Tag Archives: Edward

Reading Eggs review

Just because we don’t send Edward to school, doesn’t mean we don’t want him to miss out on some basic skills. There are many ways to get these basic skills, workbooks, posters and flash cards to name a few. There are also some quite nifty websites around that take your child through the basic word sounds, and blending to help them to read Reading Eggs is just one of those websites.

Reading Eggs focuses on making learning to read fun and engaging with a mix of games and activities which are geared towards motivating children to read. Let’s face it, reading is such an important skill, I love to read, it takes me places other things can’t. We love to read to Edward, it helps build his imagination and I find it so relaxing.
With Reading Eggs, Edward is learning to identify words, sounds and letters in such a fun environment – to him it’s a game! He doesn’t see that he’s ‘learning’ which is why I love it.
We started with the free two week trial, just to see how he’d get on with it. We were pleasantly surprised at how much he liked it and how he took to using the computer, yet another reason we love Reading Eggs, as he progresses through it encourages him to use the computer more and teaches him very basic computer skills.
At the moment he is working through the 3 – 7 year old program, there is also a program for 6 – 8 year old’s which is aimed at children who know the basics of reading but still have a little way to go. It focuses on fluency, comprehension, spelling and grammar as well as vocabulary and punctuation. Unlike a lot of things we do as a family, this is one thing that supports the national curriculum, so it would be ideal for children who do attend school also. It’s paced carefully to match your child’s ability and progress and at no point have I felt that Edward is being rushed, he’s finding his own way and enjoying it!

A 6 month subscription will set you back £29.95, where as a years subscription costs £39.95 – you can add a second child at the same time for half price too.
There are also books to compliment the website that you can purchase these start at £39.95, but there are bundle deals available and I very often see discount codes doing the rounds.
We chose just the website option to start with, just to see how we go. We also subscribed to Math Seeds at the same time which is the maths version of Reading Eggs and works in exactly the same way.

Edward loves both sites and so do we.

****Disclaimer****
Neither Reading Eggs, nor Math Seeds have asked me for this review. I have had no financial recompense for this review, it is a personal review I have chosen to share.

Parenting a weird kid

Yesterday I had my eureka moment, a fellow home educating Mama of mine posted this delightful guest blog by Sacha Davis about her weird kid on facebook, which is where I tend to keep up with a lot of my favourite people at the moment.

I read it whilst watching Edward spin on the spot in front of the T.V while I caught up on Eastenders and do you know what happened? I said to myself, in his voice “it’s OK Mum, I’m a weird kid. I’m YOUR weird kid”,

He was right, he is weird. Last week he wouldn’t leave the house without his pirate hat because he was Captain Hook and then he decided Hook wasn’t quite right, handed me his hat and declared he was Peter Pan and he wanted me to help him catch his shadow.
I smile to myself when I hear him sing songs from Frozen, because my internal soundtrack has them on repeat and it’s nice to have someone to sing along with. I laugh when he whispers Bumcrackalacka in my ear, especially because his Dad taught him both a new word and a new way to get Mummy to crease over.
I kind of have a face palm moment when he licks the wall or door, or the side of the counter fridge in the supermarket. I’m a little shamefaced in front of the shop assistant when he looks at her pleased as punch and smiling, proud of his achievement tells her ”I licked it”

I mentally tell her,” it’s OK lady, he’s a weird kid.”

But then I look back and remember. I used to talk to myself, full blown conversations about anything that cropped up. I’d sleep on the top step of the staircase when my Mum and Dad went out, leaving us with a babysitter. I’d swing as high as I could on the swings just so I could stick my tongue out mid swing to catch the air as it went past.

I was a weird kid.

So, Mum’s and Dad’s of the tinterwebs, stand up and be proud of that weird kid. Be proud that you created a unique individual who refuses to conform and will always be a weird kid. Weird kids rock, if you don’t believe me ask Mozart.

 

Almost

Almost there……It’s ‘Almost’ Christmas……He’s ‘Almost’ 4…..

He’s almost 4. I can keep repeating it, but why does 4 fill me with dread? More dread and fear than 2 or 3 ever did?

Almost 4. Crap. No longer a baby, no longer a toddler. ‘I’m just a big boy’ he tells me. He’s growing up, becoming who he’ll be for the rest of his life, deciding what he loves and what he doesn’t. Grown up Big Boy. Crap.

What to do with those pesky kids

What to do with those pesky kids

He’s a Roadie today, yesterday he was a caring Dad to Winnie the Pooh, carrying him to Nanna’s and back in a make shift sling, holding his hand and cuddling him until he’d had enough and cuddled up with Winnie on Daddy’s lap under his favorite drum blanket (a gift from Imperfect Mama’s crafty swap) and fell asleep.

 

Edward & Pooh bear

Edward & Pooh bear

 

Pooh bear got ya back!

Pooh bear got ya back!

Today, he’s fixing his microphone with one of my crochet hooks. It worked because now he’s miming along to R.E.M (his new favorite band) and asking me if I’ve seen his crush, with eyeliner.
He picks up our Guitar Hero Wii controller, strums along and pulls some shapes before breaking into a crescendo on the piano (or coffee table for us plebs) he switches between roadie and rock star mode.  Demanding original artwork from the greatest artist he’s ever met A.K.A: Mummy and then telling me ‘I’m with the band’ in that knowing way, all he needs is a wink and he’s got the look.

Last week he was a Pirate at the annual bonfire at Nanna & Poppa’s. Running round in his anchor shorts (a great buy from Baby Moo’s. I highly suggest you take a look, Anna is great, her Calfling’s even better) pulled over his trousers to keep warm, pirate hat and telescope. He then became a drumming pirate, what do all pirates drum with? Glow sticks.

I ask him what he wants to be when he grows up, he artfully ignores my question. Instead, he puts on a character, Roadie, Rockstar, Pirate, Daddy, Disney Princess (yes I know he is a boy, surprisingly I was there when he was born) Cat, Tiger, Dog, Adventurer and this weeks new one: Santa or satan…..both wear red right?

Duck Face!

Duck Face!

Poorly boy

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Looking more like Stig of the Dump, Edward has a nasty cold. He refuses to let me near his head to brush his hair so I’m suspecting he’s got a headache and he is very bunged up. We’ve spent the morning listening to Damien Rice and seeing to the chickens but all he wants is cuddles and “cheese on sandwhich”…..today that takes the form of poppy seeded bread and some welsh mature cheddar, not forgeting the choco libenz biscuit!

How to spend a Sunday afternoon

I had a surprise telephone call earlier this morning from Brett’s sister asking if we’d like to go over for the afternoon……..Of course we did!

We had a lovely play and some great cuddles before a lunch of ham and cheese sandwhiches, grapes, strawberries and crisps followed by some singing

It was a really lovely relaxing afternoon and Edward had a brilliant time on the trampoline and the slide 🙂