, the SAT essay portion has increased this importance and homeschoolers are very fortunate to have online programs such as Write At Home to provide the deep instruction necessary to achieve mastery without having to attend brick-and-mortar classes at possibly inconvenient times.

Write At Home does not require the student user to log in at a certain time or watch a presentation at a given time. Rather, the student can log in “anytime” s/he wishes and can work on an individual schedule throughout the program. Since the students using Write At Home are middle school or high school age, 12 to 18 years, the issue of self-discipline and self-guidance is non-existent. This age is the time of mastering one’s writing skills and the serious homeschooler knows that the future in college and employment hinges on being serious about writing.

Write At Home’s basic self-guided courses come in three different lengths of time: 32-week annual courses, 16-week semester courses, and 8-week workshops. The student is given an assignment and a due date and is expected to submit the completed assignment by the due date. The assignments can take from 1-3 hours per week, sometimes more.

Here is a partial list of what the first annual 32-week course for the average 5th or 6th grader is intended to achieve: Students who complete the course will be able to…

• compose complete sentences.
• create logically organized paragraphs.
• write for a variety of purposes, including narration, description, exposition, and persuasion.
• respond to coach feedback on their writing through revising and proofreading.
• demonstrate a grasp of basic writing concepts such as unity, conciseness, and clarity.
• engage the writing process by employing the following five steps in composing every paper: prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading, publishing.
• demonstrate comprehension of basic usage and mechanics rules in their writing.
• demonstrate proficiency at writing under time constraints.
• improve their writing across a wide range of broad evaluative areas, including content, style and form.

Actually, many older students benefit from taking this course as well, since previous writing work might have been spotty and the review and revision is invaluable. The other regular writing course offerings are similar in scope and time, becoming more focused on truly understanding and mastering the various types of writing and receiving feedback and criticism for improvement.

Besides the many regular writing courses offered, Brian Wasko, creator of Write At Home, offers online Classic Literature classes called Wasko Lit. The Lit 1 Syllabus includes Mythology by Edith Hamilton, The Illiad, The Odyssey, plays by Aeschylus, Euripides, some selections from Plato, C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces, other works and Julius Caesar by Shakespeare. This is the heavy-duty study that homeschoolers are known for and many adults wish they could have enjoyed such an extensive course in the comfort of home!

Write At Home should be a part of every homeschooler’s education. Please visit the website to see complete information and enroll your student right away!

Write At Home Online Courses for Homeschoolers in Middle & High School

http://www.writeathome.com/
2204 Fort Belvoir Dr
Virginia Beach, VA, 23464
Phone: 757-749-6000